“Jesus Saves” is not ALL of the Gospel

I love the FACT that Jesus saves us from our sins and gives us eternal life. But we forget about what Christ living inside of us does (2 Tim. 1:14). Christ transforms us into a new creation in Christ through the lifelong sanctification/spiritual growth process! We are changed into His image.

Jim Berg wrote an excellent book entitled Changed into His Image. It really changed my thinking and enhanced my understanding in so many areas.

So let’s share the full Gospel: God sent His Son to take our place for the punishment of our sins and gives us indwelling power to be transformed into His likeness!

Jesus Only!

-Mark (awed by the Gospel daily)

Just watched a “Christian” movie…

I went to a Christian-themed movie recently which was VERY disappointing to me. Why?

Not the acting. It was ok. I can forgive that!

Not the story. It was ok. I can forgive it for being too “Hollywood” meaning everything worked out in the end.

Not the attempt. I’m glad movie companies are TRYING to make Christian movies. That’s great! Thank you!

Here’s what I was disappointed by: The REAL Person of Jesus Christ was NOT a character or even a factor in the movie!

In other words, the movie focused on human relationships, had a positive message, but never really presented the Gospel or directed people to know Christ personally. Good movie…it will make you cry, but that’s all. No eternal value in it!

While it was a Christian-themed movie, it was not a Christian movie because it focused only upon this temporal life and not eternal life or upon the eternal Person of Jesus Christ.

-Mark (just wanting all of us Christians to be bold about the Person of Christ)

P.S. No, I won’t tell you the name of this movie because I am not going to degrade it publicly. If you’d like to know, contact me and I’ll tell you privately and personally. Again, I applaud the attempt of making a Christian movie but is it really Christian if Christ is not a character? Is apple pie really apple pie when there are no apples in it?

Privileged to share the Gospel

Also, I shared the Gospel with a lady at Lovelady in the last few months who began crying and said, “I have never heard that before!” I was telling her simply that the wrath of God was poured out on Christ and will not be poured out on believers! It was a simple yet esential component to the Gospel that the Holy Spirit made real to her! Praise His Name!

It is a great honor to be ministering to those women and children who recognize their brokenness and are hungry for the Word! I wish many of those I counseled in churches were like these ladies and children!

Pray about joining us in doing rewarding ministry at The Lovelady Center!

-Mark (grateful to be sharing the good news daily with broken souls)

Missions: how important is it to you to share your faith?

How important should missions work be to us?

Read Matthew 28:18-20 and give me an answer. I think Jesus placed a high value on missions work!

Where does most missional work occur? In our neighborhoods? I would say in our homes. I live with 4 children who I am a missionary to – they all need Christ. Our children are lost. They are born that way. They need to know Christ (John 17:3). Do you realize that?

Hoping our children magically find Christ is not good enough. We must evangelize them which occurs in BOTH word and in DEED. Our actions speak louder than words. Then, we must ask the Holy Spirit to do His work of saving grace to bring them to Himself.

When that battle is won, then I recommend you go to your neighbors (or maybe you do both at the same time – evangelize your children and your neighbors). The world needs the Gospel but it starts in your own home. Share the Gospel with those nearest you today and expect God to bring them to Himself!

-Mark (missional work is important in every way)

Heaven and Hell (part 2)

Heaven is a reality, but it is an exclusive place for redeemed sinners to be eternally with God forever. Oh, how He loves us!

Do you live in light of eternity and the reality of heaven?

If you are a believer, you should. It’s your home – not this fallen, broken, sin-cursed world.

Personally, I long for heaven because I want to be with God and I want to be absent from my own sin and temptations. Think about having a glorified, perfect body without sin! Oh, how He loves us!

Think about being with God forever in eternal bliss! Oh, how He loves us! This ought to make us walk with a skip in our step!

-Mark (asking God to keep my eyes looking heavenward!)

Heaven and Hell (part 1)

Hell is a real place. It is a place we don’t like to think about because Jesus described it as a place of eternal punishment (Matt. 25:46) and a place where there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 24:51).

We can’t imagine hell away. We can’t deny its reality. It is a terrible place. When we say something is “hell on earth,” we are really minimizing what hell is really all about.

Let’s spread the Gospel of truth in love so that more people can avoid hell! I shudder to think about lost souls going to this destination and being cast into it for all of eternity. Do you live in light of eternity?

Now, in this life, you have time to do something about hell, but for those who go to hell, there is no repentance. It is not a place designed for repentance. It’s a place designed to give unrepentant, unwilling, and unbelieving sinners an eternal destination that matches their hearts.

The reality of hell should compel us to share the Gospel with the lost.

-Mark (sad to think that hell WAS my destination before Christ saved me)

3 saved in last week…

What a privilege God allows us to experience to share His Gospel with hurting souls! There is no greater thrill.

In fact, just this week, 3 people have reported to me that they were saved through the reading of The Heart of Addiction and classes taught on the book. One of the classes is taught by a precious lady who probably teaches the book better than I do! She is on fire for Christ and uses the book to women who desire to be set free from addictions of all types.

To see souls saved by God through a book I wrote to glorify Him is amazing grace!

-Mark (all I can say is “praise the Lord for He alone is good!”)