A PLACE WITHOUT BORDERS

Every so often I will come across a scripture that will capture my heart for days.  Similarly and when it can be backed up by scripture, a line in a worship song will do the same to where it stays driven inside my head.  Such has happened to me for the past two days to where my thoughts are captivated by this:

"SPIRIT LEAD ME WHERE MY TRUST IS WITHOUT BORDERS
LET ME WALK UPON THE WATERS WHEREVER YOU WOULD CALL ME
TAKE ME DEEPER THAN MY FEET COULD EVER WANDER
AND MY FAITH WILL BE MADE STRONGER
IN THE PRESENCE OF MY SAVIOR."

I am to a point in my life to where I am being driven to become so much like Jesus that people will be drawn to have an encounter with Him, even though they maybe aren't even searching for one.  I want to be so much like Christ that just like with Peter, when people come near me that they would be healed.

Please forgive me when I have moments to where I fail at being Christ-like.  I am striving to get there and stay there.

And now I am thinking about going to a place in Christ "where my trust is without borders."  A place where my trust and faith have no limits, no walls.  I want this so bad.  Not for my glory, but for His honor.  Not for my purpose, but so I can be used to bring a taste of Heaven to everyday lives here on earth.

Honestly I am not sure why I am writing this to you today, because it seems so personal.  I feel God taking me into a deeper place with Him.  His presence is so real.  He is here in such a way that I almost feel like my physical body can't experience much more of Him and be able to take it.  It's so hard to explain.  God has "wrecked" me to where I will never be the same.  I can echo the words of Peter, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life."  At this point in my life there is no other option (nor do I want one) than to be in this with Christ to the end of my days.  But after that, I gain eternal life anyway.

I think God has me sharing this with you today, because He wants to flood your soul and spirit, too.  I have heard the Spirit this week wanting me to tell people that He is wanting to do the impossible in lives; that in the times we are in God is calling to each of us desperately and telling us all to return to Him.  Some for the first time and for others to go into a deeper place spiritually with Him so that He can really move in our lives daily and with power that our eyes haven't yet seen.  God isn't wanting this for selfish reasons.  He is doing this because He is here to rescue us.  To save us.  To save you.  He does this because He loves you.

Please hear what I am about to say.  If I was to die today this is the thing that I would want you to remember and to hear from me.  The power of God is incredible.  It's more than anyone alive could imagine.  But for your good, God is ready to bring an incredible move of power to your life in 2014.  There is a condition for this, though.  He can and will only do this if you live for Him.  No more half in and half out.  It's time for all in.  It's time for more time in the word, in prayer, in meditation to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  It's time to live the Gospel.......EVERYDAY.  Guys, I'm sold out on this even more than I was yesterday.

I'm going deeper.  I'm going to a place to where my trust has no borders.  A place to where if Jesus were to bid me to walk on the waters with Him, then I will go.  I'm going to see the miracles that the early church saw.  I know this, because God is doing something in me that I can't explain.  If you have read my blog for long, you know my heart.  You know I don't say these things with arrogance or with pride.  Sometimes I wake wondering why Jesus even chose me.  Like Paul, I can be chief among sinners.

But He is calling.......................And I must go.

PLEASE come with me to that place where faith and trust are without borders.
I plead with you because I love you.  That is the only reason I need.

All for Jesus,
Mark S.

Listen to this and hear Him call......................

PROPHETIC WORDS FOR 2014?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!  I am so thankful for you taking time to read my blog and I am just thankful for you!  I pray that the Lord would cover you with much peace at this time of the year.  The gift of Jesus is all yours.  Let Him be your trusted friend.

The older I get the more I fall in love with the story surrounding the birth of Christ.  I used to look for new meanings, new angles and new revelations when it came to what we know as the Christmas story of Jesus, but no more.  No matter how often I may have read them, Luke chapter 2 and the second half of Matthew chapter 1 will do me just fine thank you.  Find some quiet time and read them again and then just be still and allow God to romance your heart.  I think about the beauty of the Christmas hymn "Silent Night" and I want to fall in love with Jesus all over again.

Jesus has so much He wants to bring you this season.  You are unique, special and one who carries great qualities within, whether you realize it yet or not.  Maybe take some time out and for the next few days and just rest in Him.  For some of us there have been some pretty trying times this year.  It's good to rest.  Be still and know that He is your Savior and allow Him to bring new energy and new life.  For others, things are well and good.  I still encourage you to take some time and just rest; meditate on the Lord and build yourself up in Him.  New things are on the way.  Allow the Lord to prepare you for them.

I am hearing 3 specific things as 2014 approaches and I'm hearing them pretty clear and loud.  I'd like to just kind of touch on them and allow you to seek the Lord and pray.  See if He will confirm these things to your spirit also.  Of the three, there are two which I am hearing in a way that I've never heard before.  There is a mystery behind them; a great unknown with a depth to them which God will soon reveal.

The first thing that I have heard and heard again over the last couple of weeks is a plea from God to know Him, to seek Him.  I was in an office reading my Bible not long ago when I came across Hosea 6:3.  As I read this a source of energy ran through me in such a way that I knew the Lord was speaking, wanting to prepare me (us) for something that is soon to come.

"Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.  His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth."

Just a couple of days later I was lead to this scripture;

"Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."  (Jeremiah 29:32-33)

In these scriptures, here is what the Lord is saying.  In these days many of us are looking for answers and solutions to issues, problems and just life in general.  There's a lot of weird stuff going on in both the natural and the spiritual.  We often spend a lot of time trying to figure out a way to solve a problem.  Depending on what's going on, we even lay awake in bed at night losing sleep, trying to figure out how we can make something happen, or wondering how in the world something will work out.  God is saying to stop!  Stop looking for the solution that you can't find and seek Him instead.   He already knows the plan, He already knows the thoughts.  He already has the answer.  Seek Him and in doing so He will reveal the way.  To the world this is foolishness.  But God's ways are different, better than the world's ways.

So the first thing I'm hearing from God for 2014, is to know Him better.  To know Him in deeper ways than we have before.  To seek Him and find Him while He may be found.  There is a reason for this.  I am going to tell you of the second and third things that I've heard regarding the immediate year and you will understand the importance of knowing, seeking and running after God.

A little over a week ago while at church, during worship we were singing a song which contains these lyrics:

"YOU SAID, MOUNTAINS WOULD MOVE
KINGDOMS WOULD FALL
WHEN I CALL ON YOUR NAME.
YOU SAID, OUR LAND WOULD BE HEALED
NATIONS WOULD BOW
WHEN I CALL ON YOUR NAME..........."

As I sang those lyrics I heard these words come back to me in such a way that I was silenced before God.  The Lord said with much clarity to me:

YOU HAVE NO IDEA AS TO HOW MUCH THE WHEELS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SET IN MOTION WITH THIS.

Those words were instantly burned on my heart.

I forget which song we did next, but I began to worship with every ounce of energy that I could burst forth and I'll never forget what I heard next................

YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE ME DO THINGS THAT YOUR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS NEVER SAW.

I was stunned.  I wasn't expecting that.  To hear from the Lord in that way just messes with you............but in a good way.

Now tonight, I sense the Lord wanting me to pass those three things on to you.  Go back and read, especially the last two, again.  I believe these three things are of the prophetic nature that won't take much time to come to pass.  In the coming year we are going to witness a surge of God's power that will begin to dwarf any power or principality that is currently in place.

That's it.

I'm not going to expound any more as to what I believe this all means.  What I am going to do is ask you to put these words and thoughts to prayer.  YOU seek the Lord on this and see if He doesn't begin to confirm these things to you in the immediate, coming days.  I am confident that He will and when He does it will stir you, just as it has stirred and shaken me.

And by the way, make sure you click on the song that I was referring to.  May God speak to you today or tonight also.  In fact my prayer is that the Lord will suddenly just surprise you.

Much love and many blessings,
Mark S.