Hey, I'm gonna be honest with you guys right now. I'm going through a pretty rough time... As a matter of fact, it's been a pretty rough time for a long time. Maybe too long for my liking. But here's the thing. When Jesus responded to my cries and met me, set me free from all my demons and woke me up He didn't do it for me to just play and party. Yeah, He set me free because I definitely wasn't free but there was a much greater reason for what He did. He opened my eyes - my real eyes and I saw things that very few can comprehend let alone even listen to. He showed me a lot of things I'd missed before, a lot of hidden things, a lot of terrible things. He warned me of things to come and how to identify my enemy and his movements. He trained me how to fight, how to pray and how to watch and learn. He unlocked things in me that I never ever knew existed. When He broke me out of my prison which was hell on earth I expected to wake up in a type of paradise. I expected a perfect tropical island but instead I awoke in a blood stained ocean in the middle of a battle. A battle that we are losing badly.
After being set free, I expected life to be much simpler, much easier, much more idealistic but boy was I wrong. By setting me free and opening my eyes I now saw what was really going on around me. It was war and the casualties are all around us. It broke my heart and reduced me to tears for weeks and weeks at the state of this planet and the church of today. Our enemy ravages and plunders the freedom of our people. God's children too often pick up the weapons of the enemy and use them on each other in cold betrayal. Depression, Addiction, Lust, Fear, Anxiety, Greed, Witchcraft and Violence roam and pick off the strongest of us first. I understand by saying this that many of you will find it offensive and most likely walk away and that's perfectly fine - this isn't a battle for civilians. It's a battle for soldiers. For those of you who are in one of those prisons right my message is simple. I was like you, chained, beaten, abused and tormented by my enemy until Jesus broke through. I'm here to tell you to keep crying out to Him despite how long it takes because when He does arrive... trust me when I say everything changes. Everything.
I'm here to tell you that once He has trained you, you will become far stronger than you could possibly ever have imagined. Strong enough not just to fight for yourself but also strong enough to stand between the enemy and his prey and fight for others. That's what a soldier does - He fights for the freedom of others. You know the stories from the bible how impossible odds were overcome by the small holding God's hand. God wants to write some new stories...When Jesus broke me out of my prison He did it for one really big reason... to wake up the soldier in me. I used to only care what people thought of me. It formed my very existence. I was a human chameleon that made myself into whatever was most liked in a vain attempt to fill the void of emptiness in me. Jesus changed all that when He revealed Himself to me as the Great I AM and He said something very important to me... He said... YOU ARE MINE. So, now I only care about what one person thinks. Jesus. Now there's only one person I serve. Jesus. Now there's only one person I will bow before.... JESUS. I prayed this week to my Father in Heaven in the middle of this tough time and this is what He said to me...
"Mark, what I want to see from you right now is defiance. I want to see the soldier that I made in you stand despite what's happening around you and despite very few standing with you. I want to see you defy the odds, defy doubt, defy fear, defy corruption, defy greed, defy lust and defy your enemy the Devil. I want to see the soldier that I broke out of prison standing in the face of the hurricane sweeping the horizon unmoved, weapon in hand ready to act when I give my orders." So here I am. Here I stand. For my King. Here I stand in defiance to my enemy because I believe in God's Word that says if I resist Him, He will turn and run. I believe in God's Word that it says the weapons of our warfare are not physical but full of latent divine power for breaking down prisons - and I plan to use them to demolish as many prisons as Jesus lets me. I believe in freedom for our people that comes through no other means than the Name of Jesus. I believe in a Army of Light that will carry the beacon of Hope, Truth and Selfless Love to the hurting, the dying and the lost bringing them into the salvation and true life that comes from Jesus Christ.
I am not afraid to stand and if it means I stand alone, I will still stand. My King will be lifted up and His Name will be known as the Name that saves and transforms. There was no one else that was able to find me, heal me, awaken me and set me free. There is no other Name by which we will be saved. His Name is JESUS! Stand soldiers of the King. Stand because our King won the victory for us and wants us to walk in it to give Him the glory He deserves.
After being set free, I expected life to be much simpler, much easier, much more idealistic but boy was I wrong. By setting me free and opening my eyes I now saw what was really going on around me. It was war and the casualties are all around us. It broke my heart and reduced me to tears for weeks and weeks at the state of this planet and the church of today. Our enemy ravages and plunders the freedom of our people. God's children too often pick up the weapons of the enemy and use them on each other in cold betrayal. Depression, Addiction, Lust, Fear, Anxiety, Greed, Witchcraft and Violence roam and pick off the strongest of us first. I understand by saying this that many of you will find it offensive and most likely walk away and that's perfectly fine - this isn't a battle for civilians. It's a battle for soldiers. For those of you who are in one of those prisons right my message is simple. I was like you, chained, beaten, abused and tormented by my enemy until Jesus broke through. I'm here to tell you to keep crying out to Him despite how long it takes because when He does arrive... trust me when I say everything changes. Everything.
I'm here to tell you that once He has trained you, you will become far stronger than you could possibly ever have imagined. Strong enough not just to fight for yourself but also strong enough to stand between the enemy and his prey and fight for others. That's what a soldier does - He fights for the freedom of others. You know the stories from the bible how impossible odds were overcome by the small holding God's hand. God wants to write some new stories...When Jesus broke me out of my prison He did it for one really big reason... to wake up the soldier in me. I used to only care what people thought of me. It formed my very existence. I was a human chameleon that made myself into whatever was most liked in a vain attempt to fill the void of emptiness in me. Jesus changed all that when He revealed Himself to me as the Great I AM and He said something very important to me... He said... YOU ARE MINE. So, now I only care about what one person thinks. Jesus. Now there's only one person I serve. Jesus. Now there's only one person I will bow before.... JESUS. I prayed this week to my Father in Heaven in the middle of this tough time and this is what He said to me...
"Mark, what I want to see from you right now is defiance. I want to see the soldier that I made in you stand despite what's happening around you and despite very few standing with you. I want to see you defy the odds, defy doubt, defy fear, defy corruption, defy greed, defy lust and defy your enemy the Devil. I want to see the soldier that I broke out of prison standing in the face of the hurricane sweeping the horizon unmoved, weapon in hand ready to act when I give my orders." So here I am. Here I stand. For my King. Here I stand in defiance to my enemy because I believe in God's Word that says if I resist Him, He will turn and run. I believe in God's Word that it says the weapons of our warfare are not physical but full of latent divine power for breaking down prisons - and I plan to use them to demolish as many prisons as Jesus lets me. I believe in freedom for our people that comes through no other means than the Name of Jesus. I believe in a Army of Light that will carry the beacon of Hope, Truth and Selfless Love to the hurting, the dying and the lost bringing them into the salvation and true life that comes from Jesus Christ.
I am not afraid to stand and if it means I stand alone, I will still stand. My King will be lifted up and His Name will be known as the Name that saves and transforms. There was no one else that was able to find me, heal me, awaken me and set me free. There is no other Name by which we will be saved. His Name is JESUS! Stand soldiers of the King. Stand because our King won the victory for us and wants us to walk in it to give Him the glory He deserves.
