It Happened Again!

I know, I know.  It's hard to believe, but God really did initiate another spiritual conversation.  I would say it was a gospel presentation, but it really wasn't complete.  It was certainly the nurturing of a seed.  I really didn't expect it to happen again today as my meetings were only going to last for half a day and there was no food scheduled.  Immediately after the meeting we loaded up on a bus and headed to the airport.  Nothing ever happens at the airport, including my flights.

I checked in to my flight, which wasn't scheduled to leave for a couple of hours and the kiosk asked me if I wanted to upgrade to first class.  Of course I did, but there is this little issue of money.  The upgrade price was $0.00.  Ahh well, I guess I could do it at that price.  Wow!  What a week.

I went through security with several other Aaron's associates traveling with me and because I was flying first class did not have the hassle of declining to go through the naked body scanner.  It seems first class passengers just have to go through the regular security.  Why do I ever doubt God?

After eating lunch, Brian (an Aaron's associate with whom I will be working from time to time and was on the same flight as I) and I headed over to the gate.  Once there he abruptly asked me if I was indeed working as a minister.  I was amazed!  He knew very little about me, and what he did know was that I had some involvement in the ministry.  Pretty cool how God lays that groundwork. 

I answered him affirmatively and he said he was very interested in speaking with me about that over an extended period of time as he has had several experiences including an elongated fight with depression that is causing him to seek truth.  Brian and I talked for about half an hour before it was time to board the plane.  He shared things with me that he said he has shared with only a couple of people.  I was able to share with him some of my testimony.

HOW ABOUT THAT?!  What can I say other than praise God!  Which is exactly what I did in my first class seat for several minutes after I sat down.  What a wonderful God I serve.  What joy there is in His presence!  Do you have that joy?

Pressing on,

Mark Hebert
Psalm 16:11 - R U in His presence?

Daily Testifying

This has been the best set of business meetings I have ever had.  Generally I get some opportunity to give a testimony of God's love, grace, and mercy in my life but miss it either through fear or just plain lack of hearing the Holy Spirit's leading.  This week I have been given the incredible opportunity of witnessing every single day to people.

Monday I got in line at the airport for a cab to my hotel.  No sooner did I get in line than a man walked up to me and announced he would ride with me.  I was, of course taken back by his approach and, at a loss for words asked him where he was going.  "The same place you are," he said.  Okay, that's a little creepy.  I had my Aaron's shirt on though, and since I was going to a somewhat sizeable meeting I figured he was affiliated with Aaron's.  Shortly after my deduction he introduced himself as indeed being from Aaron's and where his store was. 

We shared a cab ride in.  I was hungry and it was late.  Everyone I knew had already eaten, and not wanting to eat alone I asked John if he wanted to join me.  We agreed to meet back in the lobby after settling into our respective rooms.  Just prior to discussing where we would eat, I asked John where he was from.  When he told me Texas, I knew we were bound to get along.  I heard about a Tex-Mex restaurant in the hotel and knowing John had been living in Oregon for several years suggested we try eating there.  Turns out the lack of good food in Oregon is as prevalent a problem in there as it is in Pennsylvania.  Just before eating I prayed and that gave me great opportunity to witness to him as he remarked on my values..

Tuesday night I was eating dinner with a table full of people and again prayed and gave thanks to God for my food.  When I prayed I asked Him to give me the opportunity to share with someone how good He has been to me.  Within five minutes of that prayer a man with whom I used to work asked me if I was still giving "religious talks"!  I thanked God with great enthusiasm and launched into a joyful account of how good God has been.

Tonight as I thanked God for the food I was about to eat in the midst of some slightly intoxicated coworkers, I thanked God for the great time I had so far.  As the night wore on the conversation turned from a business focus to general economic discussions.  I shared my view of the situation slowly building to the conspiracy of the wealthy elite while presenting the evidence in a logically compelling manner.  At one point the individual I was addressing said that he should probably start buying some gold.  That's when I knew he got it. 

He suggested that the world would probably be a better place if we were all under one system of government.  He prefaced that statement by saying, "this is going to sound way out there, but"  I told him it wasn't way out there at all.  It is socialistic and exactly the way the elite want us to think.  From there I was able to lead him to the Bible and the fact that just before the end of the world there will be a one world system of government with a one world economy. 

The conversation turned to a purely religious one from there through which I was able to tell him of relationship God has made possible to us with Him and the joy that comes with it.  He then told me his wife had been suggesting they go to church.

Isn't it wonderful how God works?  All the time I had great liberty, peace, and boldness.  I spoke with authority that I had not previously had.

Pressing on,

Mark Hebert
Psalm 16:11 - R U in His presence?

Want Someone to Leave You Alone?

At breakfast this morning there were a couple of people that thought they should talk to me while I tried to get some work done.  I didn't know either of them, and I really needed to get some of the work I had in front of me completed. 

The first person, an older man wanted to talk to me about Aaron's.  I wish I had thought about turning the conversation to a more beneficial one by something like, "The job with the best pay and benefits is my job at RBCS," but I didn't.  The man was annoying me slightly and I asked God to allow me to get past my desire to accomplish something of my work, and show me an open door to witness to him.  It didn't happen.

The second was a lady who works for the hotel keeping the breakfast area stocked and clean.  She talks to everyone about anything for long periods of time.  I wanted someone to witness to, and she seemed as good as any, so I made a comment about a 9/11 survivor who was being I interviewed on the TV not appearing to have any physical scars (she was burned over 90 percent of her body).  I didn't know where the conversation would go, but her response was to say the event was a tragedy.  Then she went on to talk about a shooting that had taken place this morning in a resteraunt and how you never know when your time is up.

Well, that was all I needed to begin speaking to her about eternity.  As I steered the conversation to things of eternity, including judgment, she jumped out of it.  That's right, I found out how to get miss, "I'll talk to anyone about anything" to quit talking.  To bad that wasn't my purpose.

Pressing on,

Mark Hebert
Psalm 16:11 - R U in His presence?

Unexplained Joy

I can't explain why I feel such joy and satisfaction in life.  I want to be able to pinpoint exactly what God has done through the day, but I am at a loss.  I can say that He has kept my mind much more closely stayed on Him than I have previously experienced.  It is somewhat like walking in a dream, only having more focus.

My fear in not being able to explain it is that I won't be able to repeat it.  I know times of temptation and trials will be coming.  How will I handle those times, should they come upon me as they did Job, when it feels like God is against me, rather than for me?  Even as I try to imagine it, I am filled with confidence that God will carry me through it and I will still have comfort.   Job did not have the Holy Spirit of God living inside him.  He could say, "I know my Redeemer liveth," but he could not say, "I know that my redeemer liveth in me, and I in Him."

Then there is the command that Jesus gave us to not worry about tomorrow because the evil of the day is sufficient for the day. He won't let me worry about it.  He has kept me from temptation through the day.  Not that no temptation came, but when it did, He reminded me of my goals and called me to Himself.  I was tempted to watch TV, but God reminded me that I want to be prepared to be used to reach the teens Friday.  He reminded me that I want to get Bible clubs going in the low income housing.  He reminded me that I want to have a much better understanding of His doctrine, that I want to be a true disciple, exercised in the discipline of His ways.  As He gave me the grace to press toward the mark, He has flooded my soul with great joy.

Perhaps that explains this tremendous joy I have felt for an extended period.

Pressing on,

Mark Hebert
Psalm 16:11 - R U in His presence?

Still 100%

We hosted a barbeque at my house yesterday.  Normally, we go to a park and have a cookout with a few friends on Labor Day, but since the forecast was for rain on account of another hurricane hitting our coast and folks backing out of going to the park, Nancy and I decided to have it at our house.  We began inviting people over, and by the time we had stopped to count the number of guests we were expecting, we were over booked.  Thirty people was well over the number we can hold.  I love a challenge!  Sunday night the calls were coming in: "The forecast is for rain all day tomorrow, are we still having the party?"  "Yes," I said, "I know God is pleased with this plan because I can feel Him smile inside my heart.  Therefore, I know His blessing will be in this gathering."  I had no doubt that God wanted us to go forward with the Labor Day barbeque.  

Monday morning brought the rain.  It was really nothing more than just a drizzle with short spells of steady rain, and moments of nothing.  I prayed and asked God to hold off the rain as He has done so many times before.  As I thought about it, I realized that God had answered my prayers about this particular thing 100% of the time in the past.  I told Him He had a perfect track record so far, and asked Him to keep it that way.  He did.  God proved once again that the weatherman has no idea what God can do, and He is more powerful than any weather patterns, including hurricanes.  God owns the weather, all of it.

There was much more that came of this little barbeque we had planned for.  One of the individuals who came used to think I didn't like him.  He is struggling with some things that are really dragging him down , and for some reason God has been comforting him, and calling him through me.  Its amazing and exciting.  Another is that our neighbors also came over.  It was a last minute invitation, but they loaned us the use of a couple much needed tables and some chairs (God provided once again), and Nancy invited them over.  We have always been cordial with each other, but there was never an open door to witness to them.  I had tried on several occasions,  but they turned cold when I brought the subject up.  God has used this this event to strengthen the relationship between us.  I believe the opportunity to share the Gospel with them will be forthcoming.

On a side note, we had a great time playing volleyball.  My team won every game.  Some think that's not true, but I have the unique position of being able to claim each guest as being on my team, and there were no losers yesterday.  

Praise God!

 

Bro. Mark


Youth Director, Children's Church Director
The Revival Baptist Church of Scranton, PA

Building Lives on Solid Foundations

2020 N. Main Ave

Scranton, PA  18509

570.963.9449

www.ScrantonRevivalBaptist.org

Mhebert@ScrantonRevivalBaptist.org

Ps. 16:11
Thou wilt show me the path of life;
In Thy presence is fullness of joy,
At Thy right hand are pleasures forevermore.

R.U. in His presence?

Mark Hebert,
Christian
Psalm 16:11
"Thou wilt show me the path of life,
In Thy presence is fullness of joy,
At Thy right hand are pleasures for evermore."

R.U. In His presence?

-- Sent from my HP TouchPad

Discipline Needed

All right.  Prayer time went well this morning.  As I prayed, and God impressed on my heart some specific individuals to pray for, I felt His presence.  My Bible reading time did not go so well.  I was distracted through almost all of it with my own thoughts.  I allowed myself to get carried away with distractions that I actually caused.  I got a slide presentation of videos going on my Touchpad and paid attention to the great memories that those shots represent.  That's all it took to loose the discipline.  God, make me a true DISCIPLE with all that entails: all that it means giving up, and all that it means gaining. Amen!

Pressing on,

Mark Hebert
Psalm 16:11 - R U in His presence?

A Prayer...

I don't often write my prayers out as I pray them, but this one I did.  It may not make sense initially, and may seem like so much gibberish to many who read it, but for what it's worth, here it is as it flowed out of my heart to God.
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Lord God, my Father in heaven; Thou hast given me much joy throughout the week, and started this week off in grand fashion.  Thou alone art worthy of all praise, and all glory, and all honor. As wonderful as the last seven days have been, Lord, I am so tempted to crawl away and sink into a negative attitude of disbelief.  I think it is laziness, Lord.  Whatever it is Oh my Father, please give me victory over it, and, Lord, I am willing - even desirous to share this with the church tonight: especially because as I presented this problem to Thee, Thou didst flood my soul with assurance and joy! 

Thank You, Lord! How I want to live in Thy immediate presence, drawing ever closer to Thee! Make my life as Enoch's was oh Lord, my God: walking with Thee ever closer until he was not, for Thou didst take him.

Pressing on,

Mark Hebert
Psalm 16:11 - R U in His presence?