Monthly Archives: March 2016

Forgiveness Part 1 Forgive Others

Forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.

Vergebung Teil 1The Verse above is one of the last things Jesus said while being on this earth. He puts a lot of value into forgiveness. Why? Here are 2 reasons: One for others and one for you. This week I want to look at the one for others.

Have you heard of Jim Elliot? The story of Jim Elliot and his wife is a story of the power of forgiveness. He went to bring the gospel to a tribe in Ecuador. While doing that he was killed by the tribe leaving behind his wife and child. Now the wife had 2 choices: Either she could live her life in hate and become bitter at the people who killed her husband or she could forgive. She choose the second, but not just that, she actually kept going with what her husband started bringing the gospel to that tribe. Out of that many people in the tribe became Christians. They saw the teachings of Jesus in action and saw the results and love it produced.

Now look at Jesus. He had all those people right in front of him that nailed him on the cross. They nailed him on the cross for speaking the truth and being innocent. But how does he react?  Right in that moment he chooses to forgive. He lives by what he preached. He lived his message. By forgiving others he gives them the opportunity to be free. He opens the door for them to turn around and change and come back into relationship. He releases judgement from his hands into the fathers hand. Also when Jesus shared on forgiveness he gave it as a command. If we don’t forgive God will not forgive us. Did he say that to guilt us into forgiveness? No he said it because he knows the power it has and how it can change us and others.

Ask yourself those questions:

  1. Who are some of the people in your life you have to forgive (people who hurt you, bullies, false friends etc.)?
  2. Bring them in Prayer before God and forgive them!
  3. Ask God if there is anything you did in that situation that requires to ask for forgiveness? If you did go up to that person and ask them personally for forgiveness.

Hello friend

We hope you had wonderful Easter week. We celebrated with friends from our building. It was so special to celebrate this day together. We also went to a local mess in which we had the opportunity to meet more people from our community. Our times at the coffee shop were also fruitful with great conversations. It always reminds me of Jesus and the apostles and how they went to were the people were instead of waiting for the people to come to them.

We want to invite you to partner with God and us to bring community to people and through that Gods love in a way they never experienced it before. Right now we are in need of $1.300 more on a monthly base to cover all our cost. Pray about joining our team in this way! You can do it with any amount you would like. Find out more on how by clicking on this link. If you personally cant join us in this way could you share it with family and friends who might be interested in joining. Thank you for your help. Thank you to each one of you who is already part of our team. You are a true blessing!

Don’t forget Forgiveness!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

This is a movie trailer to the movie they made about jim elliots life

The greatest Super Hero

The greatest super heroMany years ago the movie superman returns was released. At one part in the movie Lois Lane wrote an article about how the world doesn’t need a Savior and Superman sees it. Shortly after that this conversation takes place:

Superman: Listen. What do you hear?
Lois Lane: Nothing.
Superman: I hear everything. You wrote that the world doesn’t need a savior. But everyday I hear people crying for one.

Intended or not the movie speaks the truth. Many people in the world are struggling. Many people are looking for someone or something that can help them through this time. Why are super hero movies so popular? Because people look at the heroes and it stirs up hope in them. Every person in the world wants a savior if they know it or not.

In a few days we celebrate Easter, the time when Jesus became the greatest hero of all time. He went so far to sacrifice his life for people that didn’t even deserve it Romans 5.8 just so they can be saved and reconciled with the father. Wow that is good news. Guess what: Each of us is one of them. And each person on this planet that doesn’t know him yet is one of them as well. So let’s use this Easter time to share with people the good news. There is a Savior out there who can really save you for good. Not just for the 80 or 90 years we live on this planet, no but for eternity. He is alive!!

Ask yourself:

  1. Who is the person or people you want to share with?
  2. Ask the father to show you a way on how to share it with them so they can understand.

Have a blessed and happy Easter!! He is alive!!

Hey our friend

Our week in San Francisco was great. We had a prayer time with a friend, I (Markus) was in a board meeting for the base, we had a neighborhood watch meeting and also celebrated the birthday of one of our friends. But of course we had all the usual things as well, but I don’t write about those as much since you already heard of them. This week is Easter. If you get a chance watch the movie Son of God to get your focus and mind towards what really matters. Jen and I really liked it.

Would you like to partner with us in a financial way? Right now we are in need of $1.300 more on a monthly base to cover all our cost. Pray about joining our team in this way! You can do it with any amount you would like. Find out more on how by clicking on this link. If you personally cant join us in this way could you share it with family and friends who might be interested in joining. Thank you for your help. Thank you to each one of you who is already part of our team. You are a true blessing!

Share the good news of Easter with someone this week!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

What is your expectation?

What is your expectationNext Sunday is Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey while being celebrated by many. They ripped down pieces of palm trees to cover the streets to make it even more triumphal. But shortly after that probably the same people screamed out loud to have Jesus crucified. Why? Because He didn’t fulfill the expectations they had on him. Their idea was to have a life of freedom from the romans through his Kingship. But God had a way greater plan, eternal freedom. But if you are in a hard season in life like the people in that time, it is sometimes really hard to look at the bigger picture and its easy to be moved by circumstances.

But how can we change that? We need to keep looking at God and stay in close relationship with Him. Jesus said it himself I only do the things that I see the father doing (John 5.19). But the only way to do that is a daily connection with the Father.

Let us ask ourselves those questions.

  1. What are things we are expecting of God?
  2. What are things that didn’t come through the way we planned it? Did we ask God why?
  3. Did we ask Him about the bigger picture?

It is important to ask those questions and to know what we stand for. If we don’t, it can be really easy to sway us away. Let’s not lose our focus on the things that really matter!

Hey our friend

We hope you had a  great week. We had a great German night, a wonderful game night, a celebration for 2 years encouragement group, a big fundraiser and a North Beach Team Staff Day. It was an eventful week, but amazing. Only 2 more weeks till Easter and we are making plans to celebrate it with our friends from our building. Maybe invite some friends over to your house for your Easter Celebration.

Would you like to partner with us in a financial way? Right now we are in need of $1.300 more on a monthly base to cover all our cost. Pray about joining our team in this way! You can do it with any amount you would like. Find out more on how by clicking on this link. If you personally cant join us in this way could you share it with family and friends who might be interested in joining. Thank you for your help. Thank you to each one of you who is already part of our team. You are a true blessing!

Refocus this week and make sure to keep your eyes on the bigger picture!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

Loving creatively

love creativlelyI recorded a video blog a few weeks ago which is a great follow up to last weeks blog on deeply unconditional loved. It’s about how we can love others in a creative way so they are able to receive it.

2 Action Steps:

  1. Ask God to point out 2 or 3 people you know to love on this week. Ask God how you can show them love in a way that they can receive it
  2. Go and do what God told you to do with those specific people!

Hey our friend

Dinner with friendsIf you have a busy week it goes by so fast. We had an Evaluation Meeting for all the YWAM ministries, a dinner with YWAM friends who came to visit and 1 who is leaving, a movie night and a brunch at our house with many friends from the neighborhood, a teaching time with the DTS students and all the usual things we are doing. It is so wonderful to see how through all those things more and more people connect with each other and more and more community starts to exist.

Would you like to partner with us in a financial way? Right now we are in need of $1.300 more on a monthly base to cover all our cost. Pray about joining our team in this way! You can do it with any amount you would like. Find out more on how by clicking on this link. If you personally cant join us in this way could you share it with family and friends who might be interested in joining. Thank you for your help. Thank you to each one of you who is already part of our team. You are a true blessing!

Remember this week to love 2 or 3 people in a way in which they can receive it.

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen