Category Archives: Love your Neighbor

Run on His strength and help others to do that too

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I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! Philippians 4.13

Run on his strengthWhen I read this verse I feel inspired. Paul a man who wrote half of the new testament, a man who pushed a mission movement forward that changed the world, a man who went through really hard seasons and persecution  and didn’t give up tells us how he was able to do it. It was not on his own strength, but it was in the strength of Christ that he was able to succeed. He never walked through life alone, but he put his trust in Jesus. How did he do it? He realized that if he trusts just in his own abilities he would never been able to fulfill the great things God has planned for his life.

After he had an encounter with Jesus on the Road to Damascus it flipped his life upside down. Many would say it was this moment that transformed his life and made him state that he can do all things through him. I think it was this moment, but more important all the moments that followed after when he felt the body of Christ around him encouraging him and helping him, the man who used to be there enemy. I think that is what made that encounter with Jesus even more real, when he saw how Jesus power helped people that he was out to kill, to help him and accept him as one of their own.

I believe that this is a key for believers and new believers to trust that they can do all things through Christ, when they had an encounter with Jesus and then see how Christ works through others and when they start to encourage them that they can do it too!

I want to challenge us today to really believe what Paul is saying: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! But not just believe it, but live with that knowledge and walk it out. And when we do that encourage others along the way with the things God did through us and how He can do things through them as well!

Hey our friend

Wow what a week here in San Francisco. We had  a wonderful brunch with neighbors. We also had a great time at our encouragement group. It’s a wonderful community that we started 2 years ago and which meets once a week and brings hope to the people that come. I’m amazed how much courage it brings to people that come. If you would like to know more on how the group works and how you can start one, email us!

Remember this week to run on his strength and not your own and help others to do that too.

Have a great week!
Markus and Jen

Love your neighbor Part 20 Good things take time

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love your neighbor part 20In this blog series we want to show you that it is actually really easy to make an impact where you live. We hope you start to see that more by reading this series! This week will be the last blog in the series “love your neighbor” for this year. We will write some more on that topic next year.

In today’s time we are always so rushed for time. It affects every area of our lives, including relationships. But the thing is true relationships can’t be rushed. You need time to get to know each other.

When I look at the friendship with my best friend, I see how true that is. After 10 years we can share anything with each other and be real about anything. But it took a little bit of time to come to that place. It took good times, fun times, hard times and sad times. We walked through them together and helped each other and over time grew closer together and more and more trust was build.

Since you want relationship with neighbors it’s the same truth that applies. Don’t expect that you know a neighbor just with one time meeting. It’s taking time. And it is important to stay connected. It doesn’t have to be daily, but check in with your new friends on a regular base. If you plan to live at a place for a long time what is a few extra months? The importance is quality. Rather spend less time, but that less time be intentional and have a value for it. Don’t just give the time that is leftover, but instead give some of your best time, like a Saturday etc..

When you start to give your new friends quality time, you show them how valuable they are to you. And showing that to people opens doors into their lives that could never be opened otherwise.

Ask yourself those questions!

  1. What is the best time in your day or week?
  2. How can you arrange your schedule to open some of that time up for neighbors?
  3. Find ways to encourage yourself weekly that you build relationships for the long term not for short term.

Hey our friend

We had a great week here in San Francisco. We had a prayer meeting, board meeting, book club, a night were I mentored a young man who became like a son to us that I know out of our work in Hunters Point and also we were able to meet with a professional lady in Redding about our book.  God just opened up all those doors perfectly. Isn’t he awesome!! We also ended up having some refreshing time during our time in Redding while visiting a church up there. God is so good!

Markus and JenFirst of all thank you to all who support us in our work here through Prayer and finances! You are a huge blessing to us! May god bless you richly!

We have a request for you! To do the work we are doing we depend 100% on support. Over the last few months we lost about $287 in monthly support through changes of circumstances in people’s lives. So at this point we need about $1460 more in monthly support to be fully funded and about $9,800 more to reach our full budget for this year. We want to ask for your help in sharing with people you know that have a heart for missions and would be interested in joining our support team monthly or with a year end donation. Of course if you are not a part of it you are welcome to join as well! When you click on this link you find out more how to do that. All donations are tax deductible. Thank you for all your help in this area.

Start this week to evaluate your time and how you use it!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

Love your neighbor Part 19 Be excited about Jesus

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love your neighbor part 19In this blog series we want to show you that it is actually really easy to make an impact where you live. We hope you start to see that more by reading this series!

Before I joined YWAM I was in Sales in an Electronic Store in Germany. In that time I learned that if you want to sell a product you actually have to like it first yourself and be excited about it. Sharing our faith is a bit like that too. Of course we are not trying to sell something, but we want to share the true excitement we have about Jesus with others. So first of all we need to be excited about Jesus.

20151102_101326Last week we went to a memorial of a friend of ours from the Tenderloin. Many people were sharing about his life but the common message was always that he was generous and loving. He was in no way rich, but everything he had he shared with others. People could see Jesus by the way he treated others. That is attractive and practical and can be seen! How amazing to think, that every neighbor around you would mention the amazing giftings God gave you and the love you have for Him and people around you.  What if they mention in the next sentence that through that they started to fall in love with Jesus because He actually became real to them through you! How amazing would that be?

Here some things to ponder on:

  1. When people look at us do they see the excitement and love we have for Jesus?
  2. Does He have the most important role and focus in our life?
  3. Is our love for Jesus showing in our life through our actions and the way we live, in a way that is real, contagious and attractive to others? If not ask yourself why and start

Hey our friend

Picture Time with Loren CunninghamWe hope you had a fantastic week! We had our YWAM Fundraiser with Loren Cunningham which raised $190.000 towards paying off the building, game nights and other events at our apartment and different meetings during the week. After all it was a great and thoughtful week. This week we will have a meeting with a book editor who can hopefully give us some tips on writing. Pray that God keeps giving us ideas and the right words to write!

First of all thank you to all who support us in our work here through Prayer and finances! You are a huge blessing to us! May god bless you richly!

We have a request for you! To do the work we are doing we depend 100% on support. Over the last few months we lost about $287 in monthly support through changes of circumstances in peoples lives. So at this point we need about $1560 more in monthly support to be fully funded. We want to ask for your help in sharing with people you know that have a heart for missions and would be interested in joining our support team. Of course if you are not a part of it you are welcome to join as well! When you click on this link you find out more how to do that. Thank you for all your help in this area.

Start this week with a new excitement for God by spending some extra time with Him!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

Love your neighbor Part 13 Be a hope Giver

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love your neighbor part 13In this blog series we want to show you that it is actually really easy to make an impact where you live. We hope you start to see that more by reading this series!

About 1.5 years ago we started an Encouragement Group at our local Coffee Shop. The purpose of the group is to encourage people and bring hope. Its been amazing to see what it does to all the people in the group including us. We normally start with a time of sharing how our week went and then we go into a time about sharing some things that encouraged us during this week and brought us hope. At the end people can ask for encouragement. It totally changes the outlook on life when you have someone speak hope into your life.

I also saw that a lot at the place where we live. Encouraging a neighbor in their dreams and speaking hope into them changes perspective. When you look at things from a perspective of hope you are more likely not giving up. When you look at things from despair, chances you give up are very high.

So how can you do it? When someone shares something with you that is not hope giving share something that’s opposite. Give Father God’s perspective on things. Example: “I saw in the news today that the economy is struggling again. I might lose my job.” Instead of agreeing share about new jobs being created every day and how God kept that person for a long time in that job even in hard times. Walk them through a time of seeing truth again. Help them to get a switch of perspective by looking at things from an angle of hope. Hope is something that is really needed in todays time.

  1. Start listening to what you say and see if you look at things with hope or despair.
    1. If you look at things with despair, ask God to help you change your perspective and look at things with hope.
    2. Ask God daily for an opportunity to speak hope into a neighbor or someone else’s life. Do this till it becomes a normal thing that you just do automatically.

Hey our friend

We had a great week here in San Francisco. We hope yours was wonderful too. After the Block Party things slowed down a little bit which was really nice. We went to a thank you dinner from the Italian community center and spoke at a school that empowers people to bring Jesus into their workplace. We also had friends visiting from Germany which was amazing!! We had a really good time showing them around San Francisco. Its always so nice to see friends from our home places.

Our DTS students also started well in North beach. Keep praying for them and all the work that is going on here. Thanks for all your prayers!

Over the last few month we lost $287 in monthly support through changes of circumstances in peoples lives. So at this point we need about $1560 more in monthly support. We want to ask for your help in sharing with people you know that have a heart for missions and would be interested in joining our support team. Of course if you are not a part of it you are welcome to join as well! When you click on this link you find out more how to do that. Thank you for all your help in this area.

Walk through this week as someone that brings hope to neighbors and people in your life!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

Love your neighbor Part 12 Live Thankfulness

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love your neighbor part 12In this blog series we want to show you that it is actually really easy to make an impact where you live. We hope you start to see that more by reading this series!

Last week we wrote in this series about being real and authentic. But along with that it is also really important that we have the right attitude in our lives. I think one of the things that we need more of in this world is thankfulness. Often God is doing great things in our life or in the life of other people, but how do we share that? Are we actually giving him Glory for it and are we living in a thankful attitude? Do we always just want more or are we actually thankful for what we have?

That translates as well into your neighborhood. Many people struggle in that area and always focus on need instead of things that they already have. What about if you live your life in a thankful attitude and you show that to people too, by the way you talk! Instead of talking about all the things you want share about all the things you are thankful for. Don’t just share about material things, instead focus on things like food, health, spouse, friends etc. When you do that it will not just change your perspective but also helps your neighbors to do the same.

  1. Find everyday this week 5 things you are thankful for.
  2. Share those things with neighbors and people around you during conversations!

Hey our friend

We hope you had a fantastic week. We had the wonderful block party on our hill this week which jen helped to plan. It was amazing to see neighbors connect with each other. We also had a meeting with the neighborhood watch to talk about lighting and how it can improve safety in our community. When there is light darkness has to go.

Also last week our new DTS arrived. We had a welcome dinner with them and we look forward to get to know them more. Pray for them especially in this time of new things. It can be hard to leave behind things that are familiar and do something totally different.

Walk through this week with an awareness of all the things God has given you to be thankful for!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen