Monthly Archives: January 2016

A well, a lady, Jesus and a Solution

A wellMany times I read the story of the Lady at the well in John 4. I love how Jesus brought change to that lady. He did everything needed to get her attention and to help her find freedom.

The first thing he does he talks to her. Jesus broke the boundary of talking to a woman and then also a Samaritan one. Both of them were looked down on in that society Jesus lived in, a Jew would never talk to a Samaritan and especially if she was a woman. But Jesus didn’t care about culture, he cared about the person.
Second he talks to her about a solution, a way to freedom. He tells her about the living water He has that can set her free from a inner thirst for more. Jesus is first giving a solution before he addresses the problem.
Third he calls out her problem. Jesus talks to her about her husbands. From the beginning to the end of that conversation Jesus always showed love but also addressed the area in her life that has to be dealt with
Fourth He reveals himself. Jesus tells the lady that he is the Savior she is waiting for. That causes the lady to run back to the town, share her testimony about Jesus and cause through that an excitement in the town that the whole town came along. That day salvation started for many people in that region. And why? Because Jesus put value on one person that nobody valued.

So when we look at that story we see how Jesus brought people into the Kingdom. It was mainly through love and caring for someone in a powerful way. He didn’t judge, but shared the truth. He didn’t create fear, but instead gave a solution. He didn’t care about his status, instead he choose to love no matter what.

I want to encourage each one of us to share the good news about Jesus with people but to do it in a way that people can understand and also see that he is really the best thing that can happen to them!

Hey our friend

We hope you had a wonderful week. Jen and I both got better from a pretty bad cold we caught. We also had a meeting with all the bay area works. It was good to see everyone and hear what God has been doing in all the different places. Our DTS Students are doing well in North beach and have a wonderful time at the boys and girls club. Keep praying for them to be able to encourage many of the kids at the Club!

Lets ask God this week to open the door for us to share the good news with someone in our lives!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen

Fear loses power when hope arrives

Fear losesReading the news for the first few weeks of 2016 can shake you up big time. We can read about the financial world and the drops in the stock markets. We read about North Korea and how they did a new bomb test. We read about terrorism and how it could hit us in everyday life. But what does all that do to us? It creates fear and worry. But fear and worry is the main thing that keeps people away from hope.

But what is our job as Christians in that? We are the ones that need to bring hope into a world run by fear! When I talk to people and topics from the news are brought up, I listen for a while, but then I normally share about the good things that are happening in the world. Most of the time people leave more hopeful with less fear then when they came. I remember years ago we went to a poetry reading and most of the poetry was really dark and depressing. So one week I had my students share some of their poetry which was all about hope. It was amazing to see the difference in the faces of people. People that looked almost depressed had later on that glimpse of hope in their eyes. But not enough right after they shared someone shared some of the darkest stuff I ever heard and that glimpse of hope from people’s faces left. The night was almost over but some of my students were promised to share so the coffee shop owner insisted that they would be allowed to do that even the night was already at the end. All people stayed and listened while one of the students read a paraphrased Psalm all about hope and then another student sang the song amazing grace acapella. After the students finished I looked at the faces in the room and every single person looked hopeful some with tears in their eyes! Christ is the author of hope and the destroyer of fear and what he brought to this world to every person is a message of hope. Whoever believes in me shall not perish but have eternal life. If that is not hopeful I don’t know what would!

So this is a call for each one of us. We have the message and power to bring hope into a hopeless world. Lets pray about ways how to do that. Maybe through a conversation at the office that goes from instead of speaking negative about something to sharing about something that God was doing the world recently. Or even better sharing about something God was doing in our personal life. Or it might start in the evening with a conversation to a neighbor when we get home. There are many ways to live our faith and being carriers of hope. Let us all step into the one where we have influence in!

Hey our friend

Wow what a week. I Markus got hit with a bad cold and fever which kept me grounded for almost a week. But when I got sick it also made me thankful. I realized that it has been 1 year since a cold strapped me to the bed. Thank you God for that!! Jen went to the welcome dinner for the students and was able to meet all of them. This week they will start working in the neighborhood. Pray that God will give each of them a passion for building community wherever they go!

Also another praise report!! During the last week God brought in 400 more dollars of monthly support so we are now only in need of $1.300 more on a monthly base!! Praise God. Thank you to all of you that are already part of our team!! If you or someone you know are not but would like to, click on this link to find out more how to do that. All donations are tax deductible. Thank you for all your help in this area.

Have a blessed week and remember to go after fear by spreading hope!

Markus and Jen

The Power of Worship

The Power of WorshipGrowing up I heard many times said that Satan was the Angel that was in charge of Worship. When you look at the bible you find a verse in Ezekiel 28.13 that talks about it, but it is not super clear. So true or not that he was the worship leader in heaven, think about it, why do so often things come up when we try to worship God? They come up, because it will keep our focus away from the one our life is really about. The one that has all the answers, the one who wants good things for us. When we worship, our focus moves away from us and instead focuses on our loving father who knows who we truly are. Satan is trying to keep us away from that since it would mean more trouble for him. Imagine, any Christian on this planet truly knows the love the father has for them, how would Satan keep intimidating them?

We want to encourage you to start this week of making worship an essential part of your life. May it be in the car, your bedroom or wherever you feel comfortable! We promise you, you will not regret it!!

 Hey our friend

We hope you had a wonderful week. Here in San Francisco we are having lots of rain in this season which is really helping with the drought that is going on here for years. Sometimes it can be easy to complain about something like rain because it hinders us in the moment, but then forget that we need the water in our everyday life. Thank you God for providing rain!

Please join us this week in Prayer for our new students that arrive. Pray that they will get a clearer picture of what God calls them to do with there lives.

We wish you a blessed week and a great time in Worship!!

Markus and Jen

Comfort

As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you. Isaiah 66.13

ComfortWhen I read the verse for the year 2016 (each year the German Church chooses a verse for the new year) I was reminded of a situation that happened to us a few weeks ago. We had coffee with friends at our usual North Beach coffee Shop. While we were talking their son was playing and enjoying the new discoveries of the coffee shop. He especially loved a box which had chess figures in it. It was amazing to see how much energy and joy that little boy had. At the end of our time we were about to say Goodbye to each other when we heard a cry. The little boy fell on the floor and hurt himself. But what was the first response? He went to his Mom to find comfort. He didn’t stop crying right away and the pain was still there but being hold by his Mom and by also holding on to her he found a deep comfort till he finally stopped crying and started to feel better.

When we look at the verse we see the part of a mother that comforts a child, but then God also talks about how he wants to comfort us. Many people around us are in great need of comfort because of many life circumstances like broken relationships, hopelessness etc.. But how can they find comfort? God uses each one of us to be someone that brings his comfort to people. We don’t have to have a certificate as a counselor to do that. No many times all it needs is a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on or just someone that is there. When you comfort someone you bring Gods peace to them and you can start pointing them towards him for even deeper healing. You know reality is we all can do that. We just have to do it.

We want to encourage you to start this new year of with making people priority in your life. If a crisis comes up in someone’s life and they need you, make time.

When all of us are available in bringing Gods comfort, the world will change and people start to see more hope and feel more comfort.

Hey our friend

How did you say hello to the new year? We celebrated with some friends from YWAM at our Apartment which was a lot of fun. The day after we had a visit from Ruth (Jen’s Mom) which is wonderful. We are still enjoying a little vacation and start to work again on the 6th.

Thank you to all who support us in our work here through Prayer and finances over all those years! You are a huge blessing to us! May god bless you richly!

We also look for more people to join our support team on a monthly base in this New Year. With rent increases and also increases in health insurance as well as the drop of the euro exchange rate we are in need of another $1700 on a monthly base. Pray about if you should be part of our support team or ask God if you should share this with someone you know.  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 year by making time for people and by bringing comfort!!

Have a blessed week

Markus and Jen