When Your Problem Is Not The Problem

"My husband doesn't show me love,  and I feel so hurt."  "My wife is always telling me what to do, and I feel so angry."  "Why won't God answer my prayer and bring me a spouse?"  "I so often feel defeated and worthless."  

These are the legitimate problems Christians face every day along with many more.  We see these brothers and sisters at our conferences and in our counseling.  If you relate to any of those statements or have other struggles such as pornography, addiction, or a negative self-image, you are not alone.  All Christians struggle with something, and I mean ALL.  No one escapes because Jesus said, "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows" (John 16:33 NLT).

I hope what I am going to share next will give you some hope and encouragement.  Very often your problem is not the problem.  It doesn't mean that the problem is not real or painful.  It often is, but there can be much more at play. Jesus gives us a little clue about this when He continues in that same verse by saying, "But take heart, because I have overcome the world."   What does that mean?

Our Father is jealous for His Son, Jesus, to be the center and source of each of our lives.  He will not allow anything or anyone else to take Jesus' rightful place in our lives.  He loves us too much to allow us to have an idol, because it is damaging to us.  An idol can be something we are relying on to do for us what only Jesus can do. 

 Most of the time it's an attempt to get our "LAWS" needs met, meaning Love, Acceptance, Worth and Security.  It's enjoyable if others meet those needs in addition to Jesus, but as Sandy Witherspoon, our Director of Training says, "Jesus is the cake, and people are the icing."  Yet we easily get those confused.

Because Father is jealous for His Son in us to be revealed to us, He will allow our strategies for trying to make life work, run their course and either fail or fail to meet our needs.  Is it beginning to make sense that your problem is not necessarily the problem?

Father's goal is for us to learn to live by faith in Christ in us, rather than just the fact that Christ is in us.  I believe that is what the prayer in Ephesians 3 means. Paul leads us to pray that we would be strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit so that Christ may live in our hearts through faith (not just fact).  Most Christians are confident Christ is in them, but they don't realize that their problems are God's messengers to allow them to know how to live by faith in Christ in them.

So how do we deal with our problems when life seems so hard?  The best thing any of us can do is tell God He can do anything He wants, to us, for us, and in us to give us a deeper revelation of Christ in us as our All in All.  And continue by affirming to Him that we believe that we have been crucified, buried and raised with Christ, such that He is not only our Savior and Lord but also our Life.

If you are struggling today, would you stop and pray just that?

Warmly in Christ, 

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2016 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

How the Resurrection Buried My Doubts

At age 19, I experienced a great deal of doubt as to whether the whole Christianity thing I had been taught since childhood was actually true. I wondered what made it any different than all of the other religions of the world. I read many different opinions about it but none of them satisfied my ongoing doubts.  Then I happened upon the writings of historians and others who lived during the same time period of Jesus Christ. What got my attention was their references to the resurrection of Jesus Christ as a historical fact.  I had read about Jesus' resurrection in the Bible but that could been something someone wrote to make a fascinating fairytale. But now I was faced with historians who were not Christians writing about the resurrection of Jesus as fact, not mythology.  I finally realized I had a choice. Believe that Jesus Christ was who he claimed to be, the Son of God and Savior of all who believe in Him, or deny that and turn from the undeniable facts. I chose to believe and it changed the course of not only my life, but the lives of thousands of others whom I have had the privilege to help. So today, on this Easter Sunday, I revel in the transformative power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Will You Follow The God-sized Opportunity Before You?

There are a few times in our lives when our great God places an opportunity before us which is so God-sized, it takes complete trust in Him to believe He will accomplish it. This can only happen if we will follow His lead. I am writing this week to ask you to do just that here at GLI.

At GLI, we find ourselves in a very similar position today.  Our amazing God has placed an opportunity before us to reach out globally 24/7. When it's beyond your ability and He's leading you to do it, that makes it God-sized.  

Nine months ago, we were approached by the President of Wildfire Marketing, Rob Eagar, who challenged us to take GLI to a whole new level of ministry.  The Board of Directors and the Directors of Ministry were very excited and saw the great potential. After praying, it was decided it wasn't the right time, until Rob approached us again with an even better ministry tool.

The ministry tool is an amazing digital marketing plan which will include a state-of-the art website, new branding and the potential to make GLI one of the leading voices of the New Covenant today 24/7.  It will provide a weekly digital newsletter/magazine, free teaching resources, inexpensive e-books, audios, videos, webinars and more.  These will all be focused on the New Covenant and how to live it in a practical way in everyday life.

To take this step of faith, we need pledges for the $25,000 needed to hire Rob and his highly sought after team no later than this Monday, March 28, the day after Easter.  Why so quickly? Rob is in demand but is holding this spot because he is so passionate about the grace message and how it changed his life.   We already have $7250 and with a 5% discount from Rob,  we only need $16,500.

One person who already donated wrote this: "Richard and I would like to give toward this campaign in the amount of $500. As a millennial, I recognize the importance of making these changes and how they will allow GLI to have a greater impact in today's culture.  I'm excited to see how God will use these changes to continue to grow this powerful ministry.  I hope others feel the same."  Iris

If this ministry has impacted your life and others you know, I challenge you to stretch your faith and give towards the God-sized opportunity just as my wife and I are doing.  You can give in two ways:  Immediately or by pledge.

1. Give immediately online CLICK HERE TO DONATE or by mailing a check.   Or send your check to Grace Life International 1337 Hundred Oaks Dr. EE Charlotte, NC 28217.  All gifts are tax-deductible and are exclusively for this ministry project.)  
2. Make a pledge of the amount you want to give and send it in later.

I look forward to reaching, what we estimate will eventually be, up to 10,000 people per month with this ministry tool!  

By His Grace and for His Glory,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2016 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

How Many “Jesus Points” Do You Have Today?

If you smoke marijuana, you get -3 Jesus points.   If you read your Bible, you get +1 Jesus point.  If you spend time in prayer, you get another +1 Jesus point.  If you say a cuss word, you get –1 Jesus point. If you share the Gospel with someone, you get +2 Jesus points.  If you attend church you get +3 Jesus points.  To get a girlfriend, you have to have at least +6 Jesus points.  To get into heaven, you have to have +7 Jesus points.  So, you may have to choose between going to heaven and getting a girlfriend depending on how many Jesus points you have.

This is the hilarious offbeat humor my son, Andrew, and his buddies would kid each other about during their many summers as Christian camp counselors.  Of course, it was all in good fun.

Yet, each week behind the smiles and “I’m fine” automatic responses of many Christians, the idea of earning “Jesus points” is no laughing matter.  I doubt most are aware of this underlying belief because it’s a system of thinking that has infiltrated every one of us.  We inherited it from Adam, whose mind was negatively reprogrammed with it when he ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

It was a real tree which represented one of two ways to live in a relationship with God.  The second and and optimum way to live was to be found in the Tree of Life.  The first tree was all about adding up our +’s and –‘s to determine our acceptance before God. (Genesis 2:9)  This is living with a “law mentality”.  The second tree was also a real tree which represented living from the life Christ in us in delightful intimacy, which was to spill over as unconditional love with other people.  This is living with a “grace mentality”.

Unfortunately, the “law mentality” doesn’t automatically leave us when we become Christ followers.  I wish it  did. Don’t you?  This is why Romans 12:2 and Ephesians 4:23 exhort us to reprogram our minds with grace and truth from an understanding of the “full” Gospel taught in the preceding chapters of each letter.  This is what God does to transform us more and more!

Why is it so easy for us to say to a young child who does something good that they are a good boy or good girl?  Why is it so easy to default to believing that God loves us less when we sin?  Why is it so easy to jump to the conclusion that God is mad at us because bad things are happening? It’s because of the “law mentality”.  Living from a grace mentality thinks and lives the opposite way.

When I asked a 13 year old girl if her dad, a pastor, was any different since he’s learned the grace message in our ADT, she said with a smile. “Oh yes!  It’s like he won the lottery.  He’s so happy now!”

When our family notices we are different, that’s the “grace mentality” of Christ in us!  

Believe it! It's the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

Jesus Can Heal Your Grief and Sadness

Grief is about loss.  We most often think of grief being about those who lose someone in death.  That is certainly a great grief but there are many other losses we may grieve about. When our daughter was born with Down syndrome 24 years ago, my wife and I grieved deeply that we had "lost" a healthy child.  Others grieve over the loss of their own health, the health of someone close, a reversal in their financial situation, the heartbreak of a wayward child (at any age), experiencing a divorce, betrayal and much, much more.

Most of us have heard appropriately that there are stages in grief that a person often experiences.  These are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.  Yet, the deep sadness of loss may go on long after.

There is a somewhat surprising Scripture regarding our griefs and sorrows. It describes something Jesus did on the cross for us.  Isaiah 53:4a says, Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.  The Hebrew meanings of griefs and sorrows are just what they say.  They are connected to the sufferings we experience in this world.  The verse says Jesus has already borne our griefs and sorrows.  If Jesus has already borne these for the believer, then how can we experience this in real life.

I was discussing this with our Director of Counseling, Tom Short, recently and he was sharing what God was showing him about people's griefs and sorrows.  In a time of prayer, he asks the Lord to show this person their emotional pain. As the Lord takes them to the event(s) surrounding any grief or sorrow, he instructs the person to speak out loud the deep sadness that he/she is feeling about that deep loss. Once they have, he asks the person to give all of that grief, pain and sorrow to the Lord and to let Him take it away.  He and the counselee stay in this time of prayer until God replaces those with relief and peace.  In fact, Tom and his wife spent some time praying through some grief in her life several months ago and God used it to heal her physically.

This may not be the only way we experience God's comfort during grief, but it is helping many, including me.  Before I even knew Tom was using this in his counseling, I recently spent some time talking to the Lord, asking Him to show me my places of grief and sorrow.  Much of it had to do with my daughter's present and long lasting illness.  I told the Lord all about it.  Then, I gave it to Him based on Isaiah 53:4 quoted above.  Little by little, I sensed the burden of a lot of it lifting from me.  I'm asking Jesus to show me if there is more.  I hope you too, by faith, will ask God to show you your losses, that you may not have thought about. Then tell him how you feel about each one and spend time giving them to Him until you sense His peace.

If you realize now that you are stuck in grief and would like someone to talk to, who can lovingly help you give your griefs and sorrows to the Lord, please contact us at 704-522-9026.  

Warmly in Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

The Sadness and Self-centeredness of Suicide

We sat together stunned again this morning in our staff prayer time.  The teen of a friend of one of our staff members took his own life.  Satan had duped another one into believing suicide was the only option he had.

The second leading cause of death among teens and college students is suicide. It is also the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and that rate is climbing.  The next highest group who commits this sad atrocity are middle aged males.

I and my staff have great compassion for those contemplating suicide.  When they look at their circumstances, they see no reason for living and have lost hope that anything will change.  And, some of the Christians we counsel struggle with this.  Those outside of Christ are even more vulnerable.

My good friend, Vlado Hoblaj, now Director of Hope for Croatia, tells of how, as a young rising rock-n-roll star, he had planned to commit suicide.  He was just waiting for the right time. He loved music and the stage yet, he was empty, hopeless and purposeless.  Then he heard about Jesus and was gloriously saved.  Yet, he still struggled with depression until he was taught the Gospel of Grace also known as the New Covenant or the Exchanged Life.  Today, he is one of the most joyful people you will ever meet and has an incredible ministry to his entire country and beyond.

Suicide is not only sad, it is actually self-centered.  You may think I am being harsh but in reality, those who commit suicide are the ones being harsh.  They leave behind a string of broken hearts - parents, children, a spouse, friends and even church family.  They leave behind guilt laden friends and family members going over and over in their minds "How did I miss it?  I could have and should have done something to stop this."  And many of these family and friends have a wound in their heart which may never go away - without them knowing how Jesus can heal them.  If you are one of those left behind, we are available to help you find that healing.

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, please understand that many of the thoughts entering your mind are from Satan, whose mission in life according to John 10:10 is to kill, steal and destroy your life.  He wants you dead.  But, don't do it!  You will hurt a lot of people.  Don't listen to the enemy telling you everyone, including you,would be better off if you were dead.  That is not true!

There is hope for you in Christ.  In the remainder of that same verse, Jesus compares His mission of life to Satan's mission of death by saying, I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. (The Message) Several of our staff were tempted just like you to take their own lives before they began to experience the love and life of Jesus in them.  Now, they are so healed they are able to show God's answer to others struggling with the same issue.

If you know someone who is threatening suicide, especially if they are telling you their plan,  get them help immediately!  Don't be concerned about hurting their feelings or believing you will betray them.  Call their family, their pastor or the Suicide Prevention line below.  Better to have them mad at you rather than dead. Or, get them to one of our counselors even if it means coming with them the first time.

If you are the one having suicidal thoughts, please stop and call us right now for a consultation at 704-522-9026.  We can see you in person or by Skype.  Or, we can refer you to one of our partner ministries in the USA or Europe.  If our office is closed, please call the National Suicide Prevention line 1 (800) 273-8255. 

Believe it! It's the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

Your Secrets are Satan's Weapons

Do you have a secret struggle which no one knows about except you?  Many people do and they work very hard to keep it buried in the dark cave of forgetfulness.  Yet, it just won't cooperate and be quiet.  It keeps crying out begging you to release it.  You've tried to silence it by tying it up with the chains of shame, fear, and guilt. Intertwined in this horror movie is Satan's scary part of the script where he repeats over and over: "You can never tell anyone what happened. It's too painful to share with anyone. What would they think about you if they knew? People aren't going to believe you anyway."

What we don't realize is that the prince of darkness forges weapons against us whenever there is a secret we are hiding.  His weapons keep us imprisoned in a place of torment.  And unless you share this secret with someone, and I mean the right someone you can trust, Satan will harass your soul and you will never live fully free.  You may have told this secret to your Heavenly Father over and over with sincere sorrow and real regret but it may still haunt you night and day.

The way out is to let your secret out so that The Truth, Jesus, can shut Satan's mouth, unchain  and get you out of that miserable cave. The Holy Spirit tells us in James 5:16a Confess your sins to one another that you may be healed.  This doesn't mean to share it with your small group or your Sunday School class but with someone you are certain can keep a confidence and who can share with you how Jesus can heal and free you.  

When a secret is exposed to the light, the burden of it often gets lighter immediately by just sharing it.  It takes two things to enable us to share our secret(s) with someone.  1. Deciding you want to be free from its torment.  2. Asking God to bring you to the right person you can share it with.  The sharing will be the beginning of your healing and freedom, blessings which are already yours in Christ, but you are not yet experiencing in this area of your life.

Aren't you ready to live free?  Decide today you want to be free and ask God to bring you to that much needed person.

If you need help, contact us at 704-522-9026.  We are there for you.  We have 40 staff who can see you in person or by Skype.  We also have many other trusted Christian counselors all over the USA and Europe.

Believe it! It's the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!