What I’ve Learned About Being Treated Unfairly

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Mark Cole

Sometimes in life you will be insulted… Trust the Lord.
Sometimes in life you will be snubbed… Look to God.
Sometimes you will be mistreated…. Remember, God is your defender.
Sometimes you will suffer injustice…. Trust God to be your justice.

Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and through it millions of people were saved… He later said to his brothers ‘You meant it for harm, but God meant it for good!”

In the book of Daniel, the three men in the fiery furnace were sentenced to burn to death because they refused to worship idols. But they said “God will rescue us… But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Then God sent His angel into the fire to rescue them and they were later promoted to higher positions.

Paul and Silas were in put in prison for preaching about Jesus. Yet at midnight, they sang praises to God. Then God sent an earthquake that broke open the doors of the prison. Through that divine intervention, the jailor and his whole family came to know Jesus.

Job suffered the loss of his children, possessions and health. Yet through it all, he kept his heart right with God. He said, ‘Though He slay me, yet will I hope in God’ God later restored and healed Job and doubled everything he had lost.

James, the brother of Jesus said, “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”

When Jesus hung on the cross, some of his last words were: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Jesus now sits on the right hand of the throne of God.

God has not forgotten about you. God sees and knows your needs. Forgive those who have mistreated you. Trust God. He can bring good out of bad situations. He is able to do more than you could ask or think!

Let’s trust God that no matter what is going on, it will work out for good.

It’s how you approach life. You can get bitter, or you can say, “This is not going to defeat me; it’s going to promote me. It’s not going to hinder me; it’s going to help me.” God wouldn’t have allowed it unless He had a purpose. ~ Joel Osteen

Question: How you do usually deal with people who insult you? Can you trust God even when you are insulted and betrayed?

Check out my new book.. “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’ available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions. This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

Posted in Church, God, Leadership, Wisdom, Worship | Tagged divine, earthquake, forgive, furnace, God, injustice, insult, Jesus, Joseph, Paul, rescue, trials, Trust | Leave a comment

Sleeping On The Road

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Mark Cole

When you have spent over 10 years travelling to 70+ countries, you find yourself sleeping in some very weird places. If you want to survive long-term on the road, learning to sleep anywhere is crucial! I have slept in planes, trains, buses, cars, tents, bathtubs and on picnic tables, park benches, beaches, mountain tops and cement floors. You name it, and I have probably slept there.

One very hot and muggy summer evening, my family and I were taking a packed overnight train from southern Italy to Rome. It was the end of the summer vacation time and everyone was heading north. Our little train cabin was packed and I was very hot and very sleepy. So I arranged our luggage in the open rack above our heads so it was flat. Climbed up, took off my belt and attached myself to the wall and promptly fell asleep. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

On another trip to Rome with my family, I had just finished a trip to Africa and I wasn’t feeling that great. So while my family toured the Roman Coliseum, I found a little nook in the ruins and got twenty minutes sleep. Sometimes a short nap can make such a huge difference!

Another time, the music group that I was playing with had just spent a month touring across Indonesia. We had to do a 1200 km trip overnight trip on bumpy, dusty roads back to Jakarta in an old orange school bus to catch our next fight to the Philippines. School bus seats are definitely not great to sleep on! I ended up clearing a space in the metal luggage rack above my head. I climbed up into that cramped space with my nose almost touching the ceiling and proceeded to sleep. Did I mention that I can pretty much sleep anywhere?

One of the tougher areas to conquer was jet-lag. There were some years when I made up to twenty-five trips per year to Europe and other corners of the world. The schedule was usually one week working in Europe and one week at home in Vancouver. That was a nine-hour time change difference. I was struggling with my shifting sleep patterns until a friend gave me some great advice.

He advised me to go to my doctor’s and get a subscription for sleeping pills. My habit became to take a pill while I was eating my first meal on the flight to Europe and sleep seven hours before we arrived. Then I would take pills for the first two to three nights in Europe to get adapted to that time zone.

On the way home, I would try to stay up for the whole flight and take a pill when I got home so I could sleep that first night. It wasn’t a perfect system but it made the constant time changes bearable. Jet-lag is tough! Just a word of caution though, pills can be addictive. Learn to wean yourself quickly from them and have your doctor check on you regularly.

Travelling for a living is not always as glamorous as it seems. But, it can be fun and exhilarating if you can somehow catch up on your sleep! 🙂

Question: What great travel advice has helped you deal with challenges of sleeping on the road?

Check out my new book: “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’. It is now available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions. This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

Posted in Family, God Adventures, Travel, Wisdom | Tagged automobile, bus, plane, sleep, train, travel | 1 Comment

Great Books That Can Change Your Life

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Mark Cole

Reading has always been a big part of my life. When I was a kid, I read over one hundred Hardy Boy books that were handed down to me by a friend. Later on, when I was travelling in a band, I was introduced to some great Christian classics through Terry Law, an evangelist who travelled with us.

In university, I was an English Minor and read many of the classic English novels and works of Shakespeare. I love reading. I have read through the Bible, itself a collection of 66 books, over forty times in most of the major translations.

I have found that some books are good entertainment for the moment and some books stick with you throughout your life. Here is my top list of books that have influenced or remained with me to this day.

Knowing God ~ J.I. Packer
This is a Christian classic. Packer challenged me to really set my heart on knowing God. In this great book he really reveals the joy and wonder of knowing the Creator.

The Living Bible ~ Paraphrase by Kenneth N. Taylor
This is the first version of the Bible that I ever read cover to cover. I love it’s ease of reading. Taylor wrote this paraphrase so his kids could understand the Bible.

The Hobbit and the Lord of The Rings Trilogy ~ J.R. Tolkien
The battle between good and evil and the adventurous and brave spirit of Frodo is inspiring. These four books also translated into great movies.

The Screwtape Letters ~ C.S. Lewis
Lewis uses this classic and satirical book of a conversation between demons to teach us about the tricks of the devil.

Experiencing God ~ Henry T. Blackaby
This excellent book provides great insight into how God works in the hearts of people who seek Him. It was so good to recognize God’s own working in my life through this book.

Spiritual Authority ~ Watchman Nee
My first glimpse of how God sets up authority in His kingdom.

The Pursuit Of God ~ A.W. Tozer
I love Tozer’s passion for God. It inspires me.

The New International Version Bible
This is the second translation of the Bible that I read through. A great translation.

The Secret Kingdom ~ Pat Robertson
The parables of Jesus were explained to me in such real terms.

The Testament ~ John Grisham
I have read all of Grisham’s novels and his description of a personal conversion in this entertaining novel is inspiring.

Exploring Worship ~ Bob Sorge
I have worked with Bob on numerous occasions and his practical advice on church worship is foundational.

In His Steps ~ Charles M. Sheldon
A short Christian novel that has still got me asking, “What would Jesus do?”

Secrets Of The Secret Place ~ Bob Sorge
Getting to know God begins on our private times with God. Bob’s insight into seeking God rang true in my heart.

Just As I Am ~ Billy Graham
I got to work with Dr. Graham and I was fascinated to read the details of his life and ministry around the world.

Chronicles of Narnia ~ C.S. Lewis
I read this book series one summer when I was teaching in Taiwan. The books captivated and entertained me. I usually read one of these seven short books at a sitting.

Good To Great and Social Sectors ~ Jim Collins
I love Jim’s style of writing and insight into the business world. These principles also translate well into the non-profit world.

Axiom ~ Bill Hybels
I got to visit Bill’s church in Chicago and I love his wisdom and insight into church culture and leadership.

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People ~ Stephen R. Covey
This book helped me to exam my life and improve. I still go back and refer to this book as source material.

The New Living Translation Bible
This is the translation of the Bible that I currently love reading. It is the translation that I recommend to people looking to read God’s word.

Question: What books have influenced and challenged you? What books have changed your life?

Check out my new book: “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’. It is now available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions. This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

Posted in Church, God, God Adventures, Jesus, Leadership, Music, Wisdom, Worship | Tagged Bible, books, Christian, classic, Covey, God, Grisham, Hobbit, Hybels, Jesus, novels, read, Tolkien, Tozer | 3 Comments

6 Keys To Learning A Musical Instrument

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Mark Cole

Over the years, I have heard numerous people comment on how they wish they could play a musical instrument. Along the way I have learned to play over a dozen instruments. My love of playing instruments and worshiping God has opened the door for me to travel around the world numerous times. Here are a few tips to help you be successful.

1. Get Started

It is no good to just wish you could do something. You can do anything if you have the right plan and motivation and put consistent effort into it. So just start. Here’s how…

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. ~ Walt Disney

2. Buy Or Rent A Decent Instrument

What instrument are you thinking about learning? There are dozens. What instrument inspires you…piano, guitar, saxophone, violin or drums? If you are not sure which instrument to buy, ask an experienced musician.

The instruments that I own vary from $25 Horner Harmonicas (10 of those) to a $90 ukulele to $300-$1800 guitars (5 of those) to a $400 flute to $2500 Yamaha Saxophones (three of those) to a $2000 Roland Synth and a $7000 used Yamaha Grand Piano. Generally speaking, the more money you invest in an instrument, the easier it is to play and the better it sounds.

Another way to initially go is to rent an instrument. Most music stores will gladly rent you a decent instrument until you find out whether you like it and will stick to it.

3. Get a good teacher

Good teachers are worth their weight in gold. They will help you proceed quickly and efficiently. They will keep you accountable and motivated. They will help you over various stumbling blocks and be able to answer your questions.

These days you can also learn from YouTube and various video series. They are extremely helpful and cheaper. But, to be successful, you have to be very disciplined. Most people are not that disciplined, so a teacher is still the best way to go!

4. Find an hour per day to practice

You can have the best teacher in the world but if you do not get disciplined and practice, you will not progress very far. Life is busy but somehow people always find time to watch TV and do the stuff they like. Carve out an hour a day from your schedule and make that hour sacred. Daily, consistent practise is the only way to be successful in learning music.

If it is important to you, you will find a way. If it’s not, you’ll find an excuse.

5. Get passionate about it!

You will only stick with something that you become passionate and even obsessive about. I love to play musical instruments! When I was learning piano it was not unusual for me to spend two to four hours a day practicing. With every instrument I learned, I would put in consistent practice time until I got to the level that I was happy with.

A few years ago, I learned to play the ukulele. I bought an instrument online, watched videos on YouTube and blogs online about fingerings, strumming patterns and techniques and how to hold it. Then I practiced it daily. Recently, I played ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ Hawaiian style as an accompaniment for a great singer at a wedding.

This year I am learning electric guitar. I bought a great pedal board (Line 6: POD GO), started practicing scales and made it my goal to learn all the electric guitar parts from the Top 20 Worship songs.

6. Do not give up!

Skill comes from consistently adding to what you learned the day before. The secret to getting good at anything is to not give up! I started learning musical instruments when I was a kid and I just never quit. Along the way I have seen people who were equally as talented but they gave up. They quit. I just never did.

For more on this…check out my blog: The Secret To Learning Difficult Skills

If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride – and never quit, you’ll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards. ~ Paul Bryant

Did you know that playing a musical instrument is one of the only activities that uses your whole brain?

Question: What musical instrument have you always wanted to learn? What is stopping you from starting to learn?

Check out my new book.. “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure ’ available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions. This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

This blog is part of my vision to train over 100,000 worship leaders around the world. If you would like to support this vision you can help by giving any amount ($1, $5, $20, etc.) on my PayPal account.

Posted in God Adventures, Music, Travel, Wisdom | Tagged daily, discipline, drums, guitar, harmonica, learn, Music, musical instrument, obsessive, passionate, piano, practise, quit, saxophone, start, teacher, tennis, victory | 6 Comments

What I Learned From Knocking Out My Four Front Teeth

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Mark Cole

Several summers back, I rode the same mountain bike trail that claimed my four front teeth. It was the first time that I have done a major mountain bike ride since that eventful day.

In 2013 I was having an awesome day mountain bike riding in Banff National Park, one of the most beautiful parks in the world. Then in a moment, I hit a large root the wrong way and I was catapulted over my handlebars and landed face first on another big root on the trail.

In a moment my two front teeth were gone and I was almost knocked out. There was blood everywhere. When my riding partner, Tom, discovered me, face first on the trail with my bike on top of me, he quickly pulled the bike off me. He then helped me sit down by the side of the trail and put my head down between my legs to recover from my concussion. After my head cleared, Tom and I rode the final thirty km of the trip.

The next day, Sunday, I wasn’t feeling too bad so I led worship at church. (I know.. a little gung-ho!) I hid my missing teeth by hiding my mouth behind the mic. All went well, but it was a bit embarrassing when I proceeded to spit out my third tooth in the middle of a song. The next day I went to the dentist and I was informed that they couldn’t save the fourth tooth. Four teeth gone in three days!

My wife found out about my accident through a pic that Tom took. He posted in on Facebook and my wife, Anna, who was in Italy at the time, heard about it from her Italian relatives. She was not impressed!

Here is what I learned from that accident.

1. Don’t get overconfident

I had ridden that mountain trail a number of times before and this time I was really going for it. I was ‘cranking’! I was riding just above my abilities. I obviously did not take the necessary precautions. I was wearing a helmet but without protection for my face. I paid the price for that.

2. Always ride with a friend

I love being in the wilderness. But accidents can happen! It is always important to have a friend with you. I was sure thankful that Tom was there to pull the bike off of me and support me through the rest of the trip.

3. It cost a lot of money to fix teeth

That accident ended up costing around $4500. Eastside City Church was very generous and gave me $3000 toward my expenses. My wife often reminds me that it would have been cheaper for me to have gone to Italy with her!

4. Accidents can put fear into your heart

I am not a fearful person. In fact, I am probably the opposite of that. But, after you have had such a traumatic incident, an element of apprehension comes. I did not get back on my mountain bike for over a year and a half. I bought a full face mask but I really did not start using it for quite a while.

5. Learn to overcome your fears one step at a time

I started to do some easy mountain bike rides after a year and a half. I slowly built up my confidence again. It is wise to do a few easy hills before you take on that mountain.

6. Don’t let fear keep you from something you enjoy.

I love to challenge my fears. I do not want fear to control my life. That ride was partially about challenging the fear that had come into my mind. It was so great to get out there again, to aggressively ride but with the proper precautions. Do not let your fears hold you back from enjoying the great life that God has for you!

‘God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind!’

Question: What fears have you learned to overcome in your life? What incidents have put fear into your heart?

Check out my new book: “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’. It is now available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions. This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

Posted in God, God Adventures, Healing, Wisdom | Tagged accident, fear, friend, Mountain bike, overcome | 1 Comment

Seven Keys To Longevity In Ministry

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Mark Cole

I recently celebrated 40 years since I started into full-time ministry. There have been some incredible highs and a few lows along the way. But, I have always been amazed at the faithfulness of God. Here are a few things that I have learned about running the race.

1. Spend time with God daily
God is the source of all good things. So it certainly makes sense to spend time with God daily. One of the best habits that I have developed is opening my Bible early every morning and spending time getting to know God through His Word. It helps me keep my eyes on the Lord through the good time and bad times. God’s word had taught me about wisdom, faith, love, relationships, integrity, forgiveness, leadership and a host of other invaluable life lessons. I could not have survived without it.

2. Family & Friends
The Lord has blessed me with great family and friends. I have wonderful parents, grandparents and in-laws. And, I have a godly wife who has been an awesome support throughout our journey. When you have a peaceful, loving, healthy home, you have a great place to retreat to if the fireworks go off! Family is so important! Good friends are important! Invest in your wife, children, extended family and friends. It pays great dividends! You may change churches but you always keep the same family.

3. Work on improving daily
None of us starts with all the gifts and talents we need. Great mentors, education, seminars, books, positive feedback and daily discipline are all part of what it takes to stay on a journey of improvement. Never stop growing. If you don’t keep growing, chances are, you won’t last long. In the parable of the talents, the person who didn’t double his talents got the boot!

4. Forgive
Hurts will come. Conflict will happen. It is inevitable. To survive the race, you need to learn to forgive quickly and often. Learn to deal with conflict the Jesus way! Learn to overcome your reticence to go to people directly. A lot of problems can be solved with one on one conversations. Even when you don’t feel like it, forgive. God has forgiven you! It is the only healthy way to move forward! You will not survive in ministry if you don’t forgive!

5. Humility
Keeping the right attitude in life is huge! You want to have the confidence that comes with walking with the Creator of the Universe. But, you need the humility that comes with knowing that any of us can fail! Put in the safeguards in your life that will help you to keep a proper perspective and attitude. Be humble. Be accountable.

6. Build great teams
If you are doing it right, the job is a way too big to do by yourself. One of my great joys in ministry has been to develop great teams of people to work with. Production teams, music teams, choirs, orchestras, bands, Alpha teams, sound teams and on and on! Out of those teams will grow leaders. Leaders whom God will use and often send out. Jesus said, “Go into all the world”. Our job is to train people to go!

7. Recharge
When God created the universe, He took a day off. If God needs a day off, so do you! I have always made a point of taking days off and also taking some great vacation time with the family. Life flies by. I love the memories that we have created in our vacation times together. Also, look after your health! I have learned the value of regular exercise and proper diet. Life is a marathon, not a sprint!

Question: What have been some of your keys to successful, long-term ministry?

Check out my new book: “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’. It is now available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions. This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

Posted in Church, Family, God, Jesus, Leadership, Music, Wisdom, Worship | Tagged Bible, conflict, Creator, family, forgiveness, friends, God, humble, humility, Jesus, rest, talent, teams, vacation, work | 2 Comments

Getting Ready For The Next Level

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Mark Cole

In 1998, my wife, Anna and I were asked to accompany a group of Christian students from Pacific Academy on a missions trip to the Philippines. We spent a few months helping prepare the group for the two-week trip. Anna was on staff at Pacific Academy and it was part of her job to organize multiple teams of kids to travel for missions experience on their spring break.

The Lord was also preparing me for what He wanted me to do in the future. I was seeking the Lord and God challenged me to fast. Normally when I fast, I spend three days seeking the Lord but this time I felt like I should fast longer. I decided that I would try to fast the longest that I ever done. I would try fasting for two weeks.

Weird thing though.. when I finished fasting 2 weeks, I felt like I shouldn’t stop. So I decided to go for three weeks. At the same time, I was doing my work as the Worship Pastor for Glad Tidings Church in Vancouver, Canada and also working with the team of school kids to get ready for the trip to the Philippines.

Around the end of the three weeks I began to realize that God was calling me to do a 40 day fast. Fortunately He didn’t tell me that at the beginning because I would have thought that would have been impossible. I love eating too much!

Finally the time came for us to go the Philippines. I told the team leaders I was fasting but I really wasn’t telling anyone else besides my family. The trip to the Philippines was a good trip. We journeyed to some remote islands and ministered to tribes of people in the jungles. I remember hiking through the jungle to the top of a small mountain in 30C heat to talk with a tribe. The strange thing is that even though I had not eaten in weeks, I felt strong. Hiking in the heat was no problem. I remember some of the Filipino guys travelling with us climbing a coconut tree and getting coconut water for us to drink. So… good!

In the 40 days of fasting I lost 18 lbs (which all came back quite quickly when I started eating again). I remember how my body adapted by conserving my body oils. I normally have good supply of body oil to my hair and skin but my body stopped producing the oil. Our bodies are ‘fearfully and wonderfully’ made. It was amazing to me how well my body adapted to the lack of food…. God has given us amazing bodies!

So what did I learn from this experience?

I learned that God prepares you before He brings you to the next level. In the next short time I would be involved with the start-up of an internet business (Praisecharts.com) that would bless thousands of churches (see: Can God Really Supply My Needs?) and I was also involved in seeing a national revival where thousands of people per day were coming to the Lord! (see: Can God Touch A Nation?)

God doesn’t usually tell you why He is preparing you. He just asks you to be obedient and trust Him!

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV)

I love this quote on how God works in our lives and challenges us to go to the next level with Him.

If you want to see supernatural innovation in your life and ministry—something that can only be explained by the hand of God and changes people’s lives for eternity, you must be a consecrated servant leader. I’m not talking about being perfect, for we know only One has lived a perfect life. I’m talking about striving for a life of personal purity and holiness and dedicating our whole being to the will of God…..God may be wanting to do a “new thing” in your midst…. but He is urging you (like He did Joshua) to “consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow.” ~ (‘Consecration’ by Greg Atkinson)

Question: God might not call you to an extended fast, but what is He personally speaking to you about? What area is He challenging you on to go to the next level? Are you praying and obeying?

Check out my new book: “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure ’. It is now available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions. This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

Posted in God, God Adventures, Jesus, Leadership, Travel, Wisdom | Tagged 40 day fast, fasting, future, God, Philippines, preparation, tomorrow | Leave a comment

Can God Really Supply My Needs?

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Mark Cole

In 1998 I was the music director for a worship conference in Vancouver, B.C. called ‘Canada Arise’. ‘Canada Arise’ was an annual worship conference that was held in Glad Tidings Church where I was the Music Pastor. During the conference a number of people asked me for copies of the charts (brass, vocal and rhythm) that I did for my own worship band and the various guest worship leaders who came. One of the people who asked me was, Ryan Dahl, a young worship pastor who was also looking for a business to start.

Later Ryan asked if he could sell my charts. I was happy to let him sell the charts… but only if he got all the legal permissions and did the business part. I was only interested in writing music. In the beginning he would fax the music to other worship leaders but around that time, the idea of an internet business was just taking off.

Very soon after that Ryan started Praisecharts.com. He would take my charts, make them into pdf files and sell them through an ever growing network of worship leaders on the internet. Very quickly Praisecharts grew into a full fledged business with salaries and royalties for Ryan, myself and other employees.

In the fall of 1999 the Lord indicated to me that I should resign from my position at Glad Tidings. I assumed that I would just work full time writing music for Praisecharts. It was hard for me to think about not leading worship in a church but I couldn’t shake the idea that I was supposed to resign by February, 2000. So I put in my resignation.

Leaving a church is always a hard thing to do. I had built up relationships with all the musicians. And in this case, it was even harder. I had grown up in Glad Tidings and many of the worship band members had been my friends since I was a teenager. We had also recorded three original worship CD’s (‘To You Lord’, ‘God Is My Rock’, and ‘Move In This City’) while I was on staff there. But when God begins to move you, even if all the details don’t make immediate sense, I’ve learned to follow.

Through a series of events, I ended up leaving Glad Tidings a few months early. And in January, 2000 I was at home thinking… ‘What have I done?’.. ‘I love leading congregations in worship!’… “What am I doing at home just writing music?” I have got to admit that I was not a happy camper! I was having serious doubts about what was happening.

Then out of nowhere, I got a phone call from an evangelist that had ministered at Glad Tidings a few times. Charles Ndifon asked me if I would fly to Copenhagen in February and lead worship for a week of meetings he was doing there. So I accepted his invitation and the next month I was on a flight to Denmark.

What happened next was remarkable! That week of meetings are the most incredible that I have ever experienced. We had meetings twice a day and every day thousands of people indicated that they wanted to know more about Jesus. (for the rest of that story, please read my blog: ‘Can God Touch A Nation?’). At the end of the week, Charles asked me if I wanted to this some more. I, of course, could hardly wait.

For the next six plus years, I was boarding an airplane every other week to lead worship in countries like Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland, England, Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Austria, Iceland, Australia, the US, Canada, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Uganda. We saw tens of thousands of people from all over the world come to faith in Jesus and thousands also healed. In Denmark alone, over 75,000 people come to the Lord.

In between meetings and when I was at home, I would write music for Praisecharts. The Praisecharts income and the income that I received from selling my three original worship CD’s from Glad Tidings were my main income. I did receive honorariums from the meetings.. but they would have never been enough to support my family at home in Langley.

God already knew about His plans for me to travel around the world, leading worship. He knew the finances that I needed even before I knew. God had setup my Praisecharts income and He had also lead me to record those Glad Tidings Worship CD’s.

God knew my needs before I did…

Question: What needs do you have in your life? Can you share a story of God’s provision in your life?

Check out my new book.. “Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure’ available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions. This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

Posted in Church, God Adventures, Jesus, Leadership, Music, Worship | Tagged charts, church, God, Jesus, meetings, Music, needs, Praisecharts, travel, Worship | 3 Comments

Be Patient! ~ by Guillermo Peña

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Mark Cole

This post is for all of those who have aging parents… it’s the call to be loving and patient.

My dear girl, the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If when we talk, I repeat the same thing a thousand times, don’t interrupt to say: “You said the same thing a minute ago”… Just listen, please. Try to remember the times when you were little and I would read the same story night after night until you would fall asleep.

When I don’t want to take a bath, don’t be mad and don’t embarrass me. Remember when I had to run after you making excuses and trying to get you to take a shower when you were just a girl?

When you see how ignorant I am when it comes to new technology, give me the time to learn and don’t look at me that way … remember, honey, I patiently taught you how to do many things like eating appropriately, getting dressed, combing your hair and dealing with life’s issues every day… the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through.

If I occasionally lose track of what we’re talking about, give me the time to remember, and if I can’t, don’t be nervous, impatient or arrogant. Just know in your heart that the most important thing for me is to be with you.

And when my old, tired legs don’t let me move as quickly as before, give me your hand the same way that I offered mine to you when you first walked. When those days come, don’t feel sad… just be with me, and understand me while I get to the end of my life with love. I’ll cherish and thank you for the gift of time and joy we shared. With a big smile and the huge love I’ve always had for you, I just want to say, I love you … my darling daughter.

Original text in Spanish and photo by Guillermo Peña.
Translation to English by Sergio Cadena

Posted in Family | Tagged heart, old, patient, sleep, technology, thanks, understand | Leave a comment

Celebrating Generosity

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Mark Cole

I am trying to learn how to be more generous. I have been blessed to be surrounded by generous people. My wife is generous. She has blessed me and our family with her servant’s heart. She loves to provide a great home and meals for our family and friends. She is a generous person.

My father-in-law was a generous person. Dad Foti built our first home and put $25.000 of his own money into it. He loved to bring us vegetables and meat from his house. He was always thinking about ways to bless his children.

I have a generous family. I have been blessed by my kids, siblings and parents. Their homes have been open to us. They have cooked us great meals. They have offered words of encouragement and supported us in so many ways.

I have generous friends. They have shared their homes and vacation homes with us. They have shared awesome meals with us. They have been encouraging and supportive. I recently asked for support on a mission that I did to India.. they’re support was amazing! Great friends! Generous friends!

God has been generous with me. He has opened amazing doors and experiences for me. He has given me purpose, direction, forgiveness, peace, love, hope and security. God is so generous!

Generosity is important. Jesus said “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

Generosity has a way of coming back to you. It can be financial, it can be encouragement. It can be small acts of kindness. Generosity makes our world a better place.

I want to be a generous person.

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Posted in Family, Leadership, Wisdom | Tagged encourage, family, forgiveness, friends, generosity, generous, give, God, hope, Jesus, love, peace, supportive, wife | Leave a comment

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