Bring Mark With You, He is Profitable

Bring Mark With You, For He Is Profitable For the Ministry

Some of the most valuable assets in the kingdom have been thrown away by the Church which has failed to embrace God's mercy and redemptive purposes when it comes to the ministry. There are thousands of "Marks" among us who may have failed in the past but are profitable to us today. We either believe in the power of the blood or we don't. Accountability isn't accusation. It's forming a partnership of ministry among brethren to ensure the enemy's plans and schemes fail against us. We are the Body of Christ!

By Chris McDonald

TEXT: 2 Timothy 4:11 - Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

To understand the background of this journal we must go back to the book of Acts to see a dispute that literally tore Paul and Barnabas apart as a ministry team. In essence you might say this was the first "church split" recorded in scripture. The central issue of this split was a young man by the name of John Mark. John Mark is the author of the second gospel which bears his name in the New Covenant.

An occasional associate of Peter and Paul, and the probable author of the second gospel. Mark's lasting impact on the Christian church comes from his writing rather than his life. He was the first to develop the literary form known as the "gospel" (see GOSPEL) and is rightly regarded as a creative literary artist. John Mark appears in the New Testament only in association with more prominent personalities and events. His mother, Mary, was an influential woman of Jerusalem who possessed a large house with servants. The early church gathered in this house during Peter's imprisonment under Herod Agrippa I <Acts 12:12>. Barnabas and Saul (Paul) took John Mark with them when they returned from Jerusalem to Antioch after their famine-relief visit <Acts 12:25>. Shortly thereafter, Mark accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey as far as Perga. He served in the capacity of "assistant" <Acts 13:5>, which probably involved making arrangements for travel, food, and lodging; he may have done some teaching, too.

Acts 12:12 - And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

Acts 12:25 - And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

Acts 13:5 - And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.

At Perga John Mark gave up the journey for an undisclosed reason <Acts 13:13>. Luke, who wrote Acts, felt led of the Holy Spirit not to mention the reason. Any effort to say what it was would only be speculation. Whatever it was it caused Mark not to be able to accompany Paul and Barnabas on their trip.

Acts 13:13 - Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

The fallout of this came years later when this departure caused a rift between Paul and Barnabas when they chose their companions for the second missionary journey <Acts 15:37-41>. Paul was unwilling to take Mark again and chose Silas; they returned overland to Asia Minor and Greece. Barnabas persisted in his choice of Mark, who was his cousin <Col. 4:10>, and returned with him to his homeland of Cyprus <Acts 15:39>, (also <Acts 4:36>). This break occurred about A. D. 49-50, and John Mark is not heard from again until a decade later. Let's take a closer look at this incident.

Acts 15:37-41 - And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. [38] But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. [39] And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; [40] And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. [41] And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

Acts 4:36 - And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

Despite Mark's Failure the Ministry Went Forward.

One thing to note about this contention between Paul and Barnabas is that despite their disagreements, the ministry of the Lord Jesus went forward. After this split, Paul and Silas went throughout Syria and Cilicia confirming the churches. Barnabas and Mark sailed until Cyprus and preached and taught the word of God. What we learn from this is simple. The Body of Christ does not rest or fall on ONE MINISTRY or ONE MINISTER!

Looking at this from the outside, one would have thought that the church at Jerusalem was in such a mess that absolutely nothing would be carried on for God after this split. That is the far from the truth. I think that one of our biggest blind-sides in the modern church is our egos and our unceasingly efforts to hide our failures from others, especially in the ministry. Most ministers will tell you that the biggest pressure they feel is the expectations the people put on them and how people don't understand they are only human. This is really our own fault.

Ministers of the gospel tend to present an image to people that they have no problems, they have all the answers, they are above all the sin and temptation of others and when they snap their fingers God stands at attention. Most ministers on television brag about how clean their ministry is, how holy they are and how above all the temptation and failure of "other" ministries they are. Then when some backslidden journalist starts digging into the ministry and finds improprieties and sin and failure the entire Body of Christ is shocked. Why are we so shocked? Why are we so suddenly jolted into knowing that "hey, this ministry isn't so perfect." I tell you why. It's because we have gotten this idea that the Body of Christ rests and falls on a few select ministers and ministries instead of embracing the fact those ministries are but a part of the bigger picture.

I remember listening to T.D. Jakes a few weeks back giving his personal testimony and he was very candid about his past. He told tens of thousands gathered at the Manpower convention in Atlanta that he will go ahead and do the journalist's job for them - he isn't perfect. He has a past. He did drugs. He did alcohol. He had a violent temper. He was a sinner now he is but a man who strives to serve Christ with all his heart. Yet, those tens of thousands of men who he was ministering to didn't care about those things - they felt the presence of the Lord in T.D. Jakes and that same power was setting captives free, saving lost souls, delivering drug addicts and changing men's lives.

When we place men in places of worship upon the pedestal of our heart instead of exalting the one who is the HEAD OF ALL THE CHURCH - the Lord Jesus Christ - we backslide! All ministers of the gospel, no matter how outwardly godly they may appear, ,are still human and if you took any amount of time, we would more than likely see and find out a TON OF THINGS wrong with them. Some have failed openly in the last decade. Some have had scandals rip apart their national ministries and leave the Body of Christ hurting. But the question and the soul of the matter I am trying to get to is this: The failure of men and ministries will never stop the work of the TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST on this earth!

The ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ is centered not around a human being or an organization - it is in the hearts of every born again child of God, washed in the blood of the Lamb, filled with the Holy Ghost, walking in the power of God's love, anointed, called, chosen of God to be followers of CHRIST first, then to be helpers to those whom God has called to preach the gospel to the world.

Not too long ago I got a pamphlet from one of the ministries I just mentioned which I will leave nameless. On the flap of the pamphlet it said in big letters, "THE WORLD AND THE CHURCH NEEDS THIS MINISTRY." As I read this I just shook my head at the arrogance of our attitudes. It was disappointing because I had followed this ministry since I was in my 20s. I still respect the minister and ministry I am speaking of - always will. But it scares me to know we have gotten to such a place that we arrogantly think that the world and the church just needs US and no one else. That is delusion! That is the seed of destruction for the ministry. Whatever God has called us to do, He will provide. Whatever is accomplished is NONE OF US, but ALL OF HIM. When we start thinking we are something when we are nothing, then we are headed down a path of destruction and division.

No one is above falling. No one is above sin. No one is above having things happen in their lives that causes problems in their ministry. John Mark was not a backslider or a hypocrite. He was the writer of the second gospel of the New Covenant. A follower of Jesus and called of God to assist Barnabas and Paul - the two pillars of the early church. But for whatever reason, he could not go with Paul and Barnabas on that second missionary trip and it made Paul mad. It made Paul so mad that he gave up on Mark and would not let him minister with him and Barnabas on their third missionary trip to Asia Minor.

The Ministry and Failure

I know without a doubt that there is a great need for leadership in America. We not only need leadership in our nation's capital, but we also need leadership in our homes and churches. In addition to needing leaders, we need GOOD leaders. We need people who are called of God to lead. Paul set forth some criteria for leaders in his first epistle to Timothy. These qualifications were for elders, deacons and bishops, or in our modern day terminology, pastors.

1 Tim. 3:1-13 - This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desires a good work. [2] A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach; [3] Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; [4] One that rules well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; [5] (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) [6] Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. [7] Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. [8] Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; [9] Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. [10] And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. [11] Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. [12] Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. [13] For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

It could be argued that men who don't meet these qualifications should not be elected to the offices or pastors or deacons. I'm not sure however if our modern interpretations of these scriptures have replaced the actual things the Holy Spirit was trying to get across to us through Paul. A man's past should not disqualify him from any office in a church. Most of the time our denominational shifting and elections are political in nature anyway. Men who are qualified are usually sent wherever they politic for through headquarters instead of hearing the voice of God directing and guiding them. In balance to this denominations do play a role in helping us hear the voice of God in our lives. We need authority in the church to keep us on the path of life. We need godly leadership to help us find the way of God. We need the five-fold ministry gifts operating in the church. But God doesn't call nor does He just use qualified men. He calls the foolish, the despised, the base, the weak, the fallen.

Then where do we, like Paul did with John Mark, draw the line when it comes to disqualifying a person from ministry because of a past mistake? I remember a church I pastored almost 10 years ago now that was very small yet had some of the worst internal conflicts and relational problems I think I'd ever seen. One conflict that had polarized the church and caused the church to split was over the issue of divorce and remarriage. The former pastor had pastored the church for nearly 10 years before I arrived and nothing had ever been said about his previous marriage. At some point in time an individual who had a problem with a pastor being divorced and remarried started teaching Sunday School and basically put a seed of question in the congregation's mind about the validity of the call upon the pastor's life.

Before it was over, the chairman of the deacons told the pastor of this church that the reason the church wasn't growing was because the pastor had brought "sin in the camp" by being in a place of leadership since he had divorced and remarried. A month later, the pastor was asked to resigned, took 3/4 of the church with him, started a new church 5 miles up the road, and basically took with him some hurting people who had seen a single issue literally rip a part the church many of them loved and had been raised in since they were children.

While I'm not going to get into the validity of the argument over divorce and remarriage, I do want to talk about the actions of this church. This pastor's character was not an issue when they called him. The denomination we both belonged to had ordained him and allowed him to pastor within their ranks. This church in question had called him KNOWING this was the situation. Why would they call it into question later. I think that if you have a problem with a person being divorced and remarried then you don't need to submit to their ministry to begin with. Find someone or somewhere where you can feel confident in the person who is leading you. By the way, if we start qualifying men based on that we had better start qualifying men in ALL areas of their life, not just divorce.

But if you are part of a church and that church has placed someone over you that has had this problem in his past you would do well not to do what the individual in my first church did - SOW REBELLION. WE ARE NOT THE JUDGE AND THE JURY over the qualifications of God's ministers. If the organization this pastor belonged to had ordained him to be where he was and they did not have a problem with his status, then they were the authority that needed to remove him and say that his status as being divorced and remarried disqualified him from pastoring.

This decision lay with the authority over the preacher in this case, not with a bunch of legalistic, fault-finding Pharisees who probably couldn't tell you where this passage I'm referring to is in the Bible. (In fact, the deacon who asked the pastor to leave told the pastor he didn't know where it was in the Bible but he was sure it was in there somewhere. In addition, they had called another man before I had tried out for the church, called him, then withdrew the call when they found out he was divorced too. The wife of this same deacon bragged to the other people in the church, 'we found a fly in the pie' like it was some joke)

Neighbor hear this humble writer. Divorce is horrible. It's a sin that tears and rips families apart. It destroys people. It cripples our effectiveness at times and destroys our testimony. It illustrates our failure as men. Unfortunately, it is a plight in the church that will not go away quickly. Too many of our ministers have seen their marriages dissolve. Another high-profile minister was featured in a leading Christian magazine not too long ago and his marriage dissolved. I myself have had this terrible consequence happen. I'm very ashamed of it. I take responsibility for my part in the failure of my marriages. I was not a good Christian example either as a husband or as a minister during these times. I do not blame anyone for that - even my ex - I and I alone stand accountable to God for those failures surrounding my past.

I know first-hand the pain it causes. I know first-hand the reproach that you feel and like Paul said reproach is a snare of the devil. I was also a novice when I took over this church in 1989. I really was not ready to handle such responsibility but in my zeal to preach and pastor I got ahead of God and horrible results followed. I didn't build a solid foundation of prayer when I was young. I didn't build a foundation of true Bible study - and I'm not talking about studying to get sermons - I'm talking about studying and reading the Word of God to CHANGE ME! I had some personal issues of integrity and honesty that needed to be addressed that never were. So all of these things were ingredients for disaster.

I remember those two years of pastoring were two years that were without question the hardest of my life other than the two years following the divorce. The wife of my youth paid a price for my mistake. She lost all respect for me and when we got back home in 1991 left in October. I had become what Paul said a castaway. I had lost my integrity. I had lost my way. Without dealing with the issues that caused my first marriage I jumped into a second marriage in 1992 and found myself in the same trap - even though the wife had changed - I had not. I did not pastor again but filled in as interim at times and evangelized. I lost the one thing in all of life that more valuable than gold - my calling. Then when the devil came in again in 1996 and my second marriage split I lost even more than that - I almost lost my soul.

I remarried in 1999 and have slowly been building again the foundations that were never built 10 years ago. I'm learning to pray. I'm learning how to hear from God. I'm learning how to deal more politely and loving to people. I'm learning not to be so critical of others while seeking the best they can be. I'm learning how not to hide my own faults and become a hypocrite, yet be transparent and allow God's love and mercy to help me overcome my problems through the voice of God in others. Though I'm not perfect, I believe the Lord loves me and has called me to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ. I ran from that call for nearly 4 years without even caring if I darkened the door of a church. But I know that the best days are ahead of me in the ministry. I know that the Lord has a place of service for me in His church. And all of this despite the fact I have two failed marriages on my record.

The Big Question: What Do We Do With Our Fallen?

The question is what do we do with these men? Do we just throw them away? Do we tell them "you can't minister to us" because you're damaged goods? I had one "brother" in Lexington, KY tell me one day that I had destroyed ALL HOPE of ever preaching again or pastoring. His quote was "I know if I was looking for people I sure wouldn't hire you." Now that will NOT be a page you will want to have in your "Rules of Encouragement" book (SMILE).

My question is why do we just look at the divorce issue, the "husband of one wife" qualification? That is not the only qualification Paul listed as necessary qualities to make a good deacon and pastor. How about a minister being patient and apt to teach. How many men who have never been divorced are not patient with their flocks and never teach them anything? They are always wanting to shout and scream at the sheep about the things the people are not doing, while never taking the time to show them HOW TO DO THEM! They only beat the sheep into submission and dare anyone to threaten their authority. How about being hospitable? When's the last time you found a preacher that knows how to show true hospitality to his flock instead of making his congregation feel he is above them all. How about covetousness? My God, look at Christian television and it REEKS with the stench of covetousness. I'm not just talking about money. I'm talking about power and prestige. Covetousness is a spirit. It wants what it cannot have. Looking at the way some ministries accuse other ministries is worse than going to Sea World in Orlando, Florida and watching the sharks feed. And that qualifies us to be ministers????????

How about the qualification of not being a brawler? How many preachers who have never been divorced will fight at the drop of a hat and have a temper that is shorter than an Atlanta Braves' World Series winning streak? What about having a good report with those outside the Kingdom? The same person who is not divorced and remarried may have a terrible report among the community. He may not pay his bills. He may be very harsh and cruel in the marketplace. (Ever wander why those waiters and waitresses hate Sundays? It's because they feel that the church people and the preachers are the meanest customers they usually wait on) These are hard statements and questions, but questions we must ask. How about being a novice? How many times have we placed young men in positions of leadership without training them and really knowing they are ready for such a call. Many of these young men fail because pride lifts them up and they began to feel they are something when they are nothing and it leads them to a great downfall.

The point here is simple. You cannot point to one certain qualification and say that if a man doesn't meet that one qualification he is disqualified from ministry. And let me state here unequivocally that sin is sin and must be addressed in the lives of those who minister to us. There needs to be a restoration period and discipline if needed. That discipline needs to take into account the long-range affects on the person's life and ministry. There is a role for godly submission in these areas to be sure. There are no easy answers and without a doubt each individual case will be decided on its own merits or issues. Divorce is an ugly matter. I cannot put into words to help you fathom the depths of hurt a person who has went through such failure suffers. It is devastating. I may be wrong on this next statement but I'll make it anyway. Unless there is an issue of immorality on the part of the pastor such as adultery, fornication, or to be blunt, if he leaves his 50-year old wife for a 30-year old wife, we need to take a hard look at the situation and not be so quick to say he is not fit for ministry if there is a divorce in his past.

Why we are so quick to forgive the bank robbers, the immoral, the cheaters, the liars, the drunks, the drug addict, and yet when it comes to divorce we gasp for air as if that sin is unpardonable? The church is so full of politics it's sickening. We act like the only people qualified to minister among our congregations are those who are "squeaky" clean. GIVE ME A BREAK. There is no one squeaky clean friend. They may look like it on the outside but believe me the men ministering to us put their pants on just like me and you. No one is above falling. No one is able to 100% say they have overcome temptation 100% of their time in their lives. God knows better and so does this writer. I wish that were true. The Bible shows us ALL sides of our "heroes," to let us know that even the godliest of men have struggles and fail at times.

I'm certain that if Peter OR Paul had lived today, neither would have completed the task given to them by God because of the attitudes of the modern church. Peter would have been told his denial of Christ required at least a 3-year waiting period before he could preach again. If Paul had lived today, his plight would have been worse. A murderer of Christians, Paul may not have made it beyond the pulpit committee's recommendations for the janitor's job! That sounds funny to some, but it's not funny at all. We are so self-righteous in the church today and friend, hear me - ALL have sinned, and COME SHORT of the glory of God!

Paul lists several things - not just being the husband of one wife. John Mark made a mistake. Whatever that mistake was it disqualified him in the eyes of Paul from going on the next ministry trip with Paul and Barnabas. But in the process it caused one of the worst conflicts of the early church - it SPLIT the friendship in two of Paul and Barnabas.

Acts 15:39 - And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;

This was not just a moment of anger. This contention made Paul go in one direction, Barnabas in another. It was a conflict over the qualifications of a minister - JOHN MARK. And the modern day church is heading in two different directions as well today over this same issue. In one camp you have those who basically forsake those with the call of God on their lives because of failure and in the other camp you have men like BARNABAS who have learned to operate in the spirit of encouragement and help salvage the ministries of the JOHN Mark's today.

The Church Needs More People Like Barnabas

Barnabas, which means "son of encouragement," or "son of consolation," was an apostle in the early church <Acts 4:36-37, 11:19-26> and Paul's companion on his first missionary journey <Acts 13:1--15:41>. A LEVITE from the island of Cyprus, Barnabas' given name was Joseph, or Joses <Acts 4:36>. When he became a Christian, he sold his land and gave the money to the Jerusalem apostles <Acts 4:36-37>. Early in the history of the church, Barnabas went to Antioch to check on the growth of this early group of Christians. Then he journeyed to Tarsus and brought Saul (as PAUL was still called) back to minister with him to the Christians in Antioch <Acts 11:25>. At this point Barnabas apparently was the leader of the church at Antioch, because his name is repeatedly mentioned before Paul's in the Book of Acts. But after Saul's name was changed to Paul, his name is always mentioned after Paul's <Acts 13:43>. Because of his good reputation, Barnabas was able to calm the fear of Saul among the Christians in Jerusalem <Acts 9:27>. Barnabas was a man of God. He brought money from Antioch to the Jerusalem church when it was suffering a great famine <Acts 11:27-30>. Shortly thereafter, the Holy Spirit led the Antioch church to commission Barnabas and Paul, along with John Mark, Barnabas' cousin, to make a missionary journey <Acts 13:1-3> to Cyprus and the provinces of Asia Minor.

And that what makes this incident with Mark, who incidentally was a cousin to Barnabas, even more remarkable. Paul had forgotten that the doors of ministry were once closed to him by the church because of his past. It was because of BARNABAS that Paul was even allowed in the door to the early church. Now, at a time of choice, Paul elected to cast off JOHN MARK, just because he could not go with them on a previous ministry experience.

Barnabas Was An Encourager

What made Barnabas stand out and so vital to the growth of the early church was the spirit of encouragement that rested on his life. He knew how to edify people. He knew what it took to look at a situation that was not that great and see the GOOD in it. The modern day church so desperately needs more men like this. We have become so cynical and negative in our methods and ministry. Look at what the Bible says about encouraging others:

Encouragement is a ministry gift

Rom 12:8 - .....if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (NIV)

The early church needed encouragement, so do we today -

Ephesians 3:22- I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.

Col 4:8 - I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. (NIV)

1Thes 3:2 - We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,

We are to encourage each other with our words -

Col. 4:18 - Therefore encourage each other with these words. (NIV);

II Th. 2:17 - ........encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. (NIV)

1Thes 5:11 - Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (NIV)

1Thes 5:14 - And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Our preaching must be done with not only rebuke, but with words of encouragement -

2 Tim 4:2 - Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-- with great patience and careful instruction. (NIV)

Titus 1:9 - He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

We are to encourage our young men -

Titus 2:6 - Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.

Titus 2:15 - These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

We are to encourage each other against the peril of sin -

Heb 3:13 - But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. (NIV)

Heb 10:25 - Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Barnabas didn't bow to the pressure put on him by even the apostle Paul to forsake John Mark. Some may argue that Mark was a relative so Barnabas felt a family obligation to support him. I don't think so. I think it went deeper than that. Barnabas saw in Mark something more valuable than gold. He saw a ministry that would come forth and shake the continent of Africa, especially Egypt. He saw the treasure in Mark that the Lord had planted and the damage that turning his back on him would do. I'll never believe Paul was right in this decision. I feel that Paul's actions later prove that the Lord dealt with him after this incident to the point Paul repented of it for in the end of Paul's life when he was in prison his last letter to Timothy closed with the words, "Bring Mark with you, for he is profitable to me in the ministry." Whew, what a statement. I feel the anointing of the Lord on that statement.

The modern church has thrown away so many John Marks for a variety of reasons. Many of these men could have been profitable to the ministry of the Lord Jesus. I remember Rick Joyner writing about his experiences in heaven and the people he talked to when he was caught up in a heavenly vision. One person told him that he had lost his crown because of the way he had treated other ministers of the gospel. Rick said he cried and wept because he knew he had done the same in his lifetime. How many young men and women have we dished aside because we didn't feel like they could cut it? How many good young men and women have our denominations shredded in a furnace of politics placing them in absolutely no-win situations and churches that even seasoned veteran pastors wouldn't take only to see those young men and women get hurt and grow bitter, leave the church and some even go into apostasy. We are going to be held accountable for these lost soldiers! How many men have had problems in their lives and instead of the church rallying around them in support and encouraging them we have just passed them off as a failure and watched them slip into moral oblivion without as much as raising a finger to help them? Barnabas saw this in John Mark and he refused to go along with the normal response that the church has had to failure. He stood with Mark and took him on a missionary journey that shook Cyprus. We need more people like Barnabas!

Bring Mark With You, For He Is Profitable To Me For the Ministry

After the 10-year silence in regards to his life, Mark is first mentioned again, interestingly enough, by Paul-- and in favorable terms. Paul asks the Colossians to receive Mark with a welcome <Col. 4:10>, no longer as an assistant but as one of his "fellow laborers" <Philemon. 24>.

Col. 4:10 - Aristarchus my fellow prisoner salutes you, and Marcus (MARK), sister's son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)

Philemon 1:24 - Marcus (MARK), Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow laborers.

And during his imprisonment in Rome, Paul tells Timothy to bring Mark with him to Rome, "for he is useful to me for ministry" <2 Tim. 4:11>. One final reference to Mark comes also from Peter in Rome; Peter affectionately refers to him as "my son" <1 Pet. 5:13>.

1 Peter 5:13 - The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, salutes you; and so doth Marcus my son.

So, in these later references to Mark in the New Testament, he appears to be reconciled to Paul and laboring with the two great apostles in Rome. That's a sign Paul saw what he had done in forsaking Mark in the beginning was wrong - and it is wrong for the church of the Lord Jesus to forsake those who have made mistakes today! As a result of this reconciliation, Mark's influence in the early church grew. He also penned the second gospel of the New Covenant which many believe is an eyewitness report of the life of Christ as told by Peter. This according to the church fathers' Papias (A.D. 60-130) and Clement of Alexandria (A. D. 150-215), who also said Mark also served as Peter's interpreter in Rome. Of his physical appearance we are only told, rather oddly, that Mark was "stumpy fingered." Writing at a later date (about A. D.325), the church historian Eusebius says that Mark was the first evangelist to Egypt, the founder of the churches of Alexandria, and the first bishop of that city. So great were his converts, both in number and sincerity of commitment, says Eusebius, that the great Jewish philosopher, Philo, was amazed.

That is why Mark was profitable to Paul and the ministry. He was going to be used by God to shake Egypt. But what if (and the world is full of what ifs) the early church would have acted like the church of today?

A Broken Reed He Shall Not Break and Smoking Flax He Shall Not Quench

Matt 12:18-20 - "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.

This scripture in Matthew depicts the nature of the chosen servant, the Lord Jesus. Barnabas operated in such a spirit. He was an encourager. He was a reconciler and we will go into more detail into his life in a future journal. But Matthew speaks of the Lord Jesus and what He will do as our Servant. He said He will not quarrel or cry out, no one will hear his voice in the streets - a bruised reed he will not break, and smoldering wick he will not stuff out, till he leads justice to VICTORY.

Reeds were a symbol of weakness. Jesus refers to them as shaking in the wind <Matt. 11:7>. A reed was placed in Jesus' hand as He was mocked by the Roman soldiers <Matt. 27:29>. In traditional Jewish times these reeds could be found at the local river beds. Their stems were so fragile that the least amount of pressure would bruise them and then they would be of no use. The best thing to do with them after they had been bruised would be to break them in two and throw them away. A flax was a plant growing one meter (three feet) tall with pale blue flowers, and used for making cloth. When mature, the entire flax plant was pulled and placed in water to separate the fibers from the stems. It was then laid on housetops to dry <Josh. 2:6>, and later woven into linen. Flax was also used as wicks for lamps in Bible times <Is. 42:3>. When these wicks would burn so low, all you would see is just smoke - a sign of where a flame once was but didn't burn any longer. The easiest thing to do with this type of flax is break it in two and throw it away.

Many reading this will think, well I'm not a John Mark. I've done a little bit more than just miss a missionary trip. I've had failed marriages. I have filed bankruptcy. I have had other problems and even wound up in prison. You are a bruised reed and a smoking flax and the so-called church has said, "You're not able to minister for us because you are bruised." Some of you are no more than a mere smoldering flame - a sign where once a burning flame burned for God yet now it's nothing but smoke. This message is for you. The Lord wants you to come to Him, because you are profitable to HIS MINISTRY! You are going to be used again. You are going to preach again. You are going to sing again. You are going to lay hands on the sick again. You are going to develop bible studies again. You are going to write again! You are going to witness to others again! Why? Because the business of the Lord Jesus is repairing bruised reeds and making smoking flaxes burn again!

If you're not ministering, then it's your own fault. Stop waiting for a man-made organization to recognize your calling. Minister in the gifts the Lord has given you. He's got a Barnabas out there who will encourage you when you need it. The Holy Spirit will encourage you. The word of God will encourage you. The Lord will encourage you! You are anointed oh man of God.

The blood of Jesus covers your past. The blood of Jesus covers your sin. The blood of Jesus covers the mistake. Stop living in your past. Start walking in the blood!! The Lord is saying, BRING YOUR MINISTRY back to the arena. You are needed to make the Body of Christ profitable. Don't let the Pharisees and Sadducees kill you. The ministry you have in you was planted by the Lord in your heart. No man can take that away from you. It's priceless. The Lord is calling you. The Lord is sending messengers to tell you "Bring him with you, he is profitable to the ministry." It's soon to happen. It's soon to happen! Glory to God.

In Closing

In closing let me say this. There are some who may wonder upon this journal needing to hear a word of encouragement about your ministry. It may be at a standstill. It may be hindered by mistakes from your past. The denomination you belong to may not recognize your calling any longer, but GOD DOES. Once He has called you that calling never leaves. I tried to run from mine in 1996 and I didn't succeed. Through a series of events over the past 5 years the Lord has gently put the pieces back together again. Do I know whether Ill ever pastor again? Doesn't matter. But what does matter is that I am doing again the things I let drop to the ground in 1996. I'm preaching when and where I can. And if the Lord opens a door for a pastorate then I will walk through it. Even if that doesn't happen I know the Lord is restoring the ministry He placed within me since I was a child.

He will do the same for you. "Bring Mark with you, for he is profitable to me for the ministry." Those words echo in my ear as I write this journal. Paul, the great apostle, recognized his mistake in not taking Mark with him earlier. Before he died, he placed his approval upon one of the New Covenant's great heroes. God has never lost that recognition of you and soon you will see the results of that among your brethren. Next time you read the New Testament and you read the book of Mark, remember this journal. John Mark is all of us. John Mark is me. John Mark is YOU. God bless...

Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for touching the hearts of all the wounded and hurting among us. Make their fire burn again and let them realize they are valuable for the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Jesus name, Amen!

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