Mark Edward Kroger's Page

When I look at my Christian growth, it seems so slow day by day. But when I look back and reflect on how I process information, how I anchor references and things that interest me, I see how the Lord is slowly changing me inside out.

The Sci-Fi channel used to be my favorite channel. I used to think as a Christian, why do Christians spend their every waking moment thinking and talking about Christian stuff? God doesn't care if we have other interests. What I didn't realize was while the Lord was teaching and leading, the choices were left up to me. How close did I want to get to Him? I know He would let me be a Christian and stay on the shelve.

I read a quote on twitter, "We all need something to do, somone to love and something to look forward to." When my life was party central, I looked for to Friday and Saturday nights, and two or three nights a week, an eight pack of Bud Light. The in-between times, my life was generally gloomy, looking forward to my next alcohol related event. I hear statements to that effect every day at work and sometimes it sends me down memory lane.

Satan or rather a demon's only goal in my life is to separate me from Christ and render me of no value. I often reflect on one of the few weak moments of Abraham and how the Lord stepped in and told that king, "Touch her and you're a dead man." As we learn to seek Him, He feels what we feel, He hurts when we hurt and what has become important to us, is now important to Him.

My mom used to love to work those "Find the hidden images" so I used to look for them everywhere. I never worked one. For me, they were of no interest. But they became important, because mom in her old age was so important to me. I think that's how God sees and listens to each of us. "What we sow in tears, we will reap in joy."

I think I would like to see a prayer room. Monday, I have to straighten, smooth and heal something with a Brother-in-Christ. I was called late Friday to fix a control circuit. The friend who started the work was fired for drugs and I pray the Lord comes to his rescue the way He did me. But I didn't know anything about the details of what was going on and who was involved, just that it needed some more work before the pumps can be turned back on.

My Christian brother was involved trying to help another group get this online. His heart was right and he is sharp, he just missed something. We all do sometimes. I do all the time.

But I don't want this to be a rift between us. Our tech work is necessary but temporal and when we get one brush fire put out, there will be another. It's the nature of our business. Far more important, is each other's feelings and friendship and in this case, our family relationship.

I am going to sneak in early, Monday, straighten it out and then get out of the way. But more important is, for me to pray, pray, pray. There is an unseen enemy afoot who is an oportunist. If he can, he will take a little rift and make it irreparable. It's his job. It is what he does and he is very good at it.

"With Christ, I can do all things. Without Him, I can do nothing." So if you will, pray with me. Thanks.

I am going to go for now. I just ran out of coffee. :-))

Have a great day!

Mark

I think sometimes we want to contribute, but aren't quite sure what to say or how to start it. I want to give a short testimony.

In 1990, I went through a divorce. My wife and I both drank and it enhanced little things that were easily repairable. Alcohol will destroy that which we are reaching for.

I moved into mom's basement and let Sandy have the house until everything was worked out. I found out mom had been crying herself to sleep. She raised 14 kids and had lots of activity in her life. But now her husband had died of cancer and her kids had moved away and she was all alone. I wasn't a Christian, but I told God I would put my life on hold until whatever happened, happened. I still drank.

On February 22, 1992, I was watching a VHS tape. There was a trick to taking out a tape and getting the channel changed as the VCR played on channel 3 which was also the channel of TBN. I didn't get the channel changed fast enough and there was James Robinson asking what that we wanted the Lord to take from our lives. I said one word, "Alcohol."

I had a date that night and on the way home, I got a DUI and in the Jail Cell, I gave my life to the Lord. My journey had began.

Another testimony is in 1985, I was working for an electronic firm making circuit boards. They used harsh chemicals in their process. Earlier in life, I swallowed chlorine gas as a maintenance tech in a factory and lost my voice, the chlorine gas had scorched my vocal chords. Now the harsh chemicals were irritating them.

This was a non union tech factory and it didn't pay much and I had to work six days to take home $350 a week. I wasn't a Christian, but I ask God if He didn't have something I could do that didn't have harsh chemicals and I could take home $350 for five days.

I saw an ad for an opening at UD for an electrician. I wasn't an electrician, my background was electronics, pre computer electronics. But I applied for the job. On my interview, they didn't ask me any electrician questions about conduit or stuff like that, they had some boilers they wanted upgraded and handed me a schematic. That was the only way I could get that job as licensed electricians had applied for it. They tore the boilers out two years later.

I told the supervisor and the director who interviewed me, I had a cold. I think the supervisor knew better, but a week after I went to work, the director told me I ought to see a doctor about that cold. :-)

One year later, God brought it to my mind, my request of Him. I was taking home $400 a week after the truck payment came out. He had thrown in a brand new Ford Ranger 4x4 in the request. He had no obligation whatsoever to do it, but had held out the scepter anyway. Of course now I plead the Blood of the Lamb at every opportunity, but I reflect back on when He would do things for me just out of His goodness.