Mark Brand - Antioch Church Dallas

My Blog Has Moved!

2017-09-15T11:46:00.002-05:00

Click on the following link to be taken to my new blog: pastormarkbrand.wordpress.com.

Ministering to Millennials - WE Connect Leader's Roundtable, April 27, 2017

2017-03-24T16:18:00.001-05:00

Friday, March 24, 2017

Dear Friend in Ministry,

Effectively reaching, discipling, and mobilizing Millennials for ministry is one of the greatest challenges facing church leaders today. Millennials have such incredible energy, ability, and potential, yet their way of looking at life; of making commitments; of walking out relationships; and of seeking to make a difference in the world though the investment of their time and resources is often very different from that of preceding generations. Sadly, these differences between generations often bring about a disconnect between generations that causes many Millennials to try to lead lives that are spiritual without any connection to what they perceive to be traditional or institutional. Statistics show the great majority of American Millennials who are raised in church therefore stop attending church altogether when they move into young adulthood. Very few American congregations, including the fastest growing, are able to reach post-churched or unchurched Millennials with the same effectiveness as they reach people from other life stages. Learning how to win Millennials to the Lord; how to disciple them as fully committed followers of Jesus; and how to integrate them into the life of the local church is absolutely vital to our future and is very near to the heart of God. As a pastor, I am not interested in hearing more theory from armchair pundits, cultural “gurus,” or mere self-appointed style consultants. I want to glean actionable insights from people whose ministries are heavily involved with Millennials every single day with lasting spiritual fruit. My search has brought me into contact with five outstanding young spiritual leaders who are doing exactly that.

During the upcoming WE Connect Spiritual Leaders Regional Roundtable here at Antioch Church on Thursday morning, April 27^th from 9:00am to 1:00pm, each of these leaders will give an eighteen minute, TEDtalk-style presentation dealing with some aspect of Ministering to Millennials, followed by a time of Q&A and discussion. This is a unique opportunity for you to personally ask each of them whatever questions would be most helpful to you in your own specific ministry context, including during our mid-morning break featuring lots of snacks and excellent coffee from the Urban Blend.

HERE’S OUR PRESENTER LINE-UP:

Chris Estrada - “Reaching Millennials with the Gospel”

Chris is the Director of the Youth Ministry major at Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas and the Youth for the Nations summer program. He hosts the National Youth Leader Experience attended by participants from around the world and is the founder of the Circle, a twelve-month leadership intensive for pastors. A dynamic communicator, his life experiences as a businessman, missionary, youth pastor, author, and mentor to other youth pastors make him a tremendous resource to all of us who are seeking to touch youth more effectively. He is passionate about bringing lost young people into the kind of saving encounter with the Jesus that turned his own life around as a messed-up, mixed-up young man growing up in a fractured home environment in El Paso, Texas.

Adam McCain – "Discipling Millennials in the Local Church"

Adam McCain is known by many for his past years of service as Director of Christ for the Nations Institute and as a spiritual father to young ministers around the world through Global Youth Net. In 2005, Adam birthed Church on the Hill in his family’s living room with a group of young people. From the beginning, cell groups have been at the core their ministry vision. They first held monthly services for their burgeoning congregation in such diverse locations as a local funeral home and a civic recreational center, before later beginning weekly Sunday evening gatherings at a Methodist facility in Cedar Hill. After trying to purchase or lease more than thirty different properties, through God’s supernatural intervention they were able to acquire their own campus in 2015. The vision of Church On the Hill is “…to relentlessly love Jesus, His church, and the hurting.”

Brian Mclemore – "Healing the Millennial Heart"

After finishing his studies and marrying his college sweetheart, Bryan and Dorie began their first ministry adventure in Boston, Massachusetts as church planters and street-youth workers. While serving with the Global Passion ministry in California, he trained and sent out over 3,000 youth as mission team participants around the world via medical, construction, and evangelistic outreach projects. Bryan has personally ministered in over 13 nations and is the founder of the FUEL program dedicated to training up the next generation of missionaries. For the past several years, he has served as Dean of Men at Christ for the Nations Institute and as Adjunct Faculty in their Global Missions Major while running his own successful construction business.

Will Ford – "Mobilizing Millennials in the Marketplace"

A Banking and Finance graduate from Morehouse College with more than 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur and in the financial services industry, Will is currently the Director of the Marketplace Ministries Major at Christ for the Nations Institute. His experiences in those roles perfectly equip him to help pastors and church leaders understand and overcome the challenges they face when integrating Millennials into their teams. Will is renowned as a conference speaker and participant at The Call prayer gatherings led by Lou Engle. A descendant of slaves, God sovereignly brought Will into close friendship and prayer partnership with a man who later discovered he was a descendant of the family who had owned Will’s ancestors. Their combined testimony has profoundly impacted congregations across America and has been highlighted by both secular and religious media. Will is the author and co-author of multiple books. He is also a recent recipient of the Mantle of Destiny Award from the King Family Legacy Foundation.

Phil King – "Leading Millennials Into the Manifest Presence of God"

Phil King is a singer-songwriter born and raised in California whose aim is to bring a message of purity and holiness to his generation while creating and presenting the best possible worship to Jesus. One of the most influential young worship leaders in the world today, his ministry is characterized by a deep passion to bring youth into a supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit. Phil has ministered extensively across the United States and abroad while actively training and equipping other worshippers to minister before the Lord. He has worked alongside many influential musicians including Michael W. Smith; Leeland; his pastor Lindell Cooley from the Brownsville Revival; Lauren Daigle, and others. His music is widely available on most major media platforms including iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify.

Please be sure to note that this event is entirely free to you and your guests! All we ask is for you to help help our Hospitality Team prepare to welcome you by RSVP’ing to Emily via return email to let us know you are coming and to tell us how many people you intend to bring with you. This will enable us to host you with “Texas-sized” hospitality while being good stewards of the resources the Lord has entrusted to us.

To assist you in your planning, please note that our church campus is located at 805 Elm Street in the heart of downtown Dallas; across the street from the tallest building in our city; and just steps away from the Sixth Floor Museum, our renowned Dallas Arts District, beautiful Klyde Warren Park, and lots of restaurants. Our facilities are easily accessible by car from all of our city’s major highways.

We are situated directly on the West End DART rail station platform, so if you fly into DFW airport you can catch the train from Terminal A directly to within thirty feet of our building without ever needing to rent an automobile. Several good hotels are located within several few hundred feet of our campus, including the La Quinta Inn and Suites Downtown; the Springhill Suites Downtown/West End, the Homewood Suites by Hilton Dallas Downtown, the Westin Dallas Downtown, and the Omni Dallas. Others such as the Fairmont Dallas and the new Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Dallas are within several blocks. Many further options can be found within a ten to fifteen minute drive of our location, including the Marriot Suites Medical/Market Center and less expensive properties located along both Highway 75/Central Expressway and I-35 North/Stemmons Freeway.

To RSVP or If you need any additional information or if our team can assist you in any way, please contact our Antioch Ministry Coordinator, Emily Barnes, in our church offices via phone: 972-392-3992 or email: emily.barnes@teamantioch.com.

Teresa and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Pastor Mark Brand

Antioch Church, Dallas, TX

www.teamantioch.com

www.twitter.com/mwbrand

Antioch Church - Helping people everywhere know Jesus and love others…!

Antioch Church - Travel Information

Antioch Church, 805 Elm Street, Dallas, TX 75202 / www.teamantioch.com / 972.392.3992

Riding the DART train from DFW Airport

Upon debarking from your arriving flight, before leaving the secure area, follow the signs to the SkyLink Connection train and ride it to Terminal A, Gates A15-A17.

When you exit the SkyLink Connection train, follow the signs saying, “Ground Transportation,” until you see signs saying, “DART Bus / TRE Train / DART Train.”

Follow the DART Train signs (not the TRE Train signs!) down the elevator, out the downstairs doors of the terminal, and along the sidewalk to your right for a couple of hundred feet until you come to the DART train station.

Purchase your ticket from the machine with cash or credit card and board any train. (This is the beginning of the line, so it is impossible to board going the wrong way.)

Ride the train for approximately 50 minutes until it stops at the West End Station. When you exit the train, you will be directly outside our building.

Parking

Antioch Church owns the entire city block located at the corner of Lamar & Elm Streets, including two parking lots.

To park for free on Thursday morning, plan to arrive before 9:00am and set your GPS to 805 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas, 75206.

Park in the lot at the corner of Elm and North Austin Street, directly across the N. Austin St. cul-de-sac from the 7/11 convenience shop. The church entrance is located at the end of the cul-de-sac, directly adjacent to the DART station platform.

If you are arriving by car on Wednesday and would like to park your vehicle in our lot overnight, please contact Emily in our office and we will be happy to arrange that for you free of charge. Please note that the lot is not manned or guarded from the late evening hours through the very early morning hours.

I am so excited about our Antioch Church Urban Blend relaunch...!

2017-03-11T11:16:00.000-06:00

Religion and Violence

2017-01-07T14:23:00.001-06:00

The 20th century gave rise to one of the greatest and most distressing paradoxes of human history: that the greatest intolerance and violence of that century were practiced by those who believed that religion caused intolerance and violence. Alistair McGrath

A Special Word From A Special Place...

2016-12-26T14:51:00.001-06:00

A Word from God's Word About the Election, November 9, 2016

2016-11-09T09:45:00.000-06:00

These are the four things I believe God is calling His people to do following the election.

How to Be Used in the Gifts of the Spirit, Interview with Missionary Gail Stathis

2016-09-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

Each Wednesday night at Antioch Church following our midweek prayer meeting, we offer classes including one I teach called, "The School of the Spirit." On Wednesday, September 4th, I was privileged to interview Missionary Gail Stathis, an outstanding woman of God who has served in Greece and throughout the surrounding regions for more than thirty years.

During our chat, Gail tells the story of her own journey into the ministry of the Gifts of the Spirit which began while she was a child living in very difficult circumstances. She also gives some very practical, biblically balanced counsel regarding how to take your first steps in this area and how to avoid some common mistakes. If you are interested in learning more about how you can experience the activation of spiritual gifts in your own life, I encourage you to watch this video.

For more information about Gail Stathis, click on this link: tinyurl.com/GailStathis or emeministries.org. For more information about Antioch Church, visit: teamantioch.com.

PLEASE NOTE: The first one minute, twenty seconds of the video, you will hear audio only, then the video image will appear.

Highly recommended...!

2016-09-06T21:00:00.000-05:00

If my memory serves me correctly, I have never recommended a product or service on the internet, but this has been too big a blessing to our family to not pass it on.

VidAngel is a simple, cheap way to watch movies without offensive scenes or language. I am not much of cinefile myself, but our two kids like them and like me watching them with them. Raising two kids in today's world has sometimes proved challenging due to their feeling embarrassed about being left out of conversations their peers have about films with major impact on today's culture, etc., because of our high standards about what we will and will not watch. VidAngel provides a solution that works for our family. It lets us easily filter movies in amazing detail to our very own specifications, turning even some R-rated movies that have redeeming merit due to their plots or historical settings into something we find acceptable.

Check it out at this link and we will get to see some movies free.

https://www.vidangel.com?vip=sahwcx64

P.S. This has such potential to be a game-changer in the movie industry that they have been sued by major studios. That's enough to make me want to pray for them! In any event, they stand a very good chance of winning. This link has all the details: https://www.vidangel.com/news/category/legal/

#VidAngel VidAngel #SaveFiltering

You Are Invited...! WE Connect Regional Roundtable, Thursday, September 15, 2016

2016-08-23T11:19:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends in Ministry,

If you are a pastor, missionary, evangelist or other Christian spiritual leader, I want to invite you to be a part of the WE Connect Regional Spiritual Leaders Roundtable we are hosting at Antioch Church in downtown Dallas on Thursday morning, September 15^th from 9:00am to 1 pm.

WE Connect is a ministry network filled with wonderful servants of the Lord I have personally been a part of for many years and that has added tremendous value to my own life and ministry. I am honored to host this event featuring several 18 minute presentations by seasoned pastors and church leaders centered around the theme, “Building Unity in the Midst of Diversity,” followed by periods of open Q&A. There is no cost or registration fee to attend and I encourage you to bring as many other spiritual leaders with you as you possibly can.

Given the increasingly polarized state of our civil society, no subject could be more timely or relevant for every Christian leader. Although the church of Jesus Christ has too often been divided by too many things, including race, culture, age, economic status, political persuasions, doctrinal nuances, and even stylistic preferences, I believe the church alone holds the primary keys to healing our fractured nation. Jesus is calling every one of us to mobilize our people for the ministry of reconciliation our country so desperately needs.

“We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them.” (2 Cor. 5:20 The Message)

The urgency of this call was driven home to me recently when law enforcement officers who are part of our spiritual family battled the El Centro College mass shooter from our church property, while people from our congregation marched in the Black Lives Matter protest nearby. Only the Holy Spirit can help you or me bring unity to the midst of such diversity, but as we do, we experience fresh, deep anointing from heaven upon our ministries!

“How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head…” (Ps. 133:1-2 NLT)

Every session in this unique WE Connect Roundtable gathering is designed to help you bring unity in the midst of diversity as you shepherd Christ’s flock in today’s world. Some presenters, for example, will focus on how local churches can help heal and overcome racial wounds in their communities. Others will equip you to lead your people beyond the tensions that sometimes arise between generations and faith traditions. Each one of them will challenge you, inspire you, and give you practical “takeaways” you can implement wherever you serve.

If you need any additional information including lodging information or directions, please contact our Antioch Ministry Coordinator, Emily Barnes, in our church offices via phone: 972-392-3992 or email: emily.barnes@teamantioch.com.

Please help our Hospitality Team prepare to welcome you by RSVP’ing to Emily via return email to let us know you are coming and to tell us how many people you intend to bring with you. This will enable us to host you with “Texas-sized” hospitality while being good stewards of the resources the Lord has entrusted to us. If your travel plans allow you to arrive the evening before, we would love to have you join us at Antioch Church for our Midweek Prayer Service from 6:00-7:30pm and/or at our Antioch School of the Spirit from 7:30-9:00pm.

Teresa and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Mark

---

Pastor Mark Brand

Antioch Church, Dallas, TX

www.teamantioch.com

www.twitter.com/mwbrand

WE Connect – Building Unity in Diversity

Antioch Church, Dallas Texas - Thursday, September 15, 2016 9am-1pm

Roundtable Presenters and Topics

Randy Skinner, Strategic Justice Initiatives / Feed3 – Addressing the Spiritual Roots of Racial Tension

Randy’s extensive background working in civil rights, intercessory prayer, economic development, criminal justice, and racial reconciliation, while choosing to raise his own family in the inner city, strategically positions him to help local churches heal historic wounds and transform their local communities. His many roles have included: Executive Director of the Dallas Justice Revival; Chairman of the Dallas City Ethics Commission appointed by the Mayor; Director of the National Conference on Crimes Against Children; Member of the Congressional Black Caucus Scholarship Committee; and the Racial Reconciliation Department of the Promise Keepers Men’s Movement.

Pastor Samuel Fenceroy, Mount Olive Church of Plano - Building A Multi-Racial Church

Sam will share practical ideas on how to lead a diverse congregation, drawn from a unique life story that includes his transition from entrepreneur and wealthy business owner in South Dallas to successful church planter in the suburbs of North Dallas. In spite of his own encounters with racism, by embracing the truths God planted deep within his heart, he has raised up a vibrant, multi-ethnic church committed to touching the nations of the world.

Pastor Ralph Holland, Mundo de Fe – Building A Multi-Ethnic, Multi-Lingual Church

Ralph will share specific suggestions concerning how to minister in settings that are both multi-cultural and multi-lingual. With his rich experience as Founding Pastor of Mundo de Fe, the largest Hispanic ministry in the DFW Metroplex, along with his apostolic role throughout Latin America and beyond, he brings wise answers to questions like: “Should we use simultaneous translation?” and, “Should we raise up distinct congregations that share a common building or raise up one congregation that ministers to multiple constituencies?”

Pastor Tom Lane, Gateway Church – Building A Multi-Generational Church

Tom will share steps to building fruitful transgenerational ministry gleaned from his own experience. As Lead Executive Senior Pastor of Gateway Church, he played a key role in the exploding growth of that congregation. Today, he also serves as Campus Pastor of the recently planted Gateway Dallas and leads the way in effectively reaching people of all life stages from the former facilities of Hillcrest Church which are located in a neighborhood whose primary demographic is mature adults.

Pastor Steve Dixon, Christian Life Cathedral – Building A Multi-Denominational Church

Steve will share practical steps you should take when building a congregation made up of people who come from vastly different denominational backgrounds. His counsel will help you strategically position your ministry to glean the good from each of those varied streams without compromising your specific and God-given vision, as he highlights aspects of the church-planting model he developed while birthing a thriving local church in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Pastor Mark Brand, Antioch Church – Lessons Learned Along the Way

Mark will share lessons he has learned and mistakes he has made during his leadership journey transitioning Antioch Church from a prosperous, white suburban congregation to a racially, economically, and age-diverse downtown church. Antioch now reaches people “from the crack-house to the penthouse” and “looks like heaven” as it impacts the nations by nurturing emerging leaders from around the world.

Antioch Church - Travel Information

Antioch Church, 805 Elm Street, Dallas, TX 75202 / www.teamantioch.com / 972.392.3992

Riding the DART train from DFW Airport

Upon debarking from your arriving flight, before leaving the secure area, follow the signs to the SkyLink Connection train and ride it to Terminal A, Gates A15-A17.

When you exit the SkyLink Connection train, follow the signs saying, “Ground Transportation,” until you see signs saying, “DART Bus / TRE Train / DART Train.”

Purchase your ticket from the machine with cash or credit card and board any train. (This is the beginning of the line, so it is impossible to board going the wrong way.)

Ride the train for approximately 50 minutes until it stops at the West End Station. When you exit the train, you will be directly outside our building.

Free Parking Instructions

Antioch Church owns the entire city block located at the corner of Lamar & Elm Streets including two parking lots.

To park for free on Thursday morning, plan to arrive before 9:00am and set your GPS to 805 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas.

Let's give thanks to God for His supernatural protection last Thursday...!

2016-07-12T08:35:00.003-05:00

Dear Antioch Church Family,

The Dallas Morning News has released a definitive timeline of the events last Thursday night. Of special note, when the media has spoken in recent days of the shooter's location in a "parking lot," they were actually talking about El Centro College's loading dock, which is immediately across the street from our property.

This makes Agustin and Yajaira Penales's testimony all the more amazing. They had just finished witnessing on the DART platform with their two little girls when they heard the first shots fIred. In response, they unwittingly ran into our small lot directly TOWARDS the gunman and then crouched between parked cars while the bullets whizzed over their heads, emerging later without a scratch.

Please join me in lifting up your voices in praise to God for His supernatural protection upon them...!!!!

Click here to read the Dallas Morning News article.

Update and testimony from Thursday night's gun battle on our property

2016-07-11T15:52:00.000-05:00

2016-07-09T19:37:00.002-05:00

I am deeply moved by what happened in our church parking lot this week during the ambush of our city's law enforcement officers. Let's be sure to remember to pray for them and for their families...

I am deeply moved by what happened here... from Team Antioch on Vimeo.

2015-12-12T16:55:00.003-06:00

So you have a vision? Even if you know the destination, you’re unlikely to know the exact path. But there is One who does! My advice is to stay close to Him. Turn neither to the right nor to the left without His say-so. You can do no better than to follow Jesus’ example – and He only did what His Father said. So resolve now to jealously guard your daily times of communion with God. Make that your number one priority!

- Robert Smith

Leading and Forgiving

2015-12-12T12:53:00.000-06:00

Perhaps the most radical and transformative leadership is modelling what it is to forgive from the heart completely and permanently. Do so courageously and without looking back. May it be impossible to explain your life and leadership outside of the Person of Christ!

(2015-10-20). Forged on the Field: Letters from Global Mission Leaders (Field Notes Book 1) (Kindle Locations 497-499). Peregrini Press. Kindle Edition.

Red Is Still Tough - One of the greatest messages I have ever heard...

2015-09-29T07:57:00.000-05:00

Having been raised in church and travelled widely in ministry, I have heard a lot of sermons in my life, but this one by Pastor Tim Dilena from Brooklyn Tabernacle and Our Savior's Church is one of the most impactful that I have ever heard.

I urge every person who feels called to spiritual leadership to take the time to watch it online. You will be very glad you did...!

Miracle Testimony - Gaby Vandewall

2015-08-23T21:37:00.000-05:00

During our service last Sunday, the leader of our young adults ministry, Gaby Vandewall, shared a powerful testimony of how God recently brought a young child back to life after a drowning. Please note that the date on the screen is incorrect. The testimony was given one week ago today on August 16th.)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever! What He was, He still is! What He did, He still does!

Legal or Lawful? by Ravi Zacharias

2015-07-16T13:55:00.001-05:00

The most daunting question for us today is how do we live as Christians in such times? The decision of the Supreme Court of the United States sent tremors around the globe...When the law passed, the first thought that came to my mind was Chesterton’s prophetic comment more than half a century ago:

“For under the smooth legal surface of our society there are already moving very lawless things. We are always near the breaking-point when we care only for what is legal and nothing for what is lawful. Unless we have a moral principle about such delicate matters as marriage and murder, the whole world will become a welter of exceptions with no rules. There will be so many hard cases that everything will go soft."

That breaking point is here....

...As Christians, we often look outside of ourselves and wonder why the world is so different from us. We seldom pause and ask how the Church of today has become so different from what it was and so indifferent to the world around us. Liberalism is not just a political term. What has happened in our world was foreseen a few decades ago. Changes were underway then and we were taken by a storm from within. Culture at large moved unabashedly towards the mockery of the Christian worldview; Eastern religions were spared that, either because of the cowardice of the Western critic or simply to not be seen as attacking another ethnic group. But the Church is really where the titanic shifts in the culture started. As the liberal church swung to the extreme of religion without absolutes, the evangelical church flirted with emotionalism without intellect, while some of the mass distributors of spirituality peddled a cosmetic version of truth that was hollow and hairstyles became more important than what was going on in the head itself.

Jesus Is Coming! - Deception and Apostasy, Pastor Mark Brand, Antioch Church, May 3, 2015

2015-05-03T15:10:00.001-05:00

Given what Jesus said about the end-times, the message I preached this morning may well be the most important I have ever delivered, because Jesus unequivocally stated doctrinal, moral, and spiritual deception would precede His His return to earth. To view only the sermon, click on the link above. To watch the service in its entirely, including the powerful time of worship and prayer, click on the following link instead: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/61849084.

Persecution Is Coming: Are You Ready?

2015-04-28T09:33:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Dear Antioch Church Family,

This past Sunday, I preached about the increased persecution Jesus said will precede His return to earth. In the days leading up to this message, I was deeply, deeply impacted in my own spirit by the things God laid upon my heart to share with our congregation. I believe this word is especially timely and important for all of us to hear and prayerfully reflect upon. If you were not able to be in service with us, I encourage you to take time to view the video of my sermon by clicking here or on the photo above or to listen to the audio from my message by clicking here. If you would like to view the entire service, including worship, then click here instead.

While Christians in other countries are experiencing brutal treatment for their faith, even to the point of martyrdom as in Syria, etc., we make a very serious mistake if we assume that our culture and/or legal system in America guarantees us that we will not experience very negative consequences for honoring our biblical convictions or that somehow the hostility we encounter can be avoided if we are winsome enough or gentle enough or "relevant" enough. In biblical passages such as John 15:18-21, Jesus made it crystal-clear that nothing could be further from the truth! Thankfully, passages such as 1 Peter 4:12-19 also give us a biblical template to follow as we respond to any form of persecution.

Here are links to two very different news items that drive home the reality of the increasingly hostile environment in which we find ourselves as believers right here in the USA:

Click on the following link to read an excellent article from Christianity Today entitled, "The Wrong Kind of Christian." It is subtitled, "I thought a winsome faith would win Christians a place at Vanderbilt’s table. I was wrong." It is drawn from the recent experience of InterVarsity Fellowship at Vanderbilt University and the shocking discovery their leadership made that no matter how engaging they tried to be, they were ultimately unwelcome in the Academy.

In another vein, the video clip below puts a very human face on a question every Christian must answer. As we live out our convictions both personally and professionally, where do we draw the line in spite of what it may cost us?

Regardless of whether or not one agrees or disagrees with where these two believers "drew the line" in the operation of their business, it very moving to think that this sweet couple, with no malice or hate toward anyone, have lost their family livelihood because they took a stand for their religious convictions, and that this has taken place in America, a country whose primary historical reason for existence is grounded in the search for freedom of religion. Other news reports have stated they have received threats of physical and sexual assault, even death. Even if you have read or watched other news items concerning this case, I strongly encourage you to take the time to view this clip by clicking here or on the photo below. They need our prayers!

In spite of developments like these, I have some very, very good news: If we respond to persecution in the right way, it will never destroy us, instead, it will make us stronger and cause our witness to be even more effective!

At the end of my message Sunday, I shared a testimony I read many years ago concerning a Chinese preacher who gave his own child to his persecutor and who later discovered his son had also become a mighty man of God. I want to thank Nickie Geldenhuys for taking the time to track that story down on the Internet. The article he found is from a much more recent publication and differs in some details from the one I read in that it contains some photos and speaks of a bus instead of a train, etc., but the "moral" of the story remains the same: Responding in a godly way through the power of the Spirit to ungodly treatment sets the stage for God to do amazing things! I'll insert the text from the article at the end of this email for your convenience.

Teresa and I love you and thank God for the privilege of serving you. The very, very best is yet to come for Antioch Church and we are glad YOU are going to be a part of it!

Don't forget our Midweek Prayer Service tomorrow night from 6:00-7:30pm. It is the most important event in the life of our church each week!

I look forward to seeing you there!

Pastor Mark

	Pastor Mark Brand
	Antioch Church, Dallas, TX
	www.teamantioch.com
	www.markbrand.org
	twitter.com/mwbrand

Antioch Church - Helping people everywhere know Jesus and love others…!

========================

A Christmas Miracle in China

It was the greatest miracle that ever happened to Brother Duan, and he would not have experienced it had his bus not broken down. Traveling from a northern to a southern province of China one chilly December day, he happened to be passing through Henan Province when the engine of the bus expired in its futile battle with the cold.

On a whim, Duan trudged off through the fields, leaving the other passengers huddled inside the bus. He was a house church leader in northern China. Now 77- years old, he still had no home to call his own. The truth is, he was deeply depressed. He was on his way to mediate a dispute among church leaders and was weary of all the infighting that seemed to be harming the house churches. And he was lonely

As he crossed the frozen field, Duan thought longingly of his beloved wife who had died years earlier. He wished she was alive to listen to him and give her sweet counsel. And then the thought of his little son came into his tired mind, and an even darker cloud settled over his heart.

He found a village and knocked on a door. A little cross was notched on the door-post. "Is there anyone here who loves the Lord?" he asked. "I would love some fellowship tonight."

The door was opened by a man in his fifties, and Duan was warmly welcomed inside. His feet were washed in a basin-the custom of welcoming a stranger to their home, and he was fed hot congee and steaming vegetables. He noticed that the family members were excited. It turned out they would be traveling to a neighboring town to hear a dynamic Bible teacher from a large city. "What’s his name?" asked Duan. "Brother Wang," they replied.

As they made their way to the meeting, they told Duan stories about this mysterious Brother Wang. It was clear they loved him dearly, and one of the men explained why. "We once held a training seminar here and heard the police were coming to arrest us. Brother Wang helped everyone escape, except our main pastor. When the police arrived, Wang dared to bargain with them. He offered to go to prison if our pastor, whose wife was eight months pregnant, would be allowed to go free. The officers accepted his terms, and Brother Wang spent the next three years in prison."

"How old is Brother Wang?" Duan asked. When told he was in his early 405, Duan's face showed great pain. "What’s the matter?" he was asked. "Are you ill from your trip'" "No, I'm not ill," he replied, "just very sad. l once had a son, whom l knew for just two months. He's dead now, but if alive he would have been 42 today My wife called him the 'Christmas Child' since he was born at Christmas time. l called him 'Isaac ,' because we had despaired for so long of having a child."

There was silence as they rode in the open cart under the stars. Brother Duan told the incredible story of how he and his wife had been evangelists in the 19SO's. They refused to join the government-approved Three Self church, and an unbeliever named Wu kept accusing them of political and criminal offenses. It was only a matter of time before they were imprisoned or killed, but what would happen to their baby boy? One night, Duan's wife heard a strong voice in a vision, saying, "Give your son to your enemy " Knowing nothing about this, Duan read Genesis 22:2 the following morning: "Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you."

Sharing their impressions, the couple decided on a course of action that had caused Duan to wince in pain every day since. They gave their boy to Wu and his wife-who was childless-even as Wu arranged for the couples arrest.

It wasn't until I 978, when Duan was released from prison, that he learned what had happened to his wife and son. She had died in the terrible famine of 1958, and his son had disappeared along with the Wu family under the rubble of a devastating earthquake in 1975. Said Duan as the rickety cart approached the meeting place, "God judged me for being so irresponsible with my little son." As they arrived at the place where the evangelist was to speak, a crowd of 200 people was already packed into the house. Like many others, Duan had to sit in the courtyard and listen to the teacher through an open window.

When Brother Wang began preaching, Duan felt a terrible shock. It was like hearing himself! He began to tremble with fear. Even the phrases the teacher used sounded familiar. Confused, he staggered up to the window to see the preacher, causing a commotion as he fell over people. The preacher stopped, and there was a moment of shocked silence as the two stared at each other. The crowd was hushed as they realized the amazing physical likeness between the two men.

'Tm sorry for interrupting your excellent message," Duan began. "You see, I had a son who would be your age right now. If he had lived, he would have looked and sounded just like you."

Brother Wang began to tremble violently. Suddenly, his legs buckled beneath him, and he had to be caught before he fell to the floor. Clutching his pounding chest, he sobbed, "Are you Daddy Duan?" Everyone wept as father and son were reunited. The preacher told how he had indeed been brought up by Wu, who was so impressed by Duan's selfless act that he had become a strong Christian.

'Tm not your father," Wu used to say to him. "Your real father is a great man of God, full of grace and love. He gave you to me, and I give you all my love and the encouragement to put God first, just like your real dad would have done."

Wang's adopted parents had moved away from the earthquake zone before the tragedy, but both had died of cancer in their 60's. Wang became an evangelist and tried to find his real father, but Duan had changed his name so many times to avoid arrest that he had proved untraceable.

As father and son continued to hug and weep, the elder of the church stood up and declared, "It's December. We have seen our sermon tonight: Christ came into the world to save sinners - that is the essence of Christmas. Just as Duan handed his only son into the care of his enemy, so God handed over His own Son to us sinners. Let us rejoice in their reconciliation and ours, too."

http://asiaharvest.org/wp-content/themes/asia/docs/newsletters/122-December2013-AChristmasMiracleInChina.pdf

Spurgeon's Own Epitaph

2015-04-17T06:16:00.001-05:00

We would have it so happen that, when our life’s history is written, whoever reads it will not think of us as “self-made men,” but as the handiwork of God, in whom his grace is magnified. Not in us may men see the clay, but the Potter’s hand. They said of one, “He is a fine preacher;” but of another they said, “We never notice how he preaches, but we feel that God is great." - Charles Spurgeon

Leadership and the Realities of Memory

2015-02-09T16:54:00.000-06:00

Here is a very, very interesting story about the science of how human memory works and about how unreliable it is. While the immediate context deals with the Brian Williams controversy over at NBC News, the science this article refers to is good to keep in mind as we shepherd people and deal with situations where their memory of events is markedly different than our own.

This article helps me better understand some situations where I have interacted with people that I was convinced had good hearts and integrity and would never intentionally lie or deceive, but who said they recalled things that I was convinced were not true. My "prophetic" side moved me toward judgement concerning their character based on my own recollection of the facts involved, while my "pastoral" side moved me toward giving them the benefit of the doubt based on what my "gut" told me about their lack of evil intent or any sense that they would intentionally lie to me.

At the end of the day, my biggest personal and leadership "take-aways" from this article are:

1. When conversations take place and/or decisions are made that have important consequences, it is always a very good thing to quickly follow up with an email recapping what was agreed upon, such as a "Memo of Understanding" in more formal situations. This provides a level of objectivity via a "fixed point of reference" that is vital to accountability processes.

2. It is not only a very Christ-like and redemptive thing to be slow to judge others and to be quick to forgive them, but it is actually the most equitable and wise way to lead or manage people. After all, if science proves "their" memories are "gist-based" and therefore inherently unreliable to some degree, it also proves the same thing about my own recollections. Of course, the older I get, the more I am already becoming aware of that! :)

Brian Williams' 'misremembering' is more complicated than you think

People of the Presence IV, Mark Brand, Antioch Church, February 8, 2014

2015-02-08T17:14:00.001-06:00

I am so very, very thankful for the special move of God's Spirit in our service at Antioch Church this morning! As my father used to say, "We were under the spout where the glory comes out!"

Following a spontaneous time of prayer for people to be filled with the Holy Spirit, I shared some thoughts from my ongoing series on the manifest presence of God entitled, "People of the Presence," dealing with how as we walk in God’s manifest presence, He provides everything we need as He leads us into the fulfillment of His purposes for our lives.

To view the sermon only, click on the window above. If you would like to view the entire service, including our worship and prayer times, click here instead.

People of the Presence - Part 1, Pastor Mark Brand, Antioch Church, January 18, 2015

2015-01-18T17:39:00.002-06:00

God is doing a deep work in our hearts at Antioch Church. I started a new series today dealing with the manifest presence of God entitled, "People of the Presence." (Exodus 33:1-17 & Ephesians 2:19-22). To view only the message, click on the video above. To view the entire service, including worship, click on the following link instead: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/57719820.

Some Thoughts on Fasting...

2015-01-03T20:42:00.003-06:00

Dear Antioch Church Family,

As we walk together through these 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, here are three very important things to keep in mind,

Fasting is made for mankind, not mankind for fasting. Jesus declared this to be true about the Sabbath in Mark 2:27[i] and it is also true about fasting. In other words, fasting is something God created for our sake, not His sake. It is a way for us to draw closer to Him and to express our need of Him; our hunger for an encounter with Him; or our repentance before Him. Fasting is meant to help us, not hurt us; bless us, not burden us; for under the New Covenant fasting is an expression of grace, not something required by Law. What this means on practical level is that God understands our circumstances and our limitations, such as physical disabilities like diabetes, that may limit our ability to go without food. He is also well-aware of the responsibilities we carry in our daily lives that require a certain measure of physical strength. I have discovered in my own life, for instance, that when I set myself to fast and seek God I must take into account the needs of my family and my responsibilities to our church. If I fast to such a degree and in such a way that I do not have the strength to serve them, then I am approaching fasting mistakenly, perhaps more as a matter of what the Apostle Paul labeled "rules of self-imposed worship” that are devoid of spiritual worth instead of as an expression of genuine spirituality.[ii] When we make a sincere, heart-felt effort to fast in whatever way God leads us to, He receives it as an “offering” and as an act of worship unto Him that brings Him pleasure and moves His heart on our behalf.[iii] While fasting is not a “hunger strike” that has the power to force God to do something He does not want to do, as we fast we turn the ears of our heart away from the voice of our flesh and we more clearly hear the voice of His Spirit. As a result, through fasting we come into a greater revelation of both God’s purposes and His promises. This enables us pray with greater faith and effectiveness.

Comparing your fast with someone else’s fast is not wise. In this and many other areas of life, we should apply the biblical principles set forth in 2 Corinthians 10:12 and Philippians 2:12-13.[iv] What gives your fast meaning is not how it compares to that of others. The fact that it is the sincere expression of your own personal desire to draw closer to God through humility, repentance, and prayer makes it powerful. If you have not received specific guidance from the Lord to fast in a particular way, then don't try to take your cues from what others are doing. Instead, think about what would be most meaningful to you, then do that as unto the Lord, with all your heart.

As you fast, take specific steps to reach out to God in a fresh way. The single most important thing about fasting does not primarily have to do with food, although that is the most common and biblical way to fast. Fasting from food benefits our physical health, but what gives even that kind of fasting its greatest value is not that our bodies have temporarily gone without nourishment. The personal discipline we gain over our own flesh usually spills over into other areas of our lives, but the greatest benefits of this and every other form of fasting are the spiritual blessings which come to us when we simultaneously set aside time to seek God’s face through prayer, worship, and the reading of His Word. One great way you can do this is to join together with your brothers and sisters in Christ at Antioch Church every Wednesday night from 6:00-7:30 for our Midweek Prayer Service. These meetings are always precious times in God’s presence, but as we come together while fasting and seek God’s face for a fresh outpouring of His Holy Spirit, we can expect Him to move in a special way. If you cannot be present physically, I encourage you to set aside as much of that time as you possibly can, wherever you are. Seek God with us, joining your heart with ours through the power of the Holy Spirit!

As you fast, I encourage you to wrap your heart and your mind around the very specific Scripture promise I felt God drop into my spirit for our congregation regarding these 21 Days,

James 4:8 (NIV) — 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.

If your schedule does not allow you to attend our Midweek Prayer Services, I encourage you to email us your prayer requests via: pray@teamantioch.com. Your church family wants to stand in faith with you for those needs you are carrying in your heart. We will believe with you for supernatural breakthrough!

Teresa and I love you very, very much and we thank God for the privilege of serving you. As we all seek Him together, the very, very best is yet to come for every one of us and for Antioch Church!

Pastor Mark

[i] Mark 2:23–28 (NIV) — 23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” 25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” 27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

[ii] Colossians 2:16–23 (NIV) — 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. 20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

[iii] Isaiah 58:3–9 (NIV) — 3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. 4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? 6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. 9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I…

[iv] 2 Corinthians 10:12 (NIV) — 12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.

Philippians 2:12–13 (NIV) — 12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

I need your help...

2014-12-12T12:38:00.001-06:00

UPDATE: We met our goal...!

Friday, December 12, 2014

Dear Antioch Church Family,

Greetings to you in the name of Jesus our Lord, the Babe of Bethlehem and the Savior of the world! I trust your heart and home are filled with His presence as we prepare to celebrate His birth.

I am so thankful for what God is doing at Antioch Church...! Our November attendance was up 40% compared with what it was before we moved into our new building. Even more importantly, our facility is slowly becoming known as a house of prayer for all people, the way Jesus desires as recorded in Mark 11:17. An increasing number of people are asking us to intercede for them during our Midweek Prayer Service and we are experiencing a precious sense of God’s presence as we call out to Him.

During the month of December, I want to ask you to give the most generous offering to our General Fund over and above your normal tithe that you possibly can. Because work is being done on the roof and brick parapet of our building, construction equipment and raw materials are occupying a number of parking places that normally bring us revenue that supplements our Tithes and Offerings. This drop in income is taking place at the very same time that we have some unusual end-of-year expenses. They include the annual license fees we must pay to the City of Dallas for our frontage on the West End DART rail station platform and for the “porch” area immediately outside our front doors.

Here is the “bottom-line”: We need an extra $15,000 for our General Fund between now and the end of the year in order to be able to meet all of our obligations. When you receive this letter, would you please pause a moment and pray, asking God what He would have you to do to help meet this need?

If every one of us will incorporate a special gift to the work of the Lord at Antioch Church into our Christmas budget, perhaps even making it the most generous of any we give during this holiday season, we will be honoring God by our act of faith and gratitude in the true spirit of Christmas as we celebrate His great gift to us in His Son Jesus Christ. Each of us is in a different place financially, so I am not asking for equal gifts, but for equal sacrifice. Together, we can meet this need and start the year strong. As always, your contributions to Antioch Church are fully tax-deductible according to IRS regulations, including gifts of stock or other properties or assets. For your convenience, you can give online via the following link: give.teamantioch.com.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read this letter and prayerfully reflect over what I have written and for doing whatever God puts in your heart! Our church family is the most generous of any church I have ever known – a true “Antioch” kind of congregation (Acts 11:27-30) – and I am so happy to be a part of it.

In closing, I want to encourage you to think about the promises contained in one of my favorite passages in Scripture regarding the supernatural reality of God’s kingdom economy:

2 Corinthians 9:6–12 (NLT) — 6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others…11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous…

Teresa and I love you and thank God for the privilege of serving you and of raising our children among you! May your heart and home be filled with the true spirit of Christmas!

Pastor Mark