No one is exempt from sin and making mistakes. It is the reality of life that we sometimes stray from God's path for us and seek strength from the darkness within us. However, we can redeem ourselves every day and in every way; by loving God and sharing His Word, God calls us to become truth-tellers and ambassadors of His Love[1] for us.

No matter who you are or what you've done, even if you think you are the most terrible person on Earth — God will love you still, and you have a place.

Joining us in this episode of Revelations Podcast is Mark Halla, founding member of The Outpost. Tune in as he shares his raw and moving story of redemption from his sins that we can only receive through God's eternal love for us.

If you want to know how to receive Christ Jesus without reservations and become a messenger of His Word, this episode is for you!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode:

1. Discover how the Enemy uses us for evil and how to open your hearts to Jesus through Mark's inspiring story,
2. Find out how the Lord’s forgiveness is absolute and freely given,
3. Learn how to arm yourself against the strong man in our lives and seek strength from Jesus,

Resources

• More from the Revelations Podcast: Website | Instagram | Apple Podcast
• Prayer That's Caught and Taught: Mentoring the Next Generation by Carol Madison: Amazon l Barnes & Noble
• Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging by Brennan Manning: Amazon l Barnes & Noble
• Connect with Mark: Facebook
• The Outpost: Website
• The Branch Church: Website
• Bible Verses:
• Matthew 12:28-30
• Ephesians 2:1-6
• Ephesians 6: 10-19
• Jeremiah 29:13

Episode Highlights[01:51] Mark’s Family and Faith

• Mark grew up in a family business of landscaping. He started the Mustard Seed Landscaping and Garden Center and merged it with the family business.
• Some would say Mark is retired, but he sees it as an opportunity to serve God and His Kingdom for His praise instead of his own.

[06:25] How Mark Grew Up

Mark: “I feel like God has transformed me to think much less about myself [and] much more about Him. And, I'm like going to be a fool for Christ. And so people sometimes say, 'Why you seem like, you're so open and willing to share really deep things,' And it's like yeah, we should all be, right? We are all an open book: the story's that He's written, and it's for His Glory, not ours. So my story of shame and guilt is His story of love, mercy, and grace."

• Mark’s childhood was not a peaceful one.
• Mark’s parents had frustrations in their marriage due to his father’s work and lack of time to be with their family.
• To cope, his mother turned to alcohol which created more tension in their marriage and the family. They eventually divorced, and Mark moved to South Minneapolis with his mother.
• His father would take him and his siblings to church every Sunday, which became their foundation of faith.

[10:26] Believing in Satan and the Lies

• When he was six, Mark pushed a friend, Donald, into the creek. He immediately tried to look for him, but when it got dark, he went home frightened of what he had done.
• The police came to investigate, and when they asked Mark what happened, he lied to protect himself. He felt immense shame and guilt for what he had done. 

Mark: “It was like, Satan, I fell for all his lies. And I was like, immediately imprisoned for what felt like the rest of my life,”

• This traumatic event haunted Mark for the rest of his childhood. He was branded a murderer by his peers and family.
• He felt power and strength from Satan; he let out his frustration and anger toward God by beating other kids up. 

[17:43] Power of Satan

• Mark called out to Satan and asked for his strength during a fight with a schoolmate.
• Even though the other child was bigger and stronger, Mark felt like a demon had possessed him and gave him the strength to fight back even when the fight should have ended.
• Keeping people afraid is one way of controlling them.

[20:06] Knowing the Enemy

• Our battle is not with flesh and blood but with spirituality and demons that push us away from God.
• We minimize Satan, but his strength and demons are real.
• Satan has a standing order to snatch people away from God's Light and Kingdom.

[22:05] Coming Back to God

• When he was 12, Mark had an encounter with God. He was going to kill himself in the falls but stopped when he encountered God.
• He was swearing at Him and pouring out evil when a kind and gentle Voice told him not to jump. He has plans for Mark's life to turn him into His messenger.
• Even if you are the most terrible living person, God has plans for you.
• God’s love covers all.
• Mark and his siblings moved out to be with their father. Mark immediately got into fights on the first day of high school, but God found ways to keep turning things around for him. 

[30:02] Response to God’s Encounter

• God kept working in the background even when Mark put his encounter with him on the shelf.
• Mark read the Bible from front to back and acknowledged that there was a God and Satan. He knew he didn't want to walk beside Satan anymore.

[31:56] God’s Mercy 

• Mark went to college to study business administration but quickly realized he wasn't college material. He went back home to work in the family business.
• He quit the family business to date a landscape architect from work and knew from the first date that he would marry her.
• Even when you don't know or understand God fully, His Voice speaks to your soul.
• Growing up, when he was disruptive in their household, his mother would tell him that she loved him. Mark now recognizes his mother's words as God speaking to Him.
• God calls us towards repentance and redemption.

[37:33] Mark’s Marriage and His Path Towards God

• His marriage to his bride has helped him groom himself to His likeness. 
• The first years of their marriage were good, and they had everything they could want. When his son, Logan, was born, Mark realized how a father loves.
• When Logan was three and about to go to kindergarten, Mark became depressed and suicidal because Mark thought his son would die for he did in kindergarten. His behavior influenced their marriage negatively.
• They decided to go back to the church for Logan. Mark found their first bible study session uncomfortable. However, they were determined to go at least three times. By the third time, God has captured their hearts. 

[44:47] Promise Keepers and Receiving God

• In 1996, Mark attended a Promise Keepers event with his neighbor and his family. Because of the bad seats and worse sound system, Mark wanted to go home.
• During the speaker's talk about what Christ did on the cross, Mark heard everything clearly and felt God's Voice speaking directly to him.

Mark: “And I was like, I recognize this Voice. And He says to me, ‘Mark, I forgave you years and years ago, isn’t it time you forgive yourself?’”

• There isn’t a sin God couldn’t and isn’t willing to forgive. 
• You can find freedom from sin and its bondage only by allowing yourself to live your life for God.

[49:41] God’s Forgiveness

• If you ask God for forgiveness, He will forgive you.
• The sin inside of us will continue to dig deeper and deeper, burying us in a pit of shame and guilt. We need to receive God first and repent to start the path towards our salvation.
• We need people in our lives to speak the truth to us and love us because we will make mistakes and sin. But we have a better chance of choosing God if we know we are unconditionally loved by Him and the people around us.
• True transformation starts when you open your heart to the Lord.

[52:11] Life in God’s Grace

• God is faithful amidst all the times Mark has sinned and the troubles his marriage has gone through.
• God answers our prayers in ways we don’t usually expect.
• When Mark prayed to fall in love with God again, a tragic event rocked Mark's world. It became the path for him to lean more to God and to realize that God actively answers his prayers.
• God redeems and restores.

[54:42] Changes in Mark’s Life

• When Mark fell in love with Jesus, his way of life changed profoundly.
• He was company president when he told his father that they needed to make drastic changes in how they ran their business. Mark found that the closer he was to God, the further he became from his father.
• He left their business to start a new one focusing on helping others and not themselves. He took a leap of faith while driving to see if the land was available for sale.
• During the tour with the landowners, Mark recognized the land from a dream he had in which God spoke to him. He eventually purchased the land for their new company: the Outpost Center, and the Branch Church.
• It is such a privilege and pleasure to work with God. We may not know where we are going, but through faith in Him, we will always be on the right path.

[1:01:53] Talking to Donald’s Parents

• Mark initially had trouble contacting Donald's family, but through ads, he found the correct number.
• He talked to Donald’s sister on the phone and told her that he killed Donald and that he was sorry and had found his way to the Lord.
• Donald's mother chose not to talk to him, but he heard her in the background that she forgives him.
• We all have a "strong man" like Satan or demons binding us in our lives.
• We need to receive the power of the Holy Spirit and allow Jesus in our hearts before we can receive His strength and believe Him over the lies.

Reagan: "So we do have the power in Jesus Christ to bind the strong man in us at any time. Even if, as believers, we let those lies in or anything like that. But first, we need to receive Him to have the power of that Spirit,"

[1:05:22] God’s Work in Mark’s Life 

• His Word is active and alive, and Mark falls in love with It more and more.
• There is a stronger man: Jesus. We need to cling to His armor and appropriate His strength.

[1:06:18] The Armor of God

• The Belt of Truth; We need to accept the truth that we are saved by God’s Grace alone, through faith in Christ, and for the power and glory of God.
• The Breastplate of Righteousness; With one sacrifice, we are made perfect forever. 
• The Gospel of Peace; God has made peace with us, and we have to be the truth to other people and show them the path of repentance
• The Shield of Faith; We arm ourselves against Satan through our faith.
• Listen to the episode for the last two pieces of the Armor of God!

[1:12:47] How Young People Can Pray

• As a parent, we should first be in love with Jesus before we can impart His values and lessons to our children.
• Having a quiet time and devoting yourself to God can help set an example for children.
• Walk with the Lord and talk about His Word.

About Mark

Mark Halla is a founding member of The Outpost, a non-denominational Christian Ministry whose mission is to be a place where people are fed and taught to become Jesus' disciples. He is also a former steward of the Mustard Seed Garden Center. He has been married to his wife, Kay, for 36 years and has two children, Logan and Erin.

 

To reach out to Mark, you can send a message through his Facebook profile.

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kw: love

meta: No matter who you are or what you've done, even if you're the most terrible person on Earth — God will love you still, and you have a place.