Does the Holy Spirit convict Christians of Sin?
Yes, regularly. And to answer "Does God see our sin?" Yes, for the purposes of sanctification, not for the purpose of judgement.
Dialogue about my book
Hi Bob Thank you for taking the time to comment on my book. I think you have some great questions so please put them in the comment box so we can get some more thoughts on these points.
What do I tell my friend who is angry at the church?
Mark Cowper-Smith The answer depends on what they are angry about. For many years I was very angry with the church I grew up in. My anger was such that it was keeping me from God. I actually hated Christians. My issue was hypocrisy. My mistake was confusing God with His people. People [...]
Why I wrote the book.
Mark Cowper-Smith I grew up under religion. It almost ended any chance of finding God. Religion is a treadmill of performance with ever increasing speed and inclination. My journey toward God was one of stepping off of the treadmill – no easy task. When I finally discovered that God wanted a relationship with [...]
It’s Official – book to be released on my wife’s birthday
It's official. The book is being printed and will be released on Shell's birthday October 4th. What if your faith was never meant to be a religion? Could religion be standing in the way of your relationship with God? Does your faith seem like more work than joy? What if holiness isn’t as hard as [...]
Hear what people are saying who have previewed my new book.
Mark Cowper-Smith The pre-release reviews I have received are far more positive than anything I expected or hoped for. Isn't God good? The review I value most is one in which the writer [who is also a writer] said she felt the presence of God as she read the book. What more [...]
How come I don’t hear His voice as clearly as I used to?
Mark Cowper-Smith There are a few reasons for the condition of not hearing God's voice like you used to. The first is very easy to fix. It may be that you have stopped listening in order to obey. Many of us, at times, only listen to hear what we want Him to say. [...]
What do you make of 1 Corinthians 5:11?
Mark Cowper-Smith 1 Corinthians 5:11 But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. Don't even eat with such a person. (see full chapter [...]
Is God always pleased with me?
Only when you are asleep. God always loves us but like any good Father, His love must sometimes be expressed as disapproval. We must always distinguish between acceptance and approval. We always have His acceptance but we do not always have His approval. His disapproval promotes our growth in holiness as does His approval.
What is the gospel?
The Gospel is the good news that you do not have to be you, as you are right now, for ever. It is really good news because, any one who has lived more than 20 years knows that they are incapable of making the changes, at the depth of their personality, that are necessary for [...]
What do you mean by a transformed life?
I like cars. I love those TV shows that show some beat up, rusty wreck being rescued from a junk yard. The show takes the viewer through the process of restoration. We see the rust being cut out, the whole car being sand blasted to remove corrosion, and bent parts being straightened, etc. The goal [...]
If repentance is so good, why did it get such a bad rap?
Repentance is spiritual breathing. We "breath" out what is an attempt by the enemy of our soul to sow shame into our lives and we breath in the affect of Jesus work on the cross [forgiveness, love and acceptance]. Shame is one of the main reasons why repentance has a bad reputation. Legalistic Christianity [which [...]
“We have nothing to fear but pride itself”
I just got this email and it provoked some thoughts about pride. They wrote: Mark, Your messages have been amazing! It was so quiet on Sunday as you were speaking, so I know the words you were speaking were going straight to people's hearts, including mine. Your description of the sins we commit just being [...]
Even though we are called to rest we are also called to strive? What are your thoughts?
It depends on how you define striving. Much of what we do "for" God is not what He has asked us to do. When we undertake work which He has not asked us to do, we end up working in our own power and fulfilling human potential rather than accomplishing His work which reveals His [...]
What is listening prayer?
Listening prayer is listening with the intent of hearing God's message to us, for whatever He wants to say. It is not about getting our prayers answered. It is not about our needs or desires. It is focused on intimacy with God who is our loving Father. It does not seek information, wisdom or answers. [...]
Dreams do come true
Playing with the Jerry Hotrod DeMink Band at the House of Blues. Jerry, thanks for the memories.... Mark Photo courtesy of Kyle Otto.
How do I respond to those who object to modern day prophecy?
Mark Cowper-Smith I was asked this question recently: Mark, I was reading John 6:28-29 & wanted to get your opinion. The people wanted to perform miracles, but Jesus said that God only wanted them to believe. If someone rebuts modern-day prophesy w/this scripture, what should I say? I responded as follows: The context [...]
How often do people in the church view a failure to get well as the fault of the sick person?
This is a serious problem and one that Shell and I have coped with personally during her 17 year illness. The "faith" community has taken the role of faith in healing prayer and exaggerated its importance to the point where it is treated as a magic formula. Just generate enough faith and God HAS TO heal [...]
What about Gossip?
In response to questions about gossip: Gossip is any statement however made that would tend to depreciate the reputation of the person being the subject of the statement. The fact that the statement is true is not a defense to gossip. The fact that the statement is made with a request for prayer for the [...]
Is my desire to see the power of God selfish?
There is a tenet of Ignatian spirituality*[see note below] that when our hearts are generally inclined towards God [that we are generally consecrated to Him] the desires of our hearts are placed there by Him. If you have prayed a genuine prayer of consecration and your desire is to worship God, then you can trust that [...]