The Making of a Preacher's Family - Prep

How Can This Family Win?

This family has had as many twists and turns as a hurricane with shifting regions of High and Low pressure.

Zenith started out good but became a flaming liberal and an atheist in her early twenties, marrying the eldest daughter of Diotrephes Broadway at age 21. For the next ten years, she didn't even speak to her father, regardless of multiple letters, email, texts, and phone calls. Matthew's heart was heavily wounded. His greatest devastation was the fact, that in spite of the fact, that he deeply loves both of his daughters, he was rejected by one of them. Bottom Line: Matt would have died for Pansy, even though she rejected every belief he still holds deep in his heart.

Aurora played hooky from school at least a dozen times every year from Pre-K into her tenth-grade year. Any way she could devise to get the boys in trouble with girls in her classes or to get students in trouble with the teacher, she did. Aurora cared about no one, but herself. She cared not a whit for education, for truth, for honor, for God, for family, nor for anything else, that actually mattered in the world God had created for His Own Honor and Glory. Aurora was basically a "bad kid" or a "bad seed," until the Lord Jesus "knocked her off her high horse" (like He did with the Pharisee, Saul, who became the Apostle Paul.) Jesus of Nazareth orchestrated events, that saw Aurora fall off a cliff to the distance of 70 feet down. She survived, but a large pointed rock ravaged the muscles of her low-back, near her pelvis, and narrowly missing her spine. She had a visitation from Jesus Himself, during her weeks in the hospital. Pointedly her asked her as He had asked Saul millenia before, "Aren't you tired of running into all of the obstacles I have placed in your path? Are you ready to serve me? Or do I have to you than just give you the limp of the patriarch, Jacob?" The Lord had made His case, and Aurora served Him faithfully, until the day she died, walking to her last day with Jacob's Limp.

Matthew lumbered through his final years with a heavy heart at the loss of his dearest love on the day she turned 70, and at the loss of his dear daughter, Zenith, who repudiated everything he stood for. However, much was still accomplished, during those waning years of Preacher Marks' life on ZoNed4 with the daily, constant aid of his dear daughter, Aurora.

(From the ages of 15-20 Zenith and Aurora served in the ministry of Matthew Marks as young ladies, who were sold-out to Jesus Christ, loving and honoring their father in every aspect of life. Artista had a thriving art business in town, called Joyfully Dreaded Art. Life was GOOD for the Marks family, until it wasn't.)

As we shall see in the showing and the telling of the life of Matthew Paul Marks, the Lord uses myriad ways to tenderize His chosen vessels, His faithful servants, into the tools He can use in the creation of His Story (aka HIStory) on Earth and now on ZoNed4. Frail bodies do not defeat the purposes of the Lord. "7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
(II Corinthians 12:7-9, KJV)

At the very end of his days when he realized, that time was short for Him, Matt realized it was time to preach one last sermon before the Lord took him Home to Heaven. Matt had been pleading for Zenith every day since he realized there was a reason to plead for her. She seemed like a lost cause, and he entrusted Zenith into the Hands of the Lord. "I've got one more sermon. There are still so many souls to be saved, including my own daughter. Dear Pansy, may the Lord still reach you, bringing you Home to be with me when your days on ZoNed4 are finished.". With this breath prayer, He walked up behind the pulpit, not knowing if he would ever walk down, again.

I don't see Aurora, he thought. This is uncharacteristically late for her, but maybe there has been an urgent need, that required her ministry, and has caused her to be late. Lord, please help Aurora wherever she is, and bring her to the church to be with me, if that is Your Will. In Jesus's Name, Amen.

There was a need. Zenith had called Aurora earlier that very afternoon. Her plane arrived at 5:00 PM, and there was not time enough to get to the church before the service started, but Aurora was determined to restore her family if it was the last thing she could do for her father before he died. Zenith had a visitation for the Lord Jesus, too. Zenith's heart had been changed. The sisters were twins, again, and "the circle would be unbroken."