A blog written by Mark Bevan, Founder of First Light Ministries
Introduction:
Hello, My name is Mark Bevan and this is my personal ministry blog. I’ve included much about my personal testimony and who I am in other writings here on the site, so I’m going to get right down to business. I’m not really a fan of titles, and I like simple, so you can call me Mark, brother, or even Farmer Mark as many people know me.
Times and Seasons
Since the day I gave my life to Jesus in November 2008, The Lord has been speaking to me of the days to come. Both warnings and encouragement. Preparations for a season of great difficulty… Tribulation. For many years, I have struggled in how to understand and fulfill the calling which God has bestowed upon me. In my own strength, I have failed time and again. But this is not about me and never was.
It is all about what God is doing in these days. His mercy and grace, to bring as many souls into His kingdom as possible. Preparing the harvest, before that final day, the great and terrible day of The Lord.
As it is written, so shall it be. Make no mistake, it is coming quickly. We all, believer and unbelievers, have a choice to make. To run in fear and denial, or to turn to faith and truth. For me, having tasted of the heavenly gift which the apostle Paul speaks of, there is no turning back. I have tasted of the goodness of the Lord and of those things which His Kingdom offers, and there is nothing in this world which compares.
I have come to realize that the greatest witness we have as believers is our Faith in God. Others see it and are amazed. It is the Word of God in action, when we as believers exercise faith in that which can not be seen. All the words that I could speak in a lifetime; the testimonies I could give of what God has done, will never speak louder than my Faith in action. That is because true faith, rooted and grounded in the God, who is both Light and Love, can not be hidden nor disputed. It shines like a beacon, a lighthouse, set high upon a hill. Pointing the way to safety for weary travelers.
It is written that: “it is impossible to please God without faith”, and also that “whatever is not of faith is sin.” I am about to step out into the greatest adventure of my lifetime, and I am hoping you will join me. It is a journey of great faith, not just of faith in God, but the faith of God. Together we will watch as God fulfills His plans in this season, not by the works of our hands but His, through our faith.
What follows is not just testimony of the many things God has revealed to me, but instead something very different. Something very much lacking in the body of Christ. It is a demonstration of Faith in action. Calling the things that be not as though they are! Acting on that which has been spoken.
Faith begins by hearing the word of God. Hearing the word of God comes through both a diligent study of scripture, and also the very act of applying that scripture, by listening and obeying not only the written word, but the spoken word heard in the depths of the soul as the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts.
You and I may disagree on theology, but that should not be a stumbling block in building the body of Christ. For I desire to know nothing in you but Christ and Him crucified. It is my hope to establish you in faith, not by my crafty words of theology, but through a demonstration of my faith in God. That demonstration will be through prayer, declaration and action, as I walk out the path which The Lord places before me. If you will come with me on this journey, you will see firsthand, the power of God through my (and our, if you choose) faith. You will see answered prayers first hand, and your faith in God will increase exponentially. How do I know this for sure? Because that is how The Lord taught me, by walking out my faith in Him! I know that he will continue to teach Me, and you, because He desires faith to grow in you, like a strong tree planted by still waters.
Walking out that faith requires great courage and strength. It also requires rest. Learning to rest in God, trusting in His promises, is perhaps the most needed thing in this season.
So come with me, on the journey and adventure of a lifetime! Let us pray and see what God will do!
An Epic Adventure in Faith!
No place in all of scripture, does God say that great faith comes easy. Our faith walk as Christians is always one of learning, practicing and testing. We hear what our Father speaks to us, but then have the responsibility of obeying that call. I believe Colton Dixon captures this struggle very well in the words of his song “Build a Boat”. Believing God never seems easy at first, but as we learn to trust Him, our faith grows stronger, until even what seems impossible becomes a reality.
We’re Building a Boats
I’ve chosen to name this blog “Build a Boat” because it captures the scope of the challenge which the Lord has set before me. Like Noah, the Lord has given me a purpose which is so far beyond what I can imagine, that it seems in many ways like building an ark. In fact, that is probably the most accurate way to describe what God has asked me to do… Build Arks. Yeah, you read that right, arks (plural)… as if one wasn’t enough. But to be honest, my task is not the actual building, but to be the architect. To design vessels that can ride out the stormy seas.
Like Noah, the Lord has told me that there are storms on the horizon. Remember, at the time when God commanded Noah to build the ark, Noah had never even seen rain! Yet this time around, these storms are not coming as a literal flood, but as destruction, disasters, catastrophe, war, famine, plagues, violence and all the other horrors prophesied to come in the last days. Noah’s ark was a place of safety and refuge for all those who chose to get in the boat. It spared Noah’s family from certain death. God is doing something similar in our day to protect His family.. the body of Christ.
Another type of ark is needed for this season. A metaphorical ark, having the capability to shelter God’s people through the storms which are coming. Metaphorical in the sense that it may not look like a boat, but sharing some physical similarities nonetheless. This is where I come in. Allowing the Lord to use my faith to help bring about His plans, just as Noah did.
Storms on the Horizon
Today we face the darkest days ahead which the world will ever know. Sadly, despite the fact that much of what we have for prophecy has been written for thousands of years, the church in general is very out of touch with this reality. Just look at the headlines. You don’t need to be a Bible scholar to realize we are in for some very difficult days ahead. In fact, the majority of the un-churched millennial and younger generations believe we are closer to the apocalypse then most of the church. They are well informed and see the writing on the wall.
The churches answer to this is an escape… a rapture. Which if searched out, has no precedence and even contradicts Jesus’s own warnings of the last days. But a metaphorical ark, a shelter amidst the storms, not only agrees with God’s word, but has clear examples all through scripture. If you disagree, I challenge you to prove my theory wrong, by searching it out for yourself in the Word of God. That’s what I did, and here I am.
It is very important that every Christian gets onboard God’s ark in these days. In other words, figure out exactly what His plan is for you and get on board with it. Otherwise you may find yourself stuck on someone else’s boat or worse yet stranded with no hope.
Get ready to Set Sail
So where to begin… It has taken me 16 years of preparation on the back side of the desert to not only speak of these things, but demonstrate how God has answered and confirmed. I call it Faith In Action, and there is no better testimony of the power of God, then to see it operating through one of His children! So if you’re still with me, please read on. It is important that you see and understand what God has done in our life to get to this point, so I’ve put together a list of suggested reads. Please read them in order to get a proper perspective. They will help introduce you to who we are, where we have been, where we are now and where we are going. Perhaps you’ll decide to join us as we set sail for the promised land by faith!
Please bear in mind this website, as an outward expression of my life, is a work in progress. So please have patience with me as I write as the Lord leads.
Suggested Reading:
Awake Mount Zion, A call to the Remnant Bride of Christ – Book written by Mark Bevan copyright 2024
Where we’ve been…
- Our Story (Excerpted from our farm website).
- Who Am I… A Faithful Testimony.
- Modern Day Homesteaders, The rest of the story.
- Farm Life… Planting Trees of Righteousness
- Coming out of Babylon… (coming soon)
- Our Wilderness Adventures (coming soon)
- First Light… How it began
- Kingdom Culture 101
- Putting the pieces together.
- Wilderness Playschools
Where we are…
- Homestead, Farmstead, Community Stead
- Intentional Christian Communities – Arks of Refuge
- Saco River Farms – Built by Faith
- Faith in Action
- Goshen, A Wilderness Refuge (coming soon)
- Year of Flood, Year of Blessing, Year of Violence (coming soon)
- Whose Plan are You Following? (coming soon)
- The waters are rising. Get in your boat!
Where we are going…
- Building Sustainable Communities
- Following in Others Footsteps
- “The Assembly” Defining the Civil leadership of an Intentional Christian Community
- Pioneers – Start Afresh. Become a modern day pioneer (coming soon)
- Into the Wilderness… Again! (coming soon)
- Wilderness Refuge Goshen, Jamaica
- Cultural Learning Centers – Learn how to live in community as God intended. (coming soon)
Climb on Board the Boat
Like what you are reading? Want to take the next step? Please pray about how you can be a part of an Intention Christian Community. Perhaps God will lead you to climb aboard one of our boats, join another community or build your own. Either way, we’re here to help in any way we can. Below is a list articles describing different ways you can get involved.
- Homesteading Apprenticeship – Teaching basic to advanced homesteading skills
- Farmstead Internships – For those looking for a future on farm business/career
- Join or form a local/regional Assembly
- Building “The Assembly”
- Awake Mt. Zion! Calling the first fruit David’s and Joseph’s.
- God’s Arks of Refuge Need a Crew – Put your experience and skills to work – Join our teams.
- Invest in an Intentional Christian Community – Arecommunities.com – Sustainable Land & Community Development
- Adventurous Homesteaders Wanted – Join our team and help us build Intentional Christian Communities – IMMEDIATE OPENINGS in Maine are available. Put your skills and faith to the test!
Build a Boat Blog
Scroll down or look in the sidebar to see other links to our blog posts.