There are times in life when the Spirit of the Lord changes plans, ideas and destinations so that someone can get to know God. That is the story of Kenneth Copeland Ministries Partners Mark and Jessica Mashburn.
Their journey in life was like everyone else’s: working together, making ends meet, experiencing memorable times with family and learning what it means to be content.
Only, they weren’t. And they didn’t realize how much they were missing from their journey until God redirected them through a trade show, a word from God, and a stranger offering a book. That set them on a new course, changing their lives forever.
Mark was invited to a business function. You know the ones: thousands of people, cold chicken dinners, networking with people you may never meet again, and hoping for that one golden opportunity. It’s the reason you pack your bags and go to a different city in hopes of something extraordinary happening.
On the stage were families they had never known, living a life they had never experienced. Mark and Jessica wanted that life, and they were there to learn how to achieve it. Thousands of people were seeking a better future. Then, on the last day of a weekend—a Sunday—that extraordinary future began.
“The Realest Gospel I’ve Ever Heard”
Those are Mark’s words. While sitting in a packed auditorium, the message from the stage went from business and marketing to the gospel and living by faith. When Mark wasn’t looking, the Spirit of the Lord moved everything around, and he was faced with an opportunity to question his life and get to know God.
“We were a mess,” Mark recalls, about the moment the speaker discussed knowing God and living for Jesus. “They gave us a time to surrender to Christ, and at that moment, Jesus showed me His face.”
Through the tears, someone in the crowd handed Mark a book by Gloria Copeland, To Know Him. “It was like she was inviting us into a conversation at the table to have a cup of coffee [with Jesus].”
That was a real moment with a real Savior. He read the entire book, learning about being filled with the Holy Spirit, which they then experienced for themselves!
KCM Partnership Connected Them to a Real God
At the meeting, Mark met KCM Partners Larry and Pam Winters. The Winters poured knowledge, love and free materials into Mark and Jessica’s lives, enabling them to learn how to grow in God and live in genuine faith, according to His Word.
“When we had that experience, we were excited about that transformation in Christ,” said Jessica. “But when [Mark] began reading the books, opening the Bible, and wanting to devour all that God had for him…his heart started to change, and he began to cast a vision for our family.”
Faith without works is dead, the Bible shares. And it was when Jessica saw the works that aligned with Mark’s new faith that she realized this gospel wasn’t just “painting a pretty picture.” She knew they were experiencing a true transformation. This new journey was one they needed to take together.
“Watching people and hearing words is what we knew with the Church. We knew about Jesus, but we never knew Him,” Mark recalled. “It’s so fitting that the first book about Jesus I ever got was To Know Him, because that’s all I ever want.”
At the very heart of Kenneth Copeland Ministries is the goal of bringing people to a deeper understanding of God, from milk to meat, and from religion to reality. The Mashburns experienced that; and in response, they are now KCM Partners, so they can help others learn to know God as well.
To learn more about becoming a KCM Partner and participate in bringing the good news to the world, go to kcm.org/partner
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