What the Corona is Going On?

March 7, 2020 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

Charlie 0320 105 There is so much going on in our world right now. I’ve thought about taking pain pills before sitting down and watching the evening news. There is so much devastation, sickness, hate, and crime. It’s no wonder people live in fear. People fear the most what they don’t know. Mainly, they don’t know what is going to happen in the future.

What’s going to happen to my 401? Funny in a way, most people in the world don’t even know what one is much less have one. They’re more concerned about catching the Coronavirus. If they don’t contract the virus will it affect their job? The world has for certain become a smaller planet. We are more connected to people in China, South Africa, India, and Europe than ever before.

Then there are problems here at home like politicians not getting along and acting like they are in kindergarten all over again. Wildfires out of control, severe storms that cause flooding, mudslides, and total devastation from wind damage.

You might be saying, “Thanks Captain Obvious! We know!”

What this world needs is climate change! You might be thinking, “We have that too!”

Just a thought: how do we know what the temperature was before the floods of Noah’s days? I’m saying, what if the earth’s temperature is just now getting back to what it was before all that water covered the earth? A lot of the water froze because the ground was covered. Anyway, back to our regular scheduled program already in progress.

The kind of climate change I am writing about is in our in countries, our states or provinces, in our cities, on our street, in our home, in us. You see, a lot of people want things to change. The very people who live in fear, but they either don’t know how, or what to do.

Believing in God is not just a cliché,

but the start of laying a solid foundation upon which to build your life. Accepting Jesus, as God’s son, and asking for the forgiveness of all your wrong doing gets you access to all that God offers his children. Protection, guidance, direction as well as a host of other things, the walls, we need as mankind. Then asking for the Holy Spirit to dwell within us is the roof. Our structure is complete. The Holy Spirit not only brings peace, but power to stand firm anytime, and power to do things for God.

Real life, built and lived out on Godly principles, changes everything. For one, there is perfect peace in God, and perfect peace cast out fear. it changes not just us, but our street, our cities, our states, our countries, our world. Things in our world aren’t going to change for the positive until we, those who know God and act like it, do. Then, as God, through his Holy Spirit leads us, we can change the climate of our world. I’m in! Are you?

Prison Didn’t Change Him

March 4, 2020February 25, 2020 / Mark Brady / 6 Comments

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA I was saddened the other night, as I watched a news report, of a man whose prison sentence had been commuted. Not so much because he was out early, but when he spoke to the reporters it seemed as if he had not changed at all. He still came across arrogant, and defiant, as if he did nothing wrong. He felt he was unjustly charged, but was found guilty and put behind bars. Prison didn’t change him.

From the Bible, when Joseph the Dreamer, came out of prison he was a changed man. I believe a wiser version of himself, but one who, though had been humbled, still believed the dream God had given him many years earlier. Prison changed him.

When the Apostle Paul was in prison, in Acts chapter 16, he didn’t let prison change him either. At the midnight hour, he and Silas began singing, yes worshipping while their beaten bodies hung on a cold, damp dungeon wall, when so many others would have complained. “God, look at what I got for obeying you. Do you see the pain I am in?” Dan Betzer tells this story better than anyone I have ever heard. Dan believes when the voices of those two men rose to heaven and God heard their praises He turned to his Son, and said, “What this song needs is a lot of percussion.”

It was then, in their darkest hour, an earthquake took place, and the men found themselves freed from the chains that held them tight, and the door to their cell flung open. The guard knew if the prisoners escaped it would mean the end to his life, so he drew his own sword to take it, but Paul stopped him, by saying, “We are all still here.” The guard was so moved he invited Paul and Silas to his house for dinner where his whole family accepted Jesus. Paul was not changed by prison, but Paul changed prison!

What prison are you in at the current time? Is there something holding you back? A person or situation that is keeping you from being the person God sees you being? You don’t have to let your circumstances change you, but with God’s power, you can change your circumstances. You can be freed from your situation. Your sentence can be commuted. Ask God for what you need to move out of prison, and to move on with your life, your dream. He loves you, sees you, and cares for you so much. Live life free.

If I Fail

February 29, 2020 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

Charlie 022920 “If it’s too good to be true, it usually is.” Something a few people forget before they get taken financially. In other words, there aren’t many good deals or 100% guarantees in life. So when I saw the picture with this blog post, which is a sticker that was on the side of a product, I laughed.

As I was laughing, my thoughts turned to God. What if God came with this sticker?

I heard a testimony tonight where a prophet shared God’s love with a dictator. The prophet told the dictator the code name of a top secret mission, and he also told him something that happened on his daughter’s birthday the dictator felt very bad about. The dictator replied, “Those things are guarded secrets. How did you know?” The prophet said, “God told me.” The dictator was so moved he accepted God and tried to give the prophet a bag of money. The prophet laughed, but said, “The only cost to God’s love was paid for by his Son, Jesus when he died on a cross for our sins.”

So if there is no cost to accepting God then there would be no money back if you one was not satisfied. Could that be why some don’t accept him, his love, his Son? They want a written guarantee before they believe? If they read the Bible they will get their written guarantee.

God will never fail. 1 Corinthians 13:8 tells us that love never fails, and 1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. If one gets to know God, his true nature, they would walk with him 100% satisfied.

If God…

February 26, 2020 / Mark Brady / 9 Comments

If God healed me of one of my issues, there would be no reason to go to the doctor who is treating me for that issue. The truth is though that doctor is searching for God. Over the last two years I have developed a safe and trusted relationship with him as I listen to his thoughts, and opinions and he listens to mine. If God healed me, who would be there to share the gospel with him? Sure, God could send a new patient, but building that relationship takes time. Also, would the next patient be open to share God?

If God provided all the money I would ever need, all at one time, would I continue to rely on him to meet my every need? There was one time I was asking God for money to pay off a credit card and a small loan. I sensed He asked me, “How much money do you need today?” I thought about it and said, “Well, actually all the monthly bills have been paid and there is food in the kitchen and gas in the car.” Then God said, “Then why are you asking me for money today? I will provide as you have need.”

How you respond, when you need God to move in your life, is a benchmark of your trust in him.

If God showed you your spouse before it was time what do you think would happen? I tend to think you would contact them and make a mess of things and not wind up together. Why? Because it wasn’t time.

If God told you about losing your job in advance, most would put matters in their own hands and go get a new job before it was time. That sounds like good planning, but it robs you of the opportunity to act on your faith. The Lord God almighty, might lead you to a better job making even more money than the job you found.

Yes, there are times when God acts on your behalf before you need it, or does tell you what is about to happen before it does, but most of the time He knows it is best to let these things happen to you and then see how you react to them.

Faith isn’t built in a time of need, but displayed.

God can do anything, at any time. Knowing that is why we need to trust him and his timing. God loves it when his child, who is walking through a very dark time in their life, reaches over and takes hold of his hand. There’s no reason to say, “If God…”, but there is every reason to say, “God, I need you.”

Got Healing?

February 22, 2020February 22, 2020 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

An unhealed person can find offense in pretty much anything someone does.

A healed person understands that the actions of others has absolutely nothing to do with them.

Each day, you get to decide which one you will be.

The Last One to Speak

February 19, 2020 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 021920 DAY 1 A man’s daughter was struck with a sudden severe illness that required her to be put on life support. The man captioned this event “The Psalms 23 Experience”. He felt his family, “walking through the valley of the shadow of death”, they feared no evil, because they knew God was with them. He believed this in spite of all the negative reports they received, at the hospital, on day one.

We judge most things by what we hear and see. We tend to believe these things because our flesh perceived them first, but what if there was climate change? What if we created an environment that showed God our faith? What would happen if we allowed our spirit to perceive God? If we began to hear what God said about the situation we were in?

If you’re going to pray for rain, bring an umbrella.

The man, whose daughter was sick, spoke of setting up an environment that gave God an opportunity to do some of his best work. They played Spirit Spa instrumental worship. They spoke of healing while in the hospital room, but they first “asked” God for what they wanted him to do.

Asking God, is huge!

I know, and agree, in the moment, we often believe what we hear and see. We too many times take the first words spoken in a situation as truth. The only truth. It’s okay to acknowledge truth, but appeal to the One who can make things more true. It was true the man’s daughter was sick, but what was more true was the fact, God, was going to heal her.

DAY 17 The man’s daughter returned home with a clean bill of health. God, had the final word. God, was the last one, to speak.

It Was Bigger Than Me!

February 15, 2020 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 021520 Big companies have a big pool of customers, and a bigger database of files. Welcome to the computer age where you can automate systems to handle this big work load. Sounds good, but what if one of the employees pushes the wrong button?

From my own experience I’ll tell you what happens. A mess! A big mess.

I discovered this today as I called a big company who sent me an email saying my bill was past due. “What?” “How can that be?” “I pay my bills!” According to the first person I spoke to I owed several hundred dollars. Not something you want to hear.

The first guy passed me off to another department and after being on hold for a while the second guy came back with an answer and a resolution. Evidence pointed to an employee, a year earlier, pushing a button that shouldn’t have ever been pushed. The company informed me I did not owe the money.

I asked the second guy, “How did you figure this all out?” He said, “When I first started looking at it, I realized this was bigger than me! I asked for help.”

His phrase got my attention, and I thought, some people, including me, don’t recognize quick enough how big a situation in our life is. Before you know it, things can get out of control and start causing a lot of pain. The point is this; we should take “everything” to God in prayer from the very first indication of life being out of order.

“Oh what needless pain we bare, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”

Ask for help from God at the beginning, you know, the first moment you sense something is wrong. You don’t always have to be the hero. It’s okay to say, “This is bigger than me.”

I’m Not a Gardener

February 12, 2020 / Mark Brady / 4 Comments

Charlie 021220 1 You might not be a gardener if you purchase annuals thinking it will save you money by not having to buy more flowers next year. Yes, that really happened. As I was planting them, my neighbor watched for a moment and then she said, “You don’t know what you’re doing!” “I know,” I replied, “but I’m having a great time!”

A few months ago I heard, “Every relationship has a gardener and a flower.” In some of my relationships I know I’m the gardener. Just like planting those flowers, I don’t always know what I am doing. I do know one thing though, flowers are fragile and when around them, one must be very careful. As the gardener, you should show love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The fruit of the Spirit of God. (Gal. 5:22-23)

The most common way to water a relationship is with words, but the ones chosen should be selected with wisdom. Do not speak to someone about issues in their life with a heart half listening. You like them, don’t you? Listen with intent. Pay attention. Be focused on them and please, I repeat, please do not look at your phone.

Realizing time is a valuable gift, giving it to someone can cost you so much. We, ourselves have so much to do and to get done. It seems as if there just isn’t enough time.

Don’t let them see the price tag attached to your time, and be extravagant!

Whenever I don’t know how to do something, or what to say to someone, I turn to God and ask him to give me words, or instructions. God loves us so much and is always available to talk to us. He gives you all the time you want, and he knows what to say.

God waters you enough to allow you to grow at the right speed.

He also knows how much to shine upon you. God, is a good, good gardener. Oh, and as for the price, his son, Jesus paid it for you.

Trust the master gardener to show you how to feed, and nourish someone else. I have come to recognize I enjoy gardening, in the spiritual sense. So I guess I would have to change the title now to, “I’m a Gardener”.

Don’t Sweat It

February 8, 2020February 13, 2020 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

Charlie 020820 I went shopping earlier in the week and one of the items on my list, I really needed, was deodorant. The store I buy it from, most often, was out of it, and that store was my last stop for the day. After I got home I had to start a new list with this item at the top.

Today, I had to go to CVS (inside a Target store) to pick up a medication. The young lady who works there is always lecturing me about not letting the $5 off coupons expire. She’s kind of fanatic about it, but I do see her point, it’s free money, and to be honest, the budget is tight these days and any savings helps.

So, before I left the store I thought about my next shopping list and the only thing I could remember, that was on it, was deodorant. I found my brand and noticed it was marked “Clearance”. I bought four of them. The normal price for four would have been $11.96, but since they were a clearance item and I had the $5.00 off coupon, I only paid $3.32.

When I save money like that, I always walk out smiling, because I feel as though I shopped like a woman. That’s meant as a compliment. Now I know, this may not seem like a big deal to you, but to me I was thanking God. I thanked him for the other store being out of it, and helping me not to complain about it, too much. I thanked him for helping our budget. This may be a little thing, but it shows the God of the universe cares about us, our lives, and even the little things. Either that, or he didn’t want me walking around stinking!

But seriously, think about it, if God cares about the little things in our lives, then how much more does he care about the big things in our lives that need his attention. There is a common phrase, “Don’t sweat the small things.”, but with God, we don’t have to sweat the big things either! Here is what his word promises us:

Matthew 6:31-34 (MSG) “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

Flight 449

February 5, 2020February 15, 2020 / Mark Brady / 5 Comments

Charlie 020520 (5) Every day, about 4:10 PM, I see a Southwest Airlines jet flying over my house, if I am outside at the time, and if the wind is blowing from the south. I did some research and found the plane starts in Dallas, TX. as flight #21, flies to Houston, TX. and changes its flight number to #449. It’s known as a “scheduled” flight.

Schedules are nice. You can count on them, but life doesn’t follow a schedule.

There can be things you are standing at the gate waiting to arrive and they don’t arrive. A contract, a bonus check, a meeting with someone you are hoping will lead to new ventures. Disappointment, discouragement, and disconnection can set in. “Now what?” you might be asking yourself, or “What am I going to do?”

Even when you are a believer in God, and you have heard all the sermons, and have seen all the Facebook post that tell you, “God’s got this”, or “All things work together for the good of those who love God”, in that moment, it doesn’t feel like it.

Faith in God is hard. We are such tangible creatures. We want to see, we want to hear, and we want to touch. Doing so seems so comforting. We even have phrases like, “I wouldn’t have believed it, if I hadn’t of seen it with my own eyes.” It is so easy for us to have doubt, about our lives, our choices, decisions and yes, even about God.

Why is doubt easier to have than faith?

What doubt really does is rob you! It steals from you joy. The real issue though, is It diminishes the size of the miracle when God works it all out in your life in a way that is best for you. Can’t you hear Thomas, the disciple, after reaching his hand inside the opening where the Roman soldier pierced Jesus on the cross, saying, “I knew it was him. Yep, I believed Jesus when he told us he would rise again after being dead for three days.” I don’t mean any disrespect to Thomas, but I picture him as Deputy Barney Fife from “The Andy Griffith Show”. Charlie 020520

You see the truth is this; faith grows, becomes more real, when you have no idea how it’s going to work out, or even when, but you trust God anyway. You place it in his hands and then force yourself not to take it back a few days later.

Just because at 4:10 PM, if I am outside and looking up, I don’t see flight 449 making its final decent into Tulsa International Airport, doesn’t mean it wasn’t scheduled to fly that day. It simply means, the wind was blowing out of the north.

Perhaps in your life, the Spirit of God is blowing in a direction you are not aware of. Trust anyway, because the love of God is always on schedule.

brady, mark a.

Words to inspire you

Author: Mark Brady