Devoted to God

September 20, 2024August 17, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

1 ^1-3Job was a man who lived in Uz. He was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion. He had seven sons and three daughters. He was also very wealthy—seven thousand head of sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and a huge staff of servants—the most influential man in all the East!

^4-5His sons used to take turns hosting parties in their homes, always inviting their three sisters to join them in their merrymaking. When the parties were over, Job would get up early in the morning and sacrifice a burnt offering for each of his children, thinking, “Maybe one of them sinned by defying God inwardly.” Job made a habit of this sacrificial atonement, just in case they’d sinned.

^6-7One day when the angels came to report to God, Satan, who was the Designated Accuser, came along with them. God singled out Satan and said, “What have you been up to?”

Satan answered God, “Going here and there, checking things out on earth.”

⁸God said to Satan, “Have you noticed my friend Job? There’s no one quite like him—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil.”

^9-10Satan retorted, “So do you think Job does all that out of the sheer goodness of his heart? Why, no one ever had it so good! You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does—he can’t lose! Job 1:1-10 (MSG)

The portion of these verses that jumped out at me was, “You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does—he can’t lose!”

I have mentioned it several times in many posts, but if you missed it, let me do it again. When a man is devoted to God and living for Him, typically, he has a good life. God blesses him, and even when something may try to defeat him, God comes through and takes care of the issue for him.

April has a friend who announced last week that they are getting married. I only heard a part of the conversation while I was working on our house. But as I was listening, I started getting a bad feeling in my spirit. It was the gift of “discernment,” telling me that their fiancé was not the right person for them.

Today, April shared with me more about what she heard from another friend about their friend’s fiancé. Can you say, “Red Flags?” It’s sad that the friend would “settle” for Satan’s substitute rather than wait for the person that God has for them. If this friend would commit all their ways to God and delight themselves in Him, I would dare say that God would bring the right person into their life soon, knowing the desires of their heart. If they get married, they are setting themselves up for a lot of pain and heartache.

One can never go wrong living for God. Putting Him first in your life and asking Him to lead you and guide you. He will. I know because His word is full of scriptures that say he will.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

True delight in Him causes us to take our sights off of what we want in order to long for what He desires. The command to delight in God appears amidst this list that King David penned in the Psalms as the antidote for his fretting people:

Know the fate of evildoers (Psalm 37:2)
Trust in the Lord (37:3)
Do good (37:3)
Befriend faithfulness (37:3)
Delight yourself in the LORD (37:4)
Commit your way to Him (37:5)
Rest in, and wait patiently for, The Lord (37:7)

Source: http://www.biblestudytools.com

A Spirit Bubble

September 17, 2024August 14, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I had never heard of a “Spirit Bubble” until last year while I was editing a book for someone else. I didn’t think much of it except that I pictured it as pink as bubble gum. I didn’t recall reading about such an item in the Bible, either. I told the author that I personally seldom share anything in writing that cannot be found in the Bible.

Over the last week or so, April and I were talking, and I expressed my surprise that April had never been proposed to before me. I mean, looks wise, she is so pretty and her personality so cute. She was in her thirties when we married, and before I came along, a few of the locals started to call her an “old maid.” April’s only answer as to why she did not get married earlier in life was, “God protected me.”

That phrase was stuck in my head. Even when I wasn’t thinking about it, I was thinking about it. I started asking myself, “What would that protection look like?” Then I had the thought, “The local young men didn’t “see” April. And the two guys she dated certainly didn’t see the hand of God on her life or went to battle against it. Then it hit me: it was as if God had placed April inside a bubble. I think of this as something different than a “hedge of protection” (Job 1:10) around her.

Then, my mind turned back to the book I edited last year. The author described God placing her inside a bubble that demons of Satan could not penetrate no matter how hard they tried. She mentioned times of being in a bubble during spiritual attacks of the enemy.

So, then, I begin to think about battles in the Bible. More specifically, personal battles. One that came to mind was when Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den. Daniel told the King, “God sent his angel, and he closed the mouths of the lions.” At first, I thought Okay. No bubble. But days later, it dawned on me that Daniel was not hurt, and the lions could have clawed him to death. So, I went back to my first thought of God placing a bubble around Daniel, and the lions couldn’t see him. They might have still smelled him and that would be why the angel closed their mouths.

Daniel 6:16-23 (ICB)
¹⁶So King Darius gave the order. They brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May the God you serve all the time save you!” ¹⁷A big stone was brought. It was put over the opening of the lions’ den. Then the king used his signet ring to put his special seal on the rock. And he used the rings of his royal officers to put their seals on the rock also. This showed that no one could move that rock and bring Daniel out. ¹⁸Then King Darius went back to his palace. He did not eat that night. He did not have any entertainment brought to entertain him. And he could not sleep.

¹⁹The next morning King Darius got up at dawn. He hurried to the lions’ den. ²⁰As he came near the den, he was worried. He called out to Daniel. He said, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Has your God that you always worship been able to save you from the lions?”

²¹Daniel answered, “My king, live forever! ²²My God sent his angel to close the lions’ mouths. They have not hurt me, because my God knows I am innocent. I never did anything wrong to you, my king.”

²³King Darius was very happy. He told his servants to lift Daniel out of the lions’ den. So they lifted him out and did not find any injury on him. This was because Daniel had trusted in his God.

It doesn’t matter if you believe in “Spirit bubbles” or not because it has nothing to do with getting into heaven. But I definitely know that if God wants to hide you or protect you from the devil or harm, He can. So, the key to this is believing and trusting in God.

Amen.

Some Famous Atheist (or at least used to be)

September 13, 2024August 13, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Founder of the Church of Satan, the famous Satanist, Anton Szandor LaVey’s last deathbed words were, “Oh my, oh my, what have I done! There’s something very wrong, there’s something very wrong, there’s something very wrong!”

Voltaire (1694–1778), an atheist, said, “I am abandoned by God and man! I shall go to hell! O Jesus Christ!”

David Hume (1711–1776), an atheist, said while dying in utter despair, “I am in the flames!”

Sir Thomas Scott (1808–1878), an atheist, said, “Until this moment I thought there was neither a God nor a hell. Now I know and feel that there is both, and I am doomed to perdition by the just judgment of the Almighty.”

The above, moments before their demise, saw a glimpse of what turned out to be real after all. All their lives, sadly, they had accepted the lies of the devil.

For the last several posts, I have keyed in on God’s judgment, eternity, heaven, and hell. I have felt an intense urgency to drive the point home that your time on Earth is extremely short, and then you will stand before God. You can believe now and start experiencing real life, or you can deny Him and continue to live as a dead man walking! Hear the words of some who found out too late! Learn from them.

Luke 16:19-31 (MSG)
^19-21“There once was a rich man, expensively dressed in the latest fashions, wasting his days in conspicuous consumption. A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, had been dumped on his doorstep. All he lived for was to get a meal from scraps off the rich man’s table. His best friends were the dogs who came and licked his sores.

^22-24“Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the lap of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his lap. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I’m in agony in this fire.’

^25-26“But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things. It’s not like that here. Here he’s consoled and you’re tormented. Besides, in all these matters there is a huge chasm set between us so that no one can go from us to you even if he wanted to, nor can anyone cross over from you to us.’

^27-28“The rich man said, ‘Then let me ask you, Father: Send him to the house of my father where I have five brothers, so he can tell them the score and warn them so they won’t end up here in this place of torment.’

²⁹“Abraham answered, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets to tell them the score. Let them listen to them.’

³⁰“‘I know, Father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but they’re not listening. If someone came back to them from the dead, they would change their ways.’

³¹“Abraham replied, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, they’re not going to be convinced by someone who rises from the dead.’”

I share these words of truth with you because I don’t want to see anyone perish, and neither does God. He loves you and cares about you more than you’ll ever know! Eternity is too long to be wrong!!! Be informed. Please don’t wait until it’s too late. God is real.

Happy Birthday!

September 3, 2024August 10, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Whenever your birthday rolls around, and it seems like they appear every year, do you reflect upon your life? I tend to. I think about what I have achieved, my regrets, and where I want to go in the future. I thank God for what I have achieved, and I appreciate his grace and forgiveness, which covers my regrets. Then I pray for my future.

The one thing I don’t regret about my life is trying my best to maintain a good relationship with God. Relying on him for strength, comfort, wisdom, understanding, and guidance. I sometimes trip up and struggle to keep an appropriate attitude toward God. This means that, at times, I get angry about how life is going at the moment and even have the audacity to blame him. Knowing full well He gives us freedom to make our own choices, and if those decisions don’t work out, then it’s my fault.

Birthdays are great for reflecting and celebrating. They’re also good for making course directions in your life. You’re never too old to start over, start new, or get back on track in your walk with God.

So be very careful to act exactly as God commands you. Don’t veer off to the right or the left. Walk straight down the road God commands so that you’ll have a good life and live a long time in the land that you’re about to possess. Deu. 5:32-33 (MSG)

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously. Mic. 6:8 (MSG)

Birthdays should make you mindful of God’s grace and goodness. He has allowed you to survive another trip around the Sun. It could be to show his blessings upon your life., or it could be to give you another opportunity to accept His Son, Jesus, into your life so that your sins are forgiven and you spend eternity with him in heaven. Don’t think you will live forever because you won’t! Don’t put off another day without accepting God’s free gift, no strings attached, salvation. Your life came with an expiration date. “Best if used by: ??/??/????.

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.” James 1:13-15 (MSG)

This Old House

August 27, 2024August 3, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

While April and I were working on remodeling another portion of our house yesterday, I was reminded of how God remakes us. Today, I am tired and sore! Making something new again takes commitment to finish the task and a lot of hard work. But in the end, the result is worth it. With God, though, it’s not about how the outside looks but how the inside is.

Like a house, God starts with our foundation. We must be built on solid ground.

^24-25“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.

^26-27“But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.” Mat. 7:24-27 (MSG)

Then He addresses the condition of the walls, the doors, and the windows of our soul. He straightens walls, fortifies doors, and replaces broken or worn-out windows. Why? Because He wants us to walk straight, upright. The door, because He is concerned about what or who, we are allowing in our lives and the influence they may have upon us. The windows, because He is aware of what we see and how much it affects us. Our eyes are the channel that makes an impression of what we think.

^22-23“Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a musty cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have! Mat. 6:22-23 (MSG)

And let’s not forget the roof. God wants to be our covering. Providing safe shelter in the stormy times of our lives. A place where we can rest and sleep instead of being up all night worrying. A place where there is an atmosphere of the Fruit of the Spirit of God. Love, joy, peace, etc.

Our house is getting closer to being completed. But there is one room that still has the old color of paint. I called it beige, but April corrected me and said it was camel or tope. That room is the garage, and it still has a popcorn ceiling. It’s ugly! I will address it, too, someday. Some people will always leave a portion of their old life intact. As if they are afraid to totally let go of the “old man” or the way they used to be. Perhaps they like to look back, like Lot’s wife. I can recall fine where I came from and what I used to be like before God started His remodeling project of my life.

I hope you will be willing to allow God to remodel you. The good part is the project won’t cost you a thing. It is already paid for by His Son, Jesus Christ. When Jesus died on the cross, it not only provided you the forgiveness of your sins but also a relationship with the Master Contractor, God. And Jesus knows a thing or two about being a carpenter.

If You Want to Live Well

August 20, 2024July 15, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Hosea 14 – The Message

Come Back! Return to Your God!

14 ^1-3O Israel, come back! Return to your God!
    You’re down but you’re not out.
Prepare your confession
    and come back to God.
Pray to him, “Take away our sin,
    accept our confession.
Receive as restitution
    our repentant prayers.
Assyria won’t save us;
    horses won’t get us where we want to go.
We’ll never again say ‘our god’
    to something we’ve made or made up.
You’re our last hope. Is it not true
    that in you the orphan finds mercy?”

* * *

^4-8“I will heal their waywardness.
    I will love them lavishly. My anger is played out.
I will make a fresh start with Israel.
    He’ll burst into bloom like a crocus in the spring.
He’ll put down deep oak tree roots,
    he’ll become a forest of oaks!
He’ll become splendid—like a giant sequoia,
    his fragrance like a grove of cedars!
Those who live near him will be blessed by him,
    be blessed and prosper like golden grain.
Everyone will be talking about them,
    spreading their fame as the vintage children of God.
Ephraim is finished with gods that are no-gods.
    From now on I’m the one who answers and satisfies him.
I am like a luxuriant fruit tree.
    Everything you need is to be found in me.”

* * *

⁹If you want to live well,
    make sure you understand all of this.
If you know what’s good for you,
    you’ll learn this inside and out.
God’s paths get you where you want to go.
    Right-living people walk them easily;
    wrong-living people are always tripping and stumbling.

The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson

“Just Lucky, I Guess”

August 16, 2024July 15, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“By luck or by God, many people are saying it’s by God I’m still here,” the former president said while addressing the shooting at his Pennsylvania campaign rally on July 13. _{[Source: People]}

I’m writing this post the Monday after the assignation attempt on former President, Donald Trump. A lot of people believe in luck. I don’t, but I do believe in the mighty hand of God. Many times, God will intervene in one’s life journey for his purpose. In President Trump’s case, God is not finished using him for America and or the world!

I met a man a couple of years ago. I don’t recall how the conversation was steered to this, but he begins telling me how he had survived falling off of three roofs, driving off the road and landing his truck up in trees, and not getting electrocuted after hitting an electrical line while digging a hole. He said, “I was just lucky, I guess.”

At first, I was shocked. I said, “Wow! God had his hand on you.” He said he didn’t believe in God. I replied, “Well, God certainly believes in you!” Later, I shared God’s plan of salvation with the man and how much God loved him. I told him, “It wasn’t luck. It was God giving you time and opportunity to accept him because He doesn’t want to see anyone perish.” Sadly, he listened but refused to accept God’s love for him.

It takes more faith to believe in “luck” than it does God!

What have you been through? What have you survived? Do you contribute it to “being lucky?” Are you sure? Isn’t there the slightest chance that God intervened? Is He giving you more time to accept him? Or He has a purpose for your life? I suggest you think about it. Or better yet, talk to God about it.

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. Prov. 16:33 (ESV)

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. Prov. 16:9 (ESV)

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, EPH. 1:11 (ESV)

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Pt. 3:9 (NIV)

Crossroads

July 26, 2024June 27, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Are you stuck? Lost? Find yourself in the middle of nowhere or at an intersection, and you have no idea which way to go? It happens to all of us at one time or another. Life was going good as if on cruise control and then one day you woke up and thought, “What am I doing?” Or you may be at a juncture in your life you didn’t expect. Like after getting divorced, losing a job, or the death of a family member.

Newsflash: You do not have to navigate life alone! There is one who is ready and able to help you, guide you, point the way, and give you the encouragement and strength to get there. And his name is JESUS!

The word of God has scriptures that say He will lead us:

The very steps we take come from God;
otherwise how would we know where we’re going? Prov. 20:24 (MSG)

By your words I can see where I’m going;
    they throw a beam of light on my dark path.
I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back
    from living by your righteous order.
Everything’s falling apart on me, God;
    put me together again with your Word.
Adorn me with your finest sayings, God;
    teach me your holy rules.
My life is as close as my own hands,
    but I don’t forget what you have revealed.
The wicked do their best to throw me off track,
    but I don’t swerve an inch from your course.
I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever—
    what a gift! And how happy it makes me!
I concentrate on doing exactly what you say—
    I always have and always will. Ps. 119:105 (MSG)

The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the LORD, And He delights in his way [and blesses his path]. Ps. 37:23 (AMP)

The First Eternity

July 16, 2024June 10, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Have you ever realized that there was an eternity before what we have now on Earth? Think about this: when God placed man in the Garden of Eden, it was perfect. There was no sickness, no hurt, no pain, no Washington D.C. (um-hum), and no death. I believe God intended for life always to be that way. Walking and talking with man and woman each day.

Then, Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God, and darkness entered the world, ending perfection.

Hundreds of years later, Light once again came to the world, and the hope of a perfect eternity was now obtainable by believing that Jesus is God’s Son and accepting his gift of salvation for the forgiveness of our sins.

God never intended for people to hurt or for them to deal with sickness and disease. He didn’t want them to suffer in any way, shape or form. God didn’t want anyone to feel hunger, the pain of war, or the sting of a broken family. He never wanted to comfort a parent having to bury a child. God only wanted his best for his children.

Not living with God is choosing to live in a dump! Darkness dumps on you, most likely every week, if not every day! Your Facebook posts constantly share the pain and heartache that you deal with on a regular basis. I’m not saying you shouldn’t post those things with us because it reminds me to pray for you. And I’m not saying life with God is perfect on this side of heaven, but it is definitely better than living in a dump!

Accept God. Learn to live his ways by studying the Bible, his manuscript for living life. Walk and talk with him daily. Ask lots of questions, for He is the only one who has the correct answers. You will enjoy the victories along the way until you reach the second eternity.

John 8:12 – Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Proverbs 21:21- Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.

Romains 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Isaiah 41:10 – So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

When You Stand Out

July 12, 2024July 12, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

April and I watched a great movie over the weekend. If you haven’t seen it, then you should look for it and watch it. It’s worth your time! Just go to Costo or Sam’s Club and buy a pallet of tissues first! The movie is “Wonder.”

“Wonder” is a heartwarming 2017 film based on the New York Times bestseller. The story revolves around August “Auggie” Pullman, a 10-year-old boy born with facial differences. Up until now, Auggie has been homeschooled due to his condition, but when he enters fifth grade at Beecher Prep, he becomes an unlikely hero. The film explores themes of compassion, acceptance, and the power of kindness.

One line from the movie caught my attention. “You can’t blend in when you were born to stand out!” With his facial deformities, there was no way “Auggie” was ever going to blend in. There was no way he was going to be able to hide in the crowd. The young man had to find a way to deal with the cards life had dealt him. He had to change his view of the world, but in the process, the world changed their view of Auggie.

Jesus stood out, too, not because of any imperfections but because He loved. He showed people love, even those that others despised or had forgotten. Not much has changed since the days Jesus walked the Earth. There are a lot of people all around us that need to be loved on. You just have to slow down and see them. I enjoy helping someone who didn’t expect it, and when they ask me, “Why?” I love to come back with, “Because God wanted to love on you today.”

Sometimes, that will start a conversation when I can continue to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them. Loving on people, as Christ loves people, will make you stand out. The people you help won’t forget you or the words you shared with them. Sure, you could blend in and be like everyone else, but you were born to stand out.

“Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you’ll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you’re content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.
Mat. 23:11-12 (MSG)

My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love.
1 John 4:7-8 (MSG)