How Much Do You Charge for Your Love?

April 28, 2018April 27, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Cost of Love_FREE What do you charge for your LOVE? Is that by the ounce, gallon, hour, or some other form of measurement? Do people, or your family, feel you can’t be bothered? Your friends never ask for a favor, because they know you won’t help for whatever convenient excuse you flip to in your “excuse Rolodex”? LOVE is more than words. It is action. It does. It does whatever it takes. It does, whatever it can, for others.

Jesus, gave premium LOVE, free! He didn’t require any form of payment, or reimbursement. No one had to be “good” enough, or had to earn it. They may not even have deserved it, but he LOVED anyway. Jesus, only did what he saw his heavenly Father do. We should do the same. As Jesus has freely given LOVE to us, we should freely give LOVE to others. LOVE can overcome anything when there are no limits put on it.

Real LOVE, is felt. Authentic LOVE, saves people. Mature LOVE, looks for opportunities to be expressed. Premium LOVE fills you up!

God’s Favorite Part

April 21, 2018April 20, 2018 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

Torn011 My favorite part, of Jesus’ death on the cross is this; the very moment he exhaled his last breath the thick, tall, heavy curtain that separated man, from the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom. It’s my favorite part, because now, we have direct access to God’s presence.

Yes, I am so grateful to have my sins forgiven, but I love it when I sense God’s presence coming down, and lighting upon me. When I sense the Holy Spirit enter me, I feel such a tremendous amount of love, peace, joy, and security. Feeling God’s embrace is unbelievable. I hope you know what I am talking about. It is in those moments, I sometimes receive instruction, correction, words of knowledge, secrets, or my favorite, the keys to someone’s heart. Jesus had the keys when he spoke to the woman at the well. When you hold those keys, and unlock the secret chambers of one’s heart, real, authentic ministry can take place.

There are times when God just loves on me. The other night, my Heavenly Father took me out for an ice cream cone. While I was enjoying the ice cream, I all of a sudden had the realization that the curtain ripping into, in the temple, was God’s favorite part of the story as well. Why? Because now, when He enters the temple, He is entering us. We, are the temple of God.

“Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.” (1Co 6:19-20 AMP)

Your First Thought

April 14, 2018April 13, 2018 / Mark Brady / 4 Comments

20180412_200110 It happened again. The explosive temper from one I am supposed to love, and I do, but the pain. I left their presence, but I was a “walking wounded”. I kept rewinding the scene and playing it over and over in my mind. Why? This didn’t need to happen. I begin seeking comfort.

I went to one of my favorite pizza places and ordered a pizza. Sad, I know, but I tend to turn to favorite foods for comforting. Later in the evening God whispered, “Why didn’t you turn to me for comfort?” I searched for the truth and then had the realization, so my reply was, “It wasn’t my first thought. God… (tears) I’m so sorry! Help me loving Father to make you my first thought.”

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God [Who is the Source] of every comfort (consolation and encouragement) 2Co 1:3-6 (AMP)

But I turned to pizza instead of God. The very pizza pictured in the photo. It was extremely windy, and as I was taking my second step out of the restaurant a gust of wind blew the box right out of my hand. I went back in, ordered another one, and then cleaned up the parking lot. To be honest I looked both ways to see if anyone was watching. You know, that five second rule. I decided it didn’t apply to asphalt! My turning to food first, instead of God, made for a very expensive medium pizza. Lesson learned, I hope!

Dump or Garden?

March 31, 2018March 30, 2018 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

CtS21ft CamH3' 35mm 0001 Mankind’s first address was inside Garden Grove Estates. God gave Adam and Eve a home there, but they wanted more. They wanted to know what God knew, even though he told them that kind of knowledge wasn’t for them. They disobeyed, and got evicted.

Do you live in a garden? I don’t live in a perfect one yet, but things are growing. And I don’t even have a green thumb either! My neighbor one day saw me trying to plant some flowers. She said, “You don’t know what you are doing!” I said, “I know, but I am having a great time.” I desire, ache to live where God intended, meaning the kind of life, but since I don’t know what I am doing I need him. I need him to design it. I need him to remove the weeds, remove the trash, move boulders, and dig trenches for the living waters to flow in my garden.

I look around, and I see very few people living in gardens. Instead, they have, like Adam and Eve, believed the lies of the devil, and have paid the consequences. They have gotten hurt, down, defeated, or have settled. Some have given up. They act like “hope” is a four letter word, so they accept life in a dump. It stinks! It’s dirty, toxic, hazardous to your health, but they accept it. More and more broken, ugly, bent, faded, rusty things of life, gets dumped on them day after day, and they take it. They call it life, and just assume, it can’t get any better.

This is not the kind of life God intended for you. It hurts him to see pile after pile of trash dumped upon you. Guess what? You don’t have to live there! You can move out of the dump, and into a garden, but you will need the help of the Gardner. The One who loves you like you can’t even imagine. Will you accept his invitation? Will you change your address? Come live in the garden God wanted you to live in. Oh, and the cost? Free, for his Son, Jesus paid it for you.

Mark Brady 1962 – 2018

March 24, 2018March 23, 2018 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

my tomb stone 2 We are gathered here today to pay our respects to Mark Brady. In this grave, six feet below us, lies his body, his flesh. Living by his flesh caused him to hurt a lot of people. Wife, children, friends, sibling, coworkers, and even his mother and father. Being led by his flesh opened the door to enter into a sin, where the result cast him out of the will of God.

Mark wondered around his own Mt. Sinai for 30 years. After getting tired of the heat, of the desert, and the sand, he said, “oh the gritty, annoying sand got everywhere”, he begin looking for the exit ramp.

The act of dying doesn’t hurt, but killing your flesh does. It goes against everything you know. We’re afraid, if we do, we won’t be comfortable with ourselves, or others won’t, but is that more important than having Jesus comfortable with us? It’s completely living the way Jesus showed us how to live. Meaning, how to respond to others in our world. An old man once said, “Life isn’t hard. It’s all the freakin people that make it hard.”

Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also]. (Mat 16:24 AMP)

Jesus told us to take up “our” cross and follow him. The cross being an instrument of death. So why would one want to? It’s hard to describe unless you begin to experience it, but there is such joy in becoming intimate with God. Becoming a son, like Jesus is. God loves his Son, Jesus so much! With that said, when you begin to walk in son ship with God, there is more peace, more joy, more faith, and definitely, more love than you could ever imagine! It’s living life more abundantly!

FLOW

March 10, 2018March 10, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

080412 335 A river flows downstream. Life in a boat, doing nothing, on that stream, comes easy, natural. It takes no effort, but to go upstream is another story. The mightier the current, the harder one must paddle, or use external power. You stop for one instance, or turn off the engine, and you begin going back down.

We can’t get to our destination upstream on our own. We must have the power from the One who has been in the boat. From the One, who has walked on the water. From the One who has made it to the other side. From the One who said, “It is finished!”

I desire to FLOW with God. I will do my part, but I will rely on Him for the power I don’t have in and of myself. Following His FLOW will take me where He wants me. The more I make this my life practice it will get easier, and become more natural.

Keith Hector, recently preached a message at my church on FLOW. He said flow is:

F aith
L ove
O bedience
W isdom

Flowing with God, and in God takes all of the above. It requires trusting Jesus. It demands following the Holy Spirit. God asks us to do things that are not natural to our flesh, so we cannot boast in and of ourselves. He also knows the joy we experience when we FLOW with Him. He knows the confidence we experience, and He knows it encourages us to go further.

Check it out: “My main attempt in this short life is to deeply love humankind. I long to love like Jesus: intentionally, authentically, and with no boundaries. So here I am, a messy 14 year old making art, learning to love, and writing.” Click: ~ ava lucia ~

Call of Duty

January 6, 2018January 7, 2018 / Mark Brady / 4 Comments

A hurt soul needs a mender.
One rejected needs acceptance.
A depressed one needs to be encouraged.
One feeling like a waste needs to know their value.
A person struggling with an addiction needs a cheerleader.
Someone down and out needs a break.
One near the edge needs hope.
A person ill needs healing.
Someone lonely needs a friend.

people The list, could go on. The truth is, these individuals need Jesus. Most do not think to turn to him, because they can’t see him, but they can see you. In a time, when our world is in so much pain, those who know Jesus, and has the hope he provides, needs to answer the call of duty.

God has placed you where he needs you. You’re the one, who can take the time, speak a word, or give a hug. You may never know the impact of taking a risk of faith to say, go or do, but one day you will. “Do not be afraid,” the angel of the Lord would say to you. The more you reach out, the more you say, and the more you come along side someone, you will find it strengthens you, encourages you, and increases your faith to do more. God will lead you, as you are his servant, saving lives.

Keep one thing in mind; there was someone, just like you, who took the time to be there for you, and shared the love of Jesus with you.

Check it out:
Touching, Spirit filled, sincere, encouraging words: https://tostrengthenamothersheart.wordpress.com

EVOL

December 23, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

LOVE 105 Would you recognize LOVE if you saw it? Are you sure?

Joh 3:20 Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure.
Joh 3:19 “This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God.
Joh 3:18 Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
Joh 3:17 God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.
Joh 3:16 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. (MSG)

If you could only see God’s LOVE for you. His LOVE for you, cannot be measured, for there is no unit of measurement adequate. His LOVE is so vast one cannot see from one side of it to the other. His LOVE for you is so powerful. His LOVE can conquer all! His LOVE never fails.

Also, God uses His people, all around the world, to show you His LOVE for you the best they can. Know God’s LOVE, for it is perfect. Seek it out as if it’s the greatest treasure on earth…for it is! Ask God to help you recognize it. Start now, for tis the season. For God’s LOVE, Jesus, came to you in Bethlehem. Born in a manger.

Look for God’s LOVE as if your life depends on it, for it does.

Check it out:
Caralyn says, “We are all recovering from something.” https://beautybeyondbones.com/

The Right Wood, Nails, and Man, Became the Perfect Savior

December 9, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

20171209_162330 Jesus, being the son of a carpenter, learned all about wood. How to pick out the right kind perfect for its intended use. He was shown by his father how to cut it, sand it, and assemble it so it could serve its purpose. Jesus also became acquainted with nails. Where to put them, and what size was needed.

When Jesus grew up, he didn’t continue in his earthly father’s business, but being the Son of God, changed over to his Heavenly Father’s business. He didn’t get away from wood, or nails. In fact, He needed them. When he saw the cross, on which he would soon die, he recognized it was perfect for its intended purpose. Then he saw the nails, “They’ll hold.”

In the process of dying, Jesus returned to being a carpenter. In his death, he became the Savior. Through the use of wood and nails, he built a connection, between God and man that would hold for eternity. Jesus did that for you, out of LOVE.

Col 1:22 But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. (MSG)

Accidently on Purpose

December 2, 2017November 29, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Know God

Your coworker took time to listen to your struggles.
You found an envelope with cash and an anonymous note, “To help you out.”
A man pulled over and changed your tire not asking for anything in return.
A woman, at the light, handed you five dollars.
They stopped and helped you pick up items that had fallen through your bag and then carried them to your destination.
A person shared their umbrella, which was made for one, but they made sure you stayed dry.
They stopped to hold the door, they gave you directions with a smile, they paid for your coffee in the drive thru.

Random acts of kindness?
Perhaps.

Or were they actually people, just like you,

who have fallen in love with God?

And so desperately wanted you to know Him,

that they went out of their way to show you what He would do in that same moment?

They didn’t preach.

They didn’t judge.

They didn’t condemn.

They LOVED!