He Speaks

October 22, 2021October 21, 2021 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“Or, God might get their attention through pain…” Job 33:19a (MSG)

God has a hierarchy to many things, and not to be old fashion but that applies to marriages as well. Why? And what does that mean? In any type of union, marriage, business, ministry, etc. there has to be one individual who has the final say so. BUT, that one individual is also the one who is accountable for the results of making those decisions, and the one they are accountable to, is God.

In a marriage situation when the man steps into his role of leadership, and as the one who is accountable, his spouse is then under an umbrella of protection, EVEN if she disagrees with her husband. But, when the woman tries to fulfill the role of the man, people get hurt! I have witnessed this first hand.

In the course of one year, I had to go through two very hurtful situations. In both cases, the husbands allowed their spouses to cause great pain in my life, and they wouldn’t say anything to them about how wrong they were. You see, those husbands have allowed their wives to fill their roll. “Head of Household.”

I wound up praying for the couples and asked God to deal with the men and to speak to them. There’s no reason why people should continue getting hurt, and then I distanced myself from them. Later that year, I found out that both of those men were down while they were recovering from knee replacement surgery. I wondered if God allowed that to happen attempting to get them on their one good knee to pray and seek him concerning how things are going in their marriage, in their life.

In any marriage, business, union, and especially ministry, if God has given you the keys to authority, then don’t give anyone else those keys. Who you give them to is not the one who will stand before God and give an account for the results, you will.

This isn’t about equal rights, equality, or glass ceilings, but about order, accountability, and individuals not getting hurt.

If your ministry, union, business, or marriage is “Out of Order” and isn’t working then go to God and ask Him to show you. God will speak. He probably has been for many years, but you haven’t been listening. Each time you get hurt and there is not instant healing, perhaps its God trying to get your attention through pain.

Wife of the Month

September 1, 2020August 29, 2020 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

090120 I would like to nominate April for “Wife of the Month”. For the month of September, she can use the special parking space. That is, if she was here in America, and if she could drive. She has completed the immigration process, but can’t take the final step because her country is still in “lock down” mode, so the U.S. Embassy isn’t doing interviews. Being separated is difficult, but I can see how God has used it for His glory thus far.

Last week, I sent her the following message, and though it is personal, she agreed to let me share it:

Baby, I love you! I simply love you, because you have God’s DNA in you, and it shows. In you is peace, joy, faith, hope and love. Of course the greatest of these is, love. Because love, never fails! Baby, when you look back over our short marriage, you can see a trail of love that has dripped over the mountains we have overcome, and across the ocean that separates us now. Without love, God’s love, we would not have come this far. The story of “Mark and April” would have been a short one, but as it is, our story, is still being written.

I couldn’t wait any longer Baby April. I know our 18 month anniversary isn’t until next week, September 1st, but I just had to let the words above out. I was unable to contain them any longer. So Happy Anniversary, April. I am so happy to be known as the American, who married April Joy Santiago Cruz, and has so far, survived. I am a lucky man who is blessed by God. He loved me so much that He hid you from the eyes of others, for such a time as this. I know two, maybe three of those men looked your way, but because of your wonderful faithfulness to God they gave up in their pursuit.

Our story, feels like it is taking forever to be written, but I know we are steadily moving every day toward his destination for our lives. Baby April, each day it gets easier to love you, because you, like God, are love.

To you April, the love of my life,
Mark

I am grateful for God’s love, and for his tender nudge to try marriage again, after checking the “Divorced” box for 24 years. April struggled with her singleness a lot, and most who knew her started believing “marriage” had passed her by. But God had a plan that took years to connect two individuals who were 8,149 miles apart. It’s like He set her on a shelf, so she would be available for me that one Friday afternoon, in October 2018, when I first saw her face on a Filipino dating site.

It’s hard to trust God, who doesn’t always share what He is up to, but when you do, it’s worth it! God is so amazing, and I am so grateful, He first loved us.

Pick up Lines from the Bible

February 26, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

songofsolomonpagehead

I tried to use the following line on a woman the other day. “You’re so beautiful, my darling, so beautiful, and your dove eyes are veiled by your hair as it flows and shimmers, like a flock of goats in the distance streaming down a hillside in the sunshine.”

It didn’t work. I got it from the book; Song of Solomon, chapter 4:1.

But there is one, in the Bible, who tries to pick us up. He uses lines like, “Come.” “Come along with me.” “Come, who are tired, and I will give you rest.” Some do. They accept the invitation.

Then they begin a journey into the greatest love of all time. They accept His commandments that actually changes how they live their life. This love changes how they act toward others, and even family members. It changes how they speak, and later they will become the bride of Christ, and truly live happily ever after.

Love? Or in Love?

September 22, 2014 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

I met a woman today who was absolutely beautiful! As we talked I could discern this woman was also wise. While talking the subject turned to marriage. Her face lit up as she spoke of love, and marriage. She shared with me the great love of her life. You see the woman I was speaking to was a widow. She mentioned how it is a give and take of both sides. She said one has to give 50%, but at times you may have to give more like 70%, and one should be willing to, for a season. She told how a marriage takes work and lots of it! She mentioned how today too many take marriage so lightly. She said a lot of people “love”, but asked how many couples are “in love”?

Wow! My heart was stirred by how she spoke of love. I asked her if she would like to go out on a date. She asked me if I had my own car and could still drive? Oh, I guess I should mention this beautiful lady was 92 years old.

I’m divorced, and for the longest time feared of allowing myself to love again knowing I could get hurt again. If you want to be married you must first be willing to risk. If you don’t take the risk of being hurt or having your heart broken again then you aren’t going to live life fully! Sure, you can play it SAFE, but is that living?

Jesus risked all to love us. He gave 100%. He was willing to live among us in order to really love us. He knew his heart would be broken many times by the very ones he loved, yet Jesus is still “in love” with us.