Obedience School

June 28, 2024May 25, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

It’s challenging to do the things you don’t want to do. It’s even harder to do the things God asks you to do, but you really, really don’t want to.

I can not imagine the struggle the Prophet Hosea dealt with when God asked him to marry a prostitute and have a child with her. I mean, think about the first time he took her home to meet the family. It might have been like a scene from “St. Elmo’s Fire” where Wendy’s mother whispers things that are unmentionable. “Did you all hear about John down the street?” She whispered, “Cancer.” So, when she asked Billy, “Where did you meet our daughter, Wendy?” Billy whispered, “Prison.”

“So, Gomer, what do you do for a living?” I can imagine her whispering, “I’m a prostitute.” I have a feeling they already knew that and possibly one of the men around the table might have been a customer!

Hosea, a real man of God, obeyed, but he also knew ahead of time why God was asking him to do this thing. Have you ever been obedient to the Lord but did not know what God’s plan was? That seems to be the norm. In those situations, it is best to obey, and at some point, you will most likely know “why” someday. Or you may have proof later down the road that you did the right thing.

The first time God spoke to Hosea he said:
“Find a whore and marry her.
Make this whore the mother of your children.
And here’s why: This whole country
has become a whorehouse, unfaithful to me, God.”
³Hosea did it. He picked Gomer daughter of Diblaim. She got pregnant and gave him a son.
Hosea 1:2-3 (MSG)

Then Samuel said, Do you think all God wants are sacrifices—
    empty rituals just for show?
He wants you to listen to him!
Plain listening is the thing,
    not staging a lavish religious production.
Not doing what God tells you
    is far worse than fooling around in the occult.
Getting self-important around God
    is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors.
Because you said No to God’s command,
    he says No to your kingship.
1 Sam. 15:22-23 (MSG)

Go

October 15, 2021October 15, 2021 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

This past week, William Shatner boldly went where no other 90 year old had gone before. When asked, “What do you want to do when you get there?” Shatner replied, “Come back down!”

It got me to thinking, Am I where God wants me to be? Have I gone where God has asked me to boldly go? Being obedient to God’s calling can be challenging some times. It may also offer opportunities to be scared. I can’t announce it yet, but He has recently asked me to go do something that in the natural doesn’t make sense. The few close friends I have told have been greatly surprised, and are probably secretly wondering if I am qualified.

But I am going. I have found over the years that when I am obedient in an area I do not feel naturally comfortable that it is in those times I rely on God all the more. I lean not to my own understanding. As a result, I am happy that I obeyed. I generally realize the task was easier than it first seemed in my mind. And when made known to me, I am excited with the results of what God did through me.

God is speaking to some of you right now. Reading this post has brought to your mind something God’s Spirit has whispered to your heart to go do. It may not be to go to the mission field, but possibly go across the aisle in your office, or across the street. Go. Go boldly. You don’t always get to know the results of your obedience this side of heaven, but you should go anyway. Don’t judge the results by what your eyes see, or don’t see. You are not responsible for the results. You’re simply asked to be obedient.

You are to follow only God, your God, hold him in deep reverence, keep his commandments, listen obediently to what he says, serve him—hold on to him for dear life! Deu. 13:4 (MSG)

It’s All About Obedience

October 20, 2018October 19, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

simple truth I have been reading from the Bible book of Exodus. Today, I read a portion of chapter 12. The true story of Pharaoh and the children of Israel has always intrigued me. In meditating, upon this portion of God’s word, I realized one thing, being with God, being in his presence, is all about obedience.

You see, it was disobedience, by Adam and Eve that caused mankind to be separated from God in the first place, when they ate fruit from the tree, God told them not to. Then, God gave us his son, Jesus, and it takes obedience of accepting him to be back in God’s presence.

Growing up in an Assembly of God church, we sang the song, Trust and Obey. Some words in that song say, “there’s no other way.” Simple truth, but truth none-the-less that will save your soul from eternal damnation. God knows that when you obey him, and come into his presence, you enter into the greatest love story ever written. It’s an amazing feeling to wake up loved, to lay down at night and close your eyes wrapped up in love, and living in between with God’s love abounding in your life. God welcomes you, invites you, to partake of his love. All you have to do is obey him, and stop eating the fruit the devil keeps putting in front of you. A simple verse, but a true, loving verse none-the-less:

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. (Joh 3:16 AMP)

It’s About Time!

June 9, 2018June 1, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Old Testament time: Mankind was given “time” by God. He created light, and separated it from dark. He called the light “day”, and the dark “night”. That was day one. (Gen. 1:3-5) Pastor Robert Morris says, time gives us stability, and rhythm to life. During eternity, there will be no need for time. Jesus operates in a whole different realm than we do. He is not bound by time. He can go back in time, and forward in time, in no time.

Abraham’s wife, Sarah, had time reversed for her body and appearance. She did not look like an old grandma when she had Isaac at the age of 90, but like a beautiful young woman. So much so, while Abraham was camping in Gerar, he lied, and said she was his sister so he would not be killed for actually being her husband. (Gen. 20:1-18)

New Testament time: When Jesus’ mother, Mary, asked her son to turn water into wine, while at a wedding, he answered her request. One of the wedding guest commented the host saved the best wine for last. Good wine takes 2 years to make. How did Jesus do it? I’m not sure, but I believe he could, can and did. Mary believed as well. (John 2:1-11)

Your time: I heard a testimony the other day where a kid closed the car door on his hand. His mother prayed that his hand would go back to how it felt 2 minutes before the accident. When she got done praying, he said his hand didn’t hurt any more.

Why am I sharing this? There is a realm, we who call ourselves believers, need to move into. The realm of possibilities that Jesus lives in. A realm that is not bound by time. Being “Christ like” can be for these days, and not just after we arrive in heaven. Why now? Because as we approach the last days our faith will need to be stronger. We will need to know the impossible has always been possible, if we just learn to believe it, and ask for it, like Mary did. We don’t have to know how, but that it can be done. The Holy Spirit is sharing this with others around the world. Jesus will help us and welcome us into this new realm of believing and living. In fact he will probably say, “It’s about time!”

God’s Top Ten List

May 5, 2018May 4, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

The Ten

No other Gods before me.
I’m to be your first priority.
Nothing should be your idol.
Keep your life pure.
Don’t use my name when cussing.
Understanding this can bring humility.
Keep Sundays Holy.
Resting one day a week is a wonderful thing.
Honor your father and mother.
Doing so will bless your life.
Killing is not good.
Love is a much better way.
Committing adultery tears people apart.
Learning intimacy will bring people together.
Don’t take what isn’t yours.
If you do, you’ll never learn to trust.
Lying is a bad idea.
Honesty is always the way to go.
You shouldn’t want what isn’t yours.
Contentment brings peace to your life.

God didn’t come up with these 10 commandments to make your life miserable. He didn’t do it so we would become “religious”, and start a bunch of denominations with a list of “rules” to live by. He gave us these principles, to live by, so we could relate to him better, and with each other.

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 ~

Full Service

January 27, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Fuel gauge 2 A man wondered into the church. He was hungry. He was given a sack lunch. The man was also deaf, but could read. He understood two people in the church wanted to pray for his hearing, and he let them. Then he shared his car was almost out of gas and he wouldn’t be able to get to work the next day. One of the two went with him and filled up his car. He shared while pumping the gas, God spoke to him and said, “Full Service.” He knew what God meant, but to help him remember, he washed the windshield as well.

A person who has a need, is more apt to listen to you share God, after their immediate need is met. Doing so, shows you really care for the “whole” person (Full Service). There were times when Jesus healed one’s body, but also healed their heart. Forgave them of their sins (Full Service).

When sharing God with another, keep an eye on the fuel gauge. You never want to share more than the individual can hold. When you share too much it spills over and makes a mess. I learned this lesson while sharing God with a fellow commuter on the train. She avoided me for the next several weeks.

Last of all, be careful with your attitude when serving. Jesus said it best:

Mat 6:1 “Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding.” (MSG)

Check it out:
Honest words about finding her way: https://katelynvallstruth.wordpress.com/

Moving the Holy

October 28, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

20171026_142958 Moving the Holy is moving the heart of God. One thing that moves his heart is obedience. Whenever I didn’t obey as a child my unholy backside got moved! When God speaks and directs you through his Spirit, you have two choices, obey or not. It may be extremely painful and difficult to obey, but you should do it anyway. You may feel silly, do it anyway. The other, who may be a recipient of what God told you to do may not understand, do it anyway. If God’s direction causes you to sacrifice something, well then it moves the heart of God even more. GOD IS HOLY!

Rev 4:8 The Four Animals were winged, each with six wings. They were all eyes, seeing around and within. And they chanted night and day, never taking a break: Holy, holy, holy Is God our Master, Sovereign-Strong, THE WAS, THE IS, THE COMING. (MSG)

The more difficult it is to obey, the greater the victory will be on the other side. There is no higher feeling than knowing you made God glad. Your obedience may bless another, but honestly, you will be blessed beyond belief! Obedience exercises your faith, which causes it to grow, which causes it to mature.

Do You Trust Me?

September 10, 2017 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

Trust. It’s hard to trust someone else, and sometimes even ourselves. God, throughout the centuries has asked people to trust Him. Some did, others didn’t, but most did so with some fear and trepidation. Another thing that is difficult is change. Either change a job, a living location, but the hardest thing to change is yourself. Putting the two things together will just about overwhelm you!

Whenever God calls you to change an area of your life, take it from me, it is best to blindly believe, and then obey. Will you know how it will all work out? Probably not. Will you know ahead of time how you will make it? No! But the point is; God does. That is where the trust comes into play.

One thing I have learned, the hard way, is God loves obedience. When you figure out a direction God wants you to go, and then you go when the time is right He blesses you like nothing you have experienced before. So when God asks you that question, say, “Yes”.