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)

What Others Think

March 12, 2024February 24, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

One of the things that kept me from writing for many years was “the fear of men.” I didn’t want to be judged, made fun of, or laughed at behind my back. (Or to my face, for that matter.) It didn’t help either having someone close to me ask, “What makes you think you’re a writer?” I would have thought they would have, instead, been my biggest fan! A cheerleader encouraging me to pursue writing with everything I’ve got as if on fire. That wasn’t to be.

But their words, as hurtful as they were, didn’t extinguish the flame that God had placed inside of me to be a writer. I shared my desire with a friend, and he encouraged me. I told him, “I know I may not ever be the best writer, but I was going to do it and try my best.” After all, writing is an art form, and any art is subjective to an individual.

People, for whatever personal reason, jealousy, past hurts of their own, or any other many reasons, can be so cruel when they pass judgment on another person. Even though we know this truth, it can be challenging to look past it. I mean, let’s face it: even though we want to be liked, accepted, or famous, why do we put so much weight behind the words of someone else?

Instead, we should only be concerned with what God thinks of us.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Mat. 10:28 (NIV)

He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Luk 11:28 (NIV)

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Sam. 16:7 (NIV)

True happiness is doing what God has called us to and being content knowing we have done our best with His help. Even if we have challenges or difficulties, we shouldn’t let them define us; rather, we should let God write our success story.

So, child of God who has been called, do it! Go and be the person you were meant to be. The one He has specifically made to do a specific task in a specific way. True, there may be someone else who is perhaps more qualified than you, but they’re not you. They don’t have the past, the experiences, the heart that you have. I have this knack for remembering stories and events from the past and then drawing from them when I need to. Others may not have that ability. And know that you may seldom or even never get a satisfaction survey that speaks truthfully about how God used you in someone’s life, but you will one day hear God say, “Well done, thy good and faithful servant.”

My Favorite Phrase

November 3, 2023November 1, 2023 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

Life brings its own set of challenges. Keeping on top of everything or ahead of it all is a full-time job. But what if God gives you a command or challenge to carry out? Do you blindly obey with all the faith you have? Do you say, “Okay, God, but help me.”? Or do you debate why He should probably choose someone else?

Earlier this year, April and I went to Texas on a mini vacation. The hotel we stayed at, of course, had a swimming pool. I talked April into joining me. The water was warm, but the air was a little cool, so as we entered the shallow end, we kneeled so the water would rise to our necks. We were having a good time when I suggested to April we go to the other side. She agreed and climbed onto my back as I swam to the deep end until she could grab the edge. April trusted me to get her to the other side even though she couldn’t swim. She remained calm and didn’t put up a fight or resist. She went for it.

A dear friend from one of my past churches I used to attend in another state told me God asked her to bake pies and to take them to her neighbors. It was a way for her to get to know them and to have an opportunity to share the gospel. Some of those neighbors lived on the other side of the street. She obeyed.

What is God asking you to do? Jesus once told his disciples, “Let us go to the other side.” They did.

^35-38Late that day he said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side.” They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, “Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?”

^39-40Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith at all?” Mark 4:35-40 (MSG)

The above is a popular portion of scripture preached a lot about faith. And it is good. I mean, Jesus told them they were going to the other side, so they should have known they weren’t going to drown. My favorite part is what happened next in Chapter 5. Jesus set a man free from the possession of a demon named Legion, for there were many demons in him. As a result, a whole town heard of Jesus and had an opportunity to accept Him.

So, if God is asking you to do something, obey. Don’t argue, don’t resist, believe and go, even if you can’t swim. He will calm the storms that may try to prevent you from reaching the other side, but have faith. For what is on the other side most likely has eternal dividends.

What If?

May 4, 2019May 3, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 106 I almost blew it! What if I hadn’t of done what I had committed to God to do? I had told him a few years ago I would do my best to never miss a deadline to writing a blog. If I had what would have happened? I know one thing, the end result wouldn’t have been the same.

So why didn’t I want to write the blog? I enjoy writing the blogs twice a week, even though I don’t always know the results of the words I type. We had been swimming all day in the hot sun and I was tired. The blog was already three hours late in posting. I thought, it will be okay to miss just one blog post. While I was making ice, we found the recipe again, I sensed the Holy Spirit tugging at my heart to write something.

I asked God, “Do you want to love on your people, or encourage them?” I sat at my desk, and the blog seemed to have written itself. Those usually turn out to be the best ones, but don’t tell anybody.

About forty minutes after I had posted the blog I received a phone call. It was then I knew why the Holy Spirit impressed upon me to write and what to write. A person was discouraged, but God used the blog to encourage. It’s not me, or about me. I’m not special, just obedient, most of the time. I have learned, God can do everything himself, but He delights in using his people to accomplish his will. Is, or has the Holy Spirit been whispering to you to do something?

“Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God…” (Psa. 143:10 NASB)

The Confession

July 7, 2018July 5, 2018 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

20180618_161958 Confession: I have never been inside a confessional booth. I grew up in a church where doing so was not part of our spiritual practice. I am at a temple where there is one. I am writing this blog post while sitting inside it. Not intended, but in order to see I brought a small, but bright LED light. It is casting such a white glow I think it scared a couple checking out the temple.

Here I sit, in this small, wooden structure. It smells old, musty, perhaps from tears soaking the carpeted board beneath my feet. There is carpet on the walls as well. I guess to absorb the sound, but aren’t confessions meant to be heard?

I think there is also supposed to be a man in the booth next door. A man to hear my sins? My wrong doing? What if he is actually a newspaper reporter? Wait, when Jesus died on the cross, didn’t his selfless act of love cut out the middle man? After all, the veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom. The veil that once separated man from God. Now Jesus is our High Priest.

I guess while I am in here I might as well start talking. Heavenly Father bless me. It has been 23 minutes since my last confession. You remember. Oh, you don’t? Then maybe I should choose to forget it also.

Now, I confess all my sins. The ones that denied you, dissatisfied you, destroyed me and demolished others. The sins that dishonored you, discomforted you. The ones that would disqualify me from your presence, if it were not for your Son. The sins that diminished others, disgruntled my employers, and devalued my wife and children. And don’t forget the one that deflowered me before I was with the proper one at the proper time. The ones that delayed me from being obedient unto you and your plans. I also confess the times I digested things that defiled my body, your temple. The words I spoke that derailed others on track to finding you. The times my actions denounced you. The sins that I allowed that wound up discouraging me and damaging my faith.

Forgive me Father. I ask for your mercy and grace. Thank you for not deleting my name from your Book of Life. Thank you for forgiveness, and for your Son, Jesus who gives life through his death.

Now what do I do Lord God? “Go and sin no more.”

Have You Considered?

June 2, 2018June 1, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Covering of protection

Have you ever considered what your breaking point would be in life? How much you could take? What could you handle, but what is too much? Severe sickness of you, or of the ones you love the most? Losing your entire net worth? Being abandoned by the very ones you thought cared the most about you?

“And the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job?” Satan replied, “Have You not put a hedge (a covering) about him and his house and all that he has, on every side?” (Job 1:8 & 10 AMP)

God, because of Job’s relationship with him, had put a covering over him, or had his hand over him, so the results of a fallen, sinful, world could not affect Job, his family, or his possessions. Once I got really angry at one of my neighbors. I was so mad, I wanted to harm her, but I didn’t. Instead I prayed and asked God to take revenge on her for hurting me, After all, “Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.” (Rom. 12:19 MSG) One day I asked God what happens when he gets vengeance on someone. He whispered back, “I slowly remove my hand from their life.”

I shuttered! As time went on, I witnessed my neighbor losing her job, experiencing vandalism, and worst yet, the death of her oldest daughter. I prayed for her. I know God was hoping she would stop resisting him, and in turn, run to him. She finally did.

Job resisted the temptation to blame God for his troubles and die, but eventually repented of his prideful way of thinking. Then God restored everything back to him and doubled what he had lost. Could you have handled such loss? Or perhaps the better question is this, would God ever say to Satan, “Have you considered my servant: __________?“ (fill in blank with your name)

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.

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 ~

“In God We Trust”

May 21, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

US coin Our founding fathers didn’t declare this, but congress did in 1956. They could have declared a lot of things when they were deciding what to inscribe on our currency. Something that would be used around the world. I’m sure after a lot of thought, it became obvious, the only thing to say was who they trusted in. Those men knew God and His word. After all, men came to this land for the “pursuit of religious freedom.” It just makes cents!

2Sa 22:31 As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried. He is a Shield to all those who trust and take refuge in Him. (AMP)

There is an old hymn my church sang when I was young, that had the following line; “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way.” I know, it’s hard to do. You can’t see God, but if you trust Him, you might just see His hand move about your life. You might hear His voice calm you in the midst of life’s storms. By the way, you can’t see the wind either, but what fool would dare deny its existence?

Whats inscribed upon your heart? What do you declare to the world to trust or believe in?

God?

April 30, 2017 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

It would be so much easier if you could see God, touch Him, and hear Him audibly. But if all that was possible don’t you think it would cheapen your faith? I mean faith’s value goes through the roof when you chose to believe in who you can’t see, touch, or hear, and yet the things you have been talking to God about, happen.

If you asked God for His will for your life and the next morning you found an email in your inbox from God telling you to do something that you didn’t like you probably would label it as “Spam”. Or, you might be tempted to click on “unsubscribe”. You see God has a way of taking His desires for our lives and developing them in us to the point we start asking Him for the same thing. Thinking it was our idea. Steering wheel isolated on a white background

One thing about God’s will is the timing. Maybe you do know His will, but do you know His timing? A good way to discover His timing is by moving. It’s hard to steer a car when it is parked. When you are moving in the direction you think is God’s will He can steer you, but you have to prayerfully watch the road signs. It’s like this, just because someone offers you a job out of the blue, doesn’t mean it is God’s will for you to work there.

Another way to find His will and timing is to talk to mature Christians who have been there and have done that. They can counsel you in the ways of God, and also be praying with you. Remember this verse: Isa 55:9 “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.” (MSG) Trusting, believing, and obeying provides you the greatest adventures you will ever have and the most rewarding, and satisfied life.

brady, mark a.

Words to inspire you

obedience to God