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)

When Quitting Isn’t an Option

May 1, 2019January 7, 2021 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Have you ever said, “This is too hard. I can’t do this anymore!”? Or something similar indicating you were giving up? I have. But what happens when you quit something God has chosen you to do?

I read that when Billy Graham started preaching there were two other young men who had been called about the same time. One of those men was an excellent preacher. I read he could preach up a storm. So what were their names? I don’t remember either. You think Satan didn’t attack Rev. Graham, and do you think he never got discouraged, or thought for a minute, “Why am I doing this?” He kept at it because God called him to do a task, and Rev. Billy Graham was not going to stop until his body did, and he knew what would happen if he did, Satan would win.

Are you in a position or place and you know you were there because God put you there? If so, please don’t stop. Be encouraged, that you are anointed, for what you are doing, for such a time as this. (Esther 4:14) And yes, if you quit, people will get hurt, until God raises up someone else to do what He has already chosen you to do. So put your big boy pants on, and just do it!

Strength Helping Weakness

April 26, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 80 The words break free of my mouth, before I can think them through,
before I remember, the words of God, that tells, of the damage they will do.
As the last word, in the long ranting, damaging train does its part,
the sorrow, the remorse is already being felt inside my heart.

I don’t want to hurt, and I certainly don’t want to be mean as well,
so why then do I do this over and over again? Can you tell?
If only there was some way to stop, and think, before I spoke,
then perhaps, the other person, wouldn’t feel as if they’re being choked.

I pray, and ask God to forgive, and then to help me not to do,
I feel better as if it will never happen again, and I will never again hurt you.

I know the great apostle Paul struggled as well. In 2 Cor. 12:7-10,
He told us that Satan did his best to get him down again.
He begged God to remove this thorn in his flesh,
but God only replied “My grace is enough.” In other words, rest.

Then, “My strength comes into its own in your weakness” so let it be,
so Paul accepted it, realizing that when he is weak, “God works in me!”

So the truth is, on my own, I will never overcome,
but when I am weak, God and I, can become one.
Then, in that moment, before I speak, God’s power will take over,
my response will be of love and peace, and His grace will bring closure.

Still Looking?

April 24, 2019April 23, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 75 Do you know the first thing Jesus said, when he exited the tomb? “Ta-Da!” Answered a third grader in a Sunday school class one Easter. He probably didn’t, but should have. Perhaps he said, “I told you!” I don’t really know, but it doesn’t matter. What does count is what he did for you and me by dying, being the perfect sacrifice for our wrong doing, and then defeating death at its own game.

Something I had never thought of before; the word “tombstone” probably came from Jesus’ tomb stone. Although his never got engraved with something like:

Here lies Jesus Christ
Son of God, and Mary
0 – 33

Luke 24 ^1-3At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn’t find the body of the Master Jesus.

^4-8They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, “Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?” Then they remembered Jesus’ words.

^9-11They left the tomb and broke the news of all this to the Eleven and the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them kept telling these things to the apostles, but the apostles didn’t believe a word of it, thought they were making it all up.

¹²But Peter jumped to his feet and ran to the tomb. He stooped to look in and saw a few grave clothes, that’s all. He walked away puzzled, shaking his head. (MSG)

I love when the angel said, “Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery?” Are you still looking for answers to your life? Are you looking for them in a cemetery? Why? Jesus, is the One you are searching for, or for more of, even if you don’t realize it. Your spirit is crying out to be reunited with God and that is only possible through accepting Jesus.

So where is Jesus then? He is right there with you now. Waiting for you to turn to him either for the first time, or again. Everything else in life, and every other place will be empty. As empty as the tomb Jesus borrowed for three days. Stop looking, and start accepting that Jesus Christ has risen, and is alive, and he’s been pursuing you, waiting for you to believe.

Devoted to Devotions?

April 19, 2019April 16, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 70 How many times have you beat yourself up for not doing your devotions? Me? I used to constantly be black and blue! I didn’t like it. Am I not serious about serving God? I used to ask myself. I wanted to make God happy with me, so why did I constantly feel as though I was disappointing him?

It took a while, okay years, but one day I realized being devoted to devotions was not the same as being devoted to God. I begin to walk in freedom, because now I was devoted to God, and I knew I could talk to him anytime I wanted to. I could worship, read his word, and praise him throughout the entire day, and not just at a particular time of day. There may be those that like having a set time each day, but that didn’t work for me. Some people, I’m afraid, do their devotions, but then forget what they read or said to God as soon as they are done. They experienced time gone by, but fail to experience God.

Just like I can’t make you mad, I can’t make God have an emotional response to me as well. We choose our reactions to others and God chooses his reactions to us. I’m sure it’s an easy choice for him though when we talk to him and are mindful of him all day long. God, no doubt, wants to hang out with his children and listen to them, and have them listen to him. God has a lot to say.

^“Therefore, your hearts are to be wholly devoted to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as [you are doing] today.” (1 Kings 8:61 AMP)

If You Only Knew

April 17, 2019April 13, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 69.jpg “No! I won’t give it to him,” cried out the six year old.

“But it will please God. It’s better to give than to receive, and you get lots of toys from McDos.” (What they call McDonalds in the Philippines.)

He shakes his head indicating, “no.”

“And you know what? I bet if you give your car to him it won’t be long before you get blessed in a bigger way. Okay? Let’s go over to the next table and give him the car.”

“No!”

It’s hard to teach a child something that goes against what his culture screams, “Take care of yourself first!” If he only knew. We were at the mall, and I wanted like crazy to see the bewilderment on my little friend’s face when the other young man received something he didn’t earn, or even ask for. There is something about “unexpected joy”. It looks right, and I know, it feels right. Then, if my young friend had given the toy away, I was going to take him to the gaming area where you play games of chance to get tickets, only to cash them in on cheaper toys, because he likes it.

I suspect God is the same way with us. “Come on, give, and it will be given to you. Trust me in this.” But it defies our human logic, and we hang on to something that is cheap. It’s so hard for us to imagine that we will have enough or more than enough when we are already hurting. If you only knew, there is freedom, and tremendous joy in giving. God knows of this joy, because He gave us his only Son, Jesus. Now you know.

Looking for Me?

April 12, 2019April 12, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 67 How can we sum this up? All those people who didn’t seem interested in what God was doing actually embraced what God was doing as he straightened out their lives. And Israel, who seemed so interested in reading and talking about what God was doing, missed it. How could they miss it? Because instead of trusting God, they took over. They were absorbed in what they themselves were doing. They were so absorbed in their “God projects” that they didn’t notice God right in front of them, like a huge rock in the middle of the road. And so they stumbled into him and went sprawling. Isaiah (again!) gives us the metaphor for pulling this together:

Careful! I’ve put a huge stone on the road to Mount Zion,
a stone you can’t get around.
But the stone is me! If you’re looking for me,
you’ll find me on the way, not in the way. (Rom. 9:33-39)

When Life doesn’t Look Anything like the Brochure!

April 10, 2019April 9, 2019 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

travel brochure template printable e To Canada A travel brochure using typical Canadian Well, here you are. In the middle of life, and honestly, it’s not what you expected. What do you do? Give up? Run away? Get a divorce? The attraction is; wherever I go has to be better than this! Disappointing job, house, spouse, church, etc. doesn’t really matter. It sucks!

Some look for the answer at the bottom of a bottle, only to find it’s empty. Others turn to substances that only dulls the pain, but never removes it. Some fight. They fight society, the government, churches, and worse yet, other people. You want to know the truth? Whenever any of this happens, Satan sits back and laughs. John 10:10 says, “Satan has come to kill, steal, and destroy…” What you might ask? YOU! He’s still mad at God for not letting him have his way, and he is using you to get even.

You want to know the Truth? The rest of John 10:10 says “…but I have come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly.” Jesus said that, and He is Truth. He also said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Accepting Jesus and living his way is not a cliche, it is truth, and it works. He doesn’t promise you a perfect life with a perfect job, house, spouse or church, but He says He will be there with you through it. The reason you keep hearing this is because it is truth, and it will set you free. Pastor Linda Budd, of RiverGate Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma said last Sunday, “Jesus doesn’t speak the problem, he speaks the answer.” Jesus didn’t say, “Oh my. It’s stormy out here. We could be in danger. Perhaps we should go back.” No! He said to the storm, “Peace be still!”

I needed to write this today, because I needed to remind myself of the truth, about Truth, and what He says to storms, disappointments in life. I say to my storm, “In the name of Jesus, peace be still!”

Blessed and Highly Favored!

April 5, 2019April 1, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“Hi Mark. This is Cathy. Are you hungry?”
“I could eat. Why?”
“We’re slow at the restaurant and I was wondering if you wanted to come eat here today?”
“Oh, I see. Because I’m a generous tipper?”
“You’re not that good of a tipper,” Cathy said while laughing.
I laughed too. “Okay. Then why do you want me to come eat?”
“I don’t know why, but I’ve noticed that whenever you come to the restaurant, we get slammed with business, and yes, I have more opportunities to earn tips.”

charlie 63 The above conversation was changed a bit, but is true. It’s something I had noticed as well, but didn’t know anyone else had. Several years ago I begin to see that after I walked into a place of business, any business, they started getting very busy. One day I had understanding as to why. It is because I am a child of God and I am blessed and highly favored. Therefore, the places I visit are blessed as well. The blessings don’t stop there either. I find favor among men in many ways and at many times, and am blessed.

I’m not boasting in this, you can be as well. Mary, the mother of Jesus was blessed and highly favored and she knew it, because the Angel of the Lord told her she was. You gain this by drawing close to God. Know that you are his adopted son or daughter with privileges. You have all the blessings of heaven at your disposal. Ask for them. Tell your Abba Father (Daddy God) what you need, and even what you want. You might just be surprised. A scripture says, “You have not, because you ask not!” That is so true. God is just waiting to hear from you. He’s not Santa Clause, or your credit card, for He is so much more than that, but He is love, and He loves you so much! Love him back.

Get to know him, and spend time with him. One of the best ways to know God is to read his word, the Bible. God reveals himself and his character throughout the scriptures. Also look at the life of Jesus. Jesus even said, “If you have seen me then you have seen the Father.” Get intimate with Jesus, for you are the bride of Christ, after you accept him. Live like you know it! Walk around professing, “I am blessed and highly favored,” because as a child, who draws close to God, you are!

Magkano?

April 2, 2019January 7, 2021 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Being with somebody must cost a lot, because most people don’t spend enough time with others. Especially time with older people. Sure, they might tell you the same stories you have heard a hundred times, and bore you, but there is one thing, no matter their health, older people can still do; talk! Magkano? In the Philippines it means, “How much?” So magkano time are you willing to spend?

Spending time with God will enlarge your heart for others.