If I Could Just Touch

May 8, 2020June 6, 2021 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

050820 3 — “Hem of His Garment” by: **Diana Downing**

I love the story, in the Bible, of the woman with the issue of blood. Not because of her sickness, but because of her faith. In case you don’t know it, she bled for 12 years. Broke, and tired of being considered, “unclean” she thought, “If I could just touch the hem of his garment, I would be healed.” She did, and she was.

To share some personal reflections concerning the time we are living in: you hear some talking about we are in “end times”. “End times”, meaning the last days on earth as we enter into the days described in a book of the Bible, “Revelation”. It’s easy to see a path where the world will try to come together and form a “One World Order”. Using one currency, anywhere in the world. Buying and selling by placing a chip in one’s hand or forehead. They would first tell us this is how we have to have our Coronavirus vaccination. Of course some call that chip, “The Mark of the Beast”. Crazy? No. The Bible talks about it and it may not look exactly like that, but it will happen.

I also think after this first round of the virus you will see a lot of people move out of the “hot spots” and into smaller cities. Especially now, realizing they can work remotely.

What does all that have to do with those who still believe in God, and the women mentioned at the top of this post?

We will need to have the kind of faith the woman had. To believe God, no matter what so many others may be trying to convince us of. To ignore their passion, beliefs, and convictions so we can concentrate on what God says. Provisions could get scarce tempting us to cave and go along with the multitudes just to survive. Could we put the carcass of a chicken in a pot at night and believe God for a whole chicken in that pot by the next morning? Why not? I heard a testimony of this actually happening. Is that any harder to believe for than thinking you would be healed just because you managed to touch only the hem of Jesus’ garment?

My point is this: As the days get harder, and on the outside scarier, will we maintain our faith? Will we do what it takes to go against the crowd and reach out to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment? I say this, When you reach out and touch Jesus’ garment don’t let go! Hang on till the very end.

Can You Endure?

April 28, 2020April 27, 2020 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

050120 Jobs have disappeared,
God is now worshiped online,
but Love endures.

401s have dried up,
social clubs perhaps have gone viral,
but Love endures.

School, now taught at home,
what jobs remain, are in the room next door,
but Love endures.

Hairstyles have changed,
celebrations have too,
but Love endures.

Handshakes are what?
Careful, stay six feet away,
but Love endures.

N95s are worth more than gold,
liters of water cost more than gas,
but Love endures.

Can’t go here,
can’t go there,
but Love endures.

All of this, because of an unseen villain.
Yet another unseen villain is denied to exist,
but Love endures.

As all the world is fighting Corona,
the other villain has already been defeated,
because Love endured.

Yes, Corona has come and will go,
as will Satan, you should know,
because Love endured.

When Jesus died upon the cross,
he became the perfect sacrifice for us all,
Because Love endured.

There is life after Corona coming soon,
there is eternal life after death if you accept Love, Jesus,
because Love endured.

Satan was defeated, by Love,
Because Love never fails,
and Love endured.

You too can endure to the very end,
by believing, and trusting in Jesus,
Because Jesus endured.

Hebrews 12:2 The Passion Translation (TPT)

²We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!

No Smell of Fire

April 21, 2020April 20, 2020 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

042120 Do you feel, like right now, you are in the fire? You were thrown in, because who, in their right mind, would jump in on their own? Maybe your finances are being consumed, your influence, the things you once counted on to define you, or sustain you, gone! Burnt up! You didn’t ask for this, but have been forced into it, and what scares you the most, is you don’t see your way out.

Some are being forced to be quiet during these isolated times. They are struggling, because they don’t know how to live without “noise”, people, parties, activities around them all the time. You see, there are some who don’t want to face what their life really is. It’s not what they wanted, but they haven’t found yet what they “really” need. They haven’t identified true happiness comes from having a relationship with God. Talking to him, hanging out with him.

Here is a beautiful story of three young men, who in the midst of crazy life kept their focus on God. (If you can’t pronounce their names it’s okay. Just substitute in some other name. I do this.)

Daniel 3:26-29 The Message (MSG)

²⁶Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the roaring furnace and called in, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the High God, come out here!”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of the fire.

²⁷All the important people, the government leaders and king’s counselors, gathered around to examine them and discovered that the fire hadn’t so much as touched the three men—not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes,

not even the smell of fire on them!

²⁸Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him! They ignored the king’s orders and laid their bodies on the line rather than serve or worship any god but their own.

²⁹“Therefore I issue this decree: Anyone anywhere, of any race, color, or creed, who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be ripped to pieces, limb from limb, and their houses torn down. There has never been a god who can pull off a rescue like this.”

There are people who dismiss others, who claimed to know God when life was good, but these days they can’t look away. They are watching you in the furnace, to see if you will be consumed by the fire of today’s times, if your God will rescue you, or will it be revealed you, are no different than them.

Know God sees you, loves you, and cares so much for you and for those you love. Another part of the story, above, is this: they threw in the three young men, but those looking into the fire saw four men walking around. You may not see God in this moment with you, but He is. You can be confident of it. And perhaps on the other side of these days things aren’t exactly what you would have chosen, if you were in control of the pen writing the story of your life, but because you never took your eyes off of God, you’ll know, it will be okay.

Surviving, Starts With Believing

April 17, 2020April 17, 2020 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

041720 It has been said, faith isn’t grown in a crises, but displayed. I think today’s times would qualify as a crises. I’m not trying to brag, but I, as well as many others, have been at perfect peace for the last two months, or so. How did this come to be? It started a long time ago:

Jan 1, 2020 to present day = (57) Surviving the Corona Virus peacefully.
Jan 1, 2019 = (56) Trusted God to move to the Philippines and get married. That is working well.
November 2017 = (55) Followed God to a church, where I have learned more about Him.
September 7, 2017 = (55) Moved into my new house, back in my hometown. I love it.
September 6, 2017 = (55) believed in God to retire. I have enjoyed it. God has and is still providing for all my needs.
June 2012 to September 6, 2017 = (50-55) Survived a threatening work environment, where it seemed as if my boss tried to fire me every day, or make things so hard on me to get me to quit. If I had of, I would have lost out on half of my pension.
May 1998 = (35) God helped me survive a very rough divorce. (She asked for it, to go in a new direction.)
December 5, 1994 = (32) Started working at AT&T. God used that company to provide for me and the family.
October 1994 = (32) Trusted and followed God to a new city in hopes of a good job.
August 1990 = (27) Heard God correctly, and moved to a place where I landed a job in two hours.
June 1988 = (25) Got married for the first time. God had fulfilled the promise of getting married.
March 1986 = (23) Survived a moral failure situation, that at one time, tempted me to take my life.
September 1983 = (21) Followed God to be a youth minister, moved over 1,600 miles from home.
September 1980 = (18) Received a scholarship for more than my grades from H.S. should have allowed.
November 1979 = (17) Got serious about living for God. Dedicated my life to his service.
August 1967 = (7) While attending Vacation Bible School, invited Jesus Christ into my life, to forgive me of my sins.

God has been so good and faithful to me all these years. Not all has been perfect, as you can see, but I survived. Over the years, hearing and reading about God has taught me his true nature, and that is of love. God loves us so much. My knowledge, and confidence of God has led me to this present day, these current times, and is why I can live through them with peace.

You don’t have to accept Jesus as a child, as I did, in order to have this kind of confidence in God. You can start today, but that will require you trusting and believing before you have generated your own testimonies of God’s powerful, and loving hand to lead you, guide you, and sustain you. It can be done. How exciting would it be to say your first overcoming experience with God was surviving the Corona Virus, but it all starts with believing.

Psalm 57:1 The Passion Translation (TPT)

Triumphant Faith

Please, God, show me mercy!
Open your grace-fountain for me,
for you are my soul’s true shelter.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your embrace,
under the wings of your cherubim,
until this terrible trouble is past.

What the Corona is Going On?

March 7, 2020 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

Charlie 0320 105 There is so much going on in our world right now. I’ve thought about taking pain pills before sitting down and watching the evening news. There is so much devastation, sickness, hate, and crime. It’s no wonder people live in fear. People fear the most what they don’t know. Mainly, they don’t know what is going to happen in the future.

What’s going to happen to my 401? Funny in a way, most people in the world don’t even know what one is much less have one. They’re more concerned about catching the Coronavirus. If they don’t contract the virus will it affect their job? The world has for certain become a smaller planet. We are more connected to people in China, South Africa, India, and Europe than ever before.

Then there are problems here at home like politicians not getting along and acting like they are in kindergarten all over again. Wildfires out of control, severe storms that cause flooding, mudslides, and total devastation from wind damage.

You might be saying, “Thanks Captain Obvious! We know!”

What this world needs is climate change! You might be thinking, “We have that too!”

Just a thought: how do we know what the temperature was before the floods of Noah’s days? I’m saying, what if the earth’s temperature is just now getting back to what it was before all that water covered the earth? A lot of the water froze because the ground was covered. Anyway, back to our regular scheduled program already in progress.

The kind of climate change I am writing about is in our in countries, our states or provinces, in our cities, on our street, in our home, in us. You see, a lot of people want things to change. The very people who live in fear, but they either don’t know how, or what to do.

Believing in God is not just a cliché,

but the start of laying a solid foundation upon which to build your life. Accepting Jesus, as God’s son, and asking for the forgiveness of all your wrong doing gets you access to all that God offers his children. Protection, guidance, direction as well as a host of other things, the walls, we need as mankind. Then asking for the Holy Spirit to dwell within us is the roof. Our structure is complete. The Holy Spirit not only brings peace, but power to stand firm anytime, and power to do things for God.

Real life, built and lived out on Godly principles, changes everything. For one, there is perfect peace in God, and perfect peace cast out fear. it changes not just us, but our street, our cities, our states, our countries, our world. Things in our world aren’t going to change for the positive until we, those who know God and act like it, do. Then, as God, through his Holy Spirit leads us, we can change the climate of our world. I’m in! Are you?