He Knows (cont.)

January 24, 2023January 13, 2023 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Have you ever heard someone say, “I am just worried sick!” “I am so afraid something is going to happen.” “Well, what if?”

All of these statements are rooted in fear. Fear is like a disease because it can become so powerful that it can actually cripple or debilitate someone. Fear stops people and can even prevent God from moving on your behalf. He may have the plan to help you with what you need, but if you have fear in your heart, you will most likely never try it.

I have been to countries where “fear” seemed to be one of the controlling spirits of the land. The people there would try to do things independently instead of trusting God. It was sad to witness their struggle.

I know one lady, shortly after meeting her, said to me, “My greatest fear is getting a knock on the door at 3 AM informing us that our son has been killed in an auto accident.” About three years later, her fear became a reality. The Bible addresses fear. One scripture says, “The worst of my fears has come true, what I’ve dreaded most has happened.” Job 3:25 (MSG)

The only thing greater than “fear” is “hope”! That is why the devil wants you to believe the lie that you have no hope.

“As long as you are alive, you have hope.”
Pastor Robert Morris

This is why I place my hope in the Lord, for He is the author and finisher of my faith. For God is Love, and perfect love drives out fear!

^17-18God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God, and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home, and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. 1 John 4:17-18 (MSG).

God knows what you fear and wants to help you trust him with it. Allow him so, and then his perfect love will drive it out of you as you learn to count on him.

“One Way, or Round Trip?”

September 7, 2021September 7, 2021 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

Unfortunately, death has been all around me lately. Not in my personal family, but in the families of others and some people I know. My mother-in-law informed us on the street she lives, there is one person, or more who die every day. She lives in the Philippines. Covid is a thief of life!

But yet others have passed away from illnesses and diseases we are more acquainted with, like cancer. Losing a family member, friend, neighbor, or a coworker hurts. We mourn, grieve, and cry, because we will miss them, and that’s understood. Although the pain can be great, when one we know passes but has first accepted Jesus Christ as God’s son, and has made a public confession of their faith in him, then we can be assured we will see them again. Our grief is temporary as the sting of death first hits us. That statement is only true if we too have accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts, asking him to forgive us of every wrong thing we have ever done. I sense I need to write that there is nothing you have done that God will not forgive, nothing!

I had a coworker several years back that believed in reincarnation. I learned that as we talked about life after death while riding the commuter train out of Chicago, IL. We respected each other’s views and opinions. You might say he believed that life offered up “Round Trip” tickets. My view was it’s a “One Way” ticket. Meaning, you only get one opportunity to make that important decision to accept Jesus.

²⁷Every human being is appointed to die once, and then to face God’s judgment. ²⁸But when we die we will be face-to-face with Christ, the One who experienced death once for all to bear the sins of many! Heb. 9:27-28 (TPT)

As my friend and I debarked the train, I turned to him and said, “If you are right, and I am wrong, then I have nothing to be concerned about. But if I am right, and you are wrong, then you will find yourself standing before God explaining to him why you didn’t accept him in your one life.” I went on to explain that the wages of sin, unforgiven wrong deeds, is death. For eternity! As one of my cousins said, “Eternity is a very long time!”

So I ask you, before you die, “Would you like a one way ticket?” Oh, and by the way, no charge. Jesus paid the price for you when he died on the cross.

Hemmed In

January 12, 2021January 13, 2021 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Your back is up against the wall. You have found yourself in a corner, or down an ally with no apparent way out. Your mind is limited on how to resolve your situation. You cannot see any reasonable way out. Your resources are gone. Your bank account, savings, or 401 has been depleted.

Now what?

Such was the story of a woman in the Bible. She is one of my favorite heroes, for she was a woman of great faith who despite what she saw with her natural eyes she believed, “My situation doesn’t have to be this way.” She knew when to tie a knot and hang on. She was hemmed in, her back was up against the wall.

Yes, I’m talking about the woman with the issue of blood. She suffered from a physical aliment that lasted for 12 whole years. She spent every dime she had visiting multiple doctors trying to find a cure. What’s even worse, those who knew her, called her, “Unclean”. I’m sure they assumed God was punishing her for some sin in her life. You think the thought, “I want to die!” never entered her mine? Or, how many times did she question God, “Why? Why God is this happening to me?”

People, who haven’t earned the right to put on a robe,
judge anyway.

What are you facing? What challenges are you dealing with? Can you identify with this woman? I too am facing a situation today as I write these words that I honestly cannot see how the situation is going to end. My emotions got on a roller coaster today, and I did not enjoy the ride at all. Then I saw one of my friends, Jeff Lossau, posted a new blog. (https://jefflossau.com/) As I read God’s words, from Psalms 34, I cried.

⁴Listen to my testimony: I cried to God in my distress
and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears!
⁵Gaze upon him, join your life with his, and joy will come.
Your faces will glisten with glory.
You’ll never wear that shame-face again.
⁶When I had nothing, desperate and defeated,
I cried out to the Lord and he heard me,
bringing his miracle-deliverance when I needed it most.
⁷The angel of the Lord stooped down to listen as I prayed,
encircling me, empowering me, and showing me how to escape.
He will do this for everyone who fears God.
⁸Drink deeply of the pleasures of this God.
Experience for yourself the joyous mercies he gives
to all who turn to hide themselves in him.
⁹Worship in awe and wonder, all you who’ve been made holy!
For all who fear him will feast with plenty.
¹⁰Even the strong and the wealthy grow weak and hungry,
but those who passionately pursue the Lord
will never lack any good thing.
¹¹Come, children of God, and listen to me.
I’ll share the lesson I’ve learned of fearing the Lord.
^12–13Do you want to live a long, good life,
enjoying the beauty that fills each day?
Then never speak a lie or allow wicked words
to come from your mouth.
¹⁴Keep turning your back on every sin,
and make “peace” your life motto.
Practice being at peace with everyone.
¹⁵The Lord sees all we do;
he watches over his friends day and night.
His godly ones receive the answers they seek
whenever they cry out to him.
¹⁶But the Lord has made up his mind to oppose evildoers
and to wipe out even the memory of them
from the face of the earth.
¹⁷Yet when holy lovers of God cry out
to him with all their hearts,
the Lord will hear them and come to rescue them
from all their troubles.
¹⁸The Lord is close to all whose hearts are crushed by pain,
and he is always ready to restore the repentant one.
¹⁹Even when bad things happen to the good and godly ones,
the Lord will save them and not let them be defeated
by what they face.
²⁰God will be your bodyguard to protect you
when trouble is near.
Not one bone will be broken.
²¹But the wicked commit slow suicide.
For they hate and persecute the lovers of God.
Make no mistake about it,
God will hold them guilty and punish them;
they will pay the penalty!
²²But the Lord has paid for the freedom of his servants,
and he will freely pardon those who love him.
He will declare them free and innocent
when they turn to hide themselves in him. (from, The Passion Translation)

The woman with the issue of blood risked everything, and went into a crowd. She pushed her way through it until she was where Jesus would pass by. She even violated her society’s rules, because she knew with what little faith she had left, if she could just touch the hem of his garment she would be healed. She no doubt had heard the testimonies of his healing power. She did, He passed by, and she bowed to touch the hem of his garment, and she was healed instantly. In a single moment, that she never could have foreseen, her issue went away, and so can yours! (Mark 5:25-34)

THEN, you can proclaim the first part of Psalms 34:

¹Lord! I’m bursting with joy over what you’ve done for me!
My lips are full of perpetual praise.
²I’m boasting of you and all your works,
so let all who are discouraged take heart.
³Join me, everyone! Let’s praise the Lord together.
Let’s make him famous!
Let’s make his name glorious to all.

The woman made God famous, and I’m willing to endure what my wife and I are going through, for someone else, so I can make God famous.

How about you?

Let There Be

January 8, 2021January 7, 2021 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I love it that God spoke the world into existence, and it started with him saying, “Let there be light.” Before he said those words the earth was there, and it was dark and shapeless, but the Holy Spirit was hovering above.

I think a lot of people are going through a very difficult time right now. One might say, dark and shapeless, but know this, the Spirit of God is hovering above. Keeping an eye on you, so you are not alone in the darkness although it may feel like it.

What if, in your darkness, someone said,
“Let there be light”?

Your healing could be separated from the darkness. Your employment situation could be brighter. Your long awaited spouse steps out of the shadows into full sight. Whatever it is, in the time it takes for God to say, “Let there be light”, your whole situation can change. So what is God waiting on? When the moment is right. When you are right, or when the other person is ready, or the employment connection is made.

In the meantime, we wait, as patiently as we can, knowing that while life is dark the Holy Spirit is hovering overhead. Remember, light dispels darkness immediately, in an instant. Light over powers darkness. It cast it aside.

After God spoke light into existence he looked at it said, “It is good.” When God speaks into your life, your situation, your darkness afterwards he will say, “It is good.” And it will be. Your darkness will be over. It will be gone, and you see your new day dawning. You will breathe in and out like you never have before for the weight of the darkness will have lifted. If you place your hope and trust in God I promise you will see the end of the doom and gloom.

So lift your head and say, “Let there be light.”

You Have to do Something!

November 13, 2020November 13, 2020 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

God sent **ONE** angel to defeat the entire Assyrian army.

Whenever we are in a rough spot, and our backs are up against the wall, there is something innate within that forces us to want to find our own way out. We will do just about anything, and it seems the more desperate the situation the more radicle our action will be. Most people seem to have a fight mentality when we are in a corner.

In 2 Chronicles chapter 32, we read that Jerusalem was threatened by the Assyrian army, a horrible group of men, who had no respect for mankind, and they had no fear of God. This army would first send tablets into a town they were set on over taking. These tablets showed detail pictures of how they were planning on torturing their captives in savage ways, which struck ultimate fear in their hearts. The people of Jerusalem knew for sure life was all over. There was only one thing they could do,

pray.

King Hezekiah, joined by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, responded by praying, calling up to heaven. God answered by sending an angel who wiped out everyone in the Assyrian camp, both warriors and officers. Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace, tail between his legs. When he went into the temple of his god, his own sons killed him. 2 Chr. 32:20-21 (MSG)

You pray. You commit the situation to God and then you wait. That’s right. There are times when you have to trust God, like in Psalms 46:10a

“Be still, and know that I am God…”

It’s hard not to do anything. My wife has been stuck in the Philippines for several months now. She is done with the immigration process and only needs her interview at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. It’s difficult to be separated for so long. It hurts!. I have tried everything I could think of, but nothing has happened. I surrendered it to God, I’m being still. Another version of this verse says, “Stop striving…” That is what I have had to do.

In 2 Chr. 32 above, it says they prayed, and God answered, and sent one angel who wiped out the entire army. God may need to send more than one angel to deal with the U.S. government, (kidding) but I do know the answer to my prayer is on the way.

Whatever situation you may be facing, painful, dreadful, frightening, or whatever, pray. Give it to God and then be still and watch him answer as He sees fit to do so.

Protest Hell

June 9, 2020June 9, 2020 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

060920 2 Throughout this whole COVID-19 ordeal, I have been sad as the numbers climbed, but the impact did not land on my front porch, until now. Ten days ago, my friend, Chris called and informed me he caught the disease from work. Chris is 65. Today, I called to see how he was doing, but he did not answer the phone. About an hour later I received a text message letting me know he was now in the ICU.

I prayed for Chris and his wife, who also has it, but I felt as if I needed more people to agree with me in prayer on his behalf. We needed to pray and protest hell! You see, sickness, death, hate, and disease is of the devil. There is power when people gather, agree, and pray. Picture hundreds, or thousands marching against the gates of hell, pushing back evil.

^“Again, I give you an eternal truth: If two of you agree to ask God for something in a symphony of prayer my heavenly Father will do it for you.” Matthew 18:19 The Passion Translation (TPT)

I posted in Facebook the need, and right away people started telling me they were praying. At first, three, then 20, and at last check over 90 people have said, “I will stand with you Mark, in the gap for your friend Chris.” I even heard from people 8000 miles away.

My heart was touched, and to be honest, my eyes started leaking at the out pouring of concern, and love. This is the kind of action we need to take right now for our world as well. I would say, not one of those who said they would pray, knows Chris, but they took time to pray anyway.

I didn’t know George Floyd, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, or the others who have died when they shouldn’t have. I didn’t know the five police officers ambushed in Dallas either.

My point is this; we, who do know God, should be praying more now than ever for all people affected by the recent events and for our country. This cannot be the story of America. We don’t have to know them first, like those praying for Chris don’t know him, but prayed anyway, expecting results.

Thank you to all who have prayed for Chris, or will after reading this post. People of God cannot give up hope, grow weary, get discouraged, or turn to fear, because we know God is bigger than all things, and he is more powerful than evil.

God, I Promise I will …, If You Will …

June 1, 2019June 1, 2019 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

Power After living here four months, it finally happened! I got very sick this past week from being an American and being careless with the water here in the Philippines. While I was lying in my hospital bed, there was a series of thoughts like, “Is God punishing me? Am I not praying enough? What lesson is God wanting me to learn? Should I be praying more?” Then there are those who try to bargain with God like, “God, I will go to church, if you get me out of this.”

Then, the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “No.”

The truth is, we live in a world of sin, pain, grief, hurt, and disease. But we are so superstitious, or think we control God by what “we” do. Bad things happen to good people. Why does God allow it? Only He knows. “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree.” (Isaiah 55:8 MSG)

I like what Mitch Teemley (https://mitchteemley.com) posted this week in his blog: “Faith doesn’t do miracles, God does.”

Did I still pray for healing? Yes, and I did get better and got to come home. Accepting God, and believing in him means trusting him, 100%. Accepting his will is best.

brady, mark a.

Words to inspire you

disease

He Knows (cont.)

“One Way, or Round Trip?”

²⁷Every human being is appointed to die once, and then to face God’s judgment. ²⁸But when we die we will be face-to-face with Christ, the One who experienced death once for all to bear the sins of many! Heb. 9:27-28 (TPT)