Rudies

October 15, 2024September 21, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

What do you do when you encounter a person who is angry, rude, lies, and basically treats you as if you don’t matter at all? I met two such people last week.

The first one turned right and never looked to her left, and I had to slam on the brakes to keep from hitting her. I honked and then motioned for them to go ahead. She didn’t but instead proceeded to roll down her window and chew me out while showing me her age with her middle finger. I got mad and went around her. The problem was this: I allowed an evil spirit to jump on me, and I took it home. I then yelled at April and wasn’t sure why.

The second person was the checkout at the grocery store. I actually had an issue with her last week, too, when she somehow overcharged me $9. Today, she was rude when I told her I was not too fond of the fact that she was putting my purchased food in the shopping cart while the previous customer was still gathering their items. Today, the older shopper almost took some of my items. When I expressed my dissatisfaction, she got an attitude with me and then lied, saying she didn’t know her name when I asked for it.

I noticed I had a horrible attitude myself after I got in the car. Thank God April was at work! After my second errand and on my way to my third, I noticed I still had it. I felt awful inside. Then it hit me. I started praying to God and commanded any evil spirit to leave and to present itself at the feet of Jesus, and He would decide their fate. Then, I prayed for the cashier that God would help her with whatever issues she was facing in life.

We need to be aware that evil spirits are real, and they can latch onto us from other people. Knowing how to deal with these spirits is essential.

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Eph. 6:10-18 (NIV)

Yep. There are spirits that try to rule and reign over territories. When I was living in the Philippines, I discerned different evil spirits. Ones that tried to keep things broken in order to keep people depressed and poor. The average family struggled to make ends meet. There were also evil spirits of disturbance. Identifying them and then knowing how to use the weapons God gave us listed above is vital to living life in peace. My battles are not with people but with evil spirits.

What or Who Are You Celebrating?

October 31, 2023October 30, 2023 / Mark Brady / 3 Comments

As you know, today, Halloween is celebrated. What is considered by most as an innocent day for children to dress up as their favorite character. For others, it’s the pinnacle night of offering worship to Satan.

I grew up trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. I followed my parents’ beliefs that it was just for fun. The worst thing that happened was rumors of people placing needles or razorblades in fruit and candy bars. I checked every candy bar I got and found no blades. I left the fruit for my sister to test.

Also, while growing up, my father and I watched horror movies on late Saturday nights. There is a kind of fun being scared. That is why haunted houses are so popular. We even watched movies that portrayed demonic activity. My dad was reassuring by telling me, “This stuff is not real.” I believed him until I was a young adult and heard firsthand a couple in my church describe a night when fire came out of their fireplace and then went back in without burning anything in their living room.

I fell off of the ottoman I was sitting on. Everyone turned to me and asked, “Are you okay?” As I climbed back on, I asked, “You mean this stuff is real?” It’s not that my father lied; he didn’t know. That day, I vowed to stop watching anything that had satanic overtones. It’s not fun. It’s not entertainment. The devil wants us to think he is not real.

Just last week, April and I were watching a popular miniseries on Netflix. We stopped after the second episode. I told April I sensed an underlying evilness, and we then prayed over ourselves and our house that nothing would attach to us or try to take residence. Yes, this stuff is real. There are evil spirits in this world.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph. 6:12 (NIV)

After all, we don’t want to unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief—we’re not oblivious to his sly ways! 2 Corinthians 2:11 (MSG)

When I was a youth minister many years ago, I had a counseling session with someone who told me that thirteen people went into the woods the previous Halloween, but only 12 came out. One person volunteered to be sacrificed to Satan on an altar. I later asked a local police officer about it. He confirmed they found a rock altar and a dead body upon it. Because of confidentiality rules, he knew he could not ask me who I spoke with.

Please, do not be ignorant of the devil or his ways. What he means to be an open door into your life may be something you consider innocent, fun, or cute. He is real and wants to use you to get back at God. He mocks God. He takes what God has created and twists it or perverts it. You should pray and ask God to show you the truth. Ask him to reveal to you any ways that the devil may be using to have power over your life.

It’s a Spirit

January 19, 2021January 18, 2021 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

A lot is changing in the world, and fast too. I don’t like what I am seeing either. I know there has always been evil in the world, but it seems like it is taking a predominate place in our society. Some other people see it too, and have shared their observations via social media. We are entering, if not there already, in the end times.

It amazes me how people can believe a lie and go to their grave proclaiming it. It astonishes me how a group of people can have a hold of the media, and only their words are heard over the airwaves. It bewilders me how individuals can hear or read something and blindly believe it, just because it was on TV, radio, or social media.

Think for yourselves people!

Is ignoring a lie easier than standing up for truth?

I understand the pressure of being the minority in a group that has a difference of opinion from the others. Jesus understood this kind of pressure as well. His life example and teaching went against the power figures of his day. Yes, it is true, they killed him, but the truth he gave lived on, and empowered by the Holy Spirit was spread by a very small band of believers. What is also true, is they stayed on point and eventually changed a large portion of the world.

Although we hear words coming from people, most of the time we are battling a spirit, an evil spirit. Here is what God says on this subject:

¹⁰Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you.

¹¹Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser! ¹²Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage. ¹³Because of this, you must wear all the armor that God provides so you’re protected as you confront the slanderer, for you are destined for all things and will rise victorious.

¹⁴Put on truth as a belt to strengthen you to stand in triumph. Put on holiness as the protective armor that covers your heart. ¹⁵Stand on your feet alert, then you’ll always be ready to share the blessings of peace.

¹⁶In every battle, take faith as your wrap-around shield, for it is able to extinguish the blazing arrows coming at you from the Evil One! ^17–18Embrace the power of salvation’s full deliverance, like a helmet to protect your thoughts from lies. And take the mighty razor-sharp Spirit-sword of the spoken Word of God. Eph. 6:10-18 (TPT)

So take heart, and stand for what is true no matter what. Your solid stance for what is true may convince others to listen to the life giving words coming from your mouth. They might believe in Jesus and find salvation that will put them on the right side of the battle, and even if they die on earth they will live forever in heaven.

Chaos

June 15, 2019June 19, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Photo by nikko macaspac on Unsplash

The rains pour down, the grass grows tall,
the sun comes out, and the lawnmower won’t start at all.
I need to get to work, but the car is making a funny sound,
I take it in to the shop and he said, “No issue can be found.”

The kid gets sick, so to the doctor we must go,
I tried to pick up the prescription, but the store says, “No.”
No money on my card, but I just got paid,
I call the bank, they research, “Oh, sorry, a mistake was made.”

I wake up to find water on the kitchen floor,
Great! The refrigerator gone out, and the frozen foods leaked out the door.
The neighbor’s kid was outside playing baseball,
a home run hit, ball through my window, it’s now in my hall.

The alarm doesn’t ring, I guess the power went out,
I’m late for work, and my boss yells and shouts.
My spouse fell and tore their work clothes too,
how are we going to replace with all these bills due?

Why is my life such a chaotic mess?
I’m so tired of all this distress!
Is this life? For better or for worse?
I can’t take it any longer, so put me in a hearse!

Satan comes to kill, steal, and destroy, so he’s behind it all,
Jesus came to give abundant life. To restore things after “The Fall”.
Adam and Eve, thought they could do life on their own,
they disobeyed God, life became hard, and so they moan.

Accepting Jesus isn’t a magic pill, to make the chaos all go away,
but you can devote yourself to Him, and with you He will stay.
All the chaos is just one big distraction, keeping you from God,
Speak to it, in the name of Jesus, “Peace be still”, even if it feels odd.

God tells us to take dominion over the earth, to rule with him in this life.
We don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, so you won’t even need a knife.
Use the power He gives you, in His name. Drive out evil spirits that disrupt,
Call forth peace, joy, and love to come into your life. These things are not corrupt!

You can live life now, the way God first intended, rich and full,
you don’t have to put up with the chaos, which is nothing, but Satan’s bull!
It’s up to you. A life of peace, or a life of crises,
Give your life to Jesus, and you can overcome, Satan’s devices.

As It Is In Heaven

May 22, 2019May 20, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

(representation of an evil spirit only)

This one was bad. You don’t want the little ones, but you definitely don’t want one of these. It probably registered an 8.7 on the wrecking scale. What God had spent 25 years in the making was about to end in 25 minutes.

Loud, explosive words of hurt and hate spewing from the mouths of Mr. Proud, and Mrs. Stubborn! Satan, no doubt, was in the shadows of darkness cheering with every foul, and fateful word spewed. He probably was ringing his hands, anticipating, the final blow that would end it all. He must have been pleased with his demolition plans, for he loves to kill, steal, and destroy.

Fast forward to today. The couple is still together, and in fact, their love is stronger than ever. How did they do it? They didn’t, Love did. God, knowing their darkest hour had arrived, hearing their invitation for his help, must have dispatched an army of angels to defeat his enemy, and theirs. The couple didn’t know how to stop the eruption of anger and fear, but they knew how to pray, or in this case, scream, out of desperation. What they may not have known, is they were fighting forces unseen.

“In conclusion be strong—not in yourselves but in the Lord, in the power of his boundless resource. Put on God’s complete armour so that you can successfully resist all the devil’s methods of attack. For our fight is not against any physical enemy: it is against organizations and powers that are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil.” (Eph. 6:10-12 PHILLIPS)

Everywhere people live, there are ruling spirits doing the work of the devil. One such spirit, here in the Philippines, is the spirit of control. It seems to be more prevalent in women, but it is certainly seen in men as well. The way to defeat this spirit is with God’s help, but also by repenting of this spirit in your own life. I have to on a regular basis. One should stop fighting people, especially those they love, and ask God what evil, ruling, spirits are over their land? Once you know, claim your authority, you have in Jesus, and speak to the ruling spirits and tell them, in the name of Jesus Christ, to flee. Then watch how the people around you will change, and live in peace. “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

brady, mark a.

Words to inspire you

evil spirits