Many years ago, like 33 of them, I left full time ministry. I had been a youth pastor in two different churches. I left under circumstances that should have never taken place. I then entered my own desert and had my own version of Mt. Sinai to march around.
I was so mad for allowing Satan to deceive me into thinking my sin was right, but after all, that’s his specialty. Thinking I would never again get to minister to people, hurt beyond belief, and one of the things I enjoyed the most was preaching from behind a pulpit.
A friend wrote me a letter as I was entering the desert. She said she was praying for me and she shared a word she got from God for me. Jeremiah 31:4 It says, “I will rebuild you and you shall be rebuilt.”
I hid that word from God in my heart for those many years waiting and wondering how God would fulfill his promise.
Tomorrow, at First Baptist Church in Prue, Oklahoma, I will get to stand behind the pulpit once again and minister to God’s people. I am a little nervous, but excited at the same time. I trust this is the first of many opportunities to minister around the world.
I am so grateful to my loving God, for caring so much for me that he would not leave me wondering in the desert, but showed me the exit. After all, the gritty sand had done its work. I was ready!
I am also thankful to Pastor Garry McDevitt for listening to God, trusting me and giving me this opportunity. He is doing a great work for God in the community, as people are accepting Jesus and getting baptized almost every week.
Be encouraged, you have not done so much that God can’t use you. He loves humble, willing, remorseful, ordinary people to do his work. Oh, and he will help you get the sand out of, well, everywhere!
Copyright © 2020 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.
Happy New Year!
Christmas is over, at least the actual day.
To know unconditional love;
What if Mary had said, “No” to God when he asked her to have his Son? After all, many have said, “No” to God perhaps out of fear, or not wanting to risk, or sacrifice anything. Did He have a plan “B”? Was there an understudy waiting in the wings for her big chance?
I used to drive fast. I mean, really fast, or perhaps I should say, “stupidly fast!” In the early eighties, in Massachusetts, I was driving my Chevette. Okay, you can stop laughing now. As I was going up a hill and into a sharp turn to my left I saw a car coming fast, straight for me in my lane. It was going to be a head on collision and I said to myself, Oh this is going to hurt! But right before the point of impact I shut my eyes hard, and screamed, “Oh God!”
There is a popular Christmas song, which I love, “Mary, Did You Know?” A few years ago I turned the words around and wrote a blog post titled, “When did Mary Know?” (12/20/15)
They didn’t get enough love,
Peepholes are kind of cool. Instead of seeing what is directly in front of the door you get to see all around the door and porch area. It may be called a “fish eye’s” view? Some cameras have a similar, attachable lens. The point is though, the peephole provides a secured view of who is at the door, but the truth is, it’s a distorted view.
brady, mark a. 