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.

Church Cookies

May 25, 2019 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

“ Charlie 237 Why are we the only ones providing a snack each week for the children? Can’t someone else do it this week?” Asked the man.

She was young, and living in a country where the simplest things you want, cost too much. So when she visited the church down the street, and after they shared the hope of Jesus, they passed out cookies and a fruit drink. She couldn’t believe it. She thought the pastor must have been the richest man in the world! She went back, week after week. In fact, she told her older sister, and she started going. This continued, but then one day, the message became the nourishment she wanted and she asked Jesus into her heart.

“I will gladly buy cookies and fruit drink every week,” repented the man.

What are you willing to do for someone else, so that they might hear the good news of Jesus Christ dying on a cross for our wrong doing, and the hope of eternal life?

⁹Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.” (Gal. 6:9 AMP)

God is Not Religious

May 18, 2019 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

Charlie 230 Satan is religious. He loves churches that try to get you to follow a list of dos and don’ts knowing when you fail, you will probably hate yourself and possibly hate God. Satan religiously tries to get you to believe the lie that you have to follow a list of rules. The problem is simple: you are trusting man to tell you what God desires from you instead of finding out for yourself.

If God wanted us to be religious, he would have not sent his Son, Jesus to be a perfect sacrifice for our sins, but instead would have stayed in the temple, behind a curtain. When Jesus died that curtain ripped from top to bottom. God doesn’t want religion from us, but a relationship with us.

When you get to know God for yourself, you’ll fall in love with him, and because you don’t want to hurt the One you love, you change your behavior. Even if you slip up, out of love He forgives, comforts, encourages, and helps you. This paradigm is a much better way to live.

A friend once said he didn’t have a relationship with God. I said, “Sure you do! It’s just not a good one.” Everyone has a relationship with God. He loves you, and if you haven’t talked to him in a while, then I’m sure he misses you! God knows where you are, what you are going through, and he still knows your name. Can you hear him whispering it?

Spontaneous Love

May 15, 2019May 13, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

By Oswald Chambers

Love suffers long and is kind… —1 Corinthians 13:4

LOVE 105 Love is not premeditated– it is spontaneous; that is, it bursts forth in extraordinary ways. There is nothing of precise certainty in Paul’s description of love. We cannot predetermine our thoughts and actions by saying, “Now I will never think any evil thoughts, and I will believe everything that Jesus would have me to believe.” No, the characteristic of love is spontaneity. We don’t deliberately set the statements of Jesus before us as our standard, but when His Spirit is having His way with us, we live according to His standard without even realizing it. And when we look back, we are amazed at how unconcerned we have been over our emotions, which is the very evidence that real spontaneous love was there. The nature of everything involved in the life of God in us is only discerned when we have been through it and it is in our past.

The fountains from which love flows are in God, not in us. It is absurd to think that the love of God is naturally in our hearts, as a result of our own nature. His love is there only because it “has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit…” (Romans 5:5).

If we try to prove to God how much we love Him, it is a sure sign that we really don’t love Him. The evidence of our love for Him is the absolute spontaneity of our love, which flows naturally from His nature within us. And when we look back, we will not be able to determine why we did certain things, but we can know that we did them according to the spontaneous nature of His love in us. The life of God exhibits itself in this spontaneous way because the fountains of His love are in the Holy Spirit.

WARNING!

May 10, 2019May 9, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 106 Here in the Philippines, they print pictures on the packages of cigarettes, that show what could happen if you smoke. Is it effective? I don’t know, but I don’t see a lot of smoking going on. Of course that could be due to the cost of cigarettes.

God told us, in his word, what would happen if you sin – death! Is it effective? I don’t know, because I see a lot of people sinning, including me from time to time. God also showed us what our sin cost – the death of his only Son, Jesus. You can pay for your sins, or accept Jesus’ payment. It’s up to you.

”For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23 AMP)

There’s No Formula!

May 8, 2019May 6, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 110 Because it worked for an individual, a certain way, in a certain amount of time, doesn’t mean it will for you. I’ve noticed over the years, people will flock to hear a person tell how God moved in their life to reach others. Or to hear what they did before God healed them. There is nothing wrong with listening to someone give their testimony, but people think if they duplicate what the person did, it will happen for them, so they take notes, and list each step as if it’s a formula or a recipe. They think, “Well, if I pray as much as they did, or quit my job to fully devote my time to God.” The danger is this; if the individual does all the same steps, but doesn’t get the same result then they can get discouraged, dissatisfied, disgruntled and disappointed with themselves or even with God.

Have you noticed in the Bible there is only one Noah, one Samson, one King David, and only one Paul? God is creative, and he loves to do a fresh thing in the life of a hungry believer. There may never be another mega church builder like Joel Osteen, evangelist like Billy Graham, or philanthropist like Warren Buffet!

When I started writing, I was imitating one of my favorite authors, Max Lucado. One day God whispered to me, “Mark, what are doing?” I replied, “I’m writing God.” “But why are you trying to write like Max Lucado?” Asked God. “Because, he’s successful.” Then he said, “Mark, I already have a Max Lucado writing for me. I want you to write like you. The way I made you.”

So what does one do when they desire to be used of God, healed, married, or anything else? Simply focus on being the bride of Christ. Become intimate with him. You know how it is said a married couple starts to look alike? Well, start looking like Jesus. Act like him, love like he does. Abide in Christ. Stay connected to the vine, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NIV) Also, Matthew 6:7-13 (MSG) “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply.”

God made you specific, and unique. Do what he wants you to do, the way he wants to do it through you, and it will be great, because it will be for his Glory!

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)