I Was a Pig!

May 5, 2020May 5, 2020 / Mark Brady / 4 Comments

050520 A pig is very selfish. Also, it will kick and scream to live until the very last drop of blood drips out of its body. Pigs will do anything it takes to survive, and to get theirs. Sound like anyone you know?

Okay, I would like to say I haven’t been that bad, but still, I too was a pig, until, God started converting me, patiently, and lovingly, to be a lamb.

Arthur Katz, in his book, “Reality: The Hope of Glory” writes about the difference in a lamb and a pig. A lamb is quiet while it gives up its life, but a pig, will squeal and fight to the very end and will not choose, of its own will, to lay down its life for any reason, especially, for the benefit of another.

Art wrote about the experience he was given to take the life of a pig they were planning to roast. After giving it some thought, he thought it was better to hand the knife to one who knew how to use it with surgical precision.

I don’t want to be a pig. I don’t want to live the kind of life that would be considered selfish, dirty, self seeking just so my needs can be met. I want to be a lamb. In order to become a lamb, I must exercise my free will, and hand God the knife. I must ask him to cut away, until everything inside of me that resembles a pig, will be removed. Ouch!

What is my motivation for this desire? Being a follower of Jesus Christ, and knowing the Bible talks about Jesus being a lamb.

John 1:36 (NET Bible)

Gazing at Jesus as he walked by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

Isaiah 53:7 (NET Bible)

He was treated harshly and afflicted,
but he did not even open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block,
like a sheep silent before her shearers,
he did not even open his mouth.

The scripture in Isaiah was prophesying about Jesus. Like Jesus did, I too desire to quietly give my life to God, for whatever purpose he has for me. I don’t want to do it reluctantly, but with gladness in my heart. Knowing that any personal suffering is only for a moment, but the effects will last forever.

Because He Went Looking

May 1, 2020May 25, 2020 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

050120 4 I had a conversation with one of my neighbors today. He conveyed a story of one of his, and his wife’s travels back to the U.S. from Uganda. He shared how the plane developed some trouble and they landed safely in the middle of the night un-expectantly.

After a few hours of mass confusion and people cutting to get in front of him and his wife, they finally got to their hotel room the airlines placed them in. Ironically, by being one of the last to be taken care of, they found themselves in a five star hotel, and in a plush room. The airlines does not give out the expensive rooms first!

“Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.” (Mat. 20:16 MSG)

But my neighbor’s story got even better. They expected to have reached their destination, instead they found themselves delayed, and hungry. He said he set out to find some food. When he went back to the main floor of the hotel, he found in a room an impressive spread of food.

The next day they got word the plane was ready. While in line boarding, a passenger who had spent the night at the same hotel he was at, mentioned how they starved, and how she had to beg a maid for some crackers. The difference? My neighbor went looking.

You may be delayed in life, and not sure what the problem is. You may even be hungry, not for food, but for something that truly satisfies. I write about it a lot in this blog, but knowing God better than anyone else does satisfy. God is so loving, funny, comforting, and caring. You won’t be able to understand my claims unless you go looking for him. But the truth is this, God has already found you.

Right there where you are, you can make his acquaintance by recognizing Jesus is his Son, realizing he died on a cross to forgive you of your mistakes, and then inviting him into your life. Afterwards, hang out with God. Talk to him like he is right beside you, because he is. A good way of getting to know God is to read the Bible. I suggest a translation to start with like, “The Message” or “The Passion Translation”.

God already loves you, if you do your part to get to know him, you will fall in love with him. You will, become satisfied.

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!

“Who?”

April 24, 2020April 24, 2020 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

94231915_924151661369801_2906645677645758464_n I received the T shirt pictured here in the mail yesterday. I laughed, and couldn’t believe my knucklehead friend/ex coworker would do such a thing. Okay, now you are probably asking yourself, “Who’s Mike?” Mike was a manager where my friend and I worked. He was a different soul, went by the book, and talked a lot! I often wondered how he kept from going hoarse every day.

Over the years, my friend would say something about this Mike, and my standard reply was, “Who?” I would say most people didn’t care for Mike. I must admit I was one of them. My friend knew that. Mike had a way of doing his best to make sure you knew he was a manager, and that he was smarter than you. My friend and I were in the union.

There were a lot of people who didn’t like Jesus either. Yes, when he performed miracles he would draw quite a crowd and then teach them about his heavenly Father. He taught them about “love”. He taught them and was an example of a better way to live. The way of “love”. To let “love” rule over everything. All relationships, conversations, and decisions,

because “love” never fails. (1 Cor. 13:8)

To this day, a lot of people are drawn to having a relationship with God, via Jesus. But not all make that decision to accept Jesus into their life. I think mainly because they don’t want to change the way they are living. Although, if they were honest with themselves they would have to admit, the way they live doesn’t provide total peace like knowing Jesus does. A true follower of Jesus, a disciple, does everything he can to become like Jesus. To become, “love”.

So, I ask you, “Who wouldn’t want to be like Jesus?”

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.

The Business of Restoration

April 14, 2020April 10, 2020 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

041020 “It’s a 3 alarm fire!” I woke up yelling a week ago, Tuesday morning, at 3:33 AM. It freaked me out. I sensed no present danger, so I proceeded to do what one does when they wake up in the middle of the night, while I asked God, “Why did I yell that?” I got no impressions as to why, and thought perhaps it meant things were really bad with the Corona Virus and I should be praying more. I did, and then went back to bed.

I was woken up at 9:00 AM to the deep rumble of engines, and to loud voices of men. It scared me. It took me a moment, or two, to realize my neighbor’s house was on fire and there were at least 6 fire trucks out front. Only the man of the house was home at the time, and he had just fallen to sleep when the smoke detector saved his life. He works the evening shift and gets home late.

When I went outside I learned my neighbors were okay, but the inside of the house had become disguised by blackness, and there was extensive damage to things that make up life, like family photos that once hung on the wall.

This morning it hit me that our lives can be disguised by blackness, evil, as well, but it seems to be subtle, over time, and not in a flash of flames. In other words, you change from who you used to be, but you don’t see it happening. I know it has happened to me.

Satan loves being deceitful!

My neighbours have taken a tighter hold of God’s hand today, as He walks with them through this time of restoration. I have a feeling God will use this opportunity to do some restoration work on their souls as well. When I was next door examining the damage up close, I saw a bright yellow, butterfly rise up out of the smoldering debris that was once bedroom furniture. It got my attention, beautiful life rising up out of what looks to be ruin.

Psalms 23:2-3 (The Passion Translation)
²He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love.
His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss.
³That’s where he restores and revives my life.
He opens before me pathways to God’s pleasure
and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness
so that I can bring honor to his name.

God has had to restore life, real life, to me as well. Looking back, there have been times when I have drifted from God’s plans, and purposes for me, but God has, in a tender way, restored me, brought life back. He can, and wants to do this for you as well. It doesn’t matter what you have done, said, or how far you have gone off track. God loves you, and if you will ask for it, forgive you as well. If you took a good, long, honest look in the mirror you might see the years of blackness on you. God says, “come here, I can wipe that off, and restore you my child to be who I destined you to be. It’s my business, and I’m good at it.”

The Naked Tree

April 10, 2020April 10, 2020 / Mark Brady / 4 Comments

91878710_1505334622963387_7096843525702025216_n My neighbor, across the street, is taking down his own tree, as you can see in the photo. I looked out the window and commented, “That tree looks naked.” I laughed, but then realized it will no longer serve its purpose. The tree’s beauty will no longer be admired. The shade, the tree once provided, the comfort, will no longer be there.

There is another tree, we tend to think about this week, in fact today, that was cut down, stripped of its leaves, and shaped to serve a purpose other than the one it was created for. That’s right, the tree that was used as the cross Jesus was nailed to. That tree would no longer be able to fulfill its original purpose, but was stolen by Satan, to be used for his purpose.

Then there is the Tree of Life, Jesus. At the prime of his ministry, the religious leaders cut him down, took action to stop him from fulfilling his purpose. They arrested Jesus, and made false accusations about him. They stripped him of his outer garment, he became practically naked. They beat him, and cut him as he was flogged with a whip that had stones in the ends of it. They nailed him to the cross, and couldn’t wait for him to die.

Neither could Satan.

People ran and quarantined, hid themselves in their homes out of fear. Kind of sounds like today’s times. They thought all hope was gone. Jesus had walked among them and showed them how to live, but more importantly, he showed them how to love.

The ironic thing, concerning the life of Jesus is this, those that were used by Satan to try to stop Jesus’ original purpose actually helped him achieve it. Three days after they thought the story had ended, a new chapter began. Jesus rose up and exited the grave, because he had defeated death. Many of you may be feeling like your story is about to end, but no one has written, “The End” yet. Jesus’ new story opens with him defeating all pain, all diseases, all sickness, and death itself.

Right now, it may feel like Friday night after Jesus had died, or Saturday afternoon, but Sunday is coming! You may be losing hope, but Hope hasn’t lost you. Your faith might feel weak, but the Author and Finisher of our faith is now seated at the right hand of God. (Heb. 12:2) And Jesus, the Tree of Life, is no longer naked, but clothed in glory!

Happy Resurrection Day Everybody!

Identity Thief

April 7, 2020March 25, 2020 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

WIYTGIG 1 I have a theory that human spirits are in heaven, with God, and then, the moment a child is conceived a human spirit is installed. It’s just a thought, okay? One reason I believe this is I was in a grocery store and I saw a small child in their mother’s arms. When the child saw me I smiled, and without hesitation the child tried to leap out of the arms of their mother into mine. The child’s spirit wanted to be reunited with God’s Spirit, which dwells in me.

the child saw God

I didn’t encourage the child at all. I simply smiled. I have thought about that moment and I came to realize the child sensed God’s Spirit within me. That led to the question, “how did the child know God?”

I have been reading “Translating God” by Shawn Bolz. He talks about seeing people as the original version of them God intended. This will help you relate to them better when you begin to see them as God does.

So what happens then? How do we get so off course from being the image of God he designed? Life, temptation, sin, and free will. Those are the things that steal our true identity. I know a man, who had a dream about his son before he was ever born. In the dream he got his name and his destiny from God. Sure enough a son was born, but today that son is not living a life anything close to what God intended. The man continues to love his son anyway, and continues to pray for him, and believe that one day the real version will emerge, and his son will be a mighty, spiritual warrior.

It’s like when we are born, our life is perfect, and wrinkled free. Then, as life happens we get wrinkled, but the moment we accept Jesus we go to the cleaners and there, the Holy Spirit, as steam, gets all of the wrinkles out. He restores us to our original design, and purpose. Yes, it takes discipleship, healing of the heart, and spending a lot of time with God getting to know him fully and his nature, but it can be done.

Jeremiah 1:5 (The Message)

“Before I shaped you in the womb,
I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
I had holy plans for you:
A prophet to the nations—
that’s what I had in mind for you.”

I encourage you to be hungry to be the person God intended you to be. Ask God to show you his plan, design, and purpose for your life. Then, I encourage you to live it. If you choose to do this you will never be happier!

Knowing the Way

April 3, 2020March 31, 2020 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

040420 When I was four years old I was able to show people how to get from our house to JCPenny. I didn’t know the street names, but I knew when to get off the highway, and when to turn and which way. This may be more important; I knew how to get back home.

Funny story; when I was five, we had been to JCPenny and other stores at the outdoor mall, it was the mid-sixties okay, and I had seen at least four different “Santa Clauses”. Something just didn’t add up. Then it hit me, and while we were on our way home, I blurted out the truth of how the whole thing worked. My mother almost wrecked the 1963 Chevy Impala trying to reach over the back of the front seat and slap my legs, or whatever she should make contact with and screaming at me, “Shut up!” My older sister started crying and whimpering, “It’s not true! It can’t be true!”

A couple of years ago, I was working security at my church, when a middle age couple approached me and asked for money. They said they had been in town to visit his sister who was in the hospital. They shared they had intended to drive into town, visit, and drive back home. Instead, they said they got lost and turned around several times. So much so, their gas tank was almost empty.

I felt bad for them, and I didn’t give them cash, so I walked across the street and filled up their car. While the man she was living with, it was an impression, went in to the store to do something, I had the opportunity to speak to the woman sitting in the car.

After meeting them I kept getting a feeling, or was hearing from God, that she used to go to church, but because of some bad choices in life had gotten away from the faith of her youth. I squatted down so I could look at her in the face through the driver’s window and said, “I feel like God wants me to give you a message. He wants you to know he misses you.” She started crying. I said, “I feel like you used to go to church when you were a little girl.” She, now wiping tears, mentioned, “My grandma used to take us kids every Sunday.” I encouraged her to, no matter what, with or without him, to go back to church again. I told her I was sure God wouldn’t hold it against her that she had been MIA for so long, because he just wanted to see her come home. Hang out, talk, and get caught up.

Before writing this blog tonight, I got the impression there is one, or perhaps many people who need to go home again. Not just to a “church building”, but to a place where you can learn the true nature of God. How much he loves you. I think the message God had for her is similar to the message he wants you to hear. If you don’t know how to find your way home, ask Him to help you. He will. He knows the way.