Coincidence?

August 15, 2025July 18, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I once heard that a “coincidence” is a small miracle where God insists on remaining anonymous. Maybe, but I’m not sure, because He wants to be known. For the devout follower of God, one who has a great relationship with Him, their steps are ordained (officially ordered by God).

It still amazes me, to this day, how God does such a thing. Especially, if your path is to cross with someone else’s. If left to your decisions, would you be too early, or too late for your assignment? But when you yield to God, you are always on time! That kind of relationship takes trust and faith in the God who runs the universe.

This happened to me yesterday. I was going to get out the door and run my errands before it got too hot. I also wanted to mow the lawn. Lately, the grass has been wet from a heavy dew until as late as 2 – 3 PM. I looked out the window and saw that the dew wasn’t too bad and there was a strong breeze. I heard a soft prompting in my spirit, “Go mow.”

I did, and I have to say, for the middle of summer, it wasn’t too bad. After finishing, I was glad I got it done. I came in, showered to help cool down, ate lunch, and then headed out to deal with the errands.

On my second stop, I encountered a young man. Through a thread of conversation, we wound up talking about church. It seemed as if he wasn’t going or wasn’t happy where he was going. I invited him to the church that April and I are going to. I shared with him why we like it so much. I am excited because I believe he will come. Then, on my last stop, I had a serious conversation with another young man about the importance of a trusting faith in God.

I could not dismiss what had taken place and knew that if I had run my errands earlier in the day as I was planning on, I probably would have missed both of them. I love being led by God and having my steps officially ordered. I have learned to trust him in knowing what to say to people and how much. I am humbled that God would allow me to take part in conducting his business. Of course, I won’t know the outcome until I get to heaven, and I’m okay with that, because I know that God’s words never return to him void.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Prov. 3: 5-6 (MSG)

Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. Is. 30:21 (NLT)

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Prov. 16:9 (NLT)

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Ps. 37:23 (NLT)

God wants to be known:

To you it was shown, that you might realize and have personal knowledge that the Lord is God
Deut. 4:35a (AMPC)

Never Too Close!

August 12, 2025July 14, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it.” Rom. 10:11 (MSG)

Yesterday, at the time of this writing, my pastor spoke from the book of Genesis about how Abram (later Abraham) picked up and left everything to follow God and his plan for his life. Today I sent the following message to him.

Hi Pastor,

I could relate to your message yesterday. When I was 20, God called me into the ministry. Three weeks after I turned 21, I left Tulsa, my budding, stable career with PSO, family, and friends, and drove 1640 miles to Acton, MA.

I took a position in an Assembly of God church that was new, and they said they couldn’t pay me a salary. Yet I had a car payment, a student loan to pay back (with no Joe Biden’s help), and living costs. My father forbade me from going. (I was not living under his roof at the time.) Also, I lost my best friend over it because he thought I should obey my father. Yet I knew God told me to go, and I wanted to “trust” Him and obey.

God was faithful, and everything got paid. I learned so much about following God back then. It has truly been the greatest adventure one could ever live! I, too, desire for everyone to experience that kind of relationship with God, and that is the basis of my blogs.

In closing, I sensed the Holy Spirit whisper to me yesterday while you were speaking, “Because you trusted me and obeyed, I have poured out my blessings upon you ever since.”

Romans 10:11 is so true! You don’t follow God for what you can get from him. He simply likes to bless his children who believe so strongly in him. One can never follow God too closely.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Heb. 11:6 (NIV)

⁶So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” ⁷Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. ⁸Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” ⁹So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
Gal. 3:6-9 (NIV)

I See You!

August 5, 2025July 7, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I watched a movie today, where a son was bitter against his father. His dad was a world-renowned photographer, and he didn’t think his father was around enough or even saw him. The father learned that the last company in Kansas doing so was going to stop developing film. He had some, according to him, important photos that had never been developed earlier in time. He wanted his son to drive him halfway across the country to Kansas. As well, he hoped to reconnect with his estranged son one more time. The father was also very sick and dying of cancer.

The movie played out a lot like real life, where when someone is around long enough, their true feelings about them have a way of coming out. Words, hurtful ones but sometimes true ones, are spoken.

They make it to Kansas just in time, and if you are like me, you will guess (sorry, spoiler alert) that the father dies the night before the slides are made, preventing him from ever seeing what he considered his best work.

Some people may think or feel as though God doesn’t see them. Or perhaps he isn’t around enough. They might believe this because life isn’t going the way “they” want it to. I assure you, God has never taken his eye off of you. And He is always right there with you.

Watch this: God’s eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love. He’s ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times he keeps body and soul together. Ps. 33:18-19 (MSG)

God would say, “I see you!” There have been times when I felt God’s presence so strong that I knew He not only sees me and what I am going through, but is right there with me in the moment. Faith helps you know that God is there and that He sees you.

“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.” Deu. 31:6 (MSG)

At the end of the movie, the son loads a slide carousel projector to view what his father claimed was so important that he had to deliver it to the developer himself, rather than trust a shipping company to handle it. Turns out, the photos were of him as he was growing up. Yes, his dad was there, and yes, he saw him!

Big Enough for You, Two

July 29, 2025June 30, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Our pastor preached from the book of Genesis this past Sunday. He spoke about Noah and the ark. I have been to Williamstown, KY., where there is a life-size replica of the ark. One thought that came to mind this past Sunday was that it was big enough to take in “all” who believed. So is heaven.

In Genesis 7:16, God shut the door of the ark. He had given mankind time to believe, enter the ark, and be saved. The ark was a type of salvation. God saw that mankind was getting out of hand. He had had enough, but everyone on Earth at that time had an opportunity to live.

In Matthew 24, Jesus says that in the last days, life on Earth will be as it was in the days of Noah. Man will once again be vial, evil, and corrupt. And once again God will say, “Enough!” God knows that sin hurts people. The one doing wrong and usually someone else. That may be why He will end it someday soon, but He has once again given mankind time to accept him, this time, through believing that Jesus died on the cross for our sins.

Our pastor said it was Noah’s faith that saved him and not the ark. Your faith will save you, too. You can enter heaven by yourself, or you can enter heaven with someone else, as in two by two. In fact, invite everyone to join you. Noah did. Don’t accept the majority opinion. Just because it may be popular doesn’t mean it is right. The people in Noah’s day most likely said Noah was crazy. “What rain?” “It has never rained before!” They turned out to be wrong. Don’t be wrong. Get on board with believing in Jesus.

In the end, it won’t physically rain on the Earth to the extent of flooding it, but the next time, justice will rain down!

For just as life went on in the days of Noah so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Mat. 7: 37 (PHILLIPS)

“You must be on the alert then, for you do not know when your master is coming.
Mat. 7: 42 (PHILLIPS)

Oh, and the typo in the title was intentional. It was a pun on words.

A Random Encounter

July 25, 2025July 25, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

We all want answers to life’s questions. Usually, we ask them before something happens. “Should I change jobs?” “Should we sell the house?” But then, after something does happen, they change to “Why did that happen?”

For the one who talks to God, we want, and at times, expect him to answer our questions immediately, but if you have walked with God for a while, then you know He doesn’t always answer them on our timetable!

I stopped the other day at a fireworks stand. I have been a big fan of them since I was a child. Last year, I got to shoot off the free package of fireworks that April had won in a raffle. The show was incredible for non-professional ones! I was hoping there would be a way to get some for this year, so I stopped to see what the prices were.

I started talking to the salesman. I knew a church in a small town about 70 miles away ran the stand as a fundraiser. I also knew what organization the church was affiliated with. Turns out, the man I was speaking to was the pastor of the church.

I wasn’t sure why I did, at the time, but I told him I used to go to a church nearby, also affiliated with the organization. I shared with him the struggle April and I had in meeting people there, and how we tried to join a “home group,” but the leader of that group never called us. I mean, April and I shower regularly, and I don’t think we look funny or are weird or anything. I assured him I wasn’t angry or bitter over the circumstances and that we are now going to another church that we like, and that we have already met several people.

The pastor looked at me and said, “Perhaps you were never meant to go there.” I stood stunned for a moment and then replied, “You may be right.” My friend Steve would say, “Now that’s profound!” And it was. You see, I had been questioning for a while, “Why is it so hard for us to meet people here?” God directed us to where we “should” be attending out of frustration.

Perhaps randomly meeting someone isn’t so random after all. What if the encounter was set up by God? Did He have the meeting on “his” appointment schedule, but knew I didn’t need to receive a memo about it? In certain situations, like me meeting the pastor of a church at a fireworks stand, wasn’t random at all! God knew that the pastor had the answer to the question that was in the back of my mind. “Thank you, Father, for the encounter and the answer.” Now I can delete that one and make room for a new question.

The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the Lord,
And He delights in his way [and blesses his path]. Ps. 37:23 (AMP)

This post was written days before the 4^th of July. Not only will I be reflecting on my freedom as a citizen, but I will also be celebrating that God cares and answers my questions.

What’s That Smell?

July 18, 2025June 27, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

The other day, I was cutting some wood with a dull blade. It caused the wood to smoke. The smell didn’t bother me. I kind of like the smell of smoke. Like from campfires and especially from fireworks. I noticed hours later that I could smell the smoke from the burnt wood in my shirt. I found it pleasing. Instantly, my thoughts turned to the incense that burned in the temple day and night.

From the temple found in the Old Testament, the altar incense symbolized the prayers of God’s people. The incense burned day and night. We are encouraged to pray without ceasing. (Luke 18:1) The altar of incense was holy to the Lord and was atoned for with the blood of the sacrifice. Today, it is the blood of Jesus Christ applied to our hearts that makes our prayers acceptable.

In my imagination, I can see the fragrance of our prayers getting into whatever outfit God is sporting that day. Okay, probably some type of robe. And as I did with my shirt and the burnt smoke, I can imagine God turning to one side and sniffing, and the odor putting a big smile on his face because his people are praying.

If they are praying, that indicates they trust in God to do what He does best. It means they are relying on him to meet their needs or the needs of someone else. To deliver or heal whatever the situation requires. It is understandable, then, why our prayers cause him to smile. God loves us so much. He wants to be active in our lives and even give us good gifts.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Luke 18:1 (NIV)

If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Mat. 7:11 (NET)

God’s Hardware Store

July 15, 2025June 21, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

The other day, I had to fix April’s closet bi-fold door. It fell off and landed up against April. She wasn’t hurt, but it did scare her. The problem was the hole that holds the support bolt got too big after I cut the door off because of the carpet. The door was dragging.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to fix it. As I usually do, I prayed and asked God to help me. I needed an idea of what kind of hardware to use to hold the bolt in and still let it do its job.

I went to my garage’s hardware store. In the box, I keep miscellaneous nuts, bolts, odd parts, and leftover hardware from previous purchases. Maybe it’s a “guy” thing to say, “I can’t throw that away. I might need it someday.”

As I rummaged through the container, I saw a thin piece of metal that had a 90-degree angle in it and four holes. I looked at it and saw potential. I put it in the vice and applied a lot of pressure. I was able to change its shape and now was able to change its purpose. It worked! At least so far. The door has not come off again.

“Okay, Mark. You were resourceful, and you fixed April’s closet door. Big deal. What’s the point?” You might be thinking. While I was working on the door, I realized God does the same thing. He needs someone to go somewhere they have never been before and do his will. You may not have ever thought of doing that before. And others may say, “You can’t do that.” Or “You’re not qualified.” And the worst disbelief, “You weren’t made for that.”

God hears such comments and laughs. He sees potential. True, He may have to apply some pressure to get you to be the shape He needs you to be, in order to get you to fit and work out. God knows what your true purpose is, and He is waiting for you to take his hand, trust him, and get about advancing his kingdom.

Be willing to be used by God, however He needs you. Be available and okay with him shaping you so you can become even more powerful. Doing so may reveal your true purpose.

For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Phil. 2:13 (ESV)

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matt. 6:33 (ESV)

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. Ps. 138:8

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Rom. 12:2

No Aprils were seriously injured in the making of this post.

Be Consistent

July 11, 2025June 28, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

My friend, David, loves God and loves people. He is always looking around, observing his world to see if he can help someone who has a need. He believes that gives him an opportunity to share about God and God’s love. Some may minimize lifestyle evangelism and think that people only accept Jesus after hearing a sermon, but more are likely to after you meet a need in their life. This was Jesus’ approach many times. He met their need, and then they accepted him.

David said he went to a restaurant the other day, and while he was eating, the lady who had taken his order came up to him. “You’re religious, right?” she asked. “No. I’m not religious at all, and I don’t like religion. Religion is about rules. But I do have a great relationship with God. He loves us so much, and I love him back,” he told her. “Aren’t you the one who bought the homeless man dinner a few months ago?” “Yes. That was me,” he replied.

David said that he was surprised she remembered him. Evidently, his actions made an impact on her. It got her attention. He went on to tell me that as he was eating, he noticed how many customers were coming in. The restaurant was getting slammed! He also noticed that the customers who left didn’t get their tables bussed. He knew what he needed to do.

He said he quickly jumped up and continued where the waitress had left off. He stacked the dirty dishes in the tub, along with the glasses, silverware, and trash. He also knew to wipe off the tables and wipe out the seats of the booth. The tub got full, and he knew he couldn’t take it into the kitchen, so he left it on the table across from his.

With the newest customers’ orders now in the system, she returned to the dining room. “I know that is not where I left the tub,” she commented to David. She looked around and saw a lot of clean tables. “Did you do this?” she inquired. “Maybe an angel did it,” he said with a big smile on his face. “Thank you. You didn’t need to do that,” she said. “But you all were getting slammed, and the new customers needed clean places to sit and eat,” he commented.

David knows that she will definitely remember him. She witnessed his consistency in putting God’s love on display and in motion. And he knows that the next time he goes in there to eat, she will be primed. This means that her heart will be open and ready to hear more about God’s love for us and his Son’s gift of salvation. For the harvest is ready, but the number of workers is few.

Who do you think Paul is, anyway? Or Apollos, for that matter? Servants, both of us—servants who waited on you as you gradually learned to entrust your lives to our mutual Master. We each carried out our servant assignment. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God’s field in which we are working.
1 Cor. 3:5-8 (MSG)

“Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest-ready fields.”
Matt. 9:38 (NET)

God Will Provide

July 4, 2025June 19, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I use an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of and forecast our household budget and expenses. Sometime last year, I started declaring at the top of each month’s sheet, “GOD WILL PROVIDE!” Then I list our income and expenses by date. You know how a budget works.

After I balance each month with my bank statement, am I the only one who still does that? I make the following declaration: GOD DID PROVIDE!

I admit that our budget has tightened with the current expenses of remodeling our house and buying some new furniture. So when God started whispering to April and me to be benevolent for a particular cause, my first thought was, “Ouch!” That is going to make life a little more uncomfortable for a bit. It’s kind of like putting on an old pair of jeans after months of not wearing them, and you realize you have gained ten pounds or so! “Ouch!”

Now, April and I can do our part and not eat out like we did last month, and we can do what we can to keep our utility bills down, but that is only going to help so much. But here’s the thing: I know God. I know how He works, and if we continue to tithe and live in a way pleasing to him, God will provide! I don’t know how, but He always does!

I don’t have to know how He is going to do it, but I know that He knows what we need, and our heavenly Father, who loves us, will take care of our needs.

The exciting part of where the money went is it has the potential to change a person’s life for eternity. And their changed life may very well change the lives of countless others. I feel honored that God would speak to our hearts and allow us to be a part of his plan and the great love story that He is writing in that individual’s life.

That individual had a need, and at some point, they probably had no clue as to how God would provide for them. I hope they never forget that He came through in the last hour.

I tell you the truth: living with God and for God is the most fun you will ever have and the greatest adventure of your life. I hope, if you never have, you will accept him and his Son, Jesus, into your life and start down the road of faith. Faith pleases God.

April and I have faith that God will provide!

But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]. Heb. 11:6 (AMPC)

“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Mat. 6:30-33 (MSG)

God Has a Secret

July 1, 2025June 18, 2025 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I can’t recall when or how God told me his secret, but He did. It might have been a dream, or perhaps a thought all of a sudden came into my mind. I do remember thinking, “Why me? I can’t be the best Christian on Earth right now. Not even close!”

My next thought was, “What am I to do with this secret? Keep it? Spill it to everybody? Convey it in a video blog and post it on Facebook and YouTube? I did feel honored, though. Actually, kind of special. Then I wondered if this was how Mary felt when the angel of the Lord revealed to her that she would have God’s Son, Jesus.

Wow! I know God’s secret. Before this, I only knew Victoria’s Secret. Do you want to know what God’s secret is? Of course, you do. Humans are naturally curious. If I tell you, will you respond correctly? Will you share it with others? Will you place the right amount of importance on it? I hope so.

Have you ever noticed those videos, like on Facebook, where they say they are going to share with you the secret to something? But all they do is talk around the secret or about the secret, trying to get you to click on a link and eventually get money out of you. Those are annoying.

Okay. Here it is; God’s secret is when his Son, Jesus, will appear in the sky above the Earth and call his church home. The religious word for that event is the Rapture. God didn’t tell me his secret. In fact, He hasn’t told anyone, not even his Son, Jesus. And here is why I think that is. If He did, people would live a life pleasing to God right before the event would take place, only to escape going to hell. God wants people to love him and accept his Son, Jesus, and then live a life in his presence, loving others and sharing the gospel with them, hoping they would enter his kingdom.

Share God with others as if Jesus’ return is today, and it very well could be. Compel them, Luke tells us in his gospel, to come into the kingdom of God, to join his family. Tell everyone about God’s secret. Now that I have told you, will you respond correctly? Will you share it with others? Will you place the right amount of importance on it? I hope so.

“But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.” Mat. 24:36 (MSG)

¹⁶For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thes. 4:16-17 (KJV)

And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. Luke 14:23 (KJV)