I Had To

September 18, 2020September 16, 2020 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

This week I choose to do something I didn’t want to do. My heart was restless as the date approached. I discussed the situation with a friend, and also with my wife. Then two days before the event my wife, my helpmate, said one word. As soon as I heard it, I knew. I knew what I had to do. I was thankful for her hearing God where I struggled.

You see, there are times when someone hurts you, and the pain goes deep into your heart. You tell them what they did, but they don’t care at all, and their pride keeps them from admitting wrong and apologizing. When this happens, you find yourself wanting to avoid them to protect your heart from future pain. As well, you don’t want to do anything for them, as you feel they do not deserve it. I had forgiven them, but I didn’t want to see them. I don’t mean to be so secret about the details, but I don’t want to give any clues that might identify the perp.

God’s word tells how to handle hurt:

Lay aside bitter words, temper tantrums, revenge, profanity, and insults. But instead be kind and affectionate toward one another. Has God graciously forgiven you? Then graciously forgive one another in the depths of Christ’s love. Ephesians 4:31-32 TPT

Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. Luke 6:28 NLT

I did do the right thing, but I had to pray, a lot, and ask God for help. I also asked him to protect me, and help me not bring up the past while I was there. They did do one thing that bothered me while I was in their presence, but I left before the pain erupted. God is good at helping us in our time of need. His specialty is loving those who don’t deserve it.

If you are facing a similar situation, pray, and ask God to help you do the right thing that will glorify Him. You never know, but your loving kindness might just be the catalyst to change things around.

It Was Bigger Than Me!

February 15, 2020 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 021520 Big companies have a big pool of customers, and a bigger database of files. Welcome to the computer age where you can automate systems to handle this big work load. Sounds good, but what if one of the employees pushes the wrong button?

From my own experience I’ll tell you what happens. A mess! A big mess.

I discovered this today as I called a big company who sent me an email saying my bill was past due. “What?” “How can that be?” “I pay my bills!” According to the first person I spoke to I owed several hundred dollars. Not something you want to hear.

The first guy passed me off to another department and after being on hold for a while the second guy came back with an answer and a resolution. Evidence pointed to an employee, a year earlier, pushing a button that shouldn’t have ever been pushed. The company informed me I did not owe the money.

I asked the second guy, “How did you figure this all out?” He said, “When I first started looking at it, I realized this was bigger than me! I asked for help.”

His phrase got my attention, and I thought, some people, including me, don’t recognize quick enough how big a situation in our life is. Before you know it, things can get out of control and start causing a lot of pain. The point is this; we should take “everything” to God in prayer from the very first indication of life being out of order.

“Oh what needless pain we bare, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”

Ask for help from God at the beginning, you know, the first moment you sense something is wrong. You don’t always have to be the hero. It’s okay to say, “This is bigger than me.”

God, Help!

September 21, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 8978 Should it turn left or right? Come to think of it, I have never turned the water off at the street. The valve was hard to turn as well. I got frustrated, and while looking down into the dirty, yucky, spider enticing hole in the ground I said, “God, I need help.” I literally looked up, from the hole, and down the street, about three houses away, was a city water department truck. I tell you the truth, the truck was not there when I started the task. I walked to the truck and the employee drove down to my house and helped me.

Then, with the water turned off, I was ready to remove a leaking valve in the bathroom. I could not get the valve to come off. Again frustrated, “God, I need help again.” I called a place, I trusted, to get a number for a plumber they trusted. No one could come out that day unless it was after hours which would have cost a lot! Then, the woman on the phone transferred my call to what I pictured was a grey haired pipe wrench turner wearing blue denim overalls. I explained my situation and he told me what type of plumbing I had and how to fix it. It worked. No charge, even though I called back and offered to pay for their knowledge.

God does know you, and He sees where you are, and what you going through, but more than that, He cares.

He wants to help you, and He wants to bless you. What loving father doesn’t want to do good things for their children? If you have accepted him, then there should nothing holding you back from asking for help in your time of need, even for every day stuff. Here is a scripture of God’s promise to us:

“If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says God,
“I’ll get you out of any trouble.
I’ll give you the best of care
if you’ll only get to know and trust me.
Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times;
I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party.
I’ll give you a long life,
give you a long drink of salvation!” Psalm 91:14-16 The Message (MSG)

“Hey God, Thanks!”

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.

People Live Their Belief!

October 6, 2018October 5, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Last week I wrote about helping a young man. The focus should not be on the things I bought to help him for a few days, but on the words I shared with him, that if accepted, and acted upon will last him for eternity.

I had a captive audience. He wasn’t about to jump out of a moving car, at least without the bags of food in the back seat. I told him this: “I don’t like helping people I don’t know, but because of the love that God has shown me, I can’t help but share that love with others. I am only helping you because of God’s love. God loves you Justice. He orchestrated us connecting to show you how much He loves you.” I shared with him where the church I go to is, and there he can learn more about this love of God.

Then I went on to say, “Aren’t you tired of this life you are living? Is the way you are living really working out for you? Aren’t you tired of asking people for help? You need a job in order to properly provide for those children, and your household. You need God, and his help, his power in your life, his guidance to direct you to that job you need.”

He said he read the Bible, and to that I said, “Then act like it!” I know. A little direct and ruff, but the word of God does instruct us to “compel” them to come in. The Message translation says to “drag them in. (Luke 14:23)” The devil is doing a great job of keeping people’s lives so filled with drama they can’t see Truth, Jesus, standing right in front them, and inviting them to accept him, and a better way to live. God’s word says this:

His huge outstretched arms protect you– under them you’re perfectly safe; his arms fend off all harm. Fear nothing–not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, Not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon. Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze you. You’ll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance, watch the wicked turn into corpses. Yes, because GOD’s your refuge, the High God your very own home, Evil can’t get close to you, harm can’t get through the door. He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they’ll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. You’ll walk unharmed among lions and snakes, and kick young lions and serpents from the path. “If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says GOD, “I’ll get you out of any trouble. I’ll give you the best of care if you’ll only get to know and trust me. Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times; I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party. I’ll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!” (Psa 91:4-16 MSG)

If you believe God, and accept him, and his word then live like it! Ask God to deliver you from the drama in your life. Speak into the issues in your life, in Jesus’ name, and say, “Peace be still.” We have the same authority Jesus was given by his heavenly father, God. Declare, Psalms 91 over your life. You will be amazed, what the positive words out of your mouth will produce. Believe it, and live it.

Help

September 29, 2018September 28, 2018 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

What has to happen, or be said, to get you to help? Especially, to someone you don’t know. For Jesus, he just had to see. See the need.

Four times in the gospels, Jesus “saw” the multitude, and was moved with compassion, which in the Greek language means; “guts”. So Jesus “felt” the need.

Today, I saw a need of someone I didn’t know. I’ll confess my trepidation when I invited him into my car. I thought I was off the hook when I delivered them to their desired destination for panhandling. I went on to Lowes. Completed my business, and then sat in my car and thought about his business, God’s. I went back to where I had last seen him. Not there. I headed to my next stop. There he was. Justice, that’s his name. A young man, trying his best to feed three little kids, and keep the lights on. I took him to Target and bought enough to take care of one of his immediate needs.

I’m reading, Rees Howells, Intercessor. I was given the book by Paul Brady, (no relations) the pastor of Millennial Tulsa. I read when interceding for an individual, you must “identify” with the need to the point their suffering becomes your own, and their need, your responsibility. Today, after dropping Justice off where he lives, I started crying. It was then, I realized what I read, had moved from head knowledge, to heart knowledge. I didn’t just read it, but was living it. Now, I can intercede for Justice and his needs, because I have seen, and have “felt” his desperation. Now, I can truly help.

Your Toughest Challenge

September 1, 2018September 2, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

challenges My toughest challenge is being single. It’s not what I wanted, and certainly not what I thought would happen growing up. The apostle Paul, from the Bible, says being single is better because then you are available to God whenever he calls upon you, but Paul also said it is better to marry than to burn. Perhaps, Paul was shipwrecked one too many times!

Have you ever wondered why Jesus put Judas, who later betrayed him for $600, in charge of the group’s money? Bill, one of my past youth members once said, “The tester, wants you to pass. The tempter, wants you to fail.” Jesus wanted Judas to overcome his toughest challenge. Jesus wants you to overcome your toughest challenge too. That is why he is willing to help you.

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it. (1Co 10:13 MSG)

When facing your toughest challenges, ask Jesus to help you. Cry out to him if you need to. Also, it is helpful to go do something else, go somewhere else, and start thinking about something else. Don’t flirt with temptation. One thing that helps is praying. It’s hard to sin when you are praying! You and Jesus got this, just as I have learned, he helps me be single, every day!