Three Days

November 17, 2018November 16, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 1 A young woman had been praying for a man of God for years. She had cried out, “God do you not care?” Not seeing any positive movement via the dating site she had joined, she decided to close her account. Three days later she received a message from an interested man. Love blossomed.

A man was asked by God to go to a certain village to evangelize. The man didn’t do it. Instead, he went the other way, and boarded a ship. After setting sail, the ship encountered some very bad weather. Before going down, the superstitious men on board decided their trouble was due to one man. They threw him overboard where a great fish swallowed him up. Three days later, the fish vomited the man out. He then decided to be obedient and go where God had commanded in the first place.

After Jesus drew his last breathe on the cross, his followers thought it was over. They recalled his acts of love, and his stories that inspired, but he was gone. For three days, all hope was lost, until Jesus was resurrected. He overcame the darkness and once again, Light filled the earth!

What is it, about three days of darkness? Is it a test to see if your faith will hang on? Does it take at least that long for your will to line up with God’s? How many days has it been for you? What have you been calling out to God for? Is your hope lost? Are you thinking, “What’s the use” or perhaps you are thinking, “Well, it was nice while it lasted.”

As long as you are alive, hope exist! Why does God allow certain things to happen in ways we might call cruel and unusual, I don’t know. But I do know this, God is still and will forever be on the throne controlling things especially for those who submit their lives to him.

Remember this: I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out–plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. (Jer 29:11 MSG)

Walking with God

November 14, 2018November 13, 2018 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

080212 327 “God, I want to walk with you.”
“Then let me set the pace.”
“But I can’t wait to reach my promise land.”
“”Then you will miss the lessons along the way.”
“Do I really need them?”
“You will when you reach my destination for your life.”
“But I thought you gave me the desires of MY heart?”
“I do, after they line up with MY will.”

“God, we have been walking for a long time. Aren’t there any shortcuts?”
“There is a lot in you that I have needed to adjust.”
“It’s not my fault!”
“It’s not mine either.”
“Are we there yet?”
“Just a little bit longer.”
“Ya know God, I think I like walking with you.”
“This is what I intended for man all along.”

Risky Business

November 10, 2018November 9, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

One of the hardest decisions to make, after having your heart ran through a shredder, is to try again. You have said, “No way!” “I could never trust again.” “I can’t take the chance, or I never want to feel that kind of pain again!”

Me? What did I used to say? “God, it’s too hard.”

I once quoted, to a lady, a line from a song, “All my ex’s live in Texas.” After she got done laughing, she asked, “My God, how many do you have?” “One,” I replied, “But that’s all of them!” Through the many years since my divorce I have learned what real love is, by becoming intimate with my Heavenly Father, and also when man fell out with God, he fell out with women as well. I have the vertical connection, with God, in place, and now I am open and willing, to take a risk, to try again, with the horizontal connection with a woman.

Notice the cross? Yes, that one. The one Jesus died on because he took the ultimate risk of love coming here to die for our sins. I’m sure his heart aches when people reject him. If a relationship is based on loving Jesus, then together you will have the vertical and the horizontal connections in place that will support a healthy, loving relationship.

Love is a “risky business”, but when done the way God intended, I’m trusting it will be one more thing God will look at and say, “It is good.”

Me 2.0

November 7, 2018January 7, 2021 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

What does it take to change? To stop being whom everyone knows, and become who God knows? The only way I know to change, is the way God spoke of in Romans 12:2:

“Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].” (AMP)

Renewing your mind, changes how you think. It begins to change how you see, talk to, treat, and hear people. It changes where you go, and what you do. When your mind has been transformed, people will know it, see it, hear it, and feel it. You will begin living as God originally intended. Others will be drawn to you. They may not know why, but they will be attracted to God through you. Their spirit will recognize the Spirit of God in you.

Here is the same verse from The Message

“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (MSG)

I couldn’t have said it better.

Tired of Sand in Your Underwear?

November 3, 2018November 3, 2018 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

sand “But it’s what I know! Yes, you’re right. I don’t like living like this, but…I just don’t know how to change it,” said the man, asking for a handout.

Because of where my church is located, I see several people who don’t live like I do. I feel bad for them, as you see them year after year in the same dessert, making another trip around Mt. Sinai. They remind me of the Children of Israel. They wanted so bad out of Egypt, but after they were out, they wouldn’t let go of Egypt. Most found their new life required them to trust God daily for their needs. Believe it or not they wanted to go back and live and die in Egypt.

The Israelites said, “Why didn’t GOD let us die in comfort in Egypt where we had lamb stew and all the bread we could eat? You’ve brought us out into this wilderness to starve us to death, the whole company of Israel!” (Exo 16:3 MSG)

The children of Isreal would have rather lived in slavery then in freedom in the land flowing with milk and honey that God promised was theirs. The effort to take the land proved to be too daunting, so they lived in sand. I see some people choosing to live the same way today!

I find sand to be irritating. It’s gets into everything and everywhere! When I got tired of sand in my underwear, I decided it was time to trust God and go to a new place, a new level in him to walk and live. I have been learning how to defeat the giants in the land, and when you put your trust 100% in him you find it doesn’t require that much of you. God simply wants to be trusted.

Heaven on Earth?

October 31, 2018October 30, 2018 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

38926425_1133470020125786_7595882961304551424_n I have had a remarkable experience this past week. I made contact with a new friend, who lives on the other side of the world. Talking to them can be challenging at times. but in just a few short days, I feel I have been accepted, into their whole family. From what I have learned, the family has given Jesus all they had, which is actually all He wants, their heart. They take their faith very serious. How do I know? They value their relationship with the Trinity and that value moves them to spend time with God.

In a previous blog post, I have said, there are three things that transcend borders and distance; God, love and laughter. I have so enjoyed the last few days, and even though we can’t speak each other’s languages very well, okay, the truth is I am just learning theirs, they speak English pretty good, I feel I have had the privilege to get a glimpse of what heaven will be like. Many people, in different shapes, heights, ages, languages, and color, but one family, sharing one faith, in the one true God. I can’t wait! In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy this slice of heaven on earth.

Home

October 27, 2018October 26, 2018 / Mark Brady / 3 Comments

Heaven Today, will be the last time I will ever be in the home I grew up in. Dad passed away earlier this year, and on Monday the house will be transferred to its new owner. I will walk around remembering life within those walls. I will stare at my old bedroom. Life is about seasons, so though there are good feelings tied to that address, I don’t regret where I live now.

One of these days will be my last one on earth. I will be ready to leave it, and go to my new home in heaven, where I am confident I will spend eternity, because I accepted Jesus into my life and do my best to live for him. I will be like the Apostle Paul. “[Yes] we have confident and hopeful courage and are pleased rather to be away from home out of the body and be at home with the Lord.” (2Co 5:8 AMP)

Your current address doesn’t matter, but your future one does. So I have to ask you; realhell Where will you spend eternity? Will you be at home with the Lord, or in a totally dark pit falling forever, because hell is bottomless? Some ask, “How can a loving God send people to hell?” He doesn’t send people to hell, they send themselves. It’s your choice.

Paul gave the greatest bottom line:

“Alive, I’m Christ’s messenger; dead, I’m his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can’t lose.” (Phi 1:21 MSG)

Three Days of Darkness

October 17, 2018October 15, 2018 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

dispel There is nothing like the fear that comes from physical, or emotional darkness. When you can’t see your way, and you have no clue on when and where light will come. Your heart can pound like a concert bass drum.

Exo 10:21-23 MSG GOD said to Moses: “Stretch your hand to the skies. Let darkness descend on the land of Egypt–a darkness so dark you can touch it.” Moses stretched out his hand to the skies. Thick darkness descended on the land of Egypt for three days. Nobody could see anybody. For three days no one could so much as move. Except for the Israelites: they had light where they were living.

Another time, when there was darkness on the earth, for three days, was when the Son of God, Jesus died. You talk about your only ray of light going out and sickness settling in, to the very depths of your being. Jesus had once said, “I am Light that has come into the world so that all who believe in me won’t have to stay any longer in the dark.” (Joh 12:46 MSG) Three days of darkness, until Jesus was resurrected from the dead, then Light once again walked on the earth.

Are you stumbling around in life desperately running your hand along the wall, panicking as you look for the switch? Has your darkness lasted much longer than three days? Don’t get angry, as Pharaoh did. Don’t let your heart be hardened, as his did, and definitely don’t shake your fist at God. He may be allowing the darkness, to move you toward Him, who is Light. Accept Light. Accept God. Try living in a way, where you can see your way, by believing in God’s way.

The More

October 10, 2018October 9, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

loving Jesus The more you love the person, the more you love the relationship. “I love you, Jesus!”

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.