CSI: Heaven

November 5, 2024October 17, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I used to drive fast. I mean, really fast, or perhaps I should say, “stupidly fast!” In the early eighties, in Massachusetts, I was driving my Chevette. Okay, you can stop laughing now. As I was going up a hill and into a sharp turn to my left, I saw a car coming fast, straight for me in my lane. It was going to be a head-on collision, and I said to myself, oh, this is going to hurt! But right before the point of impact, I shut my eyes hard and screamed, “Oh God!”

My car kept moving around the bend in the road, but my body got pushed back into the seat and then forward. I remember thinking, what? When I looked in my rearview mirror, I saw that the car was so close behind me that I couldn’t see the license plate. Did the other vehicle go through me?

Suppose you could go back and examine the scenes of your life. The ones that astounded you, surprised you or perhaps hurt you the most. You might be compelled to look for clues to answer those nagging, lingering questions like, “How did this happen?”

If you could dust the scene for fingerprints to find out who was involved, you know, like a crime scene investigator, would it surprise you if you detected God’s fingerprints?

Not that He was the one who did the damage, but that He was there. Most likely keeping you from being killed or injured more severely. Perhaps it was he who got you out of there or got you help in a timely manner. How many times have you shared your story and have heard people respond something like, “Wow, God was definitely with you.”

I think we will all be surprised when we learn how God was involved in our lives. Either he did it because he loves those who call him Father, or he did it hoping you would feel his involvement and choose to love him back. Either way, he did it out of love!

“The Lord your God is in your midst;
he is a warrior who can deliver.
He takes great delight in you;
he renews you by his love;
he shouts for joy over you.”
Zephaniah 3:17 (NET Bible)

24/7/365

October 29, 2024October 7, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

April and I were discussing one of her friends recently. They were going through something. Sorry, I don’t recall what it was. I suggested April do something for them. She didn’t respond. I enquired. Finally, she admitted that she didn’t want to do that for her friend. After a few minutes, she asked, “Am I a bad friend?” I thought for a moment, trying to find some words of wisdom. Then I responded, “You’re a friend. You’re just not a good friend.”

Maybe you are a good friend to others. Perhaps you give them as much time as you can when they call and are upset. You provide them with a ride to the airport no matter the time of day. When they are sick, you stop by their house to give them a helping hand or to provide a meal. In other words, you are always there for them. They know they can count on you.

A few days later, I was sitting at a traffic light. I looked up and saw the billboard pictured here in this post. It made me think of Jesus. Then I thought of the above conversation with April. One of Jesus’ characteristics is that he says he is a “friend” who never leaves you.

There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Prov. 18:24 (RSV)

But Jesus is one part of three. They are one yet individual, and together, they take complete care of you.

God.

“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)

And nothing you can do can separate you from the love of God.

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. Rom. 8:38 (MSG)

The Holy Spirit is there to comfort you and to give you power when you are ministering to others. He can give you words to say when you have no idea what should come out of your mouth. He also has a list of supernatural gifts that he gives out to whoever he wants.

Being in a relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is the best. They are our God, our friend, and our comforter. Jesus isn’t “just” a friend but a good friend. They are always there for me. I love doing life with them. They are with me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!

Wall Drug

October 25, 2024October 25, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

If you have ever traveled Interstate 90 in the state of South Dakota, you don’t have to go far before you start seeing billboard after billboard advertising Wall Drug. You see so many, you start thinking, This must be the most incredible place on Earth! Spoiler alert: It’s not, but it is a fun place to stop and see.

The billboards tell you how far before you get there. They promise you what you can experience and how wonderful it will be. What started as a place for travelers to stop and get a free glass of ice-cold water has turned into one huge tourist stop.

If you have been traveling through life and have yet to accept God’s Son, Jesus Christ, into your life, I would dare say if you looked back, you would see signs, billboard after billboard, about Jesus. You would have had several opportunities to stop and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins. You would learn that He offered “living water” that refreshes your soul. You would see the promises He makes about helping you, guiding, providing, healing, and more for you. You would know that wherever you go in this world, He would always be there with you.

You might be thinking, “I’ve never seen signs or billboards!” You have. You didn’t realize it. A friend invited you to attend a church service with them, and you said, “No, that’s okay.” Someone shared Jesus with you and how He has helped them. You probably dismissed their testimony by saying, “Well, that’s good for you, but Jesus doesn’t fit into my plan.” Perhaps you experienced some misfortune and had a minister come alongside and minister God’s love and concern for you, and days after, you forgot about how good God’s love felt.

The devil will try to convince you that you don’t need to stop. That you are fine doing life your way. The truth is that your way leads to destruction.

You may think you are on the right road and still end up dead. Prov. 14:12 (CEV)

There are a lot of billboards along the road of life that are viding for your attention. This is why you need God’s help to provide you with wisdom so you don’t make any unnecessary stops or detours. Be a smart traveler. Don’t go it alone. Choose today to walk with the one who has your best interest in mind and has prepared the ultimate destination for eternity.

Rudies

October 15, 2024September 21, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

What do you do when you encounter a person who is angry, rude, lies, and basically treats you as if you don’t matter at all? I met two such people last week.

The first one turned right and never looked to her left, and I had to slam on the brakes to keep from hitting her. I honked and then motioned for them to go ahead. She didn’t but instead proceeded to roll down her window and chew me out while showing me her age with her middle finger. I got mad and went around her. The problem was this: I allowed an evil spirit to jump on me, and I took it home. I then yelled at April and wasn’t sure why.

The second person was the checkout at the grocery store. I actually had an issue with her last week, too, when she somehow overcharged me $9. Today, she was rude when I told her I was not too fond of the fact that she was putting my purchased food in the shopping cart while the previous customer was still gathering their items. Today, the older shopper almost took some of my items. When I expressed my dissatisfaction, she got an attitude with me and then lied, saying she didn’t know her name when I asked for it.

I noticed I had a horrible attitude myself after I got in the car. Thank God April was at work! After my second errand and on my way to my third, I noticed I still had it. I felt awful inside. Then it hit me. I started praying to God and commanded any evil spirit to leave and to present itself at the feet of Jesus, and He would decide their fate. Then, I prayed for the cashier that God would help her with whatever issues she was facing in life.

We need to be aware that evil spirits are real, and they can latch onto us from other people. Knowing how to deal with these spirits is essential.

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Eph. 6:10-18 (NIV)

Yep. There are spirits that try to rule and reign over territories. When I was living in the Philippines, I discerned different evil spirits. Ones that tried to keep things broken in order to keep people depressed and poor. The average family struggled to make ends meet. There were also evil spirits of disturbance. Identifying them and then knowing how to use the weapons God gave us listed above is vital to living life in peace. My battles are not with people but with evil spirits.

As if You’re Holding the Map

October 8, 2024September 4, 2024 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

Have you ever sat and listened to someone share with you what is exciting news to them, but it triggered an odd feeling inside you? Something seemed off, not right.

April shared with me an event happening soon for a friend. As she told me the whole story, I started sensing a disturbance in the force. I mean, I felt sick in my spirit. In a moment, I saw what her friend was about to experience if they continued going down the road they were on. I could see the stops along her journey. Painville. Lied to Junction. Can’t Trust Street. It’s as if I was the one holding the map looking ahead.

In the days since, as I have been praying for them, I have felt so sick and have been grieving for them. They’re a nice person and don’t deserve what they are about to get.

April even shared that they quit talking to another friend because that friend raised all the “Red Flags” that are a part of their venture. April’s friend wants to be loved so badly that they are willing to accept Satan’s substitute instead of waiting patiently for the one God has for them.

There are two things I have observed in life: 1) You can never talk anyone out of getting married. 2) You can never talk anyone out of getting divorced. Once they have made up their mind to do this thing, they will begin to tell themselves they are doing the right thing even if it is not true! Yes, they will lie to themselves.

So what can one do? Yes, you can pray for them. You can intercede like crazy, but the better thing to do is join up with at least one other person and pray together.

I knew of a young woman who wanted to get married so bad she was willing to fly to Malaysia and meet the guy who was promising her the world. The challenge was this: she couldn’t pay for the flight herself or for her stay there while getting to know him. He said he would pay.

The problem was Malaysia is the second worst country for sex trafficking. Her father was okay with her going because he was greedy and wanted a portion of the money she would make in the high-paying job her boyfriend promised her. What happens is that when the woman clears immigration, the boyfriend demands the passport as collateral until the trip is paid back, which never happens. I knew in my spirit if she went, we would never hear from her again. So, a friend of mine and I prayed long and hard. After a few weeks, the whole deal broke down, and she didn’t go. Today, she is married to a lovely man, has a young son, and is living a good life.

I knew in my spirit the evil forces were defeated because two people prayed in unison.

“Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.” Mat. 18:20 (MSG)

Care Package

October 4, 2024September 2, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

I have a cousin who seems to suffer a lot in life. I know they believe in God, but I’m not sure if they live a life pleasing to God. Living by God’s commandments and in a relationship as God designed them to be. As well, and I’ll explain why this is important later, I don’t know if they handle their finances the way God instructs us to. If my observations and instincts are correct, then I can see why they have a difficult existence.

I have said before that living a life pleasing to God doesn’t guarantee your life will be problem-free, but living it with God on your side certainly helps. When God smiles upon you, He protects you.

1 Job was a man who lived in Uz. He was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion.

⁸God said to Satan, “Have you noticed my friend Job? There’s no one quite like him—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil.” ^9-10Satan retorted, “So do you think Job does all that out of the sheer goodness of his heart? Why, no one ever had it so good! You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does—he can’t lose! Job 1 (MSG)

When it comes to finances, God asks us to give back ten percent of our income. God says if we do this, He will open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing upon us. But here is the part that is even more important and powerful. God says He will shut the mouth of the devourer. That means He will stop Satan from eating away at our lives. Our homes, our finances, our health, and our relationships!

¹⁰Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

¹¹And I will rebuke the devourer [insects and plagues] for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of hosts. Mal. 3:10-11 (AMPC)

God really does care for us, for you! He doesn’t demand you live the way that is best for you, but He hopes that you will choose to. He wants you to be one of his favorite children in his family. (I’m not sure if God actually has favorites because He loves us all, but some probably put a smile on his face more than others.)

Even people like my cousin I mentioned earlier, God wants them to accept him so He can love on them even more, send them a personalized care package, stop the destruction and pain in their life, and pour out blessings upon them like no one has ever seen.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

What They Need

September 27, 2024August 21, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I once visited a third-world country. Most of the people who lived there were extremely poor. Every day was a struggle for them to find food to feed their families. Jobs were difficult to come by, and “good” paying jobs were out of reach for most. In talking to one lady who had made it to America, she shared with me that she made more in two weeks than she did in six months there.

While I was there, I attended one of the local churches. The minister spoke both the languages of the country and English. I’m not sure what his motivation was, but he began to go around the room asking the parishioners how much they would commit to paying each week. I felt terrible for them as they squirmed and were not making eye contact with their pastor. As the people threw out an amount, one of the pastor’s family members recorded their responses.

Later that day, the pastor asked me what I thought of the service. Now I squirmed and finally asked. “You want me to be honest?” “Yes,” he replied. I said, “Well, I felt awful for the congregation. You put them on the spot. Of course, they were going to say they would commit to giving a certain amount every week. What they give is between them and God. They live difficult lives. They don’t need “rules” to live by, that’s guilt and “religion.” What they need is to hear about how much God loves them, knows what they are going through, and cares about them so much. What they need is a stronger “relationship” with God. One they can rely on and survive the week to come.”

The pastor stared at the floor and then struggled to admit he had made a mistake. I suggested he apologize to his flock and strive each week to hear God’s encouraging word for them.

I would go out on a limb and guess that what you need is to hear the same message. God knows you, and He loves you so much! He cares about what you are facing, and He wants you to trust him to work on your behalf. That is accomplished by having a great “relationship” with God. That is what you need. That is all that you need.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Mat. 11:28-30 (MSG)

My Oscar Moment

September 24, 2024August 21, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Do you ever daydream? I do. I have ever since I can remember. Especially in elementary school, when I was bored with the lessons I should have been learning. I found it entertaining to “play” or “dream” in my mind.

As I was writing my novel, “Kill the Preacher Man,” I would sometimes share with others what the book was about. Several would comment that it sounded like a movie. I then started daydreaming about winning an Oscar and what I would say in my acceptance speech. That dialog changed after meeting April and telling her about the book.

“I would like to thank the academy for this honor and, of course, God and my lovely wife, April. When I first met April, I told her about my novel and that some had said it should be a movie. I told her, ‘Who knows? Maybe it would be up for an Oscar?’ She replied, ‘Would I be able to attend the ceremony, and do you think Keanu Reeves would be there?’ I replied, ‘Yes. You can go, and Mr. Reeves would probably be there.’ After a brief pause, she said, ‘Okay, Mark. I will marry you!’” (True story!)

The below description is from the back cover of the book:

“Kill The Preacher Man” is a modern-day novel about 30-year-old Jeremiah Crowley, whose gift of faith and healing launches a revival in America. Like Jesus, signs and wonders follow him when he ministers. A Chicago news reporter, Caroline Roberts, is dispatched to investigate why a church meeting is causing a traffic jam. Her coverage of the incident propels her to disprove this modern-day Jesus. When that attempt failed, her disdain for God reached a boiling point, erupting in her putting out a contract on his life. Will she succeed in killing the preacher man, stopping the revival, and stopping God?

Awards and accolades are great. They can serve us with encouragement and as a testament to help others to keep working on achieving their dreams. God will give those who endured tests and temptations and came through it victoriously a “Crown of Life.”

Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him. Jam. 1:12 (AMPC)

Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. [Dismiss your dread and your fears!] Behold, the devil is indeed about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested and proved and critically appraised, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be loyally faithful unto death [even if you must die for it], and I will give you the crown of life. Rev. 2:10 (AMPC)

But when it is all said and done, we will lay those crowns at the feet of Jesus. For without his sacrifice on the cross to die for our sins, resisting temptation would not even be possible.

¹⁰The twenty-four elders (the members of the heavenly Sanhedrin) fall prostrate before Him Who is sitting on the throne, and they worship Him Who lives forever and ever; and they throw down their crowns before the throne, crying out,

¹¹Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and dominion, for You created all things; by Your will they were [brought into being] and were created. Rev. 4:10-11 (AMPC)

Jesus alone is worthy, and in praise and thankfulness to Him and in acknowledgment of Him, the saints cast the symbols of their victory at Jesus’ feet. Any awards and accolades received on earth are temporal. They will be consumed by fire in the end, so we should all focus on receiving “The crown of life.”

“Kill the Preacher Man” can only be purchased via Books | brady, mark a. (bradymarka.com)

Devoted to God

September 20, 2024August 17, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

1 ^1-3Job was a man who lived in Uz. He was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion. He had seven sons and three daughters. He was also very wealthy—seven thousand head of sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and a huge staff of servants—the most influential man in all the East!

^4-5His sons used to take turns hosting parties in their homes, always inviting their three sisters to join them in their merrymaking. When the parties were over, Job would get up early in the morning and sacrifice a burnt offering for each of his children, thinking, “Maybe one of them sinned by defying God inwardly.” Job made a habit of this sacrificial atonement, just in case they’d sinned.

^6-7One day when the angels came to report to God, Satan, who was the Designated Accuser, came along with them. God singled out Satan and said, “What have you been up to?”

Satan answered God, “Going here and there, checking things out on earth.”

⁸God said to Satan, “Have you noticed my friend Job? There’s no one quite like him—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil.”

^9-10Satan retorted, “So do you think Job does all that out of the sheer goodness of his heart? Why, no one ever had it so good! You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does—he can’t lose! Job 1:1-10 (MSG)

The portion of these verses that jumped out at me was, “You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does—he can’t lose!”

I have mentioned it several times in many posts, but if you missed it, let me do it again. When a man is devoted to God and living for Him, typically, he has a good life. God blesses him, and even when something may try to defeat him, God comes through and takes care of the issue for him.

April has a friend who announced last week that they are getting married. I only heard a part of the conversation while I was working on our house. But as I was listening, I started getting a bad feeling in my spirit. It was the gift of “discernment,” telling me that their fiancé was not the right person for them.

Today, April shared with me more about what she heard from another friend about their friend’s fiancé. Can you say, “Red Flags?” It’s sad that the friend would “settle” for Satan’s substitute rather than wait for the person that God has for them. If this friend would commit all their ways to God and delight themselves in Him, I would dare say that God would bring the right person into their life soon, knowing the desires of their heart. If they get married, they are setting themselves up for a lot of pain and heartache.

One can never go wrong living for God. Putting Him first in your life and asking Him to lead you and guide you. He will. I know because His word is full of scriptures that say he will.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

True delight in Him causes us to take our sights off of what we want in order to long for what He desires. The command to delight in God appears amidst this list that King David penned in the Psalms as the antidote for his fretting people:

Know the fate of evildoers (Psalm 37:2)
Trust in the Lord (37:3)
Do good (37:3)
Befriend faithfulness (37:3)
Delight yourself in the LORD (37:4)
Commit your way to Him (37:5)
Rest in, and wait patiently for, The Lord (37:7)

Source: http://www.biblestudytools.com

A Spirit Bubble

September 17, 2024August 14, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I had never heard of a “Spirit Bubble” until last year while I was editing a book for someone else. I didn’t think much of it except that I pictured it as pink as bubble gum. I didn’t recall reading about such an item in the Bible, either. I told the author that I personally seldom share anything in writing that cannot be found in the Bible.

Over the last week or so, April and I were talking, and I expressed my surprise that April had never been proposed to before me. I mean, looks wise, she is so pretty and her personality so cute. She was in her thirties when we married, and before I came along, a few of the locals started to call her an “old maid.” April’s only answer as to why she did not get married earlier in life was, “God protected me.”

That phrase was stuck in my head. Even when I wasn’t thinking about it, I was thinking about it. I started asking myself, “What would that protection look like?” Then I had the thought, “The local young men didn’t “see” April. And the two guys she dated certainly didn’t see the hand of God on her life or went to battle against it. Then it hit me: it was as if God had placed April inside a bubble. I think of this as something different than a “hedge of protection” (Job 1:10) around her.

Then, my mind turned back to the book I edited last year. The author described God placing her inside a bubble that demons of Satan could not penetrate no matter how hard they tried. She mentioned times of being in a bubble during spiritual attacks of the enemy.

So, then, I begin to think about battles in the Bible. More specifically, personal battles. One that came to mind was when Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den. Daniel told the King, “God sent his angel, and he closed the mouths of the lions.” At first, I thought Okay. No bubble. But days later, it dawned on me that Daniel was not hurt, and the lions could have clawed him to death. So, I went back to my first thought of God placing a bubble around Daniel, and the lions couldn’t see him. They might have still smelled him and that would be why the angel closed their mouths.

Daniel 6:16-23 (ICB)
¹⁶So King Darius gave the order. They brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May the God you serve all the time save you!” ¹⁷A big stone was brought. It was put over the opening of the lions’ den. Then the king used his signet ring to put his special seal on the rock. And he used the rings of his royal officers to put their seals on the rock also. This showed that no one could move that rock and bring Daniel out. ¹⁸Then King Darius went back to his palace. He did not eat that night. He did not have any entertainment brought to entertain him. And he could not sleep.

¹⁹The next morning King Darius got up at dawn. He hurried to the lions’ den. ²⁰As he came near the den, he was worried. He called out to Daniel. He said, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Has your God that you always worship been able to save you from the lions?”

²¹Daniel answered, “My king, live forever! ²²My God sent his angel to close the lions’ mouths. They have not hurt me, because my God knows I am innocent. I never did anything wrong to you, my king.”

²³King Darius was very happy. He told his servants to lift Daniel out of the lions’ den. So they lifted him out and did not find any injury on him. This was because Daniel had trusted in his God.

It doesn’t matter if you believe in “Spirit bubbles” or not because it has nothing to do with getting into heaven. But I definitely know that if God wants to hide you or protect you from the devil or harm, He can. So, the key to this is believing and trusting in God.

Amen.