Sowing Into Their Need

September 22, 2020September 22, 2020 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I have walked with God for a very long time. So when I begin to get a new download of revelation, wisdom, and understanding it surprised me a little. Not that I know everything about God, not even close. I know, it sounds silly to be so caught off guard, but this latest knowledge is so beautiful, hard to comprehend, and so Jesus.

I am beginning to learn about, and walk out the principal of sowing into someone else’s need(s) even though you have big needs of your own. I had been praying about earning some extra money. Currently paying the cost of two households in two different countries was never part of my retirement plan. I budgeted enough to last 7 years, from my retirement, to when I could start drawing Social Security, and it was working, but God had other plans He didn’t let me in on. With that said, since me getting married again was his idea, I am confident He will provide for his plans to be carried out. But there is something about being human, we want to figure it out ourselves, and at times, do it ourselves.

So when my friend offered to pay me to help him with a construction project I was excited. I thought, Oh cool. This is the answer to my prayer of earning some extra money. At least until God said, “No.” He instructed me to sow into my friend’s needs. Financial, social, and emotional. So that is what I decided to do. It’s exciting to witness God minister to someone and it’s humbling that He would do that through me.

I didn’t realize how bad off my friend was, but after spending several hours with him, working, laughing, but also talking I heard the voice of a man who was about to break. Coming along side of someone and walking with them through a need in their life is powerful. Just simply being there with them speaks volumes. My friend is doing better.

I was busy writing this post when my wife called. We speak every day via Messenger, so I wasn’t surprised. She was upset, and upon further discussion we recognized she would have the opportunity to sow into someone’s need there in the Philippines. It’s a bigger need, which means it’s a bigger challenge, but not one that God can’t handle.

How do you sow into someone else’s need?

Submit your own needs to God, and trust him.
See the need of someone else.
Decide to get your hands dirty by getting involved.
Spend the amount of time needed, or be willing to provide the resources required to meet their need.
Give all the glory to God

Do all this despite your own needs, but then watch what God begins to do in your own life. I was talking to a friend this morning, sharing my past week when I realized all of the miracles God did in my life. Thank you God for teaching my wife and I this valuable principle and then giving us the opportunity to walk it out.

Two Can do More Than One

May 12, 2020May 11, 2020 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

051220 Considering the challenges, it’s understandable why my wife and I had a difficult time in the beginning adjusting to each other. An American who didn’t understand Filipino culture, and a Filipino who wasn’t used to a man making decisions. My wife’s father left the family when she was young.

We had several, heated discussions to say the least. Many times, either of us wanted to say, “Forget it!” But one thing kept us trying to figure it out. We both had to admit there was no doubt God wanted us to be together. There were too many strong confirmations this marriage was being formed in heaven.

The one line that always got us to stop fighting and take a breath was this,

“We can’t let Satan win!”

It seems as if we were battled by fierce forces unseen, and the truth was, we were! Satan wanted to put asunder what God had joined together. “Asunder”, means interfere.

Today, we are doing great. My wife has only messed up once in the last three months. Did I say, “My wife”? I meant me. The other night we were talking, and I said something about helping others, more than we currently are. It was then, my wife opened up and shared her dream of helping lives in tangible ways ever since she was a little girl. I had no idea. We then dreamed about what that would look like.

The next day I had the opportunity to help a young father, who had relocated to Tulsa from the Covid hot spot of Boston. They arrived in an old vehicle with only the things they could pack in it. After he pulled away I was moved to tears as I thought about the shoes he walks in, and I was thankful I was not wearing them. I don’t have a lot of “extra” right now, as our own budget is tight, but the things he really needed, I had. It was while thinking on what had just transpired, I said to myself, “Two can do more than one.” Walking out my wife’s dream had just begun.

I am thankful to God for his many blessings, and I look forward to seeing what and how God will do more through us together as his Spirit leads.

If God…

February 26, 2020 / Mark Brady / 9 Comments

If God healed me of one of my issues, there would be no reason to go to the doctor who is treating me for that issue. The truth is though that doctor is searching for God. Over the last two years I have developed a safe and trusted relationship with him as I listen to his thoughts, and opinions and he listens to mine. If God healed me, who would be there to share the gospel with him? Sure, God could send a new patient, but building that relationship takes time. Also, would the next patient be open to share God?

If God provided all the money I would ever need, all at one time, would I continue to rely on him to meet my every need? There was one time I was asking God for money to pay off a credit card and a small loan. I sensed He asked me, “How much money do you need today?” I thought about it and said, “Well, actually all the monthly bills have been paid and there is food in the kitchen and gas in the car.” Then God said, “Then why are you asking me for money today? I will provide as you have need.”

How you respond, when you need God to move in your life, is a benchmark of your trust in him.

If God showed you your spouse before it was time what do you think would happen? I tend to think you would contact them and make a mess of things and not wind up together. Why? Because it wasn’t time.

If God told you about losing your job in advance, most would put matters in their own hands and go get a new job before it was time. That sounds like good planning, but it robs you of the opportunity to act on your faith. The Lord God almighty, might lead you to a better job making even more money than the job you found.

Yes, there are times when God acts on your behalf before you need it, or does tell you what is about to happen before it does, but most of the time He knows it is best to let these things happen to you and then see how you react to them.

Faith isn’t built in a time of need, but displayed.

God can do anything, at any time. Knowing that is why we need to trust him and his timing. God loves it when his child, who is walking through a very dark time in their life, reaches over and takes hold of his hand. There’s no reason to say, “If God…”, but there is every reason to say, “God, I need you.”

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.”

The Only One

February 13, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 1 The only one, you need to ask, is the One who already knows what you have need of. “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Mat. 6:8 NIV)

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.