Surviving, Starts With Believing

April 17, 2020April 17, 2020 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

041720 It has been said, faith isn’t grown in a crises, but displayed. I think today’s times would qualify as a crises. I’m not trying to brag, but I, as well as many others, have been at perfect peace for the last two months, or so. How did this come to be? It started a long time ago:

Jan 1, 2020 to present day = (57) Surviving the Corona Virus peacefully.
Jan 1, 2019 = (56) Trusted God to move to the Philippines and get married. That is working well.
November 2017 = (55) Followed God to a church, where I have learned more about Him.
September 7, 2017 = (55) Moved into my new house, back in my hometown. I love it.
September 6, 2017 = (55) believed in God to retire. I have enjoyed it. God has and is still providing for all my needs.
June 2012 to September 6, 2017 = (50-55) Survived a threatening work environment, where it seemed as if my boss tried to fire me every day, or make things so hard on me to get me to quit. If I had of, I would have lost out on half of my pension.
May 1998 = (35) God helped me survive a very rough divorce. (She asked for it, to go in a new direction.)
December 5, 1994 = (32) Started working at AT&T. God used that company to provide for me and the family.
October 1994 = (32) Trusted and followed God to a new city in hopes of a good job.
August 1990 = (27) Heard God correctly, and moved to a place where I landed a job in two hours.
June 1988 = (25) Got married for the first time. God had fulfilled the promise of getting married.
March 1986 = (23) Survived a moral failure situation, that at one time, tempted me to take my life.
September 1983 = (21) Followed God to be a youth minister, moved over 1,600 miles from home.
September 1980 = (18) Received a scholarship for more than my grades from H.S. should have allowed.
November 1979 = (17) Got serious about living for God. Dedicated my life to his service.
August 1967 = (7) While attending Vacation Bible School, invited Jesus Christ into my life, to forgive me of my sins.

God has been so good and faithful to me all these years. Not all has been perfect, as you can see, but I survived. Over the years, hearing and reading about God has taught me his true nature, and that is of love. God loves us so much. My knowledge, and confidence of God has led me to this present day, these current times, and is why I can live through them with peace.

You don’t have to accept Jesus as a child, as I did, in order to have this kind of confidence in God. You can start today, but that will require you trusting and believing before you have generated your own testimonies of God’s powerful, and loving hand to lead you, guide you, and sustain you. It can be done. How exciting would it be to say your first overcoming experience with God was surviving the Corona Virus, but it all starts with believing.

Psalm 57:1 The Passion Translation (TPT)

Triumphant Faith

Please, God, show me mercy!
Open your grace-fountain for me,
for you are my soul’s true shelter.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your embrace,
under the wings of your cherubim,
until this terrible trouble is past.

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.

Surviving Life

January 26, 2015 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

What does it take to survive today? Life can be harsh, unforgiving, and even down right cruel. Unfortunately, so can people. What do you try to do to survive? Does it work? Has life disappointed you? Have people? Is any of this let down caused by you, and your actions? Would you admit it, or are you one of those where it is always someone else’s fault?

Being raised in church I have heard the right things said many times, but you know what, they are true words even to this day. That a life lived with Jesus Christ is so much more than a life lived without Him. Yes it takes faith, hope and love. Faith that there is hope that there is one who truly loves. Jesus is that one who truly loves you and me. He is our hope that there is a better life coming, and to get us started in believing this He provides each of us a measure of faith. This is how you survive life.