Oh Brian!, Brian Hardie [ready player one ebook txt] 📗

day we walked up the store. On the way home Andrew said, “Hey dad, there’s four guys following us.” I said, “Don’t worry.” He said, “They have masks on.” I said, “Don’t worry.” He said, “One has a bat.” The spirit rose up in me and I said, “I said don’t worry, I’m glad you are here today to see this.” Just then out of the corner of my eye I caught the one guy with the bat to my right. I handed the bags from the store to Andrew and turned around. I said, “I’m a black belt in Karate and I was a First Sergeant in the Army, but I don’t need any of that, you made a mistake today, you brought something man-made against something God anointed.” One of them pulled out a gun and asked, “Yeah, but can you stop a bullet?”I replied, “No, I can’t, but God can and today my friends, GOD WILL!” I stepped towards them and they all stepped back which made Andrew laugh. I said, “I know why you are doing this, it’s because you need Jesus Christ.” I reached out and asked them to pray. One of them said, “No way, we’re not stupid.” Then they ran off and as they did so one of them said, “He didn’t have no money anyway.” I turned around and Andrew and I continued our walk with a little chuckle. I realized my pulse didn’t rise; I didn’t have any fear whatsoever. True peace!

Most people are so fearful that they never come to a place of peace. It’s fear that keeps you from coming to God, fear of losing something. Well if your life isn’t working in this world, perhaps it’s because you haven’t tried to follow the life you were made to follow? True peace only comes from God through Jesus Christ. It does not come from money, drugs, alcohol, relationships, death or anything else of this world. It comes from another Kingdom. There are many miserable millionaires, many miserable drug users, and many miserable whoremongers. Few find ‘The Way.”Are you ready? Are you ready to have peace in your life? It takes a surrender of what you think (or have been trained to think) is peace. It ONLY comes by asking Jesus Christ to come into your heart and holding on to this treasure. Just ask! He’s always knocking.

 

Chapter Ten

Looking out the window, I could see the Mexicans making their delivery. It was time for me to leave. I packed up my “stuff” and walked out. I was asked where I was going and I said, “Wherever He wants me to go.” I walked about a half a mile and prayed the following, “OK, God, if you want me to be homeless, I’m ready.” A few seconds passed and the cell-phone rang. It was a lady from the church. She needed someone to watch over her house while she went to Florida. I said, “When do you need this person?” She said, “Now” and asked me where I was. I said, “The church parking lot.”

The next year and a half was a growing time for me. I spent nearly every night in prayer and reading. God made a way for daily miracles. Something inside of me was growing and I liked it. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is within you.” I was brought to and through many experiences.   I watched in amazement of how God uses trials, tribulations, persecutions, blessings and curses to work out His purpose in our life. He does not allow us to “Live in sin”. Although you may and do sin, you can’t “Stay there”.

By the way, if you think your obedience pleases God, you better understand what obedience he is talking about. He’s talking about obedience in belief, obedience in faith, obedience in love first to Him, then to your brother. God wants you to display the characteristics of His son, not the character that is pleasing to the world. In fact, a friend of this world is the enemy of God. Jam 4:4  reads, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

So I am working on my obedience to Him. He wants us to “Do” his work while being His. We are servants and not allowed to make agreements with the world.  My first “ministry” experience came at a home for women coming out of prison or other problems. It was a time of great strength for me. I would pray every night from midnight to 6:00 am, sleep until 8:00, then walk to do His work. There was no pay involved. I began to understand the difference between the ministry of death (putting people back under the law) and the ministry of life (setting people free in Jesus Christ).  After nearly six months “ministering under the radar screen” I left with the “right foot of fellowship”. Praise God.

During this time, I also worked with Bill Glass’ “Champion’s for Life” prison ministry. After much turmoil within their ranks, I was selected as “Head Coach” for Alabama. This is where I learned the power of spiritual warfare. This ministry in the state of Alabama was under satan’s grip. NY, LA and Atlanta were doing large functions four to nine times per year. In Alabama, it was one large function over the past seven years.  After much “warfare”, a large event was held where 1602 prisoners received Jesus Christ. Now you may say and I have heard, “no one knows the number who will really hold to this.” My answer to you is, “That’s up to God, what are you doing for the Kingdom?”

I started out as the “recruiter”. 300 to 500 people were needed for “the event”. I thought it would be simple to get enough people and thought one person out of half the churches would be a joke.  This is where I learned where the “doers” are. There are 2,700 churches in Birmingham, Alabama. I started recruiting. After six months of working harder than I imagined, we had 148 people.  I had visited and recruited at hundreds of churches.  Most Pastors pledged support and people, but no one was signing up. Only one Associate Pastor showed up the day of the event. I thought, “What is wrong with these people? You go in one day with professional sports figures and get to witness for Christ.”

One month before the event. We went on a little talk radio show to talk about the event and within one week we were up over three hundred. The “doers” are out “doing it”. They are not hiding behind the four walls of a church building. Anyway, jealous ambition led to me going in another direction.

It was time to “disciple” people….

Chapter Eleven

On that radio show, I met a man that had twenty houses that he said we could do ministry in. It was a new direction and one that I learned more about how to truly help someone than any book could give me.  Over the past three years we had the opportunity to help over six hundred people. That was the “Crop” and the yield (success or failure) is up to Him. I had guns pointed in my face, been threatened too numerous times to count , cursed at, but mostly blessed.

I sit today humbly acknowledging the truth that God is faithful. He has restored everything I lost a hundredfold (Matthew 19:29). He does it not because of me, but because He said it. He is the true King, who can do all things except Lie.

All of God’s answers to prayer are “Yes and Amen”. When Jesus said not to lay the old foundation, he’s talking about how we speak. I learned to listen to others and myself. The words coming out of our mouths are either blessings or curses. The old foundation is cursed. Speak life.

I can tell what kind of life someone has by listening to them for five minutes. Most people say things like, “This is going to be a bad day.” God answers, “Yes and Amen.”  Or , “I’ll never have enough money for my bills.” God answers, “Yes and Amen.” Or, “My wife’s a fat B…” God answers, “Yes and Amen.”

Mat 12:36  reads, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” One day before God, he will show you what you built with your mouth.  

Chapter Twelve

What you “do” is NOT who you “are”.  Your new identity is “a child of God”.  Joh 1:12  reads, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

Your identity changes once you accept Jesus Christ into your heart. Although satan has lost his “first attack” mission, which is to keep you out of the Kingdom, he never ceases this attack because it is part of his “second attack” mission, which is to keep you from operating in that Kingdom. It’s an attack against your influence.

Being “Born Again” changes you. There is something different and the world hates it. You have done something most never do-SURRENDERED TO THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST.  It is difficult to understand surrendering to a king because we don’t see it in the natural. We rarely see it in the world and definitely do not see it in America. The kingdom changes in your heart; from you to Jesus Christ. Most do not want to relinquish this lordship. Unfortunately, no matter how good you make your kingdom, you cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven without