Proverbial Wisdom

I mentioned earlier this year that I am studying the book of Proverbs. (“The Message” version.) The amount of wisdom this book contains is remarkable. God certainly answered Solomon’s request. When God asked him what he wanted, he said, “Wisdom.”

“Here’s what I want: Give me a God-listening heart so I can lead your people well, discerning the difference between good and evil. For who on their own is capable of leading your glorious people?”

10-14 God, the Master, was delighted with Solomon’s response. And God said to him, “Because you have asked for this and haven’t grasped after a long life, or riches, or the doom of your enemies, but you have asked for the ability to lead and govern well, I’ll give you what you’ve asked for—I’m giving you a wise and mature heart. There’s never been one like you before; and there’ll be no one after. As a bonus, I’m giving you both the wealth and glory you didn’t ask for—there’s not a king anywhere who will come up to your mark. And if you stay on course, keeping your eye on the life-map and the God-signs as your father David did, I’ll also give you a long life.” 1 Kings 3:9-14 (MSG)

Below, I have listed two scriptures that illustrate the kind of wisdom one can find in this book of the Bible.

The purity of silver and gold is tested
    by putting them in the fire;
The purity of human hearts is tested
    by giving them a little fame. Proverbs 27:21 (MSG)

It has been said before that fame changes people. A friend once told me she would show up at one of my book signings and I wouldn’t even know her. I replied, “Are you crazy? I’ll ask my host to pull up another chair, and we can catch up while I sign books.” I was confessing then that fame wouldn’t affect me, and so far, it hasn’t! LOL

A pure heart isn’t about obeying rules and trying to please God. It’s not about never sinning, either. Instead, it’s all about your motives being pure. It’s about loving people as God loves people.

There is one thing I had been wondering about for a couple of years. I know a person who prays. I mean a lot! For people, for issues, for whatever. As I observed this person, I noticed that it oddly seemed like their prayers were not answered. I couldn’t figure out why. As much as I am into “asking” God for knowledge and understanding, I had not thought about asking him about this situation. Then, I read the following verse, and it all made sense.

God has no use for the prayers
    of the people who won’t listen to him. Proverbs 28:9 (MSG)

As you can see, simply by reading the Book of Proverbs, one can gain wisdom and understanding. I have heard that since there are thirty-one chapters, some people read the book every month. Perhaps not a bad idea for someone like me, who needs all the proverbial wisdom they can get!

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

True or False?

Especially on weekends, I will wind up catching many different ministers. I will watch them long enough sometimes to see if their message is something I need to hear or if they are preaching the truth. There are times when some of them are not or just enough to make what they are saying sound good. I know that because I try to see if what they are saying lines up with the Bible.

I have mentioned before that I don’t sleep all night. I will wake up, take care of the issue that woke me up, and then lay there, unable to go back to sleep. In those moments, I wish I could be productive. Get something done. But I am usually too tired. So, many times, I flip through TV channels.

The Bible talks about these types of individuals. It calls them wolves in sheep’s clothing or false prophets. Like Satan, they mix some truth in their message to trip you up, stir up your emotions, offer you false hope, or entice you to give to their ministry.

13-14 “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.

15-20 “Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don’t be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned. Mat. 7:13-20 (MSG)

One such fellow the other day said something like, “If you will plant a seed of $1000, THEN God will … in your life.” This is not true! What is true is the principle of sowing and reaping. This man knows there are people out there who are desperate for a healing, a job, a restored relationship, or any other serious need in their life. They will try anything to get an answer to get out of their current situation. Those same people probably think, “Why not? Why not send this man $1000? I don’t know what else to do.”

The problem with that is this: mankind thinks or feels as if he has to DO something. That he has to take action. When we pray, we are giving the situation to God. If you really believe that, then leave it in God’s hands and have faith that He has heard you and is acting on your behalf. That can take time, but if it is God’s time, then it is perfect. He is never late! I have often wondered, “How will God judge these ministers? Will they get a spanking but still enter heaven?” I don’t know, but I do know I should leave that up to God.

Don’t run all over creation chasing a minister who seems in our eyes to be successful or have great faith. It only takes a small amount to move mountains.

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Mat. 17:20 (NIV)

I attended a service where the minister was preaching about faith. He not only used the above scripture but had the ushers pass out real mustard seeds. They are incredibly tiny! After he illustrated his point, I didn’t know what to do with the seed, so I ate it. It did not taste like French’s Mustard!

If you believe with your whole heart, then you have enough. God will see this and know this because He will see that you are leaving your request in his hands.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Path of Totality

Photo by Israel Harmon

I started writing this blog post after witnessing the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. I witnessed the celestial event in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We were not in the “Path of Totality,” but the moon blocked 95% of the sun. It was pretty awesome.

The phrase “Path of Totality” resonates seriousness, all-consuming, and is a moving event. Of course, the ones who came up with it meant it as the areas of the country where the moon will totally block out the sun. But it made me think of individuals I know who are struggling with life and, even worse, with accepting God. Needless to say, if they don’t correct their path in life, they may soon find the end of it with total destruction.

It’s sad to witness someone travel such a path. Even an untrained eye can see countless opportunities they have had to accept God and his Son, Jesus, into their life, but for their own reasons, they don’t. They keep fighting it, like Saul did, until the day he was on a path to Damascus. That is when he got an up-close and personal look at Jesus Christ in all his glory. It’s as if their heart is being eclipsed by darkness.

Some may argue that not everyone has the same introduction, but I would say, if that is what it took for someone to believe finally, then perhaps if they took a closer look, they would see that they, too, have had that opportunity. I am saying they have seen Jesus up close and personally through those who are true Christians. The very title means “little Christ ones.” We believers are called to be imitators of Jesus. Jesus himself claimed that he only did what he saw his Father in heaven do.

3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Acts 9:3-6

Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. John 5:19 (NIV)

Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. 1 Cor. 11:1 (AMP)

If you are on such a “Path of Totality,” then stop. Get off of it now, today! Take off the glasses that you think are protecting you but are actually keeping you in total darkness. Step out from behind them, accept Jesus into your life, and start walking in light. Your new life will be pretty awesome!

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Empty?

“I grew up in “nothing” land. I mean, the landscape is sparse! There are no good jobs in the area, and most homes are filled with broken relationships. I don’t know why people choose to live there or stay there, for that matter. There is nothing to look at, nothing to do, and nowhere nice to go.”

Those were the words of a young doctor I met a few months ago. He grew up in a town between Seatle and Spokane, Washington. He was surprised I had driven through there and understood what he meant. (The included photo is the only one I took while driving through.) Then I asked him, “So, how did you get to Tulsa?”

I don’t recall his whole story today, but I do remember that he said several times, “As I was growing up in that wasteland, I kept saying to myself, ‘There has to be more.’” He shared with me that he took note of how bad people had it there. He didn’t want to end up as another empty life dying in Nothingville.

Somehow, we wound up talking about God. His journey of growing up in a wasteland helped him find God because he knew there had to be more to life. It always amazes me the different ways God will reveal himself. I once worked with a guy whom God was pursuing. He wasn’t sure he could believe in God. That was until he visited the Grand Canyon. That is where he invited Jesus into his life.

“When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.
“Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree. Jer. 29:13 (MSG)

By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. “They looked all over and couldn’t find him because God had taken him.” We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken “he pleased God.” It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. Heb. 11:6 (MSG)

Look for God. Find God. Accept God. Don’t keep walking around feeling empty inside. God will fill your heart and your life. He will give you a reason to live. The young doctor is now married, has a baby daughter, and is looking forward to when he can move back to Washington and share God with those walking around on “Empty.”

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Care

The day I am writing this post is my wife’s birthday. She has reached that point where she no longer wants to tell her age. I’m not going to tell you either, but it is eighty divided by two. Being such a milestone, I waited for her to fall asleep last night, and then I got up and decorated our dining room. The whole works! Flowers, card, streamers, balloons. In the refrigerator was a cake and some ice cream. I even got those gold mylar number balloons. I gotta say, it looked good.

The next morning, I hid out in the pantry in the dark and waited for her to enter the dining room. and turn on the light. I had the video camera rolling. Her reaction warmed my heart. She loved it.

I posted on Facebook recently that I get nervous when reacting to someone’s serious post with the correct emoji. The “Care” and “Laughing” ones are right next to each other. I mean, you don’t want to “laugh” when there has been a death in the family or something. A few friends commented that they had indeed accidentally clicked on the wrong one.

The Bible encourages us to laugh with those who laugh and to weep with those who mourn. Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others’ joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others’ grief]. Rom. 12:15 (AMPC) It’s important to take the time to let others know we care about what is happening in their life. Jesus demonstrated this as well.

In John 11:35, we read that when he got to the house where his friend Lazarus had died and saw, heard, and then felt the grief, He wept. I don’t think he did so because his friend was gone for, He knew what was about to happen, but because his friends were sorrowful.

I wrote about Lazarus once, and a friend asked me, “What makes you think Lazurus wanted to come back to life?” The question stumped me for several days. After asking God for wisdom in the situation, I heard in my spirit, “It didn’t matter if he wanted to or not. When he heard the voice of Jesus say, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ he wanted to be obedient.”

People matter to God. They are more important than the work of the ministry. There will be, and are, times when people interrupt our busy schedules. But I encourage you to stop and take the time to just “be” with them in the moment. Listen to them, and when you do speak, they will know your words are true and from your heart because they will feel you care about them and what they are going through, just as God does.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Words

Image by WOKANDAPIX from Pixabay

“I have a dream…” “One small step…” “We the people…” “In the beginning…” “Here’s Johnny!”

Words. They are so powerful. They can build up, inspire, offer hope, and make us laugh, or they can tear down, destroy, and invoke fear. It all depends on what words and in what order they are spoken. We use our tongues to form the words that give us speech. The Bible says the tongue has the power to wield life or death.

Words kill, words give life;
    they’re either poison or fruit—you choose. Prov. 18:21 (MSG)

Say the wrong words to a child, and you can destroy their self-esteem. Or the wrong words spoken in a relationship, and it can come to an end. But the right words can do wonderful things.

The right word at the right time
    is like a custom-made piece of jewelry, Prov. 25:11 (MSG)

There may be times, when you are having a conversation with a friend and realize they are about to make a mistake or a wrong decision in their life. It can be difficult to speak up, but I have learned that if you ask for an invitation to speak into their life first, then they can’t get upset if they do not like what you say to them. Hopefully, they will recognize that you are speaking to them words of life because you care for them.

And a wise friend’s timely reprimand
    is like a gold ring slipped on your finger. Prov. 25:12 (MSG)

We all should be mindful of the power of words at all times and in all situations. Being slow to speak is a great discipline.

Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life. James 1:19-21 (MSG)

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

What Does God Look Like?

Charlton Heston as Moses

If you saw God on a social media site, would you swipe left or right? Would you base it solely on looks? Would He appear to you as someone you want to know?

I met my wife, April, on an online dating site. I was opposed to going that route for the longest time to find a potential mate, but after hearing several success stories at my church, I thought, why not try it?

I remember, after I submitted my profile, I was presented on screen 30 postage stamp size photos or so of potential women. April’s face glowed like a neon sign. Her soft smile stuck out compared to all of the rest, so I clicked on hers. The first line in her profile said, “Looking for a man of God…” I recall thinking, I think I qualify. I guess the rest is history, as they say.

What would you expect God to look like? Do you have a predetermined image in your mind? I do. I think of him looking kind of like Charlton Heston as Moses in the movie, “The Ten Commandments.” That’s probably not fair of me to do so, but we tend to place an image in our minds when we have not ever met someone face to face.

What we can know is what God’s “character” looks like based on scriptures.

God Is Infinite – He is self-existing, without origin

“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” – Colossians 1:17

God Is Immutable – He Never Changes

“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” Malachi 3:6

God Is Self-Sufficient – He has no needs

“For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” – John 5:26

God is Omnipotent – He Is all powerful

“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” – Psalm 33:6

God Is Omniscient – He Is all-knowing

“Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” – Isaiah 46:9-10

God Is Omnipresent – He Is always everywhere

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.” Psalm 139:7-10

God Is Wise – He Is full of perfect, unchanging wisdom

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” – Romans 11:33

God Is Faithful – He Is infinitely, unchangingly true

“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.” – Deut 7:9

God Is Good – He Is infinitely, unchangingly kind and full of good will

“O, taste and see that the Lord is good” – Psalm 34:8

God Is Just – He Is infinitely, unchangeably right and perfect in all He does

“The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.” – Duet 32:4

God Is Merciful – He is infinitely, unchangeably compassionate and kind

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.” – Romans 9:15-16

God Is Gracious – God Is infinitely inclined to spare the guilty

“The LORD is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.” – Psalm 145:8

God Is Loving – God infinitely, unchangingly loves us

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” – 1 John 4:7-8

God Is Holy – He is infinitely, unchangingly perfect

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord Almighty” – Revelation 4:8

God Is Glorious – He is infinitely beautiful and great

“His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, And there is the hiding of His power.” – Habakkuk 3:4

Your image of God affects what you think of Him. My image is of one that is Holy. Of one who is secure and confident. Strong and mighty, but also of one who is loving like a gentle grandfather.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Hacked

Image by Pete Linforth via Pixabay

Individuals are getting hacked all the time these days, especially on social media. I know my Facebook account got hacked once. Just the other day, a friend told me someone, or a group, got into her “X” (formally Twitter) account. There is even a company now you can pay to try to guard you against hackers getting your personal information and securing loans or, worse, draining your bank accounts.

A few years ago, I took a nap on a Saturday. When I woke, I looked at my phone and saw an email from my bank. I had set up a “Withdrawal Alert” whenever more than a set amount came out of any of my accounts. The email informed me that $9000 had been transferred from my savings. I immediately called the bank and told them I didn’t do it and didn’t authorize it. They finally stopped treating me like a criminal, a “guilty” party, after two hours. I told them the people responsible were tied to the account where the money went. I got the money back, and I have greater security today.

But what happens when someone’s heart gets hacked? What do I mean by that? An individual, perhaps raised in a church, knows right from wrong and believes in God even, but Satan found a way into their heart and, as a result, into their life. His presence in their heart could cause them to act in a way that is no longer pleasing to God. It could cause them to say and do things that are not right. You don’t think it could happen? What about Judas?

Judas was one of Jesus’ disciples. He heard the teachings and saw the miracles. In fact, he probably had a front-row seat. I can only guess he was in attendance every time.

Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, even then getting ready to betray him, said, “Why wasn’t this oil sold and the money given to the poor? It would have easily brought three hundred silver pieces.” He said this not because he cared two cents about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of their common funds, but also embezzled them. John 12:4-6 (MSG)

Jesus said, “The one to whom I give this crust of bread after I’ve dipped it.” Then he dipped the crust and gave it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. As soon as the bread was in his hand, Satan entered him.

“What you must do,” said Jesus, “do. Do it and get it over with.” John 13:26-27 (MSG)

See, the scriptures point out that Satan “hacked” into Judas’ heart. He found a way in, and he caused Judas to betray Jesus. The sad end to Judas’ life is he knew he had sinned. He gave the money back to the priests, well, tried to. They didn’t want it because they knew it was now dirty. After Judas did this act, he judged himself and committed suicide. I know that if he had gone to Jesus and asked for forgiveness, Jesus would have done so.

If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—simply come clean about them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God. 1 John 1:9-10 (MSG)

Guard your heart by guarding your mind. Bring every thought into captivity. For what you think, you begin to believe. And what you believe, you start to speak and act upon. Don’t let your heart get hacked. You won’t be guilty, and your life will be “locked,” secured for eternity.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Where is God?

Creation of Life Hands by Leonardo Da Vinci

The other day, a friend called and was catching me up on their life. He told me he had been dating a pretty girl and asked if I would like to see a photo of her. I said, “Sure.” As I looked at her, he shared that they were no longer seeing each other, and he repeated the hurtful words she said to him. Then he asked me, “Does she look like a devil to you?” I wasn’t sure how to respond when it came to me. “I don’t see God in her.”

Have you ever studied the face of a convicted, ruthless serial killer? Their eyes usually seem so dark and lifeless. This girl didn’t appear to be a killer, but there seemed to be an absence of life and love. Knowing my friend’s past and where he usually meets women, let’s say, not at a church social, I know this young lady is searching for Truth, life, and love from God, but she doesn’t know that is where she will find what will satisfy her. She has past hurts and disappointments and is looking for what she thinks she needs from a man. It’s a sad story for many.

The weekend before I wrote this post, I heard from a writer friend who still lives in the town I moved from in Illinois. I would run into her at church and occasionally at a neighborhood grocery store. It always felt good to see her, and as I texted her, I realized why. Whenever I saw her, I felt peace and sensed the presence of God. In her face, you could see life and the love of God.

I know this inner peace and love of God is what drew people, strangers, to Jesus. And perhaps their curiosity about a man, the weather, and even demons obeyed. Not to mention his power over sickness and death. So, I have to ask, “What do people feel or see when they encounter you?” Are you loving and full of life and hope? Or are you all business or more concerned about your rights and getting your way? I hope they see God and, therefore, know where God is because, whether they realize it or not, they are looking for Him.

19-21 What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

21 Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily. Gal. 2:20 (MSG)

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Keeper of the Light

On a small parcel of sand along the North Carolina coast sits an old, tall lighthouse. People in the area have found comfort for years in knowing that every night, the light was on.

“Remember, Son, you’re a keeper of the light. And the light must always be on to dispel the darkness so that those who are lost may find their way home.” “Yes, Father. I won’t forget.” “I’m serious. You’ll grow up. You’ll get busy. You will even have a girlfriend someday.” “No way! Not a girlfriend. Ewe! Yuk!” “And the light that is within you will slowly grow dim.”

As hard as he tried, little by little, the light that was within him grew faint but not totally extinguished. His father passed quickly due to cancer while he was in junior high, and his mother died while giving birth to him. After the funeral, he went to live with his aunt and uncle in New York City, the city that never sleeps. Life sped up, and he faced unforeseen challenges that he had never expected. He had never experienced such darkness before.

The son grew up. Graduated from high school and then college. That is where he met his wife. They married, and he landed a good-paying job as an investment banker in Manhattan. Three years later, they had a baby girl. He and his wife talked about going to church. Giving their young daughter the same upbringing they had with an introduction and education about God. But there didn’t seem to be enough time to live their busy lives and get a satisfactory amount of sleep.

As their custom, the now middle-aged man meets up with his buddy and coworker on the “Q” Line subway platform. They greet each other as they wait for their train. A young man approaches them and hands each a little booklet. “Jesus loves you,” he said to them. His buddy looked at the pamphlet and said, “Oh man, this is one of those Jesus tracks. I didn’t know anyone did this anymore.” He threw it down to the concrete. But as he looked at his, he noticed on the cover was a lighthouse with a beam of light going out. He felt something inside of him remember, “Keeper of the light.”

The words of his father came screaming back into his mind, into his soul. He knew at that moment that he needed to change how he was living. He knew he needed to be a spiritual leader in his home, to his buddy, and to the world. He realized he needed to help people who are spiritually lost find their way home.

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. Mat. 5:14-16 (MSG)

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved