Through It All

March 28, 2015 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Life certainly can be rough sometimes. Maybe not to you directly at the moment, but to those around you. To people that you know and care about. Right now one of my coworkers is with her mother who is at the exit ramp of life. A friend from high school just lost his mother this week. She was a spiritual giant who will be truly missed. A family member of mine had her house partially damaged by a tornado that hit near Tulsa, Oklahoma. You certainly don’t have to look very far to see the storms of life.

I have been listening to the song (a lot lately) “It Is Well” by Bethel Music featuring Kristene Dimarco. One of the lines in that song, that I really like, says, “The wind and rain still know His name.” When we are going through the storm we often forget this. We take our eyes off of the one who can calm the storm, and we look at the circumstances around us. Doing so will weaken your faith. Jesus may not directly speak to the storm you are in and calm it, but I assure you He will get you through it all.

First Impressions

March 16, 2015March 16, 2015 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

This week’s blog is a little late, because I have been traveling. I’m was visiting my kids in Texas, and getting to meet my future son-in-law. This is my first future son-in-law. I’ve got to say, “It’s a little nerve wracking. He’s was trying to make a good first impression, and I was trying not to embarrass my daughter! He said something that was interesting. He said, “I think first impressions should last like a month.”

This made me think about people in general meeting us for the first time. Us meaning those who profess to be a child of God. What is their first impression? Is it a good one? Would a month long first impression be better, so when you tell them, “I’m sorry. I’m really not like this normally” they will believe you? You see when someone does get more time to get to know you they will see that you’re not perfect, but that you indeed are striving to be like the one who is. Jesus

So until we are perfect be mindful of how others see us. Their impression of us may turn into their impression of Jesus Christ. Oh, and to my future son-in-law, I welcome you into the family.

Zombie Dogs

March 8, 2015 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

My friend enjoys watching scary movies, but since her husband passed she won’t now. I can certainly understand as I too have to pull my feet up onto the couch when I get scared from a movie. I don’t want that thing under the couch to get me! (It’s probably just lent.) She says her dogs will usually lye in the living room while she watches most things, but she has noticed they will not go in there if she is watching a zombie movie. She thinks it is because there are no zombie dogs.

After hearing this I got to thinking about why there are no zombie dogs. I wondered if it was because dogs don’t taste like chicken. (I don’t know.) But then I realized that zombie are or were humans and when a human is doing something wrong they want others to be doing it too. Sin loves company.

My thoughts then turned to what the wages of sin are, and that is death. (Romans 6:23) Zombies are dead humans who are still alive. One reason for them wanting to bite a normal human, other than because they are hungry, is to turn them into a zombie. To join them in their miserable state of being dead, but alive.

One thing about death is; it is final. Whatever a person was going through at the time of their death ends immediately when they do. In some circumstances death can be welcomed, and if the person dying has the hope of eternal life with Christ in heaven then there really isn’t anything to fear. I find it hard to believe that the “act” of dying is more painful than the process of living can be at times.

So quit living like your dying, and start dying to live. Jesus said in John 10:10 that He came so that we may have life more abundantly. Jesus wants us to be fully alive now and to really live the way God intended when we are in heaven. That kind of life starts by accepting Jesus Christ into your life to be the Lord of your life. By asking Him to forgive you of all of the sin in your past that causes eternal death.

Okay. A search on the internet turned up a couple of zombie dog movies.
(This blog post is dedicated to Arlene.)

Endorsed

March 2, 2015 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Many of you are probably familiar with the popular social network of Linked in. This is where you create a profile of your professional life. Your skills, certifications, education, etc. Then you may “link” with other people you know, and who know you and of your experience. One of the features of this website is your connections “endorsing” you. Verifying to prospective employers that you have these skills.

As I read an email this past week notifying me that I have been endorsed for an IT skill the thought crossed my mind, “Would these same individuals “endorse” me to enter heaven?” In other words, have I demonstrated the skills, gifts and lifestyle that would cause them to say, “Yes, I endorse Mark to be allowed into heaven.” I certainly hope I faithfully live the kind of life that would allow them and anyone else to say this.

Would you be endorsed for heaven?