God’s Man

June 28, 2015 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I wait for the light to turn green. I just wanted to get home, so I could sit outside and write. Yesterday was one of those days Chicagoans dream of in the midst of winter. In front of me was a vehicle that had the license plate you see in the photo. Obviously placed there by a man, for few women would declare to the world that her husband is a man of God. How do I know he was married? It was on a minivan type of SUV.

As the day went on I could not get way from this man’s statement concerning hims Gods Man elf. Then I realized it’s not a statement of achievement, but of faith. For this isn’t who he is, but more of who he is striving to be. This takes guts to declare to the world: “This is who I am trying to be.” I don’t drive patient enough of others to dare put this on my vehicle. (Not yet I’m sad to say.) Not to mention the many times I fail those who know me.

Phi 1:6 There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. (MSG)

I receive hope from this verse. Being God’s man is certainly a worthy goal to have. This world, but also those who know me, needs me to continue to strive to obtain this declaration as truth. I desire to be known by all (and that includes those closest to me) as “A Man of God”. Maybe one day my tombstone will read, “Here lies a man of God, but only till Jesus returns to take him home.” That even my death would proclaim the hope of eternal life we have in accepting Jesus. Whose man or woman are you? I hope God’s.

Who’s Your Daddy?

June 22, 2015 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

With today being Father’s Day I naturally started thinking about my earthly father. He is very funny. He can be extremely generous, and he is absolutely the best fisherman I know. When he goes fishing at the lake he catches so many when he gets done the water level is lower. Seriously he has been known to catch 95 sand bass in one outing by himself. I am definitely like my earthly father in several ways.

Then my thoughts turned to my heavenly Father. I was made in His image, but am I like Him? I feel God has a sense of humor, but I know for sure He is loving, He is kind, He is longsuffering, He remembers no wrongs, and He is patient, as well as other perfect qualities. Out of my two fathers I desire mostly to be like my heavenly Father.

In Romans 8:15 it says we cry out to God by saying, “Abba Father”, which translates as “Daddy God”.

Some people have a pretty bad earthly father. In no way should our heavenly Father be compared to our earthly fathers. Earthly fathers, at least on this side of heaven, can let you down, say things that hurt, or do other things we don’t like. If you have been hurt by your earthly father you can certainly turn to your Daddy God. He can heal you, help you understand things. He is always there for you. On this day and everyday remember your heavenly Father.

Boo-boos

June 14, 2015 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

My son was playing when he fell and landed on one of his toys which hurt him. boo-boos He started whimpering as he climbed up on the sofa next to his mother. He laid on his back, pulled his legs up and said, “Mommy, kiss my butt.” Yes. We had taught him when he gets a boo-boo mommy and daddy can kiss it and make it all better.

Last Friday morning I read an email from my daughter. Her pain was so great I could feel it leap from the phone and into my heart. I wanted nothing more than to pull her into my arms, kiss her cheek and tell her, “It will be okay.” When our children become young adults it seems as if their boo-boos cut deeper, and hurt worse than when they were toddlers. Because we are separated by many miles I couldn’t be there in person to hold her in my arms, but my concern for her and the situation is there none-the-less.

Jesus sees our struggles, our pain, our hurts, and even our boo-boos. Hebrews 5:2 says, “(Jesus) should be able to deal gently with their failings, since he knows what it’s like from his own experience.” Hebrews 5:8 “Though he was God’s Son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do.” (MSG)

We can go to Jesus at any time with anything, but definitely turn to him when you get hurt. Turning to anything, or anyone else just isn’t the same. Jesus knows how to guide you, heal you, or teach you to make it all better.

The Final Edit

June 7, 2015 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

As I mentioned last week I was going to a writer’s conference. I did. As a result the mechanics of writing is in the fore front of my mind. As I was walking around the campus, and thinking on what those that have “been there and done that” taught me, I was also searching God concerning a host of thoughts. One of those was about you.

One of the nice things about writing is the fact there is usually time to re-write. This act creates many drafts of our first words. Even up to this point I have hit the backspace key seven times. During my walk God reminded me life is different than writing. In life we only get one draft. No rewrites, and there is no backspace key! Wouldn’t it be nice if there was? You could take back what you said, or did.

You only get this one time, now, to live life. This is why life is so precious. How you choose to live your life is important. For there will be a day when you stand before God to give an account of how you chose to live your life. It is at that time God will perform the final edit. As it says in Hebrews 9:27 “Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences.” (MSG)

The Word

June 1, 2015 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

This week I am going for the third year in a row to a Christian Writer’s conference. I have been asked why do I write, and their other question was what qualifications do I have to write about Christian living? Well, I haven’t gone to school to learn how to write, but it does seem as if there has been an emphasis on writing in my education. Also I enjoy the process of creating something with words that wasn’t there before. After all, we are made in God’s image and He gave us the ability to create. To answer the second question it seems as if a lot of people won’t read the Bible, but God still wants to communicate His truths and love to them, so He directs individuals to write as He so leads.

I feel as if I am one of those individuals. I always ask God what He wants to say this week. After all He knows who will be reading the blog that particular week. I pray for those readers that somehow the words they read will encourage them, lift them up, and help them know God.

So you see each week this blog is for you, the reader, and it’s not just words, but it comes with thoughts and prayers about you and for you. So I go to the conference to learn how to communicate better “The Word.”