Spiritual Heart Murmurs

July 28, 2018July 27, 2018 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

Doctor: “Sit up straight and breathe normal.” The doctor moved his stethoscope across my chest, and then around my back. “Deep breaths.” He listened. For what? Did he hear anything out of the ordinary? Perhaps a murmur? Was there reason for concern?

God: What if God did that? Listened to our hearts, and actually He does. What would He hear? A murmur? Would there be any reason for concern? So what would be a spiritual heart murmur? Hatred? Un-forgiveness? Idolatry? Lying? A hurt? Someone wronged you?

Search me, O God, and know my heart: (Psa 139:23 KJV+)

Us: What if we, God’s people, were walking around with spiritual stethoscopes? Meaning; if we were talking to someone, we would take time to listen to their heart. To actually hear if and what is causing them pain. Then, what if we prayed with them right there, or promised to at a later time, and actually did?

Ask God to help you detect murmurs. Your clue to stop and ask, “What’s wrong?” Or, “How are you really doing?” Doing this simple act might reduce the number of walking wounded around us. Even better, would be to detect the problem early enough to prevent more serious heart damage. Will you try? Doing so, would show the other person you care, because God cares.

Forgiveness

July 25, 2018July 20, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Boulder 1 Exhibiting true forgiveness, allows you to be in the presence of the one you forgave. The same goes for God. That is why accepting Jesus, for the atonement of our sins, is so important.

Be Quiet

July 21, 2018July 21, 2018 / Mark Brady / 3 Comments

what 1 Be quiet mind,
for it’s not your time.
Body, sit still,
so you can feel.
Soul, open up, so you may receive,
what the Lord, in you, wants to conceive.

A new direction,
a better way of life.
One at peace,
where there is no strife.

Be quiet today,
sit still for a while.
Listen to the world around you,
hear the sounds of nature and smile.

Reflect on life, as it once was,
and learn from its mistakes.
Repeat them never more,
preventing future heart aches.

Be quiet and listen to others,
for enough noise you have made.
Let God speak, and heal you,
so your hurts can all fade.

It’s okay to be quiet,
for there is nothing to fear.
There’s a lot to take in,
God’s majesty to hear.

(Dedicated to Jo Anna)

Thank You

July 18, 2018July 16, 2018 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

It’s good to tell people, “Thank you”, but it’s powerful when you give them one they can hold in their hand. Write a “Thank you” note to someone who has done something good in your life lately.

How Much?

July 14, 2018July 5, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

book 1 I would go visit them, and before I knew it, they would be giving me a guided tour of their latest acquisitions. Antiques, what nots, weird things, but things that appealed to them. I would hear the story of where they found it, and why they liked it. The one fact that never went unnoticed was how excited they were over their latest find, and the one thing that always struck me funny was when they would ask, “You want to know how much I paid?”

I was reminiscing the other day about those times and chuckling when I begin to envision Jesus showing me his latest acquisitions. “This is John. He was in a bar when he realized his life needed to change. He asked me to help. This is Manjola from Albania. I pursued him a long time before he finally accepted me. Oh! Over here is Akemi. She’s from Japan. She was desperate for real love, and a friend told her about me.”

Person, after person. Jesus was enthusiastic over every one of them. He told me their story. How long He looked for them, as they were lost, but the one thing He never asked was, “You want to know how much I paid?”

“You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for by Christ]” (1Co 7:23 AMP)

July 11, 2018July 10, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

You will never convince someone to change their lifestyle by telling them how awful hell is, but you might by telling them how wonderful God is.

The Confession

July 7, 2018July 5, 2018 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

20180618_161958 Confession: I have never been inside a confessional booth. I grew up in a church where doing so was not part of our spiritual practice. I am at a temple where there is one. I am writing this blog post while sitting inside it. Not intended, but in order to see I brought a small, but bright LED light. It is casting such a white glow I think it scared a couple checking out the temple.

Here I sit, in this small, wooden structure. It smells old, musty, perhaps from tears soaking the carpeted board beneath my feet. There is carpet on the walls as well. I guess to absorb the sound, but aren’t confessions meant to be heard?

I think there is also supposed to be a man in the booth next door. A man to hear my sins? My wrong doing? What if he is actually a newspaper reporter? Wait, when Jesus died on the cross, didn’t his selfless act of love cut out the middle man? After all, the veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom. The veil that once separated man from God. Now Jesus is our High Priest.

I guess while I am in here I might as well start talking. Heavenly Father bless me. It has been 23 minutes since my last confession. You remember. Oh, you don’t? Then maybe I should choose to forget it also.

Now, I confess all my sins. The ones that denied you, dissatisfied you, destroyed me and demolished others. The sins that dishonored you, discomforted you. The ones that would disqualify me from your presence, if it were not for your Son. The sins that diminished others, disgruntled my employers, and devalued my wife and children. And don’t forget the one that deflowered me before I was with the proper one at the proper time. The ones that delayed me from being obedient unto you and your plans. I also confess the times I digested things that defiled my body, your temple. The words I spoke that derailed others on track to finding you. The times my actions denounced you. The sins that I allowed that wound up discouraging me and damaging my faith.

Forgive me Father. I ask for your mercy and grace. Thank you for not deleting my name from your Book of Life. Thank you for forgiveness, and for your Son, Jesus who gives life through his death.

Now what do I do Lord God? “Go and sin no more.”