Month: December 2023

The End

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Image by Colleen ODell from Pixabay

Reaching the end of something can evoke many emotions. The end of a good movie, a job, a family or friend’s life, or perhaps even a marriage. There may be mixed feelings about the end of the year. Most people said they were so happy to see the end of 2020!

We will come to the end of 2023 in a few days. In some ways, it was a challenging year for April and me, but we got through it. I remember at one point feeling as if God had turned away from us and left us to ourselves because we had made a wrong decision. We know now that He was busy orchestrating our lives, intersecting with another’s in order to fulfill His will.

At the time, it seemed so difficult to wait upon the Lord. I cried out many times for His help. For God to deliver us from ourselves and to set us back on the right track. God proved himself faithful again. God helped us. He gave me a clear mind to make sound decisions on what to do that would give us a chance to recover.

I have no idea what 2024 will have in store for us, but I know God is already working on our behalf. If you have never accepted God’s gift of Jesus Christ into your life and have asked for forgiveness, then now would be a great time. Wow! That would be a great way to end 2023 and start 2024.

Just think—you don’t need a thing, you’ve got it all! All God’s gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that. 1 Cor. 1:7-9 (MSG)

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady

A Day Off

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Image by Pavlo from Pixabay

I had been asking God for about two weeks what He wanted to say for this blog post. I wasn’t hearing anything in my spirit. Notta. Nothing. I was beginning to consider taking a day off. After all, I have only missed two posts in nine years.

Then, my thoughts turned to God. Yes, He took a day off after creating the world we live in because that was work. And I do follow His example by not writing or editing anything on Sundays.

By the way, did you know the average McDonalds makes around $1,000.000 a year? But the average Chick-fil-A, which is closed on Sundays, makes about $5,000,000 a year!

But God never takes a day off from being God. He always has his eye on us. He is constantly moving in our lives.

From heaven the Lord looks down
    and sees all mankind; Ps. 33:13 (NIV)

Since ancient times no one has heard,
    no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
    who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. Is. 64:4 (NIV)

What do you know? I guess I had a blog post, after all!

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady

It’s Not Until

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“It’s not until you know how to die that you begin to know how to live.”

April and I were watching the movie “I Can Only Imagine” when the words above spilled into my heart. I have been thinking about them ever since.

Jesus knew how to die; therefore, He knew how to live. And He came to Earth as a baby, no less to show us. In a few days, we will be celebrating that birth. The birth of Jesus. He quietly entered the world, and only a few noticed. But his death shook the Earth and is still making headlines in the hearts and lives of people all over the world today! Jesus knew how to die.

Between the start of his life and his death, He showed us how to live. He laughed with us, cried with us, accepted us no matter what we had done in the past, and loved us. It was with love he lived, and it was in love He died. It was because of love and the love of His Father in heaven that He came in the first place; He did not want us to die eternally. Jesus knew how to live.

You see, it’s how you live your life that will determine where you spend eternity after you die. If, in your ever so brief life, you decide to accept Jesus’ free gift of salvation and ask him to forgive you of your sins, then you will live forever in heaven with him and probably a lot of your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members. But only if they accepted Jesus as well.

I know I’m not perfect. I have made a lot of BIG mistakes in life. I have hurt a lot of people, and I feel bad about that. The only thing that helps that pain is knowing that God has forgiven me through Jesus’ death on the cross. And every morning that I wake up, I have another opportunity to try my best to get that day right. That is what makes life worth living. So, I, too, know how to die, and I know from God’s word how to live, and that is with love.

16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. John 3:16-18 (MSG)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady

Christmas Cards

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

SENDING CARDS
Sending Christmas cards may soon be a thing of the past. I look at it as a way to say, “Hi. I’m still alive. I hope you are, too, and I wish you God’s best for the holiday season.” I once had a tradition where people received my Christmas card the day after Thanksgiving. I did it because I moved so much. I wanted them to have my new address! One year, I received a lady’s Christmas card in September. Inside, she wrote, “By God, you weren’t going to beat me this year!”

FUNNIEST CARD
The funniest card I ever received was in 2020. On the cover, it showed a Christmas tree made from stacked toilet paper rolls. (Leftover from the COVID pandemic. Thanks, Patty.)

MEANINGFUL CARD
There was one card that a friend of mine and I sent back and forth for twenty-nine years. It was the same card. We would find an open spot and sign our name with the year. I calculated that the card had traveled back and forth across America some 22,000 miles. The tradition ended when I lost the card in Chicago. I felt as if I had lost my friend. Two years later, I did.

FAVORITE CARD said:
If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator.
If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist.
If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist.
But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior!

That card said it all. It shared what our greatest need was and what God did about it. If you have not accepted God’s gift of salvation, then it should be the first gift you open this Christmas. In fact, you can open it early and do it now! God is still meeting needs today. He is capable of meeting yours if you let him. Ask, and then believe that He will answer in the best way possible. He knows all the details. The ones we see and the ones we don’t.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Phil. 4:19 (NIV)

You may find yourself struggling this holiday season. It’s hard to be concerned with world issues when your issues feel as big as the world. Remember this: God sees you, loves you, and knows what your needs are. Give him a chance to show himself strong in your life.

And back to Christmas cards, take the time to send someone a card. Perhaps they are someone who doesn’t expect to be remembered this holiday season. I assure you, it will meet at least one need in their life.

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady

Sensing Jesus – Nose

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

The body’s nose is probably overlooked and perhaps underrated. Some joke about those who stick theirs in one’s business. Others may tease about one at work having a “brown” nose. Yet, the nose has the ability to bring fond memories back to one’s mind. I know whenever I smell dinner rolls, I recall walking into the house I grew up in and smelling homemade dinner rolls baking in the oven. They were usually the last item cooked, so the smell of rolls meant we would be eating soon.

Yet the nose has the power to save lives. Even now, as I am writing this post, I can still smell the remnants of the fire we had here last night. I was upstairs working when I started smelling the strong odor of a burning wire. I found where it was coming from. An outlet in the bedroom. I went and got my tools. When I removed the cover, a flame ignited from the smoldering wire. I didn’t think I had time to run to the garage to kill the power, so I picked up a pair of pliers that had rubber handles and shorted the circuit out.

I removed the burnt outlet and replaced it with a new one. I believe the culprit was a heater drawing too many amps and the breaker not doing its job. (I’m not an electrician, so I’m not sure about that, but I know I need to hire one to check things out.) April and I were relieved and thanked God for allowing me to smell the issue before it caught the house on fire.

Odors can save our homes and our lives. God likes odors or aromas, too. In the Old Testament, we can read that he took delight in the smells rising from the altar of the Holy of Holies. He also took delight when His Son gave himself up for us.

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Eph. 5:2 (NKJV)

We, too, should enjoy the fragrance of Jesus’ death on the cross that provided atonement for our sins. He willingly laid out his life on the altar for us. This Christmas, take time to take in the smells of the season and think about how sweet the aroma of life is through the gift of salvation.

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady

Sensing Jesus – Touch

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

Physical contact with infants is crucial for their development. Studies have shown that babies who receive more physical contact from their mothers had a lower response to stress-inducing situations later in life. Another study found that premature babies who received three 15-minute sessions of touch therapy per day for five days showed improved brain activity.

On the other hand, babies who do not receive ample physical and emotional attention are at higher risk for behavioral, emotional, and social problems as they grow up.

Newborns denied physical contact with other humans can actually die from this lack of contact, even when provided with proper nutrition and shelter. (See references below.)

As you can see from the studies referenced above, “touch” is extremely important and powerful. When Jesus was born, those in the area would have received a lot if they had only stopped their business, sought Jesus out, and held him in their arms. Simeon did just that. He waited for the King of Kings to be brought to the temple and presented to the priest.

Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, (Luke 2:28 (NIV)

Then there was the woman who was healed of a twelve-year plague simply because her faith prodded her to “touch” the hem of Jesus’ robe. (Mat. 9:20-22)

In this busy holiday season, if you will stop and seek Jesus out, you will find him. There is nothing like a touch from the Master. There is nothing that can compare to sensing His presence. It will touch your heart. Jesus welcomes you no matter what you have done. It’s interesting that when Jesus died on the cross to forgive us of sin, his arms were wide open. That is a position of acceptance.

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady

Sensing Jesus – Mouth

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Image by Giulia Marotta from Pixabay

“For as often as you eat this cup and drink this bread,” said the senior pastor as he was leading us in the monthly ritual of communion. I was 21, a youth pastor, standing on his left, and I had to stare at the floor to keep from laughing.

Jesus made reference that we should drink his blood that was poured out when He died on the cross. And partake of his body, which was broken for us. Now, He did not mean this literally, of course, but suggesting that we take him in and remember what He did on the cross that provided salvation for us and the forgiveness of sin.

The mouth is not only for taking communion, but it can serve as a means to share God’s love through verbal speech. It’s sad when it happens, but it can also tear someone down.

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

Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
Jam. 3:10 (NIV)

The mouth is an integral part of the body. With it, you can praise and worship God or read his word out loud to yourself or others. You can encourage someone with words spoken over them. Jesus used his mouth to speak of loving God first and then your neighbor. He used his mouth to invite people to accept him.

This Christmas season, sense Jesus. Get quiet somewhere and take him in. Speak the words He spoke. Invite others to accept Jesus. Encourage people with loving words. Use your mouth for good and not hurt or hate. Use it to give praise and worship to Father God. Thank him for his Son, for his blessings. Spread joy throughout this season of giving.

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady

Sensing Jesus – Ears

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

In the hustle and bustle of the times, people most likely didn’t notice the cry of a baby coming from the stable. Of if they did, their intellect convinced them that there was no way someone would have a baby there. A lot of Jesus’ story didn’t make sense, so why not where he was born?

Jesus came here with a message that people needed to hear and still do to this day. That word was of God’s plan to redeem us through the sacrifice of his Son. People’s brains had a hard time understanding, accepting, or believing it. God’s action would require “faith” and lots of it.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Rom. 10:17 (KJV)

Jesus also shared a message of acceptance and one of love. For instance, when He spoke to the woman at the well. (John 4:1-42) Or when He ministered to the man who was possessed by a demon. (Mark 5:1-20)

One can use their ears this holiday season to sense Jesus. Like the last blog, pausing, finding a quiet place to focus, and hearing what message Jesus would say to you. It may be a word of love, acceptance, inclusion, comfort, or guidance. It may be an invitation to accept him. His message may not make sense in your mind, but it is truth. No matter what message Jesus would love to give you, I hope you will hear it, believe it, and accept it.

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady

Sensing Jesus – Eyes

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

24-25 But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We saw the Master.” But he said, “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.” 26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” 27 Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.” 28 Thomas said, “My Master! My God!” 29 Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.” John 20:24-29 (MSG)

Perhaps Thomas was from Missouri – “The Show Me State.” He just had to see Jesus before he could believe that though He had died, He had risen and was alive. The hardest thing about faith is not being able to see the one you believe in. If it were easy, it wouldn’t be faith.

When Jesus was born, so many were right there near the stable but failed to see him. Perhaps they were busy dealing with life and with the census that was going on at the time. The devil will always try to keep you busy with something in life that keeps you from seeing Jesus in your life. And with this being the beginning of the Christmas season, there is so much that can distract us from seeing Jesus.

Celebrate this season of your life with purpose. Purposely, slow down, take a moment to stop and reflect on Jesus. Seek out your favorite spot in the house, sit with a warm drink, and consider how Jesus is alive and active in your life. Look for the moments Jesus has been involved in your life. If you have never accepted Jesus, you might see how He has lovingly pursued you.

My uncle was moments away from entering heaven. My cousin, who was a minister at the time, was sitting beside his bed. His last days were spent with family at home. All of a sudden, my cousin said he opened his eyes big and, with a bigger grin on his face, started exclaiming, “I see Him! I see Him!” My cousin looked to where he was pointing, not seeing anything but sensing the presence of God. My uncle then passed away peacefully with a smile on his face. He got to see Jesus as He came to usher my uncle home. Coincidently, my uncle was from Missouri.

Jesus can be seen if you look intently. You may see his nail-scared hands as He guides you. You may see Him lift you as He carries you through a personal trial. It is possible to see Jesus if you look. You will enjoy this Christmas season better after seeing Jesus, the reason for the season.

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady