Month: January 2024

God’s Name in Vain

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. Exo. 20:7 (NKJV)

Not to use God’s name in vain is one of the Ten Commandments. But have you ever stopped and wondered, “Why?” I hadn’t either. Then, the other day, out of the blue, I believe I got a download via the Holy Spirit as to why.

I used to ride a commuter train in and out of Chicago. If you take it as long as I did, twenty-four years, you will wind up encountering all types of individuals. I was always tempted to write a sitcom based on four friends who commuted together, but it seemed a lot like the hit show, “Friends.”

One day, I came across a lady who used God’s name in vain a lot! I mean all the time. Once, it was just me and her in the vestibule. She did it again, and I said to her, “You know, you using God’s name in vain is so offensive to me. He is my heavenly Father. Why don’t you use your father’s name in vain, instead?” She thought about it for a moment and then said, “I never thought of it that way. I’m sorry.” I don’t know if she quit because I didn’t see her after that.

Because of the greatness of the name of God, any use of God’s name that brings dishonor on Him or on His character is taking His name in vain.

Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name. Mat. 6:9 (AMPC)

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. Prov. 18:10 (ESV)

“Don’t swear falsely using my name, violating the name of your God. I am God. Lev. 19:12 (MSG)

No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won’t put up with the irreverent use of his name. Deut. 5:11 (MSG)

Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of [a]His holy name. Ps. 30:4 (NKJV)

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Rom. 10:13 (NKJV)

So is the name of Jesus. His name can do the impossible. It can heal, it can provide for your needs, restore relationships, and, best of all, transform a life.

I could be wrong, but I feel the reason God doesn’t want us to use his name in vain is because it is “wasting it,” if you will. Like his name should be spoken for good. He’s good. Not because you are angry. So, think about it the next time you are tempted to waste God’s name. Misusing it is just downright rude.

If you have used his name wrong in the past, you can ask for forgiveness, and He will do that. Forgive you for the offense and for all the other ones, too.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Enemies

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Image by Diana Tobón from Pixabay

The last few nights, I have had dreams that included a person who was so unfair and mean to me that I had hoped I would never see them again. They probably wanted me dead. Not because of who I was, but because of Christ who dwelleth in me. I do my best to live my faith out loud. Ya know? They might have been part of the inspiration behind my novel, Kill the Preacher Man. (Available on my website, bradymarka.com.)

After I woke up this morning and had another one, I asked God, “Why?” He quickly whispered, “I want you to pray for them.” It is part of my spiritual practice to pray for people when I think of them. Especially ones thought of out of the blue. Honestly, I would rather not pray for this person, but I can’t ignore what God told me to do. I must obey.

This person’s sisters once told me that their mother took them to church regularly. That told me they knew of God. The problem is they are striving like crazy to do life their way, but it isn’t working, and they are extremely angry about that. So you see, they weren’t warring with me but God.

27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. Luke 6:27-28 (ESV)

“So, God, I pray for the individual you have brought to my mind. I pray that they stop resisting your love and they run into your waiting arms. Help them, Father, to know your forgiveness is waiting for them. Give them the strength to believe you and to stop listening to the lies of the devil. May they find the people you have put in their life, and may those people help them to get back into a Bible-preaching, love-flowing church. Thank you, God. Amen.”

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Faultlines

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I read a poem today, and I was not too fond of it. The person who penned the words claimed that because the world is “flawed,” the one at “fault” is the Creator. I see this as a huge problem today. Nobody wants to take responsibility when they are wrong. Even an extremely popular, major online shopping company won’t admit it and do something about it. I decided to stop ordering from them. If I can’t find it somewhere else, then do I really need it?

Someone cuts you off on the road. You honk. Yet you get the finger! Oh, maybe they’re showing me they are my number one fan! It can be very frustrating, to say the least. Knowing someone is wrong, but they won’t admit it. And the truth is, they know they were wrong, too.

Below is one person’s comment to the poem:

“Interesting perception, I have made products that work perfectly well until the people who buy them get their hands on them. It’s worth reading the historical records of all the creation accounts they point to a perfect creation and interference.

Your final analysis is also flawed because if I don’t read the instructions and follow direction how is it the manufacturers fault that the product doesn’t work.

The Creator is perfect, the creation was perfect but decided it didn’t need the creator it exercised freewill and the flaws are the product of thousands of years of poor decision making by the product. But thanks for sharing the poem.”

What they are saying is true.

God created the world. He made man and gave him free will. Man decided not to live life according to God’s commands. As a result, sin entered the world. Then sickness, disease, anger, pride, and so on bringing down mankind and, thus, the world.

Today, we have God’s instruction manual, the Bible. Yet mankind still wants to exercise his free will and drive, I mean live life his way, contributing to the downfall of the world. But if asked, they would probably say, “It’s not my fault!” They would instead place the blame on anyone or anything else. The problem with that is this: they are still wrong and will pay the price ultimately for their wrong or sin.

The ONLY solution is to accept Jesus into your life and ask Him for forgiveness of your sins. Then, get a Bible and read how God says we should live. The book of Proverbs is a great place to start. I am wrong a lot! But I admit it and ask God and, if needed, an individual to forgive me. It is so freeing!

Proverbs 11:17-31 (MSG)

17 When you’re kind to others, you help yourself;
    when you’re cruel to others, you hurt yourself.
18 Bad work gets paid with a bad check;
    good work gets solid pay.
19 Take your stand with God’s loyal community and live,
    or chase after phantoms of evil and die.
20 God can’t stand deceivers,
    but oh how he relishes integrity.
21 Count on this: The wicked won’t get off scot-free,
    and God’s loyal people will triumph.
22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
    is a beautiful face on an empty head.
23 The desires of good people lead straight to the best,
    but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.
24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
    the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.
25 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
    those who help others are helped.
26 Curses on those who drive a hard bargain!
    Blessings on all who play fair and square!
27 The one who seeks good finds delight;
    the student of evil becomes evil.
28 A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump;
    a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.
29 Exploit or abuse your family, and end up with a fistful of air;
    common sense tells you it’s a stupid way to live.
30 A good life is a fruit-bearing tree;
    a violent life destroys souls.
31 If good people barely make it,
    what’s in store for the bad!

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

But It Hurts!

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Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Sometimes it takes a while. Perhaps even years. But it always appears. You will eventually see it. The event(s) that causes it to appear can be different.

“I have taken care of her since I graduated high school. Now, forty years later, why she couldn’t understand that we had a personal tragedy in our family and that I needed to close my shop so I could be there for my family is beyond me. It hurts!”

The above was part of a conversation I had earlier this week. I tried to comfort my friend because I knew the person who was mean and evil. If I thought of how April would have said it, I would have. She would have said, “They showed you their face!” A Filippino expression that means they showed you who they really are. Again, it may take a while, but they usually do.

Knowing the offender very well, I shared with my friend what God revealed to me about them. I told them, “The spiritual eyes of their heart are closed.” Even though this person goes to church almost every time, the doors are open. Perfect attendance at church doesn’t mean they live a perfect life. A lot of people fall short of living a life of love, peace, and understanding.

When you see someone’s true face, and it hurts, usually, the only thing you can do is forgive them and pray for them. Respond in the most loving way possible, as Jesus Christ himself would. I read in a book by Dr. Henry Cloud (paraphrasing), “If it is someone who continues to hurt you, it’s okay to stay away from them.” Life is too short to live with unneeded or unwanted pain.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Gems

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Image by Enric Caujapé from Pixabay

16 Then those whose lives honored God got together and talked it over. God saw what they were doing and listened in. A book was opened in God’s presence and minutes were taken of the meeting, with the names of the God-fearers written down, all the names of those who honored God’s name.

17-18 God-of-the-Angel-Armies said, “They’re mine, all mine. They’ll get special treatment when I go into action. I treat them with the same consideration and kindness that parents give the child who honors them. Once more you’ll see the difference it makes between being a person who does the right thing and one who doesn’t, between serving God and not serving him.” Mal. 3:16-18 (MSG)

A beautiful portion of scripture. Some have written that God treasures those who wholeheartedly live for Him so much it’s as if they are gems unto him. He values them.

Several years ago, I worked with a man who collected precious stones. He had a complete shop set up in his basement where he would spend hours sanding, shaping, and polishing those gems. They might have been rough when he started, but by the time he finished with them, they were beautiful.

Some of you may be good people. You do your best to help others with the resources you have. You show love to your neighbors. You serve God in whatever manner as He directs. Yet, privately, only a few see it, there is another side of you. One that you wouldn’t want your pastor to know of.

God loves you so much and can see all that you do. He knows it doesn’t take much effort to get you to show love to another in need. But He does know about that other side. I believe God puts people and allows situations in your life that irritate you. Give you a reason to go to that point where the light of God fades.

I struggled for years to understand why He would do that. Then, recently, I received wisdom and understanding of the matter. He puts those individuals in your life to act as sandpaper and to grind the rough edges of your soul away. If you yield to the process, you will become even more precious to God and pure. Thank Him for loving you that much!

6-7 I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. 1 Pt. 1:6-7 (MSG)

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

DNR

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When I was in the hospital recently, as I was getting evaluated, they kept asking me if something happened, would I want to be resuscitated. I found this odd because if I didn’t want to live, then why would I have sought medical attention? (NOTE: I’m okay and will continue to write award-winning blog posts! LOL) If I had answered them “No,” then I would have been labeled as “DNR.” (Do not resuscitate)

My father chose “DNR” when he was asked. He said he didn’t want to go through dialysis just to extend his life another year or so. He was 83. He said he had lived a good life and was ready to stand before God, so he decided to leave his fate in God’s hands. He told me once he had asked God to let him die in his sleep. He did seventeen days later.

I have met people who need to be resuscitated. Even some who claim to have accepted Jesus before. They know right from wrong and good from evil. Yet the way they live their life or the words they speak to others demonstrates a lack of God’s love. Therefore, they need “CPR” (Christ Power Resurrecting).

3 I know you are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name’s sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary.
4 But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love]. Rev. 2:3-4 (AMPC)

Many of them do not see anything wrong with how they do life. They are also never wrong in their minds. It’s as if they are wearing a hospital bracelet that is labeled: DNR. If you know such a person, then pray for them. Pray that the spiritual eyes of their heart will be open. Pray they will fall in love with Jesus again and renew living out of an attitude of love.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

How to Live Life

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Image by Brigitte Werner from Pixabay

I decided to start 2024 reading from the book of Proverbs and, this time, from “The Message.” The introduction to the book used the subtitle of “A Manual For Living.”

1-6 These are the wise sayings of Solomon,
    David’s son, Israel’s king—
Written down so we’ll know how to live well and right,
    to understand what life means and where it’s going;
A manual for living,
    for learning what’s right and just and fair;
To teach the inexperienced the ropes
    and give our young people a grasp on reality.
There’s something here also for seasoned men and women,
    still a thing or two for the experienced to learn—
Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate,
    the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.

Start with God

7 Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God;
    only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning. Prov. 1:1-7 (MSG)

The wisest man on earth says to start with God. Some of you may have a problem with that advice right there. You are still thinking that you know more about yourself and your life than He does. Others may have an issue with this because they feel God is nothing more than a bunch of rules. If this is you, then perhaps the problem is you don’t trust God. Maybe you look at someone else’s life who claims to be living for God, and yet they are not doing things that you approve of. Therefore, you have decided you don’t want to be like them. That is judgment and ultimately only an excuse.

The beginning of a new year is a great time to start new things like a new lifestyle. Evan a new perspective on God and try trusting Him more. If Soloman found it essential, then it is! Yes, you may have to die to yourself, but you begin to live life like never before.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Christmas Hangover?

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Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay

I drive April to work early each morning. Today, on the way back home, I was listening to a Christian radio station. They wound up playing four Christmas songs. You know I was singing along! Loud! I think the station’s computer had not been updated, removing those songs from its playlist.

 I heard someone say the other day, “The build-up before Christmas was huge, and then it was all over before I knew it!” According to Urban Dictionary, “A Christmas Hangover is the feeling you get in your stomach when you realize it’s no longer Christmas.”

Do you feel that way? Did the holiday go the way you wanted it to, or had hoped? Are you disappointed for some reason? I propose the issue for you, may be that “The Day” is more significant than “The Reason.” In other words, the gifts, the food, being with family, etc., mean more to you than the fact that Jesus was born that day.

When you accept Jesus into your life and know that your sins have been forgiven, a particular life or light should start growing within you. It happens as your relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, begins to grow. As it develops, you realize that Jesus becomes very real and is walking along with you. Conversations start to take place, and soon, you know that Jesus is close and will never leave you.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;
    never will I forsake you.” Heb. 13:5 (NIV)

This kind of “living” relationship changes your approach to Christmas and every day before and after and is the best cure for a Christmas hangover.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

The 529 Plan

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In America, most of us are aware of “529 Plans.” A plan that allows you to invest in the college education of your child and not pay taxes on it if I remember correctly. I had one such plan for each of my children.

I was in the hospital over the last weekend. I know. I spent New Year’s Eve in a hospital bed. I’m okay now after having a procedure done yesterday, New Year’s Day, and I was released this afternoon.

After my procedure was over and I went to a room where I was allowed to eat again, I relaxed, and I asked God to give me the opportunity to have a meaningful conversation with someone before I left the hospital. The first one was at 12:01 AM. A young man came into my room and, of course, woke me up to see if I was being taken care of okay during my stay. I said I was, but then somehow the conversation turned to how he got to Tulsa, and then he even shared with me how he found God. It’s an amazing testimony that I may share later.

We spent forty minutes talking, and I was so moved about what he and his wife wanted to do in the future. Then I asked if I could pray with him. He agreed. As I prayed, I felt led by God to say certain words. Those words turned out to really minister to him. He said they resonated with him because they were along the line of thoughts and prayers with God he had been having lately.

If that wasn’t enough, this morning, a young woman came into my hospital room to draw blood. I tried to make small talk with her, but it wasn’t going well. Then I asked her, “Why are you so sad?” She immediately looked up at me and asked, “How did you know that?” I proceeded to share with her that I had the gift of discernment and that God had told me she was.

I asked if she wanted to talk about it, and she declined my offer. So I proceeded to share with her that it was going to be okay and that God had sent me there to tell her that. The countenance on her face immediately turned, and she began smiling. I told her not to get hung up on the discernment part but rather to focus on the message from God. I said, “He sees what you are going through and has heard you crying out to him. He loves you so very much.” She thanked me and then started crying. It was at that point my eyes leaked as well. She completed her task and thanked me again for being bold enough to talk to her.

I felt good in my spirit after she left. I recalled my request to God the night before. I was thrilled when I realized I got to work with Him to “invest” in those two individual’s lives/futures. Then I looked at the info board that the nurses write on. There, at the top, I saw it. My room number. “529!”

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady