Tuesday Truth
Month: February 2024
Wedding Vows
Most of us have either heard or said traditional wedding vows. There was my nervous cousin who said, “Till death do we fart.” Of course, we all laughed, especially me and my father. At least until my mother rib punched both of us. His twin brother kept shaking as he tried to maintain his composure.
In case it has been a while, here they are:
“I, ___, take thee, ___, to be my wedded husband/wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”
Some of us would prefer these vows:
“I, ___, take thee, ___, to be my wedded husband/wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for richer, and in health, to love and to cherish, happily ever after.”
But life isn’t a fairy tale, and there are ups and downs. Do you realize that after you accept Jesus into your life, you become the Bride of Christ? It’s true.
One of the Seven Angels who had carried the bowls filled with the seven final disasters spoke to me: “Come here. I’ll show you the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb.” Rev. 21:9 (MSG)
Let us celebrate, let us rejoice,
let us give him the glory!
The Marriage of the Lamb has come;
his Wife has made herself ready.
She was given a bridal gown
of bright and shining linen.
The linen is the righteousness of the saints. Rev. 19:7-8 (MSG)
So here is my point to today’s blog post: When we accept Jesus, we enter into an intimate, personal relationship with Him. In sickness and in health. For richer and poorer. For good days and bad days. He helps us get through all the days of our life. But here is the best part: we don’t separate at death but actually come face to face for eternity!
Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady All Rights Reserved
Tuesday Truth
God on the Spot
I have said it before, but here it goes again. “God really does care about the little things in our lives.” The toilet upstairs in our house gets easily clogged if too much toilet paper is used, even if the paper is like that thin restaurant toilet paper.
It happened again, and I had been struggling to unclog it without removing the toilet from the floor. After several attempts using a plunger and a plumber’s snake, I was still defeated. The toilet could handle one but not two, if you know what I mean.
Today, I knew I needed to get it resolved, but we didn’t have the money to call a plumber. I started praying. I asked God, “What do I have in the garage that I can insert in the end of the plumber’s snake that has teeth?” Like a meat-cutting knife. I went into the garage and started looking around. Then I saw my jig saw. It uses small blades. I took the blade out and inserted it into the end of the snake. Then, it was too long to make the bends in the back of the toilet, so I had to break it in half.
Once the blade was where I thought the clog was, I turned the snake around and around and then back and forth. I removed it, and the toilet still didn’t flush smoothly. I heard in my spirit, “Plunger it aggressively.” I did, and it must have finished knocking the clog loose because it worked. The toilet now flushes normally.
Perhaps you are saying, “So what?” To me, it was a big deal and an answer to prayer. I love knowing that God hears us and cares enough to help us. “God knows all the answers to every question if man would only ask.” Bill Johnson from his book “Dreaming with God.”
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Pt. 5:7 (NIV)
I challenge you to tell God what is bothering you. See if, afterward, you don’t sense a loving warmth coming over you. Ask Him how to fix something or solve a problem that you are dealing with. Then, listen for Him to answer. He’s real, He’s alive, and He loves and cares so much about you and what you are going through.
Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady All Rights Reserved
King of Hearts
She did it again. Her husband got angry. “How rude and inconsiderate for her to change her plans without considering me.” He needed sleep and wasn’t feeling well, but now he would have to stay awake waiting for her to let him know when she was ready to come home so he could give her a ride.
Love cares more for others than for self.
“I’m so tired of this!” he thought to himself. “I want to end this marriage!”
Love never gives up.
Love never looks back but keeps going to the end.
He stewed for a while. Then he started complaining to God about it.
Love doesn’t fly off the handle.
Love doesn’t keep score of the sins of others.
“I wish I had a wife that would treat me better. Help out more around the house. Do the things that aren’t obvious but still need to be done,” he murmured.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
“I don’t treat her this way!” he thought.
Love doesn’t strut.
Doesn’t have a swelled head.
Then, God started soothing his soul and whispering into his spirit, “She knows you’re mad but doesn’t truly understand why.” “She’s not wired like you.” “She hasn’t grown in that way yet.” “She didn’t do this to spite you.” “Her motive was pure.”
Love takes pleasure in the flowering of truth.
It puts up with anything.
“Yeah, you’re probably right, God,” he thought. He knew he needed to break the silence because she struggled in that area. Before going to bed, he left her a note in the kitchen expressing his love for his wife. Then, as he went off to sleep, he prayed for her. The man ultimately imitated his heavenly Father and became the King of Hearts.
Love trusts God always.
Love always looks for the best.
Love never fails!
(All lines in red are from 1 Cor. 14:7 (MSG)
Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady All Rights Reserved
How Many?
A friend recommended a good movie for me to watch the other day. He did say it was a tear-jerker, but he failed to suggest I go first to Costco to stock up on tissues! I’ll admit it. I cried my eyes out mainly because it touched several hurts from my past.
The Hill is a 2023 American biographical sports drama film about baseball player Rickey Hill overcoming a physical handicap in order to try out for a legendary major league scout.*
While watching the movie, there was one line that got my attention. “How many miracles do you need to see?” asked Ricky’s mother to his father (played by Dennis Quaid). The line made me wonder about those who struggle to believe in God.
I know God loves everyone. He may not like how they live, but He still loves them. Knowing just how much He loves, I know He has pursued you and others to the uttermost parts of the Earth, trying to reach you. If you were honest and thought back, you would most likely see countless times God has had his hand in your life. How many times he may have saved you from hurt, pain, or even death! How many miracles do you need to see?
“Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ Count on it—there’s more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue. Luke 15:4-7 (MSG)
Stop running from God. Stop resisting his love. When an old friend learned that I was a “Christian,” she remarked in disgust, “How many times am I going to bump into one?” It took me a moment to understand what she was saying. But when I did, I responded with, “Well, can’t you see how much God loves you? Every time you disregard one friendship with a “Christian,” God puts another one in your life. He wants to show you his love for you through them!” Sadly, I, too, was thrown away, but I did not take it personally.
“The one who listens to you, listens to me. The one who rejects you, rejects me. And rejecting me is the same as rejecting God, who sent me.” Luke 10:16 (MSG)
Watch The Hill and watch for God’s love in your life. But this time, accept it! God loving us is a miracle in itself!
*via Wikipedia
Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady All Rights Reserved
Mayday
I’ve mentioned before that I don’t always sleep when I should. I suffer from “OMS” (Old Man Syndrome). Sometimes, when this is the case, I will turn on the TV. One of the shows I like to watch in the middle of the night is called “Mayday.” They go over actual airplane crashes and report “70% of all air crashes are due to human error.” At one time, I wanted to be a pilot.
While watching last night, I thought about people who have never accepted salvation. God’s free gift was through His Son, Jesus, when He died on the cross. They think because they aren’t hurting anyone and are basically a good person, then they should go to heaven. According to Romans 3:23, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. You can’t save yourself, and you can never be “good enough!”
There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough;
look again—it leads straight to hell.
Sure, those people appear to be having a good time,
but all that laughter will end in heartbreak. Prov. 14:12,13 (MSG)
When they stand before God, they will realize they had a chance to have forgiveness, but they didn’t ask for it. Human error! It is then you may hear them cry out, “Mayday! Mayday!” for they will know they are going down. Crash and burn in hell!
I saw a photo on Facebook the other day. The couple was drinking wine, going to concerts, and, in general, living it up. No one usually posts the hard and ugly side of life. That might be called “Uglyfacebook.” There is life, and then there is eternal life. What we do now in life prepares us for the eternal. Ask Jesus into your heart. Ask him for forgiveness and receive it no matter what you have done in the past. Then move over and let God pilot your life. There may be turbulence, but you will reach your final destination, alive!
Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady All Rights Reserved
Service
Before I retired, I had dreams of living in an RV and traveling across America, seeing the places I still haven’t gotten to. I enjoy traveling and have been fortunate enough to have been to forty-nine of the fifty United States. I have also been to a few international locations. Hong Kong has been my favorite so far.
One of my hair-brain thoughts was to contact Sonic Drive-In and see if I could work for them as an undercover quality control of each location. The plan would include cleanliness, quality of food, and, of course, service time. I will tolerate minor issues with a restaurant if their service is good. Did I mention I love Sonic and their food?
Serving others is important. And how you serve is also important, meaning to do it with the right attitude. Even Jesus once said:
“It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.” Mark 10:43-45 (MSG)
There is a fine line between serving and being taken advantage of, though. I struggle with this distinction sometimes. The other day, I should have helped April, but I was mad at her for not helping me. I knew, in my heart, Jesus would have. I have since apologized for responding incorrectly.
It comes down to “love.” Reacting to someone else’s behavior raises the question, am I going to respond out of “love” or out of my flesh? I’m still learning to choose “out of love” first. And if someone is taking advantage of your goodness, I think it is okay to set limits and boundaries. They are healthy, too, and may help keep your heart from getting hurt and having a negative feeling inside.
“Help us, God, to have your wisdom in the moment and to know what to do and then to do that with love and concern.”
Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady All Rights Reserved
brady, mark a. 