heaven

For the Kingdom of Heaven

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I have always been intrigued by Jesus’ teachings. I especially liked it how, while he was speaking, he would point to something and say, “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto…” Okay, that’s how it is written in the King James version of the Bible. A current way would be, “God’s kingdom is like…”

That line has had a huge influence on how this blog is written. If you have ever noticed, I try to take something from real life and show how it can relate to the kingdom of God. I think the gospel of Jesus Christ is relational and practical. It’s not just some lofty words that sound nice.

I think that is where so many casual Christians go off-key. They “go” to church, hear a great sermon, but toss it in the trash on the way out. Then they go about their week as if the God who loves them so much hadn’t delivered a custom “love” letter to their heart. God uses people to speak on his behalf. He delights in partnering with them to do his business.

Sunday’s sermons and hopefully this blog should be thought about during the week and should certainly be applied. It may be challenging, but that is where we can ask God to help us. We should always be growing and maturing in our walk with God. I know of some who have been the same hurtful people for many years. They “go” to church almost every time the doors are open, but when they are there, they forget to unlock the doors of their heart.

Boy, I didn’t expect those words to come out when I started writing this post.

Hear the words of God. Whether spoken through a sermon, read in the Bible, or perhaps in these blogs. Think about them. Ponder their meanings. The Bible is relatable. Its words are alive, and they change people, or at least should. The words the Bible contains can be applied to every part of our lives. Even more than Seinfeld-isms.

Copyright © 2025 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Nope!

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A man once told his wife that the reason he didn’t go to church and had dismissed his belief in God is because he was abused as a little boy in a main denominational church, and he couldn’t believe a loving God would allow that to happen. I hate that it did happen. It was so wrong, but the truth is this: you will not be exempt from hell because of someone else’s moral failure! Nope! Notta!

The Bible is clear about this issue. “Everyone must die once. After a person dies, he is judged.” Heb. 9:27 (ICB) That same man will not be judged for the sins of someone else, but he will be judged for how “he” lived his life.

All people have sinned and are not good enough for God’s glory. 24 People are made right with God by his grace, which is a free gift. They are made right with God by being made free from sin through Jesus Christ. 25 God sent him to die in our place to take away our sins. We receive forgiveness through faith. And all of this is because of the blood of Jesus’ death. Rom. 3:23-25a (ICB)

Recently, a famous senior pastor, who proceeded over several campus locations and was on television, had his past sins revealed. The indiscretion took place many years ago but was disclosed. He probably thought it was hidden and would never be known publicly. This shows that scripture is true when it says, “Everything that is hidden will become clear. Every secret thing will be made known.” Luke 8:17 (ICB)

My point in bringing this up is no one can say, “See. The church is full of hypocrites, and I don’t want to be like them. I’m just as good as they are. So, I will live my life how I want to!” The church is indeed full of imperfect people, but they are forgiven if they have asked God to forgive them in the name of Jesus.

A reporter once asked President Bill Clinton, “You have committed an indiscretion in the Oval Office, yet we see you go to church and carrying a Bible.” President Clinton smirked and replied, “If anybody needed to be in church, don’t you think I should have?” Honestly, he was right.

There is no getting around this matter. There are only two eternities. One is heaven, and the other is hell. God cannot allow people into heaven who are filthy and have not been washed in the blood of Jesus. Fair or not, that is the way it is and must be. For God is Holy.

It is your evil that has separated you from your God. Your sins cause him to turn away from you.  And then he does not hear you. Is. 59:2 (ICB)

Each creature was calling to the others: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of heaven’s armies. His glory fills the whole earth.” Is. 6:3 (ICB)

God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. 1 Jn. 1:5b (ICB)

Your eyes are too good to look at evil. You cannot stand to see people do wrong. So how can you put up with those evil people? How can you be quiet when wicked people defeat people who are better than they are? Hab. 1:13 (ICB)

That is why God had to turn his back on his Son, Jesus, while he was dying on the cross because Jesus took on the sins of the world. So get it through your head today: either accept God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ or die as a sinner and be condemned to spending eternity in hell. It’s your choice. You will not be able to blame anyone else.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

If They Knew

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Once upon a time, there was a rich man, expensively dressed in the latest fashions, wasting his days in conspicuous consumption. A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, had been dumped on his doorstep. All he lived for was to get a meal from scraps off the rich man’s table. His best friends were the dogs who came and licked his sores.

Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the lap of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his lap. He called out, “Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I’m in agony in this fire.”

But Abraham said, “Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things. It’s not like that here. Here he’s consoled and you’re tormented. Besides, in all these matters there is a huge chasm set between us so that no one can go from us to you even if he wanted to, nor can anyone cross over from you to us.”

The rich man said, “Then let me ask you, Father: Send him to the house of my father where I have five brothers, so he can tell them the score and warn them so they won’t end up here in this place of torment.”

Abraham answered, “They have Moses and the Prophets to tell them the score. Let them listen to them.”

“I know, Father Abraham,” he said, “but they’re not listening. If someone came back to them from the dead, they would change their ways.”

Abraham replied, “If they won’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, they’re not going to be convinced by someone who rises from the dead.”

As a young man, I heard our pastor preach many sermons described as “hell fire and brimstone!” He held nothing back, ensuring everyone knew what the Bible said about hell. How awful it would be there if we did not simply accept Jesus Christ as God’s Son and ask him to forgive us for our sins. I knew I didn’t want to be there!

The above story was initially told by Jesus himself. It is recorded in Luke 16:19-31, and the version I pulled from was The Message. It makes me wonder, though, if someone did come back to life and had been in hell as their sentence from how they lived their life and told everyone about hell, would people believe them? Would you?

You probably won’t ever hear of someone coming back from hell. But you do have the Bible, which is full of truth. Some of those truths are:

All have sinned and have fallen short of the Glory of God. (Rom. 3:23)

After you die, you will stand before God and give an account of how you lived your life on earth.
(2 Corinthians 5:10)

Unless you are “born again,” meaning you accepted Jesus Christ, you cannot enter heaven.
(John 3:3)

Accept Jesus. Ask him to forgive you of your sins and live forever in heaven. If the living knew what the dead knew, the whole world would follow Jesus the Christ!

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady.

When Ephesians 6:12 Gets Flipped

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I am writing a book titled “Ask, Flip and Invite, The Power to Learn, Change and Influence Your World.”  I have read, written, and preached about the scripture verse Ephesians 6:12 several times. But the other day, I saw this same verse in a new light. (In its original version:)

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.” Eph. 6:12 (NET)

After reading it, for the first time I saw what this verse will look like in the future:

For there will be no more struggles against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens because God will have defeated them once and for all and have sentenced them to their eternal judgment and will have established His world rulers of Light. They will all be spiritual forces of love in the new heavens and on the new earth.”

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (From the book of Revelation, Chapter 21 [NIV])

Yes, Ephesians 6:12 will get flipped!

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Dinner is Almost Ready

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Charlie 103Growing up, my father always got home at 4:30 PM.  The family would be sitting at the table, have prayed, and start eating by 4:33 PM.  My mother had this super power of having all the food ready on time.  Although, I didn’t realize what a talent that was until I got older and tried it myself.

I knew exactly when we were going to eat, but whenever company was invited over, it was a crap shoot.  “Mom, I’m hungry!  When are we going to eat?” I would ask.  “Dinner is ready, so as soon as they get here,” she would reply.

There is something about sitting down to dinner together with family, or friends.  Your day is pretty much over.  You get to partake of the multiple flavors of the food presented on the table.  The conversation, the laughing, it’s all very relaxing.  I look forward to it.

The Angel said to me, “Write this: ‘Blessed are those invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.’” Revelation 19:9 (MSG)

This scripture promises there will be a dinner in heaven, but not just any dinner, a wedding dinner!  Those are usually the best, and knowing from other scriptures in the Bible there will be more than enough food.  The reason the angel said, “blessed are those invited” is, it means those who will be there made the right choice in believing God, and Jesus as his Son, and then accepted Jesus, and lived for him.  We will be the bride of Christ.

That’s great news, but it means even more for me.  This world is getting so corrupt, so anti-Christ.  Hate is running rampant, wrong is becoming right.  It all wears me out, but I remain hopeful, knowing that God has it all.  But by the time we get to that table in heaven, it will mean, it’s over!  I look forward to it.  Now we can rest, eat, relax, share, and laugh.

You have been invited to this table, in fact, everyone has.  You can make sure you have a seat by accepting Jesus into your life, but don’t keep putting it off, because

dinner is almost ready.

Copyright © 2019 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

My Last Stop

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Living in the Philippines, for the last six months, has taught me a lot!  More than I could have ever imagined.  I have observed, and recorded in my mind the people, their lives, their world.  I foresee, one of these days, the residents here showing up in a story somewhere.

I have tried my best to settle in, and get comfortable, which is difficult when you are a pampered American.  I have done what I could to fit in, but looking so different than them, some wouldn’t let me.  Like today, at the time of this writing, I was cursed and the old woman made a spitting motion at my feet three times.  I’m not saying I know racism in its fullest now, like some do in America, but I have experienced a taste of it, and it doesn’t taste too good.  On the flip side, I have made friends, who call out my name whenever they see me out on the streets.  That’s a good feeling no matter where you live!

As I made this place home, there were days I was jolted when the realization hit me, Mark, this is not your home.  You’re an alien, a sojourner.  Just passing through, for a specific time and purpose.  For that matter, America is not my home either.  I’m an alien there as well, just passing through for a specific time and purpose.

So where is my residence?

“So then ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God” Ephesians 2:19 (ASV)

After I accepted Jesus, my forwarding address was in heaven, God’s kingdom.  As a residence of that land, I have full rights to everything the kingdom of God offers.  I’m an heir to the King of Kings.  I fit in.  Everyone is accepted, no matter how weird they are on earth.  Racism doesn’t exist!  With nothing but love there, I am making heaven, my last stop.

Copyright © 2019 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

As It Is In Heaven

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Charlie 232

(representation of an evil spirit only)

This one was bad.  You don’t want the little ones, but you definitely don’t want one of these.  It probably registered an 8.7 on the wrecking scale.  What God had spent 25 years in the making was about to end in 25 minutes.

Loud, explosive words of hurt and hate spewing from the mouths of Mr. Proud, and Mrs. Stubborn!  Satan, no doubt, was in the shadows of darkness cheering with every foul, and fateful word spewed.  He probably was ringing his hands, anticipating, the final blow that would end it all.  He must have been pleased with his demolition plans, for he loves to kill, steal, and destroy.

Fast forward to today.  The couple is still together, and in fact, their love is stronger than ever.  How did they do it?  They didn’t, Love did.  God, knowing their darkest hour had arrived, hearing their invitation for his help, must have dispatched an army of angels to defeat his enemy, and theirs.  The couple didn’t know how to stop the eruption of anger and fear, but they knew how to pray, or in this case, scream, out of desperation.  What they may not have known, is they were fighting forces unseen.

“In conclusion be strong—not in yourselves but in the Lord, in the power of his boundless resource. Put on God’s complete armour so that you can successfully resist all the devil’s methods of attack. For our fight is not against any physical enemy: it is against organizations and powers that are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil.” (Eph. 6:10-12 PHILLIPS)

Everywhere people live, there are ruling spirits doing the work of the devil.  One such spirit, here in the Philippines, is the spirit of control.  It seems to be more prevalent in women, but it is certainly seen in men as well.  The way to defeat this spirit is with God’s help, but also by repenting of this spirit in your own life.  I have to on a regular basis.  One should stop fighting people, especially those they love, and ask God what evil, ruling, spirits are over their land?  Once you know, claim your authority, you have in Jesus, and speak to the ruling spirits and tell them, in the name of Jesus Christ, to flee.  Then watch how the people around you will change, and live in peace.  “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

Copyright © 2019 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

Heaven on Earth?

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38926425_1133470020125786_7595882961304551424_nI have had a remarkable experience this past week.  I made contact with a new friend, who lives on the other side of the world.  Talking to them can be challenging at times. but in just a few short days, I feel I have been accepted, into their whole family.  From what I have learned, the family has given Jesus all they had, which is actually all He wants, their heart.  They take their faith very serious.  How do I know?  They value their relationship with the Trinity and that value moves them to spend time with God.

In a previous blog post, I have said, there are three things that transcend borders and distance; God, love and laughter.  I have so enjoyed the last few days, and even though we can’t speak each other’s languages very well, okay, the truth is I am just learning theirs, they speak English pretty good, I feel I have had the privilege to get a glimpse of what heaven will be like.  Many people, in different shapes, heights, ages, languages, and color, but one family, sharing one faith, in the one true God.  I can’t wait!  In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy this slice of heaven on earth.

Copyright © 2018 Mark Brady, All rights reserved

Home

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HeavenToday, will be the last time I will ever be in the home I grew up in.  Dad passed away earlier this year, and on Monday the house will be transferred to its new owner.  I will walk around remembering life within those walls.  I will stare at my old bedroom.  Life is about seasons, so though there are good feelings tied to that address, I don’t regret where I live now.

One of these days will be my last one on earth.  I will be ready to leave it, and go to my new home in heaven, where I am confident I will spend eternity, because I accepted Jesus into my life and do my best to live for him.  I will be like the Apostle Paul.  “[Yes] we have confident and hopeful courage and are pleased rather to be away from home out of the body and be at home with the Lord.”  (2Co 5:8 AMP)

Your current address doesn’t matter, but your future one does.  So I have to ask you; realhellWhere will you spend eternity?  Will you be at home with the Lord, or in a totally dark pit falling forever, because hell is bottomless?  Some ask, “How can a loving God send people to hell?”  He doesn’t send people to hell, they send themselves.  It’s your choice.

Paul gave the greatest bottom line:

“Alive, I’m Christ’s messenger; dead, I’m his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can’t lose.”  (Phi 1:21 MSG)

Copyright © 2018 Mark Brady, All rights reserved

It’s About Time!

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clockOld Testament time:  Mankind was given “time” by God.  He created light, and separated it from dark.  He called the light “day”, and the dark “night”.  That was day one. (Gen. 1:3-5)  Pastor Robert Morris says, time gives us stability, and rhythm to life.  During eternity, there will be no need for time.  Jesus operates in a whole different realm than we do.  He is not bound by time.  He can go back in time, and forward in time, in no time.

Abraham’s wife, Sarah, had time reversed for her body and appearance.  She did not look like an old grandma when she had Isaac at the age of 90, but like a beautiful young woman.  So much so, while Abraham was camping in Gerar, he lied, and said she was his sister so he would not be killed for actually being her husband. (Gen. 20:1-18)

New Testament time:  When Jesus’ mother, Mary, asked her son to turn water into wine, while at a wedding, he answered her request.  One of the wedding guest commented the host saved the best wine for last.  Good wine takes 2 years to make.  How did Jesus do it?  I’m not sure, but I believe he could, can and did.  Mary believed as well. (John 2:1-11)

Your time:  I heard a testimony the other day where a kid closed the car door on his hand.  His mother prayed that his hand would go back to how it felt 2 minutes before the accident.  When she got done praying, he said his hand didn’t hurt any more.

Why am I sharing this?  There is a realm, we who call ourselves believers, need to move into.  The realm of possibilities that Jesus lives in.  A realm that is not bound by time.  Being “Christ like” can be for these days, and not just after we arrive in heaven.  Why now?  Because as we approach the last days our faith will need to be stronger.  We will need to know the impossible has always been possible, if we just learn to believe it, and ask for it, like Mary did.  We don’t have to know how, but that it can be done.  The Holy Spirit is sharing this with others around the world.  Jesus will help us and welcome us into this new realm of believing and living.  In fact he will probably say, “It’s about time!”

Copyright © 2018 Mark Brady, All rights reserved