Jesus

Why They Killed Jesus

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“You think if you don’t fight back then maybe they’ll like you, stop picking on you and calling you a freak? Well, here’s what it is. They don’t like you; they don’t dislike you. They’re afraid of you. You’re different. Sooner or later, different scares people. Victim or not? Make a decision.”

Christian Wolf’s father from the movie, “The Accountant.”

I live close to where a young high school girl recently committed suicide. The tragic event made national news. She killed herself the day after an incident in her school had taken place. She had been bullied for her decision to label herself as “non-binary.” I had not heard of that term, so I looked it up. From what I understand, it means one does not identify as being a male or female. “It” is the only pronoun that can apply in that situation. That’s sad!

I think the above quote definitely fits the young woman’s situation. She was different, and her classmates didn’t understand her; therefore, they were uncomfortable around her. I think Jesus Christ found himself in a similar situation. Not regarding his gender or sexuality but by being different. Some were drawn to him and his message and life demonstration of love. Others weren’t.

Several, especially the religious leaders of the day and those who wielded power, did not accept Jesus. He acted so differently than them. He didn’t condemn the guilty, and he was able to heal the sick and the lame. He showed that he had power over nature and even death! Jesus was so different than them that they became afraid of him instead of believing in him. His wisdom, message, and way of life baffled them! As a result, either out of fear of losing control of the masses or they were sick and tired of hearing his name, they decided to kill him. They did not try to understand Jesus. That’s sad!

But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. 1 Cor. 2:14 (AMPC)

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. Pro. 3:5 (AMPC)

Don’t let your life come to a sad end. Open your heart to Jesus and God’s love, whether it makes sense to you or not. Whether you identify as one whom God lovingly and fearfully made to be his son or daughter. God is who you are desperately looking for! He is the answer to all of your questions. Don’t kill the One who offers you hope.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

What in the World Did I Eat?

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You know how we joke after having a bad dream about what we ate the night before? That is what I was asking myself the other day. The dream had me sitting in a classroom. Somehow, I knew it was a college class. I was sitting in the back of the room, which was usually my custom when I did attend college.

A humorous part of the dream was when the professor entered the classroom. Wallace Shawn portrayed that role. Don’t recognize the name? He is an actor who has played Dr. John Sturgis on the sitcom “Young Sheldon.” His role in the show is that of a nerdy professor.

In the dream, he walked into the room and asked, “What is the cost of a man?” After a few students attempted to answer his question, he began to write a series of formulas on the chalkboard. There were at least four rows of them. That is where he lost me! He came up with the solution of “0.02.” I’m not sure what that means. I woke shortly after that.

Whenever I have a dream that I remember, I will usually ask myself, what does that mean? I have taken a class on dream interpretation. Most of them are about yourself and tend to reflect what is currently going on in your life. In this case, I had to answer the question from God’s point of view before knowing why I had the dream. When that happened, I knew I had to share the answer in a blog post.

The cost of a man is “Jesus.” What? You see, God made man, and therefore man belonged to God, but God gave that ownership to man when He gave him “free will.”  When man sinned by disobeying God, man transferred that ownership to Satan. God did not want man to die in a sinful state and, therefore, perish forever.

So God gave man His only Son. Jesus came to Earth as a baby. He matured in the word of God and the ways of God. Jesus walked the area teaching others about His Father, about real love, and a better way to live. He promised those who believed in Him and asked for forgiveness eternal life. Then, after the religious leaders became fearful that Jesus’ popularity would take away their power and control, they killed him.

The cost for a man to have eternal life again was the brutal death and then resurrection of Jesus Christ. His death purchased the right for man to live eternally. But once again, God has allowed man, via free will, to decide for himself if he wants to accept His gift of His Son. Jesus’ selfless action of love is the only way to have the hope of true life, eternal life.

“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)

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady

Are You Praying to the Wrong Person? Part V: Wrong Jesus

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Ann is my guest blogger today. She loves God and loves, even more, sharing the truth about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. She is grounded in the Word of God, and it shows. You can find her regular blog at: https://seekingdivineperspective.com/ I highly recommend following her as she follows Jesus.

Are You Praying to the Wrong Person? Part V: Wrong Jesus

 seekingdivineperspective  Uncategorized  December 2, 2022 4 Minutes

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. – John 1:1

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! – Galatians 1:8

“Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.” – Charles Spurgeon

Baby Jesus: It’s that time of year when even the staunchest atheist might hum along with songs about Mary’s baby Boy, the cuddly little Babe in the manger. And when the Christmas season is over and the manger scenes are put away, so are any further thoughts about Jesus until His birthday next year. But Christ-followers know there is much more to this “Babe” than the songs playing in the mall tell us.

Are we so caught up in the sweetness and the sentimentality of the season that we fail to stop and ponder the wonder of the Incarnation – “Emmanuel’ – “God with us“?

I for one appreciate the Christmas carols that tell the whole story – that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to die in our place, as the atoning sacrifice to pay for our sins, so we can be restored to fellowship with the Father and live forever. – “God and sinners reconciled!”

That Baby in the manger was born for one purpose, to die so that we could live.

And yet, if you ask the simple question, “Who is Jesus?” you will get varying responses.

The illogical Jesus: Many say Jesus was a good man, a great moral teacher, like Buddha, Mohammed, and Confucius. But as C. S. Lewis famously pointed out, this is not an option. Jesus claimed to be God, and this claim was one of the reasons His enemies set out to kill Him. Such a radical claim must be either true or false. He couldn’t have been “sort of God.” If Jesus isn’t God, then He was lying, and moral people don’t lie about something as basic as who they are. The other option is that He was mistaken – He only thought He was God. And that, as Lewis said, puts Him on the level of a man who thinks he’s a poached egg. Great teachers know who they are. The only other option is that He was and is who He said He was. So, to say Jesus was a great moral teacher but not God incarnate is not a logical option.

The liberal Jesus: To many church goers, especially in America, Jesus is our Big Brother, the example we want to follow to live good, moral lives. But to stop there and fail to see Him as our Lord and Savior, the God who created us and to whom we owe everything, is to miss the point. And the point is, we can’t follow His example. Jesus was perfect, and to try to live as He lived for one day – one hour – is to see how woefully short we fall. This is the very reason we need Him as Savior. Nothing we do or say can pay for one sin we’ve committed. Even sacrificing our own lives would be insufficient, since God requires a perfect sacrifice, and we are far from perfect! To presume that we could follow His example is pure arrogance.

One of many “gods.” This Hindu belief has the same problem as the “illogical Jesus.” Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except by Me.“ Jesus claimed exclusivity; therefore, He is either the only true God, or not a god at all.

The Muslim Jesus was a prophet, but not divine. Again, can someone be a true prophet and miss the mark on something as basic as his own identity?

The Mormon Jesus: Mormons call Jesus “the Christ,” but their view of Him is not in line with mainstream Christian teaching. To a Mormon, Jesus is not the second Person of the Trinity but the half-brother of Satan. (Doctrines and Covenants 76:25-27)

The Jehovah’s Witness Jesus was created, not begotten. He is inferior to Jehovah but superior to the angels. After His death He was resurrected as a spirit creature.

Partial Savior: Several religions belief systems recognize Jesus’ atoning death on the Cross but don’t believe His sacrifice is enough to pay fully for our salvation. Works must be added, and life becomes a feverish race to do enough good deeds to cover the bad. Some believe that Judgment Day will have a giant scale to weigh every person’s good works on one side and sins on the other, and if the good deeds don’t outweigh the bad, that person is not saved. Sadly, believers in this system never know the peace of being secure in their Savior’s love.

The true Jesus of the Bible: As Jesus died on the cross, He declared, “It is finished!” meaning, “Mission accomplished!” or “Paid in full!” We can rest in the assurance that our sins are paid for. Good works will follow, but they’re done with joy, out of gratitude for our salvation, not an attempt to earn it. And the biblical Jesus rose bodily from the grave on the third day to seal the promise of eternal life. He specifically said to His disciples that He was not a ghost: “Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” (Luke 24:39)

It’s not enough to say we believe in Jesus. The question is, which Jesus? It’s not necessary to study all the different versions of Him, just the Bible. The Jesus you find there is the true Savior. If you haven’t turned your life over to Him, do it today. Then, as you celebrate His birth this year, know that you have given Him the one gift He wants most from you – yourself.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, as the world celebrates Your birth with activities and trappings that really have nothing to do with You, help us to stay focused on the wonder of Your love, that You would leave Your home in glory and come to earth to be one of us and die for us, so we can be Yours forever. In Your name, amen.

Seeking Divine Perspective

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. – John 1:1

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! – Galatians 1:8

“Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.” – Charles Spurgeon

Baby Jesus: It’s that time of year when even the staunchest atheist might hum along with songs about Mary’s baby Boy, the cuddly little Babe in the manger. And when the Christmas season is over and the manger scenes are put away, so are any further thoughts about Jesus until His birthday next year. But Christ-followers know there is much more to this “Babe” than the songs playing in the mall tell us.

Are we so caught up…

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With Childlike Delight

/ Mark Brady / 3 Comments
Photo by: Jessica Ticozzelli

I have been reading from the daily devotional “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young this year. I highly recommend it. So far, I have seen an underlying theme in the book. It is this; Jesus calls us to himself and his presence, which is an excellent place to go to and stay.

Learn to enjoy life more. Relax, remembering that I am God with you. I crafted you with enormous capacity to know Me and enjoy My Presence. When My people wear sour faces and walk through their lives with resigned rigidity, I am displeased. When you walk through a day with childlike delight, savoring every blessing, you proclaim your trust in Me, your ever-present Shepherd. The more you focus on My Presence with you, the more fully you can enjoy life. Glorify Me through your pleasure in Me. Thus you proclaim My Presence to the watching world.

What got my attention in this selection was the line, “with childlike delight.” Have we forgotten the joy and excitement when a child discovers something new, wonderful, and unexpected?

I saw a glimpse of that kind of delight the other day. April had ordered some new earbuds, and the service said they would be delivered on Sunday. They arrived on the preceding Wednesday, two days after she had purchased them. Four days early! I hid them under her pillow and later that evening asked if she was going to adjust her pillow before sleeping. You should have seen the joy in her eyes and on her face when she saw the result of her conquest.

That’s the kind of expression we should have when we discover that no matter what is going on in the world, in our families, or at work, when we concentrate on staying in the presence of Jesus, we can have incredible joy and excitement.

Stop striving and know that I am God; Psa. 46:10a (NASB)

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Say His Name

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082520A minister shared the story of his daughter, who was very young at the time, and in Africa, by herself.  There was a native mother having trouble birthing her child.  She was in great agony and screaming out.  The village, female, witch doctor had her candles burning, incents smoking, while she recited “hocus pocus” chants.  The young woman had enough and begged someone to go retrieve the American, who earlier had made her faith in God, known.  The minister told us his daughter went there and surveyed the situation.  She was barely 21 years old, and the only thing she could think of to do was sing the song, “In the Name of Jesus”.  The witch doctor had a fit, and stormed out, at which point peace entered, the woman’s pain subsided, and she delivered her baby.

There have been some very powerful, or influential people throughout history, and in current times.  Some have used their influence for good, while others, not so much.  Yet there is one, and only one who has affected the world like no one else.  Who, you might be asking?  Jesus Christ.

There is power in the name of Jesus!

One can be in the middle of any jam, any sickness, or any upsetting storm of life and call on the name of Jesus.  Jesus, showed up on the scene at the right time, and still does today.  It is important though, to believe, in the name of Jesus.  The lyrics to the song she sang:

In the name of Jesus,
We have the victory.
In the name of Jesus,
Satan will have to flee.
Tell me who can stand before us
when we call on this great name
JESUS, JESUS, JESUS, JESUS
We have the victory!

There are no hours limiting when you can call his name.  There are no “Terms or Conditions”.  No fine print to squint at before using his name.  No shoes, No shirt?  No problem, you can still call his name.  You see, in a world where everyone tries to protect themselves with “agreements” that only benefit them, calling upon the name of Jesus benefits you.  Jesus came along and shook things up.  He showed, by example, there is a better way to do things.  What is that way?  Love!

God gave us his son, because He loved!  Jesus chose to die on a cross for you, because He loved!  Jesus is right there ready to step in when you invite him to, by calling his name, because He still loves!

Copyright © 2020 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

“I’m Pregnant”

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Charlie 25I love the Virgin Mary’s story.  She was so brave.  You see the simple truth is, she loved God more than she feared what others thought.  There’s a whole sermon right there.  Pass the offering plate and call it Sunday!

Mary, a virgin, was a pure vessel for the Son of God to be placed in.  And because she first loved God, she had no problem loving and taking care of his Son, Jesus.

Oh may I always be a clean vessel for the Son of God to take full time residence in.  May I too be able to announce, “I’m pregnant!”  If you have ever seen me you know I look like I’m 8 months pregnant, but I’m trying to work on that.  May I always care about his words, his way of life, and his promise to live forever, more than I am concerned about what man thinks.

In this blog, I write the words I feel God has placed in my heart to help you, inspire you, to grow in your relationship with him.  A friend of mine once said,

“I don’t need to read your blog, because I don’t have a relationship with God.”  I responded, “Sure you do.  It’s just not a good one!”

Whether you believe in God or not today, I pray wherever you are in life, you start to.  Because ya know what?  God believes in you.  He made you, he loves you, and he wants to have a conversation with you, about you.  He cares so much for you, he gave you his only Son, to die so that you may live.  That’s what Christmas is all about.  All the other stuff is just a way to celebrate God’s perfect love.

Today is Christmas.  Merry Christmas to all of my regular, and irregular readers.  I’ll let you decide which you are.  I love you all, and appreciate you so very much.  You’re in my prayers. I mainly pray your relationship with God will grow.  (laughing) May you too, become pregnant.

Copyright © 2019 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

Knowing Jesus

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Christmas 19cThere is a popular Christmas song, which I love, “Mary, Did You Know?”  A few years ago I turned the words around and wrote a blog post titled, “When did Mary Know?” (12/20/15)

Like how did she know he could turn water into wine before she asked him to?  When did she know he could heal the sick and set the captive free?  Or walk on water, and feed 5000 men?

I can picture Mary with Jesus on her lap talking, asking questions, and then Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet as he shared stories of the creation, and from the Old Testament.  I think she knew because she had spent a lot of time with God’s Son.  She knew him, but more importantly, she believed in him.

Imagine what you would ask Jesus to do if you really knew him.  Would you ask him to heal you, a friend or a family member?  What about heal your finances, or your broken relationships?  Would you ask for a better job, food, or a place to live of your own?  My point isn’t to get things from Jesus, but believing in him enough to ask.  Knowing that he could if that was best for you.

Sometimes it’s better to go through something than to be delivered from it.

It is good to spend time with Jesus no matter your circumstances.  This Christmas, I pray you find time to sit and just hang out with him.  Put on some Christmas music too.  After all, He is the reason for the season.

‘These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.’ Matthew 15:9 J.B. Phillips New Testament

Don’t just worship Jesus because it’s Christmas, and don’t get caught up in the hustle and bustle of it all, because it will be over before you know it.  And so will your life, and after that you’ll have lots of time to spend with Jesus, oh, if you accepted him when you were on earth.

Knowing Jesus intimately, is the greatest gift you can give yourself, and others all year long.

Copyright © 2019 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

People’s Peephole Perspective

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

Charlie 485Peepholes are kind of cool.  Instead of seeing what is directly in front of the door you get to see all around the door and porch area.  It may be called a “fish eye’s” view?  Some cameras have a similar, attachable lens.  The point is though, the peephole provides a secured view of who is at the door, but the truth is, it’s a distorted view.

People sometimes will look at their world, and other people, in a distorted way as well.  Things that have happened to them in the past, their upbringing, and other people’s opinions affect the view.  This can cause some to have trouble trusting, or believing people.  Sad, but this distorted view can also be applied when Jesus shows up.

Jesus says in Rev. 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. (NKJV)

You notice Jesus doesn’t barge in or break the door down?  He’s a gentleman.  He comes to you, where you are, because he knows you, sees you, and even knows what is happening in your life.  Yet, he waits for you to invite him into your life.  He knows how much you need him, but he still gives you a choice, free will.  Unless you are willing to let go of your peephole perspective, and give Jesus a chance, you will never know perfect love.  A love that can help you overcome, anything!

Copyright © 2019 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

Jesus Wept

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092813 015

“Jesus Wept” statue at the site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK. 4-19-1995

As a child growing up in church, the title of this post, John 11:35, was my favorite verse to quote.  I think the reason is obvious.  Saying it with accuracy would help earn me a candy bar, or something.  But these days, it has a whole new meaning.

These days, I know why Jesus wept.  I was taught it was because his good friend Lazarus had died, but I don’t believe that anymore, for Jesus already knew he was going to raise him from the dead.  Verse 4; When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not lead to death, but to God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (NET)

Jesus wept because the people, and his friends, who had lost their loved one were hurting.  My point to telling you this is Jesus hurts when you are hurting too, even today.  Jesus sees you, knows your name and knows what you are going through now and will go through in the future.

Verse 32 Now when Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the people who had come with her weeping, he was intensely moved in spirit and greatly distressed. (NET)

When you are hurting, distressed, be confident that Jesus knows, he cares, and he can’t wait for you to invite him to do something about it.  It’s true, he holds the whole world in his hands, but he’s holding you as well.  Now rest in that knowledge.

Copyright © 2019 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

If Jesus Put Out a Flyer

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Jesus’ Return

Heaven

When

 

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Mat. 24:14 (NIV)

 

Where

 

The whole wide world

All Ages

Event

Advance Decision Required

Entrance fee paid for by Jesus Christ if you accepted him, and asked for forgiveness of your wrong doing.

At the Door

You will have to pay with your life!

 

Sponsors

God
Jesus Christ
The Holy Spirit

 

Benefiting

For all have sinned and have fall short of the Glory of God.  Romans 3:23

Copyright © 2019 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.