life

Empty?

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“I grew up in “nothing” land. I mean, the landscape is sparse! There are no good jobs in the area, and most homes are filled with broken relationships. I don’t know why people choose to live there or stay there, for that matter. There is nothing to look at, nothing to do, and nowhere nice to go.”

Those were the words of a young doctor I met a few months ago. He grew up in a town between Seatle and Spokane, Washington. He was surprised I had driven through there and understood what he meant. (The included photo is the only one I took while driving through.) Then I asked him, “So, how did you get to Tulsa?”

I don’t recall his whole story today, but I do remember that he said several times, “As I was growing up in that wasteland, I kept saying to myself, ‘There has to be more.’” He shared with me that he took note of how bad people had it there. He didn’t want to end up as another empty life dying in Nothingville.

Somehow, we wound up talking about God. His journey of growing up in a wasteland helped him find God because he knew there had to be more to life. It always amazes me the different ways God will reveal himself. I once worked with a guy whom God was pursuing. He wasn’t sure he could believe in God. That was until he visited the Grand Canyon. That is where he invited Jesus into his life.

“When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.
“Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree. Jer. 29:13 (MSG)

By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. “They looked all over and couldn’t find him because God had taken him.” We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken “he pleased God.” It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. Heb. 11:6 (MSG)

Look for God. Find God. Accept God. Don’t keep walking around feeling empty inside. God will fill your heart and your life. He will give you a reason to live. The young doctor is now married, has a baby daughter, and is looking forward to when he can move back to Washington and share God with those walking around on “Empty.”

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Care

/ Mark Brady / 4 Comments

The day I am writing this post is my wife’s birthday. She has reached that point where she no longer wants to tell her age. I’m not going to tell you either, but it is eighty divided by two. Being such a milestone, I waited for her to fall asleep last night, and then I got up and decorated our dining room. The whole works! Flowers, card, streamers, balloons. In the refrigerator was a cake and some ice cream. I even got those gold mylar number balloons. I gotta say, it looked good.

The next morning, I hid out in the pantry in the dark and waited for her to enter the dining room. and turn on the light. I had the video camera rolling. Her reaction warmed my heart. She loved it.

I posted on Facebook recently that I get nervous when reacting to someone’s serious post with the correct emoji. The “Care” and “Laughing” ones are right next to each other. I mean, you don’t want to “laugh” when there has been a death in the family or something. A few friends commented that they had indeed accidentally clicked on the wrong one.

The Bible encourages us to laugh with those who laugh and to weep with those who mourn. Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others’ joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others’ grief]. Rom. 12:15 (AMPC) It’s important to take the time to let others know we care about what is happening in their life. Jesus demonstrated this as well.

In John 11:35, we read that when he got to the house where his friend Lazarus had died and saw, heard, and then felt the grief, He wept. I don’t think he did so because his friend was gone for, He knew what was about to happen, but because his friends were sorrowful.

I wrote about Lazarus once, and a friend asked me, “What makes you think Lazurus wanted to come back to life?” The question stumped me for several days. After asking God for wisdom in the situation, I heard in my spirit, “It didn’t matter if he wanted to or not. When he heard the voice of Jesus say, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ he wanted to be obedient.”

People matter to God. They are more important than the work of the ministry. There will be, and are, times when people interrupt our busy schedules. But I encourage you to stop and take the time to just “be” with them in the moment. Listen to them, and when you do speak, they will know your words are true and from your heart because they will feel you care about them and what they are going through, just as God does.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Hacked

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Image by Pete Linforth via Pixabay

Individuals are getting hacked all the time these days, especially on social media. I know my Facebook account got hacked once. Just the other day, a friend told me someone, or a group, got into her “X” (formally Twitter) account. There is even a company now you can pay to try to guard you against hackers getting your personal information and securing loans or, worse, draining your bank accounts.

A few years ago, I took a nap on a Saturday. When I woke, I looked at my phone and saw an email from my bank. I had set up a “Withdrawal Alert” whenever more than a set amount came out of any of my accounts. The email informed me that $9000 had been transferred from my savings. I immediately called the bank and told them I didn’t do it and didn’t authorize it. They finally stopped treating me like a criminal, a “guilty” party, after two hours. I told them the people responsible were tied to the account where the money went. I got the money back, and I have greater security today.

But what happens when someone’s heart gets hacked? What do I mean by that? An individual, perhaps raised in a church, knows right from wrong and believes in God even, but Satan found a way into their heart and, as a result, into their life. His presence in their heart could cause them to act in a way that is no longer pleasing to God. It could cause them to say and do things that are not right. You don’t think it could happen? What about Judas?

Judas was one of Jesus’ disciples. He heard the teachings and saw the miracles. In fact, he probably had a front-row seat. I can only guess he was in attendance every time.

Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, even then getting ready to betray him, said, “Why wasn’t this oil sold and the money given to the poor? It would have easily brought three hundred silver pieces.” He said this not because he cared two cents about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of their common funds, but also embezzled them. John 12:4-6 (MSG)

Jesus said, “The one to whom I give this crust of bread after I’ve dipped it.” Then he dipped the crust and gave it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. As soon as the bread was in his hand, Satan entered him.

“What you must do,” said Jesus, “do. Do it and get it over with.” John 13:26-27 (MSG)

See, the scriptures point out that Satan “hacked” into Judas’ heart. He found a way in, and he caused Judas to betray Jesus. The sad end to Judas’ life is he knew he had sinned. He gave the money back to the priests, well, tried to. They didn’t want it because they knew it was now dirty. After Judas did this act, he judged himself and committed suicide. I know that if he had gone to Jesus and asked for forgiveness, Jesus would have done so.

If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—simply come clean about them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God. 1 John 1:9-10 (MSG)

Guard your heart by guarding your mind. Bring every thought into captivity. For what you think, you begin to believe. And what you believe, you start to speak and act upon. Don’t let your heart get hacked. You won’t be guilty, and your life will be “locked,” secured for eternity.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Profoundness

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments
Image by PDPics from Pixabay

I don’t particularly appreciate going somewhere because I know there are bad, aggressive, dangerous drivers out there. I don’t “fear” them, but I know I have to be extremely careful while trying to reach my destination in one piece.

I sort of take a lot of pride in my driving. I am courteous, especially to semi-truck drivers, because I know it is challenging considering their length. I give them space to get over or merge into traffic. I learned a lot by watching my mother and comparing her driving to my father’s. Before getting in a vehicle with my father, I would always make sure I was right with God! (Kidding, sort of.)

The other day, April and I were out running errands. I sat behind another driver, waiting to turn right. I watched as the one in front of me missed several opportunities to make their turn. I got very frustrated. They finally turned. I Iooked and made my turn. I said to April, “See. It’s not hard!”

April looked over at me and said the most profound statement. She said, “Maybe it’s hard for them.” Ouch! What do you do when you become aware of the truth? Hopefully, as I decided to do, accept it. I must say, since she said that, I have been more tolerant of other drivers.

Profound – having or showing great knowledge or insight

You might say profoundness is “truth,” and the Bible says the “truth” will set you free. April’s insight is setting me free from frustration while being out there among them driving. What can “truth” set you free from? What “profound” wisdom or insight do you need to hear? Another way to ask this question is: What do you need freedom from?

You can ask God for profoundness in your own life. I would also suggest reading God’s word, the Bible. And I would start with the book of Proverbs. It is full of profound statements and wisdom that, if applied, can change your life. Below is a small sampling.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Proverbs 1:7

Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life. Proverbs 4:23

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Where Storms Go to Die

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I was watching the weather the other day. They were showing what was happening across the entire United States. There was one storm system on the East Coast that would be exiting during the day. I thought to myself, I wonder where storms go to die?

I mean, what happens to them after they leave America? Do they stay together and go to Iceland? Europe? Perhaps somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, they simply dissipate. I really do not know and have never enquired. I know things like land mass or warm ocean water can feed a storm.

What about the storms that come up in your life? Are there conditions that feed them? I mean, do certain things cause these storms to take place? Last year, and I will admit for selfish reasons, April and I made a decision and acted upon it. That single decision brewed a storm that we are okay from now but still paying for.

Once we realized what we had done, we humbled ourselves, repented, and cried out to God for help. His love and grace are indeed amazing. It’s as if He stood up and said, “Peace be still,” and showed us a path to exit from underneath the dark clouds, and the storm went off to die.

What are you facing in your life? Is it one of the scariest storms you have ever encountered? I live in Tornado Alley. Sometimes, we get storms that set off the sirens telling us to take cover. The part of those storms that makes the hair on the back of my head stand up is the sound of the wind. After the average storm passes, I check to see if there is any damage. I might find a limb and some leaves or trash, but no real damage.

What I am saying is there may be a lot of wind blowing in your life. Cry out to God to calm the storm. To keep you safe and to minimize any damage. Then trust Him. God is faithful, and He is good all the time. I have learned it doesn’t really matter where storms go to die. It’s reassuring to know they do!

He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. Ps. 107:29 (NIV)

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 The righteous person may have many troubles,
    but the Lord delivers him from them all; Ps. 34:17-19 (NIV)

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Cor. 4:8-9 (NIV)

God is good, a hiding place in tough times. He recognizes and welcomes anyone looking for help, no matter how desperate the trouble. Nahum 1:7 (MSG)

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Mayday

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Image by Alan Dobson from Pixabay

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

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

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