A Better Way to Live

November 18, 2017November 18, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

sin

NOUN

an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law:
“a sin in the eyes of God” ·

synonyms: immoral act · wrong · wrongdoing · act of evil/wickedness · transgression · crime · offense · misdeed · misdemeanor
· trespass · wickedness · wrongdoing · wrong · evil · evildoing · sinfulness
· immorality · iniquity · vice · crime

In a time where one’s, thought to be hidden sins, are being exposed like an uncontrollable leak in a dam. In a time where an accusation brings quick judgement and sentencing handed down before all the facts are known. You would think realizing that everything done in darkness will be exposed, would spur one to find a better way to live.

The truth though is we are sold a big fat lie by the devil. That lie is: You won’t be the one that will get caught. Guess what? The devil is probably the one that will tell on you. Why? Because he wants to hurt you beyond belief. I write about it often: John 10:10 – Satan comes to kill steal and destroy! Satan HATES you! He can’t stand you, because YOU are made in the image of God, and he hates God.

A better way to live? Sure. Don’t sin. It’s that simple. Okay, it’s not, but you can actually learn, or train yourself to sin less.

Capture every thought and bring it into captivity. In other words, if a thought is about doing something wrong (sin) then realize it, and choose not to. Love instead. Do the right thing. Say the right thing.
Put on God’s bullet proof vest. (Ephesians 6:11-18) Imagine a policeman these days not wearing his bullet proof vest.

Eph 6:11 So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way.
Eph 6:12 This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
Eph 6:13 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet.
Eph 6:14 Truth, righteousness,
Eph 6:15 peace,
Eph 6:16 faith,
Eph 6:17 and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon.
Eph 6:18 In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. (MSG)

These are just a couple of purposeful things to do to live a better life. Here are a few more: Turn away wrath with love. When one speaks out against you, smile and love them anyway. When someone proclaims they are living a life you know is not pleasing to God, please don’t judge and sentence them, but accept them, and love them. That is not the same as accepting their wrong doing. Calling out sin on Facebook isn’t going to show anyone there is a better way to live either. The world needs to see Love. Jesus is Love.

Do You Know My Father?

October 14, 2017October 14, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Sen_MO I was visiting the small town, in Missouri, my father was born and reared in. A woman walked out of the convenient store, looked over at me and came to an abrupt halt. “You’re a Brady!” She exclaimed. “I don’t know who your father is, but you, you are definitely a Brady.”

I would rather people, who see me, say, “You’re a child of God!” This is certainly one of my goals here on earth. The way to see that happen is to imitate Christ. In other words, “LOVE!”

1Jo 3:2-3 But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him–and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own. (MSG)

Love, and accept, not judge, and reject.
Love, and help out, not turn away and doubt.
Love, and my gifts share, not hoard, or not care.

So, if you see me and don’t know who my Father is, I would be more than happy to introduce you. Oh, but don’t get embarrassed when He already knows your name.

Amazing Love

August 26, 2017August 23, 2017 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

c2gpic2 I would turn all the lights green when I drive. I would make people act right when I am in their presence. I would make them drive according to the rules of the road too. Nothing would ever go wrong in my life. This is what I would do if I had the powers of God.

Funny thing really. God has the power to do what I would and more. But God doesn’t use His power for selfish reasons. He never has, never does, and never will. He uses His power to bless us. To provide a perfectly balanced in the solar system place to live called, “Earth”. He provides food, and water. The things we need, and occasionally He spoils us, and blesses us with something we want.

Why does God do this? Because He loves us. He loves you. If you could see how much He loves you, how much He cares. God’s love cannot be measured, weighed, or exhausted. So what’s keeping you from believing it? Or a better question, what’s keeping you from accepting it? God’s love is available despite you. You can’t out do it, hide from it, or stop it. Really, there is no other word for God’s love except, “Amazing”!

Are You Nothing?

August 12, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

My co-worker was questioning how someone could not give a particular race respect. Even think they are stupid animals. As the conversation continued we came to one conclusion. This attitude toward others can only be a result of “hate”. Unfortunately, “hate” doesn’t just stop with people groups, but can actually be focused on coworkers, friends, and oh my goodness, family. Wait, did I just say family? Yes. I did. And what will surprise you the most is, this “hate” can even come from those who consider themselves Christian. Guess what, going to church does not make one a Christian. And we wonder why some people don’t like Christians.

1 Corinthians chapter 13:4-8 tells us what pure love is, but I have realized it also shows us what pure hate looks like:

Hate gives up.
Hate cares more for self than others.
Hate wants what it doesn’t have.
Hate struts, has a swelled head,
Forces itself on others.
Is always “me first.”
Flies off the handle.
Keeps score of the sins of others,
Revels when others grovel.
Takes pleasure in spreading lies,
Doesn’t put up with anything.
Never trusts God.
Never looks for the best.
Always looks back.
Hate always kills.

1Co 13:1-3 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. (MSG)

The bottom line is this: If you “hate” anyone for any reason you are nothing! Choose to love, and they might just choose to love you back.

Would You?

August 5, 2017 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

Dying for someone else How far would you go for someone else? Would you take a bullet for someone, like the secret service men who protect our president? Would you volunteer to be put to death so someone else could live? The answer to these questions probably matter on who the one escaping death is, and how much they mean to you.

What if the one going to die was your spouse, parent, or your child? Would you die for them? What if it was more than just dying? What if you were asked to die and then to spend eternity in hell on behalf of the one you choose to take their place of? Would you do that? Knowing hell is a place of utter darkness where individuals are tormented constantly. That makes the decision a lot harder.

I had a situation this past week come up where some people close to me hurt me very bad. First I had to use a lot of “Satan Spray” (see last week’s post) and then I started earnestly praying for those individuals. I prayed they would come back to living a life pleasing to God and not the devil. Then I had the thought, if they don’t change their lifestyles they could very well wind up in hell! I wasn’t judging them, I was only comparing their lives to the word of God. I began to pray for them even harder, and a new thought hit me. I said, “God, I don’t want to see them die and go to hell. I love them so much. Could I take their place?” Now tears flowing. I know I can’t take their place, because everyone will be judged on their own.

Then I was reminded, this is exactly what Jesus did. He loves us so much he told his Father he would die for us and go to hell on our behalf. So that those who choose to believe in him and ask him to be their Lord would be saved from eternal death. The difference is Jesus had the power to break through the utter darkness. His light overcame Satan, and now there was a way for those who believe and accept him to live. WOW! What love!

Joh 3:16 “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. (MSG)

What more do you want?

June 3, 2017 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

Earth

Bible

Mary 2

Cross

Heaven

I created a beautiful place for you to live.
I wrote instructions, on how to live.
I gave you my Son who lived perfectly,
I allowed him to die, as a sacrifice, for your wrong doing.
I prepared a place for you……..to live eternally.

That’s All I Wanted

March 12, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Holding His people

I just wanted people to love me first. To make that choice, and live by it. I gave them free will, and I always hoped they would use theirs to put nothing else as a god before me. Was that asking too much? In turn, I would be their God. I would lead, guide, protect, and bless them if they served me, and kept my commandments.

You know, I came up with those 10 things, believe it or not, to make life easier, not harder. But that free will thing gets in the way and it sometimes gets people hurt. It’s the only way this whole God and the people I made relationship would really work, and have true meaning to it.

I made these people, and then gave them free will. Well, as you know, it didn’t take long for them to screw it up, so I taught them how to offer up a sacrifice for their sins, and it needed perfecting. Yes, that is when I gave my people my Son. Perfection. His death bought back the people that belonged to me in the first place, because I made them. It was out of pure love I gave them their free will again. All I wanted was their perfect love given back to me freely of their own will.

What do you do with your free will?

To: You

December 25, 2016 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

jesus-gift-tag My child, know that on this Christmas morning, I have given you my greatest gift. It may not be what you wanted, but I know, it is what you need. I have given my all to you. I have not held back anything for myself.

Oh how I desire that you could see, or measure how much I love you, but even infinity is not big enough to contain it. My hope is that you will accept my gift. Please don’t put it away and forget about it, or never read the instruction book that I provided, and please don’t try to return it!

Know that if you accept my gift then we can be together forever. Also know that everything required to be with me for eternity I have provided. There is nothing you need to do, or can do. No rules to follow, no level of goodness required, and it doesn’t matter what you have done in the past. I made you. I know you. I want more than anything to have a relationship with you, and I can, if you will simply unwrap the gift I have given you and accept it.

What is this gift? My son. My only son. It’s the gift that reads, “To: you From: God”

The Greatest Plan…Ever!

December 18, 2016 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

gods-plan The greatest love story. The greatest gift. The greatest promise…kept.

Who, but God could have come up with a plan to place his son Jesus, in a young virgin. Very few looked there. The politicians didn’t, the religious leaders didn’t, and most of the people didn’t either.

God, through his word, told what He was planning on doing, so it wasn’t a secret, but people have a tendency of not knowing God, or his word. This causes them to take God’s plans and play them out as they understand, or worse, want.

How all of this life on earth ends is also part of God’s plan. It’s not a secret, or mystery. Yet people still do not get to know God, and believe how they want to. Read God’s word. All of it. Even Revelation. Though you may not understand, believe it will happen…according to God’s plan. So far, God’s plan has worked out perfectly. Remember this, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1) Faith…use it.

Close Gifts

December 12, 2016 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

red-cross Mary held him close enough to hear him breath. To feel his chest move in and out. To see every radiant color of his eyes. Her heart melted when he smiled. Just think what an honor it must have been to be that close to God. To hold God in your hands.