Looking Your Best for God

January 8, 2017January 9, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

big-hat There was an emphasis on wearing your “Sunday best” when I was growing up. Every week at church most would be decked out in the nicest piece of wardrobe in their closet. “You should look your best when going to church,” was often heard. Believe it or not, in some churches, the hats worn on Easter are so large one cannot see the pastor when sitting behind such monstrosities.

Now there is certainly nothing wrong with looking nice when one attends a church service, but note that wearing your best is on the outside. God probably appreciates the effort, but what is likely more important is someone coming into God’s house looking nice on the inside. In other words, having a contrite heart, or a heart after God’s heart. A heart that is concerned for others, and where they will spend eternity.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me.” Psa. 51:10 (AMP)

Knowing this, perhaps here at the beginning of a new year, it is time to clean out your “spiritual” closet. Get rid of all of the things that make you look good only on the outside. Let God examine your heart, and guide you in where changes need to be made.

Are You Afraid of Sin?

August 6, 2016 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

When the serpent was talking to Eve, why didn’t she run? Today if a serpent was around, most of us would run. Before Eve’s eyes were opened she didn’t know any fear. She didn’t need to, with the exception of fearing God, meaning respect Him, and His words. Here in front of her was sin, evil, the downfall of mankind and the world, yet she wasn’t afraid.

Are you afraid of sin? Are you afraid of your sin? A lot people must not be because there is a lot of it going on. Sinning that is. Why? 1) Some people don’t feel what they are doing is wrong. They justify it in a number of ways. Real deception is when they think the wrong they are doing is actually right. 2) The other reason they aren’t afraid of their sin is they don’t know what it cost. Ultimately it will cost them their life. Before that it may cost them a good job, a loving family, friends.

All sin must be paid for. There are only two ways to do this. 1) Either you pay for your own sin, which means dying eternally in hell, a lake of fire, and utter darkness. 2) You accept the fact the Son of God, Jesus Christ died on a cross to pay for your sins, which means you will live in eternity in heaven.

Live in heaven forever, or die in hell forever? Are you afraid of sin now? You should be.

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (KJV)
Rom 6:23 Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master. (MSG)

What Does Your Fruit Look Like?

April 13, 2015 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Gen 3:1 The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal GOD had ma temptation de. He spoke to the Woman: “Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?”
Gen 3:2 The Woman said to the serpent, “Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden.
Gen 3:3 It’s only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘Don’t eat from it; don’t even touch it or you’ll die.'”
Gen 3:4 The serpent told the Woman, “You won’t die.
Gen 3:5 God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you’ll see what’s really going on. You’ll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil.”
Gen 3:6 When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it–she’d know everything!–she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.
Gen 3:7 Immediately the two of them did “see what’s really going on”–saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves. (MSG)

Packed into these few verses is so much! So much of how sin appeals to us. So much about how we start thinking in our mind that we understood what God “really” must have meant, but He didn’t say. In verse 4; no the woman wouldn’t die physically, but after disobeying God she begin to die spiritually. In verse 5 we see the devil tell Eve that she will be “like” God. The very thing that got him and his followers kicked out of heaven. In verse 6; Eve no doubt on the first shopping trip pictured how the fruit would match her outfit, and thus complete her ensemble. In verse 7; was the first time a woman uttered the words, “Don’t touch me!”

Seriously here is how sin works: Eve saw, Eve thought, Eve touched. One will sin every time most likely when they “look” too long. When they “think or reason” in their mind too much, and it is almost impossible to stop once they “touch”.

So what does your fruit look like? What is your weakness? What do you need to not look at too long, or at all? What thoughts do you need to stop thinking? What, or whom, do you need to not touch?

I Tasted Sin

February 1, 2015February 1, 2015 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

Now I know what sin taste like! I was buying some sparkling water in downtown Chicago when there it was. Its dark covering looked so appealing. It was as if the packaging itself was saying, “Mark, come hither.” It’s okay. You can eat just one. This one small bag won’t hurt you. Look, it’s a limited edition. You better hurry. You don’t want to miss out. You don’t want to be the only one that doesn’t know what this taste like do you?”

Isn’t that just like sin? I know these phrases have been used from the beginning of mankind. From satan tempting Eve with the forbidden fruit to this bag of milk chocolate Wavy Lay’s potato chips. “Milk” that’s healthy isn’t it? Doesn’t milk do a body good? “Yes!” I bought the bag.

Sin – it draws us in through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. You see – you want. You imagine – you feel. You think – you become. All of this starts in the mind. That is why the bible instructs us to “bring EVERY thought into captivity.” Capture the thought, and let it become subjective to God’s words, God’s ways, and God’s plan.

Sometimes sin isn’t presented in obvious packages, but introduced to us subtlety, slowly. Watch, be aware, and be mindful of how satan tries to use your weaknesses to kill, steal, or destroy you. He doesn’t care about you, he is just trying to get revenge on God

Oh! In no way am I saying it’s a sin to eat chocolate covered potato chips, but find a group of people to share them with, so you don’t over indulge and become a gluten. Now that might be a sin.