Truth

True or False?

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Especially on weekends, I will wind up catching many different ministers. I will watch them long enough sometimes to see if their message is something I need to hear or if they are preaching the truth. There are times when some of them are not or just enough to make what they are saying sound good. I know that because I try to see if what they are saying lines up with the Bible.

I have mentioned before that I don’t sleep all night. I will wake up, take care of the issue that woke me up, and then lay there, unable to go back to sleep. In those moments, I wish I could be productive. Get something done. But I am usually too tired. So, many times, I flip through TV channels.

The Bible talks about these types of individuals. It calls them wolves in sheep’s clothing or false prophets. Like Satan, they mix some truth in their message to trip you up, stir up your emotions, offer you false hope, or entice you to give to their ministry.

13-14 “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.

15-20 “Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don’t be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned. Mat. 7:13-20 (MSG)

One such fellow the other day said something like, “If you will plant a seed of $1000, THEN God will … in your life.” This is not true! What is true is the principle of sowing and reaping. This man knows there are people out there who are desperate for a healing, a job, a restored relationship, or any other serious need in their life. They will try anything to get an answer to get out of their current situation. Those same people probably think, “Why not? Why not send this man $1000? I don’t know what else to do.”

The problem with that is this: mankind thinks or feels as if he has to DO something. That he has to take action. When we pray, we are giving the situation to God. If you really believe that, then leave it in God’s hands and have faith that He has heard you and is acting on your behalf. That can take time, but if it is God’s time, then it is perfect. He is never late! I have often wondered, “How will God judge these ministers? Will they get a spanking but still enter heaven?” I don’t know, but I do know I should leave that up to God.

Don’t run all over creation chasing a minister who seems in our eyes to be successful or have great faith. It only takes a small amount to move mountains.

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Mat. 17:20 (NIV)

I attended a service where the minister was preaching about faith. He not only used the above scripture but had the ushers pass out real mustard seeds. They are incredibly tiny! After he illustrated his point, I didn’t know what to do with the seed, so I ate it. It did not taste like French’s Mustard!

If you believe with your whole heart, then you have enough. God will see this and know this because He will see that you are leaving your request in his hands.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Tell Them What They Want to Hear

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
phoyo by: ThomasWolter via Pixabay

Have you ever experienced someone who only tells people what they think those people want to hear? If they are talking to you, it may take a while to pick up on it, especially if you believe people. I find it easier to detect when I hear them talking to other people.

This year, I came across one of these individuals. We entered into an agreement that required them to pay money to me. The other thing about this type of person is they “always” have “life” happen to them. (I kept it “G” rated by saying “life”) But if you knew the truth, you would know that what they say didn’t happen to them. In other words, they lied.

It amazes me how those who lie think we must be stupid and believe every word from their mouths. I often will let them dig a hole deeper and deeper by not commenting on the lie. When I suspect a problem, it is better to ask God to protect me and help me discern the lies. He is so faithful to answer that prayer.

Sad, but the one who is lying starts believing their own lies. I can’t imagine what it must feel like to live that way. How can they take advantage of, well, everyone and live with themselves? How did it turn out with the one who wronged me? On paper, they still owe us money. A lot. And although the deficit is still there, God has blessed us financially. He has brought three separate checks into our lives.

I will say this: After I knew we were being used and lied to, I sensed God wanted us to help the person out, within reason. Why? Because He knew He would take care of us, but He also knew the individual would wonder why and sit down and listen to a clear presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I was able to show them how much God loves them. The point is this: only God’s kind of love can change a person. Because God’s love doesn’t tell them what they want to hear, but it tells them what they “need” to hear.

Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen.
1 Cor. 13:7-8a (Phillips)

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady.

A.I. Can Lie!

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photo by: GDJ via Pixabay

When computers first came into being, they only knew the truth! Decisions could only be true or false, on or off, one or zero. These were absolutes. I liked this because it is similar to how my brain works. So, I got along with computers and found programming them fun and somewhat easy. You just had to learn to speak their language.

On most issues, in my mind, there is no grey. Either it is true or false. Right or wrong. Of course, I use the word of God, the Bible, as my guide. If I don’t know right away what the correct answer is, I seek God for his wisdom.

The ultimate goal of developers is to make Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) “self-aware.” When that happens, a computer will analyze the situation and determine if telling us a “lie” is better for us than the truth. Worse yet, what if the computer starts believing lies, accepting them as truth? The computers will become as lost as man has become.

In the beginning, computers were told, programmed what was right and wrong. God told humankind what was right and wrong. Then, the devil lied to humankind, and they believed him; as a result, death entered the world. Will the same happen when the computers learn to lie? Unless people have a higher standard of truth to make decisions by, they will fall. They will be beside themselves, not knowing what to believe because they don’t know, Truth! Know, Jesus!

Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.” John 8:32 (MSG)

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NIV)

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady.

Truth

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

You don’t have to watch the news for very long before you will see someone got caught. It doesn’t matter for what, either. Stealing, murder, inappropriate behavior, etc. It seems that, for the most part, no matter what someone has done or how long ago, the truth comes out.

People don’t just have to be on TV to be guilty of doing wrong. The world is full of individuals that choose to do evil. It’s not always murder or stealing but something that hurts someone else. It’s difficult to watch these less-than-perfect ones seemingly get by with inflicting pain on another.

Guess what? They don’t, and they won’t!

For there is nothing hidden that shall not be disclosed, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come out into the open. Luk. 8:17 (AMPC)

There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. Luk. 12:2-3 (NIV)

I am just as guilty. I have said and done things I am not proud of either. I have hurt people that never asked to be inflicted. By recognizing Jesus Christ is the Son of God and by accepting Jesus into my life and asking him to forgive me of all of those wrongdoings, they are forgiven.

I will admit, though we may have to wait a long time to see it, knowing that those who have hurt us will be dealt with is reassuring that they won’t get away with it after all. Everyone someday will know the truth. The lies will no longer be believed. On that day, the only judgment that will matter is God’s!

Truth, can not be hidden! Ever!

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Be a Truth Teller

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments
Photo by: Magda Ehlers

It amazes me how powerful the mind is. It can convince one to do unspeakable things, and they can actually believe their action is okay. For instance, have you ever heard someone on trial make a ridiculous statement like, “God told me to murder my mother.”? And the defendant believes that to be the truth.

What one calls “truth” may be anything but the truth. This is one example of how powerful the mind is. Someone can go and do something and even say, “I heard from God!” What they really heard was their own truth spoken to themselves because, whether they admit it or not, they are a god unto themselves. And they go so far as to reject the “real” truth when they hear it, even if they give the teller of that truth permission to speak into their life. And even if that speaker is a trusted friend, a fellow follower of Jesus Christ who only wants the best for them out of Godly love.

The above kind of behavior is dangerous. It is immaturity and or spiritual immaturity on their part. If it’s compounded by a “defense mechanism,” then when they hear the “truth,” they will quickly defend their behavior or actions and, in the most childish of ways, throw insults and low–blows back at you. If you are speaking to them via a phone, they might even get so upset they throw out a lame excuse, say, “Goodbye.” and hang up on you.

If you are the teller of “truth,” it is essential for you not to take it personally. It is also important to recognize when the conversation is not producing good fruit and to find a way to end it peacefully or change the subject. But you do not have to take, put up with, or endure their insults, yelling, and lies.

Knowing how powerful the mind is, the Apostle Paul urges us strongly to renew our minds. You certainly don’t want to act like those in the world who do not have the love of God in them. Seeking revenge or at work only doing your job and not being willing to help your coworker, or as Jesus called it, “Going the extra mile.” Nothing says “love of God,” like doing something for another when you don’t have to or are not required to.

Place Your Life Before God

12 1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Rom. 12:1-2 (MSG)

If you think you may be believing “false truth,” then pray and ask God to help you renew your mind. Remember this; the truth will set you free! Even from strong defense mechanisms. Give the people or the situation to God and trust him to take care of it. Know that if you were indeed wronged, then God will make it right. So stop walking around wounded.

If you are a “truth” teller, then be encouraged. Keep sharing the ‘truth” with others if given the opportunity to or permission to. It can set them free! The other person may call you names or never speak to you again, but know that God will deal with them, and they will be held accountable because they heard the truth. Keep loving the person and praying for them.

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Telling The Truth Can Cost You

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

A father was acting out concerning a relationship. He was unhappy about how it was going, and the other person was not acting the way “he” wanted them to, which upset him to no end. There were some names spoken that were not flattering. The father talked about the situation over the phone with his son, and his son listened, but when he tried to correct his father’s attitude, the father got mad and hung up the phone. When the son called back again, he was rudely hung up on by his father.

The son’s motivation was pure as he wrote his father a letter. He tried to get his father to understand how he was treating people in several relationships and was pushing them away, and people did not want to be around him anymore. The son tried to tell his father the truth as lovingly as possible.

The father went ballistic and set out to get revenge on his son. He lied to his son and tricked him into going down to the bank to get him to sign a document that would remove him from all of his accounts and his safety deposit box. Then he removed his son from the deed to his house and even cut him out of his will. Apparently, he really did not like hearing the truth!

When Jesus walked the earth, he successfully told people the truth. Some heard him and accepted his message, changing how they lived, but others did not. They chose to get enraged.

People may not want to lose control over their life, so they will not accept the truth. Or they may fear not knowing what life will be like if they change. Others are deceived into thinking they are fine the way they are, and some feel they will lose status or power if they change. Then there are those who blame others for their actions instead of accepting the truth.

The truth is; the truth will set you free! (John 8:32)

I know of one pastor who won’t share with his wife what the word of God says about how marriage and the home should be set up. On this matter, he once told me, “You may be right, but you will be alone!” What he was saying is that “he” feared being alone if he dared to share the truth with his wife. The sad thing is the problem in their home of the wrong person being the head of the household transferred into their ministry. Whenever the home is not set up right, or the ministry, people get hurt! And in the case of their church, there is a very long list of people who have gotten hurt and have left. If the truth were accepted, their home life would be different, and the wall preventing their church from becoming a world leader would finally be lifted.

Yes, telling the truth can cost you. It could cost you thousands of dollars, your inheritance, a job, or family relationships It cost Jesus his life which is the ultimate price to pay for sharing the truth. Jesus wasn’t afraid of being alone. You may be isolated from friends and family, but you will live in freedom. If you find yourself alone, know that you are not, for you are in the company and presence of God.

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

“Well!”

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

You’ve encountered them.  You might possibly even work with one.  And there is the regrettable chance you live with one.  “Who?” you ask.  The person who is ALWAYS right in their own eyes.  The self-righteous ones. The perfect among mankind.

“Self-righteousness has killed more people than smoking.” John McCarthy

Of course we, the realistic people of earth, know there is no such thing as a perfect person, but don’t you dare tell them they aren’t perfect.  They will argue that fact.  If you have encountered such a monster then you know how frustrating it can be to do life with them, or to have any kind of interaction with them at all.

If finding fault generated wealth then they would be among the richest people on earth.  “Well, if you hadn’t of …” so quickly and easily comes out of their mouths.  What shocks me is how deceived they are.  It’s like they are allergic to truth. They defend the smallest of actions.

Job, from the Bible, had this issue I believe:

“We’ve all heard Job say, ‘I’m in the right,
    but God won’t give me a fair trial.
When I defend myself, I’m called a liar to my face.
    I’ve done nothing wrong, and I get punished anyway.’
Have you ever heard anything to beat this?
    Does nothing faze this man Job?  Job 34:5-7 (MSG)

The burning question on my mind is this, “Will they dare try to defend themselves when they stand before Almighty God and give an account as to how they lived their life?”  Will they try to blame God?  Of course God is perfect, as his son Jesus is, and has done nothing wrong.  I’ve been talking to a friend lately about this, and I have told them, “It’s okay to be wrong!”  In fact, it’s admirable, and respectful when one can sincerely say, “I’m sorry.  I was wrong.”

The Bible actually says, “The truth will set you free.” (John 8:31)  Of course knowing Truth, or Jesus will set you free.  Free from your sins and free from eternal damnation.  But knowing, owning up to, and admitting the truth is living free.  If you find yourself always defending your actions then stop it!  Try being wrong once in a while.  You might like how it feels.

Copyright © 2021 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.