Second Chances

October 5, 2014October 5, 2014 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Have you ever d second one something and wished that you had another opportunity to go back and handle it differently? I sure have! I mean if I was going to make a list where would I start? You would like to have those words back, or not gone somewhere you shouldn’t have. Maybe not expressed your thoughts or desires to someone who had no business hearing them. Possibly a marriage gone wrong, or the treatment of one you really loved, but your own short comings hindered you in expressing it correctly. The list could go on, and on, and does.

So should one live a life of regret of what could have been or maybe should have been? No. That does no good. The only good that can come from looking back is learning how to go forward. How not to ever do that again. A person should take their mistakes to the One who can forgive, heal, and help you move on.

Then there are those rare opportunities that come around every once in a while; second chances. Sometimes we are blessed with a second chance by the One who never needed a second chance! We have an opportunity to face a situation or relationship again and this time we pray we get it right. Have we learned? Do we know where we went wrong the first time? I hope so. Take second chances when you are presented with one and make the most of it. Make it beautiful, make it worthy of being offered to you. Make the way you handle it this time please God. God is the God of second chances. He made a way for us to be cleansed of all of our wrong doings, and to try again. Take what God has paid a high price to give you and this time do it right with His power and might, and not your own. secondchances

**Preview for next week: “Road Rage – Remaining Christ Centered while Thinking Everyone on the Road is an Idiot” **

“Because I Can”

September 29, 2014 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

What makes you do the things you do? Especially when you know ahead of time it is wrong? It is one little letter. The letter “I”. You see because God gave us “free will” we get to choose which direction to go when we are faced with doing right or doing wrong. It’s kind of sad, but just one little letter can make the difference between a life you “run” to a life that you “ruin”.

When “I” do what “I” want to do it can often lead to wrong. This happens because we are basically selfish, and want to satisfy ourselves rather than God. “I” can hurt people. “I” can destroy relationships. “I” can take from others. “I” can put anything in place of God. “I” can verbally tell someone just what “I” think. “I” can lust after what my neighbor has. “I” can even kill.

The truth is God gave us a better way to live, not to enslave us, but to set us free. Jesus said that He came to give us life and to give it to us more abundantly. (John 10:10b) Abundant life? You mean it can be better than this? “Yes!” You accept Christ and live the way He instructs and your life will be different. Even a life that is in “ruin” because of “I” getting everything it wanted. Accepting Christ is not winning the lottery, but you will face life with richness. When you live in God’s peace you begin to learn contentment. Peace and contentment combined puts “I” in its place. When “i” yields to God it becomes little. When “i” becomes little and yields to what is right one is more likely to do the right thing. Doing the right thing always makes for a better life.

Love? Or in Love?

September 22, 2014 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

I met a woman today who was absolutely beautiful! As we talked I could discern this woman was also wise. While talking the subject turned to marriage. Her face lit up as she spoke of love, and marriage. She shared with me the great love of her life. You see the woman I was speaking to was a widow. She mentioned how it is a give and take of both sides. She said one has to give 50%, but at times you may have to give more like 70%, and one should be willing to, for a season. She told how a marriage takes work and lots of it! She mentioned how today too many take marriage so lightly. She said a lot of people “love”, but asked how many couples are “in love”?

Wow! My heart was stirred by how she spoke of love. I asked her if she would like to go out on a date. She asked me if I had my own car and could still drive? Oh, I guess I should mention this beautiful lady was 92 years old.

I’m divorced, and for the longest time feared of allowing myself to love again knowing I could get hurt again. If you want to be married you must first be willing to risk. If you don’t take the risk of being hurt or having your heart broken again then you aren’t going to live life fully! Sure, you can play it SAFE, but is that living?

Jesus risked all to love us. He gave 100%. He was willing to live among us in order to really love us. He knew his heart would be broken many times by the very ones he loved, yet Jesus is still “in love” with us.

Today I Saw Jesus

September 17, 2014 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I work in downtown Chicago. Just walking from the train station to my building I see a lot of humanity. The best and the worst of mankind, but today, today I saw Jesus.

I had run out of my house this morning to catch my train and did not take time to eat breakfast. As a result I stopped by a fast food establishment to pick something up. I saw a woman who appeared to be taking her time in ordering breakfast. The line was getting long. I didn’t know until later that she was ordering something that she usually doesn’t and she wanted to make sure the person behind the counter got it right. I got my order in, grabbed it, filled my drink and hurried out the door, and that is when I saw Jesus.

I saw the woman who had taken so much time ordering, who had held up the line, giving a homeless man his breakfast. She saw me watching, and the next thing I know we were talking. I told her that was very cool. She then said, “If a man is hungry how can you not feed him?” As she went on to share with me the words of Jesus, “Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me–you did it to me.” (Mat. 25:40 MSG), I sensed the Holy Spirit, the presence of God. If Yoda, from “Star Wars”, was a Christian he might say about her, “The Holy Spirit is strong with this one!” It is an awesome feeling to sense God’s presence oozing out of a person who is so filled up with God it can’t help but come out!

I know Jesus would have fed the homeless man too, and he would have also fed his soul. If you look around at humanity you will see there are a lot of people who need to be fed. Here I am talking about their soul’s need to be fed. They need to hear hope. They need to know there is One who knows them, sees them, and not only loves them, but gave his own son for them. They are starving. There is a spiritual famine in this world today. That is why there are so many conflicts going on all over the world. The worse thing is some don’t even know they are hungry. They have ignored the spiritual hunger pains so long they don’t even realize why they hurt inside. Be Jesus today. Be Jesus every day. Feed the multitudes.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

September 7, 2014 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

This is one of my favorite times of the year. You see I like to watch football. Last Thursday night was the kickoff of the 2014 professional football season. I have learned how to man the remote control with such proficiency I can actually watch two games at one time on one TV. You see it sort of works out that while one team is in a huddle on one channel on another channel they will be running a play. When that play is over you quickly switch back to the other channel. I usually start a regiment of exercises for my index finger in early August. I practice this move during preseason. I also have a backup finger just in case my starting finger gets knocked out of the game! I love football!

I have to be careful though not to spend 10 ½ hours on Sunday’s watching football. There are things that are way more important that need to be taken care of. With this realization I now limit myself to only watching one game. (And a few quick peeks in on the action.) What is more important than football? Well, a number of things, but for me touching lives. Today I have two letters to write to two different men who are “tenants” of their respective state. (Inmates) I will spend time praying for the week ahead that I will be aware of those that I encounter that may need a few more minutes of my time. In those few minutes they may express their hurts, their fears, or what they need prayer for. I want to be ready. I will also plan out how I can purposely touch the lives of the ones I care about. How I can surprise them with a word that lifts them up, put a smile on their face, lets them know they are loved, and thought of.

Touching someone’s life in a Godly manner takes time, takes practice, and takes opening your eyes to see the needs. It means not being so self-concerned about your own needs. You should already know your needs will be met. In a book I am currently writing I spend a whole chapter describing ways to touch lives. What is your favorite way to do this?

My church always considers this time of the year as the start of a new ministry season. I tend to think that way as well. So the question isn’t, “Am I ready for some football?” the question is, “Am I ready for some ministry?”

Wait

September 1, 2014September 1, 2014 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Waiting on God is hard. We ask, we seek, we pour out our hearts to him, and then we don’t see any change. When this happens it is easy to wonder, “Have I done something wrong? Is God trying to punish me? Is he even listening to me?” The longer we wait, the harder it becomes to have faith. Remember faith is: “The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.” Heb. 11:1 (MSG)

So what is going on while we wait?

The longer you wait on God, if you will endure, your faith becomes stronger. It would be easy to believe in God and wait upon God if he delivered solutions faster than Amazon Prime! And aren’t you glad that there is no “prime” service with God to those who may appear to be more spiritual than us? I assure you Billy Graham, and Mother Theresa have waited on God just as much as we do.

When you do exit “God’s waiting room” (as Scott Cochrane puts it), and you will, you become assured that he did hear you, and he counted every one of those tears that poured out of your eyes. You see waiting on God builds character within us. Not only is your faith stronger when you get to the other side, but you have also developed Godly character. Please, no matter what, do not try to answer your own prayers, but wait on God to answer your prayers his way, in his timing. You will be glad you did.

Isa 40:31 But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. (AMP)

I Just Met God

August 24, 2014 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Do you remember what it’s like to meet someone for the first time? Especially if that someone is of the opposite sex? You begin to talk to them. You find yourself wanting to know more and more about them. You start thinking about them almost every waking moment. You can’t wait to see them, and moments after you leave their presence you begin to immediately miss them. You long within yourself to hear their voice again, and see their face. This person has become important to you, and you to them. Your heart screams with excitement. When the phone rings you call out, “I hope it is them!”

As I have decided within the last year to start dating again, I have had this experience several times. At least up until that point when one or the other makes a determination that the other is not the “one” for them. That is not a good feeling. Feeling rejected, or having to say, “I no longer want to pursue a relationship with you.” Jerry Seinfeld so famously put it like this, “It’s not you it’s me!”

Couples who have been together a long time say things like, “Oh, we still love each other, but the fire is no longer there.” That’s a sad statement. Why can’t the fire be turned up year after year? It does take work. Hard work! Someone has to go out and cut down a tree, and haul the wood to the home, and then add another log to the fire. And then, and then there are times when the fire has to be stoked! I really don’t know what “stoking” a fire is, but in a marriage relationship it sounds like it could be fun.

Then there is God, our relationship with him. Is it new and exciting? Or has the fire almost gone out? Can you wait to see him again? Do you get excited and long to be in his presence? Or do you say, “I still love him, it’s just not the same as when I first got to know him.” I want to stay excited about God. I want my love and longing for him to grow year after year. I want the fire to be roaring in my heart when it comes to God and the things of God. I want to always act like I have just met God.

Today He Visited

August 17, 2014 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

The subject of being in the very presence of God has always intrigued me. To think that God is in your midst; wow! In the Old Testament whenever the priest would go into the portion of the temple known as the Holy of Holies he would tie a rope around his waist, and wear a bell, so if he was found “unclean” by God and died then the other priest could pull his body out from behind the thick curtain. (By the way, the very moment that Jesus died on the cross that curtain was ripped from top to bottom! (See Mark 15:38) That means there is nothing separating us from God now.)

I have strived to live a life worthy of having God in my midst. I have accomplished that from time to time. Fortunately, now that Jesus has died for our sins, I don’t have to tie a rope around my waist, or wear a bell! Yesterday was one of those days. I felt God’s presence all day long as I went about my day taking care of the things in life. Each time I felt his presence I smiled, and prayed, and chatted with him. This isn’t saying I consider myself super spiritual, but I desire his presence. I seek it. It is in the presence of God I find comfort, strength, and direction. There is nothing like talking to the one who loves you more than anything else! The one big enough to create this earth, and everything in it, and then set it in order, but small enough to make you feel like you are the only one he has to talk to. I’m glad yesterday I could say, “Today he visited.”

Who’s Waiting On Whom?

August 4, 2014August 4, 2014 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

Has God called you to live a particular life? Is He asking you to take a risk and do something for Him? Is there something you have been praying and asking God for? In either case have you begin to wonder, “When is it going to come about?”

In my life I want to be a full-time author. I would like to also be out there traveling and speaking to groups of people. Encouraging them, ministering to them, helping them to have a deeper relationship with God. Right now I have a blog, a couple of pen pals in prison, and I do my best to connect with people via emails, and other ways to be doing what I listed above. I have been doing things in a way so when the life I want comes about I will be ready. For instance yesterday I had a professional head shot taken to be used as a publicity photo. At lunch yesterday I told my friend, “I don’t know what God is waiting on, but it’s not me!” Then as our conversation turned to my friend’s life and what he wants I asked him, “Is God waiting on you?”

So what about you? Are you in the middle of God’s will right now? If not, what do you want God to do in your life? What does God want to do in your life? Is one of you waiting on the other?