Control

November 19, 2024November 2, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Accepting God’s gift of salvation is easy. “Even a caveman can do it.” (A line from a famous commercial some years ago.) What’s not so simple is giving God control of your life. It seems a lot of people still want to make significant decisions on their own. Then, when they find themselves in trouble, they wonder why.

After graduating college and landing a drafting job with the local electric company, I felt I was set for life. After all, as I was starting my career there, my uncle retired from the same company. But God had other plans. I was offered a youth pastor’s position in a small church 1,582 miles away. The problem? They couldn’t afford to pay me. Crazy right? Who in their right mind would take such a position? Believe me, I heard a lot of opinions from others who I knew were concerned for me. My father’s thoughts were the loudest, though.

After a lot of prayer, I did what God called me to. I was scared, but I felt assured that He knew what He was doing. It turns out He did, and all of my needs were met.

That experience taught me to seek God whenever making decisions about things like where to live, where to work, and where to spend money above and beyond living costs. Oh, don’t forget who to marry. These are the areas of life that most don’t even think to ask God about. Somehow, they feel these decisions are theirs. And some go as far as to tell God, “Hands off!”

Of course, God allows this because He gives us free will. But I can only wonder how much it aches his heart when the decisions people make hurt them. God wants the best for us, and He has the ability to see beyond the edge of the map. He knows in advance what decisions are good ones and which ones aren’t.

I would have to say that letting God have complete control of my life has allowed me to have a wonderful life and one of the most incredible adventures anyone could ever live.

It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. Eph. 1:11-12 (MSG)

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
    Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
    your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
    give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
    your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
    don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
    a father’s delight is behind all this. Prov. 3:5-12 (MSG)

Cease striving and know that I am God; Ps. 46:10a (LSB)

Misty Eyed

November 15, 2024October 29, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“Where do you want to eat lunch?” asked Charlie. “I don’t care,” said his wife. They wound up at a taco place all the way across town from where they live. While in the middle of their meal, several people jumped up and started looking out the windows. Charlie got up to see what they were looking at. A homeless man and woman were fighting. The man left and the woman started crying and walking toward the restaurant with her bike.

Another couple, Justin and Emily, ran out the door to the woman. Her name was Misty. She was in hysterics. “He stole all of my money,” she said. They started calming her down and invited her inside the restaurant. Justin went to get her some food and a drink. Emily talked to her.

Charlie and his wife wanted to help. Later, Justin went back up to the counter. He was trying to purchase Misty a gift card so she could get more food later. Charlie said he would pay for it, but he learned the machine wasn’t working. So he told Justin he would go down the street to a convenience store to get a gift card. That way, Misty could buy food and drinks later.

When Charlie returned, he gave the card to Misty. She started crying. Charlie hugged her and then said, “God wanted to love on you today. You see, my wife and I could have gone anywhere to eat lunch, but we came here, and we live all the way on the other side of town. God wanted to show you that He knows you and cares about you and what you are going through.”

Justin led them in a prayer for Misty. Charlie hugged Misty again, even though she smelled as if she could use a shower. Emily continued making out a list of items Misty could use to make life a little easier.

On the way home, Charlie asked his wife why she didn’t join in ministering to Misty. She said, “I didn’t know what to say, and you all were handling it.” Charlie paused and then said, “Just being there says a lot. And you could have also hugged Misty. A lot of homeless people miss the feeling, the connection of a human touch. You go to Bible studies, but today was an opportunity to apply it.”

Look around in life. See the needs. Have compassion and do whatever you can to alleviate the need. That’s what the word “compassion” means in the Greek language, and that is what Jesus did.

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Mat. 9:36 (NKJV)

“I Miss You!”

November 12, 2024October 22, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“I miss you!” texted the woman I was seeing several years ago. I was surprised. No one had ever said that to me before. I didn’t understand. “I replied to her, “You just saw me, like, less than two hours ago.”

Fast forward to last Saturday. April was attending her women’s Bible study. Out of the blue, she texted me, “I miss you.” Now I gotta tell ya, it does feel good to be told that. To know that someone in this world misses not being with you in your presence. When I asked her why she said that she responded by saying, “We were discussing “love.”

So, for a few days, I pondered the phrase. I realized and then felt guilty, that we need to love God so much and be in his presence that we say. “I miss you” to God. Being in the presence of God is an incredible feeling! You don’t want to leave because you feel his love surround you.

Being in the throne room of heaven is a privilege we only have because of Jesus dying on the cross. You see, the moment he exhaled his last breath, the veil in the temple of God was ripped from top to bottom. We were no longer separated from God. But now we can enter with boldness and confidence that we are welcomed.

When Jesus died on the cross, God tore the veil in the Jerusalem temple from top to bottom. No one but God could have done such a thing because that veil was 60 feet tall and four inches thick. The direction of the tear meant God destroyed the barrier between himself and humanity, an act only God had the authority to do. (Source: LearnReligions.com)

⁵⁰But Jesus, again crying out loudly, breathed his last.
⁵¹At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom. Mat. 27:50-51 (MSG)

So, with that, “I miss you, God.”

Your Home, God’s Home?

November 8, 2024October 18, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

^8-9Then God said:

“Here’s what I want you to do:
    Climb into the hills and cut some timber.
Bring it down and rebuild the Temple.
    Do it just for me. Honor me.
You’ve had great ambitions for yourselves,
    but nothing has come of it.
The little you have brought to my Temple
    I’ve blown away—there was nothing to it.

^9-11“And why?” (This is a Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, remember.) “Because while you’ve run around, caught up with taking care of your own houses, my Home is in ruins. That’s why. Because of your stinginess. And so I’ve given you a dry summer and a meager crop. I’ve matched your tight-fisted stinginess by decreeing a season of drought, drying up fields and hills, withering gardens and orchards, stunting vegetables and fruit. Nothing—not man or woman, not animal or crop—is going to thrive.” Hag. 1:8-11 (MSG)

While I was reading the verses above, the Holy Spirit prompted me to include them in a blog post. So here they are. “Why?” you might be asking yourself. I observe people. I listen when they talk about their lives, and many times, I hear what is consuming their time and consuming them.

A lot of people are focusing on their own lives. They are building new homes or moving into bigger ones. Purchasing the latest car or trying to acquire a higher-paying job. Others may be in pursuit of a relationship.

On the other side of the coin are those that are consumed while trying to make ends meet. Wondering how they are going to pay the electric bill or feed their family.

There is nothing wrong with trying to do the best you can in life. There are no issues with wanting bigger and better things, but when your pursuit becomes all you can think about, it becomes wrong. On the other hand, worrying about how your needs will be met can be bad, too.

If the things in life become more important than your relationship or trust in God, then they are wrong. That is what the scriptures above are talking about. You see, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t want to be ignored or take a backseat to anyone or anything else. Nor should he. Don’t be surprised if God backs off from your life. Not to hurt you but to turn your face back to him.

Keeping our focus on our relationship with God should be our number one priority in life. Doing so helps us with the other things in life that compete for our attention. A right-side relationship with God puts the other things in our lives in perspective. Keeping our temples pure and holy pleases God, and then he will be happy to dwell among us.

CSI: Heaven

November 5, 2024October 17, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I used to drive fast. I mean, really fast, or perhaps I should say, “stupidly fast!” In the early eighties, in Massachusetts, I was driving my Chevette. Okay, you can stop laughing now. As I was going up a hill and into a sharp turn to my left, I saw a car coming fast, straight for me in my lane. It was going to be a head-on collision, and I said to myself, oh, this is going to hurt! But right before the point of impact, I shut my eyes hard and screamed, “Oh God!”

My car kept moving around the bend in the road, but my body got pushed back into the seat and then forward. I remember thinking, what? When I looked in my rearview mirror, I saw that the car was so close behind me that I couldn’t see the license plate. Did the other vehicle go through me?

Suppose you could go back and examine the scenes of your life. The ones that astounded you, surprised you or perhaps hurt you the most. You might be compelled to look for clues to answer those nagging, lingering questions like, “How did this happen?”

If you could dust the scene for fingerprints to find out who was involved, you know, like a crime scene investigator, would it surprise you if you detected God’s fingerprints?

Not that He was the one who did the damage, but that He was there. Most likely keeping you from being killed or injured more severely. Perhaps it was he who got you out of there or got you help in a timely manner. How many times have you shared your story and have heard people respond something like, “Wow, God was definitely with you.”

I think we will all be surprised when we learn how God was involved in our lives. Either he did it because he loves those who call him Father, or he did it hoping you would feel his involvement and choose to love him back. Either way, he did it out of love!

“The Lord your God is in your midst;
he is a warrior who can deliver.
He takes great delight in you;
he renews you by his love;
he shouts for joy over you.”
Zephaniah 3:17 (NET Bible)

John 11:35

November 1, 2024November 1, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“And Jesus Wept” statue in Oklahoma City.

As a child growing up in church, there were often scripture memory challenges. The first scripture most kids learned was “John 11:35.” “Jesus wept.” Let’s face it, it was easy. I struggle today to remember the reference to where a scripture is, but at least I know what is in the Bible and what is not. I think knowing that for myself is more important than the location. Besides, I can type the portion of scripture I recall, and my computer will find the reference for me.

But back to this verse. If you recall, Jesus’ friend Lazarus was sick, and the family sent word to Jesus to come and heal him. Instead, Jesus continued to teach and do miracles while he ministered to others.

When he arrived at Lazarus’ home, they told him he was too late. That Lazarus had already died. There was much sorrow, and the family was stricken with grief. When Jesus saw how great their sorrow was, he wept. He didn’t weep because his good friend Lazarus had died because he knew what he was about to do, but instead, he was overcome with their pain and sorrow. I believe that is why he wept.

Jesus cares for us when we are sad and grief-stricken today, too. He wants us to lean on him to get through those times. At least long enough until the sting of death starts wearing off.

I once wrote about Lazarus from his point of view. My editor asked me with a snarky tone, “How do you know Lazarus wanted to come back to life?” Her question stumped me for almost a week. Then I received the answer from on high (God). I told her, “It didn’t matter if Lazarus wanted to come back to life or not. He just wanted to be obedient to the Lord Jesus!” So when Jesus called out, “Lazarus, come forth,” he obeyed.

Funny thought: If Jesus had only said, “Come forth,” I think all of the dead in that area would have come back to life. I’m not sure, but I could see it happening.

Jesus waited four days before traveling to Lazarus’ home. He wanted everyone to know that he had power over death, too. And he didn’t want anyone to say something like, “Well, Lazarus wasn’t really dead.” The fact of the matter is, he was so dead, he stunk!

Takeaways: Know for yourself what is in the Bible. You do that by reading it. Know that Jesus has power over death. That is how he can promise us eternal life if we accept him into our lives. And know that Jesus hurts when we hurt. He truly cares about us and what is important to us.

If you want to read the whole story for yourself, turn to John 11:1-44.

24/7/365

October 29, 2024October 7, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

April and I were discussing one of her friends recently. They were going through something. Sorry, I don’t recall what it was. I suggested April do something for them. She didn’t respond. I enquired. Finally, she admitted that she didn’t want to do that for her friend. After a few minutes, she asked, “Am I a bad friend?” I thought for a moment, trying to find some words of wisdom. Then I responded, “You’re a friend. You’re just not a good friend.”

Maybe you are a good friend to others. Perhaps you give them as much time as you can when they call and are upset. You provide them with a ride to the airport no matter the time of day. When they are sick, you stop by their house to give them a helping hand or to provide a meal. In other words, you are always there for them. They know they can count on you.

A few days later, I was sitting at a traffic light. I looked up and saw the billboard pictured here in this post. It made me think of Jesus. Then I thought of the above conversation with April. One of Jesus’ characteristics is that he says he is a “friend” who never leaves you.

There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Prov. 18:24 (RSV)

But Jesus is one part of three. They are one yet individual, and together, they take complete care of you.

God.

“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.” Deu. 31:6 (MSG)

And nothing you can do can separate you from the love of God.

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. Rom. 8:38 (MSG)

The Holy Spirit is there to comfort you and to give you power when you are ministering to others. He can give you words to say when you have no idea what should come out of your mouth. He also has a list of supernatural gifts that he gives out to whoever he wants.

Being in a relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is the best. They are our God, our friend, and our comforter. Jesus isn’t “just” a friend but a good friend. They are always there for me. I love doing life with them. They are with me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!

Wall Drug

October 25, 2024October 25, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

If you have ever traveled Interstate 90 in the state of South Dakota, you don’t have to go far before you start seeing billboard after billboard advertising Wall Drug. You see so many, you start thinking, This must be the most incredible place on Earth! Spoiler alert: It’s not, but it is a fun place to stop and see.

The billboards tell you how far before you get there. They promise you what you can experience and how wonderful it will be. What started as a place for travelers to stop and get a free glass of ice-cold water has turned into one huge tourist stop.

If you have been traveling through life and have yet to accept God’s Son, Jesus Christ, into your life, I would dare say if you looked back, you would see signs, billboard after billboard, about Jesus. You would have had several opportunities to stop and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins. You would learn that He offered “living water” that refreshes your soul. You would see the promises He makes about helping you, guiding, providing, healing, and more for you. You would know that wherever you go in this world, He would always be there with you.

You might be thinking, “I’ve never seen signs or billboards!” You have. You didn’t realize it. A friend invited you to attend a church service with them, and you said, “No, that’s okay.” Someone shared Jesus with you and how He has helped them. You probably dismissed their testimony by saying, “Well, that’s good for you, but Jesus doesn’t fit into my plan.” Perhaps you experienced some misfortune and had a minister come alongside and minister God’s love and concern for you, and days after, you forgot about how good God’s love felt.

The devil will try to convince you that you don’t need to stop. That you are fine doing life your way. The truth is that your way leads to destruction.

You may think you are on the right road and still end up dead. Prov. 14:12 (CEV)

There are a lot of billboards along the road of life that are viding for your attention. This is why you need God’s help to provide you with wisdom so you don’t make any unnecessary stops or detours. Be a smart traveler. Don’t go it alone. Choose today to walk with the one who has your best interest in mind and has prepared the ultimate destination for eternity.

A Letter to You

October 22, 2024September 28, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I observe people and patterns in life. I notice things others may easily overlook or not think anything of it. But me? I see them and think about them. I don’t know why, except that it is the way God made me. I believe it helps me as a writer.

Recently, April wrote a letter to a close friend, and her friend was offended. I noticed that people don’t like receiving letters that share the truth. The letters they like the least are the ones that point out an issue in their life. The letters are usually written out of love and concern for the individual, but the receiver does not seem to notice that. They tend to respond with a “How dare they…” Or a “Well, they do this…”

Most of the time, instead of receiving the message, they get defensive! There is something about looking at and reading words that are written. It’s like the person reads it over and over and can’t ignore or get away from it unless they tear it up and throw it away. I have also noticed they will tell people what the letter said but fail to let others read the letter for themselves.

I wrote a letter a few years ago to a loved one, and it wound up costing me just over $50,000! How is that possible, you ask? I wrote the letter to my father sometime before he passed away because he was struggling with some “friends,” and instead of listening to the truth, he kept hanging up on me, so I wrote a letter. He got so mad that he decided to get revenge on me and he wrote me out of his will.

I don’t look for financial provisions from anyone individual because my provider is God almighty! He provides for all my needs. Dad was saying whatever he wanted to to his friends but failed to understand why they no longer came around or talked to him. My letter tried to help him realize that just because you are old, you still don’t have the right to speak to people however you choose to. Even if what you are saying may be true to you.

In the Bible, especially in the New Testament, in the books that Paul wrote, you will notice that it says, “Letter to the Philippians,” etc. The people of those churches may not have liked all that Paul wrote, but he did it to help them, encourage them, and instruct them so their lives would be better. Paul told the people the truth!

The Bible, overall, is a letter to people, anybody, around the world. It is God’s message of ultimate love. The whole book is a guide of how to live life God’s way. People may not like the truth, and they have free will not to accept it, but their lives and their futures would be much better if they did. The Bible is written words that you shouldn’t ignore, and you can’t get away from them. The Bible is a letter to you!

Self-Idolatry

October 18, 2024September 21, 2024 / Mark Brady / 6 Comments

I post about atheists or people who worship Satan from time to time. As comments are welcomed, there is one atheist who has an absolute fit when I post the truth about such people. This last time, I didn’t “approve” their comment, allowing others to see it because it was full of lies and hate. I recognize and have no problem with people having free will to believe however they choose, and I have no issues with “freedom of speech,” even if it is negative and against me, but I won’t promote “hate!”

I didn’t respond to this person, and that drove them nuts. During the next week, they kept making comments, knowing I would see them. I wanted to reply to them, but after praying about it, I sensed God said, “No,” I sensed they were simply trying to pick a fight. I did go out to their website, though, and read some posts and comments. What I read led me to believe this person thinks they are omnipotent and omnipresent. They made several statements that are absolutes that aren’t absolutely true, and there is no way they know the hearts and minds of everyone on Earth! It seemed as if this person is a “god” unto themselves. Umm, reminds me of the devil.

This individual has no problem telling how smart they are and how everyone who believes in Jesus Christ is a liar and can’t do anything that Jesus did. They are intelligent, I’ll give them that, and they are well-read, but that is part of their problem. You see, they try to make God fit into their mind and understanding. They try to use reason and or logic to understand the ways of God, but scripture says:

But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. 1 Cor. 2:14 (AMPC)

“I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Is. 55:8-9 (MSG)

This person doesn’t believe God gave us free will, either. They think that because a church split when they were young, there can’t be a God because the kind of God they want wouldn’t have allowed that to happen.

It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then? Gal. 5:13-15 (MSG)

This person first commented on a post I had written about four years ago. I tried to interact with them, praying the whole time. I knew the words I wrote needed to be led by the Spirit of God. I actually received from the Spirit of God a word of knowledge for this individual. I wrote them with the event God showed me. I don’t know this person at all, so there was no way I could have known. When they responded, they said that every kid likes to do that activity. Honestly, I didn’t as a child. Then they proceeded to share with me a story about doing that activity using some of the exact same words I told them they had said.

This should have gotten their attention, and they should have seen God’s love for them all over it. As I have said before, words of knowledge are to get someone’s attention to what God wants to do or say next. God was trying to show how much He loves them.

I compare this person to Saul in the Book of Acts in the Bible. He was presented with the truth of the gospel, and it ate at him. He hated that believers in Jesus Christ would even die for their belief. He was highly educated, and the message of God’s love didn’t make sense to him, so he tried with all his might to dismiss it. He wanted to get rid of the constant frustration by killing the followers of Jesus Christ. He wound up having a personal encounter and interaction with Jesus Christ, and he then let go of what didn’t fit into his thinking and accepted Jesus Christ into his life. I think the person I wrote about today needs that kind of encounter before they believe. I feel sorry for them, and I pray that they will believe in God soon.

One note about atheism I don’t understand. To me, something or someone has to be there BEFORE you can CHOOSE to not believe in it or them! So, in other words, someone saying they are an atheist is saying, “God is real!” And by the way, choosing not to believe in Him is exercising the very “free will (freedom)” that God gives us! This person hopes they are right because when they find out they are wrong, they will be held accountable for all of the wrong and sinful things they have said and done.