As the World Turns

March 22, 2022March 5, 2022 / Mark Brady / 3 Comments

My mother claims she started watching the above “soap opera” when it debuted when she was only 16 years old. As my sister and I grew up, we knew not to interrupt mom’s “program”! In fact, the story goes that when I was only 4, I would hear the theme song play and start heading to my bedroom saying, “Time to go to bed!”

The program was about people and their lives, the drama they experienced. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I have never heard, or understood why they called these types of programs, “soaps”. Well the other day, I was talking to an old friend after a few years of losing contact with them. As they shared with me their family’s “drama” I started feeling dirty, if you will. When I began to figure out why I felt that way I realized it was because “God” was not involved in their lives!

Now there is no way I would say that I have lived a perfect, or spotless life, but it has all been washed by the blood of Jesus and my sins are gone. Plus, life is good these days. Yes, things still breakdown occasionally and we have some struggles and challenges with finances, but knowing that God is right here with me makes me feel better about the things of life. I feel clean. Also, I know He protects us from the evil one, who wants to kill steal, and destroy!

Many people know how they should be living, and some were even raised up in the church, but for one reason or another, they choose not to live according to God’s words. He gave us those very words, not to make our lives boring, or a drudgery, but on the contrary to give us real life. Abundant life! When He made man and woman, He placed them in a garden. That’s the kind of life He wants us to have, but out of freewill, many choose to live in the city dump. It breaks my heart that they are missing out now, and will miss out for eternity unless they accept Jesus and ask him to be Lord of their life. To cleanse them by washing their sins away through his death on the cross and making them white as snow.

If My Life Was a Movie

October 16, 2020October 19, 2020 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I would like the role of me to be played by Keanu Reeves. That way, I am guaranteed my wife will watch it. The movie would definitely be a drama, a romantic comedy, oh wait, and in parts, a thriller, but isn’t that life? There would be scenes depicting tremendous joy, moral failure, and of mediocre accomplishments. Would it win an Oscar? “The envelope please. And the Oscar goes to…” not my life.

I suppose to mankind, since I have not made any great scientific discoveries, found a cure for cancer, written the next great American novel, or become the world’s richest man, my life doesn’t stand out. Does that matter? Not to me.

The movie could contain dramatic scenes of my life, but the most important ones are when I accepted Jesus into my life at age 7, which guided me into the person I have become, and the Sunday morning, at age 17, I dedicated my life to living for God. Since then, I have done my best to go where He has asked me to, have spoken the words He has placed in my mouth, and do as He has directed.

The majority of my life I have tried to do what is right. I have shared my faith with many, and in many ways. When I have fallen, I have taken hold of God’s hand and have asked him to help me get back up. In moments I felt the deepest pain I hid in his palm, so He could touch my heart. During my victories I have given the glory to God.

So, at the end of it all, the only thing that matters is what God thinks of how I have chosen to live my life. I may not win an award created by man, but hopefully I will hear from God, “Well done, thy good and faithful servant.” Then perhaps He will give me a crown, at which point I will bow, and place it at the feet of Jesus, for none of the good in my life would have been possible if it wasn’t for the good He did in his life.

The last and final word is this:
Fear God.
Do what he tells you. Ecc. 12:13 (MSG)

Director: God
Producer: Jesus Christ
Set Designer: God
Lighting: God
Sound: God
Special Effects: The Holy Spirit
Support: Jesus Christ
Casting: God
Screenplay: God (with the exceptions when Mark edited it.)

Cast:
Mark: Keanu Reeves
Mark’s Wife: Kim So-eun
Mark’s Father: Jimmy Houston
Mark’s Mother: Meryl Streep

Copyright © 2020 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

People Live Their Belief!

October 6, 2018October 5, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Last week I wrote about helping a young man. The focus should not be on the things I bought to help him for a few days, but on the words I shared with him, that if accepted, and acted upon will last him for eternity.

I had a captive audience. He wasn’t about to jump out of a moving car, at least without the bags of food in the back seat. I told him this: “I don’t like helping people I don’t know, but because of the love that God has shown me, I can’t help but share that love with others. I am only helping you because of God’s love. God loves you Justice. He orchestrated us connecting to show you how much He loves you.” I shared with him where the church I go to is, and there he can learn more about this love of God.

Then I went on to say, “Aren’t you tired of this life you are living? Is the way you are living really working out for you? Aren’t you tired of asking people for help? You need a job in order to properly provide for those children, and your household. You need God, and his help, his power in your life, his guidance to direct you to that job you need.”

He said he read the Bible, and to that I said, “Then act like it!” I know. A little direct and ruff, but the word of God does instruct us to “compel” them to come in. The Message translation says to “drag them in. (Luke 14:23)” The devil is doing a great job of keeping people’s lives so filled with drama they can’t see Truth, Jesus, standing right in front them, and inviting them to accept him, and a better way to live. God’s word says this:

His huge outstretched arms protect you– under them you’re perfectly safe; his arms fend off all harm. Fear nothing–not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, Not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon. Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze you. You’ll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance, watch the wicked turn into corpses. Yes, because GOD’s your refuge, the High God your very own home, Evil can’t get close to you, harm can’t get through the door. He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they’ll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. You’ll walk unharmed among lions and snakes, and kick young lions and serpents from the path. “If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says GOD, “I’ll get you out of any trouble. I’ll give you the best of care if you’ll only get to know and trust me. Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times; I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party. I’ll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!” (Psa 91:4-16 MSG)

If you believe God, and accept him, and his word then live like it! Ask God to deliver you from the drama in your life. Speak into the issues in your life, in Jesus’ name, and say, “Peace be still.” We have the same authority Jesus was given by his heavenly father, God. Declare, Psalms 91 over your life. You will be amazed, what the positive words out of your mouth will produce. Believe it, and live it.