faith

“You missed Christmas, Jack”

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

empty-mangerYou know it’s the season, you feel the rush.  You’re reminded the clock is ticking, but you say, “Hush.”  So much to get done, so many people to see.  Only a few days till Christmas, can it really be?  There’s family and friends, and co-workers too, so many to buy for, what do you do?

One way or another December 25th will arrive.  One way or another you will survive.  This Christmas will come and go, but at what cost?  This Christmas may go by, but what will be lost?  Will you take time to pause, or sit?  Or will your heart take a huge hit?

Will you unwrap the greatest gift that has ever been given?  The gift from God, the gift from heaven?  The gift of his son to set free your heart?  The forgiveness of sin on Jesus’ part?  Enjoy your friends, and family too, but don’t miss the real reason for Christmas, so here’s what you do.  Stop the craziness, resist the pressure, take in Jesus, He is a permanent treasure. Don’t be like Jack from the movie, “The Family Man”.  Enjoy this Christmas by having a Jesus plan.

Copyright © 2016 Mark Brady, All rights reserved

Wisdom from God’s Word

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Work is tough.  Ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and He told them that work would be hard, it has been just that.  I grew up believing in the American dream.  That a person could find employment doing something they enjoyed.  At first I did, but over the years things have changed.  Now, work is hard and it isn’t enjoyable at all.  There are good moments, but mainly those moments are on a personal level.

In these current times we, who try our best to be Godly, are often thrown under the bus, lied about, ridiculed, and mistreated even though some of the treatment goes against the business code of conduct.rev-1

If I had things my way I would be living in an RV, traveling across America, writing.  I want this kind of life.  I desire this life with everything in my heart.  Then I read Proverbs 16:9:

We plan the way we want to live, but only GOD makes us able to live it.

My faith in God requires that I believe this from God’s word.  More importantly, I live it.  The worst thing I could do is try to make the life I so desperately want happen.  I yield to the truth that if God wants it to happen, then it will, but in His timing, and in His way.  Hopefully doing so will help me to be wise.

Is it 10:00?

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“Betty, what are you doing?” asked the caregiver.

“I have to get dressed.  I have a 10:00 appointment.”

“Its 2:00 Betty.”

“Morning, or afternoon?”

“Morning.”

She helped Betty get back into her hospital bed.  Betty tried this again two more times.

“But I have an appointment at 10:00.  I need to get dressed.”

“Betty, you don’t have an appointment today at 10.”

“Yes I do.”

“Here, let me help you get comfortable in your bed.”

Betty went to be with Jesus at 10:24 AM.

This is a true story.  Betty was my great aunt.  I wrote about her on her 97th birthday this past January.  I once told her that she has lived so long her friends, already in heaven, might think she passed and went the other direction.  In another conversation, “Your place, that Jesus promises to make for us in heaven, must really be something, because it has taken a long time to get it ready.”

We all have an appointment to keep one day.  When we too will stand before God.  I hope you’re ready like my aunt was.

“I love you Aunt Betty!  I’m going to miss you, but I’m glad you are home.”

Aunt Betty 97

Betty

They Walk Among Us

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Jessica, while at a red light, feels moisture drip upon her cheeks.  She can’t believe the hurt has reached her eyes.  Roger, holds his head in the stream of water showering upon him while he mumbles words.  A prayer perhaps?  He hopes the sound of the falling water conceals his pain, his desperation.  Cassandra stares at the dark ceiling, instead of sleeping, longing for an answer.  An answer that would change her life.  Manuel walks aimlessly, at times looking up, hoping any minute now God would heal him.

Just stories lines, or glimpses of real life?  Perhaps they feel real because you have been there, or you are there now.  No matter where you are, or what you are going through, know this; YOU ARE NOT ALONE.  You are not the only one who has ever walked the path you are on, even though it feels like it.  There are others, who are there now, or who have found the exit.

Where are these people?  Who are they?  Include in your prayers to God to lead you to them.  They might be in your church, or they might be your neighbor, or across the aisle at work, but the truth is they walk among us.  They can help you.  They can listen to you.  They can pray for you, or with you.  But in order for that to happen they have to know.  They have to know what you are going through.  Take a chance on being honest when someone ask you how you are.  And if you are one who hears a story of real life going on dare to listen int051312_01-3jbently.  Believe with them for God to deliver them, answer them, or heal them.  Life is hard, but it is even harder by yourself.

If you struggle finding someone, or trusting someone enough to open up with the truth, you are still not alone.  There is no where you can go to escape the eye of God, or His love.  Have faith, have hope for your exit may be within the next mile.

 

Copyright © 2016 Mark Brady, All rights reserved

To Know

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

To know unconditional love;
is to know God.
To know real forgiveness;
is to know Jesus.
To know perfect direction;
is to know the Holy Spirit.

To know pure laughter;
is to know true friends.
To know great joy;
is to know a child.
To know time;
is to know an elderly person.

To know gratitude;
is to feed the hungry.
To know security;
is to clothe the naked.
To know health;
is to visit the sick.

To know peace;
is to know contentment.
To know lasting hope;
is to know faith.
To know wisdom;
is to know the Word of God.

Church Windows

/ Mark Brady / 1 Comment

Gothic church window“I was reared in church.  The whole family went every Sunday morning.  I heard the stories, I heard the sermons, but I don’t feel I got anything out of it,” said my friend.  “Many times I would wonder, if there really was a God would He hear me?  As I got older and became aware of family problems I would watch how my father would question his faith, but my mother, hers seemed to strengthen.  I found it all so confusing.  Then there were the times I would look out the church windows and see my friends having fun.  I wanted to have fun, so I quit going.”

“Life has now come and gone.  A lot of time has passed, but I never once looked inside the church windows.  I felt I was doing life just fine on my own.  Just as good as the next guy.”

I spoke to my friend about the difference in going to church, having a “religion” with God to having a “relationship” with God.  I explained to him how “religion” is man’s way to God, but a “relationship” is God’s way to man, which is why it works.

I invited him to accept Jesus, and begin a “relationship” and to ask Jesus to forgive him of his sins.  He said he wasn’t sure.  Then I said these words, “My friend, heaven won’t be the same without you…but hell will.”

Letting Go

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I was at my eye doctor’s office this past week for a follow up visit to some recent treatments.  One of the things they needed to do was take some pictures of both eyes.  It was while I was getting those pictures taken that I heard probably the best example of what real faith is.

Andy, the eye photographer, told me that when he was much younger he went parachuting.  He said that he only went three times, but that is still three more times than I have.  He told how back then they would connect your rip cord to a static line so when you get far enough away from the plane it would tighten and thus pull the cord that would cause your chute to open.  So that only left two things for him to do.

1) Step outside of a perfectly capable airplane of landing to the little 2×4 connected to the bottom of a wing support.

2)  The hardest part: Let go of the wing.

He told me he was scared like crazy!  Not exactly his words, but I think you get the point.  He informed me that the hardest thing to do was letting go of the wing.  He said as he was going 120 mph out there on the wing thoughts would run through his mind, “Who packed my chute?”  “Did they do it right?”  But no matter what came to his mind, he did it.  He let go.

Yes, Andy is right.  This is one of the best examples we have of faith.  When we are faced with a situation that is bigger than us there are a lot of things we can do, but none is better than “letting go” and trust in God.  If you happen to be faced with one of those kinds of situations do what Andy did; “Let go.”

Through It All

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storms of lifeLife certainly can be rough sometimes.  Maybe not to you directly at the moment, but to those around you.  To people that you know and care about.  Right now one of my coworkers is with her mother who is at the exit ramp of life.  A friend from high school just lost his mother this week.  She was a spiritual giant who will be truly missed.  A family member of mine had her house partially damaged by a tornado that hit near Tulsa, Oklahoma.  You certainly don’t have to look very far to see the storms of life.

I have been listening to the song (a lot lately) “It Is Well” by Bethel Music featuring Kristene Dimarco.  One of the lines in that song, that I really like, says, “The wind and rain still know His name.”  When we are going through the storm we often forget this.  We take our eyes off of the one who can calm the storm, and we look at the circumstances around us.  Doing so will weaken your faith.  Jesus may not directly speak to the storm you are in and calm it, but I assure you He will get you through it all.