freedom

Free to Be Me

/ Mark Brady / 3 Comments
Image generated via A.I.

I suppose my childhood started like most little boys. Hanging around my father, watching him work the family business as his father had taught him. Watching Dad was okay, but I got a little bored with it. As I got older, and my father would trust me, I would wander away from the shop. It was at those times that my curiosity would get me into trouble. I began stealing things to see if I could get by with it.

Yeah, sometimes I would get caught, but I usually didn’t. My father would scold me, but so what? This was nothing. Everything he would say went in one ear and out the other.

We lived on the side of the Sea of Galilee. The side where “the other people” lived. You see, we weren’t Jews. In fact, to the Jews, we were pigs. They really hated pigs. Something about the God they worshiped wouldn’t allow them to eat them. That pigs were unclean animals. Umm, I guess they considered us “unclean” as well.

As time went on, I got into more and more mischief. I became an avid gambler. I loved to bet on anything. Because I learned how to cheat, I usually won most bets and gambling games. Really, my life had become nothing but a game to me. What could I get into next?

I also became a lover of wine. It seemed as if when I was drunk, my life was tolerable to me. I really enjoyed hanging out with people like me. That was always the best. As you can probably figure out by now, I had lost interest in learning about the family business. I needed money, though, and found out there were people who were willing to pay me to do their dirty work. By dirty work, I mean they would ask me to put their competitors out of business. There were a lot of ways to do this. One way was to steal their inventory. Another was to set fire to their place of business. If that didn’t do it, you would send them a more personal message, like killing a family member.

Yes, I killed people. There was a weird sense of power after I would take the life of a human being. I sometimes thought of myself as a god. I became a pretty horrible person. I soon had a bad reputation in town. I wasn’t afraid of anyone or anything, and unscrupulous men in town knew I would do anything for the right price. That fearless attitude would someday be my downfall.

I also started dabbling in what was known then as the dark arts. I am talking about sorcery and the work of mediums. I thought it was cool that these people could communicate with the dead. In fact, I started telling them to teach me how to do it. It wasn’t long before I began to really get the hang of it. I wanted to do more, though. I felt powerful whenever I delved into these practices. After a while, those who taught me became afraid of me. They said I was going way too far into this and opening myself up to darkness. I liked it, craved it. I wasn’t afraid of it at all.   I liked knowing things that others didn’t. I enjoyed them, thinking I was so powerful. At the time, I didn’t care where the power came from. All I cared about was getting more.

At first, everything was fine with me possessing this new power. I didn’t sense any harm in using it. Women were drawn to me as well. They liked being seen with such a strong, powerful, knowledgeable man. When a women wasn’t around when I wanted one, I would send for a prostitute to come to me. Then, one day, the owner of this power came to collect the cost of my using his power. I actually thought I could argue with him and win. Boy, what an eye-opener! One day, I thought I was at the top of the world, but the reality was that my soul now belonged to Lucifer, and when I couldn’t pay, I found myself in utter darkness.

He owned every part of me. I no longer had control of my mind or my body. He had me going around hurting anyone I saw. The people in town were now even more afraid of me. They would run in sheer terror. I was burning anything. I would kill anyone I could get my hands on. I would steal and destroy anything I wanted to. I had become hell on earth. What I thought I once possessed, I realized now possessed me.

The people in town even tried to overpower me so they could chain me down, but this proved to be a worthless endeavor as I could break the chains they attempted to use. Funny, now that I think back, I could free my body, but I couldn’t free my mind or soul. I really wanted to die, but after removing all of my clothes and cutting myself several times, I realized I couldn’t even control whether I lived or died. Some god I turned out to be.

To try to make things better, I moved out of town and into the cemetery. At least there, I couldn’t hurt anybody. The stench was fitting for what I had become. My life stunk. It was hell. One of the tombstones was for my father.   I know when he died, he was ashamed of me. He was embarrassed for what I had become. At least he couldn’t see to what depth I had sunk. You know, I think every son, no matter what, wants their father to be proud of them. I never gave my father a reason to be.

 Then, one day, I saw a boat heading toward me. I couldn’t believe it because no one ever came from the other side. And why would they come here? Hadn’t they heard about the evil man that lived in the cemetery? “Are they crazier than me?” I thought. They must have wanted trouble. Well, that’s certainly what they were about to get, and a lot of it.

I ran towards the boat as it landed. I was stopped in my tracks as soon as I saw the face of the first one out of the boat. I knew I had never seen this man before, yet something inside me knew him all too well, and with one look into his eyes, I could tell he knew me. I also got the distinct feeling he knew I had become possessed by many demons. 

Those who were traveling with him jumped out of the boat with fury when they saw me approaching him. They yelled, “Jesus, no! Back away from that man!”  I guess they thought I was going to hurt him, but I wasn’t, for before me stood a man who was not afraid of me or the demons inside me. I had never witnessed such confidence and peace from another individual. For the first time in a long time, I felt as though somebody had control of the situation. There was calmness in the air, but at that time, I had no idea it would soon come to me.

He asked me my name, but I was unable to speak for myself. The head demon inside of me spoke for me and said, “I am Legion. For there are many of us inside of him.”  It was weird to me that I had no clue who was speaking to me, but the demons knew him. I could feel their fear swelling up inside of me. I think they knew their time had come to an end.

Jesus then began to call them out of me, but as he did, Legion quickly spoke up. He said to Jesus, “Wait! Don’t just send us out of him and back to hell. There is a group of pigs over there. At least allow us to enter those pigs.”  I’m not really sure why he agreed, but he did. He commanded the demons out of me and allowed them to go into the pigs. I fell to my knees immediately. I felt so weak. Jesus commanded those with him to get a blanket, start a fire, and prepare dinner. As for the pigs, as soon as the demons entered them, the pigs began to squeal and took off, running for a high cliff that overlooked the sea. I thought for sure the pigs would stop as they approached, for they are relatively smart animals, but they didn’t. Right over the cliff, they went. Their handlers took off running for the town out of fear from what had just happened.

I guess those pig ranchers got to town pretty fast because the next thing I knew, a lot of people were coming upon us. When they arrived, they saw me sitting by the fire, eating and laughing with Jesus and his disciples. They couldn’t believe I was so calm. When they overcame their disbelief, they told how the pig ranchers came running into town and told them all that had happened. I think the townspeople were relieved I was acting like a human being again instead of like a demon, but then they had the nerve to get mad at Jesus for killing a large group of pigs. In fact, they were so angry that they asked him and his followers to leave immediately and never come back to their side of the sea again.

I would have thought they would have accepted him and begun to worship him as I had. It’s funny to me how people want the miracles of Jesus but not the lifestyle of Jesus. I enjoyed my new freedom. I had such a peace within me. It took me a long time to understand that by surrendering my life, I actually found life. I stayed on that side of the sea for the rest of my life. I knew that the others who lived there needed Jesus as well, and as badly as I had, even if they didn’t realize it. When those who knew me saw the change, it was easy to give them the reason for my conversion. I’m so glad that on the day of my transformation, Jesus told his disciples, “Let’s go to the other side.” I hope what I tried to do for him after that day made it worth it. I know it was for me.

(The actual account can be found in the Bible. Mark 5:1-20)

If you have never had your own encounter with Jesus Christ, know that you can. He is waiting for you to accept his offer of forgiveness for your sins. With that begins a relationship that brings hope, encouragement, comfort, and guidance with the added bonus of eternal life. Along the way, you can ask for help with anything. Problems in life, relationships, and healing. Having a relationship with Jesus is the best thing you will ever do with your life. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real. So are heaven and hell. There are no other alternatives. Encounter Jesus and change your life.

Copyright © 2025 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

So Help You God

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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” A phrase we are familiar with that is asked of witnesses about to be questioned in court. You see, if they tell the truth, then it could set someone free or help convict the guilty. The truth is powerful!

I had a friend who once told me a story about getting into some serious trouble at work. The problem was what he told me didn’t make sense. When I prayed for them and about the situation, I asked God what the truth was. He told me. Later, I asked my friend if I could share what God had told me, and he agreed. When I shared God’s truth about the situation, he got outraged and hung up on me, and he hasn’t spoken to me since.

Even though the truth was embarrassing for them, I didn’t judge. I wanted to see them get the victory over the underlying problem. As I continued to pray for them, God showed me more truth and how they had lied and deceived me on many occasions.

I once shared the truth with my pastor that God had shown me about him and his home life. I started the conversation with two pieces of knowledge that I could only have known if God revealed it to me. The supernatural shouldn’t be awed but used to get one’s attention for what God wants to do or say next. The problem was that the command structure in their home followed them into the church, and it did not please God at all! In fact, it was preventing God from pouring out His Spirit upon the church and using that church in a mighty way! When one’s leadership isn’t right at home, people get hurt!

What was worse was, out of fear of being exposed, the pastor and his wife told many lies about me to the congregation. Yep! That was the day I had to fire my pastor! He knew what God said to him was truth, but he was afraid of being alone! In other words, he was fearful if he put things right, then his wife might divorce him.

The truth can attract some while it repels others. Thousands heard Jesus teach the truth and saw him perform many signs and wonders, but only a few radically changed how they lived and followed him. Sad, but many don’t want to be around one who represents the truth, tells the truth, and lives with the truth. Even some family members may no longer talk to you or want to be around you. Their consciousness may be seared when you are around!

But if they are ready to drop their defenses and accept the truth, then they will begin to enjoy a life of freedom. Look at the drastic turnaround when Saul encountered the Truth, Jesus, on the road to Damascus. He didn’t stand there and try to justify himself or his actions. He confessed he was wrong and went on to set others free with the truth he had encountered in his life.

Yes, the truth can be challenging to accept, but if it is, then there truly is freedom and no more condemnation. Try hearing it, and better yet, try telling it, so help you God.

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 (NIV)

Saul’s Conversion: Acts 9:1-19
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. John 16:13

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

A Step in the Right Direction

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Have you ever considered what it looks like to “walk with God?” It’s not just something we are instructed to do via ministers, but it is a lifestyle. It’s not something you do as a “religious practice,” either. Nor do you do it with drudgery. When you begin to stay in step with God, it becomes natural. Something you do without having to think about it, like breathing.

You allow God to lead and set the pace. When you need to decide something more important than “Should I wear underwear?” you pause and consider, is this God’s will? Things that will affect your finances, your career, and where you live. I have recently had to ask God, “How much do we do to help this person?” Doing so came with a retail price tag! And when I was about to do more, God found a way of guiding April and me by opening up another opportunity for this person that honestly was much better than what we were about to offer.

Another aspect of “walking with God” is being guided in daily activities. We wanted to purchase another cooler (ice chest). It was on the shopping list, but when I started to go look at them to pick one out, I felt a sense of “no” in my spirit. My rationality was I didn’t have time. Two days later, April learned her name was drawn in a raffle for the top prize. Yep! The prize package included an Igloo cooler. (See photo.)

The package also included other treats and a large box of fireworks valued at $250. I told April a few weeks ago that I would love to buy some fireworks but could not justify the cost. It has been many years since I had some, and it’s part of my childhood memories of celebrating the 4th of July. I couldn’t believe it when I saw April walk out with the fireworks, and honestly, I wanted to cry. Why? Because it reminds me again how much God loves us and not only knows our needs but also the desires of our hearts. “Thank you, God, for your blessings!”

Walking with God is a fun, exciting, adventurous, and loving way to live. It also brings about comfort. There is no better way to live life. It starts with accepting Jesus as God’s Son. Asking him to forgive us of our sins and asking him to be Lord of our life. If people were, to be honest with others and with themselves, they would have to confess that trying to live life on their terms is a difficult and constant struggle.

Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Ps. 37:4 (KJV)

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,
    what God is looking for in men and women.
It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
    be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don’t take yourself too seriously—
    take God seriously. Mic. 6:8 (MSG)

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

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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.

Graffiti

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments
Graffiti Building – Tulsa
Gum Wall – Seattle

I was driving my wife, April around downtown Tulsa the other day.  It was her first tour of the big city.  We went under a bridge and as in most urban areas, there was graffiti painted on the sides.  There was also a couple of buildings with it as well.  One building’s graffiti has become a little famous, but it’s nothing compared to the “Gum Wall” in Seattle, Washington.

A couple of days later, while I was having a moment with God, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper, “What kind of graffiti have you allowed to be written on the walls of your heart?”  Ouch!

I began to think about the messages I see, hear, and the stuff that shows up on TV.  Those messages affect us more than we realize they do.  For example, we may start accepting the lifestyle as okay, or normal that some choose to live that God calls sin.  We will always love the individual, but never the sin in their life.  That’s God’s approach.  We might chose to stay quiet instead of calling it out for what it is, “destructive lifestyles”, or accepting Satan’s substitute for what God has for us.

I realize now, I need to wash the walls of my heart from time to time.  To get the, what some may call, “expressive freedom” removed and put things back to having only the words of God written there.

Proverbs 7:3, talks about writing God’s words upon the walls of your heart:

“…etch it on the chambers of your heart.”

We are also instructed to guard our hearts.  Why all this care about our hearts?  Because what is in our hearts is what we believe to be true, and that belief comes out of our mouths.

Copyright © 2021 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

To Tell the Truth

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

At current time, there is a popular game show on TV where celebrities try to figure out which of three individuals is telling the truth and is the actual person described at the beginning of each round.  The real person is the only one who has sworn to tell the truth.

The Bible says that the truth will set you free.

“For if you embrace the truth, it will release true freedom into your lives.”
John 8:32 (TPT)

Telling the truth can be difficult, at times, but as I trained my children, “speak the truth, for the truth can always be dealt with.”  Dealing with lies is even harder.  Lies, create mistrust.  But what do you do if you need to speak the truth to someone about their life?  You don’t want to hurt them, or take the risk of them getting mad and never speaking to you again, so a lot of the times we don’t say anything.  We sit back and watch them struggle or continue with a habit in their life that hurts others, while hoping all along they will see the light, and change on their own, but that doesn’t happen very often or quick enough.

One principle I have learned is to “ask” permission to speak into someone’s life.  I will say something like, “May I speak into your life concerning something I see that I feel needs to be corrected?”  Now it is up to them to grant that permission or not.  If they say, “No” then I say, “Okay” and I move on.  But if they agree then after I share the truth to them that I feel they need to hear, they cannot get angry with me, because they gave me permission to speak first. It is important though to always speak the truth with love when touching on a personal issue.

They may disagree with what I said, or they may not understand it right away, and there is a chance they will not want to correct their behavior, but that is all on them.  Using this principle is very effective.  After a person hears the truth and then chooses to accept it, they will begin to journey down the path that leads to freedom, not just for them, but for all the people in their life.  Especially for those they previously hurt with their old behavior.  This new found freedom fosters love and acceptance in their family, friends, and working relationships.  God’s word is again proven to be correct.  He gave us these words to help us have better and happier lives on earth, which was part of his original plan all along.

To truth and freedom.  May both spread without hesitations and roadblocks.

Copyright © 2021 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

“You Can’t Handle the Truth!”

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The title of this post comes from the famous line delivered by Jack Nicholson in the movie, “A Few Good Men”.  He was right.  There is truth out there we don’t want to know.  We can’t handle.  For instance, we are just learning, in main stream media, about cults, or groups that enslave women, children for the sexual pleasure of others.  That truth is so heavy it is difficult to comprehend.

Not all truth is so burdensome.  Like when two individuals have a disagreement. A “He said this, he said that” scenario.  Others who hear one side of the argument have only heard half of the truth if any.  A wise person will seek out the other person and listen to them, hear their version of the truth before making judgement.  Honestly though, seldom do people seek out the whole truth.  They listen to the side of the person they like the most, as if truth had something to do with popularity.

Truth is so important our judicial system will ask each witness, “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”  Why?  Because judges know that proper judgements can be made when the truth is known.

Here is something else that is true that needs to be said; individuals, who are getting killed by the police, as some have alleged, “without cause”, should comply with the officer’s orders.  In other words, simply put, when the police arrive on a scene they don’t know who is right, or who is the threat.  They try to calm everyone down, make sure the scene is safe, so they can investigate, and then decide what action to take.  If those getting “unjustly” killed by the police would listen and follow their orders they would live.  If they are as innocent as their mother says they are the police will find that out during their investigation.

So what does God say about truth?  Jesus said that knowing the truth will set you free. (John 8:32)  Yes, He was specifically talking about knowing him will set you free from the bondage of religion, but knowing truth is freedom.

I used to beg my children to always tell me the truth.  I did my best to instill the idea in them that the truth can always be dealt with.  Right now in my personal life there is some hard truth to face, but admitting it is there has helped me determine the best approach to handling the situation.

Sad truth:

Some individuals, after meeting God, and hearing how much He loves them still turn their back and reject him.  They believe the lies of the devil that they know more than God what is best for their life.

Even sadder truth:

When those who reject God die they will be judged and receive eternal death of their own freewill.

Good truth:

For those who accepted God will have an advocate, named Jesus Christ who will say to his heavenly father, “Their debt, sin has been paid by me.”  Then that individual will be ushered into heaven for eternity.  That’s the truth, nothing but the truth so says God.

Now, how are you going to handle the truth?

Copyright © 2020 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

How Did it Come to This?

/ Mark Brady / 8 Comments

073120I haven’t said much concerning the attitudes of the people protesting everything these days.  To be honest, I have a hard time relating to them, or even beginning to understand them.  While watching the news this last week, I think I had some revelation to where they are coming from, but first, we have to look back.

In 1983 I visited a reproduction of the “Mayflower” ship in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where I saw a sign that stated, “In pursuit of religious freedom.”  So America was founded in having a deep belief, and relationship with God, and our society was established on His principles of living.

Back then, most people went to church.  If a husband passed away, the church community would support the widow, and if children lost their parents, the orphans would be looked after until they were adopted into another family.  There were other benefits as well, for if one had a sickness, or other life event their immediate needs would be taken care of.  Doing life together with people you knew is what Jesus taught and the disciples lived out in the early church.  This meant there was no need for social security, welfare, or other government involvement.

But at one point, some Americans begin to determine what was good and evil for themselves.  Others formed another brand of religion because they didn’t agree with the one they were in.  Before they knew it, there were at least 150 different kinds of churches and most lost sight of the importance of having a relationship with God and put an emphasis on rules, made up by them, trying to be good enough (works) to make it into heaven.

More and more got tired of failing on the “rules” and became disillusioned with God and turned away seeking happiness in making money, and spending it.  Those individuals had children who never had the opportunity to know God the way He intended, and they grew up not seeing a need for Him.

Several years later, like June 25, 1962 they even got prayer removed from school.  And on January 22, 1973 made it legal to kill babies still in the womb.  Their religion was, “Do whatever feels right to you.”  These days, it’s also “I have rights!”  There were a lot of other issues where people departed from God’s word.  As the years went on people who were not part of a church family still needed help and the government stepped in.  Now, government is too big with people who do not have a relationship with God, or don’t even know God and churches are too small and being too quiet, most likely too afraid of offending someone.

So you see, the people protesting and like wanting to defund the police, aren’t stupid or ignorant, but totally deceived by Satan.  Now people are a god to themselves, and don’t want to hear about the one true God and the wages of sin, because to them, there is no sin.  Everything they do is right in their own eyes.  None of this is a surprise to God, for it is in his word, the Bible:

3 But you need to be aware that in the final days the culture of society will become extremely fierce and difficult for the people of God. 2 People will be self-centered lovers of themselves and obsessed with money. They will boast of great things as they strut around in their arrogant pride and mock all that is right. They will ignore their own families. They will be ungrateful and ungodly.

3 They will become addicted to hateful and malicious slander. Slaves to their desires, they will be ferocious, belligerent haters of what is good and right. 4 With brutal treachery, they will act without restraint, bigoted and wrapped in clouds of their conceit. They will find their delight in the pleasures of this world more than the pleasures of the loving God. 2 Tim. 3:1-4 (TPT)

These days, true believers are being separated from pretend ones.  The current times are making one reveal what, and who they believe in.  It is important if your life is based on God, and his words, then continue to focus on him, and talk to him more now than ever. Doing so, you will be found a good and faithful servant and endure till the end.

Copyright © 2020 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.