The Rules of the Game

May 25, 2021May 25, 2021 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Starting with the Banker, each player in turn throws the dice. The player with the highest total starts the play. Place your token on the corner marked “GO”, then throw the dice and move your token (in the direction of the arrow) the number of spaces indicated by the dice…..

You buy a new game and you can’t wait to play it, but in reality, you don’t know how, because you don’t know the rules. Reading the rules takes time and can be kind-of, should we say, boring? We just want to start playing. And have you noticed? There always seems to be that one person who volunteers to read the rules and then proceeds to tell the others their interpretation of what they know?

Rules are very specific, or should be. They are important. They can help protect you, if you and everyone else will follow them. Like when driving. When it comes to God, mankind, has come up with his own set of rules. I mentioned a few weeks ago there are over 4000 religions. That’s a lot! Which one is right? Could they “all” be wrong? Probably.

God wrote his own, not “rules” to live by, but the kind of relationship you should desire to have with him. In his Word, He makes it very clear, that the only way to him is by accepting that Jesus is his son and died on the cross to forgive you of your sins, wrong doings, and we have all done something wrong.

You see, God is Holy and cannot be in the presence of sin. That is why he gave his own son to die for us, which makes us clean again. Then He can be with us and we can be with him. No “rules” just relationship. It’s so simple, but mankind has a hard time with that. He thinks it sounds too good to be true, but when it comes to God, it is true, and it sets us free. Mankind complicates it. It is so simple I understood it at the age of 7.

Satan knows how God designed things, and he knows he’s not going to win, but he still tries so hard to get mankind to loose with him. He either gets them to write their own rules by telling them God didn’t mean what He said, or he accuses others of cheating and tries to make them feel bad about themselves.

Read God’s Word. Learn about the relationship that God has wanted from the very beginning with mankind. Doing so will give you the authority to tell the devil to, “shut up!” Playing, or living I should say, this way will cause you to win in the end, because life is no game.

Life Is No Game

September 8, 2020September 8, 2020 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

A man was walking through an art museum, when he suddenly stopped. In front of him was a painting that portrayed two individuals playing the game of chess. The man, being a chess champion was intrigued, and studied the piece of art with intense focus. The title of the painting was “Checkmate”. In the game of chess that means the king is about to be overcome, and there is nothing he can do about it. “Checkmate”, is a word that indicates or announces, you’re done. It’s over. It may even invoke fear.

Do you feel as though someone, or circumstances has recently said, “Checkmate” to you? Is your heart being gripped by fear? I was watching the news the other day, and heard how many people are still unemployed, and are being threatened of losing their dwelling place, and worst yet, are hunger challenged. I don’t like to see anyone suffer, and if it hurts me I know it must hurt God. Yes, God has emotions. Where do you think we got ours as we are created in his image.

There is truth in saying that “some” people create their own problem(s) by how they live, or by what they do with their money, but now is not the time to give a lecture when they are already on their knees. We can only hope they dislike their circumstances so much they make drastic change as soon as they can. In other words, they find a glimmer of hope, and they hang on to that hope, because truth is, there may not be anything else to hold on to. The kind of hope that can eliminate fear. The kind of hope that can only be found in Jesus who is the King of Kings!

The chess expert in the museum cried out,

“This painting is incorrectly titled!”

The museum curator came rushing over to see why the man was making such an outrageous claim. “Sir, why do you claim it is titled wrong?” asked the curator. “Because I have looked at every possibility, and the king has one more move that will cause his opponent to be checkmated!” The piece of art is now in a private collection.

You see, when you place your hope, your trust and faith in the King, you don’t ever have to worry about it being over, for the King of Kings always has one more move.

House Rules

March 23, 2019March 19, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 58 It can be challenging, trying to blend two cultures, but it can also be fun. For instance, I grew up in America where my mother and father had a lot of people over to play card games, eat, and laugh. I thought it was pretty cool. Something I have tried to emulate as an adult.

In the last week, I have been teaching my Filipino wife, American games and card games. Today, I taught her a new card game and while going over the rules, I mentioned they can change depending on whose house you are playing at. It’s called, “House Rules”. Meaning, if you are at one friend’s house, then you play the game according to how they play it there. Sometimes you may not agree with how they play the game, but you are at their house, so it is their rules, that rules the game.

That got me thinking about how we are in God’s house. Not in church, but on his earth. “for the world is mine, and all that is in it.” (Psalms 50:12 NIV) He has made things simple. You can live on his earth, according to your rules, if you want to, but if you want to live forever in his heaven you must acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and accept him into your life. To do so otherwise means you spend eternity, dying forever, in hell. It’s his rule, which, should, rule your life.

If you haven’t, consider accepting God’s rule of your life. Doing so helps you get through it, hopefully, with lots of love, friends, family and laughter.