Do you think God is so cold and so hard-hearted that He will not open his arms to the one who comes to him? Do you think He looks in a book and says, “I’m sorry. You messed up too many times.”? Do you believe that what you have done is so horrible that you do not qualify for his love and forgiveness? If so, then you may not know God.
The words that have hurt so many. The lies that have deceived and led astray the innocent. The conniving, the stealing, the murder, the cheating. It has amounted to so much pain. Do you consider that your actions are too much for God to forgive? If so, then you may not know God.
Satan, the devil will tell you it is. That there is no room in God’s kingdom for someone like you. That you have failed, that you aren’t good enough, that you don’t measure up. If you have believed any of these lies, then you may not know God.
For God IS love. Everything He does stems from a heart full of love for you.
So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
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. 8:31-39 (MSG)
Ask him for his love and forgiveness, and he will give it to you.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 Jn. 1:9 (NIV)
Have you ever noticed how many times a person can have a different opinion than yours? Are you surprised by this or angry? I mean, we want people to think like us or at least agree with us. One reason for this is due to the other person’s perspective.
Their perspective has been shaped by their upbringing, background, experiences, and even by their faith or lack thereof, and so has ours. It isn’t easy, at times, to see things from their vantage point. Unless you are discussing a matter of right and wrong, neither perspective may be correct or incorrect. Hopefully, you can agree to disagree if needed.
However, there is one perspective that is always right and true. That is God’s. How can one know his? By asking and reading his word, the Bible. There, you will absolutely know what is right and wrong, and you will know why very well. Some know how God sees things but refuse to agree with him, and they will continue to do things on their own.
Seeking God’s point of view in all situations is wisdom. A friend of mine and a fellow blogger lives by this and actually named her website “seekingdevineperspective.com.” There, she shares what God shows and teaches her, but more importantly, she lives it.
Changing your perspective can be revealing. Take another look at the photo. This time, I have posted it from the original perspective of the photographer. Do you see it? Simply a series of rocks or a man reading?
Be open to other’s views of life, but be more open to God’s.
“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. Isa. 55:8-9 (MSG)
April has shared with me that she often will ask God, “Why did you make me the way you did?” Perhaps you have wondered the same thing about you. April finds tackling some subjects and issues in life challenging. It bothers her when others don’t struggle with those same things.
That is when I start reminding April that she is unique and has the strengths that others desire. For instance, she has this unbelievable talent for cooking these amazing dishes from leftover ingredients in the refrigerator. I had an uncle who once confessed to me that he would make chili from whatever he found in his frig. Needless to say, he also admitted that some of those items were past their expiration date, but he didn’t want to waste them by throwing them out. I never ate his chili!
April is indeed an excellent cook! I’m a lucky man! She is also a good teacher. Young children love her and respond when she speaks. But even in general, children are drawn to April. I believe this is because she is full of God’s love. They sense His presence on her and are attracted to her. Then, there is a particular kind of innocence about her. I can stand still in the entryway of a room and watch her. Then, whenever she sees me, she lights up with the cutest, sweetest smile you have ever seen. April was fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:13-16 (MSG)
13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.
No one else could be April. God made her unique. He has gifted her like no other. She also operates with the spiritual gift of discernment. She can meet someone and know about them or their motives. As my helpmate, something I have learned to rely on. As her namesake, “April Joy,” she brings a lot of happiness into our home. God made you unique, too. He designed you for his purposes. If you are struggling with life, then perhaps you are really struggling with letting God have control.
April isn’t perfect, though. God is still working on her, as He is with all of us. Don’t be puzzled. There may be pieces missing in us—pieces that God will put in place in his timing. One thing is for sure: one day, we will be complete with all the pieces in their proper place.
There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. Phil. 1:6 (MSG)
What do you think of people? Do you like them? Tolerate them? Or are they merely interruptions? I have said a few times I could do without them. I know. Shocking. If I had the choice and the resources, I could live in a small cabin away from people. Kind of like Theodore (Ted) John Kaczynski, only without mailing bombs to people.
I don’t hate people, but I have come to realize that interacting with them requires something of me that doesn’t come easily: love. More specifically, God’s love. Consistently producing God’s kind of love in some form or another takes effort. Let’s face it: reacting in our flesh is much easier.
“Jesus had a plan for the day, but then, there were PEOPLE!” – Rich Rubietta.
Dealing with people takes time. But when it happens unscheduled, you have a decision to make. Am I going to stop, talk, minister, help, or what? My response to this person will be time-consuming!
The other day, I was trying to finish my grocery shopping before getting to a doctor’s appointment. I know the store well, so I grabbed the needed items and threw them in my cart. “Can you help me? I’m having chest pains,” the woman said. She got nervous, though, when she saw me pull out my phone and began to dial 911. “I’m not having a heart attack, but I feel anxiety. I only live a few miles from here, and I don’t feel like waiting for the bus. Would you be willing to drive me to where I live?”
I started thinking, why me? Had she asked others? Is this something she does all the time? Do I have a sign on my back that reads “Student Driver of God’s Love?” I’ll probably be late for my appointment. I had a good reason to say, “I’m sorry. I really can’t.” And I probably would have felt justified in doing so. What would you have done?
I agreed but found it challenging to keep her focused. Instead of getting in line like “normal” customers to get rung up, she took her laundry basket with her food around the customers, playing by the rules to the cashier directly. I kept reminding her we had to hurry because I had a doctor’s appointment.
I helped her get her groceries checked out and brought her to my car. As I was driving her to where she lived, I started telling her about God and His love. That God wanted to “love” on her today. Then I made an alter call. I asked her if she had ever asked Jesus Christ into her life for the forgiveness of her sins. I mean, the car was moving. Was she going to jump out to go the bathroom as some do when the minister does this in church? She said she had, but as she told me her story, it became apparent she hadn’t invited Him to be active in her life. I encouraged her to ask Him for help.
I got her delivered to the correct address faster than Uber Eats! I made it to my appointment with only minutes to spare. That wasn’t my plan. The nurse wanted to know why my blood pressure was high. LOL, I said, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
I know God needed someone to remind the woman that He was still there and that despite some of her life choices, He still loved her. Honestly, I was humbled that He picked me. I got teary-eyed when I realized that a few minutes of my time could ultimately change that woman’s life and her address for eternity. If you say you love God, then you have to love people.
19 We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.20-21 If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.1 John 4:19-21 (MSG)
On any spring Friday afternoon in a small town in Iowa, there is a baseball game. It is for anyone who wants to play, who used to play, or who wants to sit, watch, and root for their favorite team. As for me, I used to play pee-wee ball. I was never very good compared to the other boys my age. I had severe allergies, so, therefore, my muscles were not as developed as theirs were. Since I couldn’t play like they did, the coach would have me run bases after he hit the ball in different locations on the field. Since that is what I practiced, I became good at base running.
But this story isn’t about me. However, I will add the fact that on game day, when we were wearing our jerseys, they would make me “Brady” sit to the left of the other bench warmer, whose last name was “Bunch.”
No, this story is about Harry Stamford. He played second base on the team opposing mine. Harry was good. Actually, he was an outstanding player. He seemed to be gifted in knowing where to put the ball in play.
In one particular game, I made it to second. Harry got mad because he barely missed the tag that would have thrown me out. Seeing his disappointment in himself, I began teasing and harassing him when I happened to look down, and I saw a tear in the base. I went on to score, but our team still lost. After the game, I asked my coach about the rip in second base. I asked, “What damaged second base, and why hasn’t it been replaced?” He immediately shushed me as he quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard me.
He leaned into me and said, “During a game about twenty years ago, Harry was on second base when all of a sudden, there was a flash of light, and something hit the bag, tearing it. Harry fell, and so the umpire called “time” to see if he was alright. He said something scraped the back of his leg. We raised his pant leg, and there was a bleeding scratch, so we bandaged it. Harry said he was okay with staying in. After the game, when I was gathering the bases, I saw the rip and reached in. I found a rock. I took it to the community college here in town, where the science professor identified it as a small meteor. Ever since that day, we have noticed that Harry’s baseball skills have improved, and he plays like a young man in his late twenties, but we don’t talk about it.” “Would you believe Harry is 79 years old?”
“Wow! That’s an amazing story, and no, I certainly had no idea he was that old.” After that day, I stopped heckling Harry anytime I was on second base. And I started watching him closer.
One afternoon, before the end of the season, I noticed Harry getting out of his car. He was moving very slowly, although he still had on his uniform as if he was going to play. I walked over to him and apologized for all of the times I had heckled him when on second base. He said, “It’s okay. Just part of the game.” I then took his arm to help him to his team’s dugout. I asked, “Harry, are you okay?” He sat slowly on the bench and replied, “I saw my doctor on Monday. He said I have a fast-moving cancer. He told me to get my affairs in order.” I knelt and said, “Harry, I am so sorry to hear that.” He looked into my eyes and said, “I will miss my wife, family, and grandchildren. I will also miss playing baseball, and maybe you.” I laughed and then told him I would be praying for him.
The other players showed up, and the game was about to start when one player on Harry’s team noticed Harry’s eyes were shut, and he was slumped over. One of the doctors in our small town came to the dugout and, after a few minutes, announced that Harry was gone. A silence grew over the ballfield as word got out. They laid Harry down on the bench, and his best friend went over the flagpole. He lowered the flag but then removed it and used it to cover Harry’s body. He told everyone that Harry was a veteran.
“Now what?” asked one of his teammates. His coach said, “I think Harry would want us to play ball, so let’s go out there and win this one for Harry,” and they did.
The following week, Harry’s funeral was held. There were a lot of people in attendance, and many spoke publicly of Harry’s life and how he had not only helped them in one way or another but also talked to them about God and always asked if they wanted to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Many of them said they did.
Some may look back and say that the meteor gave Harry Stamford some extra strength that day while he was playing second base. I would say that it was God who was so pleased with Harry’s life and witness that He blessed him with what he needed to do the things that he enjoyed.
If you have never accepted 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. Accept Jesus and truly live life.
No, I didn’t typo the title of this blog. When I lived in Chicago, I had a Chinese friend and coworker who struggled to say the word “influence.” She always inserted an “r,” and I teased her a lot about it. She actually went on a women’s retreat, and “Influence” was the theme. They all wore T-shirts with the word printed on them. I took her picture and photo-edited it to say, “Infruence.”
Influence might be mixed with “favor.” Something I have noticed for a long time but never had the wisdom and understanding of until today is this: frequently, when I patronize a store or restaurant, they tend to get busy shortly after I am there. I’m always happy to see them get blessed and make money because then they will stay in business. I’m also glad the crowds arrive “after” I have ordered or have made my purchase!
I know that as a child of God, I walk around with favor upon me. It is not something I take lightly. In fact, sometimes, when I am not sure if something will go the way I prefer it to, I pray and ask God for favor or extra favor to be upon me.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and with people. Luke 2:52 (NET)
Then you will find favor and good understanding, in the sight of God and people.Pro. 3:4 (NET)
What I learned today was the favor that is upon me overflows onto the establishment I am visiting. That is why they get busy after I walk in. I just had a funny thought: businesses should “pay” me to come in.
I recall having a friend from church some years ago. She saw the “favor” effect I had on the restaurant she worked in. She confessed to me that if they were slow and she wasn’t making much money in tips, she would pray and ask God to send me in. She smiled as she told me this because she said, “Many times, it worked!”
I don’t think of myself as an “influencer” like those who are on TikTok and generate content. I mean, there are not throngs of people who are waiting to see what Mark Brady is doing or where Mark is shopping or eating. Side note: I don’t understand why people have to do what a celebrity does. Personally, who cares? But that is probably another blog post to discuss why they make them their idols.
So, if you have a business that needs customers, get in contact with me. We can work out a payment plan. LOL. I am definitely joking, for the favor of God is not for sale and should not be used for personal profit.
18-19 When Simon saw that the apostles by merely laying on hands conferred the Spirit, he pulled out his money, excited, and said, “Sell me your secret! Show me how you did that! How much do you want? Name your price!”
20-23 Peter said, “To hell with your money! And you along with it. Why, that’s unthinkable—trying to buy God’s gift! You’ll never be part of what God is doing by striking bargains and offering bribes. Change your ways—and now! Ask the Master to forgive you for trying to use God to make money. I can see this is an old habit with you; you reek with money-lust.”
24 “Oh!” said Simon, “pray for me! Pray to the Master that nothing like that will ever happen to me!” Acts 8:18-24 (MSG)
Light is amazing. The tiniest glimmer can be seen, sometimes for miles. Darkness exists until there is light.
1 In the beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it; and God separated the light from the darkness. Gen. 1:1-4 (AMPC)
There is a lot of darkness in this world. People who do not know God are walking around in darkness. Their lives are without form, an empty waste, but the Spirit of God is moving about them. God wants to introduce “Light” into their life. By that, I mean Jesus, for He is the light of the world.
Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the Light which is Life. John 8:12 (AMPC)
Light was made for darkness!
Light dispels darkness. God wants the people who are walking around aimlessly in darkness to be introduced to Light, to Jesus. He wants to use you as a representative of the kingdom of heaven to let your light shine so bright that it attracts the lost to you.
Have you ever noticed how insects and snakes are drawn to light? When I was a young man, my father would ask me to carry the lantern while we were gathering crawdads for our fishing trip the next day. I found out the hard way snakes go to light, but that’s another story.
Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven. Mat. 5:16 (AMPC)
When you let the love of God shine through you in words and deeds, people will be drawn to you. They probably won’t understand it, but they will be drawn to the Light of the world, Jesus, who lives inside you.
There is a lot of darkness in this world. As we hang new calendars on our walls, well, I still do that, let us be mindful of others this new year and let the light of Jesus shine through us. So the darkness that surrounds them will be dispelled, and they can accept Jesus into their life. And God will see that the light is good (suitable, pleasant) and He will approve it; and God will separate the light from the darkness.
After watching a good movie, or at least one that is well-written, I want to go to my computer and write. Either one inspires me. That happened today after watching “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”
“Based on the beloved book, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever centers on the Herdmans — absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. But this Christmas, they’re taking over their local church Pageant — and they just might unwittingly teach a shocked community the true meaning of Christmas.”
If you haven’t seen it yet, then I highly recommend it. There is one line in the movie that goes something like this. “The Herdmans are the very people Jesus came for.” As the people in the church judged and despised them, I was sitting there thinking about the people Jesus said he came for.
Later Jesus and his disciples were at home having supper with a collection of disreputable guests. Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers. The religion scholars and Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company and lit into his disciples: “What kind of example is this, acting cozy with the misfits?”
Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit.” Mark 2:15-17 (MSG)
Jesus also said about himself, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, Luke 4:18 (NLT)
I would word it like this: Jesus came for the oppressed, for the brokenhearted, for the disappointed, for the sick, for the sinners, for those who are realizing their way doesn’t work. For those despised and rejected. And for the unlovable. The Herdmans, me, and for you.
We all need Jesus. We all need saving, and that is why God sent us a Savior. He didn’t send us an accountant, an educator, or anyone else but his only Son. God sent us love in the form of a human to show us all a better way. If you have accepted Jesus, then you need to show the world “Love,” God’s Love! Not only at Christmas but every day of the year. Be a walking Christmas pageant. Let your life share the reason for Christmas.
I looked up again and saw—surprise!—a book on the wing! A book flying!
2 The Messenger-Angel said to me, “What do you see now?” I said, “I see a book flying, a huge book—thirty feet long and fifteen wide!”
3-4 He told me, “This book is the verdict going out worldwide against thieves and liars. The first half of the book disposes of everyone who steals; the second half takes care of everyone who lies. I launched it”—Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies—“and so it will fly into the house of every thief and every liar. It will land in each house and tear it down, timbers and stones.” Zec. 5:1-4 (MSG)
Zechariah 5 is a chapter in the Bible that presents a message of hope and a reminder of God’s intolerance of sin and His divine judgment on those who transgress His laws.
Lying and stealing are so bad they both made the list of God’s Top 10. And David Letterman thought he was the first one to do a Top 10 list. Why does God hate both of these?
Lying is so deceptive! It misleads people. It can also confuse individuals because they may not know what or whom to believe. But ultimately, it breaks down “trust.” Trust is hard to earn and even harder to earn back. I always told my children, “Just tell me the truth. No matter what it is, I can deal with the truth.” I’m not convinced they believed me, but it was a true statement nonetheless.
Stealing, well, it is also wrong! It is taking something that is not yours. You didn’t work for it or earn it. Or it wasn’t given to you by someone else. You have no right to it. It’s cheating! It causes the rightful owner to have to replace it if they can afford to. When someone steals, it usually has a monetary cost to it.
This is why God detests both of these sins. They hurt people. And God doesn’t like to see people in pain. He will deal severely with those who practice such things. It is also why God is such a champion for truth! The truth sets people free.
Another reason God sent His Son, Jesus to be born as a child. (Hence, Christmas.) Who dares question His delivery method? He knew His Son would grow up and do the work of his Father in heaven, which would show the freedom we can have in life if we don’t lie or steal, amongst other things that are wrong. God wants His people to live good lives.
The Christmas carol “Do You Hear What I Hear?” asks three questions.
“Do you see what I see?” “Do you hear what I hear?” “Do you know what I know?”
The Holy Spirit is asking people those same questions today.
“Do you see what I see?” He wants those who are taking the time to look around to see the need for people to see Jesus as God’s Son and to accept him as their Lord and Savior. To ask him for forgiveness for their sins and to enter into a life with God.
I have mentioned many times that if we trust God with our needs and concerns, we are free to see the needs of others. Satan wants us not to trust God and not see others’ need for a Savior. He works so hard to keep people’s lives in chaos!
“Do you hear what I hear?” Do you hear people crying out for help? Not only America but every country has enormous needs and big problems. People are trying so hard to fix those issues with their strength and mind. The root problem for most of them is there is a lack of love! Some know the answer is found in God, but they fear turning their lives and countries over to Him for help, guidance, wisdom, and solutions.
“Do you know what I know?” The Holy Spirit wants us to feel the urgency of the hour. The clock is ticking, and time is winding down to the triumphant return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit is also whispering like a wind to those who are quiet, content, grazing in green pastures, “See, Jesus. He is Dancing in the night.” He is asking the shepherds, “Hear, Jesus. He is singing high above the trees with a voice as big as the sea.” Then, the Holy Spirit is asking our leaders, “Are you warm and comfortable with the way things are? Yet Jesus is here waiting to help. Come. Ask, and give Him the praise and glory He is due.”
The Holy Spirit is hoping the leaders of the world will say to the people everywhere, “Listen to what I say! Pray for peace, people, everywhere, listen to what I say! The Child, the Child sleeping in the night, He will bring us goodness and light.”
But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That’s why Scripture exclaims,
A sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God!
But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: “Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?” The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ’s Word is preached, there’s nothing to listen to. Rom. 10:14-17 (MSG)
Are you like a lamb, listening? A shepherd watching? Or perhaps you are one who has the resources to help others.
brady, mark a. 