Why it’s so Wrong

November 29, 2024November 13, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I looked up again and saw—surprise!—a book on the wing! A book flying!
²The 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!”
^3-4He 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 God’s Top 10 List. 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.

Thankful?

November 26, 2024October 19, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Are you ready for Thanksgiving this coming Thursday? Do you have the turkey and all of the trimmings? A pastor’s wife once asked me if I was going to join them for Thanksgiving. I replied, “Sure. I’ll be there.” She then said, “Oh good. Now we’ll have a turkey!” Hahaha, right?

A lot of people spend a lot of time preparing for the holiday. They prepare the menu, invite the guests, and make sure the house is presentable. Others begin packing their suitcases if they are going to be traveling far to celebrate with friends and or family.

I have to ask, though, “How many prepare their heart?” For the one who has been forgiven of their sins, through Jesus Christ, has a lot to be thankful for. Even if this life isn’t perfect and there are trying times, you still have God on your side. One of the best sermons I have ever heard lasted about ten seconds. The minister was sitting on a newspaper machine in Chicago. While the “Do Not Walk” sign was lit, he preached. He said, “I don’t care how bad life is. As long as you have God on your side, it will be okay!”

Because I am daily mindful of how much God has done for me and continues to do for me, I am always thankful! When I walk through the house, I feel blessed. This home has been a big blessing to me and April, and it will continue to be one after I am gone. (I am older than April by several years.) This house has the ability to rent out the second floor with no intrusion for whoever is living on the first floor. This will provide another stream of income for April.

Thanksgiving isn’t just an American holiday. It’s an ever-present attitude of the heart. Maybe you will be asked what you are thankful for this coming Thursday as you sit around the table. If you have a roof over your head, peace in your country, food on the table, good friends, and a family that loves you, a job that meets your needs and God, then you have more than most to be thankful for. And if you don’t have all of those things I listed, then turn to the God who loves you. Tell him. He’ll listen! And who knows, perhaps by the following Thanksgiving, you will.

“Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better? Mat. 7:11-20 (MSG)

Steady as She Goes

November 22, 2024November 5, 2024 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

This post won’t appear for a few weeks from the time I am writing it. Today is a big day for America. November 5, 2024. The day we have the privilege of voting for our next president.

The candidates couldn’t be more different. For instance, one is pro-life, while the other is pro-choice. That one issue tells you a lot about the individual, mainly their views on whether there is a God and how much they value life and eternal life. For me, the choice was an easy one to make.

I have voted for a president ever since I was 18. That was many, many, okay, one more, many years ago. And the one thing I have learned is not to place my hope in the newly elected president. They’re not perfect, and they still have to work with other elected officials in order to get anything done, but that doesn’t always go well. Our country has become so divided that little seems to be done.

I pray for my country and its leaders. I ask God to lead them in doing the right things, the best things for the people. To make decisions that help us and not just make ones that make them richer.

Instead, I place my hope in the Lord. I keep my focus on him and not the president of the United States. I watch the news but pray for help in knowing the truth. You have to listen closely, but they love to use words like “allegedly,” ” supposedly,” and “according to.” They tell you what they want you to believe.

God also tells you what He wants you to believe. It is written in His word, the Bible. The difference between what He says and what the general media says is that He is not going to lie to you. It is the devil who lies to us. In fact, he is the father of lies.

Your father is the devil. You belong to him and want to do what he wants. He was a murderer from the beginning. He was against the truth, for there is no truth in him. He is a liar, and he is like the lies he tells. He is the father of lies. John 8:44 (ICB)

The devil will use anyone or any means he can find to mislead, misguide, and confuse you. If you struggle with knowing the truth and believing, then pray and ask God to help you. He will!

It isn’t easy to know who to trust and believe in this world. Without God’s gift of discernment, it’s challenging to know someone’s motive. Even presidents.

Knowing who you can believe in and trust is comforting. If you struggle with trusting God, ask him for help with that, too. He will. Not bending back and forth in your faith is vital to living a comfortable life. He will keep you steady as she goes.

Control

November 19, 2024November 2, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Accepting God’s gift of salvation is easy. “Even a caveman can do it.” (A line from a famous commercial some years ago.) What’s not so simple is giving God control of your life. It seems a lot of people still want to make significant decisions on their own. Then, when they find themselves in trouble, they wonder why.

After graduating college and landing a drafting job with the local electric company, I felt I was set for life. After all, as I was starting my career there, my uncle retired from the same company. But God had other plans. I was offered a youth pastor’s position in a small church 1,582 miles away. The problem? They couldn’t afford to pay me. Crazy right? Who in their right mind would take such a position? Believe me, I heard a lot of opinions from others who I knew were concerned for me. My father’s thoughts were the loudest, though.

After a lot of prayer, I did what God called me to. I was scared, but I felt assured that He knew what He was doing. It turns out He did, and all of my needs were met.

That experience taught me to seek God whenever making decisions about things like where to live, where to work, and where to spend money above and beyond living costs. Oh, don’t forget who to marry. These are the areas of life that most don’t even think to ask God about. Somehow, they feel these decisions are theirs. And some go as far as to tell God, “Hands off!”

Of course, God allows this because He gives us free will. But I can only wonder how much it aches his heart when the decisions people make hurt them. God wants the best for us, and He has the ability to see beyond the edge of the map. He knows in advance what decisions are good ones and which ones aren’t.

I would have to say that letting God have complete control of my life has allowed me to have a wonderful life and one of the most incredible adventures anyone could ever live.

It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. Eph. 1:11-12 (MSG)

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
    Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
    your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
    give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
    your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
    don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
    a father’s delight is behind all this. Prov. 3:5-12 (MSG)

Cease striving and know that I am God; Ps. 46:10a (LSB)

Misty Eyed

November 15, 2024October 29, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“Where do you want to eat lunch?” asked Charlie. “I don’t care,” said his wife. They wound up at a taco place all the way across town from where they live. While in the middle of their meal, several people jumped up and started looking out the windows. Charlie got up to see what they were looking at. A homeless man and woman were fighting. The man left and the woman started crying and walking toward the restaurant with her bike.

Another couple, Justin and Emily, ran out the door to the woman. Her name was Misty. She was in hysterics. “He stole all of my money,” she said. They started calming her down and invited her inside the restaurant. Justin went to get her some food and a drink. Emily talked to her.

Charlie and his wife wanted to help. Later, Justin went back up to the counter. He was trying to purchase Misty a gift card so she could get more food later. Charlie said he would pay for it, but he learned the machine wasn’t working. So he told Justin he would go down the street to a convenience store to get a gift card. That way, Misty could buy food and drinks later.

When Charlie returned, he gave the card to Misty. She started crying. Charlie hugged her and then said, “God wanted to love on you today. You see, my wife and I could have gone anywhere to eat lunch, but we came here, and we live all the way on the other side of town. God wanted to show you that He knows you and cares about you and what you are going through.”

Justin led them in a prayer for Misty. Charlie hugged Misty again, even though she smelled as if she could use a shower. Emily continued making out a list of items Misty could use to make life a little easier.

On the way home, Charlie asked his wife why she didn’t join in ministering to Misty. She said, “I didn’t know what to say, and you all were handling it.” Charlie paused and then said, “Just being there says a lot. And you could have also hugged Misty. A lot of homeless people miss the feeling, the connection of a human touch. You go to Bible studies, but today was an opportunity to apply it.”

Look around in life. See the needs. Have compassion and do whatever you can to alleviate the need. That’s what the word “compassion” means in the Greek language, and that is what Jesus did.

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Mat. 9:36 (NKJV)

Your Home, God’s Home?

November 8, 2024October 18, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

^8-9Then God said:

“Here’s what I want you to do:
    Climb into the hills and cut some timber.
Bring it down and rebuild the Temple.
    Do it just for me. Honor me.
You’ve had great ambitions for yourselves,
    but nothing has come of it.
The little you have brought to my Temple
    I’ve blown away—there was nothing to it.

^9-11“And why?” (This is a Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, remember.) “Because while you’ve run around, caught up with taking care of your own houses, my Home is in ruins. That’s why. Because of your stinginess. And so I’ve given you a dry summer and a meager crop. I’ve matched your tight-fisted stinginess by decreeing a season of drought, drying up fields and hills, withering gardens and orchards, stunting vegetables and fruit. Nothing—not man or woman, not animal or crop—is going to thrive.” Hag. 1:8-11 (MSG)

While I was reading the verses above, the Holy Spirit prompted me to include them in a blog post. So here they are. “Why?” you might be asking yourself. I observe people. I listen when they talk about their lives, and many times, I hear what is consuming their time and consuming them.

A lot of people are focusing on their own lives. They are building new homes or moving into bigger ones. Purchasing the latest car or trying to acquire a higher-paying job. Others may be in pursuit of a relationship.

On the other side of the coin are those that are consumed while trying to make ends meet. Wondering how they are going to pay the electric bill or feed their family.

There is nothing wrong with trying to do the best you can in life. There are no issues with wanting bigger and better things, but when your pursuit becomes all you can think about, it becomes wrong. On the other hand, worrying about how your needs will be met can be bad, too.

If the things in life become more important than your relationship or trust in God, then they are wrong. That is what the scriptures above are talking about. You see, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t want to be ignored or take a backseat to anyone or anything else. Nor should he. Don’t be surprised if God backs off from your life. Not to hurt you but to turn your face back to him.

Keeping our focus on our relationship with God should be our number one priority in life. Doing so helps us with the other things in life that compete for our attention. A right-side relationship with God puts the other things in our lives in perspective. Keeping our temples pure and holy pleases God, and then he will be happy to dwell among us.

CSI: Heaven

November 5, 2024October 17, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I used to drive fast. I mean, really fast, or perhaps I should say, “stupidly fast!” In the early eighties, in Massachusetts, I was driving my Chevette. Okay, you can stop laughing now. As I was going up a hill and into a sharp turn to my left, I saw a car coming fast, straight for me in my lane. It was going to be a head-on collision, and I said to myself, oh, this is going to hurt! But right before the point of impact, I shut my eyes hard and screamed, “Oh God!”

My car kept moving around the bend in the road, but my body got pushed back into the seat and then forward. I remember thinking, what? When I looked in my rearview mirror, I saw that the car was so close behind me that I couldn’t see the license plate. Did the other vehicle go through me?

Suppose you could go back and examine the scenes of your life. The ones that astounded you, surprised you or perhaps hurt you the most. You might be compelled to look for clues to answer those nagging, lingering questions like, “How did this happen?”

If you could dust the scene for fingerprints to find out who was involved, you know, like a crime scene investigator, would it surprise you if you detected God’s fingerprints?

Not that He was the one who did the damage, but that He was there. Most likely keeping you from being killed or injured more severely. Perhaps it was he who got you out of there or got you help in a timely manner. How many times have you shared your story and have heard people respond something like, “Wow, God was definitely with you.”

I think we will all be surprised when we learn how God was involved in our lives. Either he did it because he loves those who call him Father, or he did it hoping you would feel his involvement and choose to love him back. Either way, he did it out of love!

“The Lord your God is in your midst;
he is a warrior who can deliver.
He takes great delight in you;
he renews you by his love;
he shouts for joy over you.”
Zephaniah 3:17 (NET Bible)

24/7/365

October 29, 2024October 7, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

April and I were discussing one of her friends recently. They were going through something. Sorry, I don’t recall what it was. I suggested April do something for them. She didn’t respond. I enquired. Finally, she admitted that she didn’t want to do that for her friend. After a few minutes, she asked, “Am I a bad friend?” I thought for a moment, trying to find some words of wisdom. Then I responded, “You’re a friend. You’re just not a good friend.”

Maybe you are a good friend to others. Perhaps you give them as much time as you can when they call and are upset. You provide them with a ride to the airport no matter the time of day. When they are sick, you stop by their house to give them a helping hand or to provide a meal. In other words, you are always there for them. They know they can count on you.

A few days later, I was sitting at a traffic light. I looked up and saw the billboard pictured here in this post. It made me think of Jesus. Then I thought of the above conversation with April. One of Jesus’ characteristics is that he says he is a “friend” who never leaves you.

There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Prov. 18:24 (RSV)

But Jesus is one part of three. They are one yet individual, and together, they take complete care of you.

God.

“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.” Deu. 31:6 (MSG)

And nothing you can do can separate you from the love of God.

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. 8:38 (MSG)

The Holy Spirit is there to comfort you and to give you power when you are ministering to others. He can give you words to say when you have no idea what should come out of your mouth. He also has a list of supernatural gifts that he gives out to whoever he wants.

Being in a relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is the best. They are our God, our friend, and our comforter. Jesus isn’t “just” a friend but a good friend. They are always there for me. I love doing life with them. They are with me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!

Wall Drug

October 25, 2024October 25, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

If you have ever traveled Interstate 90 in the state of South Dakota, you don’t have to go far before you start seeing billboard after billboard advertising Wall Drug. You see so many, you start thinking, This must be the most incredible place on Earth! Spoiler alert: It’s not, but it is a fun place to stop and see.

The billboards tell you how far before you get there. They promise you what you can experience and how wonderful it will be. What started as a place for travelers to stop and get a free glass of ice-cold water has turned into one huge tourist stop.

If you have been traveling through life and have yet to accept God’s Son, Jesus Christ, into your life, I would dare say if you looked back, you would see signs, billboard after billboard, about Jesus. You would have had several opportunities to stop and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins. You would learn that He offered “living water” that refreshes your soul. You would see the promises He makes about helping you, guiding, providing, healing, and more for you. You would know that wherever you go in this world, He would always be there with you.

You might be thinking, “I’ve never seen signs or billboards!” You have. You didn’t realize it. A friend invited you to attend a church service with them, and you said, “No, that’s okay.” Someone shared Jesus with you and how He has helped them. You probably dismissed their testimony by saying, “Well, that’s good for you, but Jesus doesn’t fit into my plan.” Perhaps you experienced some misfortune and had a minister come alongside and minister God’s love and concern for you, and days after, you forgot about how good God’s love felt.

The devil will try to convince you that you don’t need to stop. That you are fine doing life your way. The truth is that your way leads to destruction.

You may think you are on the right road and still end up dead. Prov. 14:12 (CEV)

There are a lot of billboards along the road of life that are viding for your attention. This is why you need God’s help to provide you with wisdom so you don’t make any unnecessary stops or detours. Be a smart traveler. Don’t go it alone. Choose today to walk with the one who has your best interest in mind and has prepared the ultimate destination for eternity.

A Letter to You

October 22, 2024September 28, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I observe people and patterns in life. I notice things others may easily overlook or not think anything of it. But me? I see them and think about them. I don’t know why, except that it is the way God made me. I believe it helps me as a writer.

Recently, April wrote a letter to a close friend, and her friend was offended. I noticed that people don’t like receiving letters that share the truth. The letters they like the least are the ones that point out an issue in their life. The letters are usually written out of love and concern for the individual, but the receiver does not seem to notice that. They tend to respond with a “How dare they…” Or a “Well, they do this…”

Most of the time, instead of receiving the message, they get defensive! There is something about looking at and reading words that are written. It’s like the person reads it over and over and can’t ignore or get away from it unless they tear it up and throw it away. I have also noticed they will tell people what the letter said but fail to let others read the letter for themselves.

I wrote a letter a few years ago to a loved one, and it wound up costing me just over $50,000! How is that possible, you ask? I wrote the letter to my father sometime before he passed away because he was struggling with some “friends,” and instead of listening to the truth, he kept hanging up on me, so I wrote a letter. He got so mad that he decided to get revenge on me and he wrote me out of his will.

I don’t look for financial provisions from anyone individual because my provider is God almighty! He provides for all my needs. Dad was saying whatever he wanted to to his friends but failed to understand why they no longer came around or talked to him. My letter tried to help him realize that just because you are old, you still don’t have the right to speak to people however you choose to. Even if what you are saying may be true to you.

In the Bible, especially in the New Testament, in the books that Paul wrote, you will notice that it says, “Letter to the Philippians,” etc. The people of those churches may not have liked all that Paul wrote, but he did it to help them, encourage them, and instruct them so their lives would be better. Paul told the people the truth!

The Bible, overall, is a letter to people, anybody, around the world. It is God’s message of ultimate love. The whole book is a guide of how to live life God’s way. People may not like the truth, and they have free will not to accept it, but their lives and their futures would be much better if they did. The Bible is written words that you shouldn’t ignore, and you can’t get away from them. The Bible is a letter to you!