They Don’t Like God

November 30, 2021November 30, 2021 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I was involved in an interesting discussion the other day. Okay, some might even call it an argument. You know how those go, someone, or both may say something hurtful to the other person. Not really meaning it, but to push a button. I used to stand close to the buttons in elevators and ask people, “What floor?” Then after pressing the correct button announce, “I like pushing people’s button.” Not really true, but at least it made them smile.

Back to the, “discussion”. I was accused of being so bad that even certain people close to me don’t want to be around me. This issue used to really bother me. A lot of tears have been poured out believing that somehow I was that horrible. Its funny how easily satan can get you to believe a lie. I strive to be “Christ” like. To be like God, loving.

In the middle of that, “discussion” wisdom and understanding came to me for the first time concerning this issue. It’s not me they don’t like, it’s God! They don’t like God. In fact, they don’t like being in the presence of God, and when a person lives as God calls them to then surrounding them is God’s presence. Consider this;

God is perfect and hasn’t done anything wrong to them, but yet they don’t want to be around God either!

The other person doesn’t want to feel uncomfortable simply because you are there amongst them. Their sinful heart, chosen lifestyle, or demons get irritated when you are there. But they will lie about you, make all kinds of wild, and false accusations of things that you have never done, and because you have a soft heart, you begin to think they are right.

Now knowing this doesn’t make it easier to deal with the hurt when you aren’t invited to be a part of the office gatherings, friend’s party, or even family gatherings, but at least you have understanding as to why. Praying for those, the Spirit of God is working on, helps. It helps by keeping your attitude in the proper place. But let me say this, “I’m sorry they treat you that way. It isn’t fair at all.” I find comfort in the following verse:

“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. Mat. 5:4 (MSG)

A Foreign Language

October 19, 2021October 19, 2021 / Mark Brady / 4 Comments

Her parents just immigrated to America from India. She was three years old, and didn’t know any English. Now, a few months later, and being enrolled in a preschool she is learning a few words at a time. But when one of her co-students said to her, “I don’t like you and I don’t want to play with you” the toddler simply smiled and used body language to invite her to swing with her on the tire.

When I heard this true story I realized the beauty of not being able to speak or understand the language of hate, or of racism. To have the capacity to smile in the face of evil is a special gift. I could learn from the little precious girl from India.

I think, no, I know Jesus had this special gift. For when He was falsely accused, hated, spit upon, and betrayed He still managed to say, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

A worthy goal that will take lots of practice to perfect, but think of the message it sends to the one spouting toxic words. A message of love. In any language!

Healing River

July 7, 2020July 6, 2020 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Available at Amazon by clicking here

What would it take for you to say, “I’ll never forgive them!”?

This past weekend I watched a great movie titled, “Healing River”. Here is my (un)professional review:

In a world, where it is easier to hate, than to love, where it is easier to give up, than to accept, comes the movie “Healing River”. An amazing story, of amazing grace. “Healing River” will not only touch your heart, but tug at it as well. Mitch Teemley, and his crew, did an awesome job of allowing the movie to flow naturally as real life does.

You will be glad you watched “Healing River”, a powerful story you will not forget as the credits are rolling, but a story which will stay with you for a long time. It’s a movie everyone needs to see, especially in the current days we are living. “Healing Rivers” demonstrates the strength, and guts it takes to let go of the past, accept the present, and look forward to a brighter future. In the difficult act of forgiveness, one finds the beginning of healing.

Forgiveness doesn’t set them free, but you. Holding onto un-forgiveness keeps you locked up in a cell of your own making. Jesus died a painful death, to provide forgiveness, for everyone, no matter what they have done, if they only ask him to. Yes, even those man considers the worse. Not fair? They deserve the same kind of forgiveness you do. “For all have sinned and have fallen short of the Glory of God.” Romans 3:23

Go for forgiveness, for you and for others.

Living life healed is the best way to live.

Delve further into the creative, talented, funny mind of Mitch Teemley at: https://mitchteemley.com/

Simply Love

June 2, 2020January 7, 2021 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

Racism. Injustice. Hate. Protest. Peace rallies turned into riots. You know what I am talking about, or referring to. It’s sad to see so many unhappy, hurting, people. They can’t take it anymore, and their hearts are crying out for something to believe in that won’t cause anymore pain. Ever since Adam and Eve, mankind has been saying, “I know what is good and what is evil.” You see, before they ate the fruit God told them what was good, and He told them what was evil, but they were deceived.

Today, mankind is still being deceived, thinking “they” know what is right, and that “they” know what is evil. Like Adam and Eve, they won’t be told by anyone else, especially by God. Can we all agree on the fact each man defining good and evil, on his own terms, isn’t working?

So what’s the solution?

Love. It’s the only answer. You see, love, love for others helps you listen to someone else. It empowers you to understand their views, their values. Not adopt them, but listen to them. People just want to be heard. When I was doing church security, we sometimes had someone come in and interrupt the service. After I escorted them out, I would always give them a chance to say what they wanted us to hear. I didn’t care, or really listened, but it was amazing how it calmed them down.

Love says, I accept you no matter where you are from, what color your skin is, or what you believe. Love helps you not get angry if their views are a lot different than yours. Love strengthens you to not remember what one might say that hurts you. Love empowers you to be kind, patient, and not to become easily angered. Love allows you to want the best for someone else.

The truth is this; love works and will work, because it never fails. That’s why God puts a big emphasis on accepting love and in fact, God is love.

Can we all try love? Please?

April

January 18, 2020January 17, 2020 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

April Joy Cruz Brady

Say this next line in the voice of an announcer introducing a movie:

In a world, where it seems as if there is more hate than air…

It’s a fresh breath to meet someone that lives out 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a which informs us what real love is. The test, to see if you are love, is to insert your name everywhere it says “love”, and then to add the proper pronoun before the word, “Doesn’t”.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

Although perfect for me, my wife, April is not perfect, but she comes as close as anyone I have ever met who can pass this test. The only way to be real love is to be like God, because God is love.

To you April, with love.

Low on Love

December 4, 2019December 2, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 800 They didn’t get enough love,
so they act ugly to you and me.
Their words hurt, and penetrate
their actions hinder us from being free.

Pull their dip stick, and I bet its low,
no wonder, in their life, love doesn’t flow.
They too probably got hurt years ago,
their stained by evil but it doesn’t show.

When you encounter one, it can catch you off guard,
like a snake striking from the weeds the bite hits hard.
Don’t hate them back, for further harm will be done,
instead, pray for them, and try to lead them to the One.

The One, Jesus, can heal their hurts and sooth their pain,
and he knows when it happened, because he knows their name.
He wants to see them set free, accept his love and be all healed up,
because they were once low on love, but now love, can be overflowing their cup.

It’s Worse than Green Eggs and Ham

November 30, 2019November 28, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Thanks for the inspiration Dr. Seuss

I don’t like it he is me,
I don’t like hate, can’t you see?
I don’t like it here or there,
I don’t like it anywhere.

There’s no reason for it, just walk away.
You don’t have to act like them in do or say.
Hate is ugly, can’t you see,
I don’t like it he is me.

I don’t like hate when it reigns,
I don’t like it on any day.
Hate should be placed in a box,
and consumed by fire with those who spread it like a fox.

Love is a higher way to live,
it’s free, and so it’s what we all should give.
I like love can’t you see,
I like love, Jesus said, because love is me.

The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8 (NET)

Love, In the Face of Hate

October 30, 2019October 30, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

75328681_10217623460756624_7249069574832783360_n What do you do when someone consistently shows you hate? They would not admit it, but you know they must because they can’t ever say anything nice to you. They can’t celebrate your accomplishments in life like retiring early, getting to move back to one’s hometown and buying a house, and not one kind word spoken when you got remarried, finding love again, after years of being divorced.

They find it so difficult to be happy for you. Could it be because they aren’t? Is it jealousy? The weird thing is they seem to find others like them, and it’s as if they start a “HATE YOU” club, or something. They band together, pick you apart as if you were shredded meat being devoured. And the worst part is, if they decide they are right, then even if you were right, you become wrong, because they out number you. Hate, seems to be a sick kind of magnet that attracts others.

Jesus knew this too well. You see the religious rulers of his day hated him, because the people loved him. They were starting to believe in him and his message of love. The Jewish leaders knew they had to act fast and strike a death blow, or lose their status forever. They got a large number of people to believe them, and join their “hate club” against Jesus. Most likely the very people Jesus fed, prayed for, and healed. Yet, on the cross, close to death, Jesus had compassion on them and loved them. In fact he asked his Father to forgive them, for they know not what they do. He showed them love, in the face of hate.

This past weekend, I was sitting in a drive through. I looked in my rear view mirror, and saw one of my haters. My flesh rose up, evil thoughts came to mind. Anger, resentment. Then, love came on the scene and I decided to tell the person at the drive through window I would like to pay for the person’s order who was behind me. I’m not telling you this trying to make you think I am great, but to illustrate one simple way of showing love, in the face of hate, like Jesus did. Although, Jesus didn’t pay for their order, he paid for their life, with his.

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 (NASB)

I overcame my flesh by repenting of hate in my heart, because I hate how I am treated. It hurts, doesn’t make any sense, but I cannot control them, or their choice on how to live. The only thing that matters is how Jesus sees me. One thing I try to keep in mind is they are living with hurts of their own they never gave to God, and asked him to heal. If you want to close down the “hate clubs” in your life then pray for them, and show love every chance you get.

GOD IS BIGGER

July 24, 2019July 17, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

God is

ENOUGH!

September 15, 2018September 14, 2018 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

Hate, is like cancer, it kills!

The other day, I heard another story of hate. What got me was, this hate took place in a church. Has hate, in our country, spread that far? I’m beginning to decrease watching the world news every evening because of the hate. The hate they call, “news”!

Growing up, the rule was, “If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.” Yes, I’m old, but it wasn’t a bad rule. These days, people not only speak their hate, but share it on social media, and then start a movement to spread it. Hate is a cancer, and some people can’t bear the weight of it, so they take their own life instead of trying to face another day. Bullying, is hate, and even adults are sometimes bullied.

Since all this hate hurts me, I realized this week, it must really hurt Jesus. He died for the one hated, but he also died for the hater. When he came to earth, one of the things he did was show us how to live, walk, and speak in love. I met a lady last weekend, traveling across America, trying to spread love and motivate others to pass it on. I pray she is successful, and she makes America great again! Can we join her? Instead of hating, can we try to love? It is a better way. If you do choose to spread love, I know it will cause Jesus to smile, for you will never hear anyone say, “Stop! That’s enough love.”

brady, mark a.

Words to inspire you

hate