impressions

Who Do You Think You Are?

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“I, Simon Peter, am a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ.” 2 Pt. 1:1

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When meeting someone for the first time, how do you introduce yourself? No doubt you give them your name, but then what? Do you announce your job title? Hoping you do something that makes more money than they do? Do you list your accomplishments, thinking you will impress them?

Confession time: After I retired at age 55, I couldn’t wait for people to ask me what I did for a living. I wanted to inform them that I was retired and then wait and watch for them to put two and two together. Meaning they would look at my hair and see that it wasn’t grey or silver, and then they would ask, “How old are you?” When I told them my age, they would seem to look impressed, as if I were independently wealthy. I’m not! I would then feel bad or embarrassed and begin to tell them that it was God who made it all possible.

These days, I listen to them as they try to impress me. I usually don’t say much about what I do unless I am asked. Instead, I would rather the individual getting to know me get to know “what” I am, and that is, a servant of Jesus Christ.

If given the opportunity, I share with them what God is teaching me, doing in my life, and some of the opportunities He has recently given me to serve him by loving on people as He would. My goal now is to make my conversations about God and his great love. I listen to the other person and watch for opportunities to interject how God could help them or make their life better by trusting him. It is a job responsibility I cherish.

Copyright © 2025 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Do You Really Believe I Don’t Exist?

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
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Have you ever noticed how easily people are persuaded to believe one thing over another? They hear someone who comes across as halfway intelligent, and they think they must know what they are talking about! Just because someone uses big words or overwhelms you with “so-called facts” doesn’t mean they are right! There are a lot of smart people out there, but the problem is they define “truth” their way. They will try to convince you that how “they” live is the right way to live. Then, some yell and scream to be heard over the crowd. Are they right?

“Who talked you into the pursuit of this nonsense,
    leaving me high and dry,
    forgetting you ever knew me?
Because I don’t yell and make a scene,
    do you think I don’t exist?
I’ll go over, detail by detail, all your ‘righteous’ attempts at religion,
    and expose the absurdity of it all.
Go ahead, cry for help to your collection of no-gods:
    A good wind will blow them away.
    They’re smoke, nothing but smoke.

“But anyone who runs to me for help
    will inherit the land,
    will end up owning my holy mountain!” Is. 57:11-13 (MSG)

It’s challenging to convince someone that God’s way to live
is the best way if they have never tried it!

They will often vomit their objections, and the truth is that they are sick. In fact, they are so sick they are dying. For not accepting God’s gift of salvation via his Son, Jesus is eternal death. So what do we do as those who have been enlightened? We keep praying for them, and we live our best lives with God in front of them. Almost obnoxiously so they can see how much better our life is with God than their life is without. Not that our lives are perfect, but we walk through it with God in front of us. Perhaps they will become jealous and give in. Then, they will say:

All to Jesus, I surrender
All to Him, I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live

All to Jesus, I surrender
Humbly at His feet, I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me, Jesus, take me now

All to Jesus, I surrender
Lord, I give myself to Thee
Fill me with Thy love and power
Let Thy blessing fall on me

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee, my blessed Saviour
I surrender all

Song – “I Surrender All” by Don Moen

Copyright © 2025 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

The Fruit Section of Life

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Your life has come to an end.  As happens after every death, people will reflect on what kind of person you were, or at least what kind of person you were to them.  Without a doubt, their decision will be based solely on how you treated them, or responded to their behavior.  There are times though when you will be judged, and remembered unfairly.  A person’s mind is powerful, so much so, it can bend truth.

What is it people see that makes up one’s mind considering you?  It’s the fruit your life bears.  Is that fruit sweet, or sour?  Does your life, your words, your actions leave a good taste in the mouths of others, or do they want to spit them out?  Jesus even eluded to the fact people are known by the fruit their life bears.

And I don’t mean like, someone is bananas!

I’m referring to the fruit of the spirit.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

If there is no law against these fruits, then they cannot be judged.

The way for the fruit of your life to be, and stay healthy is for you to always stay connected to the vine.  Jesus instructs us with these words in John 15 from The Passion Translation:

Jesus the Living Vine

“I am a true sprouting vine, and the farmer who tends the vine is my Father. 2 He cares for the branches connected to me by lifting and propping up the fruitless branches and pruning every fruitful branch to yield a greater harvest. 3 The words I have spoken over you have already cleansed you. 4 So you must remain in life-union with me, for I remain in life-union with you. For as a branch severed from the vine will not bear fruit, so your life will be fruitless unless you live your life intimately joined to mine.

5 “I am the sprouting vine and you’re my branches. As you live in union with me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from me you are powerless. 6 If a person is separated from me, he is discarded; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire to be burned. 7 But if you live in life-union with me and if my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask whatever you desire and it will be done. 8 When your lives bear abundant fruit, you demonstrate that you are my mature disciples who glorify my Father!

The purpose of operating in the fruit of the Spirit of God isn’t so people will know us as good, or even great, but that God will be glorified.  If you are in need of getting back to the vine, Jesus, then by all means do it.  There are too many people out there who are not connected to Jesus and they do a lot of damage in the lives of others.  And if you need some help, I’ve heard of a product called, “Miracle Grow”.

Copyright © 2020 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.