Jesus

“I See Dead People”

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

Yes, the title of this blog post is a very famous line from the popular M. Night Shyamalan movie, “The Sixth Sense.” If you have seen the movie but didn’t see the twist coming at the end, like I didn’t, then you, too, were shocked to find out the truth.

I go through life doing my best to take care of it. In the process of doing so, I encounter a lot of people. They all have different stories they can tell. They come from different walks of life and make different decisions, yet I see them.

No matter how someone lives their life, there is only one decision to be made when they come to the end. Where will they spend eternity?

Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences. Heb. 9:27 (MSG)

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Rom. 3:23 (NKJV)

The answer to that question is straightforward. If one has accepted Jesus Christ, then his actions on the cross, dying for our sins, cover any and all sins; therefore, the recently deceased will live forever in heaven.

If the recently deceased have not accepted Jesus into their life and have asked for forgiveness, then they will die forever in hell as payment for their own sins.

With this being the case, as I am living life, conducting life, if I encounter a person who doesn’t know Jesus, then I, in fact, see dead people. This is why we who have seen the light and have the hope of the gospel need to look for any and all opportunities to share the truth of Jesus with them. They deserve to know there is a better way to live. They should have the chance to live life and to live it abundantly.

16-17 It’s news I’m most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God’s powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! God’s way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: “The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives.”

Ignoring God Leads to a Downward Spiral

18-23 But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand. Rom. 1:16-23 (MSG)

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Living Light

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Photo by: cottonbro

I have moved at least thirty-five times in my life. No, my father wasn’t in the military either. Thirty-one of those relocations took place after I was eighteen. No, I wasn’t in the military. Changing circumstances in life prompted most of the moves. So, needless to say, I know how to pack. And I am extremely good at it. Quick and organized. (I’m not soliciting for a job to help someone move!) I have lived in five different states. I think one of them was the state of “Confusion!”

Here is one of my secrets to packing: place the items you will need first in your new location into boxes with fluorescent duct tape on all four top right corners of the box. This would include towels, bathroom items, sheets, and electronics like the alarm clock. Once the truck is unloaded, set up the bed first and make it. Then when you are tired and ready to sleep, you can shower and go to bed because it is prepared for you. Those bright tape boxes are easy to find. That info is free. No need to send me any money for that professional moving advice!

I have been known to pack and unpack all my boxes in only 24 hours. One fundamental way to make that happen is to live light. No collectibles to speak of and only a few sentimental items, and the rest is pretty much only the things I need to get by in life. Things don’t weigh me down.

One can make an easy comparison between moving and living life. I have seen people so weighed down by issues, hurts, and disappointments in life that they are almost entirely paralyzed. They struggle to move through an entire day. Jesus didn’t want to see people like this, so He invites us to give the things in life that can be difficult to carry ourselves and to give them to him.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me, and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me, and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Mat. 11:28-30 (MSG)

This isn’t simply a well-known verse but an invitation to allow Jesus to take what burdens us, and when we do seriously give them to him, then forget about them. I know it can be challenging because the pain is cut deep, and letting it go seems impossible, but Jesus offers to carry it for us because He doesn’t want to see us suffer. He knows what they did or said wasn’t right, fair, or just, but He still says, “Give it to me.” So take him up on his offer. Stop packing your pain in boxes and moving them from place to place. You will feel better and live life lighter with less of a load.

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Full Tilt

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments
Photo by cotonbro

My father taught me the love of playing pinball as a young teenager. He was good. When my parents added other fun items to the “game room,” located at the back of our house, they bought a pinball machine. The rule was that my homework had to be done first before I could play, which became a great motivator to finish up fast!

If you have ever played one, you will recall the dings and buzzers, the fast action, the heavy steel ball that, at times, could move lightning fast, and of course, the flippers. Those two rubber paddles at the very bottom could keep the ball moving unless, of course, it managed to just slide between both paddles. That’s when your game was over unless you had more balls left.

Sometimes, shaking the pinball machine in a certain motion would help you get the steel ball to go where you wanted it to. But if one shook too hard, the game would end, and you would see “TILT” lit up.

Life can be likened to that steel ball in a pinball machine. It can move fast and bounce from one side to the other while noisy sounds are being made around you, and yes, it can even get stuck sometimes. You try so hard to keep things going as with those flippers but inevitably, life will end by losing control or with a full tilt!

While playing pinball, there can be times when people are standing on the sides of the machine rooting you on, or worse, perhaps yelling out instructions on how to play the game. It helps to go through life with friends and family members that love you, care about you, and only want the best for you. They are like those paddles that help you keep things going. This past week I saw one of my friends whom I have not seen in three and half years. Our visit was short but pleasant.

We always talk about life, people in our lives, people he wants in his life (a wife), and of course, God. We encourage each other to continue to follow God and, more importantly, allow Him to continue to do a good work in each of us. Neither of us wants to see the other lose at the game of life or end up tilted. Jesus is a great friend as well. Not only is He always there, He has no hidden agendas, and only tells you what you need to hear that will draw you closer to the Trinity of God.

Thank you, God, for good friends, and for your Son, Jesus. They are indeed a blessing from you.

There are companions who harm one another,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Pro. 18:24 (NET)

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Christian Knock-Offs

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Photo by: Anne R

Knock-offs are a massive problem in America. Every day, thousands of imposter items attempt to enter the U.S., and everyday custom agents are trying to find them and keep them from being sold. They can be hard to spot at times. At first glance, the items may look authentic, but upon further inspection, one will see the flaws.

I have begun to notice in our world “Christian Knock-offs.” By that, I mean Christians that look and even sound authentic but aren’t. Oh, they will show you their spiritual practices, instruct you on what “you” are doing wrong in your life, and they may even pray for you, but when it comes to being relatable, they fail. They often work harder trying to find someone else to help you than it would take them to help you themselves. Oh, but they will take your help in an instant, so in their mind, they can be of greater service to God.

I may sound bitter, and I assure you I am not, although I have encountered many of these “Knock-Offs,” The real problem with them is they use people and then hurt them, but they never see it that way. If someone has an issue with them, they turn things and convince themselves the problem lies with the other person. What makes this matter even worse is if the fake has a position of authority. These individuals remind me of the Pharisees and or the Sadducees. Both were religious sects during the time of Jesus. They didn’t like Jesus very well; in fact, they killed him, all because the people loved and were drawn to him.

People were drawn to Jesus because He was so relatable. People felt at ease with him, accepted, and loved. This means that if we want to imitate Christ as Paul directs us to, then we need to be authentic, the “Real Deal!” The way to do that is with love. To have and to let the love of God within us shine brightly. It should shine so bright as if a light upon a hill, so others have no problem finding us, especially in a time of need.

“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” 1 Cor. 11:1 (NKJV)

 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Mat. 5:14 (NKJV)

“ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Mat. 5:16 (NKJV)

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

With Childlike Delight

/ Mark Brady / 3 Comments
Photo by: Jessica Ticozzelli

I have been reading from the daily devotional “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young this year. I highly recommend it. So far, I have seen an underlying theme in the book. It is this; Jesus calls us to himself and his presence, which is an excellent place to go to and stay.

Learn to enjoy life more. Relax, remembering that I am God with you. I crafted you with enormous capacity to know Me and enjoy My Presence. When My people wear sour faces and walk through their lives with resigned rigidity, I am displeased. When you walk through a day with childlike delight, savoring every blessing, you proclaim your trust in Me, your ever-present Shepherd. The more you focus on My Presence with you, the more fully you can enjoy life. Glorify Me through your pleasure in Me. Thus you proclaim My Presence to the watching world.

What got my attention in this selection was the line, “with childlike delight.” Have we forgotten the joy and excitement when a child discovers something new, wonderful, and unexpected?

I saw a glimpse of that kind of delight the other day. April had ordered some new earbuds, and the service said they would be delivered on Sunday. They arrived on the preceding Wednesday, two days after she had purchased them. Four days early! I hid them under her pillow and later that evening asked if she was going to adjust her pillow before sleeping. You should have seen the joy in her eyes and on her face when she saw the result of her conquest.

That’s the kind of expression we should have when we discover that no matter what is going on in the world, in our families, or at work, when we concentrate on staying in the presence of Jesus, we can have incredible joy and excitement.

Stop striving and know that I am God; Psa. 46:10a (NASB)

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

When Ephesians 6:12 Gets Flipped

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I am writing a book titled “Ask, Flip and Invite, The Power to Learn, Change and Influence Your World.”  I have read, written, and preached about the scripture verse Ephesians 6:12 several times. But the other day, I saw this same verse in a new light. (In its original version:)

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.” Eph. 6:12 (NET)

After reading it, for the first time I saw what this verse will look like in the future:

For there will be no more struggles against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens because God will have defeated them once and for all and have sentenced them to their eternal judgment and will have established His world rulers of Light. They will all be spiritual forces of love in the new heavens and on the new earth.”

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (From the book of Revelation, Chapter 21 [NIV])

Yes, Ephesians 6:12 will get flipped!

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

More Than Enough!

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I love the true story, as told in the Bible, of the time Jesus fed the 5000. Of course, that was just the men. There are so many thoughts to consider when reading this miracle.

One, I seriously doubt that no one else had any food with them. They hid it, or worse, lied about having it. They looked at the situation with natural eyes and thought, “There is no way what we have is going to feed this huge crowd!” And honestly, they were right. But those same individuals didn’t fully know who Jesus was. They didn’t understand what could happen if you place what you have in Jesus’ hands and then trust him. Yes, even to do the impossible!

Two, The boy who gave the small lunch he had brought did know and therefore trusted Jesus. He also believed Jesus was the son of God. The lad had a giver’s heart, and I think he gave it cheerfully. In fact, he probably had to convince Jesus’ disciple to take it. They, too, were looking with natural eyes.

You could count the boy’s lunch. Two fish and five loaves of bread equaling seven pieces. Seven, the number of completion! Jesus took what was given, and He blessed it, and it was multiplied.

“How many vs. how much. How many you can count, how much comes by faith!” Steven Furtick

God will meet your needs when you place what you have in His hands and then trust him. He may not give you all of it at once. Like manna that fed the children of Isreal, He will provide for the needs you have for one day. I wake up, and I realize my bills due today are paid. We have food to eat and gas in the car; for today. Of course, my greatest need was salvation, and forgiveness of my sins, and He provided for that as well.

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. Mat. 6:34 (MSG)

I am currently in a situation I never saw coming or planned for, and if I had known it was coming, I would have resisted it, or worse, said, “No, God.”  For I would have looked at it in the natural and had seen the “how many” and have thought, “There is no way! I can’t afford that!” Yet, I have to admit God is making a way. He is funding this project because it is His project! It is genuinely day by day, but His faithfulness provides. “Great is Thy faithfulness!”

Yes, you could count the boy’s lunch. Two fish and five loaves, yet in the end, it was more than enough!

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Telling The Truth Can Cost You

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A father was acting out concerning a relationship. He was unhappy about how it was going, and the other person was not acting the way “he” wanted them to, which upset him to no end. There were some names spoken that were not flattering. The father talked about the situation over the phone with his son, and his son listened, but when he tried to correct his father’s attitude, the father got mad and hung up the phone. When the son called back again, he was rudely hung up on by his father.

The son’s motivation was pure as he wrote his father a letter. He tried to get his father to understand how he was treating people in several relationships and was pushing them away, and people did not want to be around him anymore. The son tried to tell his father the truth as lovingly as possible.

The father went ballistic and set out to get revenge on his son. He lied to his son and tricked him into going down to the bank to get him to sign a document that would remove him from all of his accounts and his safety deposit box. Then he removed his son from the deed to his house and even cut him out of his will. Apparently, he really did not like hearing the truth!

When Jesus walked the earth, he successfully told people the truth. Some heard him and accepted his message, changing how they lived, but others did not. They chose to get enraged.

People may not want to lose control over their life, so they will not accept the truth. Or they may fear not knowing what life will be like if they change. Others are deceived into thinking they are fine the way they are, and some feel they will lose status or power if they change. Then there are those who blame others for their actions instead of accepting the truth.

The truth is; the truth will set you free! (John 8:32)

I know of one pastor who won’t share with his wife what the word of God says about how marriage and the home should be set up. On this matter, he once told me, “You may be right, but you will be alone!” What he was saying is that “he” feared being alone if he dared to share the truth with his wife. The sad thing is the problem in their home of the wrong person being the head of the household transferred into their ministry. Whenever the home is not set up right, or the ministry, people get hurt! And in the case of their church, there is a very long list of people who have gotten hurt and have left. If the truth were accepted, their home life would be different, and the wall preventing their church from becoming a world leader would finally be lifted.

Yes, telling the truth can cost you. It could cost you thousands of dollars, your inheritance, a job, or family relationships It cost Jesus his life which is the ultimate price to pay for sharing the truth. Jesus wasn’t afraid of being alone. You may be isolated from friends and family, but you will live in freedom. If you find yourself alone, know that you are not, for you are in the company and presence of God.

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

“Open?” (cont.)

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

Continuing about the church, or churches; a church really is about the people inside the walls. The structure only facilitates those people coming together to learn about God and worship him. They also learn about each other and some of those people model the early church in Acts Chapter 2.

I have recently become aware of one such group of people in Louisville, KY. They gather at Third Avenue Baptist Church. Don’t get bogged down by the name on the church building. That’s really just there so a new person can find the place. What really matters is the people inside and the attitude inside their hearts.

The people there genially care about each other. Whenever there is a need, any need, they respond. A fellow blogger told me when they first moved there, the day before Thanksgiving her refrigerator had a meltdown. An email went out to the people and by the end of the day, she had 6 offers either for a low-cost purchase or to use one free of charge. She went on to say they not only respond to when one needs assistance like meals for the sick, but also everyday things like rides to the airport.

This group of individuals is the church. The type of church Jesus inspired by the example of how He lived his life when he walked the earth. You see these people get it, and they demonstrate that they get it. They love God first and then they love their neighbor as themselves, and to them, everyone is their neighbor.

44 And all who believed (who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ) were united and [together] they had everything in common;
45 And they sold their possessions (both their landed property and their movable goods) and distributed the price among all, according as any had need.
46 And day after day they regularly assembled in the temple with united purpose, and in their homes they broke bread [including the Lord’s Supper]. They partook of their food with gladness and simplicity and generous hearts,
47 Constantly praising God and being in favor and goodwill with all the people; and the Lord kept adding [to their number] daily those who were being saved [from spiritual death]. Acts 2:44-47 (AMPC)

37 Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. Mat. 22-37-39 (NET)

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

How do You Measure it?

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

Growing up, a lot of children’s parents mark their bedroom door jambs and date it as to how tall their child is. This is a way to measure their physical growth. A child’s maturity growth is measured by the fact that they can make sound decisions in life situations. But how does one measure spiritual growth? Paul gives us the answer:

“However, brothers and sisters, I could not talk to you as to spiritual people, but [only] as to worldly people [dominated by human nature], mere infants [in the new life] in Christ! 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Even now you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly [controlled by ordinary impulses, the sinful capacity]. For as long as there is jealousy and strife and discord among you, are you not unspiritual, and are you not walking like ordinary men [unchanged by faith]?” 1 Cor. 3:1-3 (AMP)

In other words, one displays spiritual maturity in Christ Jesus when they react to world situations and relationships the way Jesus would. And that is with one or more of the fruits of the Spirit. You know them; love, joy, peace, kindness, longsuffering, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

I like how Paul says, “unchanged by faith”. When you have known someone for a while who you know claims to be a Christian, a Christ-follower, and you have yet to see spiritual growth in them, then you know for sure that their faith in God has not changed them. Most likely, they are not reading their Bible, talking to God other than to make a request for something, and while in the church are probably making out their shopping list!

A true, mature, developed, and strong relationship with God will change us. Why? Because we see, feel, and experience his love and we begin to desire to imitate his character in our own lives. It’s all part of being made in his image.

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.