Jesus

Christian Knock-Offs

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
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.

Time Out? Or Out of Time?

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

One thing I learned from my father was that spending time with people was a gift and to be generous. I have noticed an alarming trend. When desiring to get together with others more often than not they will respond, “We just don’t have time.”

I feel as though people have “time” for what they want to spend it on. Kind of like money. They spend it on what is important to them at least in most situations. There are times when their life situations prevent having extra time or money.

Jesus was busy! He could easily be one to say, “I don’t have time” and be justified in saying it. Yet He spent time with people. He made time for them, and there were moments when they interrupted what He was planning on doing. (Matthew 14:14)

“As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.”
Luke 5:16 (MSG)

More importantly, Jesus spent time with his heavenly Father, God. Since he set the example of how often and how important it was to do so, then we should as well, especially in these current times, but if the truth was known every period people needed to spend time with God. We should be generous with that time as well.

Take time out and spend it with God before you run out of time.

Tell him what bothers you. Share with him your concerns, what scares you and what you are thankful for. Ask him for help with everything. Ask for guidance and direction. God loves you so much and cares about what you care about. He wants to spend time with you as well. You will walk away feeling recharged, encouraged, but most of all, loved.

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

Believing in the Impossible

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Photo by Rafal Maciejski

“Welcome to Hollywood. What’s your dream?” A famous line from the movie, “Pretty Woman”. I realize I have been blessed to be born in America. I grew up hearing and believing you can do anything you put your mind to. America offered opportunities and to some point, still does.

My plans and desires have not all worked out yet or without challenges, but I have gotten to do and see some pretty exciting and beautiful things. For example, while in the 8th grade I read a book about a young man who flew gliders. I wanted to do that. I got that chance about ten years ago. It was awesome and exhilarating. I wanted to be an architect. I have worked for several years in an architectural office. I even worked for Frank Wallace the architect of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There are so many other things I could list as well, but I try to keep these posts as short as possible.

A few years ago I begin to believe that I could write a book. I have done that but it has not been easy. “Kill The Preacher Man” is a novel. https://bradymarka.com/current-projects/ Today, I am working on my next book, “Ask, Flip and Invite”. (Coming soon) I have written devotions, articles and have contributed to two books. This very blog has been read in 120 countries. That blows my mind! Only God can take something, bless it and multiply it.

My wife, April is new to living in America and is originally from the Philippines. She is beginning to realize anything is possible, especially with God. She likes to cook and she likes to share her cooking skills on the internet via her YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxCVluI_lWrk-bwaie1QF7w The number of subscribers is growing and she is encouraged to do more and be even better at her craft of being an influencer.

Believing in the impossible is nothing new. Mary had to do that when an angel announced to her she was going to give birth to the Son of God. (Luke 1:26) Countless others in the Word of God have dared to believe in the impossible and as a result, have changed the world. They could probably be counted as the first influencers on earth.

If you have a dream, give it to God. Ask Him to help you and lead you in it no matter how big it is. Place it in His hands. Ask Him to bless it and multiply it, then believe in the impossible! “Welcome to God. What’s your dream?”

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

Irreconcilable Differences

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Being in a relationship can be challenging at times for a variety of reasons. When married couples find that changing, or compromising is harder than they think it is worth it they many times end up in divorce court claiming, “Irreconcilable Differences”.

I had to look up what those two words mean.

Definition of Irreconcilable Differences

Noun

  1. Differences of opinion or will that cannot be brought into harmony, or cannot be brought into an agreement through compromise.
  2. A relationship that has become relentlessly hostile.

One could make the case that God and Satan declared, “Irreconcilable Differences”! That God and Satan have a relationship that has become relentlessly hostile! Although there is one definite distinction; God had the final say-so when it came to the final judgment of their case. When Satan insisted on being a “god”, in his own eyes, and having the angels worship him God said, “No way! There is only one true God and it is me, and He was not about to compromise.

To this day Satan is working day and night trying hard to appeal God’s final judgment. He is even trying to use people to win his case. He tells them lies, half-truths that convince them of things like there is no God, there is no punishment for sin, or that there is no eternity. In other words, as he told Eve in the Garden of Eden, “You will not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4) People believe him when he tells them, “There is more to life than what you currently have now, and you deserve more. You’ve earned it.”

It’s sad when they buy into his deception. If they are not set free with the Truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ then they will stand before God when they die and He will declare with them as well, “Irreconcilable Differences” and they will be forever divorced, separated from the presence of God, and that is called, “hell”!

Please, accept Jesus Christ into your life before it is too late. Ask for forgiveness of your sins, and wrongdoing. Read God’s word, “The Bible”. Learn about the love of God and come into harmony with Him. When all truth is revealed, and it will be, you will be glad you did.

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.