It Hurts!

May 27, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

HURT You listen as they describe their current pain, despair, nightmare of a life. They go on and on without the slightest glimmer of hope on their face, or in their voice. They want relief, they want out, they want something so different then what they have. Like a blind man looking for his glasses, their searching is in vain.

You’ve heard it before, from them and from others you care so much about. Will this be the time they listen to you? Have they reached the end of their rope? Have they had enough? Maybe, maybe this will be the time they here you share the life they could have if they would only accept the free gift of Jesus Christ. How His death provides life. How His taking on the whole worlds sin and sorrow deliveres eternal joy, happiness, and peace, if we just say, “Yes” to His offer.

It hurts, when we hear them say, “Thanks, but it’s not for me.” It doesn’t make sense. It’s hard for us to understand. Irwin McManis put it like this, “People would rather live a bad life “they” purchased, than a great life that is free.”

Keep praying and trusting God for those you care about.

Why?

April 15, 2017April 15, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Cross nailed He laid as still as he could. Any movement reminded him of the flogging his back took. The soldier placed the nail with the tip pressing his palm. He saw the other soldier rear back with the hammer. He turned his head. Bam! The nail drove through his flesh pinning him to the cross. That nail represented the times I took something that wasn’t mine.

The same thing took place on the other side. Bam! That nail represented the sinful times I touched something I had no business touching. Bam! The nail in his feet represented the times I have gone somewhere I had no business being. The thorny crown shoved down into his head represented the evil thoughts I failed to bring into captivity. The beatings he suffered should have been mine. The spit that landed on him, represented the disgrace that was meant for me.

Everything Jesus went through, the trial, lies, pain, agony, and torture was for me. The 39 lashes that shredded his back open and bled was so I could be healed. He chose to go through that for me. He chose to go through all that for you. Why? Because He knew, He was the only who could. Because He knows pure love, and how to show it.

He also knew how to defeat death, and on the third day, He proved it.

THANK YOU, JESUS.

That’s All I Wanted

March 12, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Holding His people

I just wanted people to love me first. To make that choice, and live by it. I gave them free will, and I always hoped they would use theirs to put nothing else as a god before me. Was that asking too much? In turn, I would be their God. I would lead, guide, protect, and bless them if they served me, and kept my commandments.

You know, I came up with those 10 things, believe it or not, to make life easier, not harder. But that free will thing gets in the way and it sometimes gets people hurt. It’s the only way this whole God and the people I made relationship would really work, and have true meaning to it.

I made these people, and then gave them free will. Well, as you know, it didn’t take long for them to screw it up, so I taught them how to offer up a sacrifice for their sins, and it needed perfecting. Yes, that is when I gave my people my Son. Perfection. His death bought back the people that belonged to me in the first place, because I made them. It was out of pure love I gave them their free will again. All I wanted was their perfect love given back to me freely of their own will.

What do you do with your free will?

Are You Wrong?

March 5, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

wrong Everybody has an opinion on what happens after they die. Some of those opinions are: nothing happens, reincarnation, you go to heaven, and various other beliefs. I personally believe that if one has accepted Jesus Christ as God’s Son, and have asked him to forgive their sins then they go to heaven. If they haven’t then they go to hell. Either way, it’s for eternity!

I was talking about this subject with a coworker several years ago, and he believed then in reincarnation. Our conversation ended by me saying, “John (not his name), if your belief is right then neither one of us have anything to worry about, BUT, if I am right then you may find yourself in an uncomfortable situation while you are standing before God giving an account as to how you lived.” He walked away concerned.

Also, keep in mind, just because one claims to know Jesus, doesn’t mean they have accepted him, or obeyed his commandments. Consider these verses from the Bible:

Mat 7:21 – 23 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name? And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly. (AMP)

So the question then is this: “Are you okay being wrong?”

Pick up Lines from the Bible

February 26, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

songofsolomonpagehead

I tried to use the following line on a woman the other day. “You’re so beautiful, my darling, so beautiful, and your dove eyes are veiled by your hair as it flows and shimmers, like a flock of goats in the distance streaming down a hillside in the sunshine.”

It didn’t work. I got it from the book; Song of Solomon, chapter 4:1.

But there is one, in the Bible, who tries to pick us up. He uses lines like, “Come.” “Come along with me.” “Come, who are tired, and I will give you rest.” Some do. They accept the invitation.

Then they begin a journey into the greatest love of all time. They accept His commandments that actually changes how they live their life. This love changes how they act toward others, and even family members. It changes how they speak, and later they will become the bride of Christ, and truly live happily ever after.

Your Permanent Record

February 19, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

permanent-record “This is going on your ‘Permanent Record’ young man!” Remember hearing that in school? Has anyone ever seen their “Permanent Record”? I haven’t. Was that a threat to get us to have better behavior and grades? Perhaps.

God sees and hears everything we say and do. He also knows the attitude of our hearts when our behavior is on display. Now if anyone was going to keep a permanent record it would be Him, and in fact He does. There will be a day when EVERYONE will stand before God, and give an account for how they lived their life, attitudes, words toward others and everything.

At the end of that time before God He will simply look in a big book (The Book of Life) and see if your name has been “blotted” out, or if it still remains. If your name remains that means you had accepted God’s son Jesus, and his death on the cross paid for all of your wrong doing.

Rev 20:11-15 I saw a Great White Throne and the One Enthroned. Nothing could stand before or against the Presence, nothing in Heaven, nothing on earth. And then I saw all the dead, great and small, standing there–before the Throne! And books were opened. Then another book was opened: the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what was written in the books, by the way they had lived. Sea released its dead, Death and Hell turned in their dead. Each man and woman was judged by the way he or she had lived. Then Death and Hell were hurled into Lake Fire. This is the second death–Lake Fire. Anyone whose name was not found inscribed in the Book of Life was hurled into Lake Fire. (MSG)

Because You Are Different

February 12, 2017 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

yellow-in-purple_oregon You try so hard to do what is right. You even think you are doing what Jesus would do. You’re honest, you’re loyal, you’re trust worthy. Yet you are misunderstood, mistreated, not trusted. You feel picked on. Whenever something happens you are the one people turn to first to find out what “you” had done. It’s not right, it’s not fair, but it continues to happen to you over and over again, and it hurts, and you just don’t understand.

Can you relate? I can. In the past few years I have been asking God to help me understand, and perhaps He has been trying to tell me, but I couldn’t hear it. Tonight, while watching a movie, I heard it. I heard the reason I have been searching for that would help me understand why. Here is what I heard straight from the movie, “The Accountant”.

“You think if you don’t fight back they will like you? They don’t like you, they don’t dislike you. They’re afraid of you. You’re different. Sooner or later different scares people.”

I know, right? I paused the movie, wrote those words down, and pondered them. They are certainly profound words. Then my thoughts turned to the life of Jesus Christ. He was different, and there certainly were those who were afraid of Him. So much so they wanted Him dead, and they got what they wanted. Because you act differently than they do, they may not understand that you are trying to do your best to be like Christ. They don’t know this, because they don’t know Jesus. Do your best to share Jesus with them. By getting to know, and accepting Him, they will one day accept you.

False Accusations

January 21, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

False-stamp Being accused of something is difficult to handle, but when those accusations are false it really hurts. Each assault can cut really deep. What makes these accusations even worse is when the truth is staring the accusers in the face, and yet they choose to ignore it.

Last night, on my train ride home, my thoughts turned to Jesus. One week people were singing his praises, and the following week amidst false accusations some of those same individuals were screaming for his death. The thing we must realize is this; he was, and still is, the Son of God. He is Truth, and being such, he had the capability to prove his innocence, but he chose not to. If he had of, we would not have salvation, and the hope of living in heaven for eternity.

I guess I can find comfort in knowing that if it wasn’t for individuals refusing to believe the Truth, who was standing right in front of them, I wouldn’t have salvation. Another thing I can find comfort in is knowing that God sees all truth, and one day will reveal truth to all.

1Co 3:13 The work of each [one] will become [plainly, openly] known (shown for what it is); for the day [of Christ] will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done. (AMP)

To: You

December 25, 2016 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

jesus-gift-tag My child, know that on this Christmas morning, I have given you my greatest gift. It may not be what you wanted, but I know, it is what you need. I have given my all to you. I have not held back anything for myself.

Oh how I desire that you could see, or measure how much I love you, but even infinity is not big enough to contain it. My hope is that you will accept my gift. Please don’t put it away and forget about it, or never read the instruction book that I provided, and please don’t try to return it!

Know that if you accept my gift then we can be together forever. Also know that everything required to be with me for eternity I have provided. There is nothing you need to do, or can do. No rules to follow, no level of goodness required, and it doesn’t matter what you have done in the past. I made you. I know you. I want more than anything to have a relationship with you, and I can, if you will simply unwrap the gift I have given you and accept it.

What is this gift? My son. My only son. It’s the gift that reads, “To: you From: God”

The Greatest Plan…Ever!

December 18, 2016 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

gods-plan The greatest love story. The greatest gift. The greatest promise…kept.

Who, but God could have come up with a plan to place his son Jesus, in a young virgin. Very few looked there. The politicians didn’t, the religious leaders didn’t, and most of the people didn’t either.

God, through his word, told what He was planning on doing, so it wasn’t a secret, but people have a tendency of not knowing God, or his word. This causes them to take God’s plans and play them out as they understand, or worse, want.

How all of this life on earth ends is also part of God’s plan. It’s not a secret, or mystery. Yet people still do not get to know God, and believe how they want to. Read God’s word. All of it. Even Revelation. Though you may not understand, believe it will happen…according to God’s plan. So far, God’s plan has worked out perfectly. Remember this, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1) Faith…use it.