Tuesday Truth
life
Mayday
I’ve mentioned before that I don’t always sleep when I should. I suffer from “OMS” (Old Man Syndrome). Sometimes, when this is the case, I will turn on the TV. One of the shows I like to watch in the middle of the night is called “Mayday.” They go over actual airplane crashes and report “70% of all air crashes are due to human error.” At one time, I wanted to be a pilot.
While watching last night, I thought about people who have never accepted salvation. God’s free gift was through His Son, Jesus, when He died on the cross. They think because they aren’t hurting anyone and are basically a good person, then they should go to heaven. According to Romans 3:23, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. You can’t save yourself, and you can never be “good enough!”
There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough;
look again—it leads straight to hell.
Sure, those people appear to be having a good time,
but all that laughter will end in heartbreak. Prov. 14:12,13 (MSG)
When they stand before God, they will realize they had a chance to have forgiveness, but they didn’t ask for it. Human error! It is then you may hear them cry out, “Mayday! Mayday!” for they will know they are going down. Crash and burn in hell!
I saw a photo on Facebook the other day. The couple was drinking wine, going to concerts, and, in general, living it up. No one usually posts the hard and ugly side of life. That might be called “Uglyfacebook.” There is life, and then there is eternal life. What we do now in life prepares us for the eternal. Ask Jesus into your heart. Ask him for forgiveness and receive it no matter what you have done in the past. Then move over and let God pilot your life. There may be turbulence, but you will reach your final destination, alive!
Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady All Rights Reserved
Faultlines
I read a poem today, and I was not too fond of it. The person who penned the words claimed that because the world is “flawed,” the one at “fault” is the Creator. I see this as a huge problem today. Nobody wants to take responsibility when they are wrong. Even an extremely popular, major online shopping company won’t admit it and do something about it. I decided to stop ordering from them. If I can’t find it somewhere else, then do I really need it?
Someone cuts you off on the road. You honk. Yet you get the finger! Oh, maybe they’re showing me they are my number one fan! It can be very frustrating, to say the least. Knowing someone is wrong, but they won’t admit it. And the truth is, they know they were wrong, too.
Below is one person’s comment to the poem:
“Interesting perception, I have made products that work perfectly well until the people who buy them get their hands on them. It’s worth reading the historical records of all the creation accounts they point to a perfect creation and interference.
Your final analysis is also flawed because if I don’t read the instructions and follow direction how is it the manufacturers fault that the product doesn’t work.
The Creator is perfect, the creation was perfect but decided it didn’t need the creator it exercised freewill and the flaws are the product of thousands of years of poor decision making by the product. But thanks for sharing the poem.”
What they are saying is true.
God created the world. He made man and gave him free will. Man decided not to live life according to God’s commands. As a result, sin entered the world. Then sickness, disease, anger, pride, and so on bringing down mankind and, thus, the world.
Today, we have God’s instruction manual, the Bible. Yet mankind still wants to exercise his free will and drive, I mean live life his way, contributing to the downfall of the world. But if asked, they would probably say, “It’s not my fault!” They would instead place the blame on anyone or anything else. The problem with that is this: they are still wrong and will pay the price ultimately for their wrong or sin.
The ONLY solution is to accept Jesus into your life and ask Him for forgiveness of your sins. Then, get a Bible and read how God says we should live. The book of Proverbs is a great place to start. I am wrong a lot! But I admit it and ask God and, if needed, an individual to forgive me. It is so freeing!
Proverbs 11:17-31 (MSG)
17 When you’re kind to others, you help yourself;
when you’re cruel to others, you hurt yourself.
18 Bad work gets paid with a bad check;
good work gets solid pay.
19 Take your stand with God’s loyal community and live,
or chase after phantoms of evil and die.
20 God can’t stand deceivers,
but oh how he relishes integrity.
21 Count on this: The wicked won’t get off scot-free,
and God’s loyal people will triumph.
22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful face on an empty head.
23 The desires of good people lead straight to the best,
but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.
24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.
25 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
those who help others are helped.
26 Curses on those who drive a hard bargain!
Blessings on all who play fair and square!
27 The one who seeks good finds delight;
the student of evil becomes evil.
28 A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump;
a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.
29 Exploit or abuse your family, and end up with a fistful of air;
common sense tells you it’s a stupid way to live.
30 A good life is a fruit-bearing tree;
a violent life destroys souls.
31 If good people barely make it,
what’s in store for the bad!
Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady All Rights Reserved
Gems
16 Then those whose lives honored God got together and talked it over. God saw what they were doing and listened in. A book was opened in God’s presence and minutes were taken of the meeting, with the names of the God-fearers written down, all the names of those who honored God’s name.
17-18 God-of-the-Angel-Armies said, “They’re mine, all mine. They’ll get special treatment when I go into action. I treat them with the same consideration and kindness that parents give the child who honors them. Once more you’ll see the difference it makes between being a person who does the right thing and one who doesn’t, between serving God and not serving him.” Mal. 3:16-18 (MSG)
A beautiful portion of scripture. Some have written that God treasures those who wholeheartedly live for Him so much it’s as if they are gems unto him. He values them.
Several years ago, I worked with a man who collected precious stones. He had a complete shop set up in his basement where he would spend hours sanding, shaping, and polishing those gems. They might have been rough when he started, but by the time he finished with them, they were beautiful.
Some of you may be good people. You do your best to help others with the resources you have. You show love to your neighbors. You serve God in whatever manner as He directs. Yet, privately, only a few see it, there is another side of you. One that you wouldn’t want your pastor to know of.
God loves you so much and can see all that you do. He knows it doesn’t take much effort to get you to show love to another in need. But He does know about that other side. I believe God puts people and allows situations in your life that irritate you. Give you a reason to go to that point where the light of God fades.
I struggled for years to understand why He would do that. Then, recently, I received wisdom and understanding of the matter. He puts those individuals in your life to act as sandpaper and to grind the rough edges of your soul away. If you yield to the process, you will become even more precious to God and pure. Thank Him for loving you that much!
6-7 I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. 1 Pt. 1:6-7 (MSG)
Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady All Rights Reserved
DNR
When I was in the hospital recently, as I was getting evaluated, they kept asking me if something happened, would I want to be resuscitated. I found this odd because if I didn’t want to live, then why would I have sought medical attention? (NOTE: I’m okay and will continue to write award-winning blog posts! LOL) If I had answered them “No,” then I would have been labeled as “DNR.” (Do not resuscitate)
My father chose “DNR” when he was asked. He said he didn’t want to go through dialysis just to extend his life another year or so. He was 83. He said he had lived a good life and was ready to stand before God, so he decided to leave his fate in God’s hands. He told me once he had asked God to let him die in his sleep. He did seventeen days later.
I have met people who need to be resuscitated. Even some who claim to have accepted Jesus before. They know right from wrong and good from evil. Yet the way they live their life or the words they speak to others demonstrates a lack of God’s love. Therefore, they need “CPR” (Christ Power Resurrecting).
3 I know you are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name’s sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary.
4 But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love]. Rev. 2:3-4 (AMPC)
Many of them do not see anything wrong with how they do life. They are also never wrong in their minds. It’s as if they are wearing a hospital bracelet that is labeled: DNR. If you know such a person, then pray for them. Pray that the spiritual eyes of their heart will be open. Pray they will fall in love with Jesus again and renew living out of an attitude of love.
Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady All Rights Reserved
How to Live Life
I decided to start 2024 reading from the book of Proverbs and, this time, from “The Message.” The introduction to the book used the subtitle of “A Manual For Living.”
1-6 These are the wise sayings of Solomon,
David’s son, Israel’s king—
Written down so we’ll know how to live well and right,
to understand what life means and where it’s going;
A manual for living,
for learning what’s right and just and fair;
To teach the inexperienced the ropes
and give our young people a grasp on reality.
There’s something here also for seasoned men and women,
still a thing or two for the experienced to learn—
Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate,
the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.
Start with God
7 Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God;
only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning. Prov. 1:1-7 (MSG)
The wisest man on earth says to start with God. Some of you may have a problem with that advice right there. You are still thinking that you know more about yourself and your life than He does. Others may have an issue with this because they feel God is nothing more than a bunch of rules. If this is you, then perhaps the problem is you don’t trust God. Maybe you look at someone else’s life who claims to be living for God, and yet they are not doing things that you approve of. Therefore, you have decided you don’t want to be like them. That is judgment and ultimately only an excuse.
The beginning of a new year is a great time to start new things like a new lifestyle. Evan a new perspective on God and try trusting Him more. If Soloman found it essential, then it is! Yes, you may have to die to yourself, but you begin to live life like never before.
Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady All Rights Reserved
The 529 Plan
In America, most of us are aware of “529 Plans.” A plan that allows you to invest in the college education of your child and not pay taxes on it if I remember correctly. I had one such plan for each of my children.
I was in the hospital over the last weekend. I know. I spent New Year’s Eve in a hospital bed. I’m okay now after having a procedure done yesterday, New Year’s Day, and I was released this afternoon.
After my procedure was over and I went to a room where I was allowed to eat again, I relaxed, and I asked God to give me the opportunity to have a meaningful conversation with someone before I left the hospital. The first one was at 12:01 AM. A young man came into my room and, of course, woke me up to see if I was being taken care of okay during my stay. I said I was, but then somehow the conversation turned to how he got to Tulsa, and then he even shared with me how he found God. It’s an amazing testimony that I may share later.
We spent forty minutes talking, and I was so moved about what he and his wife wanted to do in the future. Then I asked if I could pray with him. He agreed. As I prayed, I felt led by God to say certain words. Those words turned out to really minister to him. He said they resonated with him because they were along the line of thoughts and prayers with God he had been having lately.
If that wasn’t enough, this morning, a young woman came into my hospital room to draw blood. I tried to make small talk with her, but it wasn’t going well. Then I asked her, “Why are you so sad?” She immediately looked up at me and asked, “How did you know that?” I proceeded to share with her that I had the gift of discernment and that God had told me she was.
I asked if she wanted to talk about it, and she declined my offer. So I proceeded to share with her that it was going to be okay and that God had sent me there to tell her that. The countenance on her face immediately turned, and she began smiling. I told her not to get hung up on the discernment part but rather to focus on the message from God. I said, “He sees what you are going through and has heard you crying out to him. He loves you so very much.” She thanked me and then started crying. It was at that point my eyes leaked as well. She completed her task and thanked me again for being bold enough to talk to her.
I felt good in my spirit after she left. I recalled my request to God the night before. I was thrilled when I realized I got to work with Him to “invest” in those two individual’s lives/futures. Then I looked at the info board that the nurses write on. There, at the top, I saw it. My room number. “529!”
Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady
The End
Reaching the end of something can evoke many emotions. The end of a good movie, a job, a family or friend’s life, or perhaps even a marriage. There may be mixed feelings about the end of the year. Most people said they were so happy to see the end of 2020!
We will come to the end of 2023 in a few days. In some ways, it was a challenging year for April and me, but we got through it. I remember at one point feeling as if God had turned away from us and left us to ourselves because we had made a wrong decision. We know now that He was busy orchestrating our lives, intersecting with another’s in order to fulfill His will.
At the time, it seemed so difficult to wait upon the Lord. I cried out many times for His help. For God to deliver us from ourselves and to set us back on the right track. God proved himself faithful again. God helped us. He gave me a clear mind to make sound decisions on what to do that would give us a chance to recover.
I have no idea what 2024 will have in store for us, but I know God is already working on our behalf. If you have never accepted God’s gift of Jesus Christ into your life and have asked for forgiveness, then now would be a great time. Wow! That would be a great way to end 2023 and start 2024.
Just think—you don’t need a thing, you’ve got it all! All God’s gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that. 1 Cor. 1:7-9 (MSG)
Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady
It’s Not Until
“It’s not until you know how to die that you begin to know how to live.”
April and I were watching the movie “I Can Only Imagine” when the words above spilled into my heart. I have been thinking about them ever since.
Jesus knew how to die; therefore, He knew how to live. And He came to Earth as a baby, no less to show us. In a few days, we will be celebrating that birth. The birth of Jesus. He quietly entered the world, and only a few noticed. But his death shook the Earth and is still making headlines in the hearts and lives of people all over the world today! Jesus knew how to die.
Between the start of his life and his death, He showed us how to live. He laughed with us, cried with us, accepted us no matter what we had done in the past, and loved us. It was with love he lived, and it was in love He died. It was because of love and the love of His Father in heaven that He came in the first place; He did not want us to die eternally. Jesus knew how to live.
You see, it’s how you live your life that will determine where you spend eternity after you die. If, in your ever so brief life, you decide to accept Jesus’ free gift of salvation and ask him to forgive you of your sins, then you will live forever in heaven with him and probably a lot of your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members. But only if they accepted Jesus as well.
I know I’m not perfect. I have made a lot of BIG mistakes in life. I have hurt a lot of people, and I feel bad about that. The only thing that helps that pain is knowing that God has forgiven me through Jesus’ death on the cross. And every morning that I wake up, I have another opportunity to try my best to get that day right. That is what makes life worth living. So, I, too, know how to die, and I know from God’s word how to live, and that is with love.
16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. John 3:16-18 (MSG)
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady
Let Me Speak to Your Supervisor
I have been watching an individual live their life this year the way they want to. It has not gone well. They have been controlled by a game-playing, conniving, lying woman. That caused him to drink himself into a drunken stupor. As a result of spending time in the hospital to dry out, he lost his job. Because of not being able to pay his rent, he was evicted.
Soak, wash, rinse, repeat. After struggling, he managed to get his job back but then repeated the same pattern, the only difference being with a different girl. To add to the injury, he did all this while being separated from his wife and ignoring his children. What kind of life is that?
As I was thinking about his life, I realized one thing: he does not feel as if he is accountable to anyone! Not to his wife, his children, his mother and father, his girlfriend, his friends, his boss, his landlord, or God. No one. He is accountable to God, ultimately, but he fails to see that. You could say he has no fear of the consequences of his actions.
So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Rom. 14:12 (NIV)
We should be accountable to people but especially live our lives accountable to God. You will make mistakes, but if you have accepted Jesus, you can ask for forgiveness. Then, it is also a good idea to ask others for forgiveness if you hurt them. Knowing you have to give an account of how you live will cause you to live differently, or at least it should.
“Don’t be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.” Mat. 10:28 (MSG)
Whether you admit it or not or live accordingly, you are accountable to people and God. If you are not living that way, you will continue to suffer. Did I mention he also totaled his car? So get with the program, or we will have to speak to your supervisor, God.
Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady
brady, mark a. 