life

It Happened Again

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

It happened again. Yesterday. We learned that someone who seemed to have it all together. Someone who had a bright future. Someone who appeared happy committed suicide. Why? And people seem to be shocked.

It should go without saying that success, money, family, and friends are not enough to fill a hole in our hearts that can only be filled by knowing and accepting God. And those that are shocked by the sudden end of one’s life by one’s own hands, believe that real life is also found in having these things. They don’t understand because they don’t know the truth. They have bought into the lie(s) this world spreads.

Nothing but God can satisfy you. NOTHING! People struggle trying to do life their way on their terms. What happens is they wind up accepting Satan’s substitutes. Meaning a job that isn’t the best fit for them. A life partner of the same sex when they could have so much more! They fall for “Get Rich Quick” schemes instead of working hard for honest money. Or they believe the lie that fame and fortune will satisfy.

Jesus said in John 10:10 that Satan comes to kill, steal, and destroy. But He had come to give us life and to give it more abundantly. God wants the best for you. That is why He gave us his only son and allowed him to die on the cross as a perfect sacrifice that pays for anything and everything WE do wrong. All we have to do is ask him into our life.

Humanity is nothing more than a mere pawn to the devil. He doesn’t care about you at all. His only interest in you is using you to get even with God. He hates God so much that he will say anything and do anything to destroy people and their lives. Jesus once said that Satan is the father of lies. (John 8:44)

That’s what Christmas is all about. God did things His way, and it baffles the mind of mortal men. They would not have started their campaign of salvation with a baby born of a virgin! But you see, for Jesus to be able to say that He went through everything we have, then He even had to enter the way we do.

If you have tried everything else in life but submitting your will to God and accepting his son, Jesus, then you haven’t tried everything. You have to take that step of faith before you die. It’s too late to decide when you are standing before Almighty God, giving Him an account of your life. Your balance sheet will be in the red, meaning your blood will have to be poured out. Yet it still won’t be enough to pay for your sins. But if you have accepted Jesus, then the accounting of your life’s bottom line will say, “Paid in Full by Jesus Christ,” and you will enter into eternity forever more to live.

Don’t let it happen again. Don’t let Satan use you. Stop believing his lies. Stop accepting his substitutes for your life and go after what God has for you. Choose life! Choose heaven and not hell. You will never regret it.

Merry Christmas,
Mark

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Ready

/ Mark Brady / 3 Comments
Painting by: Chas Anderson

My grandmother had a painting in the hallway of her house that captivated my attention on more than one occasion. I would stand there and study the details of it, thinking, “Boy! That day is going to be something.” It portrayed the rapture. The moment when Jesus came back to earth to call his bride home. The painting showed people ascending into heaven from cars, an airplane, fields, and houses. The plane crashed because the pilots were both Christians. Some of the vehicles crashed too. It was as if the earth went chaotic in a moment. (The photo displayed is similar to the one my grandmother had.)

Since Jesus ascended into heaven, men have been looking for and anticipating his return. After all, He said he would. The Bible contains at least 100 scriptures concerning his return. There have been many books written about it and even some movies made. Countless sermons have been preached, encouraging people to watch, and pray, but most of all, be ready! I remember a word given in our church when I was about eight years old. The man said that Jesus’ return was so close it was as if He was already standing up. I got excited and put my shoes back on!

Matthew 24:36 – “But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.” (MSG)

1 Corinthians 15:52 – We’re not all going to die—but we are all going to be changed. You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes—it’s over. (MSG)

Matthew 25:13 – “So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive.” (MSG)

Matthew 24:37-44 – “The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah’s. Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. They knew nothing—until the flood hit and swept everything away.

“The Son of Man’s Arrival will be like that: Two men will be working in the field—one will be taken, one left behind; two women will be grinding at the mill—one will be taken, one left behind. So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up. (MSG)

I look around and definitely see individuals preoccupied with life. They are more concerned with current politics with striving to be successful or famous. Trying so hard to earn more money or where their next meal may come from. They might even be more concerned with their relationship status. Satan loves this. He wants us to forget that Jesus Christ is coming back for us. He wants anything for us other than to be ready. It takes focus on our part. It takes keeping God first in our minds, hearts, and life.

In the days of Noah, very few believed that it would rain one day. It had never rained before, so why should they? Today, there are probably very few that believe Jesus will return for believers, for He has never returned previously, but we have been told that He is going to. We have a choice to either believe it and live accordingly or not.

I pray that you choose to believe me and, more importantly, believe God’s word and live your life ready to be caught up in the air with Jesus. If you don’t, you will definitely know the truth when the rapture occurs. There will be mass destruction and confusion everywhere around you. People will disappear right before your eyes. I, for one, have no desire to be here when that happens. I mark myself as “Ready!”

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Why “MB4384?”

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

Our home WIFI was upgraded the other day, receiving a new gateway. “MB4384” was the name of our old network name, but for a specific reason, we could no longer use it. As I was getting all of our devices reconnected to the WIFI via the gateway’s default name and password, I told April we needed to come up with a network name and password. Of course, something easy to remember.

We discussed many options for both. We finally settled on “KUYA_MARK,” Tagalog for “Brother Mark.” We assumed no one in the neighborhood was using that for a network name. Then we came up with a password we could recall without having to look it up. Again, I reconnected all of our devices to the new network. That’s almost worst than having to turn all of your clocks backward.

“MB4384” became my company user name 17 years ago after SBC purchased AT&T. It took some time to get used to it. I had no idea how in the world they came up with that pattern of letters and numbers, but now I do. God had his hand in it!

Being extraordinarily vulnerable and transparent, getting married again after 24 some years of being single hasn’t been easy. There have been times I have wondered if I did the right thing. I know there were several events and moments of confirmation, but nothing beats what I am about to tell you.

As we were discussing possible names, April disclosed that she thought I changed my WIFI network name to “MB4384” after I met her. She didn’t know it was my AT&T user ID. I was confused, but I told her I used that name when I moved into the house five years ago. Thirteen months before I ever met April. Then I asked her, “Why did you think I changed it after meeting you?” She replied, are you ready for this? “Because that is my birthday.”

Yeah, that’s right. April was born on April 3, 1984, or 04/03/84 or 4384.

I teared up. Then I laughed as I thought about how funny God is. He knew 17 years ago (well, honestly forever) I would need another confirmation that no matter how hard getting used to being married again is for me, it is worth it because God ordained it. When you see that kind of love in action, it’s almost impossible not to trust that God knows what He is doing and that He has to have a purpose for us.

Thank you, God, for loving me.

I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. Jer. 29:11 (MSG)

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

When is it Okay to Sin?

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Wages of sin is death.

How desperate do you have to be before you make a deliberate decision to sin? Do you tell a lie to cover something you did wrong, so you don’t lose your job or your spouse? Do you take money that isn’t yours because you don’t know how you will make it financially? Are you that desperately lonely that you get into the wrong relationship?

King David had an affair with Bathsheba. Then he had her husband placed on the front line of the battlefield, knowing he would most likely be killed. Why? An attempt to hide his sin.

I know a minister who recently told his daughter it was okay to live with her fiancé before marriage. Why? I believe he is counting on them getting married so his new son-in-law would support them. He probably wants a more comfortable life.

  1. It is never okay to willfully sin. Sin as defined by God’s word. If God says no and you do it anyway, it’s a sin. A big problem today is humanity is trying to make their own definitions of what sin is.
  2. The truth always comes out! (Numbers 32:23) King David’s sins were revealed when the prophet Nathan brought them into the light of day. (2 Sam. 12)
  3. God is faithful to forgive us of sin when we ask for it. (1 John 1:9) There is nothing we can do that prevents us from being forgiven.
  4. Whenever someone sins, people get hurt. King David, though forgiven, still had to pay a price for his sin. I have had to pay big time for some of the sins I have committed. Several people have been hurt too.

The minister I mentioned earlier is already paying a price for blessing sin. Some members of his family are now not speaking to him. And what will happen when the people in his church hear of what he allowed his daughter to do? He might say, “Well. She wouldn’t have listened and have done it anyway.” Then that’s on his adult daughter to pay for her sin. Until she is married, there is no guarantee he will marry her.

God doesn’t list certain parts of life as “sins” to prevent us from enjoying life, but ironically the opposite. A life obeying God brings about an abundant life. A good life full of God’s blessings and provisions.

Do your best to live according to God’s word. Ask Him to help you because keeping our flesh in check is difficult. It is too easy to justify why circumstances call for us to sin. God loves obedient children and rewards them accordingly.

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Happily Ever After?

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Rooster Cogburn: Boots, I got Hayes and some youngster outside with Moon and Quincy. I want you to bury ’em for me. I’m in a hurry.

Capt. Boots Finch: They’re dead?

Rooster Cogburn: Well, I wouldn’t want you to bury ’em if they wasn’t.

The above are famous lines from the 1969 movie “True Grit.” It starred John Wayne, Glen Campbell, and Kim Darby. It was the first movie I ever saw at a theater. I was seven years old. The Bellaire Drive-In, Tulsa, OK. opened in 1953 with Gregory Peck in “The Snows of Kilimanjaro.” It was a single screen with a 600-car capacity. It closed in 1979 and was demolished later. A car dealership now occupies the land.

I love watching movies. I gained that appreciation from my parents. I watched one last weekend and was shocked by what I said when it ended. I said, “Wow, I wish that was my life.” That’s the problem with movies, especially those dealing with relationships. We start believing that’s how life should be and when our real life looks nothing like a movie, we can get disgruntled, and some relationships have probably ended because one’s real life was not happily ever after.

It’s important to remember that movies have directors, scripted lines, and makeup artists, and the actors keep doing several takes until they perfect the scene. There is also a team of professionals to get the lighting right and the costumes perfect, and real life doesn’t have an Oscar-winning soundtrack playing in the background!

It can be difficult to accept “real” life sometimes. I have found trusting God helps. If you are living with his guidance, then you are most likely where you are supposed to be and doing what you are supposed to be despite what you see around you or how hard some of the relationships are that you are in. One must find peace in their situation and contentment, knowing that it is all part of God’s master plan.

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. Phi. 1:6 (AMPC)

If you are living life the way God wants you to, then you will live happily ever after!

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

1st and Goal

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

Football is a game of inches. The playing field may be 100 yards long, but an inch can make the difference in a win or a loss. A couple of weeks ago, the Chicago Bears played the Washington Commanders. Time was running out. This was going to be the last play of the game. Justin Fields threw the ball to Darnell Mooney, who was stopped just inches from the goal line, and thus instead of winning the game, the Bears lost. And in the year 2000, the Tennesse Titans lost the biggest game of any professional football season, The Superbowl, by 1 yard to the then St. Louis Rams. 12 little inches.

Many great writers have made parallelisms between life and the game of football. Today is my turn. (Not that I consider myself one of those great writers.) You may be at this moment in the game of your life. You are fighting to win, be victorious, to be an overcomer. You might be considered the underdog, and if you read my blog post a couple of weeks ago, you know how I feel about underdogs. People may even be betting against you while telling you you’re going to make it. What God has called you to do may look like it will never happen. You may be thinking the game is over.

You might find yourself with time about to run out, but in your heart, you know there is still just enough time to reach the goal. Your enemy may be taunting. Telling you, “Stay down! It’s over!” And in the flesh, it may look true, but the truth is this; the game isn’t over, and you have a secret weapon. You have on your team the power of almighty God. Remember, you are not in the game of life alone. Jesus is right there and knows exactly what you are going through because he was in the game and won. He overcame even death, death on a cross.

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. Heb. 13:5b (NIV)

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Phi. 2:8 (NIV)

So stay on the field. Stay in the game. You don’t have a backup player to come into the game and do what God has called you to do! You are anointed for the task at hand. You got this! You can do it. Look at where you are on the field. It’s 1st and goal.

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

The Tiny Sermon

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

April works hard at a manufacturing facility. They build things that use extremely tiny parts, tiny screws, etc. Since I am retired, I willingly keep the house, including doing the laundry. If you wash the clothes in your household, you also know that you find things inside the washing machine from time to time.

The other day, I found a small screw. Actually, the one pictured here. At first, I was upset. This washing machine terrorist could easily get through one of the holes in the machine that the water drains through. Who knows what kind of damage that could cause? This is not the first time I have found one, either. I have asked April several times to check her pockets before putting things in the dirty clothes basket. Often, she doesn’t do this. Her favorite item to overlook is tissues. Yep, they make a mess!

So, while I was angry, thinking about how I would complain, chew her out, or make an issue out of it, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper, “Don’t say a word.” I think it is part of my Heaven Training Program to become a “quiet man.” (See the previous post but not right now. After you finish reading this one.) I know my high standard of perfection, and my unreachable expectations come from my parents. I know they meant well, as do I, but there is a way to point things out where people hear you but don’t feel bad. You know, like God does.

God loves us enough not to leave us the way we are.

God disciplines those He loves. (Prov. 3:12)

I want April to learn about life here in America. That simple mistakes can have expensive consequences. If I leave this world before her, I wouldn’t want her to suffer when a little carefulness can spare her hardship. I know God would help her, though, and bless her as she lives a life pleasing him and as she honors him. I think my parents had the same desire for me.

I’ve decided to keep the tiny screw and perhaps even put it in a case and display it where I can be reminded as often as needed till I learn to apply the message of that little sermon. Many people take notes while the minister is preaching, but how many reviews those notes afterward? I am thankful for the tiny sermon. I’m glad God still speaks in small ways. Now, if I could only get April to leave money in her pockets.

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

The Quiet Man

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

I have always admired the man with experience in his hair and wisdom in his eyes. You’ve seen the type. They usually are tall, thin, and have grey hair. They typically have a subtle smile on their face. They watch and observe but say very little unless asked to contribute.

I think of the man pictured here in this post. I recall a time when I was mowing the church lawn, and I can’t remember why I was upset, but when Pastor Russ pulled into the parking lot, I immediately felt an atmosphere of peace come over the place. It was then I nicknamed him “Moses” for he helped me that day, and I considered him “my deliverer.” God knew what was going on. He knew my struggles, and He had heard my complaints. God sent me Moses.

I desire to be a “quiet man” without grey hair. Even at age 60, I still have a decent head of hair and very few grey strands. It’s the only good thing about my physical being. Trust me, I’ve seen the rest of it! But I respect the demeanor of a “quiet man.” I find it difficult to hold my tongue often, especially when I witness an injustice, or am offended. Too many times, I speak out first.

The hoary [grey] head is a crown of beauty and glory if it is found in the way of righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation).
Prov. 16:31 (AMPC)

Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life. James 1:19-21 (MSG)

So if I want to be a “quiet man,” I need to apply the word of God in my life. After accepting this truth, I should practice and practice and practice being slow to anger and listening with my heart. I should have started working much earlier on this. I will probably have grey hair by the time I master it.

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Grace is Enough

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

What reason do I have to wake up with the rising sun
And not be held down by the weight of all the things I’ve done?
What reason do I have to feel this hope instead of hurt?
How can it be I don’t receive the judgement I deserve?

How can you see me at my worst and still say I am loved?
What promise can I stand on when I don’t feel good enough?
When the enemy’s reminding me of all that I’ve done wrong
What freedom do I have to sing this new creation song?

I know the only reason I can stand here free of all my shame
Is wave upon wave of grace upon grace
Wave upon wave of grace upon grace
Upon grace

I have done so many things wrong in my life and, at times, still do. I’m not too fond of it when my wife, who is full of love and grace herself, sees the darkest side of me. There are times I am ashamed of my behavior. I thought by now, with God’s help, all my personal struggles would have been defeated. I can only continue to ask for forgiveness, ask for help, receive God’s grace, and continue fighting the good fight of faith. God’s grace is for you too!

But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses. 1 Tim. 6:12 (MSG)

Parts of the song “Grace Upon Grace” were used.
Songwriters: Matthew West, Aj Pruis

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Clutter? Or Clean?

/ Mark Brady / 7 Comments
Photo by: cottonbro

Is there any correlation between a clean house and a clean spiritual life? Is someone who is too busy, too lazy, or too distracted by life to pick up the place where they live also due to that stuff challenged to pick up the mess in their life with God? I would dare say, “yes.”

I’ll share a truth with ya; if people enter your home and don’t see clutter, they tend to think your house is clean, even if it isn’t, but if they see a mess everywhere, they will sense your home is dirty.

Keeping a house clean is a constant job. There are no days off, vacations, or holidays. The same goes for maintaining your spiritual life with God. I learned from my parents to look around whenever moving about the house and to pick up something out of place and return it. I also learned to put things up as soon as you finish with them. I understand that living with others who do not share your desire to keep items picked up can make your job more difficult.

So how does all of this relate to your spiritual life? Keeping on top of your relationship with God takes desire, time, and effort. You have to make a mental decision to make it a priority. Even when there are things in life that are begging for your attention. Yes, you may be tired, have distractions, hardships, financial pressure, or have relationship struggles, but you still need to make time to spend with God. In fact, if you have anything from that list going on, you would be crazy not to go to God and take it with you to turn all of it to him.

15 But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds were gathering together to hear him and to be healed of their illnesses. 16 Yet Jesus himself frequently withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.
Luke 5:15-16 (NET)

Sometimes you can’t get to the house, but don’t let anything keep you from your time with your heavenly Father. Take the example of Jesus himself. He knew how important it was to spend time with his heavenly Father. Doing so keeps your mind and heart clear, clean, and uncluttered.

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.