Looking Your Best for God

January 8, 2017January 9, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

big-hat There was an emphasis on wearing your “Sunday best” when I was growing up. Every week at church most would be decked out in the nicest piece of wardrobe in their closet. “You should look your best when going to church,” was often heard. Believe it or not, in some churches, the hats worn on Easter are so large one cannot see the pastor when sitting behind such monstrosities.

Now there is certainly nothing wrong with looking nice when one attends a church service, but note that wearing your best is on the outside. God probably appreciates the effort, but what is likely more important is someone coming into God’s house looking nice on the inside. In other words, having a contrite heart, or a heart after God’s heart. A heart that is concerned for others, and where they will spend eternity.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me.” Psa. 51:10 (AMP)

Knowing this, perhaps here at the beginning of a new year, it is time to clean out your “spiritual” closet. Get rid of all of the things that make you look good only on the outside. Let God examine your heart, and guide you in where changes need to be made.

What Living is Meant to Be

January 1, 2017 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

dirty-shirt-500 It’s December 31, 2016 as I am actually writing this. In a few minutes, 2016 will end, die, and the “new” year will begin. Some like new. New opportunities, new hope, a fresh start, but there are those who hang on to the old. It’s kind of like someone continuing to wear an old, worn out, dirty shirt, instead of putting on a new, clean shirt. They probably are not comfortable with something they don’t know how it will fit, or feel, so they continue to wear the old worn one. The same can go for when people accept Jesus. They know He has replaced their old rags (life) with something new, and that they “should” let go of the old life, but they struggle in doing so.

Have you ever realized if Jesus hadn’t of died there would be no new? Without his death, there would be no resurrection. God’s plan of salvation would have been nothing more than a nice gesture, or a generous thought.

2Co 5:17 “Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!” (MSG, italics mine)

It can be very difficult, but in order to truly live, our old flesh has to die. All of it. So as this new year begins, make a fresh commitment to let God work on you, inside and out. Let the old things pass away, and let new things in. May you learn to get comfortable in how God dresses you. Who knows? You may finally realize what living is meant to be.

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.

Jesus is Lord!!

December 4, 2016 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

A young lady in my church, who hides behind a recliner to talk to her parent’s bible study group stands up with boldness in front of her class. The 15 year old shared with them why God should be allowed back into schools. She revealed students have a right to proclaim “Jesus is Lord”. She stood there in the power of the Holy Spirit as He enabled her. In her own might it would never happen, but she loves God and wants to be used by Him.

We are in full blown Christmas mode right now. This is the easiest time of the year to share “Jesus is Lord”. After all, Jesus is the reason for this season. People are hungry for truth and Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. All, who know “Jesus is Lord”, should be watching for opportunities to share their faith. Ready to give an answer to those searching. The Holy Spirit has been drawing them to God. Now we need to be asking the Holy Spirit to help us to be ready and bold, like the young lady in my church.

This holiday season give more than an earthly gift. Give the gift God gave us. His son Jesus. Share with all, why Jesus is the answer to their needs. Give a gift that hopefully no one returns.

Choose to Live

November 20, 2016November 20, 2016 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

20161119_112851 A young man hid in the bushes. When he judged the train was too close to stop in time he ran out and dove onto the tracks.

I was riding that train on my way to work this past week. I have been commuting in and out of Chicago for 23 years, but this was the first time I have actually been on the train that struck a pedestrian. They ruled it a suicide immediately.

While the investigation was proceeding I thought about this person and wondered, how bad was his life that he decided he had no more hope? What was going on? Satan won a victory that morning. John 10:10 tells us, “Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy.” Anything God has created, or made, including mankind, Satan wants to get rid of it.

Pastor Robert Morris, of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas once said, “As long as you are alive, you have hope.” If you are hurting, if the pain is more than you think you can bare, then please talk to someone. Please, I beg you. There are numerous organizations that are set up to help in all kinds of ways, but you must contact them. Depression, and mental illness is not something that shows up on the outside. Most people may not ever know, until you speak up. And if someone speaks up to you, I pray you will love and care about them enough to listen intently, and help them. Life, can be a beautiful thing. Choose it.

Regret?

November 13, 2016November 13, 2016 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

(Photo by Cathy Wang)

“Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve.” We’ve all heard the phrase before. I feel that phrase mostly applies to relationships. Today I was thinking about some of the closer ones I have had over the years. I know, and understand it takes two to get it right, but the one thing I have regretted over and over is when my response to the other person was less than perfect.

That lack of responding in the right, or best way has caused a lot of hurt, pain, and disappointment in some of these relationships. The moment I realize I have wounded the other person is when regret starts to set in.

In some cases there has been a huge price to pay for not responding correctly. Being very open and honest it would be easier if the other person passed on, but when they don’t you are forced to deal with the reality they don’t want to speak, or see you again, ever! This is what can happen when one chooses not to forgive you. We shouldn’t let regrets weigh us down, but rather learn from them and hope the next time we respond better.

I am so glad Jesus forgives us when our responses are less than perfect. To me, “hell” would be the reality that God turned His back on me, and never wanted to see, or hear from me again, ever!

Winning

November 6, 2016 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

We saw a pretty grand parade and rally this week in Chicago. A party to celebrate the Chicago Cubs winning a World Series after not winning it in 108 years. It was estimated 5,000,000 people were in attendance. Yet that pails to compare to the party and celebration that will take place for those who call Jesus, “Lord”. He hasn’t returned in over 2000 years. You talk about saying, “Maybe next year!”

His return cannot come soon enough for me, but then I feel bad for those that still have not accepted him. Knowing that when their game of life is over, when that final “out” is called, they could possibly find themselves on the losing team. Then spending eternity, instead of the off season, wishing they had accepted the offer from the other team.

Everybody “wants” to be on the winning team, but not all are willing to do whatever it takes, or willing to give up what it may require in order to be on God’s team. They would rather live for themselves, or live for today instead of investing in where they could live in the future.

Mat 19:16-22 Another day, a man stopped Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus said, “Why do you question me about what’s good? God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you.” The man asked, “What in particular?” Jesus said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself.”

The young man said, “I’ve done all that. What’s left?” “If you want to give it all you’ve got,” Jesus replied, “go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me.” That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go. (MSG)

Be a winner. Play on God’s team. Accept His free gift of salvation by accepting His son, Jesus into your life. Trust me, there will still be bad innings, strike outs, errors, but when the game of life is over you will be at a party like no one has ever seen.

Wisdom from God’s Word

October 30, 2016October 30, 2016 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Work is tough. Ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and He told them that work would be hard, it has been just that. I grew up believing in the American dream. That a person could find employment doing something they enjoyed. At first I did, but over the years things have changed. Now, work is hard and it isn’t enjoyable at all. There are good moments, but mainly those moments are on a personal level.

In these current times we, who try our best to be Godly, are often thrown under the bus, lied about, ridiculed, and mistreated even though some of the treatment goes against the business code of conduct. rev-1

If I had things my way I would be living in an RV, traveling across America, writing. I want this kind of life. I desire this life with everything in my heart. Then I read Proverbs 16:9:

We plan the way we want to live, but only GOD makes us able to live it.

My faith in God requires that I believe this from God’s word. More importantly, I live it. The worst thing I could do is try to make the life I so desperately want happen. I yield to the truth that if God wants it to happen, then it will, but in His timing, and in His way. Hopefully doing so will help me to be wise.

Is it 10:00?

October 8, 2016 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“Betty, what are you doing?” asked the caregiver.

“I have to get dressed. I have a 10:00 appointment.”

“Its 2:00 Betty.”

“Morning, or afternoon?”

“Morning.”

She helped Betty get back into her hospital bed. Betty tried this again two more times.

“But I have an appointment at 10:00. I need to get dressed.”

“Betty, you don’t have an appointment today at 10.”

“Yes I do.”

“Here, let me help you get comfortable in your bed.”

Betty went to be with Jesus at 10:24 AM.

This is a true story. Betty was my great aunt. I wrote about her on her 97^th birthday this past January. I once told her that she has lived so long her friends, already in heaven, might think she passed and went the other direction. In another conversation, “Your place, that Jesus promises to make for us in heaven, must really be something, because it has taken a long time to get it ready.”

We all have an appointment to keep one day. When we too will stand before God. I hope you’re ready like my aunt was.

“I love you Aunt Betty! I’m going to miss you, but I’m glad you are home.”

Betty

What Have You Abandoned?

October 2, 2016 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

from Pinterest

I can’t explain it really, but I have this unusual attraction to places that once were. A place that once was for fun, work, family, or God. An old amusement park, an abandoned factory, a dilapidated house, but especially a deserted church.

from Pinterest

I can understand an amusement park fails to draw crowds. A factory used to make things that are no longer needed, or wanted. A family leaves a house for any number of reasons, and the house never catches the eye of a new owner. But a church? Yes I know a church is truly its people, but there is something very sad to me when I see a church building that has been abandoned.

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Did God fail to draw a crowd? Did He stop providing what people needed? Has He not caught the eye of a new convert? The answer is, “No.” God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb. 13:8) So if God did not fail then what happened?

Did the people that once entered its doors, and gathered inside abandon

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God? I hope not. There are lots of things worth abandoning in life, but God? Never. A destructive life pattern, although it may be fun, yes. A job that doesn’t fully meet your needs? Yes. A house you or your family have out grown? Perhaps, but God? No. It is when you need to abandon other things in life, you need God the most. To lead you, guide you, and help you. I pray you never abandon God, for He will never abandon you.