Perfect Grace

July 19, 2024June 18, 2024 / Mark Brady / 1 Comment

Have you ever had to live with a perfectionist? I have. They’re the worst! They expect you to do everything as they do, perfectly! (According to them.) The pressure of trying to remember, anticipate, expect, to be proactive while doing it all perfectly is unbearable. One can be so nervous trying not to mess up that they actually do. You feel horrible when getting yelled at and chewed out for making the silliest, most minor mistakes that, in the realm of the universe, don’t matter.

The worst part of growing up with a perfectionist is turning into one when you get older!

You know you don’t want to treat people the way you were treated, but you struggle not to point out or comment when another person does things wrong, in your opinion. They’re right, it’s not fair!

Some people live with a mindset that since God is perfect, and He is, He is just waiting for them to mess up so He can beat them over the head. They fear his wrath and judgment. They might even feel “unworthy” of his love. The truth is, we should “respect” his wrath and judgment but not “fear” it. You see, because He is love, He is just and faithful to forgive us of our sins if we confess them.

If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—simply come clean about them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God. 1 John 1:8-10 (MSG)

God freely gives us grace. Knowing that his grace is available and that you can live in it, is a beautiful thing. There is no fear or nervousness about messing up. Not that you can go out and live however you want to, though. That would be trampling on the cross and minimizing the horrible death that Jesus went through for you and me.

The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1 Tim. 1:14 (NIV)

For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].
John 1:16 (AMP)

The First Eternity

July 16, 2024June 10, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Have you ever realized that there was an eternity before what we have now on Earth? Think about this: when God placed man in the Garden of Eden, it was perfect. There was no sickness, no hurt, no pain, no Washington D.C. (um-hum), and no death. I believe God intended for life always to be that way. Walking and talking with man and woman each day.

Then, Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God, and darkness entered the world, ending perfection.

Hundreds of years later, Light once again came to the world, and the hope of a perfect eternity was now obtainable by believing that Jesus is God’s Son and accepting his gift of salvation for the forgiveness of our sins.

God never intended for people to hurt or for them to deal with sickness and disease. He didn’t want them to suffer in any way, shape or form. God didn’t want anyone to feel hunger, the pain of war, or the sting of a broken family. He never wanted to comfort a parent having to bury a child. God only wanted his best for his children.

Not living with God is choosing to live in a dump! Darkness dumps on you, most likely every week, if not every day! Your Facebook posts constantly share the pain and heartache that you deal with on a regular basis. I’m not saying you shouldn’t post those things with us because it reminds me to pray for you. And I’m not saying life with God is perfect on this side of heaven, but it is definitely better than living in a dump!

Accept God. Learn to live his ways by studying the Bible, his manuscript for living life. Walk and talk with him daily. Ask lots of questions, for He is the only one who has the correct answers. You will enjoy the victories along the way until you reach the second eternity.

John 8:12 – Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Proverbs 21:21- Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.

Romains 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Isaiah 41:10 – So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

The Tiny Sermon

October 14, 2022October 14, 2022 / 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.

A Foreign Language

October 19, 2021October 19, 2021 / Mark Brady / 4 Comments

Her parents just immigrated to America from India. She was three years old, and didn’t know any English. Now, a few months later, and being enrolled in a preschool she is learning a few words at a time. But when one of her co-students said to her, “I don’t like you and I don’t want to play with you” the toddler simply smiled and used body language to invite her to swing with her on the tire.

When I heard this true story I realized the beauty of not being able to speak or understand the language of hate, or of racism. To have the capacity to smile in the face of evil is a special gift. I could learn from the little precious girl from India.

I think, no, I know Jesus had this special gift. For when He was falsely accused, hated, spit upon, and betrayed He still managed to say, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

A worthy goal that will take lots of practice to perfect, but think of the message it sends to the one spouting toxic words. A message of love. In any language!

What Makes Me Hard to Love?

January 22, 2020January 20, 2020 / Mark Brady / 5 Comments

Charlie 012220 Well this isn’t going to be fun, but I feel the need to write out a self-evaluation. While reflecting on some recent events I was reminded of the following flaws in my personality:

I expect others to do the right thing. When they don’t, I want to be the one to tell them they screwed up. (In love of course!)
I have no trouble pointing out the truth of situations, but I forget few want to hear it.
I seek perfection in others, and though I try so hard, I overlook that I too come up short.
I do to others what I am want them to do to me, but I have learned not everyone knows that rule.
If I’m willing to listen to you, I expect you to listen to me.
I tend to “nick pick”, because I think people should do everything the way I do it.

I could go on I’m sure, but this hurts. Looking into a mirror, that sees deeper than the exterior, is hard to face. When you see who you really are, you wonder, how can anyone love me? Then, you might ask, how can God love me?

When God first made man, he was perfect. But God refused to have robots obey commands to choose him, so he gave man “free will”. It was the only way to see who would love him, because they wanted to. God first loved us, even though that “free will” opens the door to imperfection, and makes us hard to love, he loves us anyway. There is no means to measure, or weigh how much God loves us. Love, is God’s core nature.

But just how does God do it? Love us even though we are hard to love?

He looks at us through rose colored glasses. The ones that were stained, by the blood of his son, Jesus’ when he died on a cross to forgive us of our sins. I would be more lovable if I saw others as God does.

Perfect

October 23, 2019 / Mark Brady / 2 Comments

Charlie 234 Perfection, is a difficult thing to achieve, for those who even try, but somehow, Jesus managed to pull it off. His accomplishment has always intrigued me. Many times I have wondered, If Jesus can do it, then why can’t I? I now have my answer.

As I have studied the life and ministry of Christ, there are some consistent points he focused on:

Jesus was in constant communication with his Father, who just so happened to be God.
Jesus kept the will of his Father in the front of his mind.
Jesus only did what he had seen his Father do.

This kind of focused life got Jesus killed.

Ouch! But God knew that would happen and was used by God to have a perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. The very goal of sending your only Son to earth.

So if I achieved perfection, even for an hour, or a day, would it kill me? No, but would it kill me to try? If I prayed more I would know every day the will of God, and hopefully do what I knew my heavenly Father would do in all situations and in all conversations. Dying to myself won’t forgive anyone of sin, but perhaps, it might lead others to Jesus, who can.

Perfect Love

March 26, 2019March 25, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 59 God is perfect, but He doesn’t expect it!

Confessing Sin

February 20, 2019February 16, 2019 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

charlie 3 I am guilty of expecting perfection of others. I know, it’s wrong. When someone disappoints me and I express it, they are instantly hurt to the core. I hate it when I do it, because I don’t want to hurt anyone, especially the ones I love.

I am trying, by asking God to help me replace expectation with mercy. Then, when one makes a mistake, I will express mercy, and they will feel love. Our Heavenly Father does this very thing for us.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:36 NIV)