salvation

“Glad You’re Doing Okay”

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments
Image generated via AI.

I received an email the other night from an old friend. I had not seen them in several years. They said they had been thinking about me and wanted to know if I was okay. We exchanged emails and got caught up, somewhat.

I learned a little bit about their life since I last saw them. It was basic information. Their spouse is okay, their child is now nine, they aren’t working, and why. Stuff like that. Sadly, I got the overwhelming impression that they weren’t happy. In fact, they made the statement that their life was boring.

I shared how much I was enjoying my retirement years, that April liked her job, about the new church we started attending this year, and our involvement there. I also shared that I had finished remodeling the house and that we had new furniture that April had picked out, and how she had done a great job. I did mention how I didn’t like getting old, though.

I wasn’t exaggerating or embellishing, but just telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God. In their final reply, they wrote, “I’m glad you’re doing okay.”

Their comment got me thinking. Was I bragging? Was I trying to impress them? Why was my life doing okay?

I know in my heart that despite body aches and pains, some hiccups in life, some frustrations in our marriage, and working hard to pay off the bills, our life isn’t bad. Why? Because April and I have accepted Jesus Christ and have had our sins forgiven, and know that he is still forgiving us of our new ones. We both read God’s word, the Bible, regularly, and we tithe faithfully. We are committed to our local church and do what we can to help there, which has allowed us to develop relationships with real people who believe like we do.  We also do what we can to share God and His amazing love with others as the Holy Spirit leads and gives us boldness to speak up. That is why we are doing okay!

I do realize some may say, “I do all those things and yet my life isn’t okay.” I honestly don’t have an answer as to why that is for some. But I know that April and I both invited God into our lives at a young age and have tried our best to surrender our free will to him. Perhaps that has something to do with it as well. God tends to bless obedience, and I know that faith pleases him.

But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]. Heb. 11:6 (AMPC)

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Jer. 29:11 (AMPC)

5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Prov. 3:5-6 (AMPC)

If there were such a thing as a “recipe” for living a life pleasing to God, then this may be it. April and I enjoy our lives. We feel blessed because we are. It’s like living in a garden, and after all, in the beginning, isn’t that what God intended?

Copyright © 2025 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Are You Being Goaded?

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Image generated via AI.

People come to God in different ways. I had a coworker who was seeking God. He traveled to the Grand Canyon and declared, “There must be a God!” Sitting on the rim, he accepted God’s gift of salvation, had his sins forgiven, and began his walk with God. Others may be moved by a situation or circumstance that takes place in life.

Saul, from the Bible, was highly educated. He had heard Jesus’ claims and teachings, as it was always a popular topic of discussion. Why? Because Jesus promoted living a life of love. This went against the culture of the day, and to this day! Saul was there when Stephen was martyred. He heard Stephen’s speech and saw his face as it glowed there at the end of his life, and it messed with him severely! Saul was goaded. (Acts 6:8 – 7:60)

Saul eventually accepted Jesus Christ. During his conversion:

And Saul said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting. It is dangerous and it will turn out badly for you to keep kicking against the goad [to offer vain and perilous resistance]. Acts 9:5 (AMPC)

Goad means – provoke or annoy (someone) so as to stimulate an action or reaction.

More recently, Jimmy Kimmel got teary-eyed when he talked about Erika Kirk forgiving the man who killed her husband. Jimmy, too, is highly educated. He lives a very different life from the one Charlie did, and Erika Kirk still does. I believe Jimmy Kimmel is starting to feel some goads. Erika’s willingness to forgive is messing with his mind. He doesn’t understand how she can do that because it’s the way of love.

Acts of selfless love penetrate one’s mind and spirit.

I guarantee you, there are a lot of individuals walking all around us who are struggling with the message and lifestyle of Jesus Christ and of those who follow him. The Holy Spirit is drawing them quietly to God. That is one of his duties. He convicts men of their sins and shows them they need forgiveness in order to have real life.

If you are related to an individual going through this, or you work with, or live near, pray for them. Pray they will stop fighting against the goads and surrender their will to God’s. Their future and where they spend eternity depend on it. If it is you, then do the right thing and live.

Copyright © 2025 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Big Enough for You, Two

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Our pastor preached from the book of Genesis this past Sunday. He spoke about Noah and the ark.  I have been to Williamstown, KY., where there is a life-size replica of the ark. One thought that came to mind this past Sunday was that it was big enough to take in “all” who believed. So is heaven.

In Genesis 7:16, God shut the door of the ark. He had given mankind time to believe, enter the ark, and be saved. The ark was a type of salvation. God saw that mankind was getting out of hand. He had had enough, but everyone on Earth at that time had an opportunity to live.

In Matthew 24, Jesus says that in the last days, life on Earth will be as it was in the days of Noah. Man will once again be vial, evil, and corrupt. And once again God will say, “Enough!” God knows that sin hurts people. The one doing wrong and usually someone else. That may be why He will end it someday soon, but He has once again given mankind time to accept him, this time, through believing that Jesus died on the cross for our sins.

Our pastor said it was Noah’s faith that saved him and not the ark. Your faith will save you, too. You can enter heaven by yourself, or you can enter heaven with someone else, as in two by two. In fact, invite everyone to join you. Noah did. Don’t accept the majority opinion. Just because it may be popular doesn’t mean it is right. The people in Noah’s day most likely said Noah was crazy. “What rain?” “It has never rained before!” They turned out to be wrong. Don’t be wrong. Get on board with believing in Jesus.

In the end, it won’t physically rain on the Earth to the extent of flooding it, but the next time, justice will rain down!

For just as life went on in the days of Noah so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Mat. 7: 37 (PHILLIPS)

“You must be on the alert then, for you do not know when your master is coming. 
Mat. 7: 42 (PHILLIPS)

Oh, and the typo in the title was intentional. It was a pun on words.

Copyright © 2025 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Your Story

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I am reposting from Facebook. I tried to find the author and get permission to share, but I was unsuccessful. Yet the words should be shared, and I love the image that was used with the post.

When you die, don’t worry about your body. Your relatives and funeral staff will do it. I know this firsthand. I’ve done it myself. They will take you out of the house and deliver you to the funeral home of your family’s choice. They will take off your clothes. They will wash you. They will dress you up. They will even apply makeup to make you look presentable. Many will come to the funeral to honor you. Some will even cancel their plans and ask for leave to go to the funeral.

Your things, things you hate to be borrowed, will be sold, donated, or burned. Your keys, your tools, your books, your CDs, DVDs, games, your collections, and your clothes.

The world won’t stop and cry for you. The economy will continue. You will be replaced at work. Someone with the same or even better ability will take your place. Your property will switch to your heirs. And don’t doubt that the small and big things you have done in your life will be spoken of, judged, doubted, and criticized.

People who only knew your face will say, “Poor thing!” Your good friends will cry for a few hours or several days, but then they will laugh again. Your pets will get used to their new owner.

Your pictures will be hanging on the wall for a while, then they will be put on furniture, and finally stored at the bottom of the box. Someone else will sit on your couch and eat from it. Deep pain in your home will last a year, two, maybe ten… Then you will join the memories, and then your story will end. It will end among people, end here, end in this world.

But your story begins in a new reality… in your life after death. The things you once had will lose their meaning. You cannot bring your earthly possessions here. The beauty of your body, last name, property, loans, working position, bank account, the house, the car, academic titles, classmates, trophies, friends of the world, man/woman, the kids, the family.

In your new life, you will only need your soul. The only property that will last is the soul. The big question is: Do you know where your soul is going after this life is over? Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) The Bible is clear that no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again (John 3:3). John 3:18 explains in the simplest terms who will go to heaven and who will go to hell: “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” So, those who go to hell are specifically those who do not believe in Jesus’ name.

Simply, if you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, by grace alone, through faith alone, you will spend eternity in heaven. If you do not receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, you will be eternally separated from God (Matthew 25:46).

The Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). We can choose to trust in Jesus’ payment for our sin, or we can choose to pay for our sins ourselves—but we must remember that the payment for our sin is eternity in hell. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31)

Copyright © 2025 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Do You Really Believe I Don’t Exist?

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Image generated via A.I.

Have you ever noticed how easily people are persuaded to believe one thing over another? They hear someone who comes across as halfway intelligent, and they think they must know what they are talking about! Just because someone uses big words or overwhelms you with “so-called facts” doesn’t mean they are right! There are a lot of smart people out there, but the problem is they define “truth” their way. They will try to convince you that how “they” live is the right way to live. Then, some yell and scream to be heard over the crowd. Are they right?

“Who talked you into the pursuit of this nonsense,
    leaving me high and dry,
    forgetting you ever knew me?
Because I don’t yell and make a scene,
    do you think I don’t exist?
I’ll go over, detail by detail, all your ‘righteous’ attempts at religion,
    and expose the absurdity of it all.
Go ahead, cry for help to your collection of no-gods:
    A good wind will blow them away.
    They’re smoke, nothing but smoke.

“But anyone who runs to me for help
    will inherit the land,
    will end up owning my holy mountain!” Is. 57:11-13 (MSG)

It’s challenging to convince someone that God’s way to live
is the best way if they have never tried it!

They will often vomit their objections, and the truth is that they are sick. In fact, they are so sick they are dying. For not accepting God’s gift of salvation via his Son, Jesus is eternal death. So what do we do as those who have been enlightened? We keep praying for them, and we live our best lives with God in front of them. Almost obnoxiously so they can see how much better our life is with God than their life is without. Not that our lives are perfect, but we walk through it with God in front of us. Perhaps they will become jealous and give in. Then, they will say:

All to Jesus, I surrender
All to Him, I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live

All to Jesus, I surrender
Humbly at His feet, I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me, Jesus, take me now

All to Jesus, I surrender
Lord, I give myself to Thee
Fill me with Thy love and power
Let Thy blessing fall on me

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee, my blessed Saviour
I surrender all

Song – “I Surrender All” by Don Moen

Copyright © 2025 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Happy Birthday!

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Image by Shelley Evans from Pixabay

Whenever your birthday rolls around, and it seems like they appear every year, do you reflect upon your life? I tend to. I think about what I have achieved, my regrets, and where I want to go in the future. I thank God for what I have achieved, and I appreciate his grace and forgiveness, which covers my regrets. Then I pray for my future.

The one thing I don’t regret about my life is trying my best to maintain a good relationship with God. Relying on him for strength, comfort, wisdom, understanding, and guidance. I sometimes trip up and struggle to keep an appropriate attitude toward God. This means that, at times, I get angry about how life is going at the moment and even have the audacity to blame him. Knowing full well He gives us freedom to make our own choices, and if those decisions don’t work out, then it’s my fault.

Birthdays are great for reflecting and celebrating. They’re also good for making course directions in your life. You’re never too old to start over, start new, or get back on track in your walk with God.

So be very careful to act exactly as God commands you. Don’t veer off to the right or the left. Walk straight down the road God commands so that you’ll have a good life and live a long time in the land that you’re about to possess. Deu. 5:32-33 (MSG)

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously. Mic. 6:8 (MSG)

Birthdays should make you mindful of God’s grace and goodness. He has allowed you to survive another trip around the Sun. It could be to show his blessings upon your life., or it could be to give you another opportunity to accept His Son, Jesus, into your life so that your sins are forgiven and you spend eternity with him in heaven. Don’t think you will live forever because you won’t! Don’t put off another day without accepting God’s free gift, no strings attached, salvation. Your life came with an expiration date. “Best if used by: ??/??/????.

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.” James 1:13-15 (MSG)

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Even Graveyards Grow Flowers!

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Image by Frank Meitzke from Pixabay

My father loved to tell jokes. He was almost like a standup comedian who didn’t go on tour. But whenever someone came over to visit, he was on. He had his material down pat. There was one joke that I thought was so corny, and I hated it so much that I swore it would die with him! And don’t ask me to tell you which one. I won’t!

One joke in his repertoire was, “Why do they put fences around graveyards? Because people are just dying to get in.” Graveyards are not places we typically think of going to unless we want to rest in peace. They generally are quiet places unless the undertaker has a crew there mowing or digging a fresh hole.

Perhaps people don’t like visiting graveyards because they find them depressing. That may be due to the fact it reminds them of death and raises the question, “Is there life after death?” Personally, I don’t mind cemeteries. The reason is because “death” or the thought of dying doesn’t bother me. I am ready to stand before God and give an account of how I have lived my life. I shared that with a boss one time, and he almost literally fell out of his chair! I guess he didn’t have the same peace of mind as I do.

The only way I can be so confident about dying is I know how I am living. I have accepted Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior. I live without condemnation of my sins because Jesus paid the price for them when He died for me (and you) on the cross. He was perfect and without sin; therefore, He was an acceptable sacrifice to God. I do my best to live for God, according to His word, the Bible. I also do my best to follow His commandments and principles. Life is not perfect, but it isn’t bad six feet above.

If life isn’t working out for you on your terms, try God’s. Gain the peace of mind of knowing there is life after death, eternal life, and that you will live in peace with God. Then, go visit a graveyard, smell the roses, and perhaps pick a flower or two to take home.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 (ESV)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Rom. 8:1 (ESV)

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8:1 (ESV)

Then we, the living ones who remain [on the earth], shall simultaneously be caught up along with [the resurrected dead] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord! 1 Thes. 4:17 (AMPC)

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Why They Killed Jesus

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

“You think if you don’t fight back then maybe they’ll like you, stop picking on you and calling you a freak? Well, here’s what it is. They don’t like you; they don’t dislike you. They’re afraid of you. You’re different. Sooner or later, different scares people. Victim or not? Make a decision.”

Christian Wolf’s father from the movie, “The Accountant.”

I live close to where a young high school girl recently committed suicide. The tragic event made national news. She killed herself the day after an incident in her school had taken place. She had been bullied for her decision to label herself as “non-binary.” I had not heard of that term, so I looked it up. From what I understand, it means one does not identify as being a male or female. “It” is the only pronoun that can apply in that situation. That’s sad!

I think the above quote definitely fits the young woman’s situation. She was different, and her classmates didn’t understand her; therefore, they were uncomfortable around her. I think Jesus Christ found himself in a similar situation. Not regarding his gender or sexuality but by being different. Some were drawn to him and his message and life demonstration of love. Others weren’t.

Several, especially the religious leaders of the day and those who wielded power, did not accept Jesus. He acted so differently than them. He didn’t condemn the guilty, and he was able to heal the sick and the lame. He showed that he had power over nature and even death! Jesus was so different than them that they became afraid of him instead of believing in him. His wisdom, message, and way of life baffled them! As a result, either out of fear of losing control of the masses or they were sick and tired of hearing his name, they decided to kill him. They did not try to understand Jesus. That’s sad!

But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. 1 Cor. 2:14 (AMPC)

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. Pro. 3:5 (AMPC)

Don’t let your life come to a sad end. Open your heart to Jesus and God’s love, whether it makes sense to you or not. Whether you identify as one whom God lovingly and fearfully made to be his son or daughter. God is who you are desperately looking for! He is the answer to all of your questions. Don’t kill the One who offers you hope.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Mayday

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Image by Alan Dobson from Pixabay

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

Sensing Jesus – Ears

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

In the hustle and bustle of the times, people most likely didn’t notice the cry of a baby coming from the stable. Of if they did, their intellect convinced them that there was no way someone would have a baby there. A lot of Jesus’ story didn’t make sense, so why not where he was born?

Jesus came here with a message that people needed to hear and still do to this day. That word was of God’s plan to redeem us through the sacrifice of his Son. People’s brains had a hard time understanding, accepting, or believing it. God’s action would require “faith” and lots of it.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Rom. 10:17 (KJV)

Jesus also shared a message of acceptance and one of love. For instance, when He spoke to the woman at the well. (John 4:1-42) Or when He ministered to the man who was possessed by a demon. (Mark 5:1-20)

One can use their ears this holiday season to sense Jesus. Like the last blog, pausing, finding a quiet place to focus, and hearing what message Jesus would say to you. It may be a word of love, acceptance, inclusion, comfort, or guidance. It may be an invitation to accept him. His message may not make sense in your mind, but it is truth. No matter what message Jesus would love to give you, I hope you will hear it, believe it, and accept it.

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady