Why it’s so Wrong

December 20, 2024November 22, 2024 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

I looked up again and saw—surprise!—a book on the wing! A book flying!

²The Messenger-Angel said to me, “What do you see now?” I said, “I see a book flying, a huge book—thirty feet long and fifteen wide!”

^3-4He told me, “This book is the verdict going out worldwide against thieves and liars. The first half of the book disposes of everyone who steals; the second half takes care of everyone who lies. I launched it”—Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies—“and so it will fly into the house of every thief and every liar. It will land in each house and tear it down, timbers and stones.” Zec. 5:1-4 (MSG)

Zechariah 5 is a chapter in the Bible that presents a message of hope and a reminder of God’s intolerance of sin and His divine judgment on those who transgress His laws.

Lying and stealing are so bad they both made the list of God’s Top 10. And David Letterman thought he was the first one to do a Top 10 list. Why does God hate both of these?

Lying is so deceptive! It misleads people. It can also confuse individuals because they may not know what or whom to believe. But ultimately, it breaks down “trust.” Trust is hard to earn and even harder to earn back. I always told my children, “Just tell me the truth. No matter what it is, I can deal with the truth.” I’m not convinced they believed me, but it was a true statement nonetheless.

Stealing, well, it is also wrong! It is taking something that is not yours. You didn’t work for it or earn it. Or it wasn’t given to you by someone else. You have no right to it. It’s cheating! It causes the rightful owner to have to replace it if they can afford to. When someone steals, it usually has a monetary cost to it.

This is why God detests both of these sins. They hurt people. And God doesn’t like to see people in pain. He will deal severely with those who practice such things. It is also why God is such a champion for truth! The truth sets people free.

Another reason God sent His Son, Jesus to be born as a child. (Hence, Christmas.) Who dares question His delivery method? He knew His Son would grow up and do the work of his Father in heaven, which would show the freedom we can have in life if we don’t lie or steal, amongst other things that are wrong. God wants His people to live good lives.

When is it Okay to Sin?

November 15, 2022November 12, 2022 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

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.

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.
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)
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.
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.

Diabolical

September 14, 2021September 17, 2021 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

In pouring through the case file I came across a photo of the woman, we were after, and her young son. As I studied the photograph I saw he was holding a large, light blue teddy bear. The photo was old because the bear was almost as big as he was back then, but now he is much older. “That’s it!” I thought. “We’ve got her now.”

A few hours later, we were in place. The woman was hiding out in an old abandoned warehouse. She had been on the run for a few years now. She made no purchases herself or appeared in public. She had help, a support network to keep her whereabouts secret. That is until one of those with her turned against her and disclosed her location to one of my associates.

I walked up to the front of the warehouse carrying the bear. The same one her son used to have. I walked away and then we announced over a bullhorn that we had her son. A few minutes later the door to the warehouse opened and someone, other than her, reached through it and grabbed the bear. About fifteen minutes later the woman gave herself up.

This peaceful capture of a fugitive worked because we hit her where she was weak. We realized she probably struggled every day with the guilt of leaving her son behind in order to live a life of crime, and to stay hidden so she could be what she thought was free. But what kind of freedom is it to never be able to show your face in public, or hug your son?

Okay, in full disclosure, I borrowed the above plot, with a little bit of tweaking from a well written, popular TV drama on Netflix. I did so to make a couple of points:

Satan knows where you are weak, and he will do anything to attack you in that place. He does not play fair at all. His operation is completely diabolical. He hates God, and to him, you are nothing but a pawn in the battle over souls. The devil lies, steals, and cheats to build his kingdom. God uses love to build his kingdom. And He gave as well. He gave us his only Son to die for us, so we could live.
True freedom is in Christ Jesus. Having your sins forgiven, your wrong doing wiped away by the action of Jesus on the cross. You see, when your sins are forgiven there is nothing the devil can use to attack you. You don’t live with guilt, or regret. You have the word of God that can be used against the devil to resist temptation as well. But wait, there’s more! You have the power of all of heaven on your side to help fight the battle and to stand firm.

Stop the sneaky attacks of Satan once and for all. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and enter into a realm of living in freedom. Bask in the love of God and share this Truth with others, so they too can experience God, experience life the way God intended it to be.

Naked Prayer

July 28, 2020January 7, 2021 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Last week, I mentioned crying out to God, but today I want to share a little more about prayer. Oh, and “Naked Prayer” is bearing your soul to God, so there is nothing left unseen. He knows it anyway, but it’s as if He wants you to reveal it and give, or surrender it to him, like a child, who doesn’t know to hide their heart truth.

In John 10:10, where it says, “Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy…” the Greek word for “kill” doesn’t mean, “take your life”, but it actually indicates you “giving your life, or surrendering something to the devil.” That means you give up hope. It indicates you are giving up on God, and when you are convinced God is not going to answer your prayer then Satan can sweep in and gain a stronghold into your life.

“Prayers don’t expire,” says Robert Madu

Your prayers don’t have an expiration date on them, or have a statute of limitations with God. He can answer your prayer anytime He wants to, and He knows when the answer will work out best for you. Also, there could be a good reason, to God, for not answering your prayer, and that is when faith is the most difficult.

A miracle, is still a miracle, no matter how long it takes.

Perhaps God knew if he answered a couple of my prayers before now, I would not have meditated on this subject and have written these words to hopefully help you, or encourage you. The truth is; I don’t know, but that is where my faith and trust in him comes into play. I am confident that God knows best, He has heard me, and will work in my life, and through my life, regardless of an answer to my request. For that I say, “Thank you, God, and thank you for loving me.”

God’s Top Ten List

May 5, 2018May 4, 2018 / Mark Brady / Leave a comment

The Ten

No other Gods before me.
I’m to be your first priority.
Nothing should be your idol.
Keep your life pure.
Don’t use my name when cussing.
Understanding this can bring humility.
Keep Sundays Holy.
Resting one day a week is a wonderful thing.
Honor your father and mother.
Doing so will bless your life.
Killing is not good.
Love is a much better way.
Committing adultery tears people apart.
Learning intimacy will bring people together.
Don’t take what isn’t yours.
If you do, you’ll never learn to trust.
Lying is a bad idea.
Honesty is always the way to go.
You shouldn’t want what isn’t yours.
Contentment brings peace to your life.

God didn’t come up with these 10 commandments to make your life miserable. He didn’t do it so we would become “religious”, and start a bunch of denominations with a list of “rules” to live by. He gave us these principles, to live by, so we could relate to him better, and with each other.