Unfortunately, death has been all around me lately. Not in my personal family, but in the families of others and some people I know. My mother-in-law informed us on the street she lives, there is one person, or more who die every day. She lives in the Philippines. Covid is a thief of life!
But yet others have passed away from illnesses and diseases we are more acquainted with, like cancer. Losing a family member, friend, neighbor, or a coworker hurts. We mourn, grieve, and cry, because we will miss them, and that’s understood. Although the pain can be great, when one we know passes but has first accepted Jesus Christ as God’s son, and has made a public confession of their faith in him, then we can be assured we will see them again. Our grief is temporary as the sting of death first hits us. That statement is only true if we too have accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts, asking him to forgive us of every wrong thing we have ever done. I sense I need to write that there is nothing you have done that God will not forgive, nothing!
I had a coworker several years back that believed in reincarnation. I learned that as we talked about life after death while riding the commuter train out of Chicago, IL. We respected each other’s views and opinions. You might say he believed that life offered up “Round Trip” tickets. My view was it’s a “One Way” ticket. Meaning, you only get one opportunity to make that important decision to accept Jesus.
27 Every human being is appointed to die once, and then to face God’s judgment. 28 But when we die we will be face-to-face with Christ, the One who experienced death once for all to bear the sins of many! Heb. 9:27-28 (TPT)
As my friend and I debarked the train, I turned to him and said, “If you are right, and I am wrong, then I have nothing to be concerned about. But if I am right, and you are wrong, then you will find yourself standing before God explaining to him why you didn’t accept him in your one life.” I went on to explain that the wages of sin, unforgiven wrong deeds, is death. For eternity! As one of my cousins said, “Eternity is a very long time!”
So I ask you, before you die, “Would you like a one way ticket?” Oh, and by the way, no charge. Jesus paid the price for you when he died on the cross.
Copyright © 2021 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.
Jobs have disappeared,
One of the hardest decisions to make, after having your heart ran through a shredder, is to try again. You have said, “No way!” “I could never trust again.” “I can’t take the chance, or I never want to feel that kind of pain again!”
My favorite part, of Jesus’ death on the cross is this; the very moment he exhaled his last breath the thick, tall, heavy curtain that separated man, from the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom. It’s my favorite part, because now, we have direct access to God’s presence.
We are gathered here today to pay our respects to Mark Brady. In this grave, six feet below us, lies his body, his flesh. Living by his flesh caused him to hurt a lot of people. Wife, children, friends, sibling, coworkers, and even his mother and father. Being led by his flesh opened the door to enter into a sin, where the result cast him out of the will of God.
Jesus, being the son of a carpenter, learned all about wood. How to pick out the right kind perfect for its intended use. He was shown by his father how to cut it, sand it, and assemble it so it could serve its purpose. Jesus also became acquainted with nails. Where to put them, and what size was needed.
brady, mark a. 