WEDNESDAY'S WORD - RELEASE - 12/18/19 - Sadell Bradley

   

"Anything you can't control is teaching you how to let go."  

-Jackson Kiddard 

Control is the power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course of events. I found the quote above to be eerily true, as there are many things over which we have no control. One thing we do control is our ability to release the things or people on which we have a physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional grip. The monkey's willingness to release his grasp would give him the chance to have the banana without shattering the container. Clutching the banana leaves him hopelessly without both. To RELEASE means a lot of things: to allow or enable to escape from confinement; to set free; to allow something to move, act or flow freely; to remove restrictions or obligations from; to allow something to return to its resting position by ceasing to put pressure on it; to allow information to be generally available; to remit or discharge a debt; to surrender a right, or to turn over property or money to another person or entity.  

The power of release is part of Jesus' ministry."The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom to the captives and release from the darkness for prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor. (Isa. 61:1-3, NIV)  

The Mamertine Prison in Rome in which Paul was held, was dim, dark and dirty. Known in earlier times as the Tullianum dungeon, its "neglect, darkness, and stench" gave it "a hideous and terrifying appearance,"- Roman historian Sallust. Prisons typically served as holding cells for those awaiting trial or execution. Prisoners were rarely sent there just for punishment. It is easy to see why someone confined would want to get out. Jesus is empowered to free us from situations that hold us captive and have us feeling trapped. He doesn't just want to free us from the prison itself but from its darkness. Darkness is defined not just as the absence of light, but as evil, wickedness, secrecy, ignorance, unhappiness, distress, and gloom. It's crazy how we hold on to darkness as if we have no other choice.  Release the darkness. 

Jesus said in John 3:19, "This is the verdict. Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil."  We have a choice, "8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, 9for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth...11Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that is illuminated becomes a light itself. 14So it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you..." (Eph. 5:8-9;11-14) I pray for release from darkness for us.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - FRUSTRATE - 12/11/19 - Sadell Bradley

"People don't exist in a vacuum. They're a result of who raised them and who they love and who frustrates them." - Mary Wiseman - American Actress   Did you know that the word FRUSTRATE derives from the Latin frustrat which means disappointed?  The root frustra means 'in vain.' I hope this brings as much understanding to what's going on in your life as it did to mine. We generally look at the meaning of the word FRUSTRATE as - to prevent (a plan or attempted action) from progressing, succeeding, or being fulfilled; to prevent (someone) from doing or achieving something; or to cause (someone) to feel upset or annoyed, typically as a result of being unable to change or achieve something.   I definitely wasn't connecting the emotion of disappointment with my feelings of frustration, but it's so real. To disappoint means to fail to fulfill hopes or expectations. As a younger leader I used to say, "I appoint, and I dis-appoint," and that is, in fact, another definition of that word- to deprive of a position. You might be frustrated today because your hopes have been dashed, you're disappointed about what's going on, or an outcome hasn't quite turned out as you expected.     In Galatians 2:21 Paul makes this statement, "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ is dead in vain." The idea that we could frustrate God's grace; that we could prevent it from progressing or succeeding in achieving its purpose is startling. How could we, in our frail humanity, actually stop the plan of God's free gift of Grace from being fulfilled? By choosing instead to operate from our own righteousness and dead works in a futile attempt to try to keep God's laws. Paul said it this way, "I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down."(vs. 18, NLT) God is calling me to rest in what He's done...but I insist on my own activity. God asks me to trust Him and be undisturbed, even with the foolishness that is going around me, yet I choose to worry and fight. I wonder, how many times I've frustrated and disappointed God by trying to do things my own way, rather than receiving what He desires to give...too many times.