WEDNESDAY'S WORD - FINISHED - Sadell Bradley - 04/15/2025

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD FINISHED 04/16/2025   "There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. Yet that will be the beginning." — Louis L'Amour CLICK HERE TO RSVP & PAY $20   Holy Week is the center of Christian tradition. From Palm Sunday through Resurrection Sunday (Easter), pastors, leaders, and congregants plan and execute simple and elaborate ways to share accounts of Jesus Christ's Passion (which means suffering): His death, burial, and resurrection. On Good Friday, many assemble to remember the crucifixion—the brutal execution of Jesus by nailing to a cross. We rehearse the Seven Last Words He spoke while enduring the pain, agony, and shame: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." "Woman, behold your son" and "Behold your mother." "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" "I thirst." "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit," and "It is finished!" FINISHED is a word of finality. It means that an action, an activity, or a piece of work has been completed or ended by a person. The Greek word for finished is tetelestai. It is the word a painter uses when they make the last stroke on a work of art. Tetelestai is what an accountant declares when a debt is "paid in full." Jesus Christ paid the sin debt we owed but could never pay by laying down His life as an atoning sacrifice. In this He appeased the wrath of God against us for all of our sins, transgressions, and wrongs, and He opened the way for a restored and right relationship for us with God the Father. Jesus made amends for us and paid in full the reparations due for our spiritual bankruptcy. Galatians 3:13 AMP says, "Christ purchased our freedom and redeemed us from the curse of the Law and its condemnation by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS [crucified] ON A TREE (cross).” Jesus' exclamation of the words, "It is finished!" were tied to His purpose. The Apostle John states plainly, "The one who practices sin [separating himself from God, and offending Him by acts of disobedience, indifference, or rebellion] is of the devil [and takes his inner character and moral values from him, not God]; for the devil has sinned and violated God’s law from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8) Paul, in Acts wrote "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with great power; and He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him." Jesus was aware of God's vision and purpose for His life. He knew when it had been accomplished on Calvary's Cross, and declares this in His prayer in John 17: 1Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. Finishing Divine assignments is important to God and should also be significant to us. Paul told his protege Timothy before his death, "I have fought the good and worthy and noble fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith [firmly guarding the gospel against error]. In the future there is reserved for me the [victor’s] crown of righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that [great] day—and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and longed for and welcomed His appearing." (2 Timothy 4:7) Jesus finished what He was put on this earth to do. Paul did too. What about you? With that said...the time for this weekly blog has ended. It is finished. It started years ago when the Holy Spirit prompted me to prime my writing pump in preparation for authoring books. It is time for me to pursue that assignment. I can't say whether I'll blog again, that's up to the LORD's leading. I will say that I am so grateful for your readership, encouragement, and support over the years. It has been an honor and a blessing to share my love of words and God's Word with you! Stay tuned...

WEDNESDAY'S WORD- LIBERATED - Sadell Bradley - 04/09/2025

WEDNESDAY'S WORD LIBERATED 04/09/2025 "The library is the temple of learning, and learning has liberated more people than all the wars in history." — Carl T. Rowen, American Journalist CLICK HERE TO RSVP & PAY $20   I love libraries...and not just because I'm introverted and enjoy solitude and silence. In my youth I assisted the librarian at the elementary school where my mother taught with catalog cards. I'm a product of the Dewey Decimal System, Lol! Here in Cincinnati, Ohio, petitions are circulating from concerned citizens about library funding potentially being cut. This would be a tragedy, especially for disenfranchised populations who use libraries for everything from access to WIFI, to their amazing maker's spaces, to the classes they hold and the books they display on every conceivable topic. Librarians are some of the most helpful, service-orientated professionals in our world. For children, youth, and adults who love books, the library is a wonderland that satisfies our wanderlust. We can travel to another world through our minds and imaginations without leaving our seats. Journalist Carl Rowen states above that libraries and reading are gateways to LIBERATION which is the act of setting someone free from imprisonment, slavery, or oppression; release; or freedom from limits on thought or behavior. That's why books and reading are constantly under attack. Half of Americans read fewer than 4 books per year— 38% said they didn't read a single book in 2024. Some of us are on a quest to understand more about life's complexities. Aside from books, another way I engage learning is by watching documentaries. I viewed an intriguing but somewhat concerning one called "Four Horsemen," about the modern-day economic crisis in which we find ourselves. It broke down the basics and history behind some of the financial structures and systems that have widened the wealth gap and destabilized the society. The director, Ross Ashcroft stated the following at the conclusion of the film: “To really understand something is to be liberated from it. Humanity's greatest ally is the self-educated individual, who has read, understood, delays their gratification, and walks around with their eyes wide open.” — Ross Ashcroft -British Filmmaker As I write, I am considering the breadth of the link between understanding and liberation. In the US, Anti-literacy laws were put in place prior to the Civil War prohibiting enslaved and free Black people from learning to read or write. That's why my mother, an avid reader, would challenge anyone she met to get degrees and increase their knowledge. This stance that bondage comes in part because we don't fully understand a system, structure, philosophy, or person...and that a greater understanding would be freeing...is a powerful one. It transcends global, political, and economic arenas and moves into relational spaces with ourselves, our families, our friends, and co-workers. King Solomon's mother advised him in Proverbs 4: "5Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. 7Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. 8Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. 9She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you.” We have made great progress. The global literacy rate increased from 67% in 1976 to 87.01% in 2022. Still, 13% of the population, 773 million over age 15, cannot read nor write. We see around us that many more lack intellectual, relational, and spiritual understanding. Perhaps that's because Jesus, the Greatest Teacher of all time, gave us His insights and wisdom in the pages of a book. Leadership guru Stephen Covey taught us, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." It's possible that freedom and liberation will come once you do.

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD- DEVOTION - Sadell Bradley - 04/02/2025

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD DEVOTION 04/02/2025 "If nations perish, it is not because of their devotion to liberty, but for their disregard of its requirements." — William Lloyd Garrison CLICK HERE TO RSVP & PAY $20 Growing up my mother used to read and distribute Our Daily Bread devotionals. She would religiously ingest the excerpts and stories of faith, study the Scripture on the topic, and pray the enclosed prayer. Then she would become a courier for the small booklet, handing it out or sending it to friends and family by mail. She would say, "I have to go upstairs and 'do my devotions.'" In this instance, DEVOTIONS are the prayers or religious worship or observances one practices on a regular basis. Devotion is also love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause. You can be a devoted athlete, collector, or member of a particular club. We can be devoted to a charity, an ideology, or a purpose. William Lloyd Garrison, the Boston journalist quoted above, was part of the Abolitionist Movement to free enslaved Africans here in the US. Garrison published a newspaper called "The Liberator" for 35 years from January 1, 1831 to December 29, 1965, advocating for the immediate emancipation of slaves. William Lloyd Garrison was devoted to seeing his cause through to the end. The last edition of "The Liberator" was released in the same month as the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the constitution, abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude in America. DEVOTION means giving all or a large part of one's time or resources to (a person, activity, or cause). The Latin devovere means to ‘consecrate,’ or to formerly vow. Devotion is revealed in the vows married couples make to live together through better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others...to pledge their faithfulness to each other. These solemn promises reflect the love that Christ has for His bride, the Church, and the devotion He invites us to in return. The LORD desires our full devotion to be displayed in the free offering of our time, treasure, and talent to the purpose of Christ and His Kingdom. What barriers keep you from being fully devoted to Jesus? He spoke to His disciples about one idol/obstacle: the love of money: 24“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord]. (Matt. 6:24, AMP) If you want to see a person's priority and devotion...or their vice, idolatry, or corruption...follow the money tree. An individual's budget and bank statements will reveal what or who is really important to them. This is even true for Believers who have been summoned to a devoted lifestyle of giving to the things of God. Proverbs 3:9-10 says, "Honor the LORD with your wealth And with the first fruits of all your crops (income); Then your barns will be abundantly filled and your vats will overflow with new wine." Similarly, a person's calendar will show where they have devoted their time, and a weekly planner might show where their talents and service are allocated. To what or whom are you really devoted? Does work, entertainment, recreational pursuits, children's activities, scrolling, take up more time and resource than the purposes of God? Maybe it's time to do a devotion check. CLICK HERE TO RSVP & PAY $20

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - LIGHT - Sadell Bradley - 03/26/2025

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD LIGHT 03/26/2025   "Light is not heavy. Be light. Share light. Light is not heavy."  — Phylicia Rashad, American Actress

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"Give light and people will find the way." —Ella Baker, American Activist The Cosby Show is one of my all-time favorite sitcoms. Despite the improprieties of its creator and star, it remains one of the wittiest, most wholesome, and inspiring television experiences of my youth. This wealthy African-American family led by a doctor and lawyer living in a beautiful brownstone in New York, was never- before-seen TV. It was something for us to aspire to. This gift was so impactful and precious in part because of the genius acting of Phylicia Rashad, who played the beautiful and indomitable Clair Huxtable, Esquire. Rashad's portrayal was full of wisdom, sophistication, and a witty repartee that rivaled the best of them. In a recent interview on The Breakfast Club, the now 76- year-old actress was asked if it was difficult for her to carry the weight of being a role model not just to Black women, but to women across the country and around the world. She gracefully replied, "No, because light is not heavy. Be light. Share Light. Light is not heavy." The hosts of the show let out a reflective sigh as if to say, "That's right...light is not heavy!" Jesus called us the salt of the earth and the light of the world, in Matthew 5. Salt was not just for flavoring in Biblical times, it was a preservative because there was not refrigeration. However, to change or improve taste, one doesn't need an overpowering amount of salt...just a little. One small candle, can light up the darkness! 13“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its taste (purpose), how can it be made salty? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and walked on by people [when the walkways are wet and slippery]. 14“You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.(Matthew 5:13-16, AMP) "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Those words were profound at a time when bigotry, racism, and hatred were prevalent and being displayed in the most awful ways: assaults, guns, lynchings, cursing, bombings, fire hoses and dogs used even on children. I wondered how the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement and those who followed them were able to reserve vengeance and retaliation and respond with love and light. Light seemed heavy when I considered them...and even Jesus' love and light ultimately ending betrayal and the brutality of the Cross. Still, Jesus says that for true Christ-followers light is not just something we wield...but who we ARE in the world. Phylicia Rashad declares that light...is not heavy to hold. Jesus knows everything about being The Light. After forgiving the woman caught in adultery and dispelling all of her accusers,"Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12) John 1 testifies to this: 4In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. 5The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it]. 6There came a man commissioned and sent from God, whose name was John. 7This man came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe [in Christ, the Light] through him. 8John was not the Light, but came to testify about the Light. 9There it was--the true Light [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone. 10He (Christ) was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.  While on the earth, Christ was the light in the world. He transferred the responsibility of being a light to disciples who learn from and follow Him. Jesus warned us in Matthew 6:22-23 that,“The eye is the lamp of the body; so if your eye is clear [spiritually perceptive], your whole body will be full of light [benefiting from God’s precepts]. But if your eye is bad [spiritually blind], your whole body will be full of darkness [devoid of God’s precepts]. So if the [very] light inside you [your inner self, your heart, your conscience] is darkness, how great and terrible is that darkness! We are called to be the light in the world...light is not heavy...unless it's not really light, but darkness.

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