WEDNESDAY'S WORD - CITIZENSHIP - Sadell Bradley - 11/06/2024

WEDNESDAY'S WORD CITIZENSHIP 11/06/2024 “The burden of citizenship is accepting that what is neither your fault nor your responsibility may be your problem.” -Anand Giridharadas - American Author

The right of every American to first-class citizenship is the most important issue of our time. —Jackie Robinson, American Athlete Jackie Robinson was the iconic first basemen for the Brooklyn Dodgers who broke through the color-barrier that prevented Blacks from becoming professional baseball players. African-Americans also know him as a formidable businessman and Civil Rights leader. Robinson fought for 'first-class citizenship' for us in a time when it was being denied. People of color (and women) were deemed 'second class citizens'—persons belonging to a social or political group whose rights and opportunities are inferior to those of the dominant group in a society. Jackie Robinson and many heroic others put their lives, families, and careers at risk to align themselves with citizens, both born in the USA and naturalized, who were not receiving promised human rights and respectful treatment. CITIZENSHIP is the position or status of being a citizen of a particular country. Whether this is 'status' in terms of high rank or social standing is debatable depending on how the particular country engages with the citizen—a legally recognized subject or national of a state or commonwealth, either native or naturalized. Most in America consider US citizenship to be particularly valuable. People from other nations attempt to come to this Country by various legal and illegal means in hopes of procuring this most precious identification. They engage intense study and testing on the history and values of the US before they are ceremonially sworn in as citizens. Many pursue dual citizenship to live in both their home country and the US, which they believe offers more opportunity and freedom. True Christ followers hold dual citizenship. We have a TEMPORARY earthly nation in which we live, work, play, and exercise civic duties like obeying the law, serving on juries, paying taxes, and being willing serve in the military. However our PRIMARY and ETERNAL citizenship is in the Kingdom of God and of our LORD Jesus Christ. That makes us Heavenly Citizens. When we pray the LORD's prayer, we say "Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." (Matthew 6:10) Sadly, some who claim to be Christians are in love with this world's systems, structures, mores, and values, which are run by Satan, who is called the god or the ruler of this world, even by Jesus (2 Cor. 4:4; John 12:31). The Bible clearly tells us NOT to love the world or anything in it. This world is not of the Father and it is passing away, but whoever does God's will abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17) Christ followers are to bring the virtues of Heaven here. This earth is not our home. We are strangers in exile. (Heb. 11:13) Paul told the church at Philippi about the earthly treasures, status, education and notoriety he had forsaken, calling them garbage, in order to gain Christ. (Phil. 3:10) It was his aim to forget the past (good and bad) and "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (vs. 14). He admonished the church to: 17Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in Heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. For Christ followers, it doesn't matter who is in the White House. It matters who is on the Throne. We will all have to answer to the LORD for what we do about our Heavenly citizenship. Are you more oriented toward Heaven or earth?

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - RUMINATE - Sadell Bradley- 10/30/2024

WEDNESDAY'S WORD RUMINATE 10/30/2024 “We ruminate on suffering, regret, and sorrow. We chew on them, swallow them, bring them back up, and eat them again and again. If we’re feeding our suffering while we’re walking, working, eating, or talking, we are making ourselves victims of the ghosts of the past, of the future, or our worries in the present. We’re not living our lives.” -Thich Nhat Hanh - Vietnamese Monk   RUMINATION is the act or process of regurgitating and chewing again previously swallowed food. Think about a cow chewing its cud. Cud is partly digested food returned from the first stomach to the mouth for further chewing. Scientists say that dairy cows spend almost 8 hours a day chewing their cuds for a total of almost 30,000 chews daily...and they told us we only had to chew our food 32 times! This enables the cows to take in large quantities at first. Then the rumination process helps them fully digest the food and take in all of its nutrients. Figuratively, rumination is obsessive thinking about an idea, situation, or choice especially when it interferes with normal mental functioning. Pessimistic rumination steals our sleep and disrupts our joy and peace. Specifically, harmful ruminating focuses one's attention on negative or distressing thoughts or feelings. When excessive or prolonged—this may lead to or exacerbate an episode of depression. (Webster's) Do you do a lot of ruminating? Some folks say, "I need to chew over that..." Synonyms are: to consider, mull over, muse about, or meditate. Psalm 1 refers to positive and repetitive rumination on the Word of God as key to a life that has stability, maturity, fruitfulness and prosperity. Perhaps you've listened to a sermon or read a book of the Bible, do you then invest time and energy chewing, contemplating, or examining that Word? The psalmist writes, 1Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. Self-help guru Napoleon Hill once said, "What you think most about is who you become." Bills. Inflation. Politics. Wars. Health Issues. If we tracked the last 72 hours of your life...who would your thoughts say you have you been? This question deserves deep reflection because we too often ruminate on our problems and concerns more than we do on the Word of God. Negative RUMINATION is essentially anxiety, brooding, and worry. Unbridled rumination can lead to hopelessness. Jesus asked His disciples in Matthew 6:27, "And who of you by worrying can add one hour to [the length of] his life?" The NKJV says, "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" Paul admonished the church at Philippi to always rejoice! If you have joy and you lose it for some reason...JOY, again! He gave them these instructions about anxiety and rumination. 6Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Phil 4:6-9)

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD- INTREPID- Sadell Bradley- 10/23/24

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD INTREPID 10/23/2024 "Thanks to generations of curious, intrepid explorers of the past, we know enough, soon enough, to chart passage for ourselves far into the future." -Sylvia A. Earle - American Marine Biologist and Oceanographer   I am currently a tri-vocational pastor and doctoral student. I know, I know...Nevertheless, for just this year, I am serving part-time at two churches, and at a secular job at a non-profit called MORTAR Cincinnati. MORTAR was founded in 2014, and also has locations in other states. We primarily support entrepreneurs of color from disenfranchised neighborhoods— offering these daring souls a tightly-knit community, small business education, access to capital and resources, and the connections they need to test out their ideas in real time. Entrepreneurship is not an easy task. Armed with an idea, these dauntless folks defy societal norms to pursue their dreams. The U.S. Small Business Association says only 9.29% of the population can be considered entrepreneurs. That means over 91% of us enjoy the 'safety and security' of working 40 hours for someone else, while just under 10% have chosen the risk and freedom of working sometimes 80 or more hours for themselves. One word that describes these outliers is INTREPID, which means fearless; or adventurous. It derives from the Latin intrepidus which means not alarmed. Webster's Dictionary defines intrepid as bold and brave; characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance. Entrepreneurs are examples of living by faith. The same INTREPID spirit is found in church planters like us and missionaries. We follow the call of God to start ministries in new places and challenging seasons with a vision to tell the world that Jesus Christ is LORD and King. Our friends Joe and LouAnn Luken left the U.S. to follow a dream they'd had since their 20's. They decided to raise their own financial support each year to minister to human trafficking victims in Thailand in their 60's. The Lukens moved their entire life, and learned Thailand's language and customs to love hurting people in Jesus' name. Paul wrote, "I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, but as it is written: “To whom He was not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand.” (Rom 15:20-21) We underestimate the courage it took to start the New Testament Church, and the boldness, faith, and perseverance it takes to obey the LORD's voice even today. In many places across the world, to identify yourself as a Christ-follower brings persecution, imprisonment, or even death. This is the climate early Believers in Jesus faced when Paul told his protege Timothy, 3I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, 4greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, 5when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 6Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. Paul's admonitions to Timothy prepared him to be a dauntless and daring leader in the face of trying times. King Solomon wrote, "If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small." (Proverbs 24:10) Paul advised Timothy not to give up, cave in, or quit, but to endure in the face of tribulation. He assured his mentee: 7For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 8Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began... (2 Tim. 1:3-9) Have you lost or retained your sense of adventure in life? Would you call yourself fearless or fearful? Are you intrepid—willing to risk it all to proclaim and follow Jesus?

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - FIDELITY - Sadell Bradley - 10/16/2024

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD FIDELITY 10/16/2024 "Total loyalty is possible only when fidelity is emptied of all concrete content from which changes of mind might naturally arise." - Hannah Arendt - German Historian   "Scandal sells books. Fidelity does not." —Coretta Scott King FIDELITY is faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support; or sexual faithfulness to a spouse or partner. Upon hearing the word fidelity, one might think of the investment company that secures many retirement accounts. Another will remember John Cusack playing a lovelorn Rob Gordon in the movie High Fidelity, which in musical terms is the reproduction of sound with little distortion, giving a result very similar to the original. The French fidelite and the Latin fidelis mean faithful. Sadly, we are more accustomed to the concept of  INFIDELITY - the action or state of being unfaithful—than we are with fidelity. Infidelity also means unbelief in a particular religion, especially Christianity...hence the word infidel. We might say an unbeliever, atheist, or agnostic. The Apostle Paul gives this admonition to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, KJV: 14Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Unequal yoking causes stagnation and conflict in relationships, business alliances, and partnerships as two individuals or entities, with and without faith in God, pull or push in opposite directions. In 1 Timothy 5, the word infidel is used as Paul instructs his protege to ensure the care of widows in the congregation:   3Honour widows that are widows indeed. 4But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. 5Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. 6But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. 7And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless. 8But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. God is serious about fidelity. We usually think of infidelity in the context of marriage because one of the Ten Commandments is Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery (Ex. 20:14). Adulterers in that day were immediately put to death by stoning if they were caught. Jesus said to even lust after a woman who is not your wife is to commit adultery with her in your heart (Matthew 5:27-28). God is not a fan of infidelity and divorce. Malachi 2:16b, NLT says “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.” Faithfulness is a fruit of God's spirit dwelling within the Believer. (Galatians 5:22) Christ followers are covenant people who love and serve the Lord wholeheartedly. We are to be covenant keepers, not breakers. Our lives are to be marked by fidelity, trustworthiness, commitment, and constancy.