WEDNESDAY'S WORD - COMPASSION - Sadell Bradley - 01/15/2025

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD COMPASSION 1/15/2025 "As I get older, the more I stay focused on the acceptance of myself and others, and choose compassion over judgment and curiosity over fear." —Tracee Ellis Ross, American Actress     "True compassion means not only feeling another's pain but also being moved to help relieve it." —Daniel Goldman, Psychologist & Author  The devastating fires in California have gripped the Country with alarm and concern. It seems unfathomable that such destruction could engulf such a large swath of territory in such a short time with relentless ferocity. The dire situation is compounded by insurance companies withdrawing coverage from homeowners in the region. I can't imagine the grief and loss, helplessness, frustration, and even anger these citizens are feeling. I hope we are all praying that the weather would relent and there would be some relief for the thousands of families, leaders, and emergency assistance personnel who have been affected. Our initial human reaction is to find someone or something to blame. Sadly, there has been finger-pointing, a rumor mill, a lot of political posturing, conspiracy theorizing, and some less than scientific surmising about how, why, and through whom this disaster has come. I love Tracee Ellis Ross' admonition for us to choose compassion over judgment and curiosity over fear. Rather than jump to conclusions and rhetoric, we could remember the wisdom of Mr. Rogers who said, "When I was a boy and would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" Firefighters from around the world have come to assist in California. Relief organizations, churches, families, friends, and neighbors have come alongside the hurting with COMPASSION - sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. The Latin compassio, is from the root compati ‘to suffer with.’ People are doing more than merely offering 'thoughts and prayers,' they are getting involved and divesting themselves of their own money, clothing, and resources through relief organizations like Matthew 25 Ministries to assist to those in need—to suffer with them. In the New Testament, the Greek word for compassion is splagchnizomai, which the Lexicon says conveys a deep, visceral feeling of compassion or pity. It describes an emotional response that moves one to action, often in the context of mercy or aid. In the Jewish context compassion was a significant virtue, reflecting God's own merciful nature. Splagchinzomai refers to the "inward parts" or "entrails," which metaphorically refers to the seat of emotions. In the New Testament, it is frequently used to describe Jesus' response to the suffering and needs of others, highlighting His empathy and readiness to help. 35Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” (Matthew 9:35-38) We pray the LORD of the harvest will send compassionate laborers into His fields—and not just in California. There are so many places where empathy, mercy, and kindhearted benevolence are needed in this season.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - BRAIN ROT - Sadell Bradley 01/08/2025

WEDNESDAY'S WORD BRAIN ROT 1/8/2025 "While England endeavors to cure the potato-rot, will not any endeavor to cure the brain-rot, which prevails so much more widely and fatally?"—Henry David Thoreau    BRAIN ROT has been deemed the word of the year for 2024. I know...it's two words. Oxford University Press said this term “gained new prominence in 2024,” with its frequency of use increasing 230% from the year before." The Oxford Dictionary defines BRAIN ROT as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of over-consumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or un-challenging.” Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl said that in its modern sense, “’brain rot’ speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time.” Have you found yourself scrolling aimlessly, or viewing an inordinate number of reels and short clips? Celebrities, comedians, preachers, sales gimmicks, and podcasts abound offering soundbites of advice on any and everything imaginable. We now binge-watch TV shows when we used to wait with baited breath for the next weekly episode. Some things on the internet are good. In moderation, our brains wouldn't rot. In 1854, philosopher Henry David Thoreau used brain rot in his work, Walden, or Life in the Woods. At the time, the 27 year-old had relocated to his cabin for solitude and reflection. NPR quotes Cristin Ellis, an authority on Thoreau from the University of Mississippi, "For Thoreau, 'brain-rot describes what happens to our minds and spirits when we suppress our innate instincts for curiosity and wonder, and instead resign ourselves to the un-reflective habits we observe all around us -- habits of fitting in, getting by, chasing profits, chatting about the latest news." Ellis continues, "Thoreau really values direct experience over our habits of consuming other peoples' ideas at second hand. He wants us to go outside to feel and think something for ourselves; he wants us to get to know the places where we actually live." Have you lost creativity or wonder due to brain rot? Paul admonished the Church to fill their lives with the Word, Spirit, and presence of God, not with the influences of popular culture: 6And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. 8Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 9For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. (Colossians 2:6-10) From what sources have you been getting most of your information these days? How many hours per week is your mind susceptible to this deterioration? how about your children's or grandchildren's? Thoreau suggested that a cure for brain-rot was needed in England 171 years ago...how much more do we need one today?

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - AHEAD - Sadell Bradley - 1/1/2025

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD AHEAD 1/1/2025 "It is better to look ahead and prepare, than to look back and regret." —Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Olympic Gold Medalist       "I'm not going back. I'm moving ahead. Here to declare to you. My past is over. In You, all things are made new. Surrendered my life to Christ. I'm moving, moving forward." — Israel Houghton, Ricardo Sanchez In 2009, Israel Houghton released the song Moving Forward on his album The Power of One. This song about the redemption, regeneration, and renewal that is found in relinquishing your life, renouncing your sins, and receiving forgiveness and a new life in Jesus took hold in the culture. Churches around the world sing it to welcome the New Year with a fresh start or to celebrate baptisms. As we enter 2025 we don't look back...we look AHEAD - further forward in space; in the line of one's forward motion; further forward in time; in advance; in the near future; higher in number, amount, or value than previously. Ahead is a nautical term for the direction forward in front of the bow of the ship. One might say, "The captain ordered the ship to steer 'ahead' to maintain course towards the destination." In what direction will we steer our lives in 2025? Will we continue to hold on to past hurts, sins, regrets, and failures? Will we persist in clinging to the often false nostalgia of past victories, triumphs, and successes as if there is nothing left for us to do or contribute? Or will we move forward? There is a reason the windshield of a car is larger than the rear view and side mirrors. It's because most of our time and attention should be placed on what is before us...not on what is behind us, or who might be passing us up on either side, The Apostle Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) wrote about this in Philippians 3. Saul was a man of supremely high achievements in spirituality and education as a Pharisee. He was of the highest social rank in Jewish culture. Saul was so zealous about Judaism that he swore to root out any 'false messiahs' that might arise to threaten it. So when the followers of "The Way" claimed to believe that Jesus Christ was The Messiah, he gravely persecuted, imprisoned, and murdered them. Acts 8 shows Saul standing over and approving of deacon Stephen's stoning. It was not until Saul had a direct and blinding encounter with Jesus himself on the road to Damascus that he was converted, and his name and destiny were changed. Paul had a lot of success in his former life. He also had a lot of regrets for the innocent lives he had taken in the name of 'righteousness.' I can't imagine the repercussions of the loss of his former status. Or the way people interacted with him post-conversion. How haunting the memories of slaying Christ-followers were for him...or how mind boggling it would be for Jesus to still choose him to lead, and cause the family and friends of the people he'd killed and imprisoned to forgive him and call him brother. He wrote these words. 7But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in a Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained. We make resolutions to start a New Year. They say only 20% are kept, while 80% are abandoned by February. Wouldn't forgetting the past and moving AHEAD to the future be a great for that 20%? What if this year, we really cleaned our slates and started anew?

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - IMMANUEL - Sadell Bradley - 12/25/2024

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD IMMANUEL 12/25/2024 "By the light of nature we see God as a God above us, by the light of the law we see Him as a God against us, but by the light of the gospel we see Him as Immanuel, God with us." — Matthew Henry, Theologian        IMMANUEL (or Emmanuel) is the name given to Jesus Christ as the deliverer or Messiah of Judah—and ultimately the Savior of the world. Biblical names had meaning. When you said or heard a person's name, you got a glimpse into their life, character, or prophetic impact. The name Jesus means Savior. The name Christ or Messiah means anointed or empowered. That means Jesus Christ is the One who has been anointed or empowered by God the Father to save us from our sins. The name Immanuel means God with us. Isaiah prophesied that Jesus, the Jewish Messiah and King, would come as a sign that God would protect the monarchy of the house of David: Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) In Matthew 1:18-25, the apostle gives his account of the incarnation—which means God the Son coming in bodily form as Jesus, the Christ. He did not come into the world without controversy. His coming was rather scandalous: 18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Though Jewish people had heard Isaiah's prophecy for hundreds of years; I can imagine it was startling and unbelievable to Joseph (and Mary for that matter) that they were the ones chosen to naturally parent the Christ-child. The immaculate conception was one of over 300 prophecies Jesus fulfilled proving that He was the Messiah. Matthew refers back to Isaiah: 22So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” 24Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus. Amidst the hustle and bustle, opening gifts, celebrations and food...let's remember that Jesus Christ the Savior is Immanuel, God with us. Though his birth was more likely in a warmer season, let's not forget that He is and will always be the reason.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - CONTRADICTION- Sadell Bradley- 12/18/2024

WEDNESDAY'S WORD CONTRADICTION 12/18/2024  “Don't involve yourself too much in your early writing. I don't mind contradicting myself. If you don't contradict yourself, you won't grow.”— Nikki Giovanni, American Poet       On December 10, 2024, acclaimed poet and Civil Rights Activist Nikki Giovanni passed away at age 81. Giovanni, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, was a professor at Virginia Tech University. Her poems, books, television appearances, and advocacy spanned decades. Giovanni is being honored in her hometown and around the world with memorials of her storied and impactful life. Her quote above talks about CONTRADICTION—defined as a combination of statements, ideas, or features of a situation that are opposed to one another; a person, thing, or situation in which inconsistent elements are present; or the statement of a position opposite to one already made. She refers to the latter by stating that growth and maturity automatically bring contradiction. What you stood adamantly for in your youth, might gradually or even drastically change over time. I think about sermons I preached 25 years ago. Though I still have notes from some, it is unlikely that I will ever preach them the same way...because my understanding has deepened, and some of my ideas have transformed. "My life is such a contradiction. My soul yearns for holiness then runs from the mortification (death to self) necessary to attain it."—Mother Angelica, Catholic Nun I get where Mother Angelica is coming from, don't you? In Romans 7:14-17 (NLT), Paul explained this all too familiar contradiction that ALL of us face—even the Apostle who wrote much of the New Testament. Paul discovered, though he was a scholar of Mosaic Law—that keeping all of God's precepts as a sinful human was unattainable. That is why we need God's forgiveness through the shed blood of His Son Jesus Christ at the Cross of Calvary. There is nothing wrong with God's standards...we iniquitous humans just can't entirely fulfill them: 14So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 18And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I'm wondering if, like Paul...you've struggled with your flesh warring against God's Spirit within you. In Galatians 5:16-17, Paul admonishes us, 16So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. (walk in the Spirit) Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. Paul was clear about this type of spiritual warfare. He continues in Romans 7: 19I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 21I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22I love God’s law with all my heart. 23But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. We really love Jesus, but we beat ourselves up for not immediately changing, growing, or fixing the areas that miss the mark of God's holiness (that's what harmartia, the Greek word for sin means). Paul became so frustrated with his struggle toward holiness, sanctification (setting himself apart), and sinless/perfection (maturity). that he called himself names. Have you been disgusted with your lack of consecration toward the things of God? Paul wrote, 24Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord... (Romans 7:19-25a)