Wednesday, April 29, 2015

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - DEPENDENCE - Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati 04/29/15

Dependence is the state of relying or being controlled by someone else with full trust or confidence; it is also reliance on someone for financial support.  Dependence is the disposition of a child to a parent. The more helpless a child is, the more dependent they are for care, protection, support and guidance.  Children are claimed on US taxes as 'dependents' because their parents are responsible for their well being while they are in the home.  As children grow, they experience more and more independence  or self-governance.  America declared it's independence from England through a revolt, war and legislation. Christ followers must keep in mind that in the Kingdom of God, we as the Father's children, make a declaration of DEPENDENCE on Him! He is the One on whom we rely, whose guidance controls our actions and in whom we trust for our financial support. God is after your dependence on Him!

Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches, Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 ESV We give mental assent to this fact, and express it glibly to others, but we don't experience the reality of our dependence until the vulnerability and powerlessness of times like these befalls us with: riots, earthquakes, tornadoes, financial and political crises, health issues and other circumstances beyond our control

It is hard to admit that we would really prefer to handle things ourselves: to know all the answers, to be invincible, immortal and never vulnerable. We'd like to think that our much speaking, posting, protesting, or the security measures we take, and the money we have in the bank will preserve us from any trouble.  Deep down, we know we are ultimately dependent on God's mercy, grace, sovereignty and timing, and that can be either really scary or really comforting.
In his time of crisis, Paul clung to his unreliability and his need for God. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead.  (1 Corinthians 1:8-9) God is after our dependence on Him.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - DISPOSITION - SADELL BRADLEY 04/22/15 NEW LIFE COVENANT CINCINNATI

Disposition is the usual attitude or mood of a person, a prevailing tendency  to act or think in a particular way - an inclination. It has the idea of being set in place, to regulate, administrate or control. Some people are pre-disposed to worry, depression, fear and anxiety.  Other's mood is generally happy, positive and at peace. One person reacts to situations they cannot control with anger.  Still other people struggle with the prevailing tendency to hold un-forgiveness and develop bitterness in their hearts when involved in a conflict. Did you know that God is after your disposition to be holy in all situations?
Believers know that the fruit of the Spirit of God living in us is love, joy, peace, patience, meekness, temperance, faith and self-control; (Gal. 5:22), but
if we held an evidentiary hearing on the attitude with which we approach various stressful situations, we might find evidence of operating in the flesh more than in the Spirit. Somehow in those times, we lose the serenity and mood which has been given to us by Jesus Christ in the dispensing of His Holy Spirit, and move to a fleshly inclination which causes us to operate in quality of life beneath our privilege.  What is your mood in trial?

Paul had many admonitions about our disposition in Scripture.  He challenged us to "count" or "consider" it all joy when you fall into diverse trials and tests.  The NLT translation says, "Consider it an opportunity for joy." (James 1:2) He also advises us to always rejoice, to leave off all anxiety, to pray specifically for what we desire, to receive and be secured by the peace of God which passes all understanding and to adapt a positive outlook in our thoughts. (Phil 4:4-9) In Philippians 2, Paul urges us to "let" or "allow" the mind of Christ: the disposition to prefer another, to love sacrificially, to humble ourselves, and to serve God's will and each other - to be our prevailing attitude. How are you generally pre-disposed to respond?  What is your attitude around what you're facing? Don't worry if it's not good...God will give you more chances to get it right! 

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - PACE- SADELL BRADLEY 04/15/15 NEW LIFE COVENANT CINCINNATI

PACE is consistent and continuous speed in moving.  It is the speed or rate at which something happens, changes or develops. In car racing, a pace car goes in front of the field to establish a competitive speed. "Pace yourself" means to do something at a slow and steady rate in order to avoid overexerting oneself. A "change of pace" indicates a deviation from what one is used to. To "set the pace" means to be the fastest runner in the early part of a race or figuratively, to lead the way in achieving something.  Pace is derived from the Latin passus or pandere 'to stretch.' God sometimes stretches us to establish a proper pace.
 
Paul uses the analogy of running a race to describe following Christ: Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run in such a way as to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. (1 Cor. 9:24-27)  

The life journey of a Believer in Jesus Christ, is a marathon-not a sprint.  In a marathon, each individual sets a personal goal of the time they wish to complete the race. They run behind a pace-setter at that particular speed to establish a good pace. If they go out too fast, they will exhaust themselves and perhaps not finish.  If they go out too slowly, they risk not achieving their individual goals.  It takes much self-control to train for and complete a marathon within the allotted time. It takes  disciplined purpose to finish our life's journey and calling with joy. (Acts 20:24) 
   
How is your pacing? too fast, anxious and frenzied? too slow, lazy or procrastinating? Or are you consistently and methodically moving toward the God's plans for you?

Friday, April 3, 2015

WHAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT GOOD FRIDAY? Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

What's good about Good Friday? This is the day during Holy Week, that Christians celebrate the Passion of Jesus Christ.  Passion does not just describe Jesus' intense emotional feeling for us, it reveals His willingness to suffer, to be betrayed and to be killed - martyred for your sins and mine.  Scholars debate that Jesus may have been crucified on Wednesday, giving the 3 days and nights time before a Sunday resurrection, others believe He was crucified on Friday, the day before the Sabbath.  Nevertheless, the commemoration is held across the world on the day known as Good Friday. 'Good' meaning holy and set apart.

This yearPassover, Good Friday and Passover are on the same day. The Jews celebrate the deliverance of Israel from enslavement in Egypt.  God decreed through Moses that Pharaoh must let His people go so they might worship Him, and after 9 plagues on the Egyptians, capitulated His wrath by killing the first born son of every family including Pharaoh's. The Jewish families were saved by sacrificing an innocent  lamb and placing it's blood on the doorpost of their homes so the angel of death would 'pass over' and preserve their son's lives. What's good? Jesus is our spotless Lamb of God, slain before the foundation of the world, so that we could enjoy eternal life and be restored to relationship with a loving Father, God. We are saved by His blood. (1 Peter 1:19-20)

What's Good? Jesus' intense love for us. It's hard to comprehend that someone would have this kind of love, compassion, mercy AND the courage to give their life as a ransom for many.  Paul said that one might die for a good man, or for a righteous man, but God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! At the time we were without strength, Jesus CHOSE to die. (Romans 5:6-8)

What's Good? That the 39 lashes Jesus bore were for our healing. In fact, ALL that He
endured on the journey and the cross was for OUR benefit. (Isaiah 53)  It was the punishment that WE deserved. It was the penalty for our sins, iniquities, transgressions and failures.  He was beaten so that we could be made whole. He was chastised so that we could enjoy peace. Another Good thing is that Jesus knew through this prophecy all that was to befall Him, for whom He would suffer, how it would go down, how brutal it would be, and why He had to do it...and He did it anyway...so we could have peace with God.

What's Good? Jesus not only endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2), He embraced His death, taking up His cross for God's will to be done through His life. Jesus understood who He was - God in the flesh, the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form. (Col 2:9)  He had the power to ask God to call down legions of angels to save Him. (Matt 26:53) Though it looked like He was helpless and this was being done to him by men, His perspective on His crucifixion was just the opposite.  "No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.". (John 10:18) He is our example of a love that knows no bounds, an unconditional, sacrificial love that would spend it all for the ones He loves...if that's not good news...I don't know what is!  So enjoy and be thankful celebrating today!!

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - WRESTLE - SADELL BRADLEY - NEW LIFE COVENANT 04/01/15



Wrestle means to take part in a fight, either as sport or in earnest. Wrestling involves grappling with one's opponent and trying to force or throw them to the ground. Wrestle is a form of the Old English wrest - to forcibly pull something from a person's grasp, to take something especially power or control from someone or something after considerable effort or difficulty.

Followers of Jehovah are always wrestling. In Genesis 32:22-23 Jacob, after having endured a trial with his deceitful uncle Laban, fled his house with his family.  He attempted a peace treaty and reconciliation with both his uncle and his estranged brother Esau, whom he had tricked into selling his birthright to him. Dealing with the pain of all that his life had become and desiring to wrest a new future, Jacob wrestled with an angel of the Lord throughout the night until the break of day, stating, "I will not go except you bless me."  In this wrestling the Lord did not just give him the blessing, but a new name. Instead of Jacob which means usurper, his name would be Israel, or God strives, "because you have fought with God and with men and have won."

In Ephesians 6, Paul admonishes us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  To put on the whole armor of God to be able to stand against the devil's schemes in the evil day. He explains that we are used to waging war against other humans with fleshly weapons like angry arguments, and the striking of fists. He reveals that these attempts to wage a spiritual war in a carnal way will be fruitless, like beating the air. It is not people and what they do or do not do that we are fighting. There is a higher, unseen realm of warfare that we must engage. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12 Today as you engage difficult problems, know there is a bigger fight and get to wrestling in the Spirit!

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 ...