WEDNESDAY'S WORD - GRATITUDE - Sadell Bradley - 11/25/15 - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

GRATITUDE is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Thankful means both pleased and relieved -because a burden or anxiety has been lifted and it brings great joy. The word grateful is kin to gratitude - a welcome gift received or experience shared is acknowledged, and credit is given to the one who has extended the kindness.

At tables across this Country, family and friends will gather for Thanksgiving celebrations with a great feast. Some will as a matter of tradition, say a prayer or make statements that expresses gratitude.  Many others will just dig in, eat enough for three people, and turn on the football game without a pause to thank the Lord for His provision, or the cook(s) for their tireless contributions. Cincinnati, Ohio where I reside is the #2 City in the US for child poverty at 52%.  For African-American children, that number is a staggering 74%. (Cincinnati Urban League)  There are many hungry children here not just on Thanksgiving, but on any given day. We ought to do something about that. 

Around the globe, millions more are affected by poverty and hunger. Before we sit down to our bountiful meals, we might as Psalm 41:1-3 instructs us, take time to Consider the Poor.  Scripture says: "The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern." (Proverbs 29:7) We are to, “Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people." (Psalm 82:3-4) Opportunities to do this are not hard to find...they're literally everywhere.

 
According to The World Food Programme:

• 795 million people do not have enough food to lead healthy lives.
• 12.9% of the populations of underdeveloped countries are malnourished
• The Continent of Asia is has the most hungry people - 2/3 of the total
• 1 in 4 people in Sub-Saharan Africa is undernourished
• Poor nutrition causes nearly half 45% of the deaths of children under 5 - 3.1 million children a year. 1 out of 6 children in developing countries is underweight. 1 in 3 has stunted growth.
• 66 million primary school-aged children attend classes hungry in the developing world, 23 million in Africa alone.

It is tragic that our greed and gluttony is withholding good from those who need it in a world in which God has provided enough for us all. The Bible tells us, "Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it's in your power to help them. If you can help your neighbor now, don't say, "Come back tomorrow, and then I'll help you." (Proverbs 3:27-28) According to National Geographic, one third of our food is lost or wasted. As Christians we are to demonstrate our gratitude with a return -  as conduits of blessing to those in need.  We have a responsibility to give bountifully, to "freely scatter our gifts to the poor" in order to relieve their burden and see their thanksgiving resound to God because of our generosity. (2 Corinthians 9:6-15) I pray we all will celebrate THANKSGIVING with an attitude of GRATITUDE and a determination to help those in need in the coming year!

The Holidays prompt us to assess our lives. We start on Thanksgiving and end with New Year's resolutions. A good idea I saw on social media: Get a jar and fill it with notes of all of the wonderful things that happen throughout the year. Then at the end (or beginning) of the year open the jar, see and praise God for the great things He has done!

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WEDNESDAY'S WORD - EVALUATE - Sadell Bradley -11/18/15 New Life Covenant Cincinnati

 

EVALUATE means to form an idea of the amount, number or value of; to assess. Value is right in the middle of the word! Value is the importance, worth, or usefulness of something compared to the price paid or asked for it.. Normally, we see evaluation as a negative inspection that can bring anxiety. In our judgmental society we are constantly evaluating others and living under their microscope. When's the last time you assessed VALUE when evaluating your life and relationships? 

Paul told the Corinthian church that he and Apollos were servants of Christ given the responsibility of stewardship of the mysteries of God. The requirement for this mantle was to be found faithful: fully persuaded, trustworthy, and believing in Christ. (1 Corinthians 4:1-2) Paul knew his ministry was being evaluated- vigorously judged, questioned, and examined by his critics.  The level of investigation was similar to 'forensic science.'  His reply was strong:

"As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don't even trust my own judgment on this point. My conscience is clear, but that doesn't prove I'm right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide. So don't make judgments about anyone ahead of time-before the Lord returns. For He will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due."  (1 Corinthians 4:3-5, NLT)

This Scripture discourages negative evaluation of others and of ourselves. When God, the Judge appears, He'll bring TRUE evaluation.  He will assess our real intentions and give is His approval and commendation: 'appropriate and enthusiastic acknowledgement of what deserves praise.' (Lexicon) We would do well to focus on VALUE when dealing with others...as well as with ourselves. 

 

The Holidays prompt us to assess our lives. We start on Thanksgiving and end with New Year's resolutions. A good idea I saw on social media: Get a jar and fill it with notes of all of the wonderful things that happen throughout the year. Then at the end (or beginning) of the year open the jar, see and praise God for the great things He has done!

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WEDNESDAY'S WORD - VETERAN - 11/11/15 Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

A VETERAN - is a person who has served in a military force, especially one who has fought in a war.  In the US, today is the day that we honor armed forces veterans including my husband, father-in-law, uncle, cousin and many, many friends. We are grateful for your service to this country! The courage and commitment required to volunteer to protect and serve our citizens - potentially at the risk of life and limb is amazing! Yes, there are benefits like the G.I. bill, but the forsaking of personal identity for the whole, grueling and disciplined preparation and execution of duties, and the call to be ready to engage in warfare at a moment's notice with no assurance of safe return is what separates these warriors along with police, firemen, and secret service agencies from the rest of us.  

In our series on Spiritual Warfare at New Life, we've found that the same qualities are required as we engage our battles. Scripture references: the invisible war raging around us against the powers of this dark world and the Spiritual armor needed to fight (Ephesians 6); being alert to Satan our enemy and his devices and being quick to forgive so he won't get an advantage (1 Peter 5:8-9, 2 Cor 2:10-11); and the war against sin that rages within (Romans 7, Galatians 5).  Paul instructed Timothy, his son in the faith, to be strong in the grace of Jesus Christ, and to commit the things he had learned from Paul to faithful men who would teach others. He then urged him, "Therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." (2 Timothy 2:1-4)

'Enduring hardship' means being willing to closely identify with 

someone else's ill-treatment and pain. Soldiers are commanded, "Leave no comrade behind!" Paul asks Timothy to suffer for the faith along side him. Then he goes on to advise him not to become entangled- twisted, or entwined with the difficulties and complicated circumstances of this life  - from which it is difficult to escape. 

Are there areas in your life that need the qualities of a veteran? Are you willing to endure hardship with someone else in this season? Are you too distracted by the complications of what's going on around you?

Sponsor Thanksgiving for a Family in Need! New Life Covenant is working to sponsor 30 Thanksgiving Dinners for families at $50 per family.  If you would like to sponsor a family, you can do so by clicking this link:

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