WEDNESDAY'S WORD - BESMIRCH - 02/28/18 - Sadell Bradley- New Life Covenant Cincinnati

 

"Would you rather die with honor in tact, or live with it besmirched?" -George R.R. Martin, Author 'A Knight of Seven Kingdoms   Yesterday my co-workers teased me for using a plethora of unique words that 'normal' people don't employ in colloquial language. I imagine writing this blog contributes to that, Lol! For our upcoming 5th Anniversary Night of Worship: Amazing Grace, I write daily devotionals to prepare our team's hearts. I wrote that Grace is the power and unmerited favor of God that deals with our sin issue, and the Divine ability He gives us to do and become what He has called for in the earth. The Bible says where sin abounds, grace abounds much more (Romans 5:20) However, we are not to keep on sinning just because we know God's grace is there; He forbids that. Once saved, we are dead to sin and alive to Christ. We now walk in the newness of life. (Romans 6:1-4) When we are off track...we repent and turn from wickedness. In Titus 2 Paul instructs his protege to lead those in his flock to live lives that reflect his wholesome teaching. (vs.1) Every age, gender and category of person is urged to demonstrate godly conduct in various ways throughout this passage. In the devotional I asked if folks had encountered leaders who encouraged them to live holy so as not to BESMIRCH - damage the reputation (of God) in the opinion of others. We are Christ's re-presentatives. As the saying goes, "We may be the only Jesus they see." It is sobering to look at our lives: our speech, our conduct, the opinions, arguments, memes, and videos we so easily share on social media, etc, and begin to see them through the eyes of people who do not yet follow Jesus. What would they think of our God if based only on our speech and conduct? Besmirch also means to make something dirty or discolored; to soil; to discredit a person or taint their reputation; to point out a blot or flaw in someone's character.  I'm sad to say there's been a whole lot of besmirching going on. We are so used to sullying each other's reputations; it's no surprise we don't consider that at the same time, we're also placing  God in a bad light. The quote I chose today speaks about a knight's desire to live with his honor intact. My heart cries for this. There is a quality of grace and civility we have lost in our time, especially in American culture. It goes beyond etiquette. We have cast aside almost all gentility and sophistication, and deteriorated into a crass and insensitive people who like the unjust judge in Luke 18, "neither fear God nor regard men." Grace also means simple elegance, or refinement of movement; and courteous goodwill. I'm praying for more grace in 2018.

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 SUNDAY 9:30AM Class
11:00 AM Service

225 Wyoming Ave.

Cincinnati OH 45215

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Join us for our

5th  

Anniversary  

Night of Worship: 

 Amazing Grace 

Friday, March 16 7:00 PM 

225 Wyoming Ave. 

Cincinnati OH 45215  

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - RECLAIM - 2/22/18 Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

"You reclaim your power by loving what you were once taught to hate." -Bryant H. McGill, American Writer   This past weekend was taken over by Black Panther mania. It spread across the fictional Marvel Universe, and was planted squarely in the hearts of people of African and African- American descent.  "What's the big deal?" you might ask. "It's just a movie." Yes, but it's more than a movie to many. As an orphan, I am keenly aware of what it feels like to have no connectivity to a family of origin: not knowing who I look like, whose mannerisms I display, or my health history. It's disconcerting at best. Imagine millions of people holding an orphaned spirit. They're attempting to navigate and succeed in foreign countries that neither understand, nor appreciate the richness of the ancestry that's been stripped from them. We have had to assimilate to the dominant culture to survive. African-Americans know they're somehow from Africa - but Africa is a CONTINENT! most have no idea which Country. Are our people hunters and gatherers, or shrewd in business and powerful kings? Does the place hold riches in ores, minerals, or jewels? Has our Country of origin been colonized or are the people free? These questions have lurked in the minds of centuries of Black folks in America as well as in colonized nations across the globe. We want to RECLAIM our cultural identity. RECLAIM means to retrieve, redeem or recover.  Something important has been lost: self-worth, value and identity. The Black Panther movie: it's Black director, cast, costume designer and many crew of color, AND its fantastic story line, has helped begin to recover a sense of dignity for which we've been longing and searching. That is significant, and important for ALL Christ followers to embrace and celebrate. Those of African descent need to know that we too are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27) When Revelation 5:9 and 7:9 describe those of every tribe, language, people and nation worshiping before the throne of the Lamb of God, we are those tribes. It's important for our children to learn that the syncretism- (almagamation of different religions, cultures and ancestral worship) that Africa is known for, and that the movie addresses, was arrested in the Bible. In Acts 8:26-40, Phillip encountered the Ethiopian Eunuch, told him about Jesus and baptized him. Our children need to learn the Gospel of Jesus Christ did not originally come to Africans through wicked slave holders attempting to subjugate masses for hate and profit. That was a cruel misuse of the Good News of Christ's love, grace, mercy and peace. There is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female, but you are all ONE in Christ. (Galatians 3:28)   The Black Panther showed us men and women of color leading an advanced nation together, with strength. One issue pastors of color have with the Multi-ethnic Church is that it's led primarily by Caucasian males. People of color flock to their churches, but Caucasians have difficulty following African-Americans as senior leaders. That's not conjecture, there's research. Blacks in churches struggle with having to totally divest ourselves of our culture to appease and appropriate dominant culture preaching styles, music, systems and time frames. So...a $400 million Global opening of a movie with African culture speaks loudly.  The movie celebrates the beauty that IS us. It affirms our intellectual, physical and sociological prowess, and attests to the fact that we can lead and create in excellence. I wish that the Church would do the same. We who are Christ followers know that our Heavenly citizenship is ultimately most important, that the Spirit of Adoption makes us Christ's children (Rom. 8) and that only the Kingdom of God is an everlasting kingdom. However, amidst a world where Blacks have been typically depicted as slaves, criminals, ugly and uneducated; it's refreshing for us to RECLAIM an aristocratic mantle, and show our children a reflection of God's image in us.     Join us for   LIFT Worship, Word, Prayer & Prophetic Service THIS THURSDAY 7:00 PM 225 Wyoming Ave. Cincinnati OH 45215

SUNDAY 9:30AM Class 11:00 AM Service 225 Wyoming Ave. Cincinnati OH 45215 mynewlifetoday.com

WEDNESDAY'S WORD on THURSDAY - PRECIOUS - Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

THIS SUNDAY WE WILL WORSHIP WITH  BOND HILL UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH at 10:45 AM 4909 Paddock Road Cincinnati OH 45237

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"Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have - life itself."
-Walter Anderson, German Writer

"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love." - Marcus Aurelius These are challenging times. In the past 10 days, I've experienced 4 funerals. The shooting in Florida has left us all aghast. Racial and political tensions, #metoo revelations, the stripping of benefits for the poor, the threat of war, modern day slavery and so many world events are affecting us.
Sadly, the inundation of information and public discussion over the internet and social media has numbed our collective psyche and conscience. This atmosphere is cultivating at best far too many non-empathetic, if not sociopathic youth and adults for whom relationships...and even life itself is not PRECIOUS - of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly; greatly loved or treasured.  This truth is something about which we must pray and act.   

 
On Valentine's day when we celebrate love and life with those we cherish most; thousands of families were ravaged by yet another act of domestic terrorism in a school-the 28th this year. On Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, we as a Country had much for which to repent. Recent events have made me hold my loved ones more closely, and tell them how precious they are to me. The psalmist said, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom." (Psalm 90:12) Or, "Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so we may grow in wisdom." (NLT) Life is precious. It is to be valued, not treated carelessly.

I asked some youth last night, "Why is life no longer precious your peers?" They mentioned over exposure through various sources of media. Our children have seen thousands more shootings, assaults of all kinds, foul language and inappropriate situations than we did at their ages. As we grew up there seemed to be higher levels of propriety in social discourse and conduct. Our news cycle was days...not moments.  Every person could not instantly post thoughts and video worldwide. We had newspapers, magazines, and 5 TV channels. Censors decided what we should and should not be exposed to. Our youth cited overwhelm and anxiety. An active village of parents, teachers and neighbors brought us perspective, discipline, and insight.
 
One young man said, "The older generation has failed us." The rest of the youth agreed, "They've left a void of wisdom and now we don't know what to do! We've had to learn everything out in the streets.  Now that I'm older, I realize 'they' is US -I've transitioned from pupil to teacher. I'm trying my best, but many Christians have abdicated Biblical and personal responsibility in this area. Paul instructed Titus:

You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.3Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.6Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. (Titus 2:1-8) 

Are we teaching our young people that they are precious, of great worth, greatly loved and treasured? Are we showing them life is beautiful - not to be wasted, but enjoyed? Do they see us value, nurture and embrace our relationships? Have we invested time in making sure they're ok? Will we drop everything to be fully present to HEAR, guide, and embrace them? If not, we're missing out on something that's very precious and important. We're missing out on Life.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - DEMONSTRATION - 2/7/18 Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

"For years I thought my assignment or the Church's assignment was to articulate the Gospel and nothing more. Now I believe that if we don't support the verbal expression of the Gospel with physical demonstration of compassion, we are not imitating Jesus." - Max Lucado   This week we watched the launch of the Falcon SpaceX rocket created by South African/Canadian business magnate, investor, engineer, inventor and Tesla founder and CEO, Elon Musk. Musk is one of the great innovators of our time. Who would have thought a regular- or not so regular businessman would be able to do what we thought only NASA could accomplish. I'm sure some doubted him along the way.  That's why he had to do a DEMONSTRATION - the action or process of showingthe existence or truth of something by giving proof or showing evidence. Musk set out to accomplish in tangible terms what was only thought possible in the imagination.  For a moment at 3:45 pm yesterday, the whole world was mesmerized by the feat. It wasn't all talk and dreams. There was demonstration. The prophets foretold of the coming Messiah and all he would accomplish. I imagine that there were those that claimed to be the Christ, who were proven wrong. What differentiated Jesus? Was it His wise teaching? His way with people? No, it was the demonstration of the Spirit's power through Him. Even his cousin John the Baptist, who foretold and confirmed Him as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world," (John 1:29) over time was unsure about His Messianic identity. John being imprisoned and soon to be executed while Jesus roamed free I'm sure helped to spur on those doubts, "Are you the One, or should we look for another?" When John's disciples came to him, Jesus simply said go back to John and tell him, "The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me." (Matthew 11:5-6) I prove My identity as King of the Kingdom by demonstrations of power and compassion that heal and save. "Believe me for the work's sake." (John 14:11b) The apostle James said it this way, "Someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds."  Paul explained to the church at Corinth that though his frame was frail, his ministry was dynamic in force, "I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.(1 Corinthians 2:3-5)  "For the kingdom of God is demonstrated not in idle talk but with power." (1 Corinthians 4:20) When's the last time you demonstrated the Kingdom?  Too few Christians operate in the power of the Spirit, use their spiritual gifts, or demonstrate signs, wonders and miracles. We all were blessed by how God used members of the Eagles NFL Team, not only to win the Super Bowl... (Yay! Philly girl here) but to demonstrate their commitment to Christ, not just with wonderful speeches, but with salvation and baptisms, operating as pastors, and by showing genuine love, compassion and character.  It was a sign to the entire world of the Lordship of Jesus Christ for the coach, quarterback and key players to express the priority of discipleship even over the tremendous feat of winning the Championship.  The old folks to say, "If you love Jesus, you should show some sign."  Jesus didn't say, "these words will follow believers..." He said, "These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages." (Mark 16:17-18) If you're a Believer in Jesus, manifest it in demonstration.

SUNDAY Worship

11:00 AM Worship
The Great Room Sunday Class
9:30 AM Youth Room Basement
at Wyoming Presbyterian
225 Wyoming Ave., 45215
For information 513-212-1131