WEDNESDAY'S WORD - NOSTALGIA - Sadell Bradley 1/27/2021

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD NOSTALGIA 1/27/2021 "There is no word for feeling nostalgic about the future, but that's what a parent's tears often are, a nostalgia for something that has not yet occurred. They are the pain of hope, the helplessness of hope, and finally, the surrender to hope." - Michael Ian Black- American Comedian If I had to choose a lyric, to sum up, much of what we've experienced lately, it would be from the Billy Joel song, "Keeping the Faith." He wrote, "The good ole days weren't always good, and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems." I have experienced the lure of false nostalgia— the tendency to view situations and people from years-gone-by only from a positive perspective—eliminating ANY trace of fault or negativity that was clearly present. The rose-colored glasses through which we view yesteryear are at times simply fogging up the truth. NOSTALGIA is a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a place with personal or happy associations. The word nostalgia derives from the Greek nostos 'return home' and algos 'pain.' It actually means homesickness. Right now, most Americans wish for a time prior to 2020 when things were 'normal' and hope to return to a way of life that is probably not coming back. This is a 'new normal' in almost every sense. We're also grappling with and arguing over differing ideas of what makes our country great. Some folks' good old days are other folks' trauma. One person is fearful and apprehensive about a future that another is excited to see come to fruition. Some of our nostalgia is false...or at least incomplete as we engage it in community. It will take deeper conversations filled with empathy for us to get that. NOSTALGIA IS A SEDUCTIVE LIAR. - GEORGE BALL In Exodus 16, the Children of Israel began to complain to their leaders, Moses and Aaron, about the hardship of the wilderness. They had just recently been delivered by the LORD's mighty hand from slavery to Pharaoh and the Egyptians. In Exodus 16:3, false nostalgia took over. They ceased to be grateful and began to murmur and grumble. “If only the LORD had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.” Numbers 11:5 says, "We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt, along with the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic." It's hard to believe that they were crying to return to the brutality and hardship of 400 years of enslavement for so little. That wilderness, that situation they hated was the launching pad for their freedom! How many of us have been stuck mentally and emotionally in a past situation? We know it was not good for us then, and it's not good for us now—but we long for it, or for something similar. All the while we are losing sight of the much better situation that God has allowed us to enjoy in His gift of the PRESENT. NOSTALGIC HOPE "There is no word for being nostalgic for the future," the quote above states. We can only be nostalgic for what we've experienced before. Thank the LORD we can envision things through the eye of faith and be blessed to see our faith become substance. I am a Kingdom citizen who believes that the LORD Jesus Christ rules the Universe and all governments. His Church of Kingdom ambassadors is to extend His loving rule in the earth. So I'm not a big US politics person, nor do I believe there is really a 'Christian' party in our democratic republic. I must, however, celebrate that for the first time in our nation's history, a woman has been elected to the Vice Presidency, shattering that glass ceiling. The fact that Vice President Kamala Harris is a woman of color and a graduate of an HBCU—Historically Black College or University (Howard University) is something that women around the world honored this week by wearing Chucks (Converse Chuck Taylor Sneakers) and pearls. Leadership for women is never easy—inside nor outside of the Church. I am committed to continuing to pray as Scripture instructs us in 1 Tim. 2:1-2, for President Biden and our new leaders for the best of our historic and future nostalgia to be revealed in our times. I hope you will do the same.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - SPECULATIONS - Sadell Bradley - 1/20/2021

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD SPECULATIONS 1/20/2021 "The media tends to report rumors, speculations, and projections as facts...How does the media do this? By quoting some 'expert'...you can always find some expert who will say something hopelessly hopeless about anything. " - Peter McWilliams - American Writer As the U.S. Presidency transitions, it is sure that we have learned as much about ourselves as we have about any candidate or politician. One thing we've discovered is how easily we are prone to follow SPECULATIONS - the forming of theories or conjecture without firm evidence. Theories are ideas we propose to explain things. A conjecture is an opinion formed on the basis of incomplete information. No matter your political leanings, many of us know that major media outlets, politicians, pundits (employed experts), even friends and family on social media...ALL have the ability and even the propensity to spin words and ideas toward or against particular positions. The diagram to the left aptly describes some of the options of belief across a spectrum, and the levels of uncertainty we have on various proposed points of view. We, humans, tend to oversimplify the complex and over-complicate the simple. There is more to most things and people than meets the eye. The Apostle Paul explained to the Church at Corinth, "Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture!' (1 Cor. 13:9, NLT) If we only gain a partial understanding from Divine revelation, how much more hesitant should we be about taking what we hear from anyone in the world system as entirely true? I hope we will be more discerning in 2021. AVOID SPECULATIONS If we desire to recover any sense of unity within the Body of Christ, we could start by following the advice Paul gave to Timothy, ".,.Have nothing to do with foolish and ignorant speculations [useless disputes over unedifying, stupid controversies], since you know that they produce strife and give birth to quarrels. The servant of the Lord must not participate in quarrels but must be kind to everyone [even-tempered, preserving peace, and they must be], skilled in teaching, patient, and tolerant when wronged. They must correct those who are in opposition with courtesy and gentleness in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and be led to the knowledge of the truth [accurately understanding and welcoming it] and that they may come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will." (2 Tim. 2:23-26, AMP) One would think this was not even in the Bible. We are addicted to what God calls us to avoid: CONTROVERSIES - disagreements that are prolonged, public, and heated. If we want to move forward positively, we will have to cease striving and love. POLITICS IS NOT DOCTRINE One of the things Paul instructed Timothy to do was to refute those teaching false doctrine. He sent him to Ephesus, a world-center, and said, "Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God." (1 Timothy 1:3-4) Did you know POLITICS is defined not only as of the governance of a country but as the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power? This wrestling of people even in Christendom with opposing ideologies attempting to maintain or achieve power can be a never-ending, carnal endeavor contrary to the teachings of Christ. Your arguments will not be enough. It will take the Holy Spirit's conviction to move those wholly invested in any 'side' that does not hold a Kingdom perspective into repentance. This begs a personal question, "Has what you've been speaking, posting, or fighting over been in part speculation? Have the things you've been doing or saying helped anyone live a life of faith in God?" New mercies are available. Let's lay down all our speculations and controversies and take mercy into 2021 and beyond.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - INSURRECTION - Sadell Bradley - 1/13/2021

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD INSURRECTION 1/13/2021 "We're a part of the insurrection, trying to turn Christianity upside down. " - Erwin McManus Many words have been used to describe what occurred at our Nation's Capitol on January 6th. The most frequent are INSURRECTION - a violent uprising against an authority or government; to rise up, and SEDITION - conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state; going apart. Rising up in order to divide. Synonyms for insurrection include revolt, riot, anarchy, coup, and the more familiar term rebellion. REBELLION is an act of violent or open resistance to the authority, control, or convention of an established government or ruler. Since the colonies rebelled against the rule of King George III in the Revolutionary War, the US has been involved in uprisings, both internal and external. Whether world wars, or battles over whether or not America's creeds were benefiting all of its citizens equally; there has been a lot of striving, injury, and death. In suffrage, women were raped, tortured, imprisoned, and killed for the right to vote. The same holds true for African-Americans in the struggle for civil and human rights. What we are seeing now is an implosion that seems eerily similar to the Civil War—where the Country, and sadly, the Church, were split in two over the issues of slavery, race, power, and greed. It's frightful, and the proclamation and observance of the loving commands of the Lord Jesus Christ are ostensibly absent—even from those who claim to follow Christ. We 'Christians' need to repent for how we see because the 'light' that is in us is great darkness right now. (Matt. 6:23) A NAME FOR OURSELVES In Genesis 11, the citizens of the earth unified in their desire to build a great edifice— the Tower of Babel. When they contrived the idea, they were in agreement and all spoke the same language. They said to themselves, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” (vs. 7) It was as if their ambitions collided with a prophetic utterance on the consequences of their plotting in a single sentence. Their scheme attracted the attention of the Almighty God who sovereignly disrupted their plans because they were making themselves an idol, decrying His holiness. He will have no competitors. "Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth." (vs. 9) Jesus, our King is not siding with the political right nor left. He is the LORD of creation and will be worshipped by all."I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols." (Isa. 42:8) TURN THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN The Christ-followers in Acts 17 were guilty of a different kind of insurrection. Paul and Silas proclaimed that the Lord Jesus Christ was the Messiah in a Jewish synagogue in Thessalonica. Their presence and proclamation were a threat to leaders who were fearful of losing their position to this new King. The rulers exclaimed, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too." (vs.6) The declaration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a counter-cultural type of sedition. It usurps carnal conventions. Instead of spewing hate-speech and promoting violence—we use LOVE speech and kind actions. Instead of vying for power and greed—we choose humility, servanthood, and generosity. Where many try to preserve their status and reputation, we deny ourselves and lay down our lives for Christ's sake. It is my prayer that more and more true Christ-followers will put on the armor of God and use the spiritual forces of peace, goodness, compassion, unity, and love. Take up the spiritual weapons of prayer, faith, truth, and the Word of God and engage in a seditious insurrection against the powers of darkness and this world.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD-REINVENT- Sadell Bradley 1/5/2021

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD REINVENT 1/5/2021 "The true essence of fashion is being able to reinvent yourself with what you have." - Melanie Fiona NEW YEAR, NEW YOU—that's what they say. The change of a year, and celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries, can cause us to evaluate our lives. It is important to remember that we are already valuable and worthy. We have learned and grown significantly in many areas, though some qualities still could use a bit of tweaking. Aspects of our lives might require renovation or even a total overhaul. Actress Mary Pickford said, "You may have a fresh start at any moment you choose." Opportunities for REINVENTION - which means to change something so much that it appears to be entirely new, are not confined to a New Year. They can come at any time—and that's good news! THE GOSPEL IS ABOUT REINVENTION. "Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new creation. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new." (2 Cor. 5:17, TPT) Born again Christ followers are aware that the call to discipleship is a summons to deny ourselves and become conformed to the image of Christ. Our drastic reinvention is not so much about self-improvement, as it is about learning to live, love, and become more like Jesus. Usually, New Year's Resolutions revolve around losing weight, going to school, getting our homes or finances in order, and gaining or repairing relationships. I wonder what would happen if in 2021 we all resolved to know Christ better, to abide in His Word and presence, and live and behave as He would. YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE. This is something I will remind myself over and over again in 2021. Though internal and external pressures are present, I need to take the time because my choices have implications beyond myself to my family and those I serve. They must be made with care. Moses gave the Children of Israel this challenge, "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! " (Deut. 30:19) Holocaust survivor Victor Frankel, gained much insight into living, forgiving and choosing to reinvent his life after severe trauma. He said, "Between stimulus and response is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." Here's to wise choices in 2021.