WEDNESDAY'S WORD - CULMINATION - SADELL BRADLEY - 12/23/2023

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD CULMINATION 12/27/2023 "Life is a culmination of the past, an awareness of the present, an indication of a future beyond knowledge, the quality that gives a touch of divinity to matter." ~Charles Lindbergh TONIGHT 7 PM BIBLE STUDY ACTING UP!: I-COMMERCE @warehouseOTR  Facebook, Youtube         I've always thought CULMINATION was about endings. I was pleasantly surprised to find that CULMINATION is actually the highest or climactic point of something, especially as attained after a long time . It is to reach a summit, or a decisive point. A summit is the highest attainable level of achievement . Years ago, a prophet accurately identified that I'd had five seasons of loss, where I'd given up something. Then he said there would be a "culmination of blessing," where the things I'd given up would come together in an abundance. I initially disregarded this because I saw culmination terminations—not high altitudes or achievements. When grief is fierce, even the LORD's words meant to encourage can be misunderstood . Has this happened to you? On New Year's Eve, African-Americans celebrate a service called Watch Night or Freedom's Eve . The meetings commemorate the emancipation of enslaved Africans after 400 years in bondage in the United States. On December 31, 1862, enslaved families gathered together, waiting for the news of their freedom. Then they celebrated exuberantly when it was announced. Watch Night is a joy-filled worship service. Prior to this liberation, restrictions like the Georgia Slave code stated that, " No person of color . . . shall be allowed to preach, to exhort, or join in any religious exercise with any persons of color, either free or slave, there being more than seven persons of color present. "   The evening of December 31st is a time of song, celebration, and stirring Words from God. It reminds me of Psalm 126, a prayer of ascents:  1 When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion, We were like those who dreamed. 2Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” 3 The LORD has done great things for us; We are joyful. 4Restore our fortunes, LORD, As the streams in the South. 5Those who sow in tears shall harvest with joyful shouting. 6 One who goes here and there weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him . (Psalm 126, NASB) I pray that the LORD turns your captivity, brings you into freedom, a blessing of culmination, and overwhelms you with JOY in the coming year!

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - PAUSE - Sadell Bradley - 12/20/2023

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD PAUSE 12/20/2023 "When things begin to accelerate wildly out of control, sometimes patience is the only answer. Press pause." ~ Douglass Rushkoff - American Author TONIGHT 7 PM BIBLE STUDY ACTING UP! DON'T BE SILENT @warehouseOTR  Facebook, Youtube       PAUSE IT! That's what I say when I want my husband to stop the TV because I think I have something interesting or important to say. Now that there's "On Demand," we can pause at any time and recover our favorite show right where we left off. Maybe we lost a little TV time, but we invested in something more important—relating with one another. A PAUSE - is a temporary stop in action or speech; in technology, it's a button that allows for the temporary interruption of an electronic or mechanical process.. Pause in the Latin and Greek just means to stop. This time of year moves at a rapid pace. Folks are consumed with holiday preparations. School is out which is either more relaxing...or not. Stores are filled, traffic is stressful, and finances can be tight. We're approaching the end of the year, which is a time of self-evaluation and reflection. If we're where we hoped we'd be, there's excitement—if not there are regrets. With life, job, and academic pressures, and our church moving...I was overworked, overwhelmed, and anxious. The remedy was to just bring things to a halt. Another word for halt or pause is standstill. A standstill is a situation or condition in which there is no movement or activity at all. Stand still as a command means come to rest. God gave this command to Israel in Exodus. The Israelites were in the process of being delivered from 430 years of slavery to Egypt. Though God had wrought many plagues as miraculous signs to end their servitude; Pharaoh and the Egyptians believed they still held control over the people they'd owned for centuries. The children of Israel were out...but they weren't all the way out. Though they'd boldly left and spoiled the Egyptians; they were concerned that Pharaoh and his army would capture and return them to bondage. So the LORD devised a plan to have Israel camp along the shore and look like sitting ducks. He would harden Pharaoh's heart once more, and the monarch would give chase. God declared, "I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD!” (Exodus 14:4) The Israelites obeyed God's command and then looked terrified as Pharaoh approached. They cried out to the LORD and blamed their leader Moses for bringing them out to the wilderness to die. In verse 13 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” It's hard for some of us to pause—to stand still and wait for the LORD to speak, to move, to fight, and to fix situations beyond our control. But that's exactly what God is asking some of us to do.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - QUAGMIRE - Sadell Bradley - 12/6/2023

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD QUAGMIRE 12/6/2023 "In a way, forgiving is only for the brave. It is for those people who are willing to confront their pain, accept themselves as permanently changed, and make difficult choices. Forgivers are not content to be stuck in a quagmire. They reject the possibility that the rest of their lives will be determined by the unjust and injurious acts of another person." ~ Gordon Dalbey - Author TONIGHT 7 PM BIBLE STUDY ACTING UP!: FREEDOM SONGS @warehouseOTR  Facebook, Youtube     A QUAGMIRE is a soft boggy area of land that gives way under foot. Figuratively, it is an awkward, complex, or hazardous situation. A person can be mired in work, or a relationship that prevents them from going anywhere. In a quagmire, you're stuck "in the mud," physically, financially, mentally, emotionally,  or spiritually. The situation is hard to escape. There is no easy solution. We used to sing, "He brought me out of the miry clay. He placed my feet on a rock to stay. He put a song in my soul today, a song of praise, hallelujah!" Mire is a situation of difficulty, distress, or embarrassment from which it is hard to extricate oneself. It's a predicament of chance, unknown conditions, or uncertain developments. Quagmires lack security and stability. You don't see the miry portion of land before you step onto it, lose control, start to sink, and desperately want to get out. With quagmires, getting out depends on the will, strength, or pleasure of another. Mire can be a symbol of depression - a desolate pit of despair where one is bogged down in sadness, grief, despondency, or helplessness. God can lift us out of the quagmire by His love, grace, and power. We come out muddied...but we're free! "He brought me out into a spacious place. He rescued me because He delighted in me." (Psalm 18;9) Scholars believe David was in exile when he wrote some of the Psalms, " Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can't find a foothold. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me." (Psalm 69:2) The king was in a devastating situation and needed God's help. He cried out, "Rescue me from the miry mud; don't let me sink. Let me be rescued from those who hate me, and from the deep water." (v.14) In Psalm 40, 1-2 God answers, "I waited patiently for the LORD, And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet up on a rock, And established my steps." David was not able to escape his situations on his own. He had to wait for the LORD to reach down, rescue, settle and stabilize him on a secure landing place. We now know that Rock to be Christ Jesus— all other ground is sinking sand.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - PERSPECTIVE -Sadell Bradley - 11/29/23

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD PERSPECTIVE 11/29/2023 "Injury generally teaches you to appreciate every moment. I've had my share of injuries throughout my career. It gives you perspective. No matter how many times I've been hurt, I've learned from that injury and come back even more humble." - Troy Polamalu - NFL Football Player TONIGHT 7 PM BIBLE STUDY ACTING UP!: Under the Knife @warehouseOTR  Facebook, Youtube       Ten years ago, in November, we prayed for the victims of a Typhoon in the Philippines. That country didn't have much relief as another storm swept through in 2022. Now, our eyes are turned toward the hostages being freed day by day in Gaza, during a several day truce between Israel and Hamas. We watch the citizens of Gaza walk through their devastated city looking for traces of relatives and relics. Their entire lives and those of their children, grandchildren, and possibly generations have been forever altered. These days, shootings, hate crimes, and demonstrations, are happening across America and all over the world. Our US government is languishing and its prospects for the future are in jeopardy. The season has changed, and I'm not just talking about the dark, cold days of winter. Times like these cause us to reflect and consider our perspectives on life and what's really important. I majored in Art in High School. It was my favorite subject. One of Art's most fascinating lessons is PERSPECTIVE—a picture drawn in two dimensions, especially one appearing to enlarge or extend the actual space, or to give the effect of distance. I remember images like the one to your left seemingly jumping off the page—a testament to the artist's skill and ability to see beyond what was there, and to make an object appear different than it actually was without truly changing it. We have the uncanny creative and spiritual ability to make things be as we view them. Perspective is a particular attitude or way of regarding something; a point of view. Perspective can also give us a truer understanding of the relative importance of things; a sense of proportion. The medieval Latin perspectiva is 'the science of optics'—the way in which an event or course of action is perceived by the public. We see and hear 'spin' narratives from various vantage points on a variety of subjects. When I consider the tragedies going on around the world...it puts my problems in their proper perspective. Christ followers approach things from Jesus' Kingdom perspective. Peter wrote,"The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another." (1 Peter 4:7-10) Maybe it's time to change our perspective on some things.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - UNGRATEFUL - SADELL BRADLEY - 11/22/2023

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD UNGRATEFUL 11/22/2023 "A complaining tongue reveals an ungrateful heart." - William Arthur Ward, American Writer TONIGHT 7 PM BIBLE STUDY ACTING UP!: We're Only Human @warehouseOTR  Facebook, Youtube   Tomorrow in the US, families will gather at dinner tables for the Thanksgiving holiday. Many will enjoy a feast beyond all proportions that feeds them not for just a single day...but for the whole weekend. During this season, some break their banks to ensure each and every thing that everyone never wanted is supplied. It starts on Thanksgiving with more food in a day than some around the globe eat in a month. Then on to Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales where, as they say, we "buy things we can't afford to impress people we don't like." We give some of those items away on Christmas and finally pay off our credit cards by the time we receive our income tax in April. No wonder we're ungrateful; it's stressful and we're maxed out. It's amazing how blessed we are...yet some dread Thanksgiving, despite its meaning, even though they're surrounded by loved ones while others are alone. Some of us are UNGRATEFUL which means not feeling a readiness to show appreciation for, or to return a kindness. God has been so kind to us, but ingratitude's disposition is not pleasant nor acceptable. Three signs of ingratitude are murmuring, complaining, and discontent. American Ballerina Suzanne Farrell said, 'It's ungrateful to be wishing you were doing something else at the moment you are living. You haven't lived in the moment you are really living...you are wishing you were somewhere else." Has your ingratitude come from feeling stuck and desiring your circumstances to be different? Are things as bad as what you think and feel they are? Sometimes they are; most times they're not. Ingratitude is one of a long list of negative attributes the Apostle Paul says people will have in the last days. "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." (2 Timothy 3:2-5) It would probably be easier to have nothing to do with these people...if WE were not these people. Paul also wrote that..."true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content." (1 Timothy 6:6-10) On Thanksgiving Day, many of us will sit at tables with amounts of food that folks around the world would think impossible. We'll enjoy apartments and homes with furniture, toilets, running water, electricity, cable or streaming, heat or AC, TV's, sporting events, and friends and family that others wish they had. Stay in the moment, relish in and appreciate it. Be thankful, you don't know what tomorrow holds.