WEDNESDAY'S WORD - ENOUGH - Sadell Bradley -01/31/2024

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD ENOUGH 1/31/2024 "Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."– Oprah Winfrey TONIGHT 7 PM BIBLE STUDY ACTING UP!: I AM A PHARISEE  @warehouseOTR  Facebook, Youtube   Worship Service 10:00 AM - Bible Study 9:00 AM   John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil Company, was the first US billionaire and in his time, the richest man on earth. He was what's called a magnate - a wealthy and influential person, a great man, especially in business. Legend has it that one day, Rockefeller was asked by a reporter, “How much money is enough?” He calmly replied, “Just a little bit more." In that simple answer, John D. Rockefeller displayed the satiety problem we have in America. The word sated means enough. A lack of satiety means we are never satisfied. Nothing is ever ENOUGH - as much or as many as is required. In what places do have have more than what's required? Some don't believe they can ever have enough money, clothing, possessions, or status. Though we all have the same 24 hours allotted us, many think there's never enough time. How many shoes or sneakers, purses, cars, or homes do we really need? How many degrees or achievements will fulfill us? How much food, fun, and drink will satisfy our emptiness? What pulls us to always desire, "Just a little bit more?" Author Garrison Keillor prayed, "Thank you God, for this good life, and forgive us if we do not love it enough." He, like Oprah Winfrey, think a lifestyle of gratefulness curbs our discontent and allows us to say what we have and who we are is "enough." Do you believe you have and are enough today? Christ followers know JESUS is more than enough to satisfy our longings, though we are not enough on our own...He graces us to be enough in Him. Contentment is another antidote for dissatisfaction. Paul wrote, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him (Christ) who gives me strength." (Phil 4:12-13, NIV) It's amazing how few times I've heard this Scripture quoted in its true context—contentedness. Paul taught his protege Timothy that greed is a recipe for disaster, and that holy living should not be viewed as a way to financial and personal gain, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." (1 Tim. 6:6-8) Paul knew with the challenges he and the New Testament Church were facing, they couldn't hold the luxury of discontent. He experienced life in Christ as more than enough.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - PRESENT - Sadell Bradley- 01/24/2024

WEDNESDAY'S WORD PRESENT 1/24/2024 "Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now,."– Alan Lakein - Businessman TONIGHT 7 PM BIBLE STUDY ACTING UP!: I AM A PHARISEE  @warehouseOTR  Facebook, Youtube   Worship Service 10:00 AM - Bible Study 9:00 AM       This year, I'm trying a weight management system called Noom. It's psychology based and focuses on helping you build a better mindset and habits around: grocery shopping, the kinds of food you purchase, exercise, how you handle stress, and how you think about and approach eating. Each day you weigh yourself, catalog your meals, and read new information to help you carry out your personal goals. The other day, Noom asked this multiple choice question: What percentage of time do people spend thinking about the past or the future? 5%, 10%, 20%, or 32%?... You guessed it, the answer was a whopping 32% —over one third of our lives is spent thinking about the past or the future! Noom, was letting us in on that information because eating is an "automatic behavior" like driving, showering, or brushing your teeth. We do it without attention or intention, while we're thinking about...our past and future. Noom teaches us how to eat 'mindfully' and focus on the PRESENT - the period of time now occurring. This is so we can make deliberate and purposeful choices and develop habits that will benefit us long term. People think 'mindfulness' is a new, modern idea. They call it "Being present" which means being fully focused on or involved in what one is doing or experiencing." Jesus taught His disciples long ago to LIVE in the present in Matthew 6— and to enjoy God's faithful provision. We petition in the LORD's prayer, "Give us this day our daily bread," (vs. 11) Jesus meditated and went to solitary places to pray to His Father. He encouraged the disciples to pray, be grateful, take pleasure in their God, in their pursuits, and in the people they loved. He said, don't be anxious about the future, or nurse regrets about the past.  25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Jesus asked them, "27Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" Worrying about time—a past we cannot change, or a future we cannot control...is pointless. Jesus goes deeper into the futility of holding anxiety over the necessities of life. 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Finally, Jesus challenged His disciples to live in the present. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. American Author, Taylor Caldwell said, "Don't let the past steal your present." I say, "Don't let the future steal it either!" Stay in the moment. REGISTER BY CLICKING HERE $10 for BREAKFAST

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - HARBINGER - Sadell Bradley - 01/17/2024

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD HARBINGER 1/17/2024 "Exceptions are not always proof of the old rule; they can also be the harbinger of a new one."– Marie Von Ebner Eschenbach  - Austrian Writer TONIGHT 7 PM BIBLE STUDY ACTING UP!: I Was Born A Citizen @warehouseOTR  Facebook, Youtube   Worship Service 10:00 AM - Bible Study 9:00 AM A HARBINGER is a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another; a forerunner. Some say if a groundhog emerges from hibernation and sees his shadow; it will retreat and there will be six more weeks of winter. If it does not see a shadow, then Spring is right around the corner. Others believe a crocus breaking through the ground in Winter is the harbinger of Spring. Either prognosticator would be welcome as a cold front has swept over much of the US this week. The Old French herbergier means  to provide lodging for an army. Rahab the harlot was a harbinger who provided shelter for the spies before Israel entered Canaan in Joshua 2. She was a harbor of hope, a place of refuge for them. Harbingers signal that a transition is about to occur. In this case, possession of a new, promised territory. The most notable HARBINGER in Scripture is probably John the Baptist. Interestingly enough, this messenger was announced by another harbinger— the prophet Isaiah:   3The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. 4Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; 5The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:3-5) When you see a harbinger coming, or when they speak...something's about to change. God can use anyone to herald His next move: a harlot, a prophet, or a weirdly dressed desert wanderer, clothed in camel's hair, eating locusts and wild honey. John the Baptist was also Jesus' cousin, which means the LORD can also employ those close to you to make His announcements to or about you. John declared to the crowd of disciples, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) The spies in Canaan, nor the disciples of John knew a pronouncement was coming...but these harbingers changed everyone's lives and destinies...forever. REGISTER BY CLICKING HERE $10 for BREAKFAST

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - MALAISE- Sadell Bradley 1/10/2024

WEDNESDAY'S WORD MALAISE 1/10/2024 "Where there is chance of gain, there is also chance of loss. Whenever one courts great happiness, one also risks malaise."– Walker Percy - American Writer TONIGHT 7 PM BIBLE STUDY ACTING UP!: Why Are You Weeping? @warehouseOTR  Facebook, Youtube         MALAISE is a general feeling of discomfort, illness, or uneasiness whose exact cause is difficult to identify. Some folks call it the blues. The french word ennui signifies boredom. Webster's dictionary states that malaise, (Old French) "formed from the combination of mal (“bad”) and aise (“comfort”), has been a part of English since the mid-18th century. It originally referred to a vague feeling of weakness or discomfort accompanying the onset of an illness—a meaning still in use today when a virus or other malady starts producing symptoms—but has since broadened to cover a general, ominous sense of mental or moral ill-being." For some, the start of the year promotes excitement and a renewal of passion and adventure. Others experience a case of the blahs...a numbness that is hard to identify because nothing is really wrong. In fact, malaise can set in even when things are generally ok. A friend was sharing these symptoms. I used the word MALAISE to describe them. She replied, "There's a word for it?" Yeah, there's a word for almost everything, Lol!. Recently, a young millennial told me that since the pandemic, they'd lost enthusiasm, and didn't really want to venture out of the house. Maybe you've experienced a case of melancholy, listlessness, or the doldrums. I assure you, you're not alone. Negative news cycles, antics on social media, politics, even the change of season from Fall to Winter can cause us to be disquieted (worried or anxious), or despondent (in low spirits from loss of hope or courage). It's easy to understand when a trial or tribulation is upon us...it's much harder when we can't exactly pinpoint why we are desensitized or deadened in spirit with malaise. The Psalmist Korah in Psalm 42 wrote about his deep longing for the presence of the LORD, he writes, "1As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. 2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." Korah is in the midst of a time where there are so many tears that the grief is talking. "Where is your God?" it asks. Some of us have experienced periods where we feel like the living dead, but we still trust and hope in God for better days. In verse 4 Korah recalls, I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise... He remembers a time when God's presence filled all his empty spaces. He enjoyed the community of the saints...and longs to return. Korah encourages himself with this query and answer, "11Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God."

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD -STEADFAST - Sadell Bradley - 01/03/2024

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD STEADFAST 1/3/2024 "Stay focused on your mission, remain steadfast in your pursuit of excellence, and always do the right things." – Mark Esper - Former US Secertary of Defense TONIGHT 7 PM BIBLE STUDY ACTING UP!: FINISH THE RACE @warehouseOTR  Facebook, Youtube         I once took a trip to England with EF Educational Tours. We visited Buckingham Palace and saw the changing of "The Queen's Guard." The pageantry was fascinating, but it was not as intriguing as the discipline the sentry—soldiers stationed to keep guard, and to control access—showed. They were at their post for two hours. Every 10 minutes, they came to attention, sloped arms, and marched 15 paces across the area of the post. Each sentry does this four to five times before halting. They then shoulder arms and stand at ease. 'Standing easy' is not permitted while a sentry is at their post. Orders read aloud state that sentries "may not eat, sleep, smoke, stand easy, sit or lie down during [their] tour of duty." (Wikipedia) Some try to distract, dissuade, or discombobulate the sentry. One woman was so annoying, a guard lost his cool and kicked her in the ankle. Consequently, the entire guard was moved from outside the palace to within its walls. To be a sentry, you have to be STEADFAST - resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering. This is what the LORD is calling us to, not just in 2024, but for the rest of our lives. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15 about the everlasting hope we have because Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead. He lives today! and those who believe Jesus is LORD and King have an expectation that when we die, we will live and reign with Him forever. We serve God from a vantage point of victory as soldiers in His Kingdom's army. Christ has conquered death, hell, and the grave. We are triumphant in Him. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades (grave), where is your victory?” 56The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Paul encourages those who identify with Christ to live steadfast lives. We are to be undistracted like those sentries—disciplined, focused, and persevering to the end. This is my prayer for myself and all of us. Happy New Year!