WEDNESDAY'S WORD - RESURRECTION - Sadell Bradley - 03/27/2024

WEDNESDAY'S WORD RESURRECTION 3/27/2024 "Let every man and woman count themselves immortal. Let them catch the revelation of Jesus in His resurrection. Let them say not merely, "Christ is risen," but "I shall rise!" – Phillips Brooks, Clergyman

Resurrection is at the very heart of Christian belief. We celebrate it not just on "Easter Sunday", but on every Sunday...really every day. Christians have held services on Sunday, "the first day of the week," (John 20:19) as a commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ since the first century. RESURRECTION is restoring a dead person to life; reviving the practice, use, or memory of something; to bring new vigor. In Christianity, The Resurrection is both the belief that Jesus Christ rose from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that humans will rise from the dead at the last judgment. Everyone will die at some point and afterward we will be held accountable to God for what we have said and done during our lives. (Matthew 12:36, Hebrews 9:27) We will also be held responsible for whether or not we have believed in, and identified ourselves with God's Son Jesus Christ, the judge of this world, (John 5:22-23) as Lord, King, and Savior. Christians believe that those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins through his shed blood on the Cross will be declared righteous by God. (Rev. 20:11-15) Hebrews 6:1-3 gives us the building blocks of the Christian faith: repentance from dead works, faith toward God, the doctrine of baptisms, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. These six "foundation stones" are the rudimentary (elementary) beliefs to which every Christ-follower is to adhere. Belief in the resurrection is a crucial Christian doctrine. Paul's words to the Church at Corinth confirm this: 13For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. 20But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. (1 Corinthians 15:13-20) . Our hope of an eternal life in Heavenly communion with God our Father is directly connected to our belief in the Resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. The concepts of regeneration (being "born again") and baptism, reflect the old person's transformation process—dying to sin and self, and rising out of that state into a resurrected newness by their identification with Christ. In every healing, financial debt cancelation, mental health recovery, forgiveness, and reconciliation, we experience a form of resurrection. The theme of resurrection anchors the preacher and the parishioner. It is the continual hope that what we experience on this earth is not all there is. Something better awaits us as we believe!

Worship Service 10:00 AM - Bible Study 9:00 AM 691 Fleming Road, Cincinnati OH 45231

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - COVERT - Sadell Bradley - 3/20/2024

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD COVERT 3/20/2024 "The panther is sleek. The panther is sneaky. The panther is covert. Meanwhile, the gorilla will show up and bang on his chest and make noises to warn you about what's about to happen if you continue to cross the line."– Winston Duke - American Actor

At our house, we are fans of the MARVEL comic universe. The Black Panther is one of my favorite movies. Winston Duke quoted above, plays the character Lord M'Baku. He is the leader of the Jabari Tribe, a group of African Wakandans who choose not to participate in mainstream society. I'm sure that was peaceful! His tribe was COVERT— not openly acknowledged or displayed. Actually, the entire Wakandan nation was concealed. Access to the country even came through an invisible portal. Wakanda possessed the unlimited treasure of Vibranium and more advanced technological resources than other kingdoms. They hid in plain sight, much like actual panthers do, operating mostly in secret. COVERT is a word that has more than one meaning. As a noun, a COVERT is a thicket in which game can hide. So, the panther pictured is covertly hiding IN a covert. The Old French covrir means covered. Finally in ornithology, which is the study of birds, a COVERT is any of the feathers covering the bases of the main flight or tail feathers of a bird. In Psalm 61, David wrote on the Neginah (stringed instruments) his plea to the LORD: Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.   Other renderings are, "Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings," or "I will shelter myself under the shadow of thy wings." David was running from King Saul's murderous plots when he fled into a cave and wrote, Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by." (Psalm 57:1) It's adorable to see a chick hiding in the fold of its mother's pinions. Now picture, you, your family, or friends, under stress and duress, being able to rest securely shielded under the giant, loving, winged arms of God the Father until the danger and destruction have ended.

Worship Service 10:00 AM - Bible Study 9:00 AM

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - SETBACK- SADELL BRADLEY - 03/13/2024

WEDNESDAY'S WORD SETBACK 3/13/2024 "If you don't learn from why you're in the position you're in, you are doomed to repeat it. You need to bring meaning to every setback."– Jillian Michaels

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After weeks of consistently working toward a fitness goal that I was close to achieving...I fell ill and had to stop. I didn't fall off the wagon by eating too many donuts. A virus that was beyond my control was the culprit. Nevertheless, it was a frustrating SETBACK—a reversal or check in progress; a defeat. Fitness trainer, Jillian Michaels, famous for her transformative work with individuals on the TV series, "The Biggest Loser," said we have to bring meaning to our setbacks. We can learn lessons and make the most of times when we are hindered, our progress is slow, and we experience delays. Setbacks in our fitness, financial, workplace, and relational lives happen all the time. It feels at times as if we've taken a really bad fall, and it's going to be painful to get up and recover. How we respond to these mishaps, whether caused by our character flaws or negligence, by the actions of others, or by the activity of the devil...will determine our level of success in life. Paul wrote that even good things— like his extensive visions and revelation of God's plan— could prove problematic. The prophetic insights he received from God...might make him prideful. The LORD dealt with Paul in 2 Corinthians 12: 7even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. 8Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Paul said this setback that buffeted or struck him repeatedly and violently...was really a gift from God. It was meant to keep him humble. If things were going too well, the LORD knew he would get a bad case of the big head. So God allowed Satan to give Paul a setback. We don't preach this often, but pride might explain some of the setbacks many of us face. Christ followers believe in the greatest setback—comeback combination there has ever been. After our Lord, Jesus died, and was buried; He rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven by the power of Holy Spirit. This comeback opened the way for us to have a relationship with God and become part of His family. It also frees us from the fear of our most powerful opponent—death. The writer of Hebrews explains, 14Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. (Hebrews 2:14-15) "To have a comeback, you have to have a setback." —Mr. T No truer words have been spoken.

Worship Service 10:00 AM - Bible Study 9:00 AM

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - TROUBLED - Sadell Bradley - 03/06/2024

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD TROUBLED 3/6/2024 "Happiness is not being pained in body or troubled in mind." – Thomas Jefferson

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Growing up, the elders used to say, "I'm so glad trouble don't last always!" The Bible encourages us that, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning!" (Psalm 30:5b) The life of former Congressman and Civil Rights Leader John Lewis taught us there is such a thing as 'good trouble' when it is stirred up for a worthy cause. TROUBLES are defined as difficulties or problems; a cause of worry or inconvenience; situations in which one is liable to incur punishment or blame; unrest or disorder. To trouble someone is to cause them distress, anxiety, inconvenience or pain. When one is asking for trouble they are acting in a way that is likely to provoke an argument or strife. Troubles cause us to be TROUBLED—beset by problems or conflict, and therefore showing distress or anxiety. There's a lot about which we could be troubled right now.   In John 14, Jesus is preparing His disciples for the troubles ahead. He's about to be brutally crucified, then be buried, resurrect and return to Heaven. He begins with the encouragement, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me." Jesus explains that He is going away to prepare a place for His followers in His Kingdom and that eventually, they will join Him there. (vs. 1-4). Then Christ reveals He will send 'another comforter," an advocate/helper who will be alongside them as He has been, but live within them. He says, "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (26) Christ declares, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (27) Isn't it crazy that at the very time we would rightfully be afraid...Jesus tells us not to allow fear to overtake our hearts. In the weeks before His death, Christ instructed His disciples not to be anxious or disturbed. Peace—the Greek eiréné is to be at rest, with a sense of wholeness or undisturbed well being. By contrast, troubled, the Greek tarassó means to agitate, to shake back and forth or to and fro like a washing machine. Tarassó is to set in motion what needs to remain still and at ease. Jesus said, on't become perplexed though what's happening is complicated and it seems you can't account for it. Don't let your emotions stir you up and get the best of you. The warfare is meant to steal your peace. Come to think of it... Isn't peace the opposite of war? Jesus says, "Don't let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." This word deiliao means to shrink; to become timid or cowardly; showing a lack of courage or boldness. Deiliao says "I am living in dread"- a paralyzing fear of consequences, that something bad or unpleasant will happen. Christ tells His followers don't shrink back or waver in these next weeks. They're going to be excruciating, but you will make it. And once I've gone, you will have another comforter/helper who will not just be with you, but will live in you forever!

Worship Service 10:00 AM - Bible Study 9:00 AM