WEDNESDAY'S WORD - PORTION - 11/28/18 - Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

   

"A daily portion is really all we need. We do not need tomorrow's supply, for that day has not yet dawned, and its needs are still unborn." -

Charles Spurgeon  

Benjamin Franklin wrote,"Who is rich? He that rejoices in his portion." When we think about PORTION we usually think - a part of a whole; an amount, a section or piece of something divided between two or more people; or a part or share of an estate given to an heir. When going to worship God in sacrifice at Shiloh, a man named Elkanah would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and all her sons and daughters, "But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb." (1 Samuel 1:5) Though Elkanah's gesture of love was nice, Hannah sought God fervently in prayer for a child. The LORD opened Hannah's womb and gave her a son, the prophet Samuel. Isaiah 61:7 prophesied, "Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance." The recompense of a double portion for your hardships is pretty nice, isn't it? 

 

There is another meaning for this word that is even more satisfying. PORTION means a person's future as allotted by fate; one's destiny or lot in life. The psalmist Asaph declared:

 

21When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, 22I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. 23 Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand. 24You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. 25Whom have I in heaven but You?And earth has nothing I desire besides You. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:21-26) 

 

God is my PORTION or chalaq (Hebrew): my tract - an area of indefinite extent, my territory, my legacy, my inheritance, and my reward. Abram had just rescued Lot from Sodom when God made this pronouncement, "After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." (Genesis 15:1) Abram and Sarai had been barren into their old age. He cried out his longing for an heir to the LORD. God not only promised that He would be his portion, but that his reward would be very great. Someone from he and Sarai's own flesh and blood would be the heir...and he would not just have one, "5He took him outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars-if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:5-6)   

 

Sometimes we feel barren, ashamed, rejected and alone.  It is a blessing  to know that despite the circumstances or how we feel...God sees us, He cares, and He Himself will be our PORTION.  He will bless us beyond what we can imagine, ask or think!

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - UNTHANKFUL - 11/21/18 Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

Tomorrow is the Thanksgiving Holiday. In the United States we set aside a day to express our gratefulness for the bountiful blessings bestowed upon us. These benefits are not just food, clothing, shelter and transportation. We also celebrate love and friendship as we gather together over a meal with anyone with whom we can share our appreciation. UNTHANKFUL is not a word that is used too often this week. It means not feeling or showing pleasure, relief or gratitude. Did you realize thankfulness is a pleasurable and relieving virtue? Gratefulness takes the pressure off and brings joy. Unthankfulness is a negative characteristic of carnal people in the last days:   This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy... (2 Tim. 3:1-2) I'm not sure we see our complaints, discontent, and lack of gratitude as manifestations of the flesh. The LORD has given us a beautiful gift called life, but our insatiable appetite makes us look at it with disgust exclaiming, "It's not enough," because we didn't get what we expected. In the US we compare, compete and possess so much, yet we're never satisfied. Thankfulness can curb our disgruntlement and restlessness.    The holidays can be difficult. Those who have lost loved ones experience grief. Others may feel forced to engage folks they don't know or like. Jesus understands. He gave His life for people who were at enmity with Him. Christ loved and served those who worship this world more than God. (James 4:4) Jesus instructed His disciples how to treat even those who are hostile toward us:  But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. (Luke 6:35)

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - LIFT - 11/14/18 Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

"I'll lift you and you lift me, and we'll both ascend together."  

- John Greenleaf Whittier    

 

Tomorrow night we celebrate our monthly Thursday night worship, prayer and prophetic service at the home of a sister church in Cincinnati  We'll also be worshiping with them this Sunday. (See flyers below) We call our Thursday service LIFT - which means to raise to a higher position or level; to move one's eyes or face upward to look at someone or something; to increase; to raise a person's spirits or confidence. We believe as we lift up our eyes to the LORD Jesus - focusing our attention on Him, we will be elevated in the Spirit. As we lift our hands and our voices in praise, the spirit of heaviness will disappear. As we ascend into God's holy hill, His grace and mercy will increase us in every way. As we bask in His presence and love one another, burdens will be lifted and yokes will be destroyed. The Bible says:  

 

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.

For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

(Ecc. 4:9-10)

 

In Psalm 24, King David speaks of ascension into the presence of the LORD which requires clean hands, a pure heart, and the removal of all idols from our lives. (vs. 3-4) This lifting of the entire person toward God, seeking His face not just his hand, will bring both a blessing and vindication from Him (vs. 5-6) Scholars suppose that this psalm marks the carrying of the Ark of the Covenant into the City of Zion. Upon reaching the zenith, the following was chanted to open the doors wide for the King: 

 

7Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 9Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty, He is the King of glory. (Psalm 24:7-10)  

 

Now, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 6:19-20) We can open wide our hearts to receive the weight of Christ's splendor. His glory, and reputation is displayed though His Word with miracles, signs, wonders, salvation and deliverance as we worship. When we lift Him up, El Shaddai - the LORD God Almighty, sets a guard against our enemies. Jehovah Sabaoth, the LORD of Hosts, the captain of angelic armies favors and fights for us.  As we call on the resurrected (lifted) Savior Jesus Christ, He will draw all men to Himself. (John 12:32) We hope to see you at LIFT tomorrow night!  

 

   

   

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - ENTHUSIASM - 11/07/18 - Sadell Bradley New Life Covenant Cincinnati

"The real secret to success is enthusiasm." - Walter Chrysler       I don't remember anyone telling me this stuff.  Perhaps it's because I'm a Gen X'er raised by sisters who were a part of the Greatest Generation and the Silent Generation respectively. They'd endured the depression, suffrage, world wars, Jim Crow and many other atrocities. These generations are characterized by their self-sacrificing nature. They grew up experiencing and expecting a hard life. ENTHUSIASM -intense and eager enjoyment, interest, or approval was often not available in spades. Larry David, a popular comedic writer, advocated for you to... Curb Your Enthusiasm. That's just a TV show, but it reflects back to us that enthusiasm is something that we culturally want to restrain or keep in check. People who display excessive enthusiasm are deemed  'crazy.' There are few things that evoke this emotion in me, which is a bit sad. I have been inbred with more than enough skepticism, cynicism and evil forebodings. Can others tell when we're enthusiastic? or do we hold back those feelings in case something goes wrong? If enthusiasm is the secret to success, our thoughts and expressions need to be retrained to embrace this very valuable emotion.    I was reading the book of Haggai about the remnant of exiled Israel's God-ordained project to rebuild the Temple. Haggai describes that for an extended period of time, Israel had allowed God's place of habitation to be neglected while they built and attended to their own houses. There were some who remembered the Temple in its former glory. For them, the decay of this glorious edifice represented Israel's departure from prioritizing the LORD in worship and brought feelings of dismay and grief.  They had reaped consequences for abandoning the LORD: disconnection, loss, and a lack of fruitfulness. God, who is a jealous God, had allowed them to receive the negative result of their idolatry. The small remnant of Israel who were left heard the LORD's voice, repented from their wickedness, and were ready to rebuild the Temple. They were promised that God would be with them, that He would fight for them, and that He would use other nations to amply supply what they needed. As I read Haggai 1, a single verse stood out:   14 So the Lord sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God's people. They began to work on the house of their God, the Lord of Heaven's Armies...(NLT)    Spark means to ignite a sense of liveliness or excitement. It was God who provided their eagerness and passion for this challenging work despite the imminent opposition. The Greek word enthousiasmos actually means possessed by God, but after a lengthy time of loss and uncertainty, sometimes it's hard for us to regain enthusiasm. There's good news. God can and will set an unquenchable fire within us that enables us to effectively do His will!

Join us SUNDAYS 9:30AM Class 11:00 AM Worship Service 225 Wyoming Ave. Cincinnati OH 45215 mynewlifetoday.com

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - CONSIDER - 10/31/18 Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it." - Harper Lee      This is a very challenging time. Sometimes I wonder if we as a Nation have collectively lost the ability to CONSIDER - to think carefully about something typically before making a decision; to take something into account when making a decision; examine. It's so interesting that consider is the root word of CONSIDERATE - to be careful not to cause inconvenience or hurt to others; showing careful thought. It seems the first step to being considerate is to stop and consider another person's feelings, situation, and point of view. That's why Paul admonished us in Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves." No matter your race, religion, gender or socioeconomic background, whether you're a boss, employee, husband, wife or child...adhering to this counter-cultural Biblical precept will drastically improve your life. We'd grow if took the time to consider each other.   Many of us were aghast at the aftermath of the mass shooting at a Pittsburgh Synagogue. Other hate crimes splattered throughout the Country, even in our own Tri-State Region, speak loudly to the fact that some have not even attempted to consider, much less show love to those who share this space called humanity. I'm not sure why we believe that there will not be dire consequences to the atmosphere that is being set and fueled. Cause and affect is in play. There will be ramifications and repercussions to both the overt animosity being displayed and the silent apathy of those who refuse to cry out - Christian and non-Christian alike. We Christians are at times more concerned about our own lives and houses than re-presenting the Kingdom of God to the world. The prophet Haggai's warning to Israel was, "Consider your ways." (Hag. 1:7)      On a personal level, hard decisions, complicated knotty problems, and relational conflicts are not invitations to rash reactions but to sober reflection. Before you make or allow another inconsiderate blunder, stop and take time to consider. Examining yourself before responding is wisdom from the LORD.

Join us SUNDAYS 9:30AM Class 11:00 AM Worship Service 225 Wyoming Ave. Cincinnati OH 45215 mynewlifetoday.com

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - FINALLY - 10/24/18 - Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

"A man who as a physical being is always turned toward the outside, thinking that his happiness lies outside him, finally turns inward and discovers that the source is within him." - Soren Kierkegaard - Danish Philospher.      Funny...the most common use of the word FINALLY in American culture comes from the lips of WWE Wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. "FINALLLLLY, the Rock has come to Atlanta...."  FINALLY means after a long time, typically involving difficulty or delay; as the last in a series of related events or points. Finally is used in such away as to put an end to all doubt our dispute. You can hear the sigh of relief when something you've been waiting for, seemingly forever, finally presents itself in your current reality.  We exult that we've finally accomplished a goal, that the check has finally arrived, or the opportunity has finally been opened. Often it's because we were unsure whether or not the thing we longed for would ever happen. Then it finally does.     The Apostles used finally to culminate lists of instructions on Christian living. Finally was a strong admonition on some of their most important topics: Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. (1 Peter 3:8) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil's schemes.( Ephesians 6:10-11)  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) Finally brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: (2 Thes. 3:1) In 1 Peter 1:3-7, Peter describes our great expectation to receive the  priceless inheritance of the resurrection, just as Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. Though we have to endure many trials in this life, these trials will show that our faith is genuine. They will strengthen and purify our faith, which is more precious than gold until the day that Jesus Christ is finally revealed to the whole world. For the Christian, the exercise of faith and trust in our personal lives, and our efforts to become more and more fully persuaded of Divine Truth are purposeful.  Our beliefs will reach their pinnacle when our mortal bodies translate to immortality.  Peter affirms our love for, hope in, and conviction about Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. "8You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls."  Each time God brings His prophetic words to pass in the now, our faith increases, and we are more convinced of the reality of His Son's return. May God grant you some 'finallys' this week.

Join us SUNDAYS 9:30AM Class 11:00 AM Worship Service 225 Wyoming Ave. Cincinnati OH 45215 mynewlifetoday.com

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - EXCHANGE - 10/17/18 Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

 

"You came that I might live. You came that I might be set free. Exchanged Your life for mine. What a marvelous thing You've done."   

 - Walter Hawkins - Songwriter 

 

EXCHANGE is an act of giving one thing and receiving another (especially of the same type of value) in return; to utterly change out. When God is involved in a Divine Exchange, He gives us something BETTER in return. The photo above reminds us of God's Divine Exchange in Isaiah 1:18, "...Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool." We enter our encounters with Jesus one way, but once we have a genuine relationship with Him...we change and are qualitatively not the same.  

 

In the song "Marvelous," pastor and renowned psalmist Walter Hawkins describes the most wonderful Divine Exchange mankind has ever known. It's the atonement, or substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ - the Lamb of God who has taken away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) The word ransom connotes that we were held hostage by Satan in our sins under penalty of death. Until, motivated by His great love, God sent His only Son into the world to pay the ultimate price once and for all by dying on Calvary's Cross. He exchange His life for ours. (Heb. 9-10) He rose from the dead exchanging death for life and invites us to bring our dead places to Him for resurrection. 

 

I preached a message, No Regrets (you can view) in which I explained that God does not intend to leave us in a state of sin, shame or desperation. He wants to wash, cleanse, revive, renew, restore and recover us in order to display His glory. Our histories of pain and neglect, of abandonment, abuse and rejection, do not disqualify us. They actually qualify us to show the world that Jesus saves and redeems. We become trophies of His grace and splendor! 1 Corinthians 1:28-31 tells us that not many strong, mighty and wise people are called. God chooses orphans of ignoble birth, the weak, and the despised. The foolish things of God confound the wisdom of this world. The things that are not bring to nothing the things that are, so that no flesh will glory in His presence. All our boasting will be about the LORD! All we'll be able to say is, "God did it!" Isaiah 61 reveals the Divine Exchange:

1The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness,a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. 4They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 5Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. 6And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. 7Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.

 

Jesus announced in Luke 4:18-19 that Isaiah 61 was fulfilled in Him.When He gives beauty for ashes, it actually means He gives a crown of victory for the rubble! Now, no matter what has happened in your life, regardless of how horrific it was...if it was a sin you committed, or was committed against you; you become a candidate for the Divine Exchange. There is NO irredeemable life or situation as this powerful video clip from Joyce Meyer conveys. All of the elements of the Divine Exchange are open to you...receive them today. 

   Join us SUNDAYS

9:30AM Class
11:00 AM Worship Service

225 Wyoming Ave.

Cincinnati OH 45215

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WEDNESDAY'S WORD - CULMINATION - 10/10/18 - Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

In 1988 one of the greatest home runs in baseball history was hit by Kirk Gibson of the LA Dodgers in the World Series against the Oakland A's. Gibson was pinch-hitting in the bottom of the 9th inning. Both of his legs were injured. He miraculously hit a two-run walk off home run that won the first game in the series. Momentum swung in the direction of the Dodgers who were underdogs that year. It was voted the greatest moment in LA sports history in 1995. In a documentary about the event, Gibson commented that the home run was, "The culmination of a lot of failures that in the end brought a lot of joy." (paraphrase) CULMINATION means the highest development or climactic point of something, especially as attained after a long time. I could see Gibson flashback and recall all of his missteps, failures, regrets, injuries, questions, and frustrations. They all washed away for him in one shining moment that would forever seal his future in history. So very powerful.     Most of us have not yet reached the apex of our lives, careers, or ministries. Like Gibson, we may have entered this point of the game an injured and unlikely candidate for heroism, swinging our last at bat with the game on the line. We're taking what we believe is our best shot in a scenario where all the chips are down, yet everyone is still counting on us. So much history has led up to this point. We're unsure what the outcome will be...but we're going to take a swing as if our lives and the future of our team depends on it. You usually don't see photos of people staring up at, or even climbing the side of a mountain. When they arrive at the pinnacle, the most successful point, they're ready to celebrate! They take in the accomplishment and the view from the top, and want to share it with the world.        Ecclesiastes 7:8 says, "The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one."  Years of struggle and waiting humbled Kirk Gibson, which gave him the proper perspective in his moment of triumph. For some of us, the culmination is just around the corner if we don't give up and swing with all our might in our bottom of the 9th moment.

Join us SUNDAYS 9:30AM Class 11:00 AM Worship Service 225 Wyoming Ave. Cincinnati OH 45215 mynewlifetoday.com

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - LATE - 10/03/18 - Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant

"There is an immeasurable distance between late and too late."  

Og Mandino  

 

Ever been late? It's not the greatest feeling. You drive faster than usual, often at speeds that are not legal. You run to your appointment and your hair and clothes become a sweaty mess, which negatively impacts your first impression. As it pertains to time, George Bernard Shaw said, "Better never
than late." That doesn't apply to bill payments ; ) Last night I dreamed I was playing the heroine in a show that required costume changes. The director had not given me the items and showtime was that evening. So I scrambled through my closet to find appropriate costuming. When I went down to the rehearsal hall, my son who was the music director, was teaching this BEAUTIFUL song to a huge choir. It sounded great, they were excited to sing it...but it had tons of lyrics, which they were reading from huge hymnals. I had to break the news that though the song was awesome, with 30 minutes left to curtain, it was too late to memorize the lyrics and present it well to an audience. Dismayed, he told the choir to, "take five," and the song was cut. This dream was a gentle warning to get to getting because LATE means doing something or taking place after the expected, proper, or usual time.

George Eliot said, "It is never too late to be what you might have been." I
love the sentiment, and for many things it is true, but not all. I was a top track athlete in High School, but it's too late now for me to run in the Olympics. Maybe the Senior Olympics, LOL! Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us,"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."  In Hebrew season or zeman means appointed or definite time, and purpose is the word chephets which means delight, pleasure or desire. God has timing associated with the desires He's placed within us. We can be early, and we can also be late. Paul urged us to walk in in wisdom, redeem the time, and make the most of every opportunity. (Eph. 5:16) What time is it for you? 

William Shakespeare said,"Better to be three hours too soon than a minute too late." Scripture describes the 200 leaders from the tribe of Issachar as men who understood the times and knew the best course Israel should take. (1 Chron. 12:32) Now...the Holy Spirit who lives within us as Believers, guides us into all truth and shows us what is to come (John 16:13). This allows us the assurance that we can be where we need to be at the proper time. The LORD told the prophet Habakkuk to write down what he saw so that others could carry out the future plan, "For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late." (Hab.2:3) As Og Mandino explains above, there is an immeasurable difference between being late and being too late.  It's good to know we can be on-time people because we have an on-time God!  

Join us SUNDAYS 9:30AM Class 11:00 AM Worship Service 225 Wyoming Ave. Cincinnati OH 45215 mynewlifetoday.com