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. 

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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

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - WEARY - 09/26/18 Sadell Bradley New Life Covenant Cincinnati

"Then Jesus said, come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you. Let me teach  you because I am humble (meek) and gentle (lowly) at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy to bear, and My burden is light."   Jesus - Matthew 11:28-30, NLT    WEARINESS is real. It is feeling or showing tiredness, especially as a result of excessive exertion or lack of sleep. Have you ever been worn out, exhausted? Jesus exposed some of the reasons. We're carrying burdens we weren't meant to deal with alone. Sometimes weariness is a result of pride - an attempt to gain satisfaction by striving for our own achievements or possessions. Our schedules are way too tight, and we leave no room for rest or the real remedy, time in God's presence. We also become weary when we are not meek: quiet, gentle and submissive. Our internal and external atmospheres are too loud. We neither practice silence nor solitude, and we rebel against the LORD. Weariness comes from engaging in physical, mental, verbal, emotional and spiritual conflicts. We feel we must speak up and retaliate for every wrong. In our insecurities and fears of getting hurt, we fight, resist, take flight, repress feelings, or become hard, harsh or pressing in our demeanor. In all of these, we flee from the ways of the Master, and it literally wears us out. Jesus says, "Come to Me," instead.    Paul encouraged us, "And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Gal. 6:9) We grow tired while doing good things, helping others, and living the right way - particularly if we have not yet seen the reward of our service. He also instructed us to lay aside every weight and sin that so easily entangles and besets us, and run with patience the race set before us; looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who endured the cross and despised its shame and now sits at God's right hand. "Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."  (Hebrews 12:1-3) Contending with sin and grappling with the weights and distractions of life can slow us down. The weariness we feel in our bodies is really mental fatigue.      The good news is that by coming to God in repentance, times of refreshing will come from the presence of the LORD (Acts 3:19) In the presence of the LORD is the fullness of joy and at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:9) That joy of the LORD is our strength for the journey, (Nehemiah 8:10) There is a rest that remains for the people of God. It is ceasing from our own striving/labors and trusting by faith that God has control of our lives and futures. (Heb 4:1-9) Charles Stanley said, "We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength."  Come to Him today and be at rest.     Join us for LIFT Service  TOMORROW NIGHT 7:00 PM The Great Room Annex Wyoming Presbyterian 225 Wyoming Ave. Cincinnati OH 45215 mynewlifetoday.com

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

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - AMASS - Sadell Bradley - 09/11/18 - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

 

"Let no one profess to trust God, and yet lay up for future wants, otherwise the LORD will first send him to the hoard he has amassed before he can answer the prayer for more." - George Muller 

 

I had an interesting discussion about money and giving. Most clergy have heard someone say they will give more to the church when they hit the lottery or have a windfall. Of course, if you don't give when you have little...you probably won't when you have much. (Luke 16:10) I recall former pastors speaking about 'filthy lucre' and debating whether or not they would receive tainted funds for God's purposes. Since money itself is amoral, it would seem that the issue would be the motive of the heart of the one who is transacting business. Paul's familiar statement in 1 Timothy 6:10 is that the love of money is the root of all evil, which some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Whether to receive blemished money or goods seems quite the conundrum.  

 

"Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor." (Proverbs 28:8) That's not a frequently quoted proverb is it? You've probably heard this one, "A good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous." (Proverbs 13:22) What would happen if we actually believed these verses? How would our expectations change? What would we think about so called...'dirty money?' What if we looked at the wealth AMASSED - gathered together or accumulated in large amounts over a period of time by unjust people as ultimately belonging to Christ followers to be used for Kingdom purposes? 

 

George Muller, quoted above, was an English evangelist who cared for 10,024 orphans during his lifetime. Muller established 117 schools which offered Christian education to more than 120,000 children. Muller is renowned for his faith for God's supply.  He did not use government funds, nor did he solicit or receive a salary. He was in constant prayer for the LORD to touch the hearts of people to make provisions for the orphans. He raised the equivalent of hundreds of millions of dollars. Miraculously, at each time of need, funds would be made available from some source. I wonder what the transfer of wealth would look like if we had this faith conviction?  

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

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - DECEIT - Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

"In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - Unknown     Nowadays it's hard to find forthright, honest and truth-telling people. University of Massachusetts psychologist Ronald Feldman did a study that showed that 60% of people will lie an average of 2-3 times in a 10 minute conversation. It's not surprising that Noel Coward exclaimed, "It is discouraging how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit." DECEIT- is the action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth. Deceive means to cause someone to believe something that is not true, typically in order to gain some personal advantage; to give a mistaken impression; to catch, ensnare or cheat.    When the disciple Nathanael heard about Jesus, he asked, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Nathanael told it like it was and wasn't pulling any punches. This was refreshing to Jesus, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit," Christ proclaimed. (John 1:46-47) It is difficult to be a person of integrity without guile, but that's what we should be aiming for. There are enough sly and cunning tricksters in the world.       What's the difference between lying and deception? Lying is telling someone something that is not accurate. Deception is much broader. It is causing someone to believe something false as the truth. Deception can take many forms. Lying is just one manner by which an individual can be deceived. Deception can be concealment (omissions in speech, or physical), propaganda, distractions, etc. Deception is not always intentional. A person can even be self-deceived due to the reception of wrong information or rumor. Though lying and deceiving go together, they are not synonymous. (differencebetween.com)   Because deceit is not always intentional, we have to be on our guard to tell, hear and seek the truth. Ephesians 4:15 states that speaking the truth in love is a sign of maturity.  It's easy to spin accounts of what happened to benefit ourselves. There are three sides to every story, your side, my side and the truth. Proverbs 26:24 warns us that "Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but they harbor deceit." "Shonuff! you say," --but sometimes the enemy is IN-A-ME.  Stumbling occurs over little white lies, shadings and hyperbolic statements. Our insecurities make us want to present our best selves to the world - but deceit is not a good look. That's why Paul told the church at Ephesus, "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body." (Ephesians 4:25) After your next 10-minute conversation ask yourself...How many times did I just lie, deceive, withhold or embellish parts of the truth to spare myself, or to make myself look better or be right? Selah.

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

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - BREATHE - 08/29/18 - Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

"Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure." - Oprah Winfrey       I can't count the number of times I've sat down to journal and the first words the Holy Spirit had me write were... Breathe, Sadell... It's crazy that one of the main things that eludes us when we're overloaded, overwhelmed and anxious is the simplest and most essential thing - the ability to breathe. Physiologically, BREATHE means to take air into the lungs and then expel it. Figuratively, it means so much more: to be or remain alive; or to say something with quiet intensity. Plants breathe by exchanging gases.  Wine breathes when it is exposed to fresh air. Your lawn breathes when it emits air or moisture. Horses breathe when allowed to rest from exertion. It seems the whole world needs a moment...and so do you and I. To 'breathe freely again' means to relax after having been frightened or tense. To 'breathe new life into' means to fill with enthusiasm and energy. To 'breathe a sigh of relief' means to exhale once you realize that everything is going to be ok...and it is! With everything going on in your life, take a moment right now to just breathe.   In Genesis 2:7 God formed Adam out of the dust of the ground and "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul." This lets us know that it is God alone that gives us life and animates us to feel and experience it. Job said, "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life." (Job 33:4) The LORD has the power to restore, renew, revive, and resuscitate. When the Prophet Elijah was led into the valley of Dry Bones the LORD gave him this command, "Then he said to me, "Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.'" No matter what you may be facing, the LORD can re-invigorate you. We can ask Him to breathe, even into seemingly dead situations. So many times we've thought we were going down for the last time, or we've seemed completely out of strength; yet here we are, still alive- breathing in and out. I sense that breathing is getting a little easier now, glory to God!   Breathing deeply brings a sense of calm. As we slow down and gratefully reflect on God's goodness and grace, we gain much needed perspective and are emboldened to face another day. Marcus Aurelius said, "When you arise in the morning, think about what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."  Breathe in, breathe out, and move on.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - SEDENTARY - 08/22/18 -Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

"Like our physical bodies,our memory becomes out of shape. As children, we are constantly learning new experiences, but by the time we reach our 20s, we start to lead a more sedentary life both mentally and physically.  Our lives become routine, we stop challenging our brains,  

and our memory starts to suffer." - Tony Buzan - English Author   

 

Sitting is the new smoking...at least that's what they're saying. America's obesity epidemic is exacerbated by inactivity and the consumption of various types of media. According to the Mayo Clinic (below) we are spending at least 50-70% of our waking hours sitting at work and 20-35% in front of the TV. Sad, but true. SEDENTARY means tending to spend much time seated or lying down; somewhat inactive; characterized by much sitting and little physical exercise. Anthropologists would say that a sedentary person inhabits the same locality throughout their life, they are not migratory or nomadic. In Cincinnati, where I live, many people never venture out of their neighborhoods, or the City...some have never traveled out of state!  

  

Growing up, I recall that most of our play was outside: hopscotch, jump rope, kickball, pick up basketball games and touch football. We were sad when the street light came on and we had to go back into the house. Now, most of the game play I observe with children is on a phone or tablet between their fingers.  It's no wonder childhood obesity was the issue that former First Lady Michelle Obama decided to tackle with her "Let's Move" campaign.  Almost 1 in 5 children in the US is obese and 91% of our children have poor diets and less than the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day. State of Obesity Sedentary lifestyles put us at risk for diseases and preventable causes of death such as diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke. Even if you exercise the recommended 30 min. per day, sitting throughout the rest of the day is a real problem. Video: Why sitting is bad for you. 

 

Are you leading a SEDENTARY spiritual life? Are your days marked with inactivity as it pertains to spiritual disciplines like prayer, study, witnessing and discipleship? Is there a relationship you know you need to mend, end or pursue? Are you actively and faithfully moving in your calling, vision, dreams, or the assignments God has given you? Ecclesiastes 5:3 says "A dream comes through the multitude of business" (or much activity). James 2:14-26 reiterates that even faith, if not accompanied with works or deeds is dead, being alone. Is your comfy couch getting attention while your life is wasting away?  It could be time for you to get up and make some physical, spiritual, financial, relational, educational, or creative moves.   

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