WEDNESDAY'S WORD - KINGDOM - Sadell Bradley 11/9/2022

WEDNESDAY'S WORD KINGDOM 11/9/2022 “If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead." —William Law, English Clergyman

TONIGHT 7 PM  FIT FOR THE KING: SPEED WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY ONLINE @warehouseotr FaceBook, YouTube

My Kingdom is not of this world."— Jesus (John 18:36) This is just a friendly reminder on the heels of this election. We are living through one of the most divisive political seasons in recent history. I wonder how our seniors view this time. The've witnessed everything: the industrial revolution, world wars, the civil rights movement, economic down and up turns, and changes in US structural policies and beliefs. Given the nearness of their transition to eternity, would they tell us like Solomon that, "everything is vanity?" I hear them singing, "Time is filled with swift transitions, none on earth unmoved can stand. Build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God's unchanging hand." Rather than be consumed down here...they increase their focus on the King and His KINGDOM - the realm in which a monarch sovereignly rules. The Greek word basileia especially refers to the rule of Christ in believers' hearts. While men and women on earth are grasping for political, economic, and military power—Jesus wants to govern the most central inward part of us. Paul describes the Kingdom of God as: righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17) The disciples were initially looking for Jesus to set up a militant, partisan, force in which they would be key leaders, "Lord, at this time are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6) The Pharisees asked Jesus when His kingdom would come. He answered, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation, nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” Isaiah prophesied of the coming Messiah that, "the government will be upon His shoulders," and, "of the increase of His government and Kingdom there shall be no end." Christ's government will be "established and sustained with justice and righteousness forevermore." (Isaiah 9:6-7) So while it may seem as if earthly powers are prevailing...Jesus said "the Kingdom of God is forcefully advancing." (Matthew 11:12) So what do we do? Scripture tells us "in the last days perilous times will come..." (read 2 Tim 3) Christ told His disciples, "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. (John 16:33) Gross darkness will encompass the earth and its people, but the Church is to arise with Christ's light! (Isaiah 60:2) Jesus taught us that if we want to be relieved of our worldly anxieties, we have to seek the Kingdom of God FIRST (His way of doing and being right—the character of God) and He will take care of the rest. Finally, we are not to worry about tomorrow, tomorrow has enough worries of its own. (Matthew 6:33-34) PEACE be with you.

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - GRANTED- Sadell Bradley 11/2/2022

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD GRANTED 11/2/2022 “Being taken for granted is an unpleasant, but sincere form of praise. Ironically, the more reliable you are, and the less you complain, the more likely you are to be taken for granted.”—Gretchen Rubin, American Author  TONIGHT 7 PM WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY ONLINE FIT FOR THE KING AGILITY   @warehouseOTR   Facebook, Youtube     To GRANT means to agree to give or allow something requested; to give (a right, power, property, etc.) to someone; and to agree or admit to (someone) that (something is true). Grant is a power word. One can't grant something they do not possess or control. Subjects hope a monarch will grant them an audience. A genie grants our wishes. We apply to philanthropic organizations to award us financial grants. The word implies not just the action of giving or allowing, but the sum of money, the action of granting, and the formal conferment of what is being granted. Usually, the word grant has positive connotations whether we're on the giving or receiving end. In 2 Kings 20 King Hezekiah prayed that God would heal him of a sickness near death. The Lord granted his request and even extended his life 15 more years. In the book of Esther, after she and the exiled Israelites had fasted and prayed for three days, the Queen asked for an audience with her husband, Persian king Xerxes, and it was granted—as was her request for his intervention against Haman, the enemy of the Jews. It's a blessing not only to receive a granted request, but to give one. When's the last time you were part of the granting of a request or plea? How'd it feel?  The main time granted is not a positive word is when one is being 'taken for granted'—which means to fail to properly appreciate something or someone, especially as a result of over-familiarity. The quote above puts an interesting spin on this phenomena, (i.e. your reliability not being appreciated is really an expression of praise). Still, it doesn't feel good to be taken for granted. Have you ever been taken for granted or taken someone else for granted? Have you been taking GOD for granted? The people of Israel presumed God would continue to speak to them no matter how they behaved or responded to Him. So He stopped talking. The prophet Amos relayed the message, “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD." (Amos 8:11) For 400 years there were no written or spoken words from Jehovah. I can't imagine what that would be like. God is so reliable that it's easy to take Him for granted. Let's try to cherish Him more.

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - BEND - Sadell Bradley - 10/26/2022

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD BEND 10/26/2022 “When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.”—St. Francis De Sales October 26th Dinner Bible Study 6:00—8:30 PM  Click Here to Register CODE GATHERING26 TONIGHT 7 PM WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY ONLINE FIT FOR THE KING FLEXIBILITY        @warehouseOTR         Facebook, Youtube       Tonight the topic at our Dinner Church gathering is Fit for the King: Flexibility. In this series we compare 11 Components of Fitness to the kind of spiritual fitness God calls for in Scripture. So far, we've looked at cardiovascular and muscular fitness, body composition, and strength. You can go to social media pages to catch up on the series @warehouseotr. Today, in addition to a great meal and study, we'll have chair massages and a giant game of twister. Not your grandparent's bible study, LOL!  Flexibility is important in life, relationships, and our connection with God. So many people have been taught to be inflexible, to never bend to anyone. To BEND means to shape or force something into a curve; to deviate from a straight line in a specified direction; to incline the body downward from the vertical. Figuratively, to bend means to force or for Christians...to choose to submit; to interpret or modify (a rule) to suit oneself or somebody else); to direct or devote one's attention or energies to a task. Have you ever chosen to bend so you or something or someone you love wouldn't break? An old pastoral colleague said sometimes it's better to be reconciled than to be right. So we bend.  Did you know that when we bow in prayer, we are also asking God to bend? David wrote, "I am praying to you because I know You will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray." (Psalm 17:6, NLT) "Bend down, O LORD, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help." (Psalm 86:1, NLT) Some versions use the words "incline Your ear to me," to convey the idea of God giving us a nod, bending Himself downward, and extending His royal scepter to us in our petitions, The psalmist cries out in Psalm 102:2, NLT, "Don’t turn away from me in my time of distress, Bend down to listen, and answer me quickly when I call to you." As God bends toward us, He sometimes calls us to bend toward others in their distress. He also invites us to bend ourselves in submission to His will as Jesus did praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Willingness to bend more can do us good. French philosopher Albert Camus said, "Blessed are the hearts that can bend; they shall never be broken."

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - RELAX - Sadell Bradley 10/19/2022

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD RELAX 10/19/2022 “Our obsession with speed, with cramming more and more into every minute, means we race through life instead of actually living it. Our health, diet, and relationships suffer. We make mistakes at work. We struggle to relax, to enjoy the moment, even to get a decent night's sleep. ”—Carl Honore, Canadian Journalist October 26th Dinner Bible Study 6:00—8:30 PM  Click Here to Register CODE GATHERING26 TONIGHT 7 PM WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY  FIT FOR THE KING BODY COMPOSITION               @warehouseOTR               Facebook, Youtube       With every year of playing, you want to relax one more muscle. Why? Because the more tense you are, the less you can hear. —Yo Yo Ma, Renowned Cellist  Have you found yourself racing through life and not actually living it? Is it hard for your to RELAX? to become less tense or anxious; to rest or engage in an enjoyable activity so as to become less tired or anxious; to make something less rigid, firm, or tight. Believe it or not, ministry leaders experience tension and anxiety. A 2021 Barna study stated that 38% of pastors have considered leaving the profession and only one in three is considered "healthy."  Many are discouraged. Others are dealing their own stress in addition to compassionately ministering to the situations of their parishioners for years if not decades. When your work extends beyond 9-5 into evenings and weekends you can lose track of self-care, fun, and relaxation. Sometimes the flow of ministry—meant to be accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit, turns into man-made effort and works that tire you out. This doesn't just happen to leaders, it happens to all Christians. Maybe it's happening to you.  We generally look to Philippians 4:4-9 that tells us not to be anxious about anything, but to pray about everything and think on good things to alleviate our uneasiness. We are rightly told to 'cast our cares on the Lord for He cares for us." (1 Peter 5:7) Jesus said, "Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28-30) But there are other admonitions in Scripture that can help to bring us to a place of inward relaxation. Psalm 119:143 NLT says, "As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands." Study and application of the Word of God brings relief. Proverbs 12:25 says, "Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad." Stress often causes us to isolate. That's when we need the encouragement of others to bring joy, and community, which can help us relax. When the Children of Israel were fearful and stressed by the pursuit of Pharaoh Moses told them, "The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm." (Exodus 14:14)  We look to entertainment, vacations, and shopping for relaxation, but Scripture takes us deeper to what will give a lasting peace that passes understanding and strengthen us for the journey. So try to relax...and breathe!