Hello Friends in the Faith!!!
I just wanted to say "welcome" to the Family Conference of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Beaumont, Texas. We celebrated our kick off today with Pastor Bertrand Bailey and the graduate celebration of the class of 2009. God really blessed us. This Wednesday we are making ready for Pastor Christopher Hartwell from the Crossroads Church in Houston and James Fortune and FIYA!!!!
Please plan to share with us via the web at www.streamingfaith.com!
Love and Prayers,
Dr. John R. Adolph, Pastor
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Night Time Is The Right Time!
My Dear Friends in the Faith:
The musical genius Ray Charles Robinson wrote a song years ago that had our nation dancing and clapping. He simply exclaimed with vigor and passion to the pulsating beat of the drums and the melodious music of the eighty-eight in front of him that the night time was the right time. On a solar note it happens when the sun stands still while the earth turns its back on the gleaming rays of that great cosmic ball of fire that keeps our universe filled with light only to find herself in a temporary moment of darkness. We call it night time. Yet, it happens to people every day while the sun is still shining. There are moments in life where we find ourselves in the dark and it is night time. Have you ever been there?
It happened to Mildred Adams on a clear day when there was not a cloud in the sky. Her oldest daughter NaTasha Arline dropped dead at Austin Middle School. No her daughter hadn't been sick or ill. The child had no former signs of any health problems at all. It happened to Jared Preston when he went to work one morning as usual, sat at his desk and started to log on to the company's system so that he could get his day started, but his pass code no longer worked. He went to his manager’s office and they simply handed him a letter that said "you have been released from employment effectively immediately." And it happened to LaTisha Richardson of Houston, Texas last spring. The 28 year old mother of two thought that her marriage was doing just fine. But, her husband of just three years walked into the house late one evening and said "I do not want to be married anymore. I will send you some money for the kids."
Have you ever been there before? Have you ever seen night time? I know that you have. The question is what happened to you? Was it a death in your family? Was it a diagnosis that changed your life? Was it one of your children that caused your life to see heartache? Or, was it a failed test that you just knew that you could pass? As Christians we are not exempt from the dark moments of life. God decided that He would allow His children to see night time too. But, the great news of the day is this with God on our side He has a holy habit of turning our mid-nights into day! God is at His best when we are at our worst! And with Jesus Christ is on the scene the night time is the right time!
Listen to the words of the Psalmist as he exhorts us through the lyrics of a Hebrew hymn. He says, "For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Psalms 30:5, KJV).
Yes, there are moments in life that bring us to tears. And, nothing can do that like the night of life can. But, there is a way for you to endure your night time and cause it to be the right time! There is a way for you to take your tears from the dark and make them the joy of your day! According to the Word of God here is what you must know about the Lord in order for that to happen in your life.
You must know that His fury it temporary. The shouting news about moments like this in your life is this, it is not permanent! It is temporary. The passage says, "His anger endureth but a moment..." In the Jewish mind set when ever bad things happened to people they took that to mean that God was angry with them. But, that conclusion was not true. Bad things happen to both good and bad people. The difference is simply this, for those who believe in Jesus Christ what looks bad today will always end up good tomorrow because we love Him (Rom. 8:28)! Here's a wonderful devotional question for you. Have you ever endured a midnight moment in your life only to discover that you came out of the trial better off than you were before you went into it? If so, then you can openly testify that it is a temporary season and yes it may hurt you, but it is going to help you too! Here's some news that will bless and encourage you, what you are dealing with today is not going to last forever!!!
Secondly you must know that His favor is stationary. Okay let's be brutally honest for a moment. It's been happening for you all of your life and you know that it's true. God has been favoring you all of your days. Yes, you've been sick, but you lived to tell about it. Why? Favor! Yes, you have been down but you did not quit. Why? Favor! Yes, you've had some crazy things happen to you in your life. But, you did not crumble. Why? Favor! Yes, there have been moments in your life when it was dark and it was night time, but you have made it through it. Why? Favor! The favor of God has been working in your life all of your life! The verse says "His anger endureth but a moment. In His favor there is life." This is a horrible translation. It should read like this, "in His favor is my life." An even better way to translate this is to say "all of my life I have had His favor." When it's night time in your life you must know that heartache is temporary but God's favor is permanent. Praise the Lord for His favor, it has been with you all of your life! And for those reading this devotional right now who are enduring a midnight moment the reason you have not lost your mind is His favor!
And lastly you must know that His faithfulness is legendary. Please get this into your soul and plant it into your spirit. God is faithful and He is not going to let you down. The faithfulness of God is best seen when you are like Moses trapped at the Red Sea and have nowhere to turn and God shows up and causes you to walk across on dry land. God is at His best when you become the three Hebrew boys in a fiery furnace only to discover that in the midst of the flame stood the God who gave us fire! God is at His best when you are weeping. It is then that you discover that God takes tears and gives you a testimony. Listen to the words of the passage. "Weeping may endure for a night." In short, it should read like this you will have to cry sometime. "But, joy cometh in the morning!" This is a beautiful figure of speech here called an antithetical parallelism. Weeping is given the idea of night while joy connotes what comes in the morning. The idea behind it all is this. If you hold on long enough what used to make me cry will serve as the source of your joy. Now that sounds like God for real. He takes tears and makes joy!!!
The musical genius Ray Charles Robinson wrote a song years ago that had our nation dancing and clapping. He simply exclaimed with vigor and passion to the pulsating beat of the drums and the melodious music of the eighty-eight in front of him that the night time was the right time. On a solar note it happens when the sun stands still while the earth turns its back on the gleaming rays of that great cosmic ball of fire that keeps our universe filled with light only to find herself in a temporary moment of darkness. We call it night time. Yet, it happens to people every day while the sun is still shining. There are moments in life where we find ourselves in the dark and it is night time. Have you ever been there?
It happened to Mildred Adams on a clear day when there was not a cloud in the sky. Her oldest daughter NaTasha Arline dropped dead at Austin Middle School. No her daughter hadn't been sick or ill. The child had no former signs of any health problems at all. It happened to Jared Preston when he went to work one morning as usual, sat at his desk and started to log on to the company's system so that he could get his day started, but his pass code no longer worked. He went to his manager’s office and they simply handed him a letter that said "you have been released from employment effectively immediately." And it happened to LaTisha Richardson of Houston, Texas last spring. The 28 year old mother of two thought that her marriage was doing just fine. But, her husband of just three years walked into the house late one evening and said "I do not want to be married anymore. I will send you some money for the kids."
Have you ever been there before? Have you ever seen night time? I know that you have. The question is what happened to you? Was it a death in your family? Was it a diagnosis that changed your life? Was it one of your children that caused your life to see heartache? Or, was it a failed test that you just knew that you could pass? As Christians we are not exempt from the dark moments of life. God decided that He would allow His children to see night time too. But, the great news of the day is this with God on our side He has a holy habit of turning our mid-nights into day! God is at His best when we are at our worst! And with Jesus Christ is on the scene the night time is the right time!
Listen to the words of the Psalmist as he exhorts us through the lyrics of a Hebrew hymn. He says, "For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Psalms 30:5, KJV).
Yes, there are moments in life that bring us to tears. And, nothing can do that like the night of life can. But, there is a way for you to endure your night time and cause it to be the right time! There is a way for you to take your tears from the dark and make them the joy of your day! According to the Word of God here is what you must know about the Lord in order for that to happen in your life.
You must know that His fury it temporary. The shouting news about moments like this in your life is this, it is not permanent! It is temporary. The passage says, "His anger endureth but a moment..." In the Jewish mind set when ever bad things happened to people they took that to mean that God was angry with them. But, that conclusion was not true. Bad things happen to both good and bad people. The difference is simply this, for those who believe in Jesus Christ what looks bad today will always end up good tomorrow because we love Him (Rom. 8:28)! Here's a wonderful devotional question for you. Have you ever endured a midnight moment in your life only to discover that you came out of the trial better off than you were before you went into it? If so, then you can openly testify that it is a temporary season and yes it may hurt you, but it is going to help you too! Here's some news that will bless and encourage you, what you are dealing with today is not going to last forever!!!
Secondly you must know that His favor is stationary. Okay let's be brutally honest for a moment. It's been happening for you all of your life and you know that it's true. God has been favoring you all of your days. Yes, you've been sick, but you lived to tell about it. Why? Favor! Yes, you have been down but you did not quit. Why? Favor! Yes, you've had some crazy things happen to you in your life. But, you did not crumble. Why? Favor! Yes, there have been moments in your life when it was dark and it was night time, but you have made it through it. Why? Favor! The favor of God has been working in your life all of your life! The verse says "His anger endureth but a moment. In His favor there is life." This is a horrible translation. It should read like this, "in His favor is my life." An even better way to translate this is to say "all of my life I have had His favor." When it's night time in your life you must know that heartache is temporary but God's favor is permanent. Praise the Lord for His favor, it has been with you all of your life! And for those reading this devotional right now who are enduring a midnight moment the reason you have not lost your mind is His favor!
And lastly you must know that His faithfulness is legendary. Please get this into your soul and plant it into your spirit. God is faithful and He is not going to let you down. The faithfulness of God is best seen when you are like Moses trapped at the Red Sea and have nowhere to turn and God shows up and causes you to walk across on dry land. God is at His best when you become the three Hebrew boys in a fiery furnace only to discover that in the midst of the flame stood the God who gave us fire! God is at His best when you are weeping. It is then that you discover that God takes tears and gives you a testimony. Listen to the words of the passage. "Weeping may endure for a night." In short, it should read like this you will have to cry sometime. "But, joy cometh in the morning!" This is a beautiful figure of speech here called an antithetical parallelism. Weeping is given the idea of night while joy connotes what comes in the morning. The idea behind it all is this. If you hold on long enough what used to make me cry will serve as the source of your joy. Now that sounds like God for real. He takes tears and makes joy!!!
Yes Ray Charles spent his life singing it. But many of us have spent our lives living it!! We have seen our fair share life at night time. But, God has been good and He has been faithful. And if you can say I am in a midnight moment of life right now remember this, keep holding on! The favor of God is with you and in the near future your tears of today will become your joy of tomorrow!
Your Friend and His Servant,
Dr. John R. Adolph, Pastor
Your Friend and His Servant,
Dr. John R. Adolph, Pastor
Thursday, May 21, 2009
A Rumble In The Jungle!
My Dear Friends in the Faith:
It's been called the greatest fight of all time. It was Oct. 30, 1974. Soul Train was on television and Don Cornelius had everybody giving the same benediction, "Peace and Soul." It was the soulful 70's. Afros were at their peaks, platform shoes and black light garage parties were in on the social scene and everyone was dancing to P-funk! It was October 30, 1974 in the country of Zaire which today is called the Democratic Republic of the Congo that these two titans met for the greatest fight of the century. The battle was promoted by Don King, which at that time had no money but promised to pay each fighter five million dollars. The fight featured the reigning heavy weight champion of the world George Foreman against Muhammad Ali! It was such a battle that its name still rings around the world as the rumble in the jungle!
As I share this devotional moment with you today I realize that real Christians see a jungle everyday and if we were to be really honest about it you do not have to be any where near the Republic of the Congo to have a rumble in your jungle too! Let's be real about it, all of us have issues that we must deal with in the jungle. And my devotional question for you today is this, "what is it that makes your jungle rumble?" Perhaps it's worry. It may even be stress. It could be problems in your family. Maybe it is a recent illness in your body that you cannot talk about because you are the pillar of the family that everyone always leans on. It could be financial woes that cause bill collectors to ring your phone all hours of the day. It may be job problems, fake friends, real enemies, relationships that just collapsed or mountains that you cannot seem to move. It could be one of your children. Nothing can make your jungle rumble like they can. Whatever the case, there is good news for those who have a rumble in their jungle, God has given you the truth of His Word and His Word gives us victory in every jungle in spite of the rumble!
After Jesus had been baptized in the Jordan by John the Baptist, and sealed with the Holy Ghost like a dove that appeared from the sky He is led away into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. It is the Bible's version of the rumble in the jungle. Here is how the score card reads:
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him (St. Matthew 4:1-11, KJV).
Jesus comes out of the jungle victorious. And the thing that gave Him victory is what causes us to have victory too. So what must we have in order to win our rumble in the jungle? The passage gives us three keys to victory!
The first key to victory is simple, stick to the fight plan. For those of you who are unaware of it the devil throws punches! One of his all time favorites that get believers to fall every time is the sucker punch of doubt. The enemy has a tendency to make believers think that God will not take care of them, so they have to take care of themselves because God will not do it. Hear this; don't fall for this sucker punch! God will take care of you. The first temptation that confronts Jesus is human hunger after fasting 40 days. And the enemy says to Jesus "why don't you make these stones bread" (paraphrase). But, Jesus declines His offer to take care of Himself because He knew that His Father would take of that. And, notice the counter punch of our Master here, "It is written..." In other words Jesus says to the devil my meal does not come from me but the one who takes care of me every day! What proof do you have that God will take care of you? If He did it then He will do it again! Don't doubt God just trust Him.
Secondly, if you are going to win your fight you have to listen to your corner. When the bell rings and the round ends a fighter goes to his corner. And, let be the one to tell you the best news in town. You have a corner out of this world! You have the Father as your coach, the Son is your trainer and He's giving you the instructions, the Holy Ghost is aiding you by closing some of your cuts from the punches that you have taken, and you have the angelic hosts supporting you in the battle. The second temptation hits Jesus and the enemy takes Him to the high place in the temple overlooking the Holy city and says "if you are really the son of God go ahead and cast yourself down. For it is written that he will give His angels charge concerning thee lest thou cast thy foot against the stone" (paraphrase). Hear this saints, be careful where you get your promotion from. Human pride will make you think that you are more than what you really are and without God we are nothing. Jesus counters again with a powerful right from the Word when He says, "It is written..." In other words, my promotion will not come from you. The one I seek comes from above and not from beneath. Have you lived long enough to know that God will promote you in His own season? Trust God to lift you and He will!
And lastly if you are going to possess victory in your battle you have to know how to skillfully finish the fight! A skilled fighter does not just know how to start a fight. But, they know how to finish one too! If you have the enemy reeling and rocking it is not time for a coffee break you have to know how to take him out! Jesus has Satan looking bad and He is about to finish him off. In the last temptation the enemy takes Him to a high mountain and says to the Lord "I will give you all of this if you just bow down and worship me" (paraphrase). And Jesus delivers a knockout blow. He set him up with a jab after the first temptation by saying......it is written! He hit him with an upper-cut during the second temptation by saying......it is written! But this is an overhand right that came from the locker room. This temptation has to do with the pride of life and who you worship! The enemy offers us the things of the world. But, the Lord offers us Him and that is something that the world cannot offer! I found it very interesting that the tempter came at Jesus when he knew that He was hungry. But, he left Jesus when he knew that he was full. What makes Him full? Jesus knows who He will worship! Here's the knockout blow........ it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve! In short Jesus says, "Get out of my face! If I cannot do anything I am going to worship" (paraphrase)! Have you made your decision yet? Have you decided that you will only serve the Lord? If so, your battle has been fought and your victory has already been won!
It was the greatest fight of all time. Ali was supposed to lose but someone forgot to tell him that. Foreman was bigger, stronger and reigning champion of the world. But, Ali had a fight plan that he developed in the ring. It was called the rope-a-dope. You see, Ali would lie against the ropes and take as many punches as Foreman could throw. And then he would release a fury of his own punches. Before long Foreman was down for the count and Ali was champion again. Likewise, Christians have a fight strategy too! After you have taken enough blows from the enemy you should throw some punches of your own! Hit the devil with trust in the Lord, sock him with forgiveness of those who have hurt you, jab him with thanksgiving every chance that you get, shoot him with a body blow of prayer and an upper-cut of fasting! Throw a fury of punches to his face of the truths that come from the scriptures. Bloody his nose and blacken his eye with the fact the tomb is empty and the cross is vacant. And when you are ready to put him on his back hit him in the face with an overhand right of worship! In fact, you should throw a few punches right now!!! Yes, you may have a rumble in your jungle, but you have victory based on the Lord's Word! Remember this, "it is written..."!!! Praise the Lord!!!
Your Friend and His Servant,
Dr. John R. Adolph, Pastor
It's been called the greatest fight of all time. It was Oct. 30, 1974. Soul Train was on television and Don Cornelius had everybody giving the same benediction, "Peace and Soul." It was the soulful 70's. Afros were at their peaks, platform shoes and black light garage parties were in on the social scene and everyone was dancing to P-funk! It was October 30, 1974 in the country of Zaire which today is called the Democratic Republic of the Congo that these two titans met for the greatest fight of the century. The battle was promoted by Don King, which at that time had no money but promised to pay each fighter five million dollars. The fight featured the reigning heavy weight champion of the world George Foreman against Muhammad Ali! It was such a battle that its name still rings around the world as the rumble in the jungle!
As I share this devotional moment with you today I realize that real Christians see a jungle everyday and if we were to be really honest about it you do not have to be any where near the Republic of the Congo to have a rumble in your jungle too! Let's be real about it, all of us have issues that we must deal with in the jungle. And my devotional question for you today is this, "what is it that makes your jungle rumble?" Perhaps it's worry. It may even be stress. It could be problems in your family. Maybe it is a recent illness in your body that you cannot talk about because you are the pillar of the family that everyone always leans on. It could be financial woes that cause bill collectors to ring your phone all hours of the day. It may be job problems, fake friends, real enemies, relationships that just collapsed or mountains that you cannot seem to move. It could be one of your children. Nothing can make your jungle rumble like they can. Whatever the case, there is good news for those who have a rumble in their jungle, God has given you the truth of His Word and His Word gives us victory in every jungle in spite of the rumble!
After Jesus had been baptized in the Jordan by John the Baptist, and sealed with the Holy Ghost like a dove that appeared from the sky He is led away into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. It is the Bible's version of the rumble in the jungle. Here is how the score card reads:
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him (St. Matthew 4:1-11, KJV).
Jesus comes out of the jungle victorious. And the thing that gave Him victory is what causes us to have victory too. So what must we have in order to win our rumble in the jungle? The passage gives us three keys to victory!
The first key to victory is simple, stick to the fight plan. For those of you who are unaware of it the devil throws punches! One of his all time favorites that get believers to fall every time is the sucker punch of doubt. The enemy has a tendency to make believers think that God will not take care of them, so they have to take care of themselves because God will not do it. Hear this; don't fall for this sucker punch! God will take care of you. The first temptation that confronts Jesus is human hunger after fasting 40 days. And the enemy says to Jesus "why don't you make these stones bread" (paraphrase). But, Jesus declines His offer to take care of Himself because He knew that His Father would take of that. And, notice the counter punch of our Master here, "It is written..." In other words Jesus says to the devil my meal does not come from me but the one who takes care of me every day! What proof do you have that God will take care of you? If He did it then He will do it again! Don't doubt God just trust Him.
Secondly, if you are going to win your fight you have to listen to your corner. When the bell rings and the round ends a fighter goes to his corner. And, let be the one to tell you the best news in town. You have a corner out of this world! You have the Father as your coach, the Son is your trainer and He's giving you the instructions, the Holy Ghost is aiding you by closing some of your cuts from the punches that you have taken, and you have the angelic hosts supporting you in the battle. The second temptation hits Jesus and the enemy takes Him to the high place in the temple overlooking the Holy city and says "if you are really the son of God go ahead and cast yourself down. For it is written that he will give His angels charge concerning thee lest thou cast thy foot against the stone" (paraphrase). Hear this saints, be careful where you get your promotion from. Human pride will make you think that you are more than what you really are and without God we are nothing. Jesus counters again with a powerful right from the Word when He says, "It is written..." In other words, my promotion will not come from you. The one I seek comes from above and not from beneath. Have you lived long enough to know that God will promote you in His own season? Trust God to lift you and He will!
And lastly if you are going to possess victory in your battle you have to know how to skillfully finish the fight! A skilled fighter does not just know how to start a fight. But, they know how to finish one too! If you have the enemy reeling and rocking it is not time for a coffee break you have to know how to take him out! Jesus has Satan looking bad and He is about to finish him off. In the last temptation the enemy takes Him to a high mountain and says to the Lord "I will give you all of this if you just bow down and worship me" (paraphrase). And Jesus delivers a knockout blow. He set him up with a jab after the first temptation by saying......it is written! He hit him with an upper-cut during the second temptation by saying......it is written! But this is an overhand right that came from the locker room. This temptation has to do with the pride of life and who you worship! The enemy offers us the things of the world. But, the Lord offers us Him and that is something that the world cannot offer! I found it very interesting that the tempter came at Jesus when he knew that He was hungry. But, he left Jesus when he knew that he was full. What makes Him full? Jesus knows who He will worship! Here's the knockout blow........ it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve! In short Jesus says, "Get out of my face! If I cannot do anything I am going to worship" (paraphrase)! Have you made your decision yet? Have you decided that you will only serve the Lord? If so, your battle has been fought and your victory has already been won!
It was the greatest fight of all time. Ali was supposed to lose but someone forgot to tell him that. Foreman was bigger, stronger and reigning champion of the world. But, Ali had a fight plan that he developed in the ring. It was called the rope-a-dope. You see, Ali would lie against the ropes and take as many punches as Foreman could throw. And then he would release a fury of his own punches. Before long Foreman was down for the count and Ali was champion again. Likewise, Christians have a fight strategy too! After you have taken enough blows from the enemy you should throw some punches of your own! Hit the devil with trust in the Lord, sock him with forgiveness of those who have hurt you, jab him with thanksgiving every chance that you get, shoot him with a body blow of prayer and an upper-cut of fasting! Throw a fury of punches to his face of the truths that come from the scriptures. Bloody his nose and blacken his eye with the fact the tomb is empty and the cross is vacant. And when you are ready to put him on his back hit him in the face with an overhand right of worship! In fact, you should throw a few punches right now!!! Yes, you may have a rumble in your jungle, but you have victory based on the Lord's Word! Remember this, "it is written..."!!! Praise the Lord!!!
Your Friend and His Servant,
Dr. John R. Adolph, Pastor
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Just Do the Dog Gone Thang!
My Dear Friends in the Faith:
Not long ago while sitting in my barbershop waiting for my turn to sit in the seat of external beautification, hoping to have my laniferous bush reduced to a smooth scalp and a nice edge, I overheard an interesting conversation. It was a debate that took place between a believer who had been in church a long time, but had very little faith in God and a new believer that was young in the faith, but on fire for the Lord. The young believer, Kawanda Mason was on fire as she talked to her aunt about achieving her dream of owning her own business. She told her aunt and I quote, "I do not want a religion or a church that cannot help me do the extraordinary. I want a God that is ready to take my life to the next level. I want Jesus to use me to do the impossible!" Mason looked her aunt square in the face and said. "Auntie, you have wanted to open your own business for years. You go to church every Sunday, but it ain't helping you a bit. You talk faith but you live in fear. You are going to have to get out of the boat and walk on the water! You need to just do the dog gone thang!"
Though this young fiery saint was not talking to me directly, I do believe with all of my heart that what fell from her lips came straight from God. It is my firm belief that God is looking for saints who will walk by faith. Faith in God looks at an empty lot and see's a house. Faith in God looks at a sinner and see's a saint. Faith in God looks at a pink slip and see's a new job with better benefits and more money. Faith in God looks at water and will taste wine. And, faith in God looks at a sea and see's a side walk. But, the only way to experience this next level of living is for us as Christians to live a life of faith! A faith that says, "Just do the dog gone thang!"
This may prove to be somewhat shocking to you, but it is true non-the-less. God made you to see the invisible, move the unmovable, accomplish the incredible, achieve the unattainable, survive the unthinkable, and thrive in the midst of the impossible. Jesus said "...and greater works shall you do because I go unto my Father"
(St. John 14:12, KJV). The term "greater" used here is midezone. It does not speak to the quality of what has been done, but the quantity of what has been produced. Jesus says in short you are going to keep on doing what I have been doing. When people see you they will think about me. And, when you check out the vocational Vita of Jesus Christ printed for your perusal in the Gospels He was awesome! He turned water to wine in Cana, raised a boy from the dead in Nain, made a lame man walk in Bethesda, brought Lazarus to life in Bethany and led Peter to walk on the water in Galilee! That's right; our Lord led one of His disciples to do the unthinkable! Jesus helped Peter to get out of the boat and just do the dog gone thang!
Here's how the story flows.
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus (St. Matt. 14:25-29).
Now if Peter could do the dog gone thang you can too! I believe that God has something special planned for your life. I want you to know that where you are right now is not a permanent place, but simply a passing point. I believe that God is pressing you out of your comfort zone so that you will have to use your faith in Him and just do the dog gone thang! But, here's the question to grapple with, what does the text require to make the impossible come to pass?
First of all, you must have a deity that is in total control. I have some great news for you today. Please hear this, God is in control! Watch Jesus in this narrative. He is in control! Jesus is walking on the sea. What does this mean to you right now? Well the sea in early Jewish history was seen as a symbol of the abyss or hell. When Jesus came walking on sea He was sending a clear message. He was saying I am God enough to control the sea and keep the devil in His place. I am in control! Here are some great devotional questions for you this week. How would you act if you knew you couldn't lose? What would you do if you knew that your God held your enemies in check? That's how you should live every day. Live like that and just do the dog gone thang!
Secondly, you need a divine request for the extraordinary. As Christians some of you really do pray, but there's a problem. You do not know what to ask for. Some of you have been asking the Lord to approve the loan, when you should have been asking Him to make you the lender! Some of you have been asking God for water, when you should have been asking Him for the whole well. Some of you have asked God to bless you when you should have been asking the Lord to bless others through you! Some of you have been asking the Lord for a house when you should have been asking the Lord to help you develop the whole neighborhood. Here's the point, if you are going to do the dog gone thang ask big! Peter makes a huge request. He says, "..Lord, if that is you, bid me to come on the water with you" (Matt. 14:28b). In short, Peter says, I do not want to sit here with these disciples any more. I want to do what my Master is doing! Wow! Now that's a request. What have you been asking God for lately? If you are going to do the dog gone thang ask big!
And, lastly you need a daring faith that's crazy. Peter does something that no other man in the Bible does. He steps out of the boat and He walks on water. Yes, it is crazy but it was the only way to do the dog gone thang! Peter had asked Jesus to join Him on the water and Jesus' reply was a one word blessing. Jesus said "Come!" And Peter was crazy enough in faith to do it. Rev. Seymour V. Adolph, Sr. (my father) says that Peter really did not just walk on water. He walked on the Lord's word, "come." Jesus said "come" and Peter walked on it! What if the Lord is saying the same thing to you today? Come! Write the book, score the film, open the business, take the missionary trip, adopt the child, build the plaza, earn the degree, get the certificate, build the house, buy the stock, do the work, make the move, start the program, fill out the application, go forward, handle your business, stop listening to jealous, narrow minded people tell you what you cannot do and just do the dog gone thang!
Your Friend and His Servant,
Dr. John R. Adolph, Pastor
Not long ago while sitting in my barbershop waiting for my turn to sit in the seat of external beautification, hoping to have my laniferous bush reduced to a smooth scalp and a nice edge, I overheard an interesting conversation. It was a debate that took place between a believer who had been in church a long time, but had very little faith in God and a new believer that was young in the faith, but on fire for the Lord. The young believer, Kawanda Mason was on fire as she talked to her aunt about achieving her dream of owning her own business. She told her aunt and I quote, "I do not want a religion or a church that cannot help me do the extraordinary. I want a God that is ready to take my life to the next level. I want Jesus to use me to do the impossible!" Mason looked her aunt square in the face and said. "Auntie, you have wanted to open your own business for years. You go to church every Sunday, but it ain't helping you a bit. You talk faith but you live in fear. You are going to have to get out of the boat and walk on the water! You need to just do the dog gone thang!"
Though this young fiery saint was not talking to me directly, I do believe with all of my heart that what fell from her lips came straight from God. It is my firm belief that God is looking for saints who will walk by faith. Faith in God looks at an empty lot and see's a house. Faith in God looks at a sinner and see's a saint. Faith in God looks at a pink slip and see's a new job with better benefits and more money. Faith in God looks at water and will taste wine. And, faith in God looks at a sea and see's a side walk. But, the only way to experience this next level of living is for us as Christians to live a life of faith! A faith that says, "Just do the dog gone thang!"
This may prove to be somewhat shocking to you, but it is true non-the-less. God made you to see the invisible, move the unmovable, accomplish the incredible, achieve the unattainable, survive the unthinkable, and thrive in the midst of the impossible. Jesus said "...and greater works shall you do because I go unto my Father"
(St. John 14:12, KJV). The term "greater" used here is midezone. It does not speak to the quality of what has been done, but the quantity of what has been produced. Jesus says in short you are going to keep on doing what I have been doing. When people see you they will think about me. And, when you check out the vocational Vita of Jesus Christ printed for your perusal in the Gospels He was awesome! He turned water to wine in Cana, raised a boy from the dead in Nain, made a lame man walk in Bethesda, brought Lazarus to life in Bethany and led Peter to walk on the water in Galilee! That's right; our Lord led one of His disciples to do the unthinkable! Jesus helped Peter to get out of the boat and just do the dog gone thang!
Here's how the story flows.
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus (St. Matt. 14:25-29).
Now if Peter could do the dog gone thang you can too! I believe that God has something special planned for your life. I want you to know that where you are right now is not a permanent place, but simply a passing point. I believe that God is pressing you out of your comfort zone so that you will have to use your faith in Him and just do the dog gone thang! But, here's the question to grapple with, what does the text require to make the impossible come to pass?
First of all, you must have a deity that is in total control. I have some great news for you today. Please hear this, God is in control! Watch Jesus in this narrative. He is in control! Jesus is walking on the sea. What does this mean to you right now? Well the sea in early Jewish history was seen as a symbol of the abyss or hell. When Jesus came walking on sea He was sending a clear message. He was saying I am God enough to control the sea and keep the devil in His place. I am in control! Here are some great devotional questions for you this week. How would you act if you knew you couldn't lose? What would you do if you knew that your God held your enemies in check? That's how you should live every day. Live like that and just do the dog gone thang!
Secondly, you need a divine request for the extraordinary. As Christians some of you really do pray, but there's a problem. You do not know what to ask for. Some of you have been asking the Lord to approve the loan, when you should have been asking Him to make you the lender! Some of you have been asking God for water, when you should have been asking Him for the whole well. Some of you have asked God to bless you when you should have been asking the Lord to bless others through you! Some of you have been asking the Lord for a house when you should have been asking the Lord to help you develop the whole neighborhood. Here's the point, if you are going to do the dog gone thang ask big! Peter makes a huge request. He says, "..Lord, if that is you, bid me to come on the water with you" (Matt. 14:28b). In short, Peter says, I do not want to sit here with these disciples any more. I want to do what my Master is doing! Wow! Now that's a request. What have you been asking God for lately? If you are going to do the dog gone thang ask big!
And, lastly you need a daring faith that's crazy. Peter does something that no other man in the Bible does. He steps out of the boat and He walks on water. Yes, it is crazy but it was the only way to do the dog gone thang! Peter had asked Jesus to join Him on the water and Jesus' reply was a one word blessing. Jesus said "Come!" And Peter was crazy enough in faith to do it. Rev. Seymour V. Adolph, Sr. (my father) says that Peter really did not just walk on water. He walked on the Lord's word, "come." Jesus said "come" and Peter walked on it! What if the Lord is saying the same thing to you today? Come! Write the book, score the film, open the business, take the missionary trip, adopt the child, build the plaza, earn the degree, get the certificate, build the house, buy the stock, do the work, make the move, start the program, fill out the application, go forward, handle your business, stop listening to jealous, narrow minded people tell you what you cannot do and just do the dog gone thang!
Your Friend and His Servant,
Dr. John R. Adolph, Pastor
Monday, May 11, 2009
Sunday's Best - Zebulon Ellis shares Mother's Day with Antioch
Mothers are a gift from God!
This Mothers Day to celebrate the gift of motherhood the Lord led me to invite one of BET's Sunday Best to salute every mother and lady of our church!
Zebulon Ellis from the Olympic City of Atlanta, Ga. Graced is with his presence.
To view more photos of Sunday, please http://www.antiochbmt.org/.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Preaching at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church
Preaching "Wednesdays In The Word" for Dr. Marcus D. Cosby - Houston, TX.
Treat Her Like A Lady!
My Dear Friends in the Faith:
From the creative hand of Almighty God she hails supreme to every creature on the earth. When God made her He simply broke the mold. To look upon her countenance is to admit that there must be a God somewhere. To watch her walk is to see poetry in motion. To see her at work is to watch a genius in a laboratory. To see her sleep is like being in the presence of a queen. Her skin is as smooth as silk, her lips are like the petals of a flower, her arms are strong, her hips are curved, her face speaks of her Master's touch, her feet trod the ground from the mud huts of the Sudan to the White House, her hair is a symbol of her beauty, her love is a necessity, her touch is healing, and her smile is refreshing. Who is she you asked? She's God's master piece. She is a lady!
Her presence demands respect, her demeanor is regal, her disposition causes the ordinary to become extraordinary, her character breathes life into every dead situation, her laughter is the seed of human happiness, her voice forces you to listen, and her creative hand takes the dull and dormant and produces the vicarious and the vivacious. Her statue is inimitable, her posture is upright, her eyes are the lamp posts to the soul of an over comer and to see her is to witness a snap shot of glory in human form. Who is she you asked? She's the mother of civilization. She is a lady!
She takes boys and produces men, she takes leftovers and makes a meal, she takes nothing and does something with it, she takes your hurt and gives you healing, she takes a nice house and makes it a happy home, she takes a family and makes a tribe, and she takes a tribe and produces a nation. She knows everything! Her natural intuition can tell if you are lying before you ever open your mouth, her wisdom can tell you what's best for you, before you take your first step, her knowledge is seminole, her ways are practical and her motives are spiritual. Who is she you asked? She is the backbone of human agency. She is a lady!
From the creative hand of Almighty God she hails supreme to every creature on the earth. When God made her He simply broke the mold. To look upon her countenance is to admit that there must be a God somewhere. To watch her walk is to see poetry in motion. To see her at work is to watch a genius in a laboratory. To see her sleep is like being in the presence of a queen. Her skin is as smooth as silk, her lips are like the petals of a flower, her arms are strong, her hips are curved, her face speaks of her Master's touch, her feet trod the ground from the mud huts of the Sudan to the White House, her hair is a symbol of her beauty, her love is a necessity, her touch is healing, and her smile is refreshing. Who is she you asked? She's God's master piece. She is a lady!
Her presence demands respect, her demeanor is regal, her disposition causes the ordinary to become extraordinary, her character breathes life into every dead situation, her laughter is the seed of human happiness, her voice forces you to listen, and her creative hand takes the dull and dormant and produces the vicarious and the vivacious. Her statue is inimitable, her posture is upright, her eyes are the lamp posts to the soul of an over comer and to see her is to witness a snap shot of glory in human form. Who is she you asked? She's the mother of civilization. She is a lady!
She takes boys and produces men, she takes leftovers and makes a meal, she takes nothing and does something with it, she takes your hurt and gives you healing, she takes a nice house and makes it a happy home, she takes a family and makes a tribe, and she takes a tribe and produces a nation. She knows everything! Her natural intuition can tell if you are lying before you ever open your mouth, her wisdom can tell you what's best for you, before you take your first step, her knowledge is seminole, her ways are practical and her motives are spiritual. Who is she you asked? She is the backbone of human agency. She is a lady!
Not only does she know everything, but she does everything. She helps, heals, teaches, loves, cares, touches, lifts, makes, prays, cries, and builds. She cooks, cleans, bathes, sweeps, folds, bends, stoops, works, works, works, works, works and works! She is a doctor that takes care of sick patients, a psychologist that does effective treatment for the mentally challenged, she is a sociologist that keeps the entire group together, she is a surgeon that does in home operations (the splinter from the hand with a needle of course), and she is the preacher of the best sermons known to humanity! Who is she you asked? She is the centerpiece of domestic enterprise. She is a lady!
She is a gift from Lord of heaven so you can not treat her just any kind of way. Like a package marked "handle with care" you must know how to treat a lady at all times. Here's what the Bible says regarding this issue, "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered" (1 Peter 3:7, KJV).
The word "knowledge" used by Peter in the passage comes from the Greek word gnosko and it means to be skilled. It means to possess some experience when it comes to a certain issue. In this case, we are talking about ladies. Peter says in a nutshell, if you are going to do well with a sister you have to know how to handle a lady. You must have some skill. So how do you handle a real lady? Listed below are a few practical nuggets that everyone should practice not just for Mother's Day, but every day.
1. Never Lay a Hand on Her Expect in Love - Simply put, abuse is just not tolerated at all. Love that lady or leave her alone!
2. Remember This: Chivalry Is Not Dead - Open the door, pull out the chair, pay the bill, get the umbrella, notice her, listen to her, give her your undivided attention and handle your business. She will love you for it!
3. Never Compare Her to Any Other Woman - A real lady stands in a class all by herself and knows that she is not a rough draft but a masterpiece. So treat her like she is a one and only, because she is!
4. Remember This: You Can't Buy Her, but Get It Because You Love Her - Please hear this, it's not the amount of money you give her it's the amount of care and consideration that comes with the package. If you didn't give it much thought it could cost a million dollars. To a real lady it is still cheap. She wants your heart and not just what comes from your hand. Your time and attention is worth more than your money will ever buy!
5. Never Let Any One Beat You Cheering For Your Lady - Flattery works! Don't take her for granted at all. If she looks good, tell her that. If she has a new look tell her that you've noticed it. A real lady does not need cheers from you. She can give herself a pep talk in the mirror. But, it always does her good to know that you noticed and you don't mind celebrating it in a way that she can hear you say it. So cheer her on!
6. Remember This: She Is Very Self Conscious of Her Anatomy So Love Her Like She Is - No matter how beautiful a woman may be she always has a part of her body she does not like. Here's some solid news that can help you love a real lady. Love her just the way she is!!! She knows what she has and what she is missing. But, if you love her like she is you will never miss what she may or may not have.
7. Never Forget That Jesus Christ Is the Real Lover of Her Soul - All real ladies loves the Lord. That's how they have made it through all that they have been through. Keep Him first in all that you do and a real lady will always respect you because you love Him!
When you are in the presence of a Judge you stand, when you are in the presence of a Bishop you sit in reverent silence, but when you are in the presence of a lady remember this is how you should treat her. In just a few days we celebrate our Mother's. Keep this devotional at heart and treat her like a lady!
Your Friend and His Servant,
Dr. John R. Adolph, Pastor
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