Making Love In the Right Position!!!

Dear Friends in the Faith:

Wait!!! Don't delete this message. It is not pornographic as the subject may suggest. But, it is prophetic for the relationally confused times in which we now live. Okay, let's clear the air and get it out so we can talk about it. God made sex and it is His idea. But, when the idea of "making love" rises to the front of our conversation numerous issues surface. Love songs from the past are partially the blame. The songs from the 70's that caused us to slow dance but, contained questionable ethics. Lenny Williams begged a sister until he got what he wanted from her. Here's how he put it, "Girl you know I, I, I, I, I love you....!!!" That legend Teddy Pendergrass alias Teddy P shouted it when he exclaimed with passion "Turn off the lights and light a candle. Rub me down with some hot oil baby....turn them off!!!" The music moved us but no one stopped to ask was the woman Lenny begging his wife. And no one bothered to inquire about the woman in Teddy P's shower. From these paradigms comes the missed instruction of "love making."

Today when subject of "love making" come up people call it the "nasty." It can suggest everything from two women in bed together, two men in bed together, an unmarried man with a married women in bed together, and two unmarried people in bed together just to name a few. The point here is this, our culture has been making love in the wrong position so long until we no longer see this beautiful God given act of love the way that it was meant to be shared! HBO recently did a documentary on teenage sexuality of middle schoolers in the US and the findings were staggering. 5 out of 10 of them were sexually active by the age of 12; 7 out of 10 had encountered some form of sexual contact by the age of 12; and, 9 out of 10 had encountered some form of sexually explicit material on the internet to include nude photos and pornography! In short, what they are being taught is love from the wrong position.

A devotional like this one is godly and necessary! In fact, if you are not married and you are sexually active and yet you stand under that banner of Christianity you are in the wrong position. If you are married and you are involved with anyone except for your covenanted spouse, you are in the wrong position. If you are involved in any behavior that would displease God and bring harm to you and your family, you are in the wrong position. But, if you are married, sharing your faith and your future with a spouse of the opposite sex then according to scripture you are indeed making love, and you are making love in the right position. The Bible says, "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it bewith consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment" (I Cor. 7:1-6, KJV).

But, here's the question for today, what's the right position for love in the eyes of God?

Position #1-Spiritual Compatibility. Hear this word of warning. Be careful around people that do not love the Lord like you do. Be cautious entering a relationship with someone that will tell you that they do not do the church thing! It is dangerous and my advice for you is to run!!! In the passage Paul gives us an elliptical of the cause. That is where the given truth is not openly stated. Here is that given truth, people should always be equally yoked together. If you are with someone and they tell you "it ain’t gonna hurt just this one time...." That's the wrong position! If you are near someone and they tell you "Jesus won't mid if we bump and grind...." That's the wrong position! If you are with someone that is really good looking but they tell you "I don't believe in Jesus Christ perse...." That's the wrong position! And, if you come across someone that is in church but will put their religion down to hook up other fleshly motives...." That's the wrong position. What makes love great is when both persons (male and female) are in Christ Jesus and He is in them. That's the right position and it pleases God!

Position #2-Serious Commitment. Listen, love is NOT a game! I do not know who did it, but somebody made love a game and it's been killing us. The end result of the game is children born out of wedlock due to a heated moment that was a one night stand, broken families, STD's and an increasing divorce rate. Love is a decision that you make that says I am with you no matter what! Real Love says I am not quitting on you no matter how hard things maybe. The sin in the passage is fornication. This occurs when people touch without a covenant being present. The problem is that the act is designed for those who are going to be together permanently, but it has been used by many of us temporarily. So when you gain temporary satisfaction from an act that was designed by God to be permanent you commit fornication. People say all of the time, "but Pastor what about a sample?" My answer is no! People often ask, "Well what about a test run?" My answer, no! You cannot pick a person like a rental car…….. sign a weekend contract, drive them hard and then drop them off when you’re done! In the eyes of God this is the wrong position. If you want love in the right position, it is covenanted love that is designed to last a lifetime!

Position #3-Submitted To Christ. Here's a great devotional question. Why is it so wrong for two consenting adults to just do what they want to do and do it until they are both just happy? Here's the answer, because you can tell who you worship by looking at who you spend the night with! Worship is not just clapping your hands and singing a song or two. Worship is what you do with your body. This is why your love should always be done in the right position. It is your worship! Paul is addressing this matter because the people in Corinth are worshipping foreign gods that are not the Lord. They are pagan gods of the underworld and the people are honoring these strange gods by embracing strange sexual encounters that please these strange gods. But, Paul says if you want to make God happy let a husband have a wife and let them touch! This act honors God and it blesses the man and woman involved. It is Holy in the eyes of God and it is the right position!

The greatest news of the day is this, for those in the wrong position God has a holy habit of letting people start over! I John 1:9 teaches us that God will forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteous if you confess your sins to Him. This is shouting news at its best! If you are in the wrong position now is the time to make it right!

Your Friend and His Servant,


Dr. John R. Adolph

www.jradolphministries.org

The Sweetest Rose I've Ever Head!!!

Dear Friends in the Faith:

Okay let's get right down to the point here. In just a few days it will be Valentine's Day and it can be one of the most depressing days in the year. This is the time of year our nation celebrates people that we love. Even though the scriptures teach us that we should love people all year long this holiday pushes it to the limit. People buy all types of things all in the name of love. We buy things like diamonds, cards, dinners, trips, clothes, chocolates and most of all flowers. In fact, yahoo.com stated that roses were the most popular gift of all during this time of year! Over 1 trillion roses are sold during Valentine's Day weekend each year alone in the United States. And, it can be difficult for you if all of those roses go out as gifts in the name of love and you don't get one of them. But, remember this if no one gets you a rose, with Jesus Christ you already have the sweetest rose of all for He is your Rose of Sharon.

Sharon is located in North Palestine between Mount Tabor and Lake Tiberias. It is a low lying country that is known for its beautiful vegetation. In short, beautiful flowers would sprout all over this region and paint for its visitors the handy work of God. To visit Sharon at the right time of year was like being in a part of heaven! Many have described it as heaven on earth. As the writer shares passionate thoughts of love and tenderness in Song of Solomon the writer is careful to mention that he is "...the Rose of Sharon..." (Song of Solomon 2:1, KJV). But what does it really mean for Jesus Christ to be your Rose of Sharon?

It means that He is easily accessible. You see, the flower that is described in this passage did not grow in a green house or some gated area. It grew in the field. It was a symbol that it had been placed by God and available to any one that wanted it. Hear this, Jesus is your Rose. That means that He is saying "I am here for you! I love you! I think of you all of the time! I want to hold your hand! I want to wipe your tears! I want to carry you and your load! I want to be near you!" Get this, the Rose of Sharon is here for you. The question right now is this, do you want Him? If you want Him He is here for you right now. This flower grew in a place that simply said to any one, I am accessible to you if you want me. (Read Matthew 11:28).

It means that He is the bench mark of a new season in your life. The "Rose" that is mentioned in the passage is not a rose in the American sense of a flower. It was a crocus. This was a dark red flower that only blossomed after the winter was over. In fact, people in that region knew when the winter was passed because the crocus would bloom. You see, it marked the beginning of a new season. This is shouting news for those that really love the Lord! If Jesus is your Rose of Sharon His entry into your life marked the beginning of a season. The winter is over. He is your spring time. If you are like most, you have had a lot of things that have happened to you in this life. Some of us have been wounded trying to love people that never learned to love us back. Others have been let down by people that we just knew we could depend on. And, still there are others that have gone through more difficulty than the google search engine could keep up or Wikipedia could define. Yet, after all that you have been through if you have Jesus in your life you can truthfully say that Jesus is the best thing that has ever happen to me! His entrance marked the beginning of something new, something spiritual, something meaningful and something that leads to blessing at every point in your life! (Read Galatians 6:9).

It means that He is the source of your joy. The bright beauty of the crocus was used as a symbol of joy. They were often used in celebrations and festivals due to their bright red color. They could simply light up an entire mountain side. Thus, because of their illuminating properties they were the flower that symbolized joy. But, here's what so rich about this plant. The more it rained the richer the color became. Are you shouting yet? If Jesus is your Rose of Sharon He is the source of your joy! Your joy does not come from what flower you received, it does not come from a diamond that someone bought you, your joy does not come from any special day that happened or did not happen. Your joy comes from the presence of the Lord that is your Rose. And, the more it rains in your life the brighter your Rose gets. You can't shout about this unless you have seen some rainy days in your life! We all see storms from time to time, but when you have the joy that your Rose brings, you learn how to dance in the rain. Yes, you may have to cry sometime. In fact, you will have to cry sometime but with Jesus you have a Rose that gives you joy and it gets brighter with every rain drop! (Read Psalms 126:5).

It means that He is your greatest love and sacrifice. The second most popular gift for Valentine's Day is perfume. But, if you don't get a bottle of it, don't trip. You have the sweetest fragrance that money will never buy. You see, the crocus was indeed a gorgeous red flower and it was beautiful to the eye. But it also had a wonderful fragrance that came from it. In fact, its aroma was known throughout the region. However, the only way to gain the fragrance from the crocus was to crush it. Yes, it would smell wonderful after it had been crushed. Can you see where this is headed yet? You see, if Jesus is your Rose of Sharon He made His love evident for you by being crushed for your love! When was He crushed you ask? At cavalry, where He gave it all so that you could be blessed with the sweet aroma of His love for ever! (Read Rom. 5:8).

So Saint Valentine might have started all of this foolishness with a day for those that you love called Valentine's Day. And Rudolph Valentino may have symbolized it with his sex appeal. But, our God put the lid on it with His love forever. You see, real love is much more than lip service, a box of candy, a flower, some perfume or a balloon. You can tell me how much you love me all day long. But, if what you say does not match what you do, that is not love it is hypocrisy at its finest. But, Jesus is your Rose of Sharon and He put it all on the line. If you don't get a card on the 14th you already have a Rose that is there for you! If you do not get a love letter on the 14th you already have a Rose that is your joy! If you don't have a hand to hold on the 14th don't complain. Your Rose is accessible to you! If you don't get a vase of flowers don't shed one tear. The one Rose that you have has marked a new season for you and because of Him your life will never ever be the same! And, if you don't get a bottle of your favorite fragrance on the 14th so what, you already have the sweetest perfume that money will never buy you. Shout this phrase in victory if you have Jesus in your heart "He is my Rose of Sharon!"

Your Friend and His Servant,


Dr. John R. Adolph

Why Some Good Men Love Bad Women!!!

Dear Friends in the Faith:

Some people hate them, while others despise them, many people discuss them, religious women often ridicule them, and still other sisters seek to duplicate them. They have ruined more marriages than the law will allow, they have wrecked more relationships than I have room to mention in this devotional lesson, their dress is not just sexy it is seductive, their tattoos are enticing, their walk is like watching poetry in motion, their intentions are dangerous, their motives are often hidden, their appearance is often times seen as purely innocent, their morals are loose, their values are lacking, their habits are not always holy and yet they have their place on the canvas of the pages of Holy Writ. Who are they you asked? They are bad women!

A good woman can spot her a mile away, older men are often taken swiftly by their mischief, young men get caught up in what she presents, and our culture makes millions on her body and her beauty. Who are they you asked? They are bad women! Make no mistake about it every woman is not a good woman. Some women are bad. And, the problem is that there are good men that have good women, but instead of being faithful to the good woman that they have they sometimes fall like fools for the bad woman that means them no good at all! But, why??? Why do some good men fall for bad women?

Before you leap into this thought provoking dialogue with your personal views and humble opinions let's look to the scripture for the answers that God would want us to have. You see, there is a good man in the Bible that falls for a bad woman. Here's what the scripture says, "And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver. And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee. And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them" (Judges 16:4-8, KJV). Though Delilah meant Samson absolutely no good at all, he still fell face flat for her even though she was a bad woman. And, it is my belief that the same reason why he fell for his bad woman is the exact same reason why men fall for bad women today. So what makes a good man fall for a bad woman?

First of all, she knows how to handle him. Okay this may seem harsh but it is true none-the-less. Most good women need courses on "man handling." Get this, if a man is a real man (and he is not gay, weak, or sorry) you cannot handle him just any kind of way. Here's a secret that all good women can learn from bad ones. Always handle a man like he's a man. By this I mean, God gave men position and He gave women influence. Use your influence to get what you want from him and let him keep his position. In short, give him what all men must have
R-E-S-P-E-C-T and when you give him what he needs you will always get what you want. If you don't think that this works look at Delilah! She was a bad woman that got what she wanted from Samson by simply handling him like a man!

Secondly, she knows how to talk to him. Now this is going to get me into trouble, but at the risk of being honest, truthful, godly and helpful I am going to say it. If a man is a real man (and he is not lazy, stupid and shallow) you cannot talk to him just any kind of a way. Bad women know how to talk to a man. Here's a huge secret that all good sisters need to know, screaming and yelling makes him change stations and switch satellites! But, if you know how to say, "Baby....listen....I need something from you....", you will get it every single time! I know, we have been taught that Diva's put their hands on their hips, roll their necks and get a brother told right? But, that's why most Diva's don't have a descent dude. Please get this and hold on to it forever, if you know how to talk to a man you can have it all! His mind, his body, his soul, his money, his heart and his resources. If you can't talk to him right there is a bad woman that will!

Thirdly, she knows how to use her femininity to her advantage. Since I am already in hot water I may as well say one more thing before this devotional is over. If a man is a real man (and he is not on the down low, not foggy in his sexuality and stable in God his given manhood) he loves every facet of a real woman. He loves her hips, her hands, her legs, her chest, her neck, her eyes, and her feet. So what am I saying here? I am saying that bad women know how to wear it and present it. All too often good women do what it takes to get a good man. But, once they have him they swap every good habit for a bad one. In short, if it is ashy grab some lotion. If it is nappy, dread it or perm it. If it is tacky fix it up. If it is rough smooth it out. If it is doesn't fit don't wear it. And, if it is not your best feature camouflage it! Please here this, in a real man's mind there is no greater creation on the planet other than true womanhood. So be a woman and be a beautiful one!

For every sister reading this devotional that has a good man use these principles to keep him right where he is and know that the only way for you to be the queen is for you to crown him king! And, for every sister that is single that wants a good man remember this, you don't have to be bad woman to get a good man, but there are some good habits that you can learn from bad women that can help you be the best you that you can be! Use these habits and let the Lord do everything else!

Your Friend and His Servant,


Dr. John R. Adolph