Guess Who's Coming To Dinner!!!

My Dear Friends in the Faith:

Not long ago a friend of mine invited me to dinner at a Japanese restaurant in our city. Okay, let me be honest here, I do not do the buffet thing at all. It's just too great of a temptation for a brother like me to over indulge so I did not want to go initially, but I went just for the sake of Christian fellowship. But, when I walked into this place for dinner I was shocked at the atmosphere. There was never a boring moment at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse. Blades were flying, fires were soaring, rice was cooking, shrimp was grilling, peppers were sizzling, chicken and steak were smoking, and everyone was having a great time. I had a reserved seat marked "guess who's coming to dinner" and I sat and watched a skilled Japanese chef prepare a table for me before me.

As I sat there watching that chef prepare my table with that little sign in front of me that read "guess who's coming to dinner" I thought a much greater table that is being prepared for everyone who loves the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are reading this devotional and you have been saved by the grace of our Lord by way of His finished work at Calvary you have a spot at the table which the Lord of heaven prepares for you Himself both in time and eternity! What's on the table you ask? Not just food, but faith. Not just dinner, but deliverance. Not just desert, but destiny. Not just potatoes, but peace. Not just juice, but joy. Not just salad, but salvation. And, not just veggies, but victory! In fact, I believe that a great invitation has gone out and there is a sign at the table of the Lord that says "guess who's coming to dinner" and you are the invited guest of Almighty God!

One of the most popular verses in the Bible is the 23rd Psalm. It is where David writes the words to the most comforting Hebrew hymn ever written. In the heart of the hymn he is careful to remind us of the fact that the Lord is doing all that He can do to bless us. And one of those blessings is a table prepared for just for you. Here's what he says, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies..." (Psalms 23:5a, KJV). How does it make you feel to know that God has plans for your future? What does it make you think to consider the fact the Lord is intentionally working to do things for you that you cannot do for yourself right now? What would you say if you I told you that there was a seat at God's table with your name on it? Here's some shouting news for you that should bless the rest of your day. The Lord wants you at His table!!! But, what's at His table that makes it so great?

First of all, His provisions are at the table. Let me ask you a very personal question. What do you need from God right now? If you have no needs, praise the Lord. But, if you do have some real needs what are they? Perhaps you need healing in your body, restoration in your finances, strengthening in your family or guidance for your life. Maybe you need help for an area of weakness, liberation from an attack, deliverance from an addiction or just a prayer answered in a time of need. Whatever the case please hear this, God will provide! David says "thou preparest..." The Hebrew verb here is aw-rak and it means to set the order. It means to put out what is needed. Are you shouting yet? When God made room for you at His table according the David He set out what was needed. What a mighty God we serve that He would provide for us each moment, each minute, each hour, each day, each week, each month, and each year! Remember this, when you are in Christ and Christ is in you, your needs are His provisions!!!

Secondly, His protection is at the table. Here's a sad but true report. Everyone who smiles in your face is not your friend. Some of the people that are near you are enemies and in many instances you do not know it. There are people who do not want to see the Lord bless you, there are others who laugh when you suffer and make snarling remarks like "it's about time the Lord punish them for all of the evil that they do to other people", and if left to them nothing good would ever happen to you at all. But, here's the question, why does a good God let these people exist? Why doesn't He just wipe them all out? Here's some more good news for you to celebrate life and living. The reason why God does not get rid of them is because He needs someone to bless you in front of! The text says that the Lord sits the table in "...the presence of mine enemies..." Tsaw-rar is the term used for enemies and it suggest one that works in close proximity to you to make sure that you are bound. But, get this; while they are working to bind you God is working to bless you. In fact, you cannot have one without the other. Attempted binding and divine blessing go together like rice and gravy! So when your enemies are in your face do not move them but remind yourself you’re at the table! Your enemies work for God and while are trying to bind you God is busy blessing you!!!

Thirdly, His person is at the table. Do you know that the most wonderful part about being at God's table? No it is not what on it. It is who's at it. Nothing on the table compares to the Lord who is at His table with you. In fact, if nothing was on the table at all just knowing that God would be there is enough to shout about. You see the terms used throughout the Psalm are very personal. "Thou preparest...before me...thou anointest my head..." It suggest that God is the person doing everything for you from beginning to end. It is a portrait of grace. Let's be honest. We don't deserve what the Lord has for us on His table or at His table. But, He's given it to us in spite of ourselves. Thank God for amazing, life changing, and life transforming grace!

The sign read "guess who's coming to dinner" and I was the honored guest. What a joy it was! The food was off the chain. But, the greatest part of my night was the fact that I had a chance to meet the chef! You see in all other restaurants you meet the waiter or waitress. But, not here. He prepared my table for me himself and I had a chance to shake his hand, make his acquaintance, and get to know him for myself. Can you hear the voice of God in this? The Lord has a sign at His table. No it may not say "guess who's coming to dinner" but it does say "come unto to me all that have labored and are heavy laden and I will give you rest..." And when you accept the invite and sit at the table the Lord does all of your preparations. You can meet Him for yourself. And, if you know Him like I do you can be satisfied with Him and forget about the table. He's just that good! Get to the table...your destiny awaits you there!

Your Friend and His Servant,

Dr. John R. Adolph

When You Come Up Short!!!

My Dear Friends in the Faith:

It was a hot summer day in the city of Beaumont, Texas and Y.M.C.A. was packed. Kids were swimming, running, playing, shooting basketball, and having a blast. The snow cone stand was open and the line was super long. You know, they were serving it up cold on a hot Texas day. At first, the ice was plenteous and the syrup was enough for everyone. But, I watched from a distance as near tragedy struck. I noticed the look upon the young ladies face as she made the sad announcement to kids waiting in line for a snow cone, "I'm sorry but we've come up short!"

Now this is not a devotional about snow cones. But, it is one that regards the plight of the human condition. No matter how holy we are, no matter how real we think we are, and no matter how super intelligent we may seem we all come up short. Nixon came up short with Watergate; Reagan came up short with economic equality; Clinton came up short with Monica Lewinsky; and, Bush came up short with Bin Laden (we're still looking for that dude). Darryl Strawberry came up short with drug abuse; Mike Tyson came up short with Lenox Lewis when he dropped him like a bad habit; Tiger Woods came up short by just one putt; Jim and Tammy Faye Baker came up with fraud; Kwame Kilpatrick came up short with perjury, Jessie Jackson came up short with a child born out of wed lock; Michael Vick came up 130 million short for dog fighting; Eliot Spitzer, former Governor of New York came up short with a call girl names Kristen and famous hip hop artist T I (captioned above) came up short on weapons charges and is now serving time. No matter where you look we just keep coming up short.

And, if we were to be honest we come up short all of the time too! Yes, I said YOU!!! We come up short on religion and end up in hypocrisy, we come up short on moral virtue and end up in sin, we come up short on hope and end up in depression, we come up short on love and end in hatred, we come up short on forgiveness and end up holding a grudge, we come up short on humility and end up in pride, we come up short on faith and end up in doubt, we come up short on joy and end up in worry, we come up short on celibacy and end up in fornication, we come up short on marriage and end up in divorce, we come up short on relationships and end up shacking, we come up short on prayer and end up with mega-problems. But, here's the greatest news of the day. Our God specializes with people who have come up short!

The disciples have come up short in the passage. The text says, "When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, there is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would" (St. John 6:5-11, KJV).

Here's the blessed news of the day. If Jesus helped the disciples when they came up short He can and will do the same thing for you and me! So what do you do when you come up short?

First of all, you have to admit it. I once attended an AA meeting with a friend of mine who was receiving a 10 year sobriety chip. I was happy to be in the meeting to celebrate this great victory in his life, but I became offended when I noticed how people introduced themselves. They would stand up and say "Hi I'm Joe and I'm a no good drug addict." And the group would respond, "Hi, Joe!" I was floored. But, after sitting there for a moment I realized that it was religion without pretense and cover up. Can you imagine what church would be like if every Christian were to be honest about who they really were?!!! This passage tells us that both Philip and Andrew admitted their shortage to Jesus. And when they admitted it, He dealt with it for them. All too often we try and cover up our mess ups. But, when you come up short just be real with God and admit it. Okay, its prayer time right here. If you are reading this devotional, you are human and you have thought some wrong thoughts, said some things that were wrong, gone some places where you should have never been and perhaps even did some things that you were not supposed to do. Stop right now and admit it to the Lord so that He can forgive you!

Secondly, you must let Jesus take it. Can we be real for a moment? You have some things in your life that you need for Jesus to take from you don't you? If your answer was yes here's a word for advice to you, let Jesus take it have it. Don't fight Him just let Him take it. There's a lad in the passage who has a lunch. For years I preached that the little boy gave his lunch to Jesus. But, that is not what the verse says. "...Jesus took the loaves..." Wow! Why would a gracious Lord take his loaves you ask? Jesus knows that the best place for your shortage is in His hands!!! Be careful where you put your shortage. Everyone can't stand knowing the real truth about who you are. But, when you place your short comings in the hands of the Lord you will discover that He takes people who were nothing and makes something out of them! Let Jesus take it!!!

And, lastly, you must let Jesus share it. This is soooo deep! Jesus takes the loaves, blesses the loaves and shares what has been broken. Did you hear that? Jesus shares what has been broken and blessed. One of the reasons why you are still here is because you are not a completed project just yet. You are still yet broken in many ways. But, what God wants to do with your brokenness is use it to become His blessedness by sharing you every chance that He gets. This is why a saint with a story should always tell people what the Lord has done in their lives. Got a question for you. Have you been broken? If you said "yes" I dare you to let your brokenness to be someone else’s blessedness! Let the Lord share you and all that He has done for you. In other words, stop making people think that you are prefect. Tell people what God saved you from and what He's done in your life. And, remember this, if you can't tell people what you were before you met Jesus it may be because you are still what you were before you met Him. But, if the Lord has made a difference in your life, tell it!

It was a sad day at the Y.M.C.A. No more ice and the announcement by the young lady that said, "I'm sorry, but we've come up short." Just then a young lady hopped out of line and said "I'm going call my daddy!" She went into the Y grabbed her cell and made a call. Within minutes a black S500 Benz pull up with tinted windows. A nicely dressed gentleman got out and popped his drunk and there it was ice. Not just one cup for his child, but a trunk full of it! It was enough ice for everyone! You see, my friends that's what you do when you come up short. You call your Father in heaven and tell Him what has taken place. And, you may not get ice, but I can promise you He will give you grace! Yes, we all come up short from time to time, but thank God for Jesus who supplies the grace! Without Him we would never ever make it!

Your Friend and His Servant,

Dr. John R. Adolph

Hell No!!!

My Dear Friends in the Faith:

Hell is best defined as any place where the forces of darkness and the spirits of evil are permitted to rule, reign and have regency. Hell is not just some burning inferno that exist in the afterlife, but hell is an occurrence. Hell happens every single day whenever and where ever our adversary the devil breaks loose, gains grounds, wreaks havoc, and seeks to destroy what God seeks to build.

If you are married and your spouse is filled with a spirit of lust and jealousy you could have hell in your marriage. If you have a child that is filled with a spirit of rebellion and no matter how much help and love you have shown them they are still wayward and cantankerous you may have hell in your child. If you have been attacked on your job for no reason at all to the point where it causes chaotic conditions to exist trust me on this one, you have hell on your job. If your money always seem to be short no matter how much you steward your resources here's a word of caution for you, watch out you could have hell in your check book. If you worry about everything and doubt the promises of God every chance you get, more than likely that is the work of our enemy and you could have hell on your mind. And if you are one of those people who can hold a grudge forever and thirty minutes the enemy could have your peace in his prison and you end up with hell in your heart!

The great news of the day however, is the fact every born-again believer in the Lord Jesus, who has been washed in the blood of the lamb, saved by the power of the cross, and sealed by the redemptive sacrifice of our God has access to the throne room of our Lord. In short, we can pray. Okay, are you shouting yet? Well, maybe it's because you don't know what happens when you pray. You see, prayer is best defined as a Christians right to put heaven where hell is. So when you stop in your day to pray in the midst of hellish conditions and occurrences you use your God-given right and authority to tell hell no and put heaven in its place.

Okay, are you shouting now? If not, then perhaps this will bless you and increase you a bit. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ there is some part of your life that is under attack whether you know it or not. But, here's the shouting news of the day you have a right to pray and when you petition God it simply says to the enemy HELL NO. Declare these statements with passion and I will guarantee you a release in your spirit is going to take place. Say this, "HELL NO, the enemy cannot have my joy. The joy of the Lord is my strength (Neh. 8:10)!" "HELL NO, the devil cannot have my family! We belong to God (I Cor. 3:16)!" "HELL NO, the forces of evil cannot have my victory it is guaranteed (Exodus 14:13)!" And, "HELL NO, satan will not discourage me. I know how to encourage myself in the Lord my God (1 Sam. 30:6)!" "HELL NO, HELL NO, HELL NO!"

The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica and he gives them the secret to spiritual power and total victory. He tells them to "Pray without ceasing" (I Thess. 5:17). Why? He knows that if the people of God pray hell does not have a chance. So here's our devotional question for the day, so what do you do when hell is happening all around you?

The first thing that you must do is PRAY. Prayer is cart blanche access into the essence of the eternal. Prayer gives you access to the very throne room of Almighty God. When you pray heavenly corridors touch earthly real estate. When you pray angels are dispatched and demons are dismissed. When you pray the hand of God moves, the spirit of God rules, and the presence of God becomes visible. When Paul says pray in the text he means it. The term used for pray is written in the imperative mood which is defined as a command and not a suggestion. In short, he says do it! Pray and do it every chance you get. In fact, have you prayed today? If you haven't done it, do it now. And, if have prayed already, pray again! It is your right and way of telling the enemy Hell NO!

Secondly, what you need to do it PRAY. Often times we are guilty of praying one short prayer a day and that's about it for most of us. But, that will not get it. There is an old church saying that I was raised with that says, "no prayer, no power; little prayer, little power, but much prayer, much power." If you want to see miracles happen and hell become heaven I dare you to pray all of the time. The text says "pray without ceasing." The Greek phrase here is one word and it is adialeptos. It is a term that refers to the involuntary activity of the body to do what it does without you telling it to do so. In other words, you should pray like your lungs breathe. You should pray like your eyes blink. And, you should pray like your heart beats. Pray so much until you pray about everything. Cover your life, your children, your family, your desires, your relationships, your goals, your destiny and your resources with prayer. And when you do it, hell doesn't stand a chance against you!

And lastly what you have got to do is PRAY. Prayer is not just you talking with God but it is so much more. It is God in communion with you. Now I have always been told that association brings about assimilation. Birds of a feather flock together. And, you are the company that you keep. If this is true and I know that it is, to pray is to be in the company of the Lord and if you stay there long enough you start to think like Him, act like Him, walk like Him, talk like Him, and function as He functions. This is awesome news for those who believe!!! Our Lord moved mountains, heals the sick, raised the dead and turned water to wine. Jesus said "...and greater works shall you do because I go unto my Father." So when you pray and pray and pray, you actually become like the one that you are spending time with! This is why hell doesn't stand a chance against you. You have heaven in your possession!!! So like a trump card in the game of spades play it and gain the victory!!!

There comes a time when you should get fed up with everything the enemy has tried to do to destroy you. And, there should come a time when you get sick and tired of watching hell happen all around you. If that is you then stand boldly in the faith and pray like you are losing your mind and tell the enemy and all that he has to offer HELL NO! HELL NO to your way. It leads to destruction, but God's way leads to everlasting life! HELL NO to temporary happiness built solely on happenings. I would rather have total faithfulness and let happiness be my personal decision! HELL NO to hatred and holding grudges, forgiveness is the best way! HELL NO to complaining. I am learning that no matter where I am and what's going on in my life I can always be thankful! For after all, God has been really kind to me! HELL NO to selfishness. If I cannot do anything else I can always help someone else. HELL NO to pride. For I know that I am nothing without the Lord. HELL NO to quitting and giving up. I will persevere because I am more than a conqueror! HELL NO to doubt, worry and mistrust. God is good and His resume in my life says that I can trust Him! HELL NO to thoughts of suicide. My life is worth living because my history is not equivalent to my destiny. And, HELL NO to everything the enemy has planned for my life. The Lord's plans are much better and I know that He wants me to have heaven and not hell so I will just pray my way through! So PRAY and tell them enemy HELL NO!!!!

Your Friend and His Servant,

Dr. John R. Adolph

Put That Down Before You Hurt Yourself!

My Dear Friends in the Faith:

It was a great day in the life of the Henderson family. They were moving into their new home and things were looking up. I mean it was like they were the Jefferson's from back in the day. They were moving from the hood to a deluxe apartment in the sky! They were finally getting their piece of the pie. The entire family was in on the move and the boxes were big and heavy. Jason Henderson had an 11 year old daughter that was determined to move her entire room by herself. And she was doing great at it until she tried to lift a huge box of her shoes without any help. When she lifted the back end of that huge box her father shouted with passion and love at her, "Girl, put that down before you hurt yourself!"

As we share this devotional time together I want to spend just a few moments dealing with your heavy load. It is a load that many of you have been carrying far too long. A load that causes you to be bitter and never really get better. A load that causes you to carry a grudge and harbor hatred in your heart. A load that has many Christians frustrated, depressed, and disgusted with life and living. It is the heavy load of unforgivingness.

Let's be honest for a moment, forgiving people is not easy is it? Especially when the people that have tried to hurt you have not bothered to apologize. Forgiveness can seem impossible when the person that caused the damage continues to do things that hurt you over and over again. Have you ever been there before? This lesson is for the married couple that's really struggling and just when you thought you could forgive them something else happens and you know that unforgiveness for you is a heavy load. This lesson is for the Christian that knows the pain of a broken relationship and you have had people play you like a video game and your emotions are torn and your feelings are hurt. And, for you too unforgiveness is a heavy load. And, this lesson is for people who have a hard time forgiving others. If you are the kind of person that can hold onto hatred like a sponge holds water and you are tired of your heavy load consider this devotional a message from heaven that says, "Put, That Down Before You Hurt Yourself!!!"

In Matthew 18:21-35 Jesus teaches His disciples how to deal with a really heavy load. Here's what the passage says,

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Is forgiveness an area of struggle for you? Have you been hurt and have found real forgiveness difficult to deal with? Have you ever really struggled with the heavy load of unforgivingness? If your earnest answer was yes, then hear this cry from heaven designed to heal you and set you free "Put, That Down Before You Hurt Yourself!" The question however, is why must be put it down?

First of all, you must put it down because if you hold on to it you forfeit your right to divine sympathy. Let me ask you a question right quick. How much dirt do you have? Okay, was that too personal for you? Let me ask the same question a different way. Have you ever made any mistakes that you need God to forgive you for? If you answered yes you must drop your heavy load! If you want God to forgive you, you must forgive those that have hurt you! Jesus uses a narrative and according to the story a servant owed his king more than fifteen years worth of income. And the king forgives his debt; in fact, it says that "...he was moved with compassion." In common terms he had some sympathy for this brother! This same brother that was just forgiven had a man that simply owed him some chump change. And he took him by his throat and demanded payment. The forgiving king gets ear of it and says, "After I let you off the hook for fifteen years of back payments you could not forgive your brother for some change?" (Paraphrase). Since you cannot forgive him, I will not forgive you. God says if you want me to be merciful and forgive you, you must be the same way with others!

Secondly, you need to ditch your heavy load because your freedom is at stake. Real forgiveness happens when you decide to let the prisoner go free. Only to look into the mirror of your hurt and pain to see that you are the one in hand cuffs!!! Let's face it, the people that have hurt you have gone own about their business. You are the one wearing the shackles. And, the only way out of bondage is for you to let yourself off the hook. Here in the text the word "forgave" used here is aphiemi. It means to set a prisoner free, to let a boat float away, or to release a caged bird. When you forgive people that have hurt you, the bondage and shackles of unforgivingness are opened and you go free. Remember this, unforgivingness can make you miserable. But, real forgiveness can heal a broken heart. Set yourself free by letting them off of the hook! It's the only way to deal with a heavy load.

And lastly, your future is on the verge of a breakthrough in the spirit!
God is at His best with human hurt that needs healing. He is at His best with broken people that need to be restored. And, He is at His absolute best with wounded people that need a break through! Here's a great question for you to answer right quick. Are you ready to be healed from the heavy load of unforgivingness? Get this, God is able if you are ready. Here in this parable the focus should not be placed upon the servant that cannot forgive, but on the king that can! Here in this passage forgiveness is an unexpected breakthrough! Nobody expects to be forgiven for everything that they've done. But when God shows up you can always expect things to change and a breakthrough to come forth! Here's the breakthrough for you, God has forgiven you!!! You are free to go! The cross is vacant and the tomb is empty!

Jason Henderson yelled at his 11 year old daughter with a huge shoe box, "Girl, Put That Thing Down Before You Hurt Yourself!" She dropped the box and her father called for her older brother to pick it up for her. You see, she had a big brother that could carry the load that was too heavy for her to bear. Can you see Jesus in this? Like Jason's daughter had an older brother that could carry her load, you have an older brother too!!! His name is Jesus and He specializes in carrying loads that are too heavy for you to deal with. Unforgiveness can be a heavy load, but when you put it down and let the Lord carry it you find out that what was too heavy for you, is just right for Him!

Your Friend and His Servant,

Dr. John R. Adolph

Tales From My Tattoos!

My Dear Friends in the Faith:

They had their beginning in the land of Ancient Egypt as a form of worship to the deities or gods in that land. It was their way of showing true love and commitment so Egyptians intentionally marked their bodies for the gods that they revered. In the late 1960's they popped up in America as a form of body decoration and they have been running like crazy every since. What are they you ask? Tattoos!

There is no way to get a "tat" (as they are called) without some degree of pain and discomfort because the permanent mark is placed under the surface of the skin with a needle. But, that does not seem to be a deterrent at all to getting one of these lifelong marks placed on a body that's temporary? I should say not. In fact, just a glimpse at our star studded celebrity world tells us that people are really into "tats". Beyonce' has a tattoo of praying hands on her upper left thigh; Allen Iverson of the NBA has a tattoo of his son on his left arm in full color; Halle Barry has a tattoo of a flower on her lower left hip to be viewed by those who are privileged enough to see it in person; Eve (hip-hop artist) has tiger paws tattooed on her chess; Mike Tyson waited until he was 38 years old to place a tattoo on his face of a Samoan warrior (crazy in my opinion); and, Usher has multiple tattoos is various parts of his body for reasons that need not be publicly discussed. Over 70 percent of the men in the NBA have tattoos, 58 percent of the NFL is tattooed, over 38 percent of the women in the WNBA have tattoos, and about 32% of all Americans under the age of 30 have one somewhere on their body. In short, we are all marked up!

Intrigued by these body marks I took the time to speak to a gentleman the other day who was literally covered by them at the grocery store. His name was Leonard Lopez. I asked him what all of these marks meant. He said and I quote "my life has been a journey and with each of my tats comes a tale that should be told." As he hopped on his Harley and drove off I said to myself, "Wow! What a concept!!!" Every tat comes with a tale. You see, as born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we too are tattooed. But our marks are not on our flesh they are a part of our faith. The Lord has never asked anyone to get a tat on our bodies, but He did command that we believe on Him and His Word. The shouting news for those who love the Lord is that our marks were borne by another on a hill call Calvary! He took nails through His hands and His feet so that He would bear the marks of His love for us. But, we are asked to tell the world the tale of His tats so that others want one of our tattoos!

Here's how the Apostle Paul put it. "From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus" (Gal. 6:17). ---In other words, Paul says the only marks that I have on me are the marks I have permitted within me. Because He was bruised for me I must let the world know just how much of a difference Jesus Christ has made in my life! So here's our devotional question for the day. So what does it mean marked by the Master?

First, it means that you bear the tattoo of His authenticity. We are surrounded by things that are fake. Fake people, fake purses, fake jewelry, fake fruit on display on the table that always look so real but is good for nothing, fake love, fake church folk, fake family folk, and fake friends. But, what the Lord is looking for is some people that are real! Real in their love for Him, real in their commitment to Him, real in their prayers to Him, real in their worship of Him and real in the living for Him. Paul says "henceforth let no man trouble me for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." This is rich! The term marks is stigmatah in the Greek. It refers to the intentional mark received by a slave. It was Paul's way of saying I belong to my master and there is nothing phony about it. In short, Paul says I love Jesus Christ and I can prove it because my lifestyle has been tattooed. What tale does your lifestyle tell? Do people know that you love Jesus Christ just by looking at how you live? If you earnestly love the Lord your lifestyle should say that I am marked for Him because I am real with it!!!

Secondly, it means that you have at least one mark of affliction. One of the true marks of a Christian is not how loudly you can shout, it is not how many Sunday School classes you've attended, and it is not how many tongues you can speak. The true mark of a saint is seen in how you endure moments of suffering, hurt, dismay and affliction. People who are living without the Lord cannot make it through. They give up and give out. But, those who have been marked by the master end up with a few scars and a greater testimony! Real saints come out of tough times with a tat and tale! They have a story that says, "When I was too weak to continue the Lord picked me up and carried me through!" Paul says "...I bear in my body the marks...” In other words he is saying I have been beaten, lied on, talked about, mistreated, ship wrecked, bitten by a deadly snake, left for dead, and tormented. But after all of that, I am still here. That's your story too isn't it? You have your tale because you have some tats. Some of you reading this devotional have been scarred! Those are your real tats and with each one of them comes a tale. Those scars are your tats of affliction!

And, lastly it means that you are tattooed with a mark of sincere adoration. I have talked to numerous people that have tattoos and I have discovered that everyone of them look at their marks as something that they value, something that they love and something that they adore. In short, these bodily marks are symbols of worship. Paul says that his marks are "...are of the Lord." In other words my marks are for HIM! I am living for HIM! I forgave the people that tried to damage me because I love HIM! I pray because I believe in HIM! I depend on Him! My life is in HIM! I serve HIM! I adore HIM! I need HIM! And, I bless HIM! Now this is a real tattoo. Did you know that the greatest thing that you could ever do for HIM is be marked as a worshipper? You see, real worship is not what you do with your lips, but it is what you do with your life. It is about the God that you have chosen to serve. And, when you are living for Jesus, loving Jesus, telling others about Jesus, serving Jesus, and trying to become more like Jesus you bear the greatest tat and have the most awesome tale to tell in the world! Here's the story we live for...He came, He cared, He hung, He died, He was buried, He was resurrected, He is in heaven and He shall return.

Lopez rode off on his Harley with a huge tattoo of a cross on His back. As I looked at him I thought about how painful that tat must have been. Then I thought about the fact that Jesus did not ask us to wear a cross but He did ask us to bear a cross! If you do not have a tattoo in your flesh don't get one. Live the faith! But, if you have a tattoo on your body already tell people that you got this mark when you were being what you used to be. And, then tell them about your new tats! Not the ones that are in your flesh but the ones that are in your faith. Tell them your tales of how the Lord has favored you, marked you, healed you, saved you, delivered you, cared for you and blessed you all the days of your life! Tell your story and let others know that when it comes to Jesus Christ you are one hundred percent REAL with and you have the tats to prove it!!!

Your Friend and His Servant,

Dr. John R. Adolph

Thanks For Trying To Hurt Me!

My Dear Friends in the Faith:

It was a warm summer day with a gentle breeze blowing just enough to dry the sweat on your brow. I had a long day set but I had promised a very dear friend of mine that I would do a house blessing for them. I pulled into the driveway of freshly poured concrete. I knocked on the door and with an attitude of exuberant joy she opened it and screamed "Pastor, this is my new house!!!" Her family was seated all over the place just chilling like they were sitting in the Hilton Edgewater Hotel on the Big Island of Hawaii.

The young lady showed me around her home and it was nice! Granite counter tops, crown moldings, Jacuzzi tub, leather furniture, flat screen televisions, island in the kitchen, two and a half baths, two car garage, and a beautiful back yard. It was NICE! We moved graciously through the house to the family room for the prayer when I noticed a photo on the coffee table of a handsome gentleman. I asked her was that her fiancée and she replied with a holy happiness in her voice, "No, that's my ex. I kept a nice picture of him because he was the one that did the most damage. He really tried to hurt me."

Have you ever had someone in your life do their best to destroy you? Have you ever been lied on, talked about or mistreated? Have you ever had a jealous co-worker work towards a demotion for you instead of a promotion that you really deserved? Have you ever encountered the hurt of having someone in your family do their best to hurt your image or cause chaos in your life? If you have answered yes to any of these questions this devotional is really for you! You know the hurt of having someone try to hurt you and so does Joseph. He had people try to destroy him (family unfortunately) but it turned out great. Here's what the Bible says, "And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them" (Gen. 50:19-21).

So here's our devotional question for today, why should we be thankful for the people who have tried to hurt us and cause damage in our lives?

First of all, when others try to hurt you it’s when you really discover that God is there to help you. Listen there are some wonderful people in this world who will bless you, love you exhort you and help you. But, there are some mean, evil, crazy, possessed people who will try everything that is within their power to damage you. By now you have encountered some of both of them. But, always remember this when you think about hurtful people in your life, God allowed you to meet them so that when they hurt you He could heal you! Joseph's family did him wrong. He ends up in a pit in Egypt where he has no one to depend on but the Lord. And it is then that he gets, gains and retains his greatest discovery. You can't trust people but you can trust God! When others have tried to hurt you Jesus will be there to help you every single time!

Secondly, when others bruise you, is when you can discover just how much God can really use you. Remember this, "the Lord works in some mysterious ways." Never ever move your enemies out of your life. They are the root of the tree that bears the fruit of your blessings. They are the bank that has to hold your benefits. They are the waiters at the table that God will prepare just for you to receive His provisions from. In short, never move evil people out of your life! They are there for a purpose. Believe this or not, it was God's intent to bless Joseph the entire time. In fact, if you recall the story, God gave him a vision when he was a boy of him being great and his family paying homage to him. It was a portrait of his destiny that would be blessed by God. However, what God did not show him was the journey he would have to take to get there. It would be filled with hurt, deceit, evil plots to destroy him, prison cells and dungeons. But, this is where His real blessing was! Joseph was bruised but he was also greatly used. Many of you reading this devotional have been bruised relationally but you have also been blessed spiritually. Hear this, the reason why you have both is because you cannot have one without the other! If you show me your bruises I will also show you your blessings. Yes you have been bruised by people but God has received the glory from your life because you are being used by Him!!!

Lastly, when others have put you down, God has been there to pick you up and promote you. When ever God allows evil people in your life remember this, it spells one thing and one thing only, PROMOTION!!! Joseph seems to live on the corner Let Down Drive and Put Down Place. He is let down by his family. He is put down by Potiphar's wife. He is down in the pit. But, he is now a candidate for a pick up and promotion from the Lord. After he is let down his gift makes room for him and he ends up being promoted to the second greatest man in Egypt. You see, he went from the pit to the palace. And it was all a part of God's plan for his life. Famine strikes the land and those same brothers that sold him, those same brothers that bruised him, and those same brothers that tried to hurt him have to come back to him for help! But Joseph is so blessed that he tells them it is all right! You see, you meant it for my bad! But, God meant it for my good. Retranslation. You put me down, but God lifted me up! You demoted me, but the God of glory promoted me! When hurtful people wound you pick your head up and smile because that's not the end of the story. God knows your address and your promotion is on the way!

As I concluded the prayer for the house blessing my mind went back to this sister's comment about the handsome young man in the photo on the coffee table. In fact, her comment ran pass me like Reggie Bush on the back side of a slow defense. I said the prayer and as people were starting to mingle I pulled this sister to the side for an instant replay. She then explained to me that the brother in the photo hurt her so badly that she had thoughts of suicide. But, when he stopped loving her is when she discovered a love that had been there all along. It was the love of God! And that's when she started to live again. She gave her life to Jesus Christ and received a new love. She went back to school and earned a new degree. She took her new degree and got a new job as an RN. And, after she watched God bless her with a new job she got a new house. She told me with excitement, "You see Pastor if he would not have hurt me I would have never known that God could heal me. So I keep his picture near and when I think of him I say to myself, thanks for trying to hurt me!"

If this works for her it can work for you too! When you see or think of people that have tried their best to hurt you smile and simply say, "thanks for trying to hurt me!"

Your Friend and His Servant,

Dr. John R. Adolph

Winning With A Tough Hand!

My Dear Friends in the Faith:

Back in the day we played simple games that just consumed us. If you were born after 1980 you may be too young to really understand. But, if you are older you surely should understand. For instance, we played games like "Simon Says", "Red Light, Green Light", "Hide and Go Seek" (Remember counting? One Mississippi, two Mississippi...), "Tag" and who could ever forget "Kick Ball and Dodge Ball."

Those were the games we played outside. Now when it was raining we had to play inside. So we played games like "Jacks", "Monopoly", "Checkers", "Chess", "Uno" and my favorite game "Spades!!" Have you ever played the game of Spades before? For the benefit of those of you who haven't let me give you a quick lesson about the game. You see, when you get your hand you can talk trash if you have a hand full of spades. For instance, if you have the High Joker, the Low Joker, the King of spades, the Queen of spades, etc. this means that you have a winning hand. There is no way you can lose because the winning cards are in your hand. But, then there are times when you would get a hand that would be so sorry you could not win with it at all. The dealer would hit you with the two of clubs, the three of diamonds, and the jack of hearts. A hand like this is what you would call a tough hand. The problem is that even with a tough hand you had to keep on playing.

May I ask you a quick devotional question as we spend this moment together? Has life ever dealt you a tough hand? It's tough when you are laid off and the bills keep coming. It's tough when it is your loved one in the casket and it hurts. It's tough when you get married and discover that you can't have children and you have planned for them all of your life. It's tough when you work hard every day and still end up broke with nothing to show for it. It's tough when it's your child that going astray and you've given them your very best. It's tough when your body is sick and the doctors are trying but can't really help you. It's tough when it is your family on the verge of collapse and there seems to be nothing that you can do to save it. Life is like a hand of spades and sometimes you can get a tough hand.

The joy of this lesson however, is this. If you are believer in the Lord Jesus Christ you can win with a tough hand! James the half brother of Jesus teaches us how to do it. Listen to what he says, "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:3-4).

Please hear this friends, God never promised us that every hand would be easy. But, James is showing us how to come out victorious in the face of adversity. Here is how we do it!

First of all consider what you know. When you get a tough hand remember this, it's not what you do not know about God that will keep you, it is what you know about God that counts! James says "knowing this..." It is the word gnosko in the Greek which means to know by way of experience. By now you should KNOW some things about the Lord by way of past experience! You KNOW that God....woke you up today...kept you while you slept...blessed you all day yesterday...healed you when you were sick...saved you when you were lost...fed when you were hungry...kept your lights on when your money was short...brought you out the last valley you were in...carried you through the last trial you suffered...gave you strength when you were weak and died for you when you were in sin! You should know that God is...too strong to be weak...faithful not to forgive you...too responsible to drop you...too big to be small...too good to be bad...too sweet to be sour...to kind to be mean...too loving not to care...too gracious not to provide and too perfect to make a mistake. When you get a tough hand remember what you know!!!

Secondly, what you are going through at the time is only a test. Okay this may not make you happy but it will keep you holy. Get this and hold on to it. You will never ever have the blessings of the Lord without the testing of the Lord. Where ever you find one the other one will always follow. James says it like this "...the trying of your faith..." The term used for trying is a reference to something being cooked in an oven. In other words, God will allow your life to see the furnace of affliction sometimes. But, do not worry He is the silver smith. And He has one goal in mind. He wants to keep you in the fire until He can see a reflection of Himself in you! This will make you shout ouch and amen. Yes, it hurts but here's the truth about it, it helps! The great news about the testing time of God is that it never last forever. And the shouting news about the test itself is that it is an open book exam! So while you are taking the test read the book so that you will be sure not to fail!!!

And, lastly we are to remember what the test produces. May I ask you some personal questions? Has life ever made you cry? Have you ever had your feelings crushed? Ever thought about just quitting and walking away from everything and everybody? When you get to this point in life with Jesus Christ the reason why you stayed and stuck it out was because God grew you to a point of becoming spiritually tough. James says, "...that the trying of your faith worketh patience but let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and entire wanting nothing." The term patience used here does not mean to wait. But, it means to be tough. It means that you are not blown away by everything that has happened to you in your life but that you have learned how to hang in there and stick it out. It's funny to me because saints often want to be strong and tough. But, the only way to become tough is to have to play some tough hands! Remember this, tough hands produce tough saints.

Yes, life can deal you some tough hands, but never forget this. Spades is a game of partners. Yes! You never play alone. And when you get a tough hand, if your partner has a good hand you can play and still win! You see, it's all about what your partner has in His hand. If you have a good partner in the game of spades you can never ever lose! I am happy to announce that when you play the game of life you never play alone. You have a partner and He has an awesome hand! You may have hurt in your hand, but your partner has healing in His hand! You may have needs in your hand, but your partner has provisions in His hand! And, you may have testing in your hand, but your partner has blessing in His! When a saint plays the game they only play with Jesus Christ as their partner and with the Lord on your side you cannot lose!!! Yes, your hand may be tough, but play your hand because the Lord is on your side and victory is yours!

Your Friend and His Servant,

Dr. John R. Adolph, Pastor

It Makes Me Want To Holla!

My Dear Friends in the Faith:

If water boils at 100 degrees Celsius this middle aged man was on the front eye of the stove and was about to boil over because he had already been running hot. Here he is in his early 50's and at first glance he has it all together. But, behind the mask of his upper middle class persona and facade he was as dangerous as a land mine in Iraq.

He comes into my office after taking the time to schedule an appointment and before I can close the door good he belts out a manly holla that was enough to raise the deceased. I know most men don't yell unless it's a game on the tube and their team is winning. But, this brother had to let one go and he did. I sat looking at him like Ms. Celie sat looking at Mister trying to cook breakfast for Shug Avery in the movie the Color Purple. In short, I did not say a word I just watched. And when he finally calmed down he said, "Rev. I'm sorry but I had to holla!"

Has it ever happened to you before? Has life ever made you want to just holla? Wait before you answer let me tell you what made this grown man holla. He had been married for 14 years and his wife decides that she's not happy; he's been working two jobs but it's just not enough; they both have children from previous relationships and her son does not want to follow the rules of the house but his son is expected to; money comes into the house but as soon as it comes in it goes out; and, folk on his job are really giving him the blues so his job had been stressful. On top of all of this, he is the one in the family that carries the load. If it is broken, he is supposed to fix it, if it is down he is supposed to lift it and if it is due he is supposed to pay it. When all was finished he lost it and had to holla just to let off some steam before he blew a gasket.

Okay, now back to the question. Has it ever happened to you? Have you ever had to bear the load for the whole family and life made you scream? Marvin Gaye, that soulful song bird from the 70's said it best. He said "it's me want to holla and throw up both of my hands!" I hope that there are those of you who are reading this devotional that are stressed to the max, tired and frustrated at what is happening in your life and on the verge of just losing it. If that is you today, then consider this message to be a Word from God for you that has been sent to comfort, encourage, and bless you in your time of need.

When life makes you want to holla there is a Hebrew hymn found in the book of Psalms that will lighten a heavy load, strengthen you when you are weak and guide you when you are lost. Here's what the Psalm says, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth" (Psalms 121:1-2, KJV). Now this is healing and helpful. The Psalmist makes it clear that in the midst of current circumstances whatever they may be God is there and He alone is the one who is going to take care of you. So here's the devotional question for you to ponder as we share this moment today, what should you know about what you are dealing with and going through that can keep you when you really want to holla?

First of all, know that your present problem is not a permanent predicament. For some of you reading this devotional it has been smooth sailing. To you I say give God the glory while you are in the sunshine. But, for others it has been crazy to say the least. For those of you that have found moments of difficulty to endure, remember this no storm stays! They are always passing through. The best news of the day is this, where you are now is not where you will end up! Your current location is not your final destination. The Psalmist is looking upwards at hills and mountains. Antithetical Wisdom tells me that if he is in a position to have to look up then he is down. In short, he is in the valley at a low point. But, that's where he is now and it is not where he is going to end up! How do we know this? Because he says, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills....." Did you get it? Here's what he is saying I may be low right now but my aim is high and I am on my way to the hill country. Yes you may be in a valley now but when you have God on your side you can say that I'm my way to the mountain top!

Secondly, know that your hills are big but your God is much bigger. When ever life makes you want to holla it is because we have a big problem with a small God. But, when life makes you rejoice it is because you have a big problem with an even bigger God! The text says "from whence cometh my help." A phrase like this is called a metonymy. It suggests a query and not a statement. It should be better translated like this "does my help come from the mountain?" The obvious answer is no. But here's the shouting news for those who have really big mountains in your life. Your God is bigger than your mountain is. Just like you can hold a pebble in your hand God can hold you and your mountains in His! Check this out, NASA scientists contend that there are an estimated 140 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy alone. For us it is still too innumerable to measure. Yet your God is big enough to give each of them a name! Now if He knows the name of a star in the galaxy you know for certain that He knows the names of His children that He died to save! Yes, we have big mountains, but relax you have an even bigger God and He is in control!

And lastly, know that the force of your life is the source of your living. Can we just be really honest for a second? Where did your help come from the last time you had an issue that you could not fix or a problem that you could not solve? Who helped you the last time no one else was there to assist you? Here's your answer in total honesty...The Lord. The hymn says "my help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and the earth." The term "help" should really be translated strength. The idea is that it is not your strength that keeps you but it is God's power that holds you together. Now here's a good devotional question to conclude with. How much strength does God have? He has enough of it to make heaven and earth. The word "made" here is awsar. It means to put something together. In short, God hooked up an earth, gave it a home in a galaxy, and made the galaxy give Him glory. This same God is the source of your life. He put air in your lungs, seeing in your eyes and life in your body. And, believe it or not, He is not just hooking up an earth and holding a galaxy, but He is hooking you up and taking care of you as read this devotional! He is your source and He has everything that you will ever need!!!

Yes, sometimes life can make you want to holla. But, there are times that the goodness of God can make you want to holla too! Have you ever just paused to consider just how good God has been to you? Have you taken the time to think about all of the things that He has done for you? Have you ever looked back at your life and realized that it was the Lord keeping you all of the time? When you pause long enough the grace of God, the kindness of His blessings and the benefit of His goodness is enough to make you want to holla! Be honest, you want to holla right now don't you? Me too! God has been kind and He is going to take care of you because He alone is your help!

Your Friend and His Servant,

Dr. John R. Adolph, Pastor