Dear Friends in the Faith:
Back in the day life things were different. We ate fish every Friday, the ice cream man came by at least once every evening, and the games we played involved everyone. No we did not have a Wii or a play station. But, we played non-the-less. Do you know what I mean? We played "Red Light, Green Light", "Simon Says", "Jacks", "Marbles", "Street Baseball", "Freeze", "Tag", "Hide and Seek (ready or not here I come), "Street Basketball (with a piece of ply wood nailed to a tree with a bicycle rim for a hoop)", Street Football (touch in the street and tackle in the grass), "Dodge Ball", and "Kick Ball".
Now I loved playing Kick Ball the most because every now and then you would miss your kick. And when you would miss your kick or mess everything up you could ask for a do-over! Yeah, you could get another chance to get it right. I mention this as we share this devotional moment together because as we start the year of 2010 some of us need a do-over. If you were broke last year and you are starting off this year broke, you need a do over. If you were involved in a bad relationship last year and you stayed just because you did not want to be by yourself, you need a do over. If you are losing ground spiritually and you have lost your spiritual fire and some of your old habits that you thought were dead are starting to come back on you like a yo-yo on a short string, you need a do-over. And, if you are ready for this year to be better than last year was, then what you need is a do-over!
If you need a do-over, do not be embarrassed. You are actually in great company. The Bible is loaded with people that needed a do-over. Adam needed a do-over when he ate the forbidden fruit; Eve needed a do-over when the serpent got her to disobey God; Abram needed a do-over when he lied about Sarai to Pharoh; Noah needed a do-over when he got drunk after the flood; David needed a do-over he had sex with Basheba; and Solomon needed a do-over when he realized that no matter how many women he had none of them could love him like God could. Here's a good question for you. Do you need a do-over? Here's a good do-over verse for you to consider. Psalms 116:12-13 says, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all of His benefits towards me? I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord." So how can you get God to let you have a do-over?
You get a do-over by acknowledging that you need one. Being lied to can really hurt your feelings. But, it is even worse when you're the giver and the receiver of the fallacy. May I ask, have you ever lied to yourself? There should come a moment in your life when the truth makes you realize that you owe God because He has given you more do-overs that you could ever have imagined, And total honesty (if you don't lie to yourself) says you need another one right now! The passage says "What shall I render unto the Lord for all of His benefits towards me..." The question is a probing interrogative that suggest that there is a debt owed and the only way to pay it is to be honest enough to admit that you need owe a favor to the source that you got your last favor from. Do you need more favor from God this year than you got last year? Then hear this, admit to God that you need a do-over!
You get a go-over by accepting what God has to offer. The Lord offers salvation to those who believe on Him. Contrary to popular opinions about God, He has much more to offer than money, material possessions, and mansions that look like the homes on MTV Cribs! He offers healing for the sick, hope for the hurting, strength for the weak, light for those that are trapped in darkness, and salvation for those need deliverance. If we were to be completely honest, all of us have at least one habit that we need to get rid of. And we get rid of it, by taking the cup. The passage calls it the "...cup of salvation..." It is the sweetest cup in the world! In this cup is an empty cross, a vacant tomb, the blood of the Lamb, and a power that takes what you used to be to redemptively create what God has called you to be. If you need a do-over you have to accept the cup!
And lastly, you get a do-over by admonishing the Lord in public. There are those of us that treat God like an ugly blind date that's loaded with money. He's okay to pay bills and help us out in private, but He is not really worth being seen with in public. Here's a good question for you. If you were in a room full of unbelievers would they know that Jesus is the love of your life? The passage says that we are to "...call upon the name of the Lord." This phrase is a premeditated praise offered to God where others can see you and know that you are blessing Him. In short, when you need a do-over you have to praise God in public like you want Him to bless you in private. I dare you to do it right where you are right now! Do it with your heart on Him, your hands lifted to Him, and your spirit lifted towards Him! Your do-over depends on it!
There are two types of people reading this message right now. Those that have had a do-over and those that needs one. Now if you have had one you should help me spread the word. We serve a God that allows do-overs! And if you need a do-over I have even better news for you. God is still letting people start over! And this includes you and the year that lies before you right now! Your do-over is up to you!!!
Your Friend and His Servant,
Dr. John R. Adolph
Back in the day life things were different. We ate fish every Friday, the ice cream man came by at least once every evening, and the games we played involved everyone. No we did not have a Wii or a play station. But, we played non-the-less. Do you know what I mean? We played "Red Light, Green Light", "Simon Says", "Jacks", "Marbles", "Street Baseball", "Freeze", "Tag", "Hide and Seek (ready or not here I come), "Street Basketball (with a piece of ply wood nailed to a tree with a bicycle rim for a hoop)", Street Football (touch in the street and tackle in the grass), "Dodge Ball", and "Kick Ball".
Now I loved playing Kick Ball the most because every now and then you would miss your kick. And when you would miss your kick or mess everything up you could ask for a do-over! Yeah, you could get another chance to get it right. I mention this as we share this devotional moment together because as we start the year of 2010 some of us need a do-over. If you were broke last year and you are starting off this year broke, you need a do over. If you were involved in a bad relationship last year and you stayed just because you did not want to be by yourself, you need a do over. If you are losing ground spiritually and you have lost your spiritual fire and some of your old habits that you thought were dead are starting to come back on you like a yo-yo on a short string, you need a do-over. And, if you are ready for this year to be better than last year was, then what you need is a do-over!
If you need a do-over, do not be embarrassed. You are actually in great company. The Bible is loaded with people that needed a do-over. Adam needed a do-over when he ate the forbidden fruit; Eve needed a do-over when the serpent got her to disobey God; Abram needed a do-over when he lied about Sarai to Pharoh; Noah needed a do-over when he got drunk after the flood; David needed a do-over he had sex with Basheba; and Solomon needed a do-over when he realized that no matter how many women he had none of them could love him like God could. Here's a good question for you. Do you need a do-over? Here's a good do-over verse for you to consider. Psalms 116:12-13 says, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all of His benefits towards me? I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord." So how can you get God to let you have a do-over?
You get a do-over by acknowledging that you need one. Being lied to can really hurt your feelings. But, it is even worse when you're the giver and the receiver of the fallacy. May I ask, have you ever lied to yourself? There should come a moment in your life when the truth makes you realize that you owe God because He has given you more do-overs that you could ever have imagined, And total honesty (if you don't lie to yourself) says you need another one right now! The passage says "What shall I render unto the Lord for all of His benefits towards me..." The question is a probing interrogative that suggest that there is a debt owed and the only way to pay it is to be honest enough to admit that you need owe a favor to the source that you got your last favor from. Do you need more favor from God this year than you got last year? Then hear this, admit to God that you need a do-over!
You get a go-over by accepting what God has to offer. The Lord offers salvation to those who believe on Him. Contrary to popular opinions about God, He has much more to offer than money, material possessions, and mansions that look like the homes on MTV Cribs! He offers healing for the sick, hope for the hurting, strength for the weak, light for those that are trapped in darkness, and salvation for those need deliverance. If we were to be completely honest, all of us have at least one habit that we need to get rid of. And we get rid of it, by taking the cup. The passage calls it the "...cup of salvation..." It is the sweetest cup in the world! In this cup is an empty cross, a vacant tomb, the blood of the Lamb, and a power that takes what you used to be to redemptively create what God has called you to be. If you need a do-over you have to accept the cup!
And lastly, you get a do-over by admonishing the Lord in public. There are those of us that treat God like an ugly blind date that's loaded with money. He's okay to pay bills and help us out in private, but He is not really worth being seen with in public. Here's a good question for you. If you were in a room full of unbelievers would they know that Jesus is the love of your life? The passage says that we are to "...call upon the name of the Lord." This phrase is a premeditated praise offered to God where others can see you and know that you are blessing Him. In short, when you need a do-over you have to praise God in public like you want Him to bless you in private. I dare you to do it right where you are right now! Do it with your heart on Him, your hands lifted to Him, and your spirit lifted towards Him! Your do-over depends on it!
There are two types of people reading this message right now. Those that have had a do-over and those that needs one. Now if you have had one you should help me spread the word. We serve a God that allows do-overs! And if you need a do-over I have even better news for you. God is still letting people start over! And this includes you and the year that lies before you right now! Your do-over is up to you!!!
Your Friend and His Servant,
Dr. John R. Adolph
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