YOUR SEASON IS CHANGING!!!

My Dear Friends in the Faith:

I was born April 9, 1966 at about 4:28am. Yep, I woke my mother up early in the morning making my entrance into this place that we now live in. I'm now 43 years old and the older I get, the more life that I see and the more issues that I have to deal with I find myself saying some of the same things that I heard my parents say years ago. I find myself saying things like "stop running in my house", "put some shoes on your feet because I do not have time for you to catch a cold", "you're going to do it because I said so and that's whether you feel like it or not", "get off of the arm of that sofa right now", "yes you can go but you better be in before the street lights come on", and of course there is this one that says, "get a jacket before you leave because it is October and the weather changes with the drop of a dime."

I'm now 43 years old. And I can remember being raised with two books on the coffee table at all times. There was an almanac and a Bible. You see, the almanac was the little book that told you when to plant, when to fish, when the full moon would occur, when to expect rainy times and when to reap. And, the Bible was the infallible Word of God. For the life of me, I did not understand what those two books had in common. But, after having times of tears, moments of madness, and times of testing and blessing I now understand it. You see, they both have to do with seasons! The almanac gave you agricultural seasons, but the Bible gave you spiritual seasons. The shouting news of the day is that no season comes to stay. Seasons always change!!!

Now for those of you reading this devotional this week and all is well in your life, your bills are paid, your health is fine, your kids are blessed, your job is stable, your mind is clear, your journey is great and you can see that it is your season of bliss and bounty you owe the Lord a shout of thanksgiving! Get one in right now while you are in this season because seasons change. But, for everyone else sharing this time with me who have had one hell of a year, who have had to cry more in 09 than you have had to cry in your whole life, to those that have had to bury loved ones, to those that have been laid off, hurt, wounded, and have had to really struggle the Word of the Lord for you right now is this, "Your Season Is Changing!!!!!"

How would you act if God sent you a message of hope to tell you that He knows that you have been in a drought, but the rain is on the way? What would you do if God sent you an email that said that He has seen your tears and you are about to enter a season of joy like none that you have ever known? This is the purpose of this missive! Consider this a message from the Lord that has found your heart to tell you what Paul told the churches in Galatia when He said, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:7-9, KJV). So what are the Biblical indicators that your season is changing?

First, you know that your season is changing when you are starting to see the ruins of your leftover crop. Okay, this section is not for the real holy people that can not admit it. But, all believers have some left over crop. It's the stuff that you planted before you met Jesus that still shows up in your life every now and then. It's where some of your old habits that you just knew that you gotten rid of years ago start rising in your life again. It happens to all of us from time to time. Paul puts it like this, don't think that God has walked away from His divine principle of sowing and reaping. He is not mocked. And some of the crop that you are seeing is the remains of a crop that you planted before you got saved. But, why does God allow your left over harvest to rise again? He permits it because He knows that your old crop and your new crop cannot grow at the same time! So He gives you some time to get the old one completely out of the way because what is about to come is greater than what has been!!! Are you shouting yet? Get this, your tomorrow looks much better that your yesterday did!

Secondly, you know that your season is about to change when your soul grows weary. Has it ever happened to you before? Have you ever reached a point in your life where you just wanted to throw up both hands and just say "I quit!" If you are here right now, please find the words of this devotional as your divine permission to shout right now! You're being tired and wanting to quit is a sign from God that your season is about to change! Here's what the text says, "...and be not weary in well doing..." The term weary is “ek-kak-eo” in the Greek and it is in the subjunctive mood. It means to be tired to the point of exhaustion but still have just enough in the tank for one more battle. But, please get this, there is a reason why God lets you wear down before He lets your harvest come and your season change. He permits it so that you will know that your season changed because of Him and not because of you! He does not want you to brag about your harvest and your season so He lets you get too weak to continue so that you will have to boast about Him and Him alone!

And lastly, you know that your season is about to change when you are prepared to give God a shout for the season that is yet to come. Seasons must change and here's why. The earth spins on her axis at an angel of 23.5 degrees. As she orbits the sun there are times when she receives more sun light and thus the results are spring and summer. And, there are times when she receives less light and thus we have fall and winter. Did you get it? You see, the more of the "SON" we get the more our seasons change!!!! Here's the greatest news of the day. God says, "..we shall reap..." There's the presence of a definite article here. This means that it can't NOT happen. If you have sown, you shall reap! God has a habit of taking His people from leaves to loaves, from nothing to something and from poverty to plenty! If you have been faithfully sowing you should stop right here and give the Lord a huge thank you for your season because it is about to change!

At 43 years old I sound like the folks that raised me. I find myself waking in the morning and saying "thank you Jesus for another day!" I find myself saying "He's brought me from a mighty long way!" I find myself saying "God will make a way somehow!" And, I find myself saying "Yes, weeping may endure for a little while, but if you hold on...if you don't give out...if you don't give up...your season is going to change and joy will come in the morning!" Celebrate the changing of your season and know that God has ordained it to be so!!!

Your Friend and His Servant,

Dr. John R. Adolph

DON'T LET IT GET THE BEST OF YOU!!!

My Dear Friends in the Faith:

I have never seen it on this order before. Christians that outwardly look great and fine, but inwardly struggling with issues of depression. George Barna, one of the greatest church researchers in the world remarks that more Christians privately admit to personal bouts with depression than do our secular counterparts. We worry more and trust less, we panic easier when things go wrong and pray less, and we make an attempt to fix things ourselves instead of turning them over to God and letting Him work it out. We divorce quicker, we give up easier, we fall faster and we boast about a God that is able and awesome. The end result is a person who believes in Jesus Christ, goes to church on a regular basis, and is depressed.

The crux, core and centre of this devotional are really just to make one statement clear the devil is a liar! No matter what happens to you as a believer in Jesus Christ never let life get the best of you!!! Life happens, but If you are wounded you have access to the greatest healer in the world, if you are tired, our God has declared that you can rest in Him, if you are in darkness He is the light, if you are financially strapped He is still Jehovah Jireh and He will provide, if you are sick He is still the great physician and if you are under attack He is still the God of war who fights everyone of your battles for you! Hear this again, don't let it get the best of you!

One day Jesus had a conversation with one of His favorite disciples by the name of Peter. He knew that what was ahead of him was not easy and He did not want him to fall into depression, give up, and throw in the towel. So Jesus says to him, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (St. Luke 22:21-32, KJV).

In other words, Peter when it happens, when trouble comes (and it will), when you have issues (and you shall), when you have things that fall apart on you, hold your head up, roll your shoulders back, remember this pep talk and don't let it get the best of you!!! But, what does Jesus give Peter that works for us that will help us never to fall into a mode of depression?

First of all He gave him a portrait of the persecutors plans. It's hard to get hit by a bus if you know that it is coming your way. Jesus says, "Simon, Simon, satan desires to have you that he may sift you as wheat..." This is so deep here. Notice Jesus says that satan desires to have you. The word desire is “exiteo”. It means that he wants to get his hands around your neck. The "you" is plural so it translates like this, "the devil wants to choke the life out of all of you all." Jesus gives Peter the devils agenda. He wants to sift him as wheat. In short, the devil wants his life in pieces. Can I ask, have you ever found yourself falling to pieces? If you said yes know that it is the work of the enemy, but I have some shouting news for you. There is a house of healing and restoration whose admission fee is life's broken pieces. Yes, get to the Potters house as fast as you can! Our God takes broken pieces and makes for Himself a masterpiece. Remember this, when life seems to be getting the best of you, God is better at handling your brokenness than you are! Give it to HIM!!!

Secondly, He gave him the prayers of the great high priest. Please hear this, you don't want everyone praying for you. Why? Some people get a joy out of seeing you down and out, broken and hurt, wounded and distraught. But, the great news of the day is this, Jesus wants to see you blessed and not cursed, healed and not sick, above and not beneath! Jesus tells Peter that satan wants to sift him, but here's the shouting news of the text. He says, "...but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not..." Notice that Jesus does not pray for him never to have trouble, heartache or failure. He does not pray that the devil leave him alone or that everything work out fine for him. Jesus prays that his faith does not fail. In other words, God's prayer for you is this, when the dust settles and the rain stops, and the flood gates close, and the storm ceases I want to see you with your Bible in your hand and smile on face looking towards heaven saying, "any way you bless me Lord I will be satisfied!!!" Remember this, when life seems to be getting the best of you, God's prayer for you is this, keep on fighting in the faith and never give up!

And lastly, He gave him the purpose for his pain. People who struggle with depression often ask God why so much pain. Have you ever asked the Lord why before? Here's the answer. So that after you are back up on your feet again you can strengthen others who have been knocked down. Jesus put it like this to Peter, "strengthen the brethren." Strengthen is the term “steridzo” in the Greek. We borrow our term steroid from it. It means to make strong from the inside out. Wow! Are you shouting yet? If you have ever had to cry you should be! The Lord tells Peter the reason I let you go through tough times is because when you get up you are stronger than you were before you went down. And I need your strength! I need you to help people that are down and out, wounded and hurt, tossed and confused. In other words, you can't help them until I have helped you. You can't help me find water unless you've been to the fountain yourself. And, you can't help others until God has helped you! Remember this when life seems to be getting the best of you, God let you get knocked down so that when you get up you'd be strong enough to help someone else!

I have noticed something about being near people that are depressed. Many of them chose to be that way. So it just stands to reason that if you could chose to be depressed you could chose not to be! Make your decision today. Say this to yourself as we conclude this moment together, "I chose not to worry! God is going to take care of me!" "I chose not to quit, my tomorrow is much brighter than my yesterday was!" "I chose not to stay down, God gave me the ability to get up and keep moving forward in the faith!" "I chose not to be depressed; God has given me His joy just to put a smile on my face!" And, "I refuse to let this get the best of me, so instead of complaining I will remain prayerful, thankful, peaceful, joyful, powerful and faithful in everything that I do!"

Your Friend and His Servant,

Dr. John R. Adolph

STUCK IN REVERSE!!!

My Dear Friends in the Faith:

When I was a teenager in high school you just had to have certain things to be with the "in" crowd. If you were a girl you had to have some Chic jeans, a Polo shirt by Ralph Lauren, and some cute shoes. If you were a guy you had to have a Jheri Curl, some leather Nike's low top, and something to drive (Wow, am I telling my age here?) My parents provided their kids with the necessities, but if what they provided was not good enough for you, then you had to get a job and get them for yourself. Okay, as relates to the "in" crowd I had the Jheri Curl (Hahahahaha), I had the leather Nike low top sneakers, but I needed something to drive. So I worked at Burger King, cut yards, saved my money and bought a 1977 Chevy Luv pickup truck. Who cares that it was outdated, rusty, needed a paint job, and had a bad carburetor? It was mine!

Now my Chevy was a four in the floor. And, I drove all over our neighborhood, styling and profiling with no license and one cracked speaker in the back with only AM radio playing for me to boom with. I could handle the clutch with ease. But, I had this real problem with first gear. You see, first gear was right next to reverse. And often times when I thought that I was in first, I would actually be in reverse headed the wrong direction. Now this is not a devotional on my first little rusty truck, but I do see something here worth sharing. You see, forgiveness is an issue like that for many of us. Just when you think that you are going to put your life into first gear and drive on off and do well you get first and reverse mixed up and you end up going backwards instead of forwards. Have you ever been there before?

You know that you are stuck in reverse when you say, "yes I have forgiven them but just keep them out of my face because I just might snap." You know that you are stuck in reverse when you have been hurt by people and your response was to cut them out of your lives and say "since you've hurt me it's over for you and the horse you rode into town on." And, you know that you are stuck in reverse when you punish other people that have done you no harm at all for things that others have done that your new counterparts had nothing to do with. Forgiveness is a real struggle for many Christians and with it many of us end up stuck in reverse! This devotional is for people who can honestly say "it's hard for me to let it go." This devotional is for the person who has been abused, neglected, hurt, lied on, talked about, and cheated on. God never promised us that people would not hurt us. But, forgiveness is that tool that helps us move on with our lives and move from reverse to first without being stuck in reverse!

Jesus Christ is on the cross in Luke 22:34 and He makes a plea to His Father that heals, mends, and restores Him from the possible hatred that He could have had for those who beat Him ruthlessly. He says, "...Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

You see, Jesus knew that if He did not move on past the people beneath Him on the cross, He would never satisfy His Father that was above Him on the cross. So how do you move from reverse to first and move on with your life after people have hurt you?

Remember that you cannot move forward in reverse no matter how hard you try. There were times that I just knew that I was moving forward because I felt like I was in the right gear. But, as soon as I released the clutch I would spurt backwards. You see, being in reverse left me no options when it came to moving forward. The same is true with forgiveness. It does not come with any options. The liberating principle of forgiveness is this, in the eyes of God it is not a maybe, it is a must! Jesus is on the cross and He knows that if He does not forgive those that have harmed Him, He will do harm to Himself. So He says, "....forgive them..." Remember this, true forgiveness happens when you decide to let the person off the hook that has hurt you only to realize that the person that you have released is YOU!

Realize that first is much better than reverse. I noticed while stuck in reverse one day that there was only one gear designed for moving backwards and four gears given to move forwards. The moral here for us is simple. My old truck was designed to spend more time moving forward than it did going backwards. Here's a good devotional question for you today, "haven't you been in reverse long enough?"

The reason Jesus forgives these horrible people is because He refuses to let them keep Him in the wrong gear! He is in first. He is headed to the next level and a new dimension! He is heaven bound and nothing is going to stop that! Not even hurtful evil people that have tried to destroy Him. The word forgiveness is aphemi. It means to let it go; to release. Take a moment and think of all of the people that have hurt you that you struggle to forgive and make a decision that they are not worth you missing what's ahead of you hurting over what is behind you!

Recognize that you reverse leads nowhere, but first leads to second; second leads to third, and third leads to fourth! I don't care what anyone tells you once you get out of reverse everything else just flows and you go forward faster with the passing of each gear. It is like a promotion! Check Jesus out in the text. He knows that He is up for a promotion. We call it a resurrection. And He does not need anything heavy holding Him down because He is going to come forth and He does not need anybody holding Him back but He is going to get up! So to make sure that He does not go backwards in reverse He tells His Father to let vicious murders off of the hook. Three days later it happened! First gear, resurrection! Second gear, the grave is declared empty! Third gear, the angel declares He has risen as He said that He would! Fourth gear, Jesus declared for Himself, "All power in heaven and in earth hath been given unto me!" If I told you that the reason you don't want to stay in reverse is because God had plans for future and the only way to get there was to move on to first, second, third, and fourth would believe me? It's true and it's real! Forgiveness!!! It is the route to your peaceful tomorrow and the road that leads to your next promotion!

Often times I would get stuck between reverse and first and my gears would make that loud grinding sound. It was horrible. But, my father got tired of me doing it so he took some liquid paper and painted a cross on my gear shift. He said, "Bobby, when you get confused between first and reverse look at the cross and you will always move forward!" That was some sound advice that has blessed me all of my days and it will bless you too! For those who have been stuck in reverse look at the cross because the first gear of your future awaits you!!! It's time to move forward, never to be stuck in reverse again!!!

Your Friend and His Servant,


Dr. John R. Adolph

Who Wants To Be More Than A Millionaire!

My Dear Friends in the Faith:

It happened one day while I was leaving the gym. I noticed a huge huddle of men gathered around the screen peering as if they did not want to blink for fear of missing something. Okay, I am nosey so I had to figure out what they were looking at so I stopped too. When I looked at the screen it was not something that I was familiar with so I asked a young man standing nearby what was all of the fuss about. And he said "It's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?"

Talk about game shows, this is the one for me. On the Price Is Right you can leave with a mobile home if you win. But, who needs that; it's just something else to take care of right? On the Family Feud you can leave with $40,000.00 if you win, but you have to split the money between 5 people on the show and they are your kinfolk. Can you imagine the fiasco that takes place after that show? I submit to you that if you are going to play a game you want to play one that you can walk away from there a millionaire! You want game where you can come broke and leave rich. And, there is only one show in America that allows that to happen and it is "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?"

The shouting news of the day for us however is this, there is a way for you to become MORE than a Millionaire and this is not a game show! God has granted us a plan that will bestow things on you that money cannot buy, that credit cannot charge and checks cannot write. The God of heaven has put in place a way for you to turn tragedy into triumph, midnight into day and losses into gains! God has a plan that will joy to the down trodden, direction to the lost, light to those in darkness and healing for those who are broken. My question for you today is this "Who Wants To Be More Than A Millionaire?"

As Paul opens his letter to church at Ephesus he makes a statement in verse 3 of chapter that will sneak by you if you are not paying attention. He says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3, KJV). What Paul is really declaring in canonical terms when placed in our cultural context is this; you can be MORE than a Millionaire if you know where you stand and what you're doing! So how do you become more than a millionaire?

You must realize that there is power in the person of God worth boasting about. Okay admit it or not, we like bragging on certain things. If our kids do well we brag, if we catch a huge sale we brag and we brag on our team when they win. But, there is nothing in your life that brings more wealth to you than bragging on God! Paul says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ..." The word "blessed" he uses is eulogeho in the Greek and it means to boast. What follows this term is the definitive of who we should be boasting on "...the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ..." Older saints have a cliché that says "it's a sad dog that cannot wag it's on tail." Likewise, I say it's a sorry Christian that cannot brag on their own God! So talk good about your God! Brag about His love, mercy, grace, patience, peace, power and person. Brag about His provisions, His potency, and His persistence. And remember this, the more you brag, the more He blesses!

You must recognize that there is potency in the praise of God when you know that you're already blessed. You're shouting huh? If you're not, you should be. Because you are so blessed right now that there are days when you just start to think about how good He has been to you and tear should fall from your eye. Here's the truth about it, He's been better than good, He's been sweeter than sweet and He's been the blesser of your soul all of your life! You are already blessed!!! Paul says it like this "...who hath blessed us..." Did you get it? Paul says He has done it already. I have a praise assignment for you to do right quick. Stop right now, find a mirror and tell yourself ten things that God has done for you today that money could not buy for you and then say this to yourself, "I'm so blessed!" And for those of you reading this devotional that is really going through a moment of difficulty I want you to say this to yourself, "It could be worse, I am still blessed!" Get this saints, God does not owe us anything else! If He does not do anything for any of us, He has already done enough because He has been just that good! Say this with enough passion to make the devil mad I am blessed!

You must remember that there are provisions that come from God when Christ is your Savior and Lord. This is the shouting news of the day. Remember this, real blessings do not only come from what you have, but they come from who has you! In this stead, you can be blessed without a Cadillac. You can be blessed without a house on a hill and you can be blessed in the midst of sickness and dismay. It is because real blessings are rooted not in what you have possessed, but in who possesses you! Here's how Paul says it, "....with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." Everything thing that you need comes from the Lord of heaven. It's just that simple. Here's some news that should make your heart happy, God is going to take care of you. I hear you asking, "How can I be for certain?" Here's the answer for you. He took care of you yesterday that's while you're still here today! God is on your side!!!

In order to win the game on television you have to answer some questions correctly. And to make sure that your answer is the one you want to stay with the host says "Is that your final answer?" Well, in order to be MORE than a Millionaire I have some questions for you too. Question #1-Who died on the cross for you? Is that your final answer? Question #2-Who filled you with His spirit? Is that your final answer? Question #3-How did you make to this point without losing you mind? Is that your final answer? And, last question (you may need to use your life line on this one) how did you get a testimony like yours? Is that your final answer? If you answered JESUS to all of these you're not just a millionaire...YOU'RE MORE THAN A MILLIONAIRE!!!

Your Friend and His Servant,


Dr. John R. Adolph

My First Husband Was a Fool!!!

My Dear Friends in the Faith:

Wait!!! Don't delete this communiqué' just yet. I know that the title "My First Husband Was a Fool" is provocative to some and offensive to others. But, hear me out. This is not some eblast that bashes men. Neither is it a missive that degrades women. But, it is devotional that is deeply rooted in the liberating power of the cross. The Bible speaks three literary languages. The scriptures speak to us figuratively, literally, and symbolically. Today's devotional embraces all three of them from time to time. That is to say, in order to truly understand it you must first hear the passage, see the analogy, feel the metaphor and then internalize the principle being taught.

Here is what the Bible says in Romans 7:1-4 reads, "Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God" (Romans 7:1-4, KJV).

Now imagine for a moment a very wealthy man whose name is Mr. Law. He is a good man and takes care of his family; however, he makes serious mandates on his wife all of the time to the point where the sister is married, but completely miserable. Imagine he says to her "Hey woman, I want my breakfast! I would like my pancakes cooked by hand because I hate the frozen kind. And, I would like my bacon fried extra crispy and my orange juice slightly chilled. And please remove that pulp because it gets on my nerves. And, fetch me my newspaper! Turn one side of my paper to the business section and the other side to the sports section. And get it right this time, yesterday you had the wrong section facing up. And, have all of this done by at 7am!" Can you feel it yet? Do you want to hit someone? Good!!!! Keep reading!

Now imagine Mr. Law saying to his wife, "Hey, this house is dirty! I would like my house clean when I come home from work. I mean after all who likes a dirty house. Please mop the floor, do the dishes, and get those stains off of the windows because I cannot stand that! And, since I pay all of the bills around here catch those blinds too because they really need dusting. Oh, and by the way please have the children ready for school so that they won't run late. I know we only have eight of them, but get them going on time. I know that it's difficult but you could do better if you got up an hour earlier."

While Mr. Law is a stern husband that never bends or shows compassion to his wife there is another brother in the passage. His name is Dr. Grace. He's been observing this sister in distress and He knows how to treat her. He looks from a distance. And she peeps from a distance. But she is bound by a covenant to Mr. Law. Yes, she wants out but she cannot leave. Mr. Law has his hands and commands on her. All of a sudden tragedy strikes and her husband is murdered. It was a homicide! He was taken to the outskirts of the city and nailed to a tree. It was such a sad day. The headlines of the local newspaper read like this, "Mr. Law is dead!"

But, now this sister that was miserable is now a free woman and one day while dealing with a wounded heart and a heavy load Dr. Grace catches up with her at the mall near the shoe rack. And Grace says to her, "I been watching you, but I'm not a stalker. I know your pain and I am not a physician. I want to love you like you have never been loved. But, you will have to let me do it." They exchange numbers, the courtship is brief and a wedding ensues. This sister that was married to Mr. Law with all of his demands is now the wife of Dr. Grace and things are different now!

Grace is filled with compassion, tender mercies, care, consolation and love. So in the morning instead of her fixing pancakes by hand like she did for her first husband, Grace brings her a breakfast tray and a tear rolls down her cheek. For lunch Grace calls his wife and says "What are you doing?" And, she says, "I am in the kitchen fixing lunch for you." Now imagine Grace telling her that's what you used to do when you were married to Law. I don't want that from you. I want you! So Grace says to her "don't slave over that stove meet me at our favorite spot I'd like to spend some time with you today." She arrives at the restaurant and orders her food (she's never had this kind of treatment before). But, her husband does not order. She says "aren't you hungry?" And, he says, "Yes, but when I am in your presence what was empty soon becomes full. I just want to see you be mine and know that I care about you for real!"

Dr. Grace catches his wife about to do her household chores and says to her "Baby, what are you doing? I don't want you spending your time doing that. You are my bride and my queen. I will get a house keeper to do that. Spend your time with me. That's the stuff that your old husband had you doing. I told you when I married you that it would be a new day and it is! Grace is your man now!" And when Grace comes home for the evening he says, "I don't want to watch TV when I have someone like you to look upon." Imagine Grace walking his new wife to her closet and telling her to try on different outfits while he grabs a camera for a private photo shoot. Now listen to Grace as he tells her "do you think I would want to watch TV when I have you to be near all night long. I have longed to have you. You are my prayer answered. You just what I have always wanted. I just want you to be happy! My love for you is turned on and I cannot turn it off!" Are you shouting yet?????

Here's the shouting news of this devotional. You are the woman in this passage because if you have been saved you are a part of the church and you are the bride of Christ! Your first husband was the Law of God. No, God is not a fool He is faithful! His law is perfect, for He is perfect. But no human alive can keep all of the law and when we try to keep it all because of its severe demands we end up making a fool out of ourselves. But, when Jesus died at Calvary He liberated us from the demands of the law and along came a new man! His name is GRACE!!!! Thank God for a new husband!!! Your first husband put you in bondage, but your second husband set you free. Your first husband required a sacrifice, but your second husband became a sacrifice for you. Your first husband would criticize when you made a mistake, but your second husband would lift you from your mess ups and hold you close to his mercy! Your first husband married you because he had to, but your second husband married you because he wanted you!

Grace loves you so much, treats you so good, holds you so close, provides so well, touches so softly, sings so sweetly, provides so generously, protects so fiercely and blesses so perpetually that He makes you love Him back and serve Him with all of your heart! Here's the shout of the day, Dr. Grace is Jesus Christ!!! He died to free you from the Law and to give you a love that you have never ever had before! Thank God for a new husband in Jesus Christ!!! Praise the Lord for Dr. GRACE!!!

Your Friend and His Servant,


Dr. John R. Adolph

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