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

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