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THE TESTIMONIAL OF REV. STEVEN J. ADELMUND
Before Christ reentered my life, the emptiness inside me was filled with Darkness and despair. I found joy in things that
were both morbid and macabre. I was a hopeless wreck of a man, with no love for my self and certainly not for others. Since
finding Jesus Christ, all of my dreams have come true. My life is now full of light and joy, I have a wife and daughter that
I would give my life for, and I live every day for his glory! The LORD saved me from certain doom and eternal damnation. I
am living proof that ANYONE can be saved!
"I have lost and found my way to God more than once In my short time on earth. I am not a rightous man, but I try to
be. I am falible, I am sinful, but I still have faith. No matter what trials and trebulations come my way, I have faith in
my Lord to grant me his wisdom to resolve my issues. I have faith that, though I am a sinner and far from a saint, Jesus'
death on the cross grants me safe passage to heaven in the afterlife. Death is something to celebrate, not moarn. In death
we are granted the ultimate reward, if we accept Christ! We are given a chance to be with GOD and JESUS in heaven! I know
that I go through daily trials only to grow stronger, and wiser. I know that the purpose for me to go through these trials
is to renew my faith daily in Christ."
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Worry
The 6th Message of Rev. Steven J. Adelmund
Every day, Christians and non-believers alike face issues that overwhelm them. We fret over everything. We worry about everything
from the little things like picking out the right clothes to wear or wanting an new pair of shoes to big things like making
the Mortgage payment and putting food on the table. We worry ourselves to death with things that we feel are beyond our control.
The stress makes us worry and the worry makes us stress. We feel down because of it, sometimes even getting so frustrated
that we take it out on those trying to help us. Some people even blame God for the things in their life that stress them.
Some people literally worry themselves sick. They get so worried that they physically get ill and it takes a real tangible
toll on their body. People want help. The problem is that they instinctively look to all the wrong places for answers. People
want answers and have nowhere to turn. They wrack their brains for any earthly answer they can find. They try Yoga and they
try meditation. Some turn to Psychics and Tarot or Astrology for answers on how to deal with stress, only to end up more stressed
then before. They seek in all the wrong places and wonder why they turn up empty handed.
Let me save you some time. After studying all four Gospels, I finally have the answer. You probably already know what I am
going to say. Turn to God. If that is what you were thinking, you were right, and let me tell you why: God not only can handle
your stress, but also wants you to surrender them to him! In the Gospel of Luke 12:22-25, Jesus tells his followers not to
worry about the clothes we wear, or food (or lack of), he tells us not to worry about the problems of everyday life because
the life God gave us is more important than food or clothing. God has you covered. He values you more than any bird in the
sky and he provides for them, why wouldn’t he provide for you, if you have faith? Jesus makes an excellent point in
Luke 12:25- “Can all your worries add one single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a simple thing
like that, what is the use of worrying about bigger things?” Jesus knew what he was talking about. If something is not
productive, it is counter productive. What possible positive can come from worry? Nothing! Instead of worrying, which usually
leads to whining and complaining, start focusing on what you can do to resolve the issues that worry you, and if and when
you come to the point where you cannot handle it, give it to God! Say to him “Lord, I surrender this to you, I put it
in your hands in the faith that you will do what is best.” Only God knows what is best for you. You have to have faith
that once you put it into his hands, you will find resolution.
The Lord wants you to be persistent in your faith. He wants you to ask, and ask again, and again. Keep asking for what you
need until you get an answer, but remember God works in ways we often do not understand so do not be surprised when he gives
you a solution that you were not expecting! Do not be so set on the answer you want, that you fail to see the solutions and
answers God puts before you. Luke 11:9-10 says “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask
for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives.
Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” In this passage Jesus tells us that
not only does God want us to ask for what we need, but to do so in faith and we will “seek and find”! This is
God’s promise to us. So what does this have to do with stress? Well, look at it this way, what is it you really want:
Relief from the thing that is most stressing you. You want the issue resolved and are most likely stressed because you can’t
find a solution right? The problem is patience. We live in a society and time where everything is now. Everything is instant,
from text messages to pudding. Everyone wants what they want now. The problem is that everything happens in God’s time,
not ours. We do not get a clock, it’s God’s watch we go by and he is on his own time. If you ask for help, know
in faith that you will get an answer as promised in the Bible.
Stop. Repeat after me. Say this out loud: “I give it to God.” You can’t handle it? “I give it to God.”
You want relief? “I give it to God.” Want help figuring it out? “I give it to God.”
It’s much more simple then most want to admit! Many are too proud to give it to God because they think that they are
admitting defeat or giving up. If you feel this way, it is important to know that you are partially right. You are giving
up, giving it up to the Lord! You surrender it to him, because you know that in his infinite love and infinite power that
he wants to help you as stated in 1Peter 5:7 “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
This is true and sometimes God will see your plight and will send you resolution without prayer, but most times God will not
help until he is asked. You are not surrendering, just calling for back up. When the police are in a situation they cannot
handle on their own, do they call it a day and go home? Do they try to charge in by themselves thinking they can handle anything
thrown at them? No, they call for backup! You have to ask for help. You must surrender it to the Lord so he can fix it. Can
you solve a problem if you don’t acknowledge it exists? No. The Lord knows all. He sees your problem, but he needs you
to ask, in faith for help, and he is more than willing to do so. Its like if you need money. Say your credit is good, and
you need a couple thousand dollars to get you out of a pinch. Is a bank going to come knocking on your door and say, “Hey,
we were in the area and decided to drop off some cash!” No! You have to ask for it by applying for a loan. Much like
a bank, God expects you to pay it back. Not in a financial way, in a spiritual way. God wants you to acknowledge that he helped
you out of your mess and he was the answer to your problem. He wants you to give him the glory that he deserves. As well you
should.
There is no task too big for the Lord to handle. His shoulders are large enough to handle all the world’s problems.
We are talking about a being that created everything, all of existence, in seven days. Think about that. The Master of all
creation is ready and willing to help you. I am sure your problems are a breeze for him, but it requires two things: you have
to be willing to first give it to God, then have faith that he will resolve it. Put it in the Lord’s hands, for they
are out stretched and waiting for you.
Many believers have faith, but not enough. If you need proof that your problems are not as big as you think they are, you
need only stop and look around you. In Sudan, $25 in American money can meet the needs of an entire Sudanese family for a
month. How much money did you put into your gas tank this week? How much money have you spent on take-out this week? You want
to be grateful for the blessings in your life? Live circumspectly. If you have kids, you know what true stress is. Not the
stress of raising them, but of worrying about everything about them. You worry that you are raising them right. You worry
about their health. You worry about what they see on TV. You worry about what you are feeding them. You worry about the mistakes
they’ll make. You worry about the talks you have with them, and more importantly, the ones you don’t have with
them. How do you alleviate these worries? Be thankful that you have children to worry about. There are millions of families
out there who want kids, but can’t have them. Everyday a family loses a child to illness, fire, accidents and other
horrible tragedies. Be grateful you have your kids to worry about. Know that God loves you and loves your children and will
protect them. No one but God knows how many seconds are on the clock that is our lives. This is why instead of worrying yourself
to death, you should be grateful for every second you have. Make every second count.
Pray for what God wants your life to be, and when he speaks to you, follow it! Every person on Earth has a purpose. For some
it is to be a parent. For some it is to show others what love is. For some it is to change the world. God knows his plan for
your life, and it is not to stress away your days with things beyond your control. Live your life for God and he will guide
your way and never steer you wrong. Life with and for God is better than any life we could possibly live on our own! Life
with God has purpose and direction and rewards beyond anything earthly. 2Timothy 2:11-12 states “This is a trustworthy
saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he
will deny us.” Live for God and ask for help when you need it.
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So You’re a Christian, Now What?
The 5th Message of Reverend Steven J. Adelmund
So you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You have accepted that he sacrificed his life and died on the cross
to forgive your sins and grant you passage into Heaven. Congratulations on your life changing choice! But now what? Where
do you go from here? Now that you have a savior, is it okay to sin freely, since you know you have a spiritual “Get
Out of Jail Free Card”? Is it really necessary to “Change your Life” or will God do that for you? How important
is the Bible? Where do you start?
Weather you are a “Born Again” Christian or have always had Jesus in your life, now would be a good time for you
to stop and really think about what it means to be a Christian and what, if any, responsibilities come with it. Ask yourself,
“What does The Living God expect from me?” A good place to start to help figure out what to do with your life
once you have asked Jesus into it, is the New Testament of the Holy Bible. The best way to understand what God expects of
us is to read his word! I recommend the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION (NLT), as I have found that, for new Christians and old, it
is much easier to understand then the traditional KJV. The first thing to realize is that it is true that there are many translations
of the Bible, but the important thing to know is that they all say the same thing, they’re just worded differently!
In the end you have to find a Bible that is right for you, but if you don’t know where to start, the NLT is a good place.
All four gospels, John, Mark, Luke, and Matthew, tell of Jesus’ life, but if you want a good overview, start with Mark.
In MARK 8: 34-38, Jesus tells us in his own words how to accept him and what to do next. It says: “Then, calling the
crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways,
take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for
my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose
your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? If anyone is ashamed of me, and my message, in these adulterous and
sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
So what is Jesus saying here? Well, Jesus knew that man is selfish by nature, and it is hard to turn away from sin. He is
telling you that if you follow him, it is your responsibility to freely give your life to him. He tells us that it is pointless
to hang on to the material things of this world; it is the afterlife and how your soul spends eternity that matters. It’s
like the old saying goes: “What’s the point of having stuff? You can’t take your stuff with you when you
die!”
He also tells us not to be ashamed of our faith. One of Jesus’ best friends, Peter, denied knowing him three times on
the evening that Jesus was captured. This is a man who Jesus warned would deny him, a man who saw the miracles of Christ first
hand, a man who gave his life to spread the word of God, and a man who swore he would never deny Jesus… but he did.
Did Peter do this because he was ashamed, or because he was afraid? I do not think he was ashamed to be associated with Jesus;
he just did not have enough faith in Jesus to die with or for him. Jesus forgave him, just as he forgives you of your transgressions,
however, this does not give us an excuse not to share faith because we are afraid! Jesus tells us to fear nothing!
The world was blessed when God sent himself in human form as Jesus us. Although people flocked to him, others mocked and rejected
him. This is how society is today. Some flock to him, others flee from him, and still others mock those who follow him. Jesus
had a message for nonbelievers in JOHN 5:41-44 where he said: “Your approval means nothing to me, because I know you
don’t have God’s love within you. For I have come to you in my Father’s name, and you have rejected me.
Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each
other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.” Jesus knew those who were
not ready to accept him and he knew there would be more like them.
Jesus gave us an opportunity to see and hear exactly what God intended for man. God does not want any of us to fail or go
to Hell, so he sent his son as a means for us to be saved. He also warned his followers of the rough road ahead when sharing
his word, but that it was not the people sharing the message that the world hated, but the one the message was about. He said
in JOHN 7:7 when he said: “The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil.”
Now that you have taken the first step of accepting these facts, isn’t it your responsibility to help try to save those
you love? To help them to see the peace that can only be found through Jesus Christ? Isn’t it your calling to evangelize
for Christ and spread his word? Isn’t that the least you can do for him?
Think about it: when you have a good experience with a bank, or restaurant, or in retail, what is the first thing you usually
do? Tell a friend! If you have no problem telling friends and family about positive experiences in customer service, why should
it be hard to spread the good word of God? What is better than the way God changes your life? Nothing! So, again, why is it
so hard to spread the word to family and friends, let alone strangers? Well, that is easy, because of the times. We live in
very politically correct times, where no one wants to offend others by “pushing” their spiritual beliefs on them.
Society believes that Freedom OF Religion means Freedom FROM Religion, and so many times, when you try to share your faith,
others have a closed heart and dismiss you as a “Bible Thumper”. (Like that’s a bad thing.) The fact is
that we respect the opinions of others so we don’t want to look pushy or be offensive, but in denying the opportunities
that God gives us to share the Gospels by not looking for them, we miss them all together. When Jesus commands us to give
up our selfish ways, he also means our ego. Are we so worried about what others think, that we don’t care about what
GOD thinks? The opinion of Jesus is the only one that matters! When you do finally share, it’s important not to take
credit. All the glory should go to God, after all, it is him who touches their hearts, not you. In John 7:16-18 Jesus does
this: So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. Anyone who wants to do the will
of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves,
but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies.” You see God uses us to speak his truth.
We are like his mega-phone, but it is HIS voice, his message, that people hear.
God wants you to share his word. In fact, in the Bible, he commands it! He wants you to be eager to share your faith. He wants
you to be filled with a passion to do so, and gives you that passion. The problem is that there is a spiritual war going on.
A battle for your soul wages on every day, and you don’t even realize it. Jesus warns of the evils of this world and
how they can get you to stray from his path. Even though you have accepted Christ, the Devil still wants you. He fills you
with doubt, fear, and ego. Then he muffles your passion to share the word, and hates it when you succeed in sharing. He tempts
you with sinful sights everywhere you go. You can’t escape them: they are on TV, in books, movies, the Internet. Temptation
reigns on Earth. So how do you overcome this temptation? Pray. Ask anything of God and it will be given. Ask God for the strength
to ignore the temptations, and courage to share his word! Ask him to help you to see the opportunities to share his word,
and they will be given! God is your partner in every way. He will never leave you and never forsake you. The fact is this,
my friends: the Devil does not want you to share Jesus’ word. He wants you to forget it. He wants you to lose your faith.
He wants your misery, and he wants your sin. The good news is that no matter what he does, your sins have been forgiven, and
after asking Christ into your life, Satan cannot get you. He can still try to tempt you away from Jesus, but he cannot take
what is not his. The battle rages on anyway. Open your eyes and live circumspectly, and you will see it everywhere. For every
good deed you do, someone is doing something evil. You must fight every day to do God’s will and not your own. Without
God, you are too weak to stand up to the temptations that the Devil will send to you, so again I say pray for help and pray
often. Remember that knowing the enemy is half the battle. Read the Bible to arm yourself against the Devil so you are better
prepared and have the strength of Jesus Christ on your side!
Now that you know what challenges lie ahead of you, I encourage you to find others who support your beliefs and have experience
in sharing the good word! With them you will find not only support but also encouragement, and sometimes, a kind word of encouragement
is all it takes to give you that boost of courage to talk about your faith, without shame, fear, or oppression, openly! God
Bless!
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The Hole
The 4th Message of Rev. Seven
J. Adelmund
Ever feel like your life’s gas gage is on empty? Ever feel like you live a good life,
but there’s just something missing? Ever feel like you’re alone in your hardest times, and instead of being carried
you feel like your being pushed down? Ever feel like there is a big void, a hole that fills your life? Sure you do, we all
do. Let me share with you why you have that hole, then I’ll tell you how not to fill it.
We are created as the perfect creatures, with something missing. As the saying goes: “the only thing perfect
is imperfection.” We have thousands of gallons of blood flowing through our body through the course of our life non
stop that keeps us living. Even while we sleep, our heart is hard at work, keeping us alive. Our lungs are the same way, even
though we lose consciousness, our lungs keep that clean air coming, pumping oxygen into our blood stream. The best part is,
we are self-maintained machines. We don’t have to tell our bodies to do this, it just does. Our lips spell out the words
that we speak to communicate full sentences and thoughts with others of our species, something no other animal can do. We
can use the process of elimination to solve our problems and take a logistical approach to any thing we do, as our brain functions
far beyond other creatures on earth. Nerve endings let us feel a soft touch or a loving kiss or a warm embrace. We can smell
the flowers because of the function of our nose, we can hear all the glories of music with our ears, and our eyes allow us
to see the beauties of the world and the dangers ahead. Yes, we are the perfect creatures, but were built with something missing.
What is that something missing? Well, its that feeling of loneliness, the feeling of desperation in your hour of need.
It is the feeling that you have nothing left in this world. Sometimes it’s the feeling of an internal hunger that just
won’t go away.
So how do we fill this
hole? All too often people feel it, but are not sure what it is, so they try to fill the hole the wrong way. They shovel all
their guilt into it and that does not work.
Some try to fill it
with meaningless, loveless relationships full of lust, hoping that will make their pain go away. They go through meaningless
relationship after relationship trying to fill the void with pleasures of the flesh, breaking hearts along the way only to
feel just as empty in the end as when they started.
Others try to fill
the hole with their own over indulgences. They feed their addictions to drugs, alcohol, or food trying with every indulgence
to numb them selves into happiness, knowing in the end they will find none.
Some think that the
hole is an endless pursuit that they must fill with money and material things, and when they get these things they only want
more and more but are left feeling dull and finding that all the money in the world cannot buy happiness.
There are some out
there that think that the hole will fill its self so they do nothing. Sometimes they have just given up on trying to fill
the hole so they spend their days sinking deeper into depression. They stay in bed or on the couch watching hours of endless
mindless television that gives them no pleasure. They remain empty all the days and all the nights.
Some actually get angry
with, what they see as, a flaw in themselves so they let their tempter get the better of them and blow up for no reason. They
throw their wrath down the hole hoping to fill it quickly so they can get on with their lives, and this never works. Sometimes
they beat, physically and mentally, the ones closest to them out of the anger they secretly have for themselves. They end
up feeling worse about what they have done to others and the hole deepens.
Often, people think
that others have what they do not and this is not right. These people fill their void with jealousy for what others have.
They see others having the love that they so badly want. They see others having the peace that they do not. Their desires
for what others have makes the hole to grow bigger.
Some mistakenly think
that they have no hole. They believe that their lives are perfect, in fact, better than perfect. These are the people that
find themselves beautiful inside and out, so much so, that when placed next to others; their beauty actually makes others
uglier. It’s like that old trick where you take your ugly friend out to the bar to make yourself look better. I know,
its mean, but you’d be surprised how many people do it! Deep down they know the hole is there, they hope that if they
ignore it, it’ll just go away. Meanwhile, the hole grows.
Maybe you recognize
yourself in one of these types of people, and maybe not. Maybe you heard my words and said, “wow, there really is a
hole in my life.” That is a good thing, because once you realize the hole is there, it is much harder for the hole to
continue to grow. Slow the growing, and you can start to fill the hole. There is a secret to filling the hole. Maybe you already
know and live the secret. If you do, then you know that once you fill the hole, you become whole! I know what you’re
thinking: “It’s easy, just fill the hole with love….” Okay, kinda. It’s a little tougher than
that, but the good news it can be done, and when you are whole, you will live a fuller, more meaningful life full of love
and happiness. So, now for the hard stuff: how to fill the hole.
First, we must acknowledge
that the hole must be filled and cannot be ignored. The first layer that you must lay to fill the hole is like a lining
to make sure nothing else leaks out from the bottom. You see, until you put the lining in, the hole remains a bottomless pit
that will suck all your intentions into the abyss. Think of filling the hole as baking a pie. You have to have the right ingredients,
but first you must make the crust to hold the fillings. The ingredients will help you bake the hole into the wholesome pie
you want to be. Now, I will tell you what you must fill the hole with, but first, know this: there is one easy stop to get
all the things that you will need to fill your hole. One source, and one source alone, but I will get to that after telling
you what you need.
You must start by filling
the hole with that first layer. That layer is love. I know, you say, “But I do love, I love a lot!” No, no my
friends, I mean love yourself, as well as others. If you battle the things I mentioned before, then you know deep down that
you have an issue with how you lover yourself. If you want to love others and fill the hole of emptiness in your life, then
you must first love yourself. Acknowledge that you have flaws, and love yourself not in spite of them, but because of them.
After you love yourself to the fullest, you must then put in the next lining. Knowledge. You must acknowledge that you are
loved, and arm yourself with the knowledge that you are never alone because you are loved. It is one thing to tell yourself
that you are loved, it is quite another to really take it into your heart and know that it is true. Do not lie to yourself,
be honest and only admit that you know you are loved when you really feel that way.
After starting with
a good helping of love it is time to move on to the truly hard stuff. You have to make a mental commitment to change. You
can start by throwing some purity into the mix. By purity I mean not just fighting the carnal urges of the flesh, though that
is part of it, I mean purity of heart. Try to be a good, honest and pure person every day in everything you do. Do not give
into the excessive urges of the flesh, instead replace those “needs” with pure acts.
Next, learn to fight
your addictions with self-restraint. You cannot fill the hole with over indulgence, so you must use all the self-restraint
you can. This is a tough one to do alone and knowing the secret is not always getting the answer, so you may want to rely
on others for help here. If you have a physical addiction, and cannot fight it alone, seek help. Every town has therapy available,
often at no cost. Admitting you need help to exorcise self-restraint is not a show of weakness. In fact, it is a show of great
courage and strength. Never forget this if you find that you are battling addictions and inner demons.
For those who try to
fill the void with the endless pursuit of material things and money: the old adage that it is better to give than to receive
is true. There are few feelings in the world quite like giving to those in need especially if you can see their reactions.
This will fill that part of your void faster than any amount of money ever could. Charity is the ultimate way to fight greed.
As I mentioned before,
there are those who feel that it is hopeless to even try to fill the endless pain and void in their lives so they hope that
it will just go away. You must use what you have to get out there and do something with your life! Be diligent! Exorcize a
zeal for life and be willing to really get out there and live life. Be grateful for the air in your lungs and the blood in
your heart! Remember there never has been and will never be another quite like you!
One of the most important
things you must fill the hole with is forgiveness, compassion, patience and composure. You must have these things not only
for others, but for yourself. You must forgive yourself if you have hated yourself in the past. If you find yourself turning
to acts of rage, you must ask yourself why, and forgive that which caused the rage. Be patient. The bible says in James
1:19 that “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” And it is right.
You will find that if you are patient and hear the whole story in any situation, that it will not cause you to become as angry
and you can take a more level-headed approach to the situation.
Then, fill the hole
with kindness. Be kind in your heart and your acts. Show admiration to those who have what you do not. Do not be jealous of
them, but respect them, because they have undoubtedly worked hard for what they have and if you look up to them and work hard
as well, you too may have what they’ve got. Remember that everyone has their demons and no one is perfect, so show kindness
to those who have the kind of life you would like to have. It is easy to turn envy into admiration, or turn anything negative
into something positive for that matter!
Next, realize and admit
to yourself that even though you love yourself, you have flaws. Do not be vain, but instead be humble. Put the top layer in
that hole by filling it with just the right amount of humility. The best way to do this is to do a kind act anonymously. As
much as you may want to take credit for it, don’t.
Restraint and love
are the keystones of personal fulfillment in life. If you love yourself, then you will find that you have already turned many
of the nasty habits that you have been throwing into the hole into positives that fill it.
Now for the most important
ingredient in baking your wholesome pie: the source to all the other ingredients. Now that you know what you need to fill
the holes in your life, where do you get these things? Where do you get the strength to carry you when you can’t carry
on? How do you know you are loved when you feel alone? The secret, the answer, is simple my friends: GOD. There once was a
man who was perfect. There were none before him, and there have been none since him. This man was sent by God to be your savior
in your hour of need. He was sent and died specifically to save you. He was sent to take the seven deadly sins that hound
your life and every other sin off of your shoulders and onto his and offer you a way. There is only one place to find the
Chastity to battle the urges of Lust, the Temperance to battle Gluttony, the Charity to battle urges of Greed, the Diligence
to fight Sloth, the Patience to suppress your Wrath, replace your Envy with Admiration, and help you swap your Pride with
Humility. That place is found in Jesus Christ.
To twist the words
of a horrible 90’s rap: “Christ’s Cross is gonna make you… JUMP, JUMP!” Christ will give you
the energy, the support, and the love to help you fill the holes in your life and avoid creating new ones in the future! He
is your guide. He is your way. The ultimate solution to all of your problems lies in faith in the one and only Jesus Christ. God created us with something missing. He created us to be imperfect. If we were perfect,
we would be sin-free and not need a savior. He created us with that special void that can only be filled by knowing him. This
was part of his grand plan. Now that you know how to fill the void in your life, what are you going to do about it?
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Why does GOD allow this?
The Third Message of Rev. Steven J. Adelmund
There is an age-old question
that believers and non-believers alike have asked for as long as we have been aware of God. "If God is so kind and loving,
then why does he allow bad things to happen to me?" We are inquisitive creatures by nature. It’s the way he made us.
God answers us by reassuring
us in his good word, Joshua 1:9- "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." He’s telling us, friends, not to be afraid of things we don’t
understand. God understands them and he will be our guide. He says we have no reason to ever be afraid, because he’s
always there to lend his hand or carry us through the hard times. Ever notice that when something bad happens, and you feel
so utterly alone, a friend or family member happens to stop by or call? God sent them. Or when you want to be alone and no
one comes around? God knows you need your space, so he keeps people away until you are ready for them. This is our always
there, all knowing God, and what a great God he is!
Back to the original question,
why do these things happen? What good could come of the horrible things you have to endure? I bet, even though he knew why,
at some point Jesus asked him self the same thing. As a matter of fact, I know he did: “Father into your hands I commend
my spirit! Why have you forsaken me?” He said as he was hanging on the cross. He knew that his sacrifice was for the
salvation of all of our souls. He took all that onto his shoulders and he saw the masterpiece. We cannot see the artist's
masterpiece until it is complete. Sometimes we see the tops of the mountains in all their beauty, and other times we even
get to see the lowest valleys. We may get a glimpse of the dark forests with their tall evergreen trees and hidden dangers,
or a calm river that quickly turns to violent rapids. We don't get the benefit of seeing whole picture before it's done. We
do get to see it come together piece by piece. Why don’t we get to see the whole thing? We don’t get to see it
all because it’s not done yet. God has a plan for you and everything that happens in your life, and everything that
is going to happen. Only God knows what’s next in the painting of your life. The reason God allows these trials and
tribulations to happen is because he can see the big picture. He knows how it’ll all turn out.
Believe it or not, I look
back fondly on the painful times in my life. Not because I enjoy or enjoyed the pain but because I grew from each experience.
At the time I had no idea what lessons the trials held and it took me a while figure out that there even were lessons to be
learned. In the end though, I did learn something and became a better man because of the trials I went through. Yes, God loves
us. No, he does not want to see those he loves in pain. He puts us through the hard times because he knows that not only will
we survive them, but also in the end we will even grow from them.
Nothing worth learning is
ever experienced from taking the painless road. As we drive down life's highway sometimes the road is smoother than glass,
and sometimes there are bumps. Some bumps are a minor inconvenience while others throw the car off the road. When your car
rolls off the road and your world is up side down, do you ever stop to say: "Wow. How could I have avoided this? I know I'll
be watching for that in the future!" Sure you do. We all do! You see, you have already learned from this hardship, and God
knew you would. There are times we find ourselves driving down a long and lonely highway with steep mountains on both sides
driving deep into the water and we are not sure if we are on the right path, but God helps us find our way out of the mess
we find ourselves in and safely to the other side. A great example of this is Mark Chapter 4 where Jesus is sleeping in a
boat and a horrible storm comes. Four of his disciples were fishermen so they were used to the waters, but soon even they
feared for their lives. They wake Jesus and ask “don’t you care what happens to us?” Jesus stands at the
end of the boat and says to the winds and waters “Peace! Be calm.” And nature listens. Instantly, the waters and
winds are calm. Jesus then calls his disciples foolish for thinking that they were not safe while he was around and tells
them that as long as he is with them they will always make it safely to the other side. God always helps us get to that other
side.
God teaches us lessons when
we need them most, and sometimes those lessons aren't always easy. Sometimes they’re not what we were looking for, or
even what we wanted.
"I am a God fearing individual.
Why would God put me through this?" Another question that we often think if we are a believer. The answer is simple. God allows
these things to test you. There is a great preacher on the radio in the morning that I really respect and have learned a lot
from. His name is Dr. David Jeremiah. He has been preaching for more than 25 years and loves what he does. Dr. Jeremiah is
one of the most positive and best preachers I have ever heard. His message is always uplifting and enlightening. Dr. Jeremiah
is a father, husband, preacher, and a Cancer Survivor. He battled Cancer and when most would give up he never lost faith,
and he survived. If ever there was a time to turn his back on God it would have been then but did he turn away from God? No.
He may have asked for strength, but he never turned away. You see, God often tests his followers. In the Old Testament, near
the end of Genesis there is an awesome story about a man named Joseph. Joseph was favored over his brothers by his father
and Joseph had two dreams that he would rule over his brothers. The brothers didn’t like this so they decided to try
to kill him. They changed their minds and threw him into a cavern. Later they sold him to some passers by as a slave for 20
silver pieces. The passers by took him to Egypt, where he went to work for one of the Pharaoh’s men. The man liked him
so much that, even though he was a slave, be put him in charge of all of his possessions. God watched. The man’s wife
tried desperately to seduce Joseph, but he said that it would not be right with God, and not be right with his master. She
eventually lied to the master and he was thrown in jail. Now, lets stop and think about this. He was almost killed by his
brothers, sold as a slave, and thrown in prison and never lost faith. Wow. Continuing on. In jail he met the Pharaohs Cup
Holder and Bread maker, and with Gods help and guidance, he interpreted their dreams for them. The Cup holder broke a promise
to him, and he spent two more years in jail, never losing faith. Eventually he was called to the Pharos side to decode a dream
for him. Pharaoh was so pleased; he gave Joseph rule over all of Egypt! Joseph went through more hardships than most see in
a lifetime, but never lost faith and gave credit for all the good things in life to God. Ultimately, God rewarded him for
it.
All too often, when life is
going good, we say, "Look what I did." and "I’ve had to go through some bad stuff, but look where I am now!" And we
celebrate what we have accomplished. The wise thank God in those times for the blessings. On the other side of the coin, when
life is going bad, we look for someone to blame other than ourselves and God acts as the perfect Scapegoat. "God why are you
doing this to me?"
God loves us even though we
curse him. Even though we take his name in vain, and speak poorly of him, he is still there for us. He holds us tight even
when we push him away. The thing to remember here is that he answers ALL of our prayers. Not just some of them, not just the
ones he wants to. God answers ALL of our prayers. He sometimes does not give us the answer we want, but always gives us the
one we need. Let me give you an example. If you are a parent and your kid asks for a cookie, you might say yes. If they ask
for another, you may say yes again, but about the tenth cookie, your going to tell them no. They may not understand why, but
you know that too many cookies are not good for them, may cause a tummy ache, and could ruin their appetite! When it comes
to your kids, you know the big picture, you know what is best for them weather they like it or not!
We are God's children. He
knows what's best.
I’ll finish on this
note. I recently had this very conversation with a friend, who happens to be a non-believer. I left the conversation on the
same points I have made today, but my friend was not convinced. Today I got an email from the same friend who said that they
are taking classes at a local college and yesterday, due to work obligations, they had to miss class. In class that day, students
were to give a presentation, with a partner, which accounted for a large part of their grade. My friend undoubtedly questioned
why they had to miss such an important event for something trivial at work that could have been done with out them. Today,
my friend emailed their teacher explaining why they had missed the class, apologizing and asking if the project could be done
at the next class. The teacher responded that class happened to get canceled, because the teacher was sick.
Even my non-believer friend
admitted that “SOMETHING” was looking out for them.
My friends I leave you with
this final thought. The Lord works in mysterious ways that we cannot understand, but he works for our benefit. God looks out
for us. God loves us. God knows what’s best, like any good parent should.
So why did God allow 9/11? I am sure he had his reasons but I like to think it was to remind us that
there is real evil in the world and that we must band together to defeat it. To remind us that nothing in the world is stronger
than the human spirit and faith. To remind us to love one another, for life is short.
Love one another; Love yourselves, and Love God for this is the meaning of life.
The 2nd Message of Reverend Steven J. Adelmund
ACCEPTANCE.
Love is God. God is acceptance. Hatered is Fear. Fear is ignorance.
At the core of Christian beliefs is the Jesus' love for all mankind resulting in his ultimat sacrifice for the forgiveness
of our sins. John 4:9 reminds us that "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only son
into the world that we may live through him." Jesus and his followers taught love, complete accemptance, tollerence
of fellow man and compassion.
Unfortunatially, in today's society there are many who claim to be Christian
and follow the word of Christ, yet judge others unfairly or fall into a unforgiving pattern. James 3:9-10 reminds
us "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse man, who have been made in God's likeness. Out
of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."
It is difficult in todays rough times to remember to be patient with
those who anger or betray us. Again, it isthe book of James that teaches us in James 1:19 that "Everyone should
be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry."
Those who can quote scripture one minute are all too often to use his
words spitefully to spread petty gossip the next. The root foundation of Christian faith is acceptance of others. The Golden
Rule tells us to love thy neighbor as thyself, but most do not follow this. There is more than enough resentment, anger, and
bitterness in the world today. Why add to it? No one takes the time to think before they speak anymore, and we should. I too
am guilty of this. When I get angry, I usually vent out my frusterations on anyone near enough to listen... but knowing your
flaws is half the battle to defeating them. It is something I have been working on and encourage others to work on too. It
is a basic human trait to jump to conclusions and make assumptions based on gut reactions. It is part of the eturnal good
vs. evil battle inside all of us, but this does not make it right or ok. We have the ability to give Good the edge over evil.
The bible also reminds us in John 7:24 to "Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment."
In 7:24, John is not referring to only physical appearances, he is talking about jumping to conclusions about situations,
and taking the time to evaluate every situation before taking immediate action.
It is amazing how people are so used to immediate gratification. If
a person waits for anything more than five minutes, they begin to become frusterated and sometimes even angry. In the grand
scheme of things five minutes is nothing. I have yet to experience anything in my life worth remembering that took five minutes.
Remember that patience is an often overlooked virtue. The old addage is that "good things come to those who wait",
and this is truer than most want to admit.
The moral of the story is, my friends, that life is too short for anger and
resentment. Life is too short to judge others. Life is too short to hold grudges. Life is much better, and we live better
in GOD'S eyes, if we live a better life.
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Thursday, April 26, 2007
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The First Sermon of Reverend Steven J. Adelmund
What is a "Higher Power"
All religions have one. All people put their faith in one. Even Aethiests believe
in one, they just think it is themselves. In fact, every person on earth finds solice in times of hardship by believing
in a Higher Power.
So what is a Higher Power? What is God? What is it that makes the crazy things
that happen in every day life, not be so chaotic?
A Higher Power is something that you can believe in but not see. Something you know
with every fiber of your being is there, no matter what.
Sometimes a Higher Power is something you doubt. Something you ignore or forget to
think about. Something you think has given up on or forsaken you. Even Jesus, while dying on the cross, looked to the heavens
and said "Father into your arms I commend my spirit... Why have you forsaken me?" It is okay to doubt God, but where can you
find reassurances that he DOES exist and DOES care? In his written word. Those who are Christians are a lucky group. Their
God, through Devine inspiration had his followers write a book explaining EXACTLY how he felt about every issue man faces.
That book is Scripture and his followers believe that it is HIS WORD.
Alas, not everyone is Christian. Some lost faith and never found it again. Some never
had it. Some follow another God. And this is ok. The one common denominator in EVERY religion, including Satanism, is a Higher
Power. Wiccans also have a Higher Power: The Goddess. Mother Earth is their Higher Power, their giver of life and giver of
love. Most religions preach peace and love through finding and following the Higher Power. The greater message is what is
importance. To have the devine guidence is what is importance, no matter WHO the Higher Power you follow is.
For me, my Higher Power is God. The being of all power that blesses and challenges
me every day. The being that has a master plan for me and gives me a fate, but the free will to figure out how I want to get
there. The God that sends me challenges in everyday life, knowing that when I overcome them, I will learn
something from and grow from it. That I will be a stronger man because of it.
I see life as an amusement park. I entered it not knowing exactly what to expect,
and not knowing much about anything in the park, but being excited about the unknown. Life has many rides and attractions.
Some fun, some scary, some that make you laugh, and some that make you cry, but when you leave the ammusement called life,
if you know where you are going next, you do not regret the time you spent there or fear what is next. This is why I have
to have a Higher Power. This is why I choose to believe that JESUS died to save me and his fellow followers to guarentee a
better life after this one. I believe ther is no Hell. It does not get worse than what gets thrown at us in this life.
We all must look to our own Higher Power, our own God, for guidence. You don't have
to agree with him 100% or even believe all of his teachings, for God is forgiving and gave you free choice for a reason.
Love one another. Savor each rain drop as it is a life giving gift from God, and believe in yourself and your
God, as he believes in you.
I believe in Freedom. Freedom of choice and freedom of faith. I believe that all people have the right to choose their own path, and choose their own God. Even if they decide that God
does not exist. If you are reading this message, I believe it is because you have an open mind, and you were courious to see
what Reverend Steve has to say about religion. I have many view points about faith and religion... far too many to cover in
one message. I hope to post more sermons here and I hope you return to read them. Thank you for taking the time to hear
my message.
GOD BLESS and GOD SPEED. |
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