dennis j adams

Just a quick thought! A flash of revelation! A twinkling of an eye moment of truth! As I was preparing to write this blog, I felt led to read Psalm 119:1-8.

1 Joyful are people of integrity,
who follow the instructions of the Lord.
2 Joyful are those who obey his laws
and search for him with all their hearts.
3 They do not compromise with evil,
and they walk only in his paths.
4 You have charged us
to keep your commandments carefully.
5 Oh, that my actions would consistently
reflect your decrees!
6 Then I will not be ashamed
when I compare my life with your commands.
7 As I learn your righteous regulations,
I will thank you by living as I should!
8 I will obey your decrees.
Please don’t give up on me!

Wow, this may sound out in left field, but to me, this expresses the Kingdom principles in a short text.  Honesty, Obedience, Wholeheartedness, Commitment, Love (Action), Responsibility, Knowledge, Humility!

Truly when one ponders the Kingdom of God the vast depth of the inquirer can find no bottom. However, even in this hour we live His principles capture the surrendered children of God.  Read Psalm 119:1-8 and let the Lord minister to your heart as well!

Best

Dennis

Scriptures used in this blog post are from the Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.

Your ideas our great! Your dreams are big and they are not a surrealistic fantasy of your alter-ego.  Here was I really believe, amongst all the prophetic “stuff” that is floating around: God is raising up Jeremiah’s across the world.  To bring an explosive word to all that will hear! Just like Jeremiah who embraced and used truths found in writing and stories of his predecessors: Stressing many of the great themes about God and His people. At the same time he was very inspired by the Holy Spirit vocalize and write fresh treatments of old themes and ideas.

What a time it is we live in! It seems to me that this is the opportune time for “Jeremiah’s” to enter in and begin to boldly proclaim and write freshly inspired themes and ideas from their predecessors.

To bring that reestablishment of the covenant that God has made with His people and to embrace the nature of God and His Son, Jesus Christ! There is a need of repentance in this nation, human sinfulness is desiring to rise again against a Holy God.  Our relationship with God is deeply rooted in the covenant that He has established through the brokenness of His Son.  The Word of the Lord in any given situation is the solution to the depth of sin that mankind has embraced and the code of life it produces.

Pray that the sounding voice of refreshment and restoration will be heard across this nation and world.

Best

Dennis

Today and the past week have been pretty interesting in a simple way. I have been reconnected again with some real close friends through Facebook.  I have been using Facebook for a long time and some friends have recently connected on. It is really cool, great, awesome and such to Internet “speak” through the Wall to Wall writing.  I remember when email was new. Oh, man I just really made myself think of my intensive time I have spent on the computer.  I once even has a Prodigy account when there was no GUI! Anyway just a quick note to say I had a great week reconnecting with friends.

Best

Dennis

Today, I registered to vote. Thought I was already but I could not be found! I am glad I checked on it!

The gay marriage issue along with other California “stuff” has really kept my attention. Not only all that but this whole campaign with the parties at hand has been almost humorous, if not down right hideous.  I really want to vote and get this over with, but I know my attitude “is cheap and down right rotten”.  So, in a sense, I do not look forward to November 4, 2008.  But with so much on the balance scales I want everyone to vote for whom they feel will bring America back to her knees in prayer and worship of a living God.

Just so many souls to reach here in this nation, along with the continents across the seas of this world.  I vote for the renewing of our minds and the restoration of prayer in our homes and churches.

Best

Dennis

What is the subject matter of Christianity? Is it about Christ and His entrance and exit from this earth and known time? Does it consider all things that happened in the short visit God made to humanity through the Incarnation? Does it seem pointless that Calvary produced redemption through suffering and death, prolonged by the immense clarification of who Jesus actually was? Could the empty tomb be subjected to criticisms of religions and skeptics without the first mentioned Resurrection by Christ Jesus? 

Actually, all these should be the main subject matter of Christianity. However, as the past blasts into the future we have witnessed nothing that is consistent except performance by men! They have made themselves superstars of Christianity.  Offering invitations to compete against the “mega” results of heavy finance and media popularity.  Ministers have been competing and taught to compete by comparing success ratios per the count of each assembly and the amount of offering received!

Let’s not forget the obscure reign of political hoopla that is only obscured by the paradox that it produces.  Competitive pressures have blurred what really matters and uncanny stress put on churches that desire to be like the “mega” superstar across town.   Then there are the many authors who have made millions off their popularity and self-made charisma.  Authoring books and having agents seek out the right publisher to place the “new” book on shelves.  Has anyone stopped to think that maybe the Bible could be the one book that should be on the book tables at conferences and revival sideshows? 

By no means am I stating that books should not be authored. I am in process of writing my first one even as I blog this.  It is that all the subject matter used continues to engage and double up on resources already available.   I truly believe in getting the message out there. Yes, everyone should write if they have something to write about! But let get centered on Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith, not the author of the book

The concern comes full circle!  What is the subject of Christianity? It is Jesus Christ and Him crucified! It is the Resurrection and the Ascension! It is the gift of Repentance and the absolute forgiveness of sin! It is the reconciliation of mankind back to God! 

It is about destiny and purpose not performance. This competitive and political arena that has been labeled the “Church” is not the Church at all.  The Church is that which is called out from and into evangelizing the world for Christ one soul at a time.

Best

Dennis

Great day in the neighborhood! Potter’s Hand Ministry Center celebrated it’s seven year anniversary today! It was awesome. My son Mikey has returned from Scotland. He had been there for about five years.  He worked there as a chef in many popular restaurants and was trained by the best top chef in Edinburgh.  So, Mikey made all the food for the day. The people ate culinary at its best.  There were about 300 hundred in attendance.  I spoke on the goodness of God and His commitment to stay with us through good and teh bad. Most of the folks that attend P.H.M.C. are on the bad side!  Anyway, just wanted to share how cool it was today and thank all of you for your prayers and support throughout these past seven years.

I ended my message by committing to another seven years to the most beautiful people I am honored to pastor now, the homeless and disenfranchised of Santa Cruz, CA. Of course, I also want to include the awesome staff that has worked with Kathy and me throughout these wonderful years.  I feel like I can do another twenty one years so seven was not so bad of a commitment.

Acts of Love Foundation, Inc. has engaged thousands of people with the message of Christ.  We have helped hundreds return back to their roots. We have served approximately 72,800 meals and shared 145,000 cookies which has all been donated from people who have believed in what we do for the poor.

It is a wonderful journey we are on and there is so much more to do!  Thank you and again a great big thank you to all for your unselfish donations of prayer and support.

Best

Dennis

It is about 10:21 pm PST. Knowing that some of you are somewhere in the world reading this I just felt like I needed to share. Yes, just a thought about ministry and its pains mixed with great pleasures. Sitting in my chair tonight, that I love to be comfortable in, I realized something. It came alive in my heart. The Lord placed me in a servant’s career! It hurts most of the time but there are pleasures that like anointment to the wounds, bringing relief to that which one suffers when truly serving Him and the creation that He put into existence. The incredible burdens which press down on the heart and overwhelm the mind. This “ministry ” relationship can exist only with the commune that is prepared in the heart by the Lord Himself. Prayer, the silence of the soul, communing with Him, the one who speaks without words. Embracing the whole of the spirit and comforting the depths of the painful heart. So many songs have been written to parallel this sense of being. The one that brings this thought to a moment of conclusion and factual reality is “How Great Thou Art”. It is really an honor to be placed in a purposed life that brings hope to others.

Best

Dennis

We are in the stream now, deeply involved, watching as the Church changes from what it was to what it should be.  Going from an inward organism to an outward operation. Opening up the walls and going to where the people are.  Moving to where God is moving from where He is not.

What a wonderful shift in the spiritual atmosphere! What a change of religious climate! How exciting it is to see the Church move into missional activity and purely defined evangelism.  Welcome back, or embrace for the first time, the “home” church scenario.  Churches planted in neighborhoods and “hoods”, in the deep inner-cities to the country hamlets.  Property values become part of the body and more time is spent on declaring the love of God and His merciful invitation to discipleship than raising money for more building space. Taking the “Church” to where the people are instead of bringing the people to where the “Church” is.  This is really not new nor a concept that could be called “novel”. It is truly the way the Lord has always wanted it to be. Religion and politics took over and made it a business and not a ministry.

Being part of this shift for several years now is been the most rewarding part of a long ministerial relationship with the Lord and people. I am so enthused about this missional methodology becoming a true partner with society and not a corralled side show for criticism.

Best

Dennis

Today, as I sit here looking at this computer screen, I am reminded, in the depth of my spirit-man, just what I have seen.  My eyes have witnessed many evil and horrific things in life.  Most of these should never have been seen by any human being.  I could list some of them, but, what good would that do?  I already wrestle with these thoughts that have been created by the entrance of horrible sites, which often times engulf my memories.  Most of all I just want to say through words, that what I have accomplished through the grace of God and His mercy in my life has brought some understanding to the horrific sites these eyes have seen.  I spend my life now desiring to help and serve people who live incorrigible lives of sin and pain.  Hoping, yes, deeply hoping that some how I may bring that grace to them so they also may find some solace and understanding to the inner pain brought by witnessing sites of the dark soul.

Memories are really overlooked in the scheme of life’s travels.  If one could just abort a memory then this could bring comfort and effectual balance to the crimes of society. However, they cannot, so His mercies endure throughout our known existence, then implodes into eternity.

These eyes, to my sou,l still witness sites that would impair most but I have been strengthened by His promises and guarding Word. His presence protects me from the soul’s darkness reaching into my heart and stealing the victory that Calvary has brought.  Each week I look into eyes of hundreds of hurting desperate people who stare back at me. Their eyes empty, without hope, desiring an embrace of love or a word of encouragement.  Stories could be written of their experiences of the darkness of their soul.  My deepest desire is only this, that I can bring hope to their heart and close off the darkness of the soul by the light of Christ’s love.

I understand them, because I have been there, with that same look of emptiness.  Then I met the eyes of Christ, those eyes penetrated my soul and have brought me to this moment. The moment of victory, daily embraced, and continuously praising Him for gazing into my dark soul!

Best

Dennis