The Hope Dealer: Get Your Dose Today

By Douglas Anthony Goodman

The Christian religion is the religion of hope. There are many references in the New Testament concerning this hope. Hope is defined as desire with expectation of obtaining what is desired. Desire alone is not hope. We may desire the gift of a million dollars, but we certainly cannot expect it. Expectation alone is not hope. We may expect trials and tribulations (John 16:33), but we do not desire them. But where there is desire and expectation there is hope; and the Christian hope burning brightly within us is necessary for successful Christian living (Hebrews 6:18-19).

Heaven, with all of its bliss and grandeur, is the hope of the Christian. We ought to desire it and expect it. I hope this message of Hope finds a lodging place in your life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 20, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493186082

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Copyright © 2014 by Douglas Anthony Goodman.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Rev. date: 03/14/2014

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgements And Thanks

Dose 1- The All-Sufficiency Of The Gospel

(It Is Beyond Compare)

Dose 2- The Power Of Prayer

(The Vehicle To Results)

Dose 3- What Can Christ Do For You?

(The Solution To Your Problems)

Dose 4- You Can’t Please Him Until You Believe Him

(A Fact You Must Face)

Dose 5- The Other Man

(The Difference Maker)

Dose 6- If I Were The Devil

(The Master Of Deception)

Dose 7- The Reason For Our Failures

(A Little Dab Will Do)

Dose 8- Souls For Sale

(Compromise Gone Bad)

Dose 9- People Need Help!

(The Comfort Of Compassion)

Dose 10- An Appointment We All Must Keep

(Attendance Is Mandatory)

Preface

In this fast-paced world of six-lane highways… in a world of advanced technology and high-quality craftsmanship… man has knowledge of and access to just about anything he desires. From push-button appliances to microchip computers, from speed-racing automobiles to heaven-soaring jets, from 50 story skyscrapers to billion-dollar oil rigs, from luxury-liner ships to satellite discs, man has developed a sense of self-sufficiency that has taken him away from God, his word, his will and his way.

Man has been mesmerized by materialistic madness. He fantasizes upon folly and fun. He runs Ridgeley after riotous retrogression. He lives a loose, lofty and lustful lifestyle. He compromises his Christian principles for private or even popular pleasures. He hearkens unto hostile-hearted hypocrites. He travels that treacherous trail towards tragedy and he even has the audacity and the unmitigated gall to envy the enemies of the everlasting Emmanuel.

Man has been influenced and overpowered by this finger-popping, hip-hopping, mouth-working, neck-jerking, floor-stomping, hip-bumping sinful society. As in the case of the Laodiceans in Revelation 3, Jesus said they were lukewarm and made him sick. They said that they were rich and increased with goods and didn’t need anything, but failed to realize that they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.

Man, whether he realizes it or not, is helpless, hopeless and lives lifeless without the hope that only Heaven can provide. Not only does Jesus give hope for tomorrow, but even more importantly, he gives hope for eternity. As a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I consider myself a Hope Dealer—giving people what they need more than anything else.

It is my hope that these spirit-filled, power-packed messages enlighten your mind, encourage your soul and energize your life. May the illustrations and humor used bring true meaning to your spiritual journey. It is the author’s philosophy of delivery that a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down. I don’t claim originality for every thought. Much has been collected through study, inspired through ministry or borrowed along the way over the past 35 years. Now, read and enjoy.

DAG

In memory of my Preacher,

Brother Humphrey Foutz

Image23940.PNG

(Picture taken @ building dedication, 2000)

His encouraging words have always lingered in my mind.

He used to say that Reading makes a full man but writing makes an exact man. He said to me,

"Son, make sure you leave something in writing before you leave this world."

It is with these thoughts in mind that this book is sent forth.

DAG

I dedicate this first book to my family

Special thanks to my beautiful wife,

Trisha

your inspiration and encouragement have motivated me to be my best.

My heart, my soul and my life are yours.

To all my children,

Derek, Darius, David, Keyonta, Darren, Gabrielle and Michael

who have enrolled me in seven life-long courses of fatherhood.

I’m proud to be your Dad.

To my granddaughters,

Koryn, Kaylin and Taisha

who bring me joy and remind me that I’m not as old as I think.

I’m looking forward to many years to come.

And to my 95 lb German Shepherd,

Max

who is my shadow and greets every day with his leash and ball.

I understand what they mean by Man’s best friend.

Acknowledgements and Thanks

To the Capital congregation, for 26 years of continuous support. I never dreamed I would have had the privilege of serving such a wonderful family.

To all my friends and colleagues across the brotherhood, for decades of encouragement. I’m so glad to be on the winning team.

To Pamela Matthews, for transcribing these messages with patience, joy and efficiency.

To Sierra Veale, for proofreading and providing grammatical insight.

To Archie Veale, my graphic designer, for draping this project with style.

To my mother Barbara Goodman, for her unwavering love and support.

And thanks to you, the reader, for spending your time and money in support of this author. May God continue to bless you and your family.

DOSE 1

THE ALL-SUFFICIENCY OF THE GOSPEL

(It Is Beyond Compare)

ROMANS 1:13-17

13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach to the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

An old familiar text… a text that is probably engraved in all of our minds; yet the text is as fresh as the morning newspaper. It is rich with information. It is rich with power. I thank God that this verse is still in the Bible.

The Apostle Paul, in writing to the Church at Rome, said, Now I would not have you ignorant brethren… Paul said that about two or three times in his writings. As I read these few verses of scripture, I can’t help but recognize the confidence that the Apostle Paul has in the Gospel that he preached. He told the brothers that he didn’t want them to misunderstand. I don’t want you to not know what is really going on. I want you to understand my position when it comes to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is something about the Gospel that is different from any other concept or man-made theory that you and I might rely upon during our lifetime.

We see the three I ams if you will, that Paul uses in these few verses. First of all, Paul said, I am [a] debtor. Then he said, I am ready. Then Paul said, I am not ashamed. In other words, Paul said I owe everybody that which has been entrusted to me. If God thought enough of me to give me an opportunity to obey the Gospel, then certainly I ought to be about helping other folks hear the same.

Paul said that I am ready—meaning, I have done my homework. I know what I’m talking about. I have a relationship with whom I’m talking about. He told Timothy, I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day, (2 Timothy 1:12).

Paul said that I’m ready—having never been to Rome—I’m ready. I’m not worried about who is going to be there because I’m ready. I have done my homework. I have studied the scriptures. I know my Lord and I’m ready. There is a burning desire on my heart to tell the world about Jesus Christ. When that desire is on your heart, you are ready every day.

Most importantly, I’m not ashamed. I already took down all the barriers that would hinder me. I know fear… not being an elegant speaker among the Greeks. (When he wrote to the Corinthians, they said that his speak was contemptible, 2 Corinthians 10:10.) I don’t know fluent Greek but I’m ready. I’m not worried about being in a mixed audience, I’m ready. I’m not worried about being in a place that is filled with Gentiles, I’m ready. I’m not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because Jesus was not ashamed to die for me. He was not ashamed to bring me into the body of Christ; I can’t be ashamed of his Gospel. He said that this Gospel is God’s power unto salvation. I like that. This Gospel is God’s power to save men’s souls.

This thought suggests that everything we need is in the Gospel. Peter said that everything we need concerning life and godliness we have through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue, (2 Peter 1:3). Paul said, you remember, in 2 Thessalonians 2:14, that we are called by the Gospel. He uses the good news of Jesus Christ to call us unto salvation. He uses it to call us into His service. How far you go on your Christian journey will be determined by your faith in the Gospel. Whether or not you are a once-a-week member, or a missionary for the Lord Jesus Christ, can only be determined by your faith in the Gospel. Once you realize that you too are a debtor you will prepare yourself, take a stand for what God said, and not be ashamed of the Gospel. There are some things about this Gospel that I believe ought to be said.

When I look at this Gospel, this all-sufficient Gospel, I can’t help but to realize that it is a perfect gospel. I remember James saying something, in James 1:25, when he was talking about the importance of being doers of the Word and not hearers only. He said that if you don’t, all you do is deceive yourself. This Gospel is designed to move you to do something. Matter of fact, if you don’t do anything, it is evident that there is no faith. Even though the Gospel is all-powerful, somebody likened it to a battery in your automobile, the only way it will work is if the terminals are hooked up to it. Sometimes when your battery goes dead you need a jump-start. You need somebody else’s cable hooked up to yours—Amen somebody!—in order to get things rolling again. But if your terminals are not hooked up, and I call that faith, if you really don’t believe this book, you are not going to do very much anyhow.

Paul said that the just shall live by faith, borrowed from Habakkuk 2:4. Paul uses this phrase on three different occasions. In the book of Romans (1:17), emphasis is on the just. In the book of Galatians (3:11), emphasis is on shall live. Finally, in the book of Hebrews (11:38), the emphasis is on by faith.

So, Paul said, this Gospel is God’s power unto salvation to them that believe. If you don’t really believe it, it is not powerful to you.

James said we must be not only hearers of the word but also doers of the Word. He likens us to a man who looks at his face in a glass and then walks away and forgets what matter of man he was. But in verse 25 he said that Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. What man? This man. What man is this? The man who reads and applies the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that is the man that is going to be blessed. Why? Because he calls the Gospel the perfect law of liberty. This is God’s perfect law. There is nothing wrong with the Gospel. There may be some who would suggest that it is an old fogy. There may be some who would suggest that it is outdated. There may be some who would suggest that it is for them way back then.

This is a perfect gospel, not like the Law of Moses in Hebrews 7:19. Because in Hebrews 7, 8, 9 and 10, Paul talks about the law of Moses and compares it with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He indicated that there were often some things that the law could not do. It wasn’t complete. It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t designed to do what the gospel of Christ could do. If you are relying on the law of Moses for your salvation, you will be waiting for the rest of your life. For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified… in the sight of God, (Galatians 2:16, 3:11). That’s free for all those folks who are still trying to follow the Ten Commandments.

Paul is writing here to a group of Gentiles and wanting them to understand that all they need is the gospel of Jesus Christ. You don’t have to go back and reach into the Old Testament and grab Moses. They were not familiar with Moses anyhow… until those Judaizers came to town and suggested the Gentiles needed to keep the law of Moses—along with the gospel of Jesus Christ—in order to be complete.

Paul told them they were being troubled by some (1:7). He said that they had been bewitched and were foolish (3:1). And then he told them that they did run well but somebody hindered them (5:7).

We need to be reminded that we have a perfect a gospel. Not only is it a perfect gospel but it is a powerful gospel. It has everything that we need. He said that it is God’s power to save men’s souls. You see, nowadays, we have electric power to light the world. We have soul power to entertain the world. We have nuclear power to blow up the world, but only the Gospel power can save the world. If men are going to be saved, it is because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It does not matter what grandpa said. It does not matter what your mama said. All that matters is what the gospel of Jesus Christ has to say.

The Bible tells us in Romans 1:16 that Paul said I’m not ashamed of the gospel Christ: for it is the…—he didn’t say another power, he didn’t say some of the power, he didn’t say a part of the power—he said that it is "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." One needs to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ in order for it to work.

There are several things that this power will do. It will bring about man’s greatest need. What man needs, whether he realizes it or not, is salvation from his sins. That is why Jesus came into the world. In Matthew 1:21-23 it says he came to save his people from their sins. Behold the Lamb of God, John said, which taketh away the sin of the world, (John 1:29). God is concerned about man’s sin problem. Man thinks that his greatest need is to have more money. Money is not the cure to all of your problems and you certainly can’t buy yourself a place in Heaven.

In Luke 12, there was a rich man who thought that his soul could be satisfied with wealth. He kept talking to himself… oh, thou have much goods laid up for many years. Take thine ease. We can retire early. We have all our ducks lined up in a row—my little barn, my middle barn and my big barn, my Egyptian thoroughbred horses, my golden coaches in my garage. I have all the things that other folks look up too, and yet the Bible said this man was not right with God. After he finished talking to himself, bragging on what he had done in his life, a voice came from heaven and said, "Thou fool, this