BREAD FOR JESUS

So, after giving away almost 200 loaves of bread  (That’s another story. Read the "Free Bread" post.), I got up yesterday morning and I still had some bread left.

My family has plenty of bread so they weren’t going to eat it, and I was heading to an out of town conference.  I didn’t want to waste the gift but my time was compressed. I just put the bread on the backseat of my truck and headed out. 

I had 5 hours to drive and I was anxious to get on the interstate as soon as possible, but I’d left something that I needed in my office at church.   This meant that instead of going straight to I -65 I would take the back way to Hall Memorial CME Church. 

There’s a spot on the back way where the main road in Montgomery (East Blvd.) terminates and intersects the main backroad from Prattville to Montgomery.

At that intersection is a railroad crossing and a very, very small concrete median.  On this particular morning, there was a little old white guy sitting on that concrete median with a sign that said, “Hungry.  Please Help.”

Now, I could either stop and burn precious travel time dealing with a guy who could be a con artist and/ or a nut; or I could just keep passing by on the other side of the road.

I pulled into the driveway of the nearest business and walked back across the railroad crossing onto the little median. 

As cars whizzed by I asked the man, “Are you really hungry?  Because I don’t have money but I can give you some bread.”

He said, “Oh, yes!  Thank you, brother.”

I walked back to my truck and returned with the bread. 

Now, here’s the part that tripped me out.

I gave him the loaf of bread.  He told me that his name was George.  Then he asked me, “Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?”

First of all, he had to repeat the question 3 times because it was hard to understand his garbled voice coming past his one tooth while the mack trucks were passing by.

Second of all, THE HOMELESS DUDE SITTING LITERALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET ASKED THE PREACHER (ME), “Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?”

I kinda laughed and said, “Yes.  Yes I do.”

He smiled a wide, gummy smile and held out his hands.

I took his hands and since he didn’t try to rise, I squatted down to eye level.

Then he, the homeless guy with a “Hungry. Please Help” sign and what looked like a discarded girl’s backpack, bowed his head and prayed for me.

HE prayed for ME.

HE prayed a blessing on ME.

So there on a little strip of concrete median early Wednesday morning was a homeless-looking old White guy and a fairly well-dressed (black dress shirt, black dress pants, black shoes) Black guy squatting next to a child’s backpack and a loaf of bread, holding hands, heads bowed------------praying. 

And let me say this again.

The beggar in the street prayed for the preacher in the truck.

As I was walking back to my truck, I heard George call out something.  I turned back, and though I couldn’t understand everything, I know that the last word he said was, “Brother!”  Then he raised his hand, fingers clinched in the air and waved.

That’s right.  He gave me the Black Power salute!

Now, the reality is I don’t know George’s story.  I don’t know if he ate the bread, sold it, threw it away, or tossed it in the fridge next to the steaks in his 5 bedroom house. 

I do know this.   If today the Lord Jesus Christ calls us all to judgment, separating the sheep from the goats, I may have to answer for many things, but at least I will be able to say,

“Lord, when You were hungry I gave You bread, and You blessed me, and You said Your name was George.”

 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ^ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ^39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” ^

^ And the King will answer and say to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” ---Matthew 25: 37-40

----- Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

Call/ fax: 334-288-0577
Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com
Friend Pastor Graves at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

If you want to be a blessing to this ministry, contributions may be made by check or money order.

Mail all contributions to :

Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Rd.,
Montgomery, AL 36116
 

FREE BREAD

Last Friday, afternoon a friend called me out of the blue and asked, "Anderson, do you want some bread?"

Then they delivered about 20 boxes (8 loaves per box of fresh) high-end bread to Hall Memorial CME Church.   For free.

No paperwork. No strings. Totally, completely legal and legit.

This was more than enough to help some folks in the church and to help a lot of homeless and transient folks to whom I gave loaves and loaves of bread up and down the strip in Montgomery.

Yeah. Almost 200 loaves of fresh bread. For free. Unsolicited.

Now tell me that God won't provide for our folks and our ministries when we are faithful to His Word and will.

I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.  -- Psalm 37: 25

----- Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

Call/ fax: 334-288-0577
Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com
Friend Pastor Graves at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

If you want to be a blessing to this ministry, contributions may be made by check or money order.

Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Rd.,
Montgomery, AL 36116

A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 28: 14. "Good Fear"

Proverbs 28: 14     Happy is the man who is always reverent, But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. (NKJV)

Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble. (NIV)

Blessed are those who fear to do wrong, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble. (NLV)

Proverbs 28:14.  One of the first phrases that boys learn to utter is, “I ain’t scared,”  soon followed by “I ain’t scared of nothing.”  Men and boys value courage, and rightly so.  But, there is a crucial difference between being brave and being genuinely, absolutely FEARLESS. 

I return to my father’s principle, “Boy, don’t you be afraid of nothing except God--- and me.”

Children and adults need to be afraid---- of the right things. 

Parents, love your kids.  Teach them to think, to love, and to rationally choose to good. But, it’s not a bad thing to also instill in your children health FEAR of your wrath as they begin to grow in wisdom. 

As a former little boy, let me tell you that there are times when “You don’t want to make mommy sad, do you?” won’t work; but “Do you want to get a whoopin’?” will.

Yes.  I’m saying that your kids need to be (at least a little bit) scared of you.

That way, they’ll grow up to be adults who are afraid---- of God.

A good man is courageous.  He is brave enough to take a hit to advance toward his goal.  He has the courage to face attacks against himself if it’s necessary to protect his family or others who can’t protect themselves.   He isn’t scared of difficulty or the risk that he’ll be wrong.   A good man isn’t afraid of being wrong but  he is scared of doing wrong.  

In other words, a good man is afraid---- of God.

Yes, God loves us.   Yes, God blesses, protects, forgives, and (if we’ll receive it) redeems us from condemnation.

But, God also judges us.  He sets standards and limits, and if we stray too often or too far beyond the boundaries God has set for our good, then God allows and/or does painful things in our lives.

I’m a big dude, and I have a black belt in Shotokan karate, but my “arms are too short to box with God.” 

It’s not a bad thing for us Christians to remember that the FEAR of the Lord is where wisdom begins.  And, it’s not a bad thing for your children to be given a health FEAR of your wrath as they begin to grow in wisdom. 

On the other hand, don’t.  Go with the “Fear’s bad.  That’s mean.  Only use positive reinforcement” approach.  What harm could there be in creating adults who have no fear of the consequences of their actions?  How could it possible go badly to produce young people who are indoctrinated with the idea that nothing bad will or should ever happen to them not matter what personal choices they make?  Oh, wait.  We’re already trying that.

Maybe God actually knows what He’s talking about.

Jude ^22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; ^23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire...

----- Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

Call/ fax: 334-288-0577
Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com
Friend Pastor Graves at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

If you want to be a blessing to this ministry, contributions may be made by check or money order.

Mail all contributions to :

Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Rd.,
Montgomery, AL 36116
 

A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 28: 13 "Secrets of the Second Chance"

Proverbs 28: 13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

Proverbs 28: 13. First, notice the word that Solomon uses as a synonym for prosperity. Prosperity = Mercy.

Now understand the progression.

We fail (to prosper) because we don’t recognize, don’t value, or don’t take full advantage of the opportunities we have to succeed. Whatever the reason, when those chances have passed us by the only way we can succeed in the future is if we get a second chance.

The problem is: Nobody deserves a 2nd chance. Not them. Not you. Not me.

Everyone is entitled to a chance, but no one deserves another chance when they’ve blown the first one fair and square.

When we need another shot at success/ prosperity, when we need a 2nd chance, what we’re asking for is MERCY.

Now, let’s say God grants you mercy and you get a another chance at that interview, that test, that business, that marriage, or that invitation to give your life to Christ--- you can respond in one of two ways:

a) You can admit to God and to yourself that you were the one who screwed up the original opportunity. Nobody else is to blame. Doesn’t matter what anybody else did or does. You will handles this opportunity better than you handled the last one.

b) Or, you can blame your parents, the coach, the interviewer, the system, the company, the weather, the man, and/or the Lord and do exactly the same thing this time that you did last time.

Choose option A and the mercy of a 2nd chance can yield success/ prosperity.

Choose option B and you’ll end up with a repeat of the same failure.

None of us have built our success alone. We’ve all benefited from 2nd chances. Our prosperity is a result of the mercy of God and of people.

But, the mercy of others cannot build your success. You have to do your work. No matter what people, institutions, governments, or God Himself gives you---- unless you confess and correct your sins and faults, you’ll just keep failing (to prosper) no matter how many chances you get.
----- Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

Call/ fax: 334-288-0577
Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com
Friend Pastor Graves at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

If you want to be a blessing to this ministry, contributions may be made by check or money order.

Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Rd.,
Montgomery, AL 36116

CHILD WORSHIP: DON'T DO IT!

1 Samuel 2: 29 Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me…?’


God asked, “Why do you honor your sons more than you honor Me?”

I love my children, and you should love yours, too. But, if you or I uphold them in wrong, excuse them in their sin, or sin ourselves to fulfill their will; then we have crossed the line from loving your children. Now, we are worshipping our children.

And that’s a bad move because God is a jealous God.

Eli was high priest and judge of Israel. He represented the highest and holiest of religious and administrative authority among the people of God. Eli was always at church. He loved the Lord and served the people. He even took in a kid named Samuel, mentored him, and raised him as his own. Eli was respected and beloved in his community.

But, Eli had sons, and Eli worshipped his sons.

He’d raised the boys in church and exposed them to his good example, but when his sons acted a fool in the sanctuary, Eli did nothing.

When his sons seduced the girls who came to house of the Lord, Eli did nothing.

Eli knew. He saw what they were doing. He begged them to stop. But, he never actually put them in check. He didn’t make them sit down in church. He made it clear that it was no one else’s place to reprimand his children. He defended them in public. He continued to give them honors, and authority, and gifts---- as much as they wanted whenever they wanted it.

The behavior of Eli’s sons brought shame to the house of God. They rebelled against the commandments of God. Yet, Eli continually took his kids’ side although their side wasn’t God’s side.

In other words, Eli worshipped his sons more than he worshipped God.

And that just won’t do.

You can’t have 2 masters. The 2 masters will get inevitably come into conflict over you.

If you worship the Lord and then bow down to your children, your children/ idols will demand that you abandon God for them (I ain’t goin’ to church! Man, don’t nobody care about all that Bible junk! Stop talking that Jesus stuff all the time.)
When that happens God will smack your children and you to remind everybody that I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, (Isaiah 42:8)

1 Samuel 2: 17 Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.

1 Samuel 2: 30 Therefore the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the Lord says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.

Because the saved, sanctified, filled-with-the-Holy Ghost parent would not check his bad, all-on-the-youth-trip–acting-a-fool children, God checked them all---- hard.

God cursed Eli’s family, because Eli’s family had rejected the worship of God and taken up the worship of children.

Read 1 Samuel 2: 31-32. Read it carefully and see if the curses on Eli don’t sound familiar to our society.

1 Samuel 2: 31 Behold, the days are coming that
I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.
32 And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place,
despite all the good which God does for Israel. And
there shall not be an old man in your house forever.
33 But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart.
And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age.

How many homes right now have women and boys/ man-boys, but not a single real, mature man?

How many family walls are filled with pictures of mothers and children , but for 3 or more generations, there’s not a single picture of father and mother together?
there will not be an old man in your house.

How many parents come to church asking for help with their children, but reject it because they don’t know how to receive correction. The parents themselves feel like everybody’s judging them, picking on them, talking about them?
you will see an enemy in My dwelling place

Think about all the good, decent, hard working parents who have been blessed and highly favored by God but who can’t teach Sunday School because Sunday morning is visitation time at the jail and they need to go check on their “baby.”

Think about how many times a parent has wept over the unrepentant sinfulness of his/her child, saying, “But we gave them everything.”
despite all the good which God does

And even when baby-boy and baby-girl are home, they won’t work, won’t help, won’t listen. They won’t do any better for themselves, and they won’t let mama do any better for herself. Think about the parents whose hearts are broken anew everyday as their eyes watch their children continually self-destruct.
any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart.

You can be in almost any setting where parents are gathered and hear someone lament the loss of our youth, how they’re dying so young.
all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age.

Eli’s sons were killed. They died violent deaths. Eli himself died miserable and broken-hearted. His boys literally worried him to death.

Love your children, and love God.

But worship God alone.

When your baby’s behavior conflicts with the Word of God, adjust the child not your interpretation of the Word.

When the desire to fill your child’s childhood with the best and the newest demands that your behavior violate the Word of God, choose to maintain your integrity and right-standing with God, and let them go without the best and the newest that time.

Love your children so much that you will not worship them.   It's for their own good.
----- Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church
Call/ fax: 334-288-0577
Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com
Friend Pastor Graves at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

If you want to be a blessing to this ministry, contributions may be made by check or money order.

Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Rd.,
Montgomery, AL 36116

A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 28: 12 "Make Your Vote Count"

Proverbs 28: 12 When the righteous rejoice, there is great glory; but when the wicked arise, men hide themselves.



Proverbs 28: 12. Elections are always spiritual contests, conflicts of good vs. evil. “Good” meaning whomever you are voting for. “Evil” of course meaning whomever your guy’s running against.

At the end of the day, none of us human citizens really know what’s in the heart of any of the candidates or how those hearts would respond to the power and problems that their campaigns seek.

No. You DON’T know.

None of the candidates are perfect. None of them has a purely Christian agenda. (They’re all just kinda christian-ish.)

As citiziens, as Christians, as people who claim to care about other people, as people whose signature prayer is “Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven,” we have an undeniable obligation to vote. It is our duty to do what we can to raise up leaders who are more likely to bend their will to the will of our God.

Our ethnic, economic, and social biases and assumptions can and do blind us. So, how do we choose? Use the criteria of Proverbs 28:12.

Imagine that a year from now, 9 months after inauguration day, the policies of the person you voted for are all, fully implemented just the way they he it in the campaign.

(Don’t imagine that the policies will have had the promised effect. Everybody promises that the effect will be rainbows and sunshine, new cars and fabulous hair for everybody. Set aside which way will supposedly fix the economy overnight and bring the world peace that both sides delusionally promise. )

Next year this time, will it be easier or harder for you to serve God the way you are burdened to serve?

Will it be easier or harder for you to respond to the homeless, sick, incarcerated, unfamiliar, and hungry with Christ-like compassion?

Will it be easier or harder for you to spread the Truth of the Bible, to exhort, rebuke, reprove, and teach as God has commanded?

Setting aside how you will personally feel about whomever wins, how will the people you do/ will serve feel about what your church is doing a year from now?

Pray and vote for the one under whom you think can save more souls and change more lives for the better.

Instead of voting based on how you want to feel the day after the election, vote based on how you want your ministry to perform a year after the election.

Choose so that the righteous (not the self-righteous) will rejoice a year from now.

Choose so that the lost have a better of being found a year from now.

Choose because what’s best for the Kingdom is what’s best for the nation.

Choose that way and your conscience will be clear before God, whichever way things go in November.
----- Anderson T. Graves II


Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church
Call/ fax: 334-288-0577
Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com
Friend Pastor Graves at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

If you want to be a blessing to this ministry, contributions may be made by check or money order.

Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Rd.,
Montgomery, AL 36116

HOW YOUR TALK CAN CHANGE YOUR WALK (sermon audio)

HOW YOUR TALK CAN CHANGE YOUR WALK

Listen well.

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Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

Call/ fax: 334-288-0577
Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com   
Friend Pastor Graves at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves  

If you want to be a blessing to this ministry, contributions may be made by check or money order.

Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Rd.,
Montgomery, AL 36116

A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 28:11 "It's Your Money"

Proverbs 28: 11     The rich man is wise in his own eyes, but the poor who has understanding searches him out.

Proverbs 28: 11.  It’s Friday and for some folks that means, “It’s payday!” 

You're goingt to  get that check and feel good about yourself.  You’ll feel valued and valuable, mature and worthy of respect, independent and deserving of a little fun and appreciation. 

 

Then the weekend will call to you.  The weekend will sing you its song of carefree fun.  If you listen, you'll spend the next 2 days giving all or most of that check to women and men who don’t look nearly as well-paid as you.  Waiters, managers, bartenders, sales clerks, etc. will finish the weekend with money that used to belong to you.

But then, somewhere between Sunday morning and Monday afternoon, you will remember that some of that money never did belong to you.  Parts of it had already been claimed by creditors, promises, and responsibilities. 

Somewhere around the “hump” between paychecks you’ll be poor all over again.

And that’s how multi-millionaire athletes and entertainers end up homeless.  That is how businesses and governments can have decades of record-breaking income and go bankrupt. 

If you handle your money like you’re rich and stupid, one day you’ll find yourself still stupid but no longer rich. 

But, If you handle your money like you’re poor and wise, one day you’ll find yourself still wise but no longer poor. 

This is how people, companies, and countries no one's ever heard of end up owning controlling interest in institutions that thought they'd always be on top of the world.

Don’t try to look like you’re the richest person in the house.  Learn, observe, and discipline yourself so that you are the wisest person in the room.

The rich fools are going to spend their money on somebody's   products and plans.  Might as well be yours.  The rich fools are going to give their money to somebody.  Might as well be you.

Be wiser and it will be.

 

Proverbs 13: 22   A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

----- Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

Call/ fax: 334-288-0577
Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com
Friend Pastor Graves at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

If you want to be a blessing to this ministry, contributions may be made by check or money order.

Mail all contributions to :

Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Rd.,
Montgomery, AL 36116

A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 28: 10 "The Most Dangerous Kind"

Proverbs 28: 10     Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, he himself will fall into his own pit; but the blameless will inherit good.

Proverbs 28: 10.  Some people hate it when other folks do good.  Mind my grammar now.  I don’t mean simply that they hate to see other people do WELL.  I’m talking about people who hate to see others do GOOD.

These people aren’t just mad that you and your wife bought a house; they’re pissed because you and your wife are faithful to each other.   Some folks are jealous of the choir director because of her talent; others are angry because she’s actually a nice person who loves God, minds her business, and focuses on worship instead of church politics.   Some people hate Tim Tebow because of his playing style or his team affiliation; others despise him because he speaks the name of Jesus in reverence not in profanity.

When the serpent tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, satan didn’t just want to see humanity evicted from their home and demoted to a level of pain and frustration.  Satan wanted Adam and Eve to violate God’s commandment and then die.  The devil wanted Adam and Eve to go to Hell, too.  

Too.

The spirits and people who, like satan, have embraced their sin and rebelled against God in their hearts will use the same tactic.    They will do everything they can to encourage anyone who walks righteously to stop doing GOOD.

It’s not enough for them that they seem to get away with their sin but they want you to join them and endorse their particular wrongness.    If you don’t then you’re “intolerant”  or “judgmental” or “phobic.”

The most dangerous sinner is the sinner who wants the righteous to become sinners, too. 

 

Such people are a danger to others and to themselves.  They try to make room for others in their pit of sin, but they’re just digging  themselves into a deeper and deeper spiritual hole.   Don’t let them pull you in.  If you do BAD then BAD is what you’ll get.

Stay in the light where God is.  Stay in the light of Jesus Christ.  Keep doing GOOD and you will do WELL.  

---Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

Call/ fax: 334-288-0577
Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com
Friend Pastor Graves at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

If you want to be a blessing to this ministry, contributions may be made by check or money order.

Mail all contributions to :

Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Rd.,
Montgomery, AL 36116

HOW DO I LOVE MY NEIGHBOR?

Last week I preached a sermon called “Oh, How Do I Love Jesus?”  I thought was that with that topic, but it turns out that God had another move to make.

This message came as a companion to the previous Word.  As God advances the work of His kingdom in and through us, there are 2 major moves to make, 2 major questions to answer.  The first is: How do I love Jesus?

The 2^nd move comes out of the question for this message: HOW DO I LOVE MY NEIGHBOR?

Listen well.

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Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

Call/ fax: 334-288-0577
Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com   
Friend Pastor Graves at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves  

If you want to be a blessing to this ministry, contributions may be made by check or money order.

Mail all contributions to :

Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Rd.,
Montgomery, AL 36116

A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 28: 9 "Shut Up Talking to Me!"

Proverbs 28: 9     One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

Proverbs 28: 9. This little kid was lagging behind his mom on the toy aisle in Dollar Tree. 

She said, “Come on, we’re not getting any toys today.”

He said, “Shut up talking to me.”

I moved off the aisle so I couldn’t be called as a witness.

(Now, the little boy actually mumbled/ whispered when he said it, but he was at that age when you haven’t really mastered how to mumble/ whisper without being heard.)

From the school supplies aisle I could soon hear a sound like  blows landing, keeping time to a rapid-fire string of prophetic utterances.  Now, I didn’t see a thing, but I could make out statements like “If you ever….”  “I will beat you until…”  “You little…”  “….kill you…”   

(I don’t know the context, officer.  I didn’t see a thing.)

What I did see (though I pretended not to) was a red-faced, disheveled mother power-walk past me dragging an even-more disheveled, shocked, and clearly still worried little boy (who did not have a new toy). 

Mama made a sharp turn up the candles aisle and the little boy bounced off the back edge of the shelf.

“Ow,” he cried.

“Shut up talking to me!” his mother said without breaking stride.

God, in His Word and by the many means of His Spirit, speaks  to us.  Through preaching, prayer, spiritual music, Bible study, and direct revelation (never in contradiction to the written Word), God tells us what we should and shouldn’t do, what we are and aren’t supposed to have.   

Sometimes, when what He says contradicts what we want, we decide to stop listening. 

When a sermon convicts, instead of repenting sometimes some folk just stop going to church.  When a Christian brother or sister discretely, properly, and lovingly comes to us about a sin in our lives that is real and wrong, instead of dealing with it sometimes some folks respond by deleting that person from their friends list.  When the Bible says in clear, repeated, and persistent terms that certain behaviors make God sad and/ or sick, some folks sometimes close their Bibles and call it archaic, patriarchal, and irrelevant to the modern age.

Basically, those folks in those times say to God, “Shut up talking to me.”

Of course, they don’t say it out loud.  They don’t move their mouths at all to utter those particular sounds; but they forget that hearts speak as loudly to God as lips.

God loves us enough to save us eternally from our sins and to deliver us daily from their full earthly consequences. 

But, remember that For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.(Hebrews 12: 6)

God hears our prayers, but if we don’t want Him to speak His truth in answer remember that a time came when God told His prophet that He was through listening for a while.

Therefore I also will act in fury. My eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them. (Ezekiel 8:18)   

It’s not a good idea to tell God to shut up talking to you.  He might reply the same way.  

Then, not even a man of God on the next aisle over will be able to help.

“So do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble.” (Jeremiah 11:14)

 

Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. (Matthew 7: 26) 

----- Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

Call/ fax: 334-288-0577

Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com

Friend Pastor Graves at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

If you want to be a blessing to this ministry, contributions may be made by check or money order.

Mail all contributions to :

Hall Memorial CME Church

541 Seibles Rd.,

Montgomery, AL 36116

 

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT BREAKING UP

This was originally written for a specific person in a specific situation---someone who'd asked me for a Biblical perspective on breaking up with a boyfriend/ girlfriend.  Maybe though it can help someone else.

                Despite all the “rights” we claim in Western society, God only identifies a small number of actual human rights.  Off- hand I can only think of 2 things to which the Bible says that you and I are actually entitled: death and love.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death.  Of course the word “wages” rather than say “consequence” indicates that it’s what we’ve earned/ deserve.   Jesus addresses that in His work of salvation.

The other thing that the Bible plainly says is owed to us is love.  People say that the only certainties are death and taxes.  God says that though we should pay our taxes, the only certainties are actually death and love.

Romans 13: 7     Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

8     Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

                Since love is a Biblical mandate, fulfilling that mandate requires a Biblical definition of what love is.

1 Corinthans 13: 4     Love suffers long and

 is kind;

love does not envy;

love does not parade itself,

is not puffed up;

5     does not behave rudely,

does not seek its own,

is not provoked,

thinks no evil;

 6     does not rejoice in iniquity, but

rejoices in the truth;

7     bears all things,

believes all things,

hopes all things,

endures all things.

8a     Love never fails. …

                Notice that God’s definition focuses on how you love someone not how much you love them.  Your boyfriend/ girlfriend may sincerely love you a whole lot, but if they love you wrong it doesn’t really matter if they love you much.

So, if you were dating someone who did not, would not, and wasn’t willing to learn how to provide the God-commanded love to which you are entitled and the two of you broke up---- it’s O.K. 

(Now there are 2 important caveats here: (1) This applies to a dating break-up.  Divorce is more complicated because marriage is deeper than dating. (2) You are entitled to love as God defined it not necessarily the way you define it.  The kind of love you personally want may or may not fit with God’s definition.)

If you chose to be alone rather than to deepen an emotional attachment to someone who refuses to follow God’s direction then remember the words of Deuteronomy 31: 6.

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

                There’s really no point in casting your pearls before swine or sowing your seed among thorns (Matthew 7: 6; Jeremiah 4: 3).  You could experience momentary emotional pleasure by getting right back with that person, but if he/she doesn’t alter their mindset to include a Biblical view of love then you will both just suffer more later on.

                Now, don’t take this to mean that the other person is necessarily a pig or that all of the thorns in the side of your relationship grew from them.  Let’s be real here.

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

It takes two people to have a relationship, and I’ve yet to see or hear about a human-human relationship in which both people didn’t participate in screwing it up.

So use this alone-time to get alone with God, and deal with your issues because you do have some.

1 Corinthians 10: 12     Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

And, if you will be honest with God about your contribution to the failure of the relationship, then He will use this time to improve the you that you are so that you are ready to receive the future blessing of the right one to be with.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If you don’t then keep in mind that God never gives us more trouble or more blessing than we are prepared to handle.  If you don’t let Him make you better then you can’t really expect Him to give you better.

Maybe you want to know when.  When will you find the right person?  When will you get past your own crap?

When the time is right.

But your worrying and stressing and going all dark and emo about the break-up will not make the right time arrive one second sooner.  It might make you more susceptible to being deceived into thinking that the next moment is automatically the right one, but making yourself miserable won’t actually move you to the right moment.

Matthew 6: 34 do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Concentrate now on your other relationship.  You know, the one  you have with Jesus.

James 4: 8 Draw close to God and he will draw close to you.

                If you have issues that you don’t understand,  through prayer, and Bible study, and carefully selected godly counsel come to understand yourself.    Or, if you’re not the one who’s messed up but you are messed up enough to keep blaming yourself for all of the mess, you need to understand where that’s coming from, too.   Either way: prayer, Bible study, and carefully selected godly counsel.

James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Jesus loves you.  He loved you when you were at your worst.  He loved you when you had done the worst thing you ever did in your life.  He loves you now, and He will always love you.  Jesus wants you to know the fullness of His love.  Then you can recognize and give the fullness of human love in the way God wants you to experience it.

Jeremiah 29:11  “I know the plans that I have for you”, declares the LORD. “They are plans for peace and not disaster,  plans to give you a future filled with hope.”

Other passages for you to consider:

·         1 Corinthians 10: 13     
·         1 Thessalonians 4: 4
·         Psalms 34: 18  
·         Isaiah 41: 10  
·         Ephesians 4: 15
----- Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

Call/ fax: 334-288-0577
Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com
Friend Pastor Graves at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves
If you want to be a blessing to this ministry, contributions may be made by check or money order.

Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Rd.,
Montgomery, AL 36116

A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 28: 8 "God Laughs"

Proverbs 28: 8     One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion gathers it for him who will pity the poor.

Proverbs 28: 8.  The resources for your holy endeavor will not come only from holy sources. 

Because God has a sense of humor.

The walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt and the temple rededicated by the Jewish laymen Nehemiah and the priest Ezra, but the project was funded by a pagan king who still held Israel as a conquered tributary state (Nehemiah chapter 2).

The Hebrew slaves who should have walked into freedom penniless instead began their Exodus weighed down with supplies and jewels given them by their Egyptian masters (Exodus 12: 31-36).

The modern state of Israel itself was a gift given by the victors of World War II to an ethnic group that every country, including Britain and the United States, had and would discriminate against on its own shores.

Over and over, the Bible and secular history paints a picture of God smiling as He says, “Watch this.  Watch this.  These folks don’t worship me and they don’t like my people, but I’m gonna make them to pick up the tab for what my people want to do.  Oh, Jesus, this is gonna be hilarious!”

Be clear on what God wants you to do, and do it.  Move wisely.  Move prayerfully.  But don’t let the lack of funding inside your ministry stop you from moving.   Complete the small steps and share the joy you have in working faithfully on God’s plan.  Ask for what you need.  When you reach the end of your rope, if you haven’t reached the end of God’s plan, then God will provide the means for you to continue in His work.

[Be] confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1: 6)

You don’t have to borrow your church into the ground.  You don’t have to find unethical revenue streams.  You don’t have to pimp the gospel.  You don’t have to wink at sin because the sinner is writing a check.   All you have to do is work your tail off and ask.

God loves providing for His people.  He’ll provide through saints and He’ll provide through sinners.  

When He uses saints to provide, God smiles.

When He uses sinners to provide, God laughs.

Be persistent and consistent in righteousness and in labor and you can share in the Lord’s joy.

His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ (Matthew 25: 21)

----- Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

Call/ fax: 334-288-0577
Email us at hallmemorialcme1@aol.com
Friend Pastor Graves at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves
If you want to be a blessing to this ministry, contributions may be made by check or money order.

Mail all contributions to :

Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Rd.,
Montgomery, AL 36116