A WORD TO THE WISE. Proverbs 30: 24. "When Smaller is Better"

Proverbs 30: 24     There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:
25     The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer;
26     The rock badgers [hyraxes] are a feeble folk, yet they make their homes in the crags;
27     The locusts have no king, yet they all advance in ranks;
28     The spider skillfully grasps with its hands, and it is in kings’ palaces.

Proverbs 30: 26.  God shows a lot of love to the little guy.

God chose the nerd over the jock (Jacob over Esau);

the runt of the litter over the big brothers (David over his 7 elder siblings);
the “other son” over the elder princes (Solomon, 2nd son of Bathsheba, David’s 7^th? wife);
the country girl over the metropolitan princess (Mary of Nazareth, not Mary of Jerusalem);
the minority over the majority (Israel over Egypt and everybody else).

The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples (Deuteronomy 7: 7)

It’s a basic principle of personal growth that you should associate with people who are “better” and “better at” stuff than you are.  But when you look at Proverbs 30: 24-28 and the rest of scripture, you should notice that God has a very different concept of “better” than we do.

Bigger isn’t always better.  Sometimes (a lot of the time), it’s the little guy you need to watch and learn from.

Instead of begging for an appointment with that 3,000 member mega-church pastor, have a sit down with the storefront preacher whose 30 person ministry is morally, spiritually, and creatively powerful.

Instead of letting the old core of tithers run EVERYTHING in your church, listen to the wisdom of the broke members and the young members whose hearts are full of genuine love and empty of ambition and the lust for titles.

Instead of imitating the lifestyles and buying imitations of the fashions shown by celebrities, heed the advice of the “regular people” who have quietly worked regular jobs, peacefully raised normal and non-dysfunctional families, humbly prepared for old age, and without any pretense of being ballers, sent their children off into the world fully prepared to live righteously and independently while doing even better than their parents.

The wise man in the palace notices that for all the “great” king’s power, his armies cannot stop the locusts and his guards cannot keep out the spiders.  For all of the rich king’s treasures, and deals, and accountants, the ants save more.  For all the weapons, and fortifications and hardened soldiers the king employs, fuzzy little rodent-like creatures in the rocks are better protected.

We become better people by learning from better people.   Just remember that sometimes (a lot of the time) the better person is the little guy.

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Call  334-288-0577
Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

More personal postings and insights are available on Pastor Graves's personal blog http://andersontgraves.blogspot.com/

If you enjoy our work, please help support our work in the community. Send a donation of any amount by check or money order.
Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road
Montgomery, AL 36116

WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF AND WHY

A good mechanic can fix your car because he/she know the parts and how those parts are supposed to work together.  A great mechanic also understands why the parts work the way they do.  A great mechanic can do more than fix what’s wrong.  A great mechanic can actually make it work better.

If you want to fix what’s wrong in your life, if you want to make yourself into a better you, then there are some thing you need to know.

Find out what those things are in a message called WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF AND WHY.

Listen well.

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---Anderson T. Graves

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 Road
Montgomery, AL 36116

 

LOVE ISN'T ALL YOU NEED

When it comes to relationships, the romantic refrain is “All We Need is Love.” On the surface is seems a very Christian perspective.  After all doesn’t the Bible say that “the greatest of these is LOVE”?

Well, yeah, but that’s not all it says.

Walk through the scriptures with me and face an important truth that may transform your relationships. 

See, the truth is YOU NEED LOVE, BUT LOVE ISN’T ALL YOU NEED.

Find out what else there is.

Listen well.

Podcast Powered By Podbean
---Anderson T. Graves

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 Road
Montgomery, AL 36116

BELLINGRATH COMMUNITY CENTER CLEAN-UP

For 2 years, the Bellingrath Community Center has been closed, benefiting no one in the community. That changes this weekend.

On Friday, May 24^th, from 1-5 P.M.  and Saturday May 25^th, beginning at 9 A.M., volunteers are needed for the Bellingrath Community Center Clean Up!

Location: 70 W Edgemont Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36105

On this day SAYNO (Council on Substance Abuse), NCADD, United Dream Montgomery, Bishop Roosevelt Crawford (Connecting the Body of Christ), Empowering Communities Helping Ourselves (ECHO), Hall Memorial CME Church, families, individuals, community members, and many more will be restoring the Bellingrath Community Center. We will be conducting an extensive clean-up process to revive the great community center for those individuals in the Ridgecrest area.

We will provide coffee and donuts in the morning  and pizza, hotdogs, chips etc at noon.

Volunteers will be performing the following jobs:
Yard maintenance
Cleaning
Painting

We also need donations of  the following items:

1. Commercial Grade Dust Mops

 2. Large Dust Pans

 3. Large Commercial Grade Mops

 4. Large Commercial Grade Mop Buckets

 5. Large Trash Cans

 6. Large Wheel Barrows

 7. Weed Eaters

 8. Large Push Brooms

 9. Large Regular Size Brooms

 10. Large Plastic Leaf Rakes

 11. Large Iron Rakes

 12. Large Boxes Of Cleaning Gloves

 13. Large Boxes Of Yard Gloves

 14. Large Bundles Of Cleaning Towels

 15. Toilette Bowl Cleaning Brushes

 16. Large Cans Of Lysol Disinfectant Spray

 17. Large Cans Of Lysol Disinfectant Cleaner

 18. Large Bottles Of Pine-Sol

 19. Large Gals Of Clorox

 20. Large Bottles Of Hand Soap

 21. Large Packs Of Paper Towels

 22. Large Packs Of Tissue

THE HOLY GHOST: WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH HIM?

When I was a kid I loved the “Looney Tunes” cartoon show.  My favorite was Wile E. Coyote who went out everyday trying to catch the Road Runner.
Do you remember that show?  Do you remember when the Coyote caught the Road Runner?

The Coyote had to face a question.  His dilemma is the same one we face, the same one that the early disciples faced on Pentecost Day. 

On this Day of Pentecost we face the same question.

IF YOU HAD/HAVE THE HOLY GHOST, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH HIM?

Listen well.

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---Anderson T. Graves

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 Road
Montgomery, AL 36116

 

A WORD TO THE WISE. Proverbs 30: 23b "Rebellion or Revolution---for Girls"

Proverbs 30: 21  [NKJV]   For three things the earth is perturbed.  Yes, for four it cannot bear up:
22     For a servant when he reigns,
A fool when he is filled with food,
23     A hateful woman when she is married,
And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress.

Proverbs 30: 21, 23b.  Number4, and final, in this list of shifts that shake the world is a maidservant who succeeds her mistress.  Some translations says a handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

So basically we’re talking about a servant who ends up in her boss’s place. 

In a positive sense, this passage about the glory of upward mobility.  An elite leader recognizes and rewards the merits of her lowly employee who is more qualified to lead than her well-connected peers.

In the negative, this scripture is about a sneaky sister who steals her boss’s place (possibly by stealing her boss’s man).

The point is that sisters can choose to be a Hannah or a Hagar.

Hannah was one of two wives in a polygamist marriage (1 Samuel 1: 1-6).  Her sister-wife (actually the Bible calls the other lady Hannah’s rival) had children, but Hannah was barren.  Socially and legally under the Mosaic law, this depressed Hanna’s status to that of junior wife (Deuteronomy 21: 15-17).  In many ancient families, a junior wife without children was little more than a servant to the “blessed” wife/wives.

But 1 Samuel 1 implies that Hannah was a more virtuous woman than her rival.  For this reason, even though she’d given him no heir, Hannah was her husband’s favorite.  When the time came to divide the profits and favor of the family business, the husband gave Hannah a double-portion (1 Samuel 1: 4, 8)  In the Mosaic system, the double portion goes to a man’s chosen HEIR.

Hannah, the virtuous woman, superseded the other woman, and became the family’s HEIR.

God honored Hannah’s godly heart and gave her a son.  Hannah honored God by giving her son back to the Lord to be trained as a priest ( 1 Samuel 1: 9-28). 

That son was named Samuel.  Samuel was not entitled to high rank in the family, but out of his place in the temple, he became the most important spiritual and political figure in the nation.

Samuel instituted the monarchy in Israel.  He prophesied the rise and fall of high priests and kings.  Samuel consecrated the biological line of the Messiah. 

Through virtue, humility, and the integrity to keep her promises to God, Hannah brought forth a son who changed the world.

Hagar was maidservant to Abraham and Sarah.  Hagar got caught up in a scheme to use sin (adultery in this case) as a backdoor to attaining God’s promised blessing.  Drama ensued when Hagar gave birth to  Abraham’s firstborn son. 

Hagar got an attitude with Sarah.  Abraham copted out of his responsibility. Sarah abused Hagar.  Hagar ran away with the child. Then they came back. (Genesis 16)  

Abraham was crazy about his son.  He exalted the child, which meant that he exalted Hagar (Genesis 17: 18).  The young maidservant supplanted her mistress.

Hannah’s rise was based on godliness.  Hagar’s rise was based on sin.

Hannah’s son became one of the greatest prophets in history.  He was the kingmaker of Israel. 

Hagar’s son Ishamael became the patriarch of the Arab nations.  He is ultimately the reason Islam, the religio-political enemy of the Jewish nation, exists.

In Proverbs 30: 23, God speaks directly to and about women.  The Holy Spirit delivers an extraordinarily empowering message to the daughters of the King.

No matter where you start, sister, you can rise to the highest status.  Like men, women also leave a legacy.    If your rise is based on godliness, then your legacy will be great.  If your ascension is based on sin and deception, then no matter whom else you blame----your legacy will be one of corruption.

You can climb the ladder in a way that is sinful and REBELLIOUS, or you can advance in a way that is righteous and REVOLUTIONARY.

One way or another, sisters ---- you have equal potential to turn the world upside down.

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Call  334-288-0577
Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

To hear sermons, read devotions, and learn more about the ministry at Hall Memorial CME Church, visit www.hallmemorialcme@blogspotcom.

If you enjoy our work, please help support our work in the community. Send a donation of any amount by check or money order.
Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church

A WORD TO THE WISE. Proverb 30: 23a "She's Just Hateful"

Proverbs 30: 21     For three things the earth is perturbed.  Yes, for four it cannot bear up:
22     For a servant when he reigns,
A fool when he is filled with food,
23     A hateful woman when she is married,
And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress.

Proverbs 30: 21, 23.  The sage lists 4 things that create turmoil in the world.  The last two involve women.  (This is where I could quite easily make a sarcastic, semi-sexist comment, but I will resist.)

#3 on the list of earth shaking ironies is a hateful woman when she is married.  Some translations say an unloved woman, but that’s not accurate.  The adjective used is sane| saw-nay’|, which means hate, to hate, and enemy, to be hateful, or, in its participle form, simply “hater.”

So here’s the point:  Finding a man won’t fix you if you’re broken.  If you are, as I heard husbands in Bassfield lament, “just plain hateful” then marriage is not the solution.

A bitter woman (or man) wrapped in the sacred bonds of marriage is a spiritual danger to herself and to others.  Marriage is designed to be an example to the world of the mystery of the intimate relationship between Jesus and His Bride, the Church (Ephesians 5: 31-33).

When our individual hatefulness & brokenness overwhelms the marriage bond, what we deliver in marriage is a corrupted and distorted image of salvation.  The power of our individual prayers is diminished (1 Peter 3: 7).  And our spiritual legacy is corrupted as we produce damaged children instead of godly offspring (Malachi 2: 13-15).

Look around.  Look well, and you’ll see that one of the major reasons our world is so disturbed is that our marriages are so disturbing. 

People postpone marriage until they reach a certain status, income, or educational level.  Yet, seldom do couples wait until they’ve dealt with their respective foolishness, hatefulness, and insanity.

So Mr.  Crazy marries Ms. Hateful and the whole world suffers.

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Call  334-288-0577
Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

To hear sermons, read devotions, and learn more about the ministry at Hall Memorial CME Church, visit www.hallmemorialcme@blogspotcom.

If you enjoy our work, please help support our work in the community. Send a donation of any amount by check or money order.
Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road
Montgomery, AL 36116

A WORD TO THE WISE. Proverbs 30: 21, 22. "Rebellion or Revolution"

Proverbs 30: 21     For three things the earth is perturbed.  Yes, for four it cannot bear up:
22     For a servant when he reigns,
A fool when he is filled with food,

Proverbs 30: 21- 22.  Rebellion or Revolution? When you make certain changes in life the shift automatically brings conflict and upheaval because you are challenging the status quo and upsetting the expected order.  Through these situational shifts you become one of “those who turn the world upside down” (Acts 17: 6). 

And that may be a good thing, or not.  It all depends on whether you’re being rebellious or revolutionary.

David’s transition from servant to king was revolutionary.  When David is first introduced in the scriptures, he is little more than a personal servant to his father and 6 older brothers.  After David slew the giant Goliath, he was retained to serve King Saul as armorbearer, personal musician, and eventually an officer in the Israeli army under Saul’s command (2 Samuel 16).

Though called and anointed for the throne, David refused to seek his destiny through rebellious/ sinful means.  When Saul turned against him, instead of lashing out in vengeance, David humbled himself, ran and hid.  He only fought Saul’s forces when he absolutely had to in self-defense.  Repeatedly, David refused to use raw power to harm or to order harm against Saul (1 Samuel 24; 1 Samuel 26). 

This wasn’t the most expedient path to the throne, but David was determined to honor God’s holy Word rather than indulge his personal ambition.

Because David kept his ambition under submission to God’s will and God way of doing things, his ascension to the throne was REVOLUTIONARY, but it was not rebellious.

On the other hand, David’s son Absalom started a civil war and for a time took the throne by force (2 Samuel 15).  He publicly raped his father’s wives and tried to kill his father (2 Samuel 16). Prince Absalom’s coup was the act of an ambitious, angry, and damaged son who foolishly hoped that vengeance and violence would fill the emotional void left by a dad who had  been too busy to deal with his son’s issues.

For a time, Absalom had it all.  He was “filled” (Proverbs 30: 22b) but the means of his ascension were sinful and dishonorable.  His was a REBELLION rather than a godly revolution.

David’s REVOLUTIONARY reign was long and blessed.  Unlike any other government in his day, David’s dynasty extended to an eternal line of kings (2  Samuel 7: 12-16).  That had not happened before. 

Absalom’s REBELLIOUS season of power and prosperity was short, destructive, and cursed.  Absalom sowed seeds of damage and distrust which were still bearing poison fruit into the early days of his little brother Solomon’s kingdom. 

HOW and WHY you fight will determine whether your rise is a blessed revolution or a cursed rebellion.

If you consider your battles, and inquire of the Lord to decide whether or not you fight---- you’re leading a revolution.

If you attack and try to destroy every perceived enemy----you’re in rebellion.

If you refuse to sin in pursuit of your destiny, if you’d rather have to wait than have to violate God’s commands---- you’re a revolutionary.

If you let the end justify using any sinful means necessary to get what you (think you) deserve------ you’re in rebellion (1 Samuel 15: 23).

If you seek the job because it’s where your anointing has lead you (1 John 2: 27)--- it’s revolution, baby.

If you want the title because it appeals to your ambition---- that’s rebellion.

When you press for greatness,  you are going to upset some people and some institutions.  You are going to have to fight.  You and others will be hurt in the battle that ensue.  Automatic.  Can’t be avoided.  Somebody’s world is going to get turned upside down.

This is true for a person and for the church.

If you’re going to make a difference then you have to make things different.  That’s controversial.  That’s REVOLUTIONARY.

The only way to completely avoid all conflict is to sit and do nothing, to never pursue our greater callings.  In other words, to avoid conflict you have to DIE.

So, every now and then, a person and a church need to do something that is perfectly aligned with God’s will and is also difference-making, earth-shaking------ REVOLUTIONARY.

But watch how you do it.  Be mindful of why you’re fighting.  Let the Word of God set your rules of engagement. 

Down with rebellion.

But get ready for the revolution!

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Call  334-288-0577
Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

To hear sermons, read devotions, and learn more about the ministry at Hall Memorial CME Church, visit www.hallmemorialcme@blogspotcom.

If you enjoy our work, please help support our work in the community. Send a donation of any amount by check or money order.
Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road
Montgomery, AL 36116