A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 27: 1 (Name It but Don't Claim It)

Proverbs 27: 1     Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

Proverbs 27: 1.  “You never know what you’re gonna get.”  That’s what Forrest Gump’s mama always said about life and boxes of chocolates.  

But if Mama Gump was right, how can I name and claim what I want if I can’t know what I’m gonna get?   Didn’t Jesus say that if I believe when I ask, then I can have whatsoever I desire (John 15: 7)?  He did, but He said that there were several conditions for that case.

John 15: ^7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ^8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Condition 1) abide in Me - I have to be saved.  It’s insufficient to be associated with a church if I’m not abiding in Christ.

Condition 2) My words abide in you - God’s Word/ His commands dictating my conduct and character must be a permanent and persistent part of my identity.  Quoting a few verses here & there means nothing if His total Word doesn’t live/ abide in me.
Condition 3) My Father is glorified - My desires (and the receiving of those desires) must serve the purpose of glorifying God.
Condition 4) you bear much fruit - My desires (and the receiving of those desires) must serve the purpose of bearing fruit in/ for the Kingdom of God.
* so you will be My disciples-  If Conditions 3 & 4 don’t happen then I don’t meet Condition #1.

Yet, even when all of these conditions are reached, there’s still the question of how I can really, truly know what I’m gonna get when tomorrow comes.  Can I speak my earthly future with confidence?  Do I now get to boast of my tomorrow?

Nope.

I can be sure that God will give me what I ask in Jesus’ name/ in line with Jesus’ person and will.  But, I cannot be sure where those blessing will take me.  After all, I don’t get what I get so that I can brag about what I have.  I get what I get so that I can bear Kingdom fruit that glorifies God.

In prayer I can name the job I’m asking the Lord for, but I can’t claim the job (not even when I get it) because the job isn’t primarily about me.  The job is a blessing that’s about glorifying God and bearing Kingdom fruit.

In prayer, I can name deliverance from debt and an inheritance for my children, but I can’t claim the money that comes because those payments and provision are blessings for God’s glory not mine.  Those blessings are for the bearing of generations of Kingdom fruit, not for my continued bragging rights.

In Luke 12: 16-21 Jesus (the same Jesus who gave the conditional promises of John 15: 7, 8) told a parable about a rich man who had so much stuff that he went to bed saying, “I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. ^And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”

The rich dude claimed the increase of tomorrow for himself. 

God replied, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?”

If I try to claim what I’ve named in Jesus’ name, then I’m trying to brag/ to boast.  And that’s foolish.

Nowhere in the parable did Jesus say that the rich man was dishonest or unreligious.  The problem was that the rich man had laid up treasure for himself.  He should have left the claim on his riches for God (Luke 12: 21).

You don’t know if tomorrow will bring health or sickness.  Name health when you pray, but don’t claim to be entitled to relief from sickness.  You don’t know if the day may bring a thorn in the flesh meant to demonstrate the sufficiency of God’s grace and making you stronger than if you’d had perfect physical health (2 Corinthians 12: 7-10).   

You don’t know if tomorrow will bring deliverance for your lost friend or a deeper slide into sin.  Name deliverance when you pray today, but don’t claim to be entitled to see them delivered in 24 hours.  You don’t know if the day may bring that friend to rock bottom because that’s the only way he’ll/ she’ll learn not to reject God (1 Timothy 1: 20).  Their ultimate deliverance may require their immediate sifting (Luke 22: 31) so that they will emerge spiritually transformed and able to strengthen their brothers & sisters (Luke 22: 32).

Don’t lay claim to tomorrow, boasting that you know what you’re gonna get.  ^Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” (James 4: 15)

Leave all claims on tomorrow to God.  He actually does know what the day will bring.

----- 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 made out to: Hall Memorial CME Church

Mail all contributions to :

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

A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 26: 28

Proverbs 26: 28     A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

Proverbs 26: 28.  Sometimes your “haters” are those who tell you that you can’t do what you actually can, the ones who attack your gifts and calling.

And sometimes, your “haters” are the ones who tell you that you can do what you actually can’t, the ones who flatter you into jumping out into an area that isn’t your calling, your gift, or your business.

Often the flattering hater can discern the spiritual negative.  He/she may not see what God is calling you into, but they can tell where God has posted “Keep out.”  The flattering hater understands that if he/she can get you to walk outside of God’s will then they can bring you to ridicule, cause you to waste time and energy, discourage you from exercising your real gift/ actual calling, and place you in the path of God’s wrath rather than His grace.

In 2 Chronicles 18, a spirit of flattery boosted up the ego of bad king Ahab so he’d go into a battle that God never intended him to win.  Ahab died and almost got his friend, a good king named Jehosophat, killed.

In 1 Kings 13, God sent a prophet to deliver a Word.  God told the prophet very specifically to go straight there and come straight back without eating or drinking.  On his way home, another prophet (actual called man of God) convinced the walking prophet that God had told him to tell him to do the opposite of what God told him to do. 

So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water( 1 Kings 13: 19). While they were having dinner, the deceiver prophesied the death of the prophet who’d been turned aside.  
On his way home, the 1^st prophet was attacked by a lion.  And just to show that this wasn’t an accident, God directed the lion to pull the dude off his donkey, kill him, and then stand next to the body and the donkey without eating either one---- so people could pass by and see what had happened.

It is crucial that you not let discouraging voices prevent you from pursuing the dream that God has given you.  It is equally crucial not to let sweet voices deceive into following the wrong dream.

Part of discerning the difference is remembering that an experience isn’t necessarily a calling.

In Numbers 11: 25, the Holy Spirit fell upon 70 lay elders chosen by Moses.  Every one of those men prophesied ---- once.  They never did so again.   It was a life changing experience, but their callings were not to the prophetic ministry.  Their callings were to lay leadership and care for the community of Israel.

What I’m saying is: Just because you hit one good note one Sunday doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re supposed to get every solo.  Just because your baby made all-stars at YMCA pee-wee camp doesn’t mean you tell him to quit studying because he’s going to the NBA.

Learn what your gifts are, and learn what your gifts are not.   Walk in your calling and not in the calling other people have picked out for you.  Listen to wise people, but obey God rather than man/ woman.

Don’t get yourself flattered into destruction.

----- 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 made out to: Hall Memorial CME Church

Mail all contributions to :

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

The Power of OUR Anointing

There is more to what God wants you to do for Him than just what you do for Him. There’s more to the fulfillment of God’s promises to you than just you.

This message, delivered for the dual celebration of Pentecost and Family &Friends Day is aboutTHE POWER OF OUR ANOINTING.

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 made  out to: Hall Memorial CME Church

Mail all contributions to :

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

A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 26: 27

Proverbs 26: 27     Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

David focused on being a good soldier.  Saul focused on how much better than him David was at being a soldier.  Saul went nuts, lost God’s favor, got involved in witchcraft, and killed himself after losing his son in a battle he never should have fought.   David became king and the ancestor of Jesus Christ.  David kept progressing while Saul fell into his own trap.

David pursued success in terms of how he made himself better at what he did.   Saul thought success could only come by sabotaging the other man’s performance.

Sabotage requires  effort, energy, and commitment.  That’s energy, effort, & commitment that could have made you better at what you do--- but don’t because they’re all concentrated on the other dude.   That’s energy, effort, & commitment that might have improved your chances of success but don’t because they’re aimed only at hindering the other sister’s chances. 

If you choose sabotage then you will never be better than you are. 

See, you can’t possibly control every moment of your rival’s day.  You might mess up their project at work, but you can’t stop them from leaving the office and learning about the job at home.  You might tell lies that make them look bad at lunch but you can’t stop them from living with such dignity the rest of the time that no one cares what you say.   Despite all of your scheming efforts, your enemy might still be progressing forward while you go nowhere.

Basically sabotage subtracts your energy and sends it somewhere else, somewhere that doesn’t benefit you and isn’t guaranteed to harm the one you’re trying to sabotage. 

Do the math.  Sabotage makes you a lesser person.

Now, do the physics. 

When you pour energy into something, you build up potential energy----like pumping pressurized gas into a tank.   As you pour more and more energy into sabotage, the danger become greater while you become weaker (and more vulnerable to the very dangerous situation you’ve created).  

That’s why hateful people keep checking on their own trap.  They keep asking if you clicked on the corrupted file, how you did with the sabotaged presentation, if you talked to the spouse or girlfriend they’d lied to about you, if you want a drink of the water they’d poisoned.    Their spiritual weakness actually pulls them closer to their own trap.

When the trap springs, the saboteur is just as/ more likely to get hurt as the person they tried to harm. 

The more you use sabotage, the weaker you become, and the more likely/ the more deeply your traps will trap you.

Now, if you add the promises of God (Isaiah 54: 17 for example) to the equations then you have a situation in which a trap is set & energized, but the target is protected by God.  Well, when the energy of the trap is released it all rebounds back onto the one who set it all up in the first place.

Forget about trying to make them worse.  Focus on making you better. 

Sabotage isn’t going to work out the way you think. 

----- 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 made out to: Hall Memorial CME Church

Mail all contributions to :

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

A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 26: 24-26 (Loving with Your Eyes Open)

Proverbs 26: 24 He who hates, disguises it with his lips, and lays up deceit within himself;

25 When he speaks kindly, do not believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart;

26 Though his hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.

Proverbs 6: ¹⁶ These six things the Lord hates. Yes, seven are an abomination toHim:

¹⁷ A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸ A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, ¹⁹ A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.

Proverbs 26: 24-26. For our haters, we are to pray for redemption & reconciliation. In Matthew 18: 15-17, Jesus made it clear that victory in a confrontation with someone who’d wronged you is achieved when when you have “gained your brother.” That means that the wrong has been corrected and the relationship has been restored. Consider the example of Jesus converting Saul the persecutor to Paul the apostle (Acts 9).

Unfortunately, not all enemies will become your friend. People can and (some of them) will simply choose to continue hating your guts and pursuing your destruction. Think about King Saul trying to kill David (1 Samuel 18, 19, 24).

So, how do you know if your enemy has become a friend you can now trust or if the enemy has become a fake friend who’s just waiting for a better throwing angle so he/she can pin you to the wall with a spear?

You have to love with your eyes open. You have to see without looking.

If you look for evidence that the conversion wasn’t genuine you’ll find evidence even if none really exists. Many a great relationship has been screwed up become somebody was lookingfor something to go wrong.

“Loving with your eyes open” means you see what’s actually there--- good and bad--- even when what you see isn’t what you’d expected or wanted. “Loving with your eyes open” means acknowledging behavior patterns in your relationship, especially patterns that you would have noticed in someone else’s relationship.

Real repentance happens. Genuine redemption happens. It is the beautiful truth of God’s grace that people really can (and sometimes do) change.

But, if the change isn’t real and if you love with your eyes open, you’ll see 7 abominations as listed in Proverbs 6: 16-19:

1) A proud look. You’lll see arrogance instead of repentance. The “Really? How dare you question me? Don’t you know how lucky you are to have me around?” response.

2) A lying tongue. “That wasn’t me” when you were looking at them, or an appeal to technicalities: “Did you see me take your car or are you assuming that since your car was gone, and after I walked in with your keys you saw it was back in the yard?”

3) Hands that shed innocent blood. If they mistreat other people simply because they can, then it’s likely that they’ll treat you as badly as they feel they can get away with.

Yeah, quit lying to yourself that the way they did so-and-so has nothing to do with you.

4) A heart that devises wicked plans. When they come to your aid it’s with a deceptive, drama-creating, destroy-everybody-and-burn-their-village plan.

5) Feet that are swift to run to evil. They don’t have time for/ are too tired for/ don’t see the need for: church, school, studying, talking, (a job), or whatever are the positive things in your life; but they’re down to ride on some fool or kick up some drama no matter what time of day or night.

6) False witness that speaks lies. If they lie about other people, if all the people who’d been honest and dependable in your life while this person was your enemy become liars and haters who don’t care anything about you once this person becomes “your friend”---- that’s a red flag trimmed in neon with the words GET! OOOUUUUT!

7) One who sows discord among brethren. Once you let this new person into your circle, your other friends start fighting among themselves and drama appears where it had never been before.

These are 7 signs that your new “friend”---- ain’t.

Seek repentance. Pray for reconciliation. Give people a chance to change.

But, don’t be stupid.

Love with your eyes open.

Or you’ll suffer in darkness.

----- 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 made out to: Hall Memorial CME Church

Mail all contributions to :

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

A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 26: 23

Proverbs 26: 23     Fervent lips with a wicked heart are like earthenware covered with silver dross.

Proverbs 26: 23.  Game.  Spin.  The fine art of using beautiful words to express and advance the ugliest of intentions.  Some of the practitioners are so, so very good at it; but if examine a little more carefully....

Consider the male playa who says, “I’m looking for a strong, independent sista who knows who she is.  I’m not trying to be your daddy or your keeper.  I don’t want to define you or make your happiness dependent on me.  I want to be there for you to do you.  I’m looking for a woman who can appreciate me for the good man I am but at the same time is so secure in herself that she’s not worried about what some other woman says about her man.”

So beautiful.

But scratch past the shiny veneer of compliment and empowerment. Weigh the arguments to see what it’s really made of.   What the playa actually said was, “I want a woman who has money and won’t expect me to pay any bills.  I don’t want to make any commitments or be held to any responsibility  I want you to go to your job and take care of me, my wants, and my needs.  And when (not if) I cheat on you I want you to believe whatever lie I tell you.” 

Or think about the politician who tells you, “We want to make sure that job creators have access to resources that aren’t being utilized so that they can put those resources to work creating jobs and wealth.  We want to remove barriers to growth in the labor market and encourage everyone to take responsibility for their own success rather than depending on government to tell them what to do.”

That sounds so grand and empowering.

But scratch past the veneer.  Weigh the arguments carefully.  What the spin-master actually said was, “If you don’t make a lot of money we’re going to take your land and give it to somebody who’s already rich.  If you’re lucky they’ll let you come back and work at making more money for them.  We’re going to rewrite the law so that the rich guys can treat their employees anyway they want.  At the same time we’re giving tax breaks to the rich company we’re going to keep collecting your taxes while cutting any program that might help you rise above your current socioeconomic status.”

It’s so easy to fall for.  It’s like when you get caught up in the rhythm of a song and find yourself singing it until you stop and reaaaalllly listen to the lyrics and you go, “Crap!  Is that what they’re saying?!”

The flow and eloquence of an argument is important, but you need to be able to look beyond how it sounds and discern clearly what it means.

Remember that a clay bowl plated in silver may be just as pretty and just as thick as a dish made entirely of the precious metal.  But, the real silver dish will be heavier, weightier.  The surface color will run deep and show even when scratched.

If you can’t tell up front whether an idea or person is genuine then watch how he/she performs under pressure.  When it’s time to “hold you down”/ to be strong for you, does his/her integrity prove solid----- or light?

When a deeper commitment to the professed principle is needed,do they show themselves genuine and consistent even when scratched/ attacked/ questioned/ confronted?  Or, does a little damage change who they appear to be?

If you’re happy with silver-plated fakeness then fine.  But, if you need/ want something/ someone who’s real all the way through, then return/ repent of the fake stuff; and examine the next dish much more carefully before you commit to it.

(Matthew 23: 23-28)

----- 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 made out to: Hall Memorial CME Church

Mail all contributions to :

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

A WORD TO THE WISE: Proverbs 26: 22

Proverbs 26: 22     The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body.

Proverbs 26: 22.  Some people like gossip. They just do.  Hearing what “I heard that she did…” and what “He said that she told him…”--- it just brings pleasure to some folks.  I don’t personally understand the thrill of gossip, but then I also don’t get how people enjoy eating raw cauliflower or drinking until they throw up and pass out.

For some folks, even good Christian folks, gossip is just a pleasure, a guilty pleasure--- like chocolate when you’re supposed to be on a diet or like cigarettes.   

The problem is that gossip, however much you enjoy it is inherently tainted.  When you consume those rumors, accusations, and innuendo, you ingest a kind of spiritual poison. 

 Sometimes the effect of this contamination is obvious.   People break out in bouts of anger.  They have seizures of conflict.  The joints that bind relationships together weaken and fracture.  Every year, the side effects of contamination from ingesting gossip account for a significant number of injuries and emergency room visits.

Sometimes though the effects of contamination from gossip are less immediate though just as harmful.  Over time, regular exposure to second-hand mess causes brain damage, so that your mind becomes less able to discern truth.  It damages the heart, causing diminished compassion, less love, and an overall feeling of bitterness toward people.  Your vision suffers, rendering you unable to shift you focus away from petty things and toward the real, important qualities in people and callings of God.

Gossip is a common substance in society but its danger have often been overlooked and under-reported.  Don’t let the smooth taste fool ya’.  Consuming rumors is harmful to you and to the body (of Christ).

Get help.  Just say “No.”

----- 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 made out to: Hall Memorial CME Church

Mail all contributions to :

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