The personal blog of Anderson T. Graves II. Education, Religion, Politics, Family, and TRUTH------ but not necessarily the truth you want to hear.
I still love ya' though.
The
final chapter of the book of Exodus tells the story of a New Year’s Day
celebration, a building dedication, a clergy consecration, and a Holy Ghost
manifestation. This glorious conclusion
to the book of Exodus presents a set of principles by which we can build
something glorious in our churches, our communities and our lives.
The
title of the message is: IF WE BUILD IT, WILL HE COME?
---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 Miles
Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama; executive director of the Substance
Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO); and director of rural leadership development for the National
Institute for Human Development (NIHD).
Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there;
and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face
of Esau your brother.” (Genesis 35: 1)
Chapter 34 ended with Jacob worried the Canaanites would attack
his family to avenge the men of Shechem whom Jacob’s sons had all murdered.
Chapter 35 begins with God telling Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell
there.”
It seems that between the two chapters, Jacob said, “God, I gotta
get out of town. Where can I go that
these people won’t kill me?”
And God replied, “You can go to Bethel.”
Or, more specifically, BACK to Bethel.
Bethel is where Jacob stopped on his way to Syria to look for a
wife and escape his brother Esau, who wanted to kill him. By the end of chapter 35, Jacob was back on
his father’s land. He had retraced his steps with a great deal of repetition along the way.
Bethel used to be called Luz. His first stop there, Jacob dreamed
of angels climbing a ladder to Heaven and he christened Luz with the new name Beth-el, “the house of God” (Genesis 28:18-19). On his return visit he re-renamed the spot El
Beth-el which means “God of the house of God” or “God’s house of God.”
His first night in Beth-el, Jacob was running out of Canaan, away from
a vengegul brother. This time he was fleeing
deeper in Canaan, away from vengeful neighbors.
God made Jacob retrace his steps.
And not just geographically. God wanted Jacob to retrace the spiritual and emotional steps that began his journey.
Coming out of Syria on his way to Shechem, years ago, Jacob had
been afraid of meeting Esau, but his fear was unfounded. His brother never tried to harm him. Coming out of Shechem, Jacob feared the
Canaanites would attack, but “they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon
the cities that were all around them,
and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob” (Genesis 35: 5).
His first time at Bethel, Jacob “took the stone that he had put at
his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it” (Genesis 28:18). This time, he repeated the ritual. “Jacob set
up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he
poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it“ (Genesis 35:14).
Earlier, the Lord had said, “Your name shall no longer be called
Jacob, but Israel” (Genesis 33:28). Now
exactly two chapters and an indeterminate number of years later, God said to
him AGAIN, “Your name is Jacob; your
name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name” (Genesis
35:28).
When you feel your life going into a skid, when the negative hypotheticals
overwhelm you, when you can’t focus on the blessing for the fear and anxiety,
when you’re gifted and anointed and destined and falling apart ----- retrace
your steps.
“Nevertheless I have this
against you, that you have left your first
love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works” (Revelation 2:4–5).
Re-reread those goals you wrote down when you first set off to
change the world. Pray like you prayed
when you had nothing but you believed, you KNEW God had a plan for you. Remember before you had possessions, and
middle-class debt, and important relationships with influential people that you
can’t afford to jeopardize by taking a stand.
Remember how disciplined, and creative, and bold you were when you had
nothing and therefore weren’t afraid of losing.
“So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord
is my helper; I will not fear. What
can man do to me?’ “ (Hebrews 13:6)
Jacob had forgotten, so God made him retrace his steps.
But the walk back requires you to leave some of your new stuff
behind.
And Jacob said to his household
and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves,
and change your garments.
Then let us arise and go up to
Bethel . . .
So they gave Jacob all the foreign
gods which were in their hands, and
the earrings which were in their
ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.” (Genesis 35:2-4)
Go through your emotional baggage and take out the idols you’ve
collected along the way. Bury them and
leave them behind. There’s no place for
them in God’s house that God is building in you. Purify yourself. Put off the trappings of title and your new
class. Then, retrace your steps.
Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says
the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return
to you,” says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 1:3)
Go back and re-anoint the pillar of your calling. Go back and re-dedicate your life to the
mission. Go back and listen to God. Listen like you listened when you were hungry
in every sense of the word. Go back
because maybe you don’t need a NEW solution.
Maybe you need a reminder.
Go back so God can remind you who you are.
“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel” (Genesis
33:28).
“Your name is Jacob;
your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name”
(Genesis 35:28).
---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 Miles Chapel CME
Church in Fairfield, Alabama. He writes a blog called A Word to the Wise at www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com
Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure. (1 Timothy 5: 22)
When Paul refers to "laying hands on" he is talking about blessing, anointing, “speaking into the life of…”, “ prophesying over...” and whatever else we call it today.
Paul did not prohibit the practice or tell Timothy, young pastor born four or more generations after Jesus’ Earthly ministry, that “We don’t lay hands on people anymore.” Paul did warn Pastor Timothy not to just run around declaring and decreeing over people randomly or upon request.
The act of laying on hands and blessing someone imparts a connection that flows in both directions: from God through the blessor to the blessee and his/her life; and from the blessee’s life to the blessor and before the eyes of God.
When a preacher lays hands on people to ordain them or to bless them into a particular season of life, the preacher is vouching for that person before God.
That’s not a light thing to be doing.
Yes, each of us is judged for our individual actions. No, you can’t control what someone does when they’re not under your direct supervision.
But.
We are each also responsible to God for the quality of what we set before Him, and that includes the quality of WHO we set before Him.
When God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint a son of Jesse to be the next king, Samuel saw the eldest son and immediately started to lay hands on him.
Samuel looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!”
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16: 6-7)
You can’t possibly know what’s in someone’s heart except when you know what’s in someone’s heart because you know what in that person’s life.
Do not lay hands on anyone hastily.
Lay hands, bless, anoint, prophesy where the Lord tells you. But are you sure that the Lord told you to speak that over EVERY body who came down to the altar?
Or were you looking on the physical appearance of people who LOOKED like they wanted a Word from the Lord?
And by the way, when did what individuals want from the Lord start deciding what preachers do more than what the Lord wants for those individuals?
When they come to you to be blessed and exalted, and God wants them to be convicted and humble because of their sin, but you bless and exalt them anyway----- you connect yourself to their sin. You walk them into God’s presence and say, “I’m good with what’s going on with them.”
Are you sure about that?
In Acts 8: 9-24, Simon ,an ex-sorcerer and new Christian, asked Peter to ordain him as a bringer of the Holy Spirit. He even offered to “sow a financial seed to the man of God” for his time.
But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. (Acts 8: 20-21)
It’s not your job to anoint people. It’s your job to obey God. And from time to time, if you are following God, not just fulfilling human expectations, you will have to say “No” to somebody who expects you to speak great things over their life.
No, it’s not for you to judge the quality of another’s soul. No, it’s not for you to judge what God can or can’t do in someone’s life. No, it’s not for you to say who’s worthy of a calling that only God can give.
That’s not your job.
It is your job to obey God rather than men or women or yourself.
There’s more at stake than your popularity.
Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure. (1 Timothy 5: 22)
---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 Churchin Montgomery, Alabama, executive director of the
Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for
the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).
Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure. (1 Timothy 5: 22)
When Paul refers to "laying hands on" he is talking about blessing, anointing, “speaking into the life of…”, “ prophesying over...” and whatever else we call it today.
Paul did not prohibit the practice or tell Timothy, young pastor born four or more generations after Jesus’ Earthly ministry, that “We don’t lay hands on people anymore.” Paul did warn Pastor Timothy not to just run around declaring and decreeing over people randomly or upon request.
The act of laying on hands and blessing someone imparts a connection that flows in both directions: from God through the blessor to the blessee and his/her life; and from the blessee’s life to the blessor and before the eyes of God.
When a preacher lays hands on people to ordain them or to bless them into a particular season of life, the preacher is vouching for that person before God.
That’s not a light thing to be doing.
Yes, each of us is judged for our individual actions. No, you can’t control what someone does when they’re not under your direct supervision.
But.
We are each also responsible to God for the quality of what we set before Him, and that includes the quality of WHO we set before Him.
When God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint a son of Jesse to be the next king, Samuel saw the eldest son and immediately started to lay hands on him.
Samuel looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!”
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16: 6-7)
You can’t possibly know what’s in someone’s heart except when you know what’s in someone’s heart because you know what in that person’s life.
Do not lay hands on anyone hastily.
Lay hands, bless, anoint, prophesy where the Lord tells you. But are you sure that the Lord told you to speak that over EVERY body who came down to the altar?
Or were you looking on the physical appearance of people who LOOKED like they wanted a Word from the Lord?
And by the way, when did what individuals want from the Lord start deciding what preachers do more than what the Lord wants for those individuals?
When they come to you to be blessed and exalted, and God wants them to be convicted and humble because of their sin, but you bless and exalt them anyway----- you connect yourself to their sin. You walk them into God’s presence and say, “I’m good with what’s going on with them.”
Are you sure about that?
In Acts 8: 9-24, Simon ,an ex-sorcerer and new Christian, asked Peter to ordain him as a bringer of the Holy Spirit. He even offered to “sow a financial seed to the man of God” for his time.
But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. (Acts 8: 20-21)
It’s not your job to anoint people. It’s your job to obey God. And from time to time, if you are following God, not just fulfilling human expectations, you will have to say “No” to somebody who expects you to speak great things over their life.
No, it’s not for you to judge the quality of another’s soul. No, it’s not for you to judge what God can or can’t do in someone’s life. No, it’s not for you to say who’s worthy of a calling that only God can give.
That’s not your job.
It is your job to obey God rather than men or women or yourself.
There’s more at stake than your popularity.
Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure. (1 Timothy 5: 22)
---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 Churchin Montgomery, Alabama, executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).
If this message helps or touches you, please help support this ministry. 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
