KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON

The title of this Sunday morning sermon is KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON.

Listen well.  

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---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 and the executive director of SAYNO (Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization) in Montgomery, Alabama.

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

Subscribe to my personal blog  www.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

 

Proverbs 31: 10. A WOMAN WORTH?

Proverbs 31: 10     Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. (NIV)

Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. (NLV)

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. (ESV)

Proverbs 31: 10. On the one hand this verse is a Divine affirmation that there are good women out there.  On the other hand, it is a Divine warning that every woman out there isn’t a good one. 

Esau, son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, had no problem finding a wife/wives.  All around him, there were girls who made themselves “available.”  They were available, but they weren’t the kind of women that you could “bring home to mama.”  (Genesis 28: 8; 27: 46)   The family Esau’s built with those women became synonymous with idolatry and absolute destruction.  Edom, Esau’s line, was wiped out by God (Ezekiel 25: 13).

Jacob, Esau’s twin, made the right choice in a wife.  It took him 7, then 14 years of hard, hard work to win his wife/wives.  But through them God raised up a great nation.  (Genesis 29)  Jacob’s wives became the mothers of the nation of Israel, the biological line of Jesus (Genesis 49).

So, we have twin brothers raised in the same house by the same parents.  One of them picks the wrong women.  His legacy is destruction.  The other twin ends up with the right women.  His legacy is Jesus and the Jewish people.

What made the difference?

The difference was value and effort. 

Esau, according to Hebrews 12:16, had a messed up sense of value.  That’s value not values.

I’m not talking about moral values.  I’m talking about the internal calculator that tells a man which opportunity, activity, or woman to “spend” his time and energy pursuing.  I’m talking about the sense of what a good woman is “worth.”   (Cue Alicia Keys here.) 

Who can find a wife of noble character, a  virtuous and capable wife,  a woman who is just excellent?  The answer is:  A man who understands what a good woman is worth.  A man who understands what makes a woman WORTHY.

Not in dollars, but in every other sense. 

If she’s like every other girl you’ve slept with, then she’s “a dime a dozen” and that’s not wife value.

If access to her bed can be purchased by any man willing to spend the necessary funds---- regardless of the man’s character, intentions, or marital status----- she may be expensive; but, bro., she isn’t worthy.  She isn’t worth it.

If the sex is good, but the price of being with her is constant drama and unpredictable bouts of “seriously, how freakin’ ignorant can one woman be,” then you really need to re-calculate your sense of value.

And ladies, a really good man---especially one who paid attention to the advice of a wise mother----- will see your true value even when you don’t.

When you think you can’t, he’ll be absolutely, maybe nonchalantly certain that you can---- because he knows your true value.

When other men only smile at the sight of you boobs or your butt, you’ll catch your good man staring at your face, looking sideways into your eyes with a silly grin on his face.  (Now he’s also gonna smile at your boobs and butt.  A good man is still a man.)

Ladies, a smart man with a good sense of value, will see your true worth.  So if you say that  you’re worth/ worthy of a commitment; but your price is actually a trip to the mall------ he’ll see that, too.

If you say that you’re saving yourself for “the husband God sends me” when you’re really trying to hit the baller lottery and luck up on some random rich guy------ your could-have-been-the-one good man will see that, too.

Jacob, for all of his issues, knew what a good wife was worth.  He didn’t have money, but that wasn’t a problem, because an excellent wife cannot be appraised in dollars like something in a pawn shop jewelry display. 

A wife of noble character is worth your time.  She’s worth your effort. She’s worth building your family and fortunes together.   She’s worth betting everything you have.

Who can find a woman like that?

The man who knows what he’s looking for.

---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, executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

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.blogspot.com .

 You can read more on Pastor Graves's personal blog at www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com  .

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

Proverbs 31: 8 "JUDGE & ADVOCATE"

Proverbs 31: 8     Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die.
9     Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

Proverbs 31: 8, 9.  A king had the authority to order an execution.  He was also the last hope of appeal from a death sentence issued by a lower authority in the kingdom.   It was the king’s right and responsibility to HEAR appeals from those who’d been appointed to die, but read carefully the message to/from King Lemuel.  

The king’s job wasn’t just to hear appeals from the ultimate condemnation.  The king’s job was also to MAKE THE APPEAL, to open his own mouth on behalf of those who did not have the resources, power, or eloquence to plead for their own lives.

Basically, whenever the condemned person had no one else to plead his/her case, a righteous king was supposed to try to talk himself out of ordering the execution.

Now, to be clear---- justice demands the ultimate penalty in certain cases (Romans 13: 3, 4).  A ruler who just lets everybody go is just as unjust as one who arbitrarily punishes everybody.

Justice is not automatically served by severity or by leniency.  Justice, godly justice, demands that somebody speaks for the prosecution and somebody speaks for the defense.  A leader, a godly judge, seeks justice so when no one speaks for the defense, the judge himself must be both judge and advocate. 

That wouldn’t work in America’s court system; but it works just fine for God.

Jesus is the Supreme judge, the last seat of appeal for the sentence of eternal condemnation.

John 5:22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son

When we stand before Him, the indisputable evidence of our sins condemns us all. 

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death…

When we stand before God in judgment we stand already condemned, and we stand alone----- without defense and without an alibi.

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse

But God is absolutely just.  So Jesus -----if we have received Him by placing our faith in Him----- acts as our defense attorney in judgment.

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 

That’s why the Holy Spirit showed a courtroom scene to the Old Testament prophet Zechariah’s.

Zechariah 3:1     Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.

2     And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”
3     Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.
4     Then He[the Lord acting as advocate] answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”
5     And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.”
So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.

Notice in Zechariah 3:2, that the Lord is talking about the Lord.  Jesus, who is God, King, & Judge, is talking Himself out of condemning His condemned servant.

What is the greatest punishment within your power to assign?  Firing? Cussing out?  Assault? Destruction of a reputation?  Divorce?  Death?

Sometimes, the ultimate judgment is fitting (Matthew 25: 46).

But you must never issue that ultimate judgment lightly?  Even when the accused seems obviously deserving, especially when the accused has no power to stop you or to protect themselves----- you must pause in judgment and try to talk yourself out of issuing your ultimate sentence?

And if you can’t, if justice demands the highest condemnation, then execute the judgment soberly, with a heavy heart.  Since holy, sinless, perfect God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33: 11);  then neither should we.

---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, executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

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.blogspot.com .

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

A WORD TO THE WISE. Proverbs 31: 8 "JUDGE & ADVOCATE"

Proverbs 31: 8     Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die.
9     Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

Proverbs 31: 8, 9.  A king had the authority to order an execution.  He was also the last hope of appeal from a death sentence issued by a lower authority in the kingdom.   It was the king’s right and responsibility to HEAR appeals from those who’d been appointed to die, but read carefully the message to/from King Lemuel.  

The king’s job wasn’t just to hear appeals from the ultimate condemnation.  The king’s job was also to MAKE THE APPEAL, to open his own mouth on behalf of those who did not have the resources, power, or eloquence to plead for their own lives.

Basically, whenever the condemned person had no one else to plead his/her case, a righteous king was supposed to try to talk himself out of ordering the execution.

Now, to be clear---- justice demands the ultimate penalty in certain cases (Romans 13: 3, 4).  A ruler who just lets everybody go is just as unjust as one who arbitrarily punishes everybody.

Justice is not automatically served by severity or by leniency.  Justice, godly justice, demands that somebody speaks for the prosecution and somebody speaks for the defense.  A leader, a godly judge, seeks justice so when no one speaks for the defense, the judge himself must be both judge and advocate. 

That wouldn’t work in America’s court system; but it works just fine for God.

Jesus is the Supreme judge, the last seat of appeal for the sentence of eternal condemnation.

John 5:22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son

When we stand before Him, the indisputable evidence of our sins condemns us all. 

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death…

When we stand before God in judgment we stand already condemned, and we stand alone----- without defense and without an alibi.

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse

But God is absolutely just.  So Jesus -----if we have received Him by placing our faith in Him----- acts as our defense attorney in judgment.

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 

That’s why the Holy Spirit showed a courtroom scene to the Old Testament prophet Zechariah’s.

Zechariah 3:1     Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.

2     And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”
3     Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.
4     Then He[the Lord acting as advocate] answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”
5     And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.”
So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.

Notice in Zechariah 3:2, that the Lord is talking about the Lord.  Jesus, who is God, King, & Judge, is talking Himself out of condemning His condemned servant.

What is the greatest punishment within your power to assign?  Firing? Cussing out?  Assault? Destruction of a reputation?  Divorce?  Death?

Sometimes, the ultimate judgment is fitting (Matthew 25: 46).

But you must never issue that ultimate judgment lightly?  Even when the accused seems obviously deserving, especially when the accused has no power to stop you or to protect themselves----- you must pause in judgment and try to talk yourself out of issuing your ultimate sentence?

And if you can’t, if justice demands the highest condemnation, then execute the judgment soberly, with a heavy heart.  Since holy, sinless, perfect God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33: 11);  then neither should we.

---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, executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

You can read more on Pastor Graves's personal blog at www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com or   .

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

HOW TO FIND "THE ONE"

Audio of a morning Bible lesson on relationships.  From the story of Jacob and Rachel, we learn HOW TO FIND THE ONE.

Listen well.

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---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 and the executive director of SAYNO (Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization) in Montgomery, Alabama.

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

Subscribe to my personal blog  www.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

A WORD TO THE WISE. Proverbs 31: 4-7

Proverbs 31: 4     It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink;
5     Lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted.
6     Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart.
7     Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

Proverbs 31: 4-7.  Talk about an endorsement!  With Lemuel and his mother speaking in this passage, we have a king, a former prince, a queen, and a woman who fought for her place as 1^st lady of the nation all  endorsing the message: Getting drunk is not a good look for a success.   Getting high is not what you do if you want to stay on top.

God blesses people to attain success and power so that they can use their success and power to help others.  The chemicals make you forget that.  The chemicals make you selfish, immoral, and unjust.  The buzz and the high draw you off the path of God’s favor and place you on track for destruction.   Outside of God’s favor there is personal and spiritual poverty.  Outside of God favor there is misery.  Outside of God’s favor there is death in spirit and in truth.

The sad irony is that the closer you get to bottom (to the point of perishing) the more miserable you become and the more you need the buzz to forget how poor and miserable you’re becoming.  And yes, while the chemicals are active in your system, you do forget; but you don’t change.  You’re still impoverished.  You’re still pitiful.  You’re still dying.

And the kings and queens of the culture look down on you and say, “He’s got nothing else.  Let him have another drink.  She’s not doing anything with her life anyway.  Pass her another blunt.  But oh, no.  Nothing for me.  I have a meeting in the morning.”

It doesn’t matter how you categorize your drug of choice. It doesn’t matter if it’s liquid or leafy, synthetic or “social,” packaged or prescribed.  If it’s intoxicating then it’s not helping you succeed.  It’s holding you back.

Since you’ve been intoxicating yourself, you’ve not gotten better have you?  Your relationships aren’t more stable are they?  For all the stuff you’ve dreamed you haven’t actually achieved anything more, have you?

And when you look closely at the bottle-popping, drug-passing imagery you notice that the ones who are fully intoxicated are in the background, servants to the one pouring into their glasses or sitting sober and clear-headed while everybody else gets drunk and high, trying to forget how successful they are not.

Yeah, I know what the songs say.  But  pay more attention to what God says.

Pay more attention.

If you want to be a king, if you want to be a queen -------- you’ve gotta get sober.

---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, executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

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

 

Proverbs 31: 4-7

Proverbs 31: 4     It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink;
5     Lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted.
6     Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart.
7     Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

Proverbs 31: 4-7.  Talk about an endorsement!  With Lemuel and his mother speaking in this passage, we have a king, a former prince, a queen, and a woman who fought for her place as 1^st lady of the nation all  endorsing the message: Getting drunk is not a good look for success.   Getting high is not what you do if you want to stay on top.

God blesses people to attain success and power so that they can use their success and power to help others.  The chemicals make you forget that.  The chemicals make you selfish, immoral, and unjust.  The buzz and the high draw you off the path of God’s favor and place you on track for destruction.   Outside of God’s favor there is personal and spiritual poverty.  Outside of God favor there is misery.  Outside of God’s favor there is death in spirit and in truth.

The sad irony is that the closer you get to bottom (to the point of perishing) the more miserable you become and the more you need the buzz to forget how poor and miserable you’re becoming.  And yes, while the chemicals are active in your system, you do forget; but you don’t change.  You’re still impoverished.  You’re still pitiful.  You’re still dying.

And the kings and queens of the culture look down on you and say, “He’s got nothing else.  Let him have another drink.  She’s not doing anything with her life anyway.  Pass her another blunt.  But oh, no.  Nothing for me.  I have a meeting in the morning.”

It doesn’t matter how you categorize your drug of choice. It doesn’t matter if it’s liquid or leafy, synthetic or “social,” packaged or prescribed.  If it’s intoxicating then it’s not helping you succeed.  It’s holding you back.

Since you’ve been intoxicating yourself, you’ve not gotten better have you?  Your relationships aren’t more stable are they?  For all the stuff you’ve dreamed you haven’t actually achieved anything more, have you?

And when you look closely at the bottle-popping, drug-passing imagery you notice that the ones who are fully intoxicated are in the background, servants to the one pouring into their glasses or sitting sober and clear-headed while everybody else gets drunk and high, trying to forget how successful they are not.

Yeah, I know what the songs say.  But  pay more attention to what God says.

Pay more attention.

If you want to be a king, if you want to be a queen -------- you’ve gotta get sober.

---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, executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

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.blogspot.com .

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