Luke 11:10-11:13

I was raised up in the rural parts of appalachia, some said that it would be noon before the sun would hit the ground. Raised by hard working parents, never tiring of working from dawn to dusk, to provide for their children. One year, my parents moved from the home, I was born in, to another house, so that I and my brothers and sister, would be closer to the school we attended. We had hard times there, not really fitting in with the rest of the students, were we poor? Not really, My dad would rise before the sun was up, go to work and my mother would always have breakfast on the table before we got out of bed.Our clothes were always clean and pressed. Being the youngest, I was the recipient of many a hand-me down from my brothers. I didn't mind, some of their clothes were pretty cool. Dad always bought us new clothes before we started school and demanded that we take good care of them. My oldest brother Richard, moved out west, another brother, Ronnie, died, Willie and Carl, went to war, and my sister got married, I felt so alone, in a house that was always filled with love and protection. I was learning what life was really all about. But, all in all, I remembered that what ever we needed as children, growing up, was always there, Love, Food, water, clothing and shelter.

Life was Brown Beans and Cornbread. A simple life but one that was filled with Love, one for another.I was taught about Jesus, and how every need we had would be filled by Him, and how a new family would take a part in my life, the church. I was taught, "Ask and you shall receive" I thought that this was great, I thought that there would be no christian that would ever do without as long as we were all in the church family. Lets read a little of what I was taught. Luke 11:10-13; For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? To me this man Jesus was what I needed in life and because we were in His Fathers Family all our needs would be met. Later in life I strayed from the family, trying to do things my way, you know a young man with no worries, problems or fear. But one thing I always kept in the back of my mind is the words of Jesus. After a number of years, I thought like the prodigal son, "Am I better off without my Father or should I go back and appologise for everything that I have done? "Luke 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

Luke 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, ;this is how I felt without God. So I returned and He forgave. So I started to minister to any and all that would listen. And the more I started to look at the Church Family, I found out something very interesting. The family that I had left was nowhere to be found. Things had changed, some for the better but some for the worst. I found out that being fed with a stone was getting commonplace among church family, that I thought would be the first to help. I found it easier to receive a piece of bread from un-believers than from our families in Christ. I found that these words kept coming into my mind, every-time I asked for aid for poor churches and christians; If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

I found out, in my disappointment that asking for, bread, fish or even an egg, was harder than I realized. I found many a church more interested in building on instead of building up. I found that there was a mighty famine in that land, that many of the Family of God had wasted their substance with riotous living. Waisted part of their inhearentance with buildings and sidewalks and fountains that served no one, that feed no one, that supplied no one, in the Family of God. I found out that there were those that took advantage of the giving of some churches, I found out that this world had gotten a foot hold into many peoples lives. I found out that there were too many giving out serpents, scorpions and stones. I looked and found a mighty famine in the land for Bibles, thats correct, I said Bibles. When many were building on, many were suffering for the word of God. They were having a hard time in just obtaining a Bible, a preacher, a teacher, an evangelist, and all of this I found out was Bible Prophecy, coming to life in vivid full color. Amos, 8:12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

Why I asked myself, why are these brothers in the family so destitute for the basics of Christianity? And then one scripture came to mind from the Lord, Pro 21:6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. What did this mean, what was I to say? As I watched the news and read the articles, I noticed that this man was saying, Donate $1,000,000 to me for if you don't, God said that He will take my Life. Donate to me, for we need a sidewalk to a fountain, well even put your name in wood, donate to me and I will build you a stone monument with your name on it, that will last forever. Donate to me and I will use the money to send ministers that are in trouble with the law to other countries to preach." Donate,Donate,Donate. But not one was saying, "Donate to me, so I can buy a bible for some brother without one, Donate to me so I can send out fliers and Bible tracts to those who don't know Jesus, donate to me so I can send out evangelist to preach the word of God."

"Give Him a Stone, we need to build on, give him a serpent we need to spread out, give him a scorpion ,no one will know the difference." Many were and still are preaching, Matthew 25:13, Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. But then they fool people into donating for, sidewalks, fountains, buildings, libraries and monuments, just to have their name carved into history. These are the blind leading the blind, and there is coming a time that they both will fall into the ditch. These were just a few thoughts I wanted to share with you. Luke 15:32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found. Can we all just stop and remember what Jesus had to say? For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Can we just stop and quit building on and start building up. Don't be one of those who say "Give Him A Stone!"

Rev Anthony Smith
Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/