by Jerome Pearson
Saint Jerome Baptist Church
Pearson City, South Carolina 29000
(A short play in dialect)
[At end of Sunday school, Rev. Gibson asks Brother Dow and Sister Dingle to receive the offering. Brother Dow and sister Dingle are now standing in front of the collection table, facing the congregation. Brother Dow pulls out a wrinkled dollar bill and is waving it before the congregation as he lays it down on the table]
Brother Dow: “Now we want y’all to come on up so we can git enough money for the lite bill. I done put down my dollar and Sister Dingle done put down her dollar. We know dere is money out there with all these fine “kuars” we see running up and down these roads. Come on Brother Dixon, you got a brand new “kuar” so I know you got plenty of money.”
[Congregation laughs. Brother Dixon is a very thin, dark chocolate colored man, with his hair in a “process” walks towards the table and pulls a five dollar bill from his wallet. He then places the bill back into his wallet and pulls out five single dollar bills for more affect. He lays the money on the table as Rev. Gipson says “bless you Brother Dixon. We need more people like Brother Dixon, Cadillac and all.” The Church starts to laugh]
Brother Dow continues: “You got to have an open hand to git inta heaven. If you keeps your hands closed, nothin kin git in, and nothin kin git out!” God only gives his blessing to those wit opened hands. I member one time back I needed ta pay a bill. But I give this fella my last 5 dollars cause he needed food. Next thing ya know, the Government sent me a refund check for 145.00 dollars. See, open hands will git that for ya!.
Sister Dingle: “We would like to thank the church very kindly for ninety-six dollars and twenty-one cents. Record that in the books now Sister James, so we can a have a record of this collection.” [Brother Dow and Sister Dingle return to their seats]
Devotional Service Devotional Services is being led by Sister Janie Walker and Deacon Willie Johnson today. Sister Walker and Willie Johnson are standing in the front of the congregation.
Deacon Johnson [Deacon Johnson starts the devotional services with a hymn]. “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I am found, was blind but now I see”. [After starting the hymn way out of tune, the church begins to join in, which made the song somewhat more tolerable. After the hymn, Sister Walker and Deacon Johnson both kneel as Sister Walker leads the church in prayer].
Sister Walker
(Sister Walker begins the devotional prayer) “I just wanna say, thank you Jesus! You been so good to me! You been better to me than I been to my own self. And I want you to know that I come before you today as your lowly umble servant. Yes Lord, yes Jesus! I ain’t in the best of health, but you promise that you would walk wit me if I take that first step, my Lord. And I want you to know today, that I am taking that first step, because you said if I take one step, you will take two, my Lord! And I want you to always walk wit me. Walk with this church my Lord. I want you to bless each and every member of this church today Lord. Cause we all need you by our sides. And don’t only bless us, my Lord. I want you bless those who could not make it here this morning my Lord. Some wanted to make it, but they wasn’t in the best health. But we pray for them as they lay on their sick bed, my Lord. I want you to bless those that are out in the streets. Bless those who have yet to see fit to trust in you,
my Lord. Bless them so that they, too, can see the light. I want you to bless that man who is about turn a bottle of that stuff up to his mouth, my Lord. I even want you to bless those who be selling them that stuff, my lord. I want you to bless that young gal who about stick a needle in her arm, my Lord. I want you bless those who laid up wit someone who aint they husband or they wife my lord. I want you to bless those who can’t tell if theys man or woman, my Lord. Because I know you love the “saved” and the “sinner” alike, my Lord. Lord, we know you are a mighty good Lord. You have mercy on us when we don’t have mercy on ourselves, my lord. I want you to bless my brother, my lord. He been locked up for a mighty long time, my Lord. I want you to enter those prison gates, my Lord. I want you to see fit to shine your light on him, Lord Jesus. He is very good person, my Lord. A very good person who just got caught up with the wrong crowd, my Lord. I want you to bless Sister House baby boy, my lord. He over there in that Ah Rack, my lord! We pray that you bring’em home safe from that war, my Lord. Bring all of we young mans from over there in that Ah Rack.
We ask you to continue to feed the hungry, my lord. Many ain’t got nothing to eat. I know you know how to feed a “multitude” with just one Fish, my Lord.
Continue to walk with us Lord Jesus as we continue to walk on this lonesome journey! We ask you for these, and many more, in the name of the Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit, amen!
Lets all say amen (Church says Amen in unison)
Reverend Gibson has now stood up, and asks the choir for a song before he starts to bless them with God’s word. The choir starts: “A Beautiful Life”
A Beautiful Life:
Each day I’ll do a golden deed, By helping those who are in need; My life on earth is but a span, And I will do the best I can.
Life’s Evening sun is sinking low, A few more days and I must go To meet the deeds that I have done Where there will be no setting sun
To be a child of God each day, My light must shine along the way; I’ll sing His praise while ages roll And strive to help some troubled soul.
The only life that will endure, Is one that’s kind and good and pure; And so for God I’ll take my stand, Each day I’ll lend a helping hand.
I’ll help someone in time of need, And journey on with rapid speed; I help the sick and poor and weak, And words of kindness to them I speak.
While going down life’s weary road, I’ll try to lift some traveler’s load; I’ll try to turn the night to day, Make flowers bloom along the way.
Rev. Gibson: “Our message today is dealing wit “faith”. The Subject of our message today comes from Hebrews 11:6. In the Bible, Paul says FAITH is the “substance of things hoped for, evidence of things unseen”, and I say it again “the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things unseen.”
“Can I get amen? [Church says “amen”] Sometimes, there’s things out there we just caint see. Jus because you caint see it, don’t mean it ain’t there. We have to learn to see things through God’s eyes, and not our human eye.
How many of you out there knows peoples who say they believe in God, but they don’t have an ounce of faith in they bones?” They don’t have enough faith to trust in the Lord. They try to take things in they own hands, yet they wanna come up in here and say they got faith.
[Church says “preach it now!” people begin to turn, and looking over their shoulders to see if they could recognize those who don’t have faith.]
“Now we got folks out there who wanna go to heaven but doubt God. They be driving around in these fancy automobiles and they know ain’t no Cadillac can git you inta heaven. They know it, but yet sometimes on Saturday afternoons I be sitting on my porch and I see all these fine “kuars” just driving past with some of our chutch members. And I know Leroy, you got yourself a “fine” Coupe de Ville, and ain’t nothing wrong wit that by itself. We all love fine kuars!” But, aint’ gon be no Cadillac in heaven! And that Cadillac can’t save your soul!
“Yet on Sunday mornings, yall be coming up in this chutch like ya1l some kind of angel. But you can fool we members, but you can’t fool God!”
[Amen, “sho can’t Rev”, coming from lady with big yellow hat sitting on the front row].
“I don’t care how you try to fool the Lord, I’ma tell ya, he can’t be fooled. You think you be playing cards with God, but he done already “seed” your hand. Ain’t no need in you trying ta hide yo cards cause God done already know the entire deck. [“Yes he has Rev! Preach it now, bring it on home to um now] Cause the Lord knows the ones who have faith and the ones who don’t. Can I git amen? [Church says “Amen, Rev]”
“Now, I wanna talk about all these young girls gitting pregnant, just because they don’t have faith that they bodies is the temple of the Lord. And they have these “no count, good for nothing” boys gitting them pregnant, and defiling the temple of the Lord. [Yes they is now Rev, coming from Sister Hattie Mae]. I b’lieve if they had more faith, then they would have the strength of mind to resist temptation like we did when we was youngins. “Can I have amen?” [Church says “amen”].
I want yall to know that teaching starts in the home. We parents must teach our youngins right from wrong. If you mothers don’t teach your girl children, they gon come home one day and tell you something you ain’t gon wanna hear, can I get an amen? And if you daddys don’t teach your little boys right from wrong, they gon be havin they own family fore theys grown. Proverbs say “Train a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it”.
“It ain’t gon be long fore the Lord returns. He says no man knows the night or the day which he will return. He gon come like a thief in the night. Mark: 13 says “but on the day or hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son but only the Father.”
But I want yall to know, that’s gon be a GREAT day! So, ya1l better get your houses in order, huh! I say “get your house in order, huh! You might be sitting at yo kitchen table, and one day you gon realize that it gitting dark while you eating yo breakfast. And you gonna ask yourself, “ is this the day, I say is this the day?” and then you gonna realize, that you ain’t give yo life to God, and it gon be too late, because I want ya1l to know, that’s gon be a great day, that gon be a great day. And it gon be too late for your soul. Can I have Amen? I say can I have amen?
“But as for me, my house is done in order. I’m gonna do like Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Set thine house in order, so sayeth the lord”. I’m ready for the Lord whenever he comes. I don’t care what time a day, I gon be ready, huh! I gave my life to Jesus many years ago, and ever since that time, I been walkin in his footsteps. I been walkin for so long that my brogans bout to wear out. But whenever my shoes start to coming apart, and I think I caint wear dem no mo, the Lord gives me a new pair; they may not be fancy, but they carry me in the steps of the lord. Because you know Jesus didn’t wear no fancy shoes.
[“He sho didn’t, he be wearin sandals! Coming from a lady in the back of the church].
“Cause he says he want me to continue on this journey, I cain’t stop now. And I’m gon be ready. Cause that gon be a great day, can I get a amen!
[Church in unison says “Amen”, preach it now!]
And he gon have me sitting with my white robe on his right hand side. And some of yall gonna be wishing that you had done like I done. When I was 12 years old, I was baptized in the river of Jordan, in my white robe. And some of yall, I say again, some of yall, gon be sittin on his left hand side, and you gon be wondering what went wrong, but it gon be too late. So I say to you today, git your house in order, fore it be too late! Too late, I say too late, yes Lord, yes Jesus!
[When the preaching is done, Reverend Gibson leads the church in a song himself, “River of Jordan, dark and cold, chilled my body, but not my soul”. [And then the church really begins to rock. Older women begin that rhythmic clapping that you can only find in a Black Church; it is so spontaneous, it could almost be Jazz.]
Testimony [After preaching testimonial services began for those who wished to testify]
Rutha Mae: I don’t normally stand up and speak in church because I am a chile of God. But I just wanna ask this Church to pray for me. Like the rest of yall, I sins too. I aint always been faithful to my husband, and he ain’t always been faithful to me!
[About this time Reverend Gibson was beginning to feel a pit in his stomach. He was hoping she would not bring up that night about ten years ago, when he let his guards down, and kind of slipped up. He had only gone over there to offer spiritual guidance to a troubled soul, and things just got out of hands]
After wiping tears, Rutha Mae continues: But me and my husband are trying to make it. He ain’t been coming to church, but he is a good man, so I want yall to pray for him, too. There be peoples out there who be trying tempt him every day. And I just pray he don’t fall for those temptations. I just want yall to pray for me and pray for him, and pray that he is able to fight his demons and those serpents. (Amen!) And some of them Serpents be right up in here, but it aint for me ta judge, cause we all sins. But just pray for me and my husband.
[Meanwhile, Estelle, sitting on the back row sporting a hot yellow dress with a big white hat, was smirking, thinking, “she don’t know that I got her man wrapped round my finger like she got that girdle wrapped around her gut! I know she my cousin and all, but her man had knowd me in that special way first, and she aint never gon know him like I knows him. He was my man first, but my uncle had to pull a “shot-gun” on him after she
pulled that trick on him way back then; but every body know he wanted me all along, so that what she gits!]
Julia Mae
I just want yall to pray for me too. If you pray for me, I will pray for you. Life is ruff. I am struggling, but I want yall to know today that I gon continue to follow the Word of God. Nobody knows the troubles I seen, and what I been through. But if God’s willing, I am going to meet him in his Kingdom. Just pray for me!
Elijah I know I aint been coming to church like I should. But I am here today. And I just want to ask for Gods forgiveness. I am fighten my demons, and I know I’um still a sinner. I takes my “taste” every now and then. It ain’t been easy. Sometimes I takes a little taste to soothe my soul and I know I should only be drinking from the cup of the Lord. But like Julia said, life is ruff sometimes, and sometimes those serpents be coming yo way, and you try to dodge them, but you can’t. There been many a day I didn’t just eat one fruit from that forbidden tree, there been times I even climbed up in that tree, and tries eat everything I see on it. There been many a tree where I ate all those fruits, and I know Satan just be laughing at me.
[The church begins a subdued laughter, Rev Gibson then says, “That’s all right brother, God still loves you] Elijah continues: But as I promised my mother when she been on her death bed, I gon git my life together. And I just want yall to pray for me, if one of you ever sees me trying to climb that tree again, I pray that you pull me back down, or better yet, cut down that tree and burn it because Satan had done already had his way with me, but God is gon put a stop to that, amen! [Amen brother, you just keep on keeping on]
I even had me little taste fore I come hear this morning, but I said to myself, that I was still coming, and so I climbed down from that tree with all of them fruits, and I gon leave the Devil right up there by his self. I jus want yall to pray for me, and help me not to climb back up there soon as I leave this church, cause Satan always be tempting me with all them fruits like he was tempting Eve way back yonder. (Amen!) [Reverend Gibson says: “Church, let us all pray for Brother Elijah. And let him know that we all God’s children, and God aint’t let his children walk alone]
[At the end of services, Rev. Gipson and his wife are having dinner with Sister Susan James and her husband Brother Bill James]
Sister James: “That sho was a beautiful sermon you preached this morning Reverend Gibson. [The Rev was just pulling his third piece of fried chicken-breast onto his plate].
Reverend Gibson: “Yeah Sister James, I just tries to tell um lack it is. Cause I believe whats gon keep a many of our members from gwine ta Heaven is that they don’t have faith.” [“Amen” responds Brother James]
Brother James: “I b’lieve we gon have many of our folks burning in hell wit the way they be sinning now days. Sometimes I just don’t know what ta say, wit all dese yung teenages just up and gitting pregnant. When we was coming up you ain’t never see neary teenages gitting pregnant fore theys married.”
Sister James: “Come on now Bill, you member your own sister Betty went through the same thing now. I ain’t mean to bring up no dirty laundry, but that goes to sho that we all sins and falls short of the glory.”
Sister Gipson: “Amen Sister James, you sho is right, now. We have to learn to be umble fore the Lord. Because God is done died for all our sins and we just needs to ask for forgiveness. He died on that cross for the “save” and for the “sinner” alike now. “
Rev. Gibson: “Year Shirley, he done forgive us for our sins, but that don’t mean we can just go out there and sin up a storm. Otherwise, what used in him bearing the cross in the first place? Now the lord knows each one us harts, and he gon judge you on that, but he judge you on your actions, too. The road ta hell is paves with many who had good intensions. These youngins needs to start to r’pent, if they know what I know.” [About this time, he reaches for a thigh and another helping of mashed potatoes]
[The following Saturday, Brother James and Brother Leroy Johnson, and Brother Willie Bennett are playing cards over at Brother James’s house]
Brother Bennett: “Man, that corn liquor is hot, yahn!” “I swear ta God it’s hot. I think I a need a chaser. Brother James, how about giving me piece of that “loany” (boloney) you got over there.”
Brother James: “Go ahead, take what you want. Don’t drink too much cause you gwine ta chutch tomorrow. Cause we gon have a “time” tomorrow, we gon have a “time”. We gon git DOWN! All those fine- ass womens be up in there too!”
Brother Johnson: “Come on now Brother James, us deacons ain’t supposed to be lookin at them womens up in there. B’sides, you know good n well that Susan will whip your big black ass if she ketch you looking, deacon or no deacon!” [Brother Johnson and Brother Bennett laughs].
Brother James:
“Who you laughing at Leroy? Now you know good and well Hattie Mae don’t trust you no further than she could spit!”
Brother Bennet: “Say fellas, yawl heard about Mrs. Lulla Bell Coard’s Daughter, Mary?”
[Brother James and Brother Johnson in unison say, “No, what happened?]
Brother Bennet: “Well they say she is pregnant, and she only 15. And guess what else? Some folks gwine around saying that it is Rev. Gibson’s baby.”
Brother James: “Not our good Rev. Gibson! How they figga that?”
Brother Bennet: “You don’t know the Reverend like I know’m. Man, he is a fox in the Hen house, if ever there was one!” Man, Rev. Gipson be havin chillens all across this state. He be gwine over to peoples houses, so call ministering to them. He be ministering to them alright. He be having 5 or 6 womens at one time. I don’t kno what those womens be wanting with him, but he be “creating” more souls then he be “saving”! Take good look at Rutha Mae youngest boy; he a splitting image of Rev. Gibson. B’lieve “that” when I tell ya!
[The Next Day at Church] While the junior class is off in the corner discussing Sunday school, the senior class, those above 16 years old, is being taught Sunday school by Brother Richards {Many of
the older folks don’t show up until after Sunday school since they believe that they have learned all that they ever will learn. At this stage in their lives, they only have to remain faithful.} The junior class had most of its faithful, but as usual the majority of seniors didn’t even show up until around 1130. They felt that they had been taught all they were ever going to learn and didn’t see any need attending. Plus some of them got up so late that by the time they got through cooking that ham, eggs and biscuits and putting on those dresses and big hats, it was already 1100 am. And plus, if it was their turn, they would have to have that macaroni and fried chicken ready for Reverend Gibson later that Sunday.
Brother Richards: The subject of today’s Sunday school takes its scripture from the story of Job.
Brother Richards
What message is God trying to get across to Job?
Sister Hattie Mae
I think the lord be testing peoples! Cause he wanna see if you believe in him. Sometimes a person treat you so bad, you wanna loose your faith to get back at em. But the Lord jus be giving you these little tests to see how you come out. If you don’t trust that God would come thru for you, then that mean you doubt him. He want us to prove we believe.
Brother Richards.
That right sister Hattie Mae, any body else?
Sister James
I think he be trying tell you he may not be there when you wannum, but he always on time. Sometime we pray, and we expect God to answer right away. But sometimes he be busy doing other things, but that don’t me he aint listen to your prayer. God has a great answering machine, and if you calls him with a pure heart, he gon return your call, and you can believe that. Because I know from experience how he come when I call. I have made many long distance calls to God, and even if he aint there at time, he always calls be back.
Amen! You show is right about that, the class says in union.
Brother Richards
I think we must keep in mind that Job was one of God’s most faithful and trusted servants. Certainly God was testing him, but God already knew what Job was going to do. It is what some philosophers today call “Determinism”. Determinism is the belief that things have already been pre-determined in advance. Meaning that God knows what you are going to do even before he gives you the test. Now some people see this as a contradiction, meaning that if God already knows how we are going to behave and if it’s already pre-determined, then there is nothing we can do to change our course of action or our particular fate. And that how can we be responsible for our actions if they have already been pre-determined by God?
Brother Richards continues with, “Herein lays the mystery of “freedom of the will”. Meaning that while God certainly already knows how we will respond, he still has given us the freedom to choose. And even though he has given us that freedom, it is we who determines the particular choice, even if God knows how we will choose in advance. [Brother Richards’ smiles, but inwardly, he also wrestles with this contradiction, in that, if we are to follow this philosophy to its most infinite degree: that if God created us in such a manner that we might make the wrong choice, then is God not then responsible for
the monster that he has created? In other words, why have some creations been given the disposition to make right choices while others have not?]
After the Sunday school lesson is over, everyone returns to their seats and listen the Superintendent give a review of the lesson
Superintendent Annie Johnson:
We wanna thank Brother Richard for giving us such a wonderful lesson this morning and wanna thank the other teachers too. You know the bible say in Ephesians that it is thru faith are ye save, and not of works, lest any man should boast. I want yall to kno this morning that you got to have faith. You need to work in the church, but you got to have faith. I remember the first time I had faith. It was right across the field over there. (Everyone stared out the window trying to see the fields). And from that moment where I met my Jesus, I had faith for the rest of my life. He blessed me with a fine husband and two fine grown children.
{Meanwhile, her husband, Johnny Johnson, sat in the back wearing dark sun-glasses with a 38 Smith & Wesson pistol in his pocket, just in case if the Dingle family start some stuff up in here again, they gon kno better than to try to cuse he and his wife of stealing church money. Plus, they don’t show up til late anyway, and then think they going to be running things, mess with him, they gon have another mind coming, and you can believe that!}
(By this time Reverend Gibson and the back-up Reverend Rogers had slipped in and taken seat directly behind the podium)
So we want ta ask Reverend Gibson to come up and give a 2nd review.
Reverend Gipson:
Thank you Sister Johnson and thank all of you members and friends. I wasn’t here for most of the lesson, but what little I heard from Brother Richard, I can tell it was a fine lesson. You know we need mo young people like Brother Richard, people who willing ta work in the church. And as sister Johnson says, we must have faith first, which was the subject of my last sermon. And then after we have faith, we must begin to work. We can’t work before faith; we must have faith before work. I also want ta say that you know Brother Richard is gwine away ta college soon because he is app- headed, and we wanna wish him good luck. Aren’t too many young people out there like him and we sho gon miss him. He been teaching our children for a mighty long time, and we wish we had mo people like him, cause peoples like him don’t come by too often. He gon be away gitting all of that knowledge, and I know he gon come back here and share it with us. And I want him ta know, that he is always welcome back here. Now lets all stand and give brother Richard a standing ovation
Brother Richards
Brother Richards stood up too, smiling. In some special way, he knew he was going to miss them too. In spite of his many doubts, he enjoyed teaching Sunday school. A part of him has always wanted to be a teacher. But he was also a truth seeker. His questions were kept to himself, for he realized that the Church would never understand. To them “believing was everything”. But to him, suspending one’s beliefs in the absence of knowledge was the truest kind of faith. And he disagreed with Ephesians 2:8. That faith is more important than work. He believes that work was more important than faith. He had benefited most from those whose actions (work) spoke louder than their beliefs (faith). He has always wanted to do good things, things that helped other people. His doubts did not take away his goodness. In a very profound way, he became a better person with his doubts. If he never shared his doubts, then everyone one would think of him as a true believer, because his beliefs showed in his actions, and not of his words.
Unlike many others, who talked the talk but did not walk the walk, whose real actions, belied their true beliefs; he believed in that very simple philosophy that “actions spoke louder than words.”
After Sunday school, Devotional service is led Deacon Wright and Sister Moses.
Deacon Wright: My lord, and my God, my lord and my god! We come before you today, asking that you forgive all our sins. None of us is perfect, but only you my Lord; the rest of us are just lowly sinners who trying to walk in your foot steps. We are all tempted by that apple, just like Eve was tempted my Lord, cause we kno that apple be sweet, but it leaves a bitter taste in we mouths, my Lord! And snakes be everywhere, my Lord, trying to tempt us to eat from the f’bidden tree, my Lord. But lord we want you to come in this chutch today, and take way all those serpents, and take away all those fruits, cause we no you don’t want us eaten none of the apples, like Eve was eating those apples; you need to make us strong like Adam, and we pray you feed us your words only, and no more of that f’bidden fruit, and we gonna be faithful to you, like you been to us. You always keeps yo words, no matter what time a night, we can call on you, and you always answer our prayers;
But I want you to know today, that I gonna walk that narrow path, with yo protection, and we know you gon be watching over us, even when we think you ain’t there, you always shinning your light, as we walk down that dark road; that dark road that gon lead to heaven, where there gon be lights, light just shinning, like the stars in the sky, leading our lonesome ships across this wayward ocean, which we call earth. Yes lord, yes lord, I want to travel wit you, with a seat on yo ship, all the way down that violent river, that gon lead to that beautiful sea in the sky, where you and your father gon be waitin for those of us who believe in you, and who follows yo words.
At End of Devotional services, Sister Moses starts a song: Down on My Knees
Down on my knees, when trouble rise, I’ll talk with Jesus, beyond the skies. He promised me, He’d hear my plea, If I would tell Him, down on my knees. When days are dark & friends are few, when I don’t know, just what to do. There’s only one way, I can find ease. I’ll talk with Jesus, down on my knees. When I am sad, to Him I go, no other one, could cheer me so. Before I go, beyond death seas, I’ll thank my Jesus, down on my knees. Yes down on my knees!
Reverend Gipson
The subject of our message today comes from the book of Matthew:
Matthew 7:1-5 Does not judge or you too will be judged! From the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Mathew 18:15-7 If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you’ve gained your brother. But if will not hear you, take with you one or two or more that by the mouth of two or three every word can be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell the church. But he refuses to hear even the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
Reverend Gibson continues: We all know that there are those out there who be spreading rumors. No matter how you tries to be a chile of God, there are always those who will try to tear you down, can I get an Amen? Bible says do not judge, lest you be judge, Amen! [Church say “Amen!” one gentlemen in the back says, ‘come wit it now! preach it!]
And the Bible also says, upon this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it” I want yall to know to today, we got to be like that church, and all those rumors and lies can never harm us. Because those rumors and lies can only come from the gates of Hell, and only those who are on their way to hell are spreading those rumors, and trying to tear down God’s church! But I want yall to know, as long as we believe in him, we shall never be destroyed, because we have been given the keys to the Kingdom. Can I get an amen! I say again, CAN I GET an AMEN?
[Yes you can Rev, preach it now, don’t back down! tell um lack it is] I don’t have to answer to no man, but only God. Peoples be running round, and some of them are right in this church, putting other peoples name out there! Sometimes peoples be put’en your name out in the street about things ain’t true. But my dead momma used to always tell me, “if someone puts your name out there, God knows who did it, and you just have to put yo faith in the Lord, and God gon fix it! All you have to do is just be a chile of God, and the Gates of Hell can never prevail against you.
I for one love my wife and my family. The Lord has blessed me with Shirley for more than 30 years. I aint say I am perfect, but I tries to live my life accordance to God’s will. There are some people who are too busy kicking up a mess, because they are only the instruments of the Devil. See the Devil aint’t coming down to earth looking like no devil. He gon be looking just like you and me. And he go being wearing suit or a dress just like our chutch members, can I get an Amen? His mission is to divert those of us who are “saved” from the righteous path. See, that’s how the Devil works. But all we gots to do is to keep our eyes on the prize. And the prize is one day we gone be sitting on the right hand side of the lord, and have dinner at the heavenly table.
But some of yall gon mess around and find your self down there in that heat. And while we true children of God gon be in that nice heavenly air condition, yall gon be suffering from that internal fire. And it gon be hot down there, but don’t say that Rev Gipson didn’t warn ya. In Revelations he says “The worshippers of the beast shall be tormented
with fire and brimstone” Don’t say the Bible didn’t tell you to get yo house in order. While you out there running around spreading rumors, you should be reading yo Bible, like I be reading my bible.
Now, like I said, I ain’t perfect. I too have sinned, and I have asked God for his forgiveness. And he forgives me because I am his child, and I’m on the right path for my heavenly reward, and none of you Satan gon be able to prevail against God. People tries to make me angry, and I must admit, sometimes I hear rumors, and they make me wanna get my gun, and “bust a cap.” Now there was a time, many years ago, I wouldn’t have thought twice about “busting a cap”; but, now, instead I get down own my knees, and I talks to Jesus.
But Satan is alive and well in this Church. Running round like he some kind of angel. But I want yall to kno, we know who Satan is, and we know him when we see him, and he better be careful, because God is not gon be tolerating his presence in this Church. Can I get an Amen?
[By this time members of the Church were scared straight.]
[Only Elijah replied and said “preach it Rev, that’s wha im talking about. Them serpents be right up in here. That why I don’t half show up, cause I kno where Satan be at”]
And finally, “Proverbs” tells us that “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.”
After the Sermon, everyone was so scared straight, that there was only one Testimony: Mary Coard who is the 15 year old pregnant daughter of Lula Belle Coard.
Mary Coard: I aint never testified before, but a spirit come over me last night. I just wanna thank the Lord for allowing me to follow in the footsteps of Mary in the Bible. I am 15 years old, and I too will have a virgin birth. My parents and the Preacher tell me that I’m anointed. They tell me that I will have a special baby, and that I was chosen to perform this task. I was having some bad dreams, and some of them included the Preacher, but momma says it was only a dream, and that I should stop lying, and that dreams are only lies, but after the Preacher came by and he was talking to my parents, and tell me that I’m special and blessed, and then I started feeling better, because they told me everything that happened was a dream, and I should feel so blessed that I am the one, and that I need to forget my dreams, and only remember good things, because all bad things are dreams, and dreams are not real, and only good things are real, but when I ask them why I was the one chosen, they tell me because I’m special, and I can never know all the reasons, and that I should never try to find the reason, because God has his plan, and his plans include me, and there will always be a place for me, at his dinner table, and that my little baby gon be special jus like me, because God has a plan for him or her, because they don’t know what my baby will be, and that does not matter, because what ever it is, it will be special, and that I should just be quiet, but I became so happy last night, that I decided to come up here today, even without my parents knowing, and share my joy with the world, and let yall know just how lucky and how joyful and blessed I truly am and how much faith I have in this church and everything that was explained to me about my dreams!