Graves' This and That

This morning, I am reading in the book of Numbers.  God continues to be gracious and merciful to a bunch of stubborn knot heads, not too unlike me at times.  The people have grumbled against Moses and Aaron, again.  Weary of their grumbling and unbelief, God spoke, "Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment." Moses directs Aaron to take his censer, put fire in it from the altar, lay incense on it then take it to the congregation and make atonement for the people.  Aaron performed as directed, standing between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.  Some 14,700 died because of their unbelief, rebellion, and disobedience.   Lord God, thank you for Moses and Aaron who stood in the gap.  They stood between the living and the dead.I intercede today for those who are living but are dead inwardly to the wooing of the Spirit of the living God. Lord, they have no resources of their own, and I appeal t...

Ezekiel 37 is one of my favs.  As I look at an opportunity before me, I hear that this group is dead.  I have quickly run to this chapter to hear the Spirit of God speak.   Ezekiel sat in the valley and looked about himself, and all he saw was bones.  Interesting that the Spirit of God asked Ezekiel if these bones could live.  As I think about where I am going to be today, and hearing of the group of dead bones, I hear the Spirit of God, asking me, "Can these bones live?"  My reply is the same as Ezekiel, "O Lord God you know." Right now as I am praying in my War Room, I bring this group to you, the only way that this group can live is if YOU breathe Spirit life into them.   Tragically deadness comes slowly, much like the frog in the water that is heating...alive and then as the water heats up, death comes.  The cares of this world cause deadness.  First glancing at cares, then gazing at cares, and then focus on them rather than then...

I wonder who the "they" were to whom Jesus spoke in John 11: 44 as Lazarus hobbled out of the tomb bound hands and feet with linen strips.  Even his face was wrapped with a cloth.  I wonder how did the "they" feel as they unbound him and were they totally amazed at what they had just witnessed and even touched with their hands in the untying? My wonderment moves to the power of our weapon, prayer, as we make our lists of loved ones, family and friends who are still bound with lies of the evil one.  I identify with the concept of the War Room.  The room where I choose to enter daily is where I enter HIS throne room and at HIS footstool, I not only want to praise and worship HIM, but it is also where I plead for the release of the captives to the lies which satan and culture have bound hearts of those for whom I  care very deeply.  Romans 8:2, "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."  We have ...

I love the word picture of the general leading a procession of the captives and all the spoils of war.  Because of Calvary, thanks be to God, Christ always leads us in triumphal procession.  I have to admit that the always term is not how it feels at times.  There are times, I feel liked I am being marched on and over, and it ain't no parade either!   Aren't feelings such liars?  At times, my feelings are certainly prejudiced and so blind to God's perspective and His Truth.  Regardless of what the activity looks like or even feels like, the Holy Spirit has spoken through Paul, that I am always lead in triumphal procession and that the procession will spread a fragrance of the knowledge of Him EVERYWHERE.  I can imagine the spectators as they watch the activity, the good, the bad, and the ugly of my life, and I also can smell the fragrance or the stench as I am showing forth my witness that I know Him personally. Thank you Father that even in my ...

Does anyone else hate stoplights beside me?  I know how important they are for safety and traffic flow, but I need something to do while I wait.  Our traffic lights are lengthy because of the heavy flow of traffic and I just know that I could be more purposeful in the waiting.  I guess you get it.....I am impatient!  Go ahead and have pity for the children I reared, the deceased husband, the living husband, and the guys and girls that I attempted to teach in my 15 years in the classroom.  I know that the Holy Spirit has had His eye on me to teach me patience and perseverance.  Although I love Psalm 102:2d, "answer me speedily in the day when I call!"  The psalmist was plagued with the same sin/imperfection/weakness that I see in my life.  Guess I could rationalize and blame first and only child position, type A personality, however the real deal is I want to take charge;  I want to fix it;  I want to get it done and finished; and I am ...

I always appreciate King Solomon's wisdom although he did not always choose to employ the wonderful gift that he was given.  Today, in light of the world's wisdom which seeks to impress, oppress, and take captives, I adhere to the Truth: "The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thoughts to his steps.  One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless." Proverbs 14:15-16 Lord, I cry out for Your wisdom, Your discernment, and refuse to be held captive with unhealthy feelings, sentimentalism, and snippets of facts parading as Truth.  I refuse to grab hold of some popular information in the name of Biblical fact which has been imported to only one man and see it as TRUTH.  I refuse to be a simpleton.  We are told that if we lack wisdom, we can certainly ask of the Lord God who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to us.  James 1:5.   "The heart of the discerning acquires kn...

About 49 times in the Old Testament, the LORD is called a shield or my shield. The Hebrew word that is used is magan.   In checking out the term, I find that there are five words in the Old and New Testament used for shield: javelin, magen, buckler/tsinnah, shelet, and thureos.  Interestingly enough, in about 40 of these instances, when the Lord is called a shield or my shield, the term is buckler and can be shield-bearer.  The magen is caried by the archers.  They are usually constructed of wood and are overlaid with leather.  The oil is a preservative on the leather, plus the oil is possibly able to extinguish the fiery darts and arrows.   I Samuel 14, Jonathan, the son of King Saul, had an armor- bearer,  and in 1 Samuel 17:7,  one who carried Goliath's shield was a shield-bearer. In each case, Jonathan nor Goliath carried his own armor or weapon, it was carried by this one who went before each of them.  The armor-bearer was willing...

This morning, I am in John 7-9 for my Mull time with the Lord.  Three chapters of repeated rejection of the Lord as Savior, Light, Son of God by the religious crowd who harassed, followed, and deceitfully sought to murder the Lord.  They witnessed the miracles of the Lord Jesus numerous times.  They were amazed at His teachings....they heard, but they were blinded by a self-righteous self-centered religious mindset that there was no ability to comprehend what they were seeing or hearing.  As I read, I have to painfully confess, that even though, I claimed to know Jesus as Lord, I have been blinded by self-righteousness at times. PRIDE is the most appropriate synonym for self-righteousness. This same mindset has been evidenced lately.   I have watched a friend who was very steeped in religion and in self to perhaps reject the opportunities to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord.  It is painful to think of this one and to have seen over and over again the atte...

As I read the Apostle Paul, I am always overwhelmed with his use of all's, everything, every, etc.  I see that Paul was an "all or nothing" Christ follower.  I have never seen an instance in his writings where he presents any grays or shallowness in his thinking.  Of course, there wouldn't be when the AUTHOR is the SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD guiding his thoughts and protecting HIS truths as the words filled the sacred scrolls.    What a model Paul has been throughout the ages.  It causes me to ask the Lord to raise up men and women who are willing to be consistently determined to live courageously and sacrificially in this present age where the culture has no standard or demarcation of righteousness and evil.  I often ask the Lord for models of Josephs, Daniels, Nehemiahs, Deborahs, and Esthers to permeate our government and influence the authorities in office, so I will add a Paul to challenge the mindset of this present age, also.     ...

We are pressed, almost smothered with the world's wisdom, understanding, and counsel.  If what the world has offered has been so advantageous to us, why have we seen such degradation of marriage, manhood, womanhood, sanctity of life, and abuse against the aged and helpless?  It seems the world's wisdom, understanding, and counsel are blown about by the winds of the culture and who thinks he/she is in control.  Being in control, like God, is certainly not a new concept.  Adam and Eve practiced the lie and it bought them loss. Losses: in relationships with one another and their children, loss of walking in the cool of the evening with the LORD GOD, loss of the Garden of Eden, loss of peace, loss of comfort, and losses of all that God had planned and purposed for them had they been willing to obey His admonition, "And the Lord commanded the man, saying, 'You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat...

I have a tendency to be a fretter-stewer.  Over my many years, I have had some victories and addressing fretting and stewing for what it is, SIN!  In one of my studies by Jennifer Rothschild, she mentioned that worry is from an old High German wurgen, meaning to strangle.   As I recall Matthew 13 and the parable of the seeds, I see from the text:  some seeds fell along the path, other seeds fell on rocky ground, other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them, and the last group of seeds fell on good soil and were productive. I noted that Jesus said of those seeds which fell among thorns,"but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful."   What a contrast, the seed which fell on good ground "yielded in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty" and in the case of the seeds which were choked out...they were unfruitful!  Zero! Zip! Zaid! Nada! I do have ...

Thoughts are from the study of Jennifer Rothschild's Me, Myself and Lies , a Bible study that I just finished and will do this next 2-3 months with a friend to facilitate with some ladies.  Matthew 12:35, "A good man produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil man produces evil things from his storeroom of evil."  Storeroom in the Greek is thesauros , a treasure chest of words.  My thought-life is contained in a treasure chest, a thesauros.  In the fourth grade. we often used a Thesauras to find synonyms for trite words that we often use in writing.  My treasure chest is full of my musings, thoughts, reasonings, and opinions which can become my attitudes, then my actions.  Psalm104:34, May my meditation (musings/siach) be pleasing to Him, for I rejoice in the Lord."  I have to ask myself the challenging questions:  "Who am I thinking about?"  "What am I thinking about?"  "What am I willing to correct in my musings if ...

I love the early mornings which is my time to settle into the Word of God.  My direction for today, Proverbs 17:3, "The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts."  Of course that sent me to my Bible dictionary once again to find out about the refining of silver and gold.  The goldsmith is the sorep in Hebrew.  May I capitalize SOREP and ask YOU, Mighty All-knowing God to continue the refining in me to remove the dross and the alloy from my life?   Thank the Lord that HE does the refining through afflictions, circumstances, and blessings.  Praise His Name that He removes in mercy and grace.  However, I am reminded by 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse up from all unrighteousness."  We are encouraged in Daniel 11:35 to inspect our motives, decisions, and our attitudes....to refine them/to allow the Spirit of God who resides within us to convict and ...

I was tweeting my thought today from Proverbs 16:20, which is an encouragement and a blessing, when I saw the tweet by one of my favs, Tim Keller, “I am going to judge my circumstances by Jesus’ love, not Jesus’ love by my circumstances.” Far too often, I am staring at my circumstances, my mistake and mulling, "Father, I know that you love me, but sometimes, I don't feel so loved."  How is that for shallow, yet certainly transparent?  So my reply to all of my circumstances?  I will take up the shield of faith and will extinguish all the flaming darts, lies, and taunts of the evil one.  As the saying goes, "If the mouth is moving, he is lying."  Thank you Father that you are using my circumstances to conform me to the Image of the Lord Jesus.  I will trust you and I will also confess that I am not most comfortable or secure in these circumstances, but then, YOU have never sought me to be comfortable.  As I think of the Lord, not even a place to lay Hi...

If you have an idea on how to remove the hideous image, please let me know.  I have chased all over and can't seem to find that out.  Thanks.

I love Colossians 2:15:"HE disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him."  (My capitalization of He, Him, and His are my own.)  As I worked through this passage, I began to consider all of our armor which we are commanded to take put on and take up because of our "wrestle against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic power over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  I especially focused on the shield of faith with which I can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one . As I considered that shield, I wondered what kind of shield and how was the shield used.  Good ole Bible dictionary gave me some enlightenment.  The large shield is the sinna(Hebrew) thureos (Greek).  It could cover the whole body.  It was carried by the heavily armed infantry.  The second shield was a smaller shield, magan, carried by archers.  It was const...

It is truly interesting and frightening what is assumed about Medicare!  Being a retired teacher, I can't have Dick's social security and my retirement.  I have to go back to Social Security to sign up for part B and to top it all off, I have never been given a card even and am on Dick's Medicare care number.  I could not sign up for B since I was employed by BISD until June 5.  Now I must get signed up post haste so I can get my retirement check in September.  Do you think the government will move that fast?  Well, HERE I am again, Lord for the zillionth time bombarding Your throne and trusting You to move government in my behalf.  I will stand in line Monday morning with some other hopefuls at Social Security. Thank you Father that according to Ephesians 1:21, "You are above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named in this age but also in the one to come."  Duh ta duh duh..drum roll for HIS MAJESTY, KING O...

     We  have been praying toward August 25, 2015 for three years.  Here we are and we have loads of question marks to my questions because answers are slow in coming.  That simply, ha(!) means that I am not asking in the Father's will and purpose or asking amiss, or I in the process of perseverance which always demands patience and waiting on the Lord.  Oh my goodness!  In the fulness of time, He will make it known because He has promised to order my steps.  So I get to wait on Him and be of good cheer with my hope in Him.  There just does not seem to be any shortcuts to maturing in the Lord.  I might have chosen the tendency to look for another way, maybe an easier way, or maybe not even a way that God has purposed for me if I run ahead.  So as I wait and make efforts to be still and to trust, Lord, you just go ahead and show off and show out as You bring about Your purpose and Your plan for Dick and me.  By faith, ...