Graves' This and That

I ran upon 3 John 1:9"I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, LIKES TO PUT HIMSELF FIRST, does not acknowledge our authority." In the church or outside the church the sp i rit of Diotrephes is screaming in evidence.  It is no wonder that relationships are awry in the home and family,there are divisions in the body of Christ, and everyone is seeking to argue and dispute somebody, anybody. In the name of frustration and disappointment or anger, vile language and emotions are out of control.  Check out the media.  Check out the family.  Check out the body of Christ. Check out government.  Check out the business world.  Granted this spirit of Diotrephes or MEism should not be prevalent among Christ followers but it is as common among us as among those who do not profess Jesus as Savior and Lord.   Rather than look "out there", it is time for us, me, as the body of Christ to take an inward and individual accounting to check out spirits....

Just finished reading 2 Timothy and love Paul's testimony as he is nearing death by losing his head, more than likely. "The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom.  To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen"  What a testimony!  I love his statement of what the years of investing in the body of Christ  and the Gentiles had been like: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." This was his joy. Paul understood who his 'real" enemy was and the adversary he HAD to fight to keep the faith.  I admit that sometimes the adversary looks very familiar and may be in my household or family.  The real truth is that the enemy is my faulty mindset to which I keep defaulting, SELF, or the work of the evil one who is full of joy that I have blamed someone else other than him. Peter was ever so kind after reminding me to supplement my faith with virtue, knowledge, self-control, ste...

At times, I can identify with this facial expression, emotion of anger, frustration, or disappointment.  As I am mulling these expressions before the LORD and HIS WORD, I come to this statement of HIM in Psalm 147:3, "HE heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."  In this passage, the Psalmist is speaking of the exiles of Israel who are in a foreign land. When I choose to hunker down into my unhealed hurts, unmet needs, and expectations, I am in a foreign land. I find that other emotions want to gather around my victim status to give support: shame, blame, accusation, criticism, anger, skepticism, discontent, perfectionism...to name a few!  There is no peace of heart, no rest of mind and body, and NO JOY!  I am too busy being a victim and blaming someone for my circumstance.  What really blows my little "pity party" is how do I align my circumstances with the spiritual blessings of Calvary on the Christian life?  Calvary defeated every enemy to my ...

Guess who just screamed, "Gotcha"?  I bet you thought it was your mate, your family member, or maybe the aggravating circumstance that just grabbed your attention?  You blew your top, you expressed verbal disapproval, and the collateral damage was ugly.  The mop-up was time consumming nor was it fun!   I am quickly mindful on this go round that "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."  Will it be me?  The distractions are real: finances, family member may not be returning to college, and frail and needy family member. Oh yes, the aggravation of a fraud order in my name of an iPhone 7 and the time to go to the authorities to get this corrected.  All of these are real for sure, but my attitude CAN squeeze my joy or I can be willing to move to 1 Thessalonians 5:18 and begin to "Give thanks for all circumstances, for this is GOD'S will for you in CHRIST JESUS."  I am not a victim and I do HAVE A...

Scripture records in Colossians 4:12, the praying strategy of Epaphras. Paul said of him,"He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured."  As usual the curiosity of what the word, wrestling, means in the Greek, so I had to know. Agonizomai, intense energy, endeavor with strenuous zeal to accomplish something.  I do get it! This wrestling in prayer was focused on interceding for others in prayer.  I long ago figured out that I had NO resources of my own flesh and power to fix myself and others or to change circumstances or to cry out for grace and strength to withstand the circumstance. There had to be a Greater Source and that is the LORD GOD, and HIS divine tool/weapon is PRAYER.  Because of the blood of Jesus and the fact that I am HIS child, I can appeal to HIM as El ELYON, the Most High and He as the residing JUDGE for the highest court, the SUPREME COURT OF THE LORD GOD, I am pleading for ot...

I was working through my many thoughts about the manger, but I saw this picture and this is really my stronger image of the LORD JESUS.  I see HIM as the LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH from Revelation and the from Genesis as Jacob is describing his son, Judah, and speaking prophetically of the LORD JESUS coming as MESSIAH.   I wondered about a lion and I wondered even more why CHRIST would be compared to a lion.  Some descriptors of a lion: courageous, bold, fearless, powerful, fierce, conquering, protector, authoritative, majestic, and these are but a few of them.  As lion, He appears to my heart and mind so much as the ONE who has fearlessly defeated my "enemies": frustrations, challenges, difficulties, disappointments, fear, and a boatload more.  I so need that image of truth.  HE is the conquering ONE who has already won every battle at Calvary, that I will ever encounter.  Ole 1600's Jonathan Edwards said of the lion, "Unless your enemies can conque...

Reading the Bible through chronologically each year is one of my favorite ways to study Scripture.  When I get to Romans, it is a time to ingest slowly because Paul is so thorough. I came up on Romans 4 and was able to settle in, and enjoy the reading on Father Abraham.  I love God's estimate of him, "Abraham believed GOD, and it was credited to him as righteousness." He was given a promise by God that he would be a father of many nations. Twenty-five years passed. The question for Abraham, would GOD? must have come to his finite mind!  I have hunkered down in the promises of GOD, but have often felt that because I was not 100% in trusting GOD that my prayer request may not be answered.  As I read the data/the circumstances/ the actions of "against hope" of Abraham, I could identify with him.  The promise was twenty-five years in coming. Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 plus their bodies were dead as a hammer to reproduce at their ages.  Then to consider ...

I have been a Facebook user since the beginning of the new genre of social media.  It does have tremendous power and is quite effectual in getting the message "out", also a reminder of the strength of words.  I am surprised that it has become the platform for emotional expressions of negative angers, petty grievances, complaints, and whines.  What is more surprising is that those of us who use it s eek to stay positive, light- hearted, and use it to build up others, are accused of trying to put on being perfect and giving false appearances.  I am not sure that pouring out the feelings of being a victim and being all about getting the affirming words of others are true expressions of being transparent.  Am I willing to be transparent in sharing GOD'S mercies, grace, and compassion in my life? Or is it all about me and my "true" feelings?  My question, how does negativity build up others or glorify the LORD ? 73 years of GOD'S mercy and grace poured out on m...

  It is too numerous to count the number of times that we as Christ Followers are encouraged to "Be alert! Be on guard! Watch!"  Could it be that we get so caught up in our own small world of  valid concerns for  self, family, and friends, th at we are oblivious to signs of the times? It was said of the ancient Jewish tribe of Issachar that they understood the signs of the times.  We, however, are like the proverbial frog in the heating water.  We don't know it is HOT until we are burned to a crisp or dead.  Then I am not too sure of what a dead frog knows!     This is not the time to isolate, to grab our blankies and passies or to cry like Henny Penny, "the sky is falling", but it is time for us as the body of Christ to rise up and declare, "ENOUGH!"  The signs of the times are pressing, pushing, and fighting against the Truths of Scripture and would persuade us that there is only relative truth and there is no NORTH on the c...

As I was preparing to share Acts 12 with my Bible study class, I loved loved the model of the church "earnestly praying."  The infant church had experienced the loss of Stephen who was martyred, and the Apostle James, the brother of John, had just been beheaded.  King Herod, because of the approval of the Jews for such an action, chose to imprison the Apostle Peter.  These had been major hits against the infant church that was growing and pushing the ole religious boundaries of the religious Jews.  As I eyed the words, earnestly praying, I wanted to know what the Greek language had to say about the term, earnestly.  The word picture is being stretched to the extremities. In my mind's eye, I see one lying prostrate on the floor, totally vulnerable to whomever and whatever, but praying.  It was certainly not a small thing that Peter was imprisoned, based on the performance of Herod Agrippa, who was a mad-man full of pride and his treatment of James. Also, m...

Thank the LORD for the wonderful years of being a child and having that wonderful free and creative imagination to play-like/pretend.  I was an only child, even though having friends and playing daily with them, I still had a play-like friend, Cat Fiddle.  I have scratched and searched in the brain to see if I could recall the why of the play-like fr iend, no reason,  but I do recall the comfort of play-like.  There were days of play-like: mommy, cooking (usually mud pies in my little metal stove toy), or dolls, whatever my imagination could perceive. I Corinthians 13:11 reminds me "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man/woman, I put childish ways behind me." As an adult, I yearn for the creativity which has alluded me, but the old games of play-like which were innocent as a child can take another form mind-games even deception.  Let's play-like there are no consequences to doing wh...

Oswald Chambers' devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest had this thought for today which caught my eye, "Refuse to be swamped with cares of this life."   I confess I am somewhat like David in Psalm 69: "Save me, O GOD, for the waters have come up to my neck, I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold."  As cares: financial muck, circumstances which press, or messes to which I have contributed begin to swamp me, I get overwhelmed.  There is no stable ground to gain traction to push myself out of the swamp and miry depth. WAIT! I do have a RESCUER: "But I pray to you, O LORD...rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink."  The cares of this world become an unstable ground of mire/fear. I borrow a quote from Mike Bickle, "Fear is the mental construct that our Father in heaven is not good enough, committed enough, strong enough, or capable enough to let His kingdom come and His absolute perfect will be done.  In short, we believe H...

While reading Acts 16, I loved Paul and Silas's attitude and actions.  They have been stripped and beaten, thrown into prison, an inner cell in fact, and their feet fastened in stocks. They could have had the attitude of the clip art picture of bewilderment and maybe fear.  However, Scripture records that with other prisoners listening, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.  NOW THAT IS A DIFFERENT RESPONSE FOR SURE! I wonder if what may imprison us may be what is going on in the mind while the circumstance is pressing against us?  In this case, I am willing to assume that HEAVEN was also listening, and there was a "violent" earthquake, foundations of the prison were shaken, and the prison doors flew open!  Now that is about a response!  Don't know who the everybody was, but their chains were loosed.   Maybe all of Paul's imprisonments and beatings were part of the motivation of 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "give thanks in all circumst...

What is in your eye?  The piece of wood or the sawdust?  Matthew 7:1 is a reminder not to judge others because whatever judgment we have of others will return to us in the same judgment.  What is even more foolish is the judgment of the sawdust in the eye of the one I am judging, and I find it amazing I can even see it when I have a piece of wood in my own eye!  At this point, I begin to make inner vows/judments:  I would never, I am not, I cannot not, he will never, he can't, etc.  I am called upon to humble myself under the mighty hand of God knowing He will strengthen, complete, establish, and settle me.  1 Peter 5:7 I get to Admit my pieces of wood in my own eye! My next step is to cast all my cares on the ONE who cares for me.  I do not have to move into fear and then make the giant leap into anger thinking I am being opposed, overlooked, or disregarded by others.  I will choose to be alert for I know the m/o of the evil one, and h...

AM I A TOXIC PERSON?  The picture says it all and speaks loudly.  When I enter the room do I try to be the center of attention? Do I always express MY opinion as if it is sacred or TRUTH? Do I have a critical or a spirit of being a victim?  Am I competing, comparing, or trying to control others?  Do I manipulate others with my unhealthy expression of emotions: anger, isolation, ignoring, constant attention to my tech toy/phone? HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD speak to me about me, not about anyone else!  This picture copied from Cary Nieuwhof's article on Twitter.

As I have glibly read Acts 7, I have never connected the dots that Saul, who had been breathing out murderous threats against the LORD'S disciples and witnessed the stoning of Stephen may have been impacted by the last words of Stephen, "LORD, do not hold this sin against them." Acts 8 records the church is growing in spite of the great persecution, and then ACTS 9 records ole Saul on his way to Damascus to to round up more Christians for jail, is now on the ground, blinded and hearing a voice, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting."   The encounter with the LORD certainly got his attention and changed his heart.  I just wonder, how hearing Stephen's message, watching the stoning of Stephen, and giving approval for his death may have been downloaded into his memory files?  How effective are the words, I forgive you?  How effective is Matthew 6:14, I forgive others of their offenses as I have been forgiven by my Heavenly Father?  That simple conjunction ...

I am thinking the real question is who am I allowing to shake my "world"?  My cage, my world, or my life can be rather quiet, stilted, or even boring at times. But then there are times that my world is being "shaken".  I confess the shaker looks like a friend, a family member, an acquaintance or just an anybody.  THEN, there are those times that GOD must rattle my cage to put me back into alert, code red, danger mode.  I can get lulled to consistency and same-ole mentality easily thinking it is just life rattling my cage.  There are only two choices, really: GOD or the GOD allowed uninvited evil one.  MIGHTY SOVEREIGN GOD sees that I have moved into carelessness and so HE allows a rattling or a shaking.  Then there are those other times, that self and the evil one take note that I have moved into "all is well" which can be a false perception.  My cage can be shaken and I need to acknowledge and identify who is "ashaking me". Oswald Chambers, on...

This picture is from Beth Moore on Twitter as she was out walking on their property.  When I saw it, I immediately thought of how like satan to camouflage himself.  We must stay alert and be willing to recognize that not only is satan a roaring lion but at times, he slithers along and blends into our environment and we are caught off-guard.  This is a copper-head, one of the most venomous of snakes, and can bring death to its victim.  I remind you that our foe only comes to kill, steal, and destroy you and me.  BE ALERT TO THE GLORY OF GOD!  May we be more alert to our LORD so that we can recognize our foe. 

John 11 is one of my favorite reads in Scripture.  I love every miracle that JESUS performed because I love to see the defeat of the hold of the evil one on everyone of us.  I am also reminded that every circumstance is under HIS control, HE is greater than the circumstance, and there is purpose in allowing the circums tance.   Too often, I get caught up in the circumstance and how it is affecting me and mine.  The LORD'S very words, "for GOD'S glory so that GOD'S SON may be glorified through it" is the explanation of the purpose. The BEST of the narrative is again, JESUS' words, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."  I wonder about the grave clothes.  They were only on Lazarus four days, but surely they emitted the stench of deadness?  Someone was instructed to remove them from Lazarus because they were wound around his body and prohibited him from movement.  I doubt that he ran out of the tomb when JESUS "called out in a loud voice, ...

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:19 A prayer from another, but so appropriate for my praying for others:  "I bind their minds to the mind of Christ.  I bind their emotions to the work of the Holy Spirit.  I bind their wills to the will of God.  I loose, break, and tear down the mental walls of justification, arguments, rationalizations, reasonings, and denial that they've made their truth.  I strip away the deception of their souls that have kept them from seeing every area of un-forgiveness that is trapped in the memory of every unmet need, unhealed hurt, and the offenses that have kept them bound to the pain and torment of those memories.  I uproot the fibers of inferiority that are attached in their trying to measure up to expectations of others and failure of not doing so.  I loose the de...

Oswald Chambers says it so directly to the heart, "The great enemy to the LORD JESUS CHRIST in the present day is the conception of practical work that has not come from the New Testament, but from the systems of the world in which endless energy and activities are insisted upon, but no private life with God."  ( My Utmost for His Highest , p. 293).   Is it no wonder that we have shriveled spirits as we drain the body with activity?  One of my favorite little books is the story of Brother Lawrence who daily practiced the presence of God in the mundane of all his activities.  Of course, I realize that he lived in 1666 and the times were very different, but I am sure he lived in tumultuous times of unrest and political unrest in Paris, France. There are rare peaceful and restful times in any nation even today.  It is recorded that at every moment and in every circumstance that he sought God and practiced HIS presence.  Reading his transparent thoughts ...

Timothy reminds the reader to gently instruct the one opposing what is being taught rather than quarreling or being resentful.  It is GOD'S desire to grant repentance and leading the opposer to the knowledge of truth.   If we are to gently instruct, I am thinking that there may be a further caveat or resolve: I will allow my "conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that I may know how to answer everyone."  Colossians 4:6.  I agree, this is a stretch....always full of grace!  Of course, I love to receive grace, and I am reprimanded that I don't get to hoard it from anyone at anytime with the word, all. Paul's   always, every, at all times, in everything are  spiritually stretching words for me because there is that tendency to default to defending and vindicating self!  Too make it short, salty, and simple.  Salt works a drying out agent that limits bacteria, mold, and spoiling.  When salt is applied, it caus...

Paul is reminding his son in the LORD to not get involved with the quarrel of words or "foolish and stupid arguments".  He rather suggests that Timothy gently instruct the one is who opposing him in the hope that GOD will grant the hearer repentance which might lead him to the knowledge of truth and that he will come to his senses and escape the trap of the devil, who has taken him captive to do his will.  2 Timothy 2:24-26.  Sounds like wise counsel to me rather than wrangling over words and causing damage to the relationship.   Our social media enjoys the wrangling and the freedom of expression which sometimes gives little thought to consequences of what is being said.  I understand that we have the right to the freedom of speech, but I wonder does the right heal the pain of the words that were expressed?  I am not thinking of the hyper-sensitivity which is so public which is really pride but rather, a wounding of another by words.  Years ago,...

How we forget that the obstacles before us may just be from the strategy list of the evil one.  Distraction is his first Motive of Operation.  He sets up a skirmish in another area of our lives to draw us off-guard and to leave our assigned post.  For a soldier to be AWOL from his post brings great repercussions in the military. We recognize his behavior:  pride, intimidation, manipulation, conflict, overly dramatized words and emotions, hyper-sensitivity, and FEAR.  We are commanded in 1 Peter 5:8 to be self-controlled and alert.  The evil one prowls like a roaring lion looking for his prey.  From the good old internet, I found that the lion mostly roars to mark his territory and to draw the lion pride to unify.  I have observed several mine-field operations lately.  Tragically, the wounded are strewn all over the fields battered, weary, wounded, and confused.  The enemy was thought to be flesh and blood...ALAS, it is flesh and bloo...

It is always such a "fist to the gut" when you find out that someone that you trust has taken the route of deceit.  Deceit takes many forms.  It always is closely akin to a lie and self deception. Always about hiding.  One might know it is an inappropriate choice when it has to be hidden!   Recall Adam and Eve hidding from God because of fear. In order to hunker down into deceit, it would seem that one would have to feel justified in "doing what he or she has to do".  It is always the "means justifies the end".  Deceit seems to also take on the role of presumption.  The presumption is: He or she will get over it.  I do what I have to do.  It is worth the risk to the relationship to do what is "needful".  In deceit, the one being deceived is always the one who gives the most. The deceiver seems to be very comfortable with the role and is proud of what is perceived as accomplished.  She or he is usually a manipulator of events. ...

I have several favorite foods...ok, so I have to admit the truth, sugar is NOT a food!  However, I really have to guard the sugar intake...from the lips to the hips and then as I age, the concerns for diabetes and more weight.  Among my food choices which I really enjoy are those which do not pack on pounds. However, there is a wonderful and excellent food which I crave for my daily intake:  the WORD of GOD.  It does NOT add pounds, but rather is sufficient for every circumstance of daily living...which can tedious, joyful, or maybe horrendous,like having a root canal! The psalmist stated it so well, "How sweet are YOUR words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Ps. 119:103  There are times when I feel like there are bullets whizzing at or around me from the evil one and that is when I "hunker down" in the WORD.  I want to stay alert and recognize who the real enemy is.  I am grateful that ABBA FATHER is using HIS WORD to fill me, sustain m...

OPPS!  I am mulling again. I wonder, what role does data "play" in our lives as Christ followers?   Having been an educator, data played a priority role in ascertaining how well or how poorly a student would perform on a mandated state test.  Data is used to determine the outcome of educational success of some students.  I listen and watch the news, and I am constantly hearing data being reported concerning polls, which may or may not determine who wins an election. Data, BIG or little controls too much of our decision making process and the outcome. Presently, I am praying for several who are experiencing cancer.  They each have been given data as to the prognosis.  Cancer is scary enough, but then the alarming statistics of data is given, which is usually negative, and the cancer patient and his or her spouse or parent walk away defeated and with little hope.   Is there a possibility that data can be skewed or manipulated? I also understand tha...

I have sent several messages by phone and received back information letting me know that the message failed to send.  I know that when we purchase mobile phones, we usually purchase a data package also.  I don't know about you, but I love it that my ALL-HEARING COMPASSIONATE FATHER always hears my cries, and HE has no data limits on me! HE even commands us: "Call unto ME and I will answer you and tell your great and unsearchable things you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3.  How about some other reminders?  "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear."  Isaiah 65:24.  "If you abide in Me, and MY words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7  No reference to the number of times that I have cried out to HIM.  No correction for my constant crying out to HIM.  No displeasure to HIM or reprimand that it is me again, crying out to HIM.  ...

The message of Joshua is still pertinent almost 3,500 years later: ""But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods of your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15 Of course, our problem is not the gods of the Amorites, but the gods/idols of our selves and our forefathers whom we observed that they worshiped.  For us as Christ followers, we have so become synergistic (mixture of what I think or feel and the TRUTH of Scripture) about our life in the LORD JESUS.  I am thinking that we have so tolerated our own sin for so long by calling it more acceptable name. Could we be self-deceived? It has now become a personality weakness, or some psychological identification which gives approval for its expression since this is what we are or controlled by....like a disease which...