Graves' This and That

  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.