Graves' This and That

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 deception from th

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 reminds me of reading th

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 causes the object too be so dry that

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, an old friend always said, &