Graves' This and That

I don't know how you begin planning your New Year spiritually,  so this my plan of action:  I choose to  begin to prepare for the New Year with a new journal, new prayer journal, decide on the plan I am going to use to read the Bible through, and almost every year, I settle on a Scripture thought that I want to allow the Spirit of God  to work through me.  For this New Year, I guess mainly influenced by the home-going of my eldest son, I am much more cognizant of  the brevity of life even though I have privileged to be alive for 74 years.  I have been influenced by my Bible study teacher to personalize Scripture.  This is my take on 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, I am always confident and I know as long as I am at home in the body that I am away from the Lord.  I live by faith, and not by sight.  I am confident and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  I make it my goal to please Him whether at home or away from i...

   Throughout the Old Testament, there are stories of battles, lands taken, lands lost, and people being restored to their possessions. In the New Testament, we read of the hatred and  aggression which come against our Lord and is played out in His crucifixion and resurrection.  Paul spends many words reminding us that we are in a spiritual battle of epic consequences as Christ followers.  Sure enough, the book of Revelation wants us to experience in sight and sound, the great battles which satan brings against humanity.  I love John's casual, but weighty words in Revelation 12:12c, "He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."  He has known since Calvary  that his time is short...Colossians 2:15, "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, HE made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." My favorite reading is Chapter 19 and all the expressions of Hallelujah that we have won in Christ Jesus from...

I have read and even sat under teachers who have taught the book of Revelation and this clip art is me as I read through Revelation again.  I remind you that I read it for encouragement, for the blessing not knowing what it will be, and I THRILL at the Truth that GOD IS IN CHARGE AND HE WILL PREVAIL!  I cherish the thoughts of Righteousness winning and evil being destroyed and losing the ensuing battles. As I read, there are some truths that I do understand: 1.  Heaven is NOT where one will sit on a fluffy comfortable cloud and be inactive! 2.  Heaven's focus will NOT be us, but rather the Lord God and Jesus Christ.   3.  Heaven will have many evidences of praise: voices speaking, singing, bowing before the throne, casting crowns before the throne of God, crying out praises in a loud voice, testimonies of martyred saints, and victory shouts.  Looks like we had better get more active in our praising here! 4.  Glancing ahead to chapter 22: No ...

  It has been my purpose to write impressions, thoughts, or observations from my reading through the Bible this year.  I recognize the thoughts are not scholarly, yet my impressions have been meant to be a focus, a process in my walk as a Christ follower.  The blog has been my platform and my catharsis as I have worked through the first year of David's  earthly absence. (January 22 is the date of his heavenly presence from illness, almost blindness, and inactivity here...why not yearn for release to heaven for health and wholeness?)  I gladly enter the book of Revelation for my reading for the rest of December.  I read it for the purpose of finishing my "read through the Bible" plus I read it for the promise of the blessing: " Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."  Revelation 1:3.  The promise of blessing is for reading and he...

  Over the years, I have taught grades 6, 4, and 2.  I have worked with children in churches also and also had three sons of my on.  The age ole, "Me, I want to be first" is the rant of a child...of most ages. It seems to become a tad less obvious as  the child matures, however in the adult, the same mindset of "meism" can reek havoc in marriages, families, professions, or in the Body of Christ.   The old traveling apostle, John is writing 1,2,and 3rd John from Ephesus.  The three books were written about 90 AD.  He is the eldest apostle, and will eventually be exiled to the isle of Patmos, cetainly not a scenic vacay location!  He will be exiled for His teachings and his faithfulness to speak truth about Christ.   In 3 John, he mentions Diotrephes, but note the descriptor of Diotrephes..."who loves to be first".  Diotrephes has spread gossip to create disunity in the body of Christ.  John is embolden and calls his name in print...

One of the most difficult realities in the absence of the loved one....other than the term, never in this life , is there are no phones, texts, tweets, or emails, or calls to or from loved ones who are alive in the heavens.  Amazing!  I can communicate and pour out my joys, grief, and the events of my daily life to my ABBA, Father, but I can't communicate with those who are absent from my life. It just must be that Father purposed that we learn to communicate and love well while we have the opportunity here on earth.  I am most grateful for Christmas and all the memories and the emotions wrapped tightly around family, fun, food, and gifts, yet today, how I would love a phone call from the fire station from a son who had to work today wishing me a Merry Christmas!  Reality sometimes is harsh and cold, but how grateful I am for Truth...alive and healed in the heavens. The emotions are a cacophony of thoughts from joy, love, to heartache and grief not just for me, but...

I have never been privy to a man or woman last words murmured at death, yet surely we all have some concluding thoughts in finishing this phase of our lives.  I reread 2 Timothy written by Paul who is now in a Roman prison about the year 66 or 67 AD possibly a couple of years before the Emperor, Nero, has him beheaded.  Paul has been a faithful mentor to Timothy who is pastoring the church at Ephesus.  This last letter is written to encourage Timothy to stand strong in the faith that he has been "entrusted" and to give him warnings of the false teachings that may try to infiltrate the body of Christ at Ephesus. Several rich concluding thoughts from Paul: 1.  God gives you the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline, NOT fear. 2. I am not ashamed of this gospel, I KNOW in WHOM I have believed and He is able to guard what I have entrusted Him. 3. God's solid foundation stands firm for God knows those who are His. 4.  "Keep your head in all situations, en...

How I would love to be able to report that my journey in faith has always been UP if it was to be charted.  As a younger Christian, I came under the influence of a godly woman about my age.  She was my Bible study teacher and a missionary on furlough from Japan.  In her teaching the gifts of the Spirit, I was intrigued with the phrase from Romans 12:3, "in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you".   At that point in my spiritual life, I was struggling with faith which had long been expressed as perfectionism and performance...Pharisee! I also was fraught with the feelings of insecurity and inferiority which only drove the 3 P's: perfectionism, performance, and Pharisee. Faith was a mystery to me, so I began to consider the "measure of faith" that I had been given and I questioned the faith that I demonstrated.  Was the  faith I demonstrated the "measure of faith" I was given or was it the "measure of faith" that I was willing ...

  When I began Hebrews, I was just wading in the water, but as I move on to chapters 7-10, I am in deep waters, way over my head!  The author of Hebrews is not stated but he sounds so like the Apostle, Paul.  The writer seems to be stating "arguments" to the Jewish Christ followers as to why they should remain faithful to the teachings of Christ rather then return to the "obsolete" covenant before the coming of Jesus and His sacrificial death at Calvary. They were also enduring great persecution as Jewish Christians.  Not being Jewish, I do not practically and fully comprehend these chapters, yet I DO understand the argument that Jesus is Superior in the faith that He taught:  living by faith and not by fulfilling rituals and rules of the old covenant.  Through HIS sacrifice and the resurrection, this HIGH PRIEST, JESUS, paid the price for my sins, ONCE AND FOR ALL, NEVER TO BE REPEATED AGAIN.  The word, tetelestai,  "It is finished!" the words wh...

I well remember how frustrating those words were to me as a youth, yet of course, I used them more times then I could ever count to my own three sons and the students I taught over the years.  If I didn't verbalize them, you can just know the attitude was there. Of course, I had to move into valid reasons in the process.  Disclaimer...they were valid to me, at least! Reading Hebrews 1-6, I come to the passage in the latter of chapter 6 and I love the security that "because I said so" brings to my heart and mind.  Verses 13-20 concern the certainly of God's promise.  God had promised Abraham that He would abundantly bless him and the blessing would come through his son.  Aged Abraham, I just bet, gasped as he considered he and Sarah's age, well past the years of reproduction. After a 25 year wait, "Abraham received what was promised."  The Author reminds the reader, that men swear by someone greater than themselves which is the guarantee, the oath, when...

I confess, SOMETIMES, as I spend time in the Word of God, I become convicted and very uncomfortable in my heart and mind.  Presently, I am reading 1 Peter.  It is written by the apostle Peter during his latter years in Rome, 64-65 AD, probably right before his persecution and crucifixion by Nero.  Christians in Jerusalem were undergoing great persecution and many had scattered throughout the then Roman controlled world. I am not sure why Peter is in Rome considering the persecutions, but he is thought to be present there. There are several passages which challenge my mindset as I read, but today, at this minute,  1 Peter 4:2, which I personalize:  I should not spend my life (bios) in the flesh:  my wants, my needs, my desires, my plans, my comfort, my happiness, my, my, my but rather I must spend my life in the time (chronos, years) I am alive ...spend it to the will of God."   Upon responding to the invitation of allowing Christ to come into my li...

Titus is the next book in the Bible written chronologically about 64 AD.  Paul has written the book to the pastor, Titus, who is overseer of the churches on the island of Crete.  Titus is another "younger man in the Lord" that Paul is encouraging and desirous that the doctrine of the apostles and the early church is uniformly "sound",taught, and practiced. He states that the reason he has left Titus at Crete is that "you might straighten/ set in order what was left unfinished..." Paul makes suggestions of orderly living in the behaviors of church leadership, of the older and younger men, the older and younger women,and all being "subject" to rulers and authorities so that their testimonies are a praise of God's workings and not a blemish on the body of Christ.   My continuum of order: from absolute chaos--- good enough---ok----OCD.  Order from the Greek suggests straight, standing erect,or to arrange setting in order. Performance, perfectio...

I enter 1 Timothy today, another letter authored by Paul.  He has written it from Macedonia where he is preaching and teaching.  Timothy is a young man whom Paul has such high regard  which is evidenced by his endearing identification of Timothy, "my true son in the faith".  Paul has been a mentor, a coach, to Timothy.  He is writing to Timothy who is pastoring and teaching in Ephesus.  Paul has already spent three years teaching in Ephesus and Timothy is left there to oversee the ministry.   Ephesus, at this point in time, is a major city of commerce, politics, and religions in Asia Minor.  To make his ministry more challenging, Ephesus is the location of the goddess, Artemis/Diana who is worshiped by the Ephesians.   Paul is urging Timothy to "stay in Ephesus so that you may command certain men to not teach false doctrines...", salvation by keeping the law instead of salvation by grace of the Lord Jesus. Timothy may have been wanting to g...

Joy is the theme of Philippians, whose author is Paul.  It has been written from a Roman jail.  Joy is one of the fruit that the Spirit of God gives to us.  In looking up the word, joy , in the Greek, I note that it comes from the same root word as the word, grace.  Joy is to be calmly happy, another inner work of the heart and the spirit within us which is NOT contingent on whether my circumstances are good or hellishly bad. My emotions are not meant to be the gauge to determine my joy .  One of the earliest expressions of joy was when the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds who were attending their flock of sheep.  "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, He is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11.   I remember as a young pastor's wife, there was an elderly gentleman in our church family that called me weekly just to talk....

i don't know what was missing in my diet as a four or five year old, but I can recall sitting behind a chair secretly sucking off the tips of burned matches. EHHH! I had two parents that smoked, and I could gather up the burned matches from the ash trays.  Strange, I know!  I was not interested in playing with the matches and striking them, but only in the ones burned.  In my readings for today, I have read the book of Ephesians which is like trying to ingest an elephant, but I loved the first verses of chapter one as Paul, the author, offers praise to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for spiritual blessings.  If your spiritual life at the present is like "burned matches" because your fervor and devotion have gotten cold, I remind you of what Paul reminds us in chapter 1 with the hope your spirit life with be lit up again.  HE has chosen us before the creation of the world. HE chose us to be holy and blameless in HIS sight. In love , HE marke...

  From Colossians 3:15, " Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace . And be thankful."  This second week of Advent, I have been focused on the fruit and character of peace.  As I finished Acts and the Corinthians, I have been directed to Colossians.  Here in Colossians, I found this jewel, peace of Christ .    Peace in Hebrew is Shalom.  It is commonly used for greeting and farewell today in Israel.  There is a deeper meaning from the Hebrew, for the word encourages the hope that the individual will be well: fulfilled, satisfied, healthy, prosperous, and will be in harmony with self, with others, and with God.  The word seems to suggest a work in the inward man or woman regardless of what is happening on the outside of us.  What is going on INSIDE of me?  I can experience Jehovah Shalom as I am willing to recognize that HE is the source of peace.  We are admonished to...

Paul writes his own obit in 2 Timothy, " For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.  I have fought the good fight;  I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge will award me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing." Paul in Acts 28 has arrived in Rome, and Luke records that he is allowed to live by himself  in a rented home, welcoming all who come to see him. He is under a guard and for the next two years, Luke records  of Paul,  "Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."  He also wrote Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon from Rome. The Emperor, Nero, has come to the throne of Rome, and the great persecution of Christians begins around 62-64 AD which is about the same years Peter wrote ...

Sometimes, I am correct in the "advice" that I suggest even though, so often it is ignored...could it be my delivery method?  I am in Acts 27, Paul is on a ship sailing for Rome.  He has just finished being grilled by King Agrippa and trials before Felix and Festus and all agreed Paul could go free had he not made his appeal to Caesar.  God has directed him to "testify in Rome".  What a lousy directive!  BUT God has a plan and a purpose to which Paul is obedient by faith. On board the ship, Paul warns the centurion to not sail on the given date because  of the possible loss of cargo, the ship, and the prisoners.  The weather, the winds, and the rough seas make a trip on the Mediterranean Sea during the winter months challenging even though the ship sailed near the coast lines. Sure enough, they enter storms.  The cargo is thrown overboard, stars do not appear for days, the winds rage. Luke states that they "finally gave up all hope of being save...

  I have finished up 1 and 2 Corinthians and have been sent back to finish up the book of Acts.  Paul has left Ephesus with a very emotional departing:  "...he knelt down with all of them and prayed.  They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.  What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.  Then they accompanied him to the ship."  Paul has departed to return to Jerusalem. After preaching in Jerusalem, more controversy has arisen.  Paul is dragged from the temple, he is beaten and bound with chains.  Amazing, he gathers his wits and speaks to the unruly crowd sharing his testimony and they listen..until he shares that he was present at the stoning of Stephen, "I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.  Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles."  Their response to his testimony: The crowd, mainly Jewish, raised...

    The book of Romans is always a perplexing, in your face, and convicting read...at least to this finite and flawed one.  Romans 2:1 caught my eye: " You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else; for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things."  This is one of my flaws....judgment and a critical spirit, and I have confessed and addressed it over the years.  Reminder:  I must stay alert to this sin! I come to Romans 14 in my reading for this am ; the Spirit of God brought it to my attention again: "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters."  "You, then, why do you judge your brother?  Or why do you look down on your brother?  For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.  It is written:   'As surely as I live says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will confess to God...

What a head-trip!  I have begun the book of Romans in my readings.  I slog through his writings in this book.  No fast reads for sure!  I am so grateful that God gifted Paul with the ability to understand and to be able to express Truths through the written word which have been guided and protected by the Holy Spirit of God.   I come away with some jewels which are pertinent to every Christ follower, but I will use first person to state some of them from Chapters 1-8 which is like picking up ten grains of sand from a beach to describe sand! 1.  Romans 3:22 :  I am righteous because Jesus Christ put His righteousness into my bankrupt spiritual account.  It was given to me from God through faith in Christ Jesus and to all who believe.  2.  Romans 5:1 :  I am justified by faith (Justified:  to be declared innocent or guiltless, acquitted of the charges against me.) and I have peace with God through Christ Jesus' sacrifice on ...