Graves' This and That

    Pastor Tommy Teague always reminded us that a statement followed by the conjunction, "but", negated all that was stated before the but.   Well here goes! Jericho has been routed by Joshua and the Israelites.  God is with Joshua, "and his fame spread throughout the land."  (Remember that all chapter and verse markings were added eons later.) The first  word of chapter 7 of Joshua: BUT Achan of the tribe of Judah took some of the "devoted things".  God has forewarned Israel  before going into Jericho, "But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them."  Tragically, Achan has taken a beautiful robe, five pounds of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing about 1 1/4 pounds. He paid a horrific price for his family and himself...their very lives. I grant you this is a VERY negative BUT in the lives of the Israelites. Rather than focus on the negative activity and the BUT, I w...

We remember birthdays, deaths, anniversaries, and other dates which are important to us. I wonder why my mind has a tendency to wonder off and forget God's goodness and blessings in my past?  In reading Joshua 4, God gives instructions to this second generation of Israelites who have just crossed  the Jordan River on dry ground, even in the flood season!  Each Tribal leader was to take up a stone from the Jordan River and the stones are to be carried with them to Gilgal, outside of Jericho, where they are setting up camp.  The stones are set up as a memorial...as a remembrance.  The Israelites are to tell their children "that the hand of the Lord is powerful, and so that you might always fear the Lord."  Joshua 4:24b In Psalm 106, an anonymous Psalmist relates: "they did not remember your many kindnesses"; "they soon forgot what He had done"; "they forgot the God who saved them"; "they despised the pleasant land", 'they did no...

Eons ago sitting in a Bible study class of Betty Sands, a missionary who was on furlough, taught our class at North Central Baptist Church and the passage was from Romans 12:3b caught my attention. The sentence in context: "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you."   We had been studying the gifts of the Holy Spirit and their operations in our lives as Christ followers.  My "measure" of faith was always small  and was held small by my fears (insecurity, inferiority, and pride which I had practiced well) I decided that day that I wanted the Lord to teach me "great faith" and not even sure what great faith looked like, but I wanted fear to shrivel and die.  I had NO clue of what I was asking.  I just knew that I wanted what God had in store for me.  What a faith walk it has been!  A...

    It has been a long 11-12 day trip which ended up 40 years in length because of unbelief and constant rebellion on the part of the Israelites.  Not only was the trip long, but circuitous, for they have made the trip around Mt. Sinai too many times!  (I hope that we can see our own disobedience has been costly and time consuming with some insanity thrown in the mix!) All of the adults who came with Moses from Egypt have died off with the exception of Joshua and Caleb.  This new generation is positioned to enter the Promised Land under the new management of Joshua.  Moses has died and it is time to MOVE ON and take possession of what had been promised. Joshua is no kid!  He has faithfully walked in and with Moses in his sandals and has shown military and spiritual leadership.  They are camped at Shittim (long i!) and not far from the Jordan River which they must cross to enter into the land promised.  Joshua knows the first fortification...

  I come to chapter 34 of Deuteronomy and Moses has climbed Mount Nebo.  The mount is about 2,680 to 3,300 feet high from the two records I observed.  Moses is only 120 years old (!!!), he has climbed a mountain knowing full well a.  He was going to die on the mountain and b. He would only be able to see the Promised Land from that vantage point.  c. He and Aaron had been disobedient as leaders and before the hoard of Israelites watching, so God refused Moses' entrance to the land.  Regardless of what you and I deem as just or unjust about the decision, God has maintained His word to Moses. I am reminded that there is a strict accountability from God for the one who chooses to be leader. It seems that the greater the audience of those being led; the greater the accountability of God on the leader. I am amazed that Moses climbed the mountain to die...some of us would have died trying to climb the mountain, but perhaps the desire to SEE the Promised Land dr...

I, like you, at times get weary.  Ole Webster gives a easy definition, worn out.  I know that weary is in several Scriptures so I play with these this morning.  Weary in Isaiah 40:31 is the word, worn out.  In Galatians 6:9, the word, weary, is to be weak or faint.  Matthew 11:28 uses the word, weary, and it suggests exhausted with toil, burdens, or grief.  Weariness can come because of my own choices to expend my energies in doing what makes me feel good about me; what looks good about me to others; or trying to prove I am a super woman and I can rise above what is going on in my life. We give a number of excuses to cover the real reason that we exhaust ourselves.  (Ignore my pain, anger, or frustration, and exhaust myself in another arena!  I have the tee shirt for this one!)  Being weary is a vulnerable position to place myself.  I will make decisions based on immediacy or how loud the "demander" is speaking his/her want.  I...

   While working on a Bible study for Wednesday night from Seamless by Angie Smith, I note that she asked about the tunic that Jesus wore and the four guards haggling over the clothing.  Imagine with me, the very Son of God hanging there, dying for sins which He did not commit, getting to see and hear the haggling over His clothing with no one caring that He was dying as a innocent victim.   I loved the truth stated in the description of the garment, it was seamless.   Only the High Priest wore a seamless garment.  It was woven in one piece.  The guards haggled for the clothing, and divvied them up among themselves, but the tunic was taken and kept in one piece.  This was a fulfillment of Scripture from Psalm 22:18.  The High Priest dressed in his tunic/robe entered the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement.  He stood before the Ark of the Covenant with the Mercy Seat, the lid, covering the Ark.  He offered a bl...