June 2024 – Alaska Bible Teacher

A Collection of Twenty Pearls

1. I’ve learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone that can be loved. The rest is up to them.

2. I’ve learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care back.

3. I’ve learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

4. I’ve learned that it’s not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.

5. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the best others can do.

6. I’ve learned that you can do some thing in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

7. I’ve learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

8. I’ve learned that you can keep going long after you can’t.

9. I’ve learned that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

10. I’ve learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

11. I’ve learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done regardless of the consequences.

12. I’ve learned that money is a lousy way to keep score.

13. I’ve learned that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

14. I’ve learned that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.

15. I’ve learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.

16. I’ve learned that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

17. I’ve learned that no matter good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

18. I’ve learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

19. I’ve learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

20. I’ve learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

“For wisdom is better than pearls, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.”

Proverbs 8:11

Not sure about the author of this. Whoever it is they’ve done a wonderful job.

Not a Cliché

Image result for mike yaconelli quotes images

“A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench.”

Isaiah 42:3

Somehow, we can get ‘side-tracked’ in our thinking. We get confused and the enemy makes sure we don’t walk in the truth. At this present time, it does seem like some of the Church is nothing more than an exclusive club for the wonderful. It seems that those who attend are the ‘achievers,’ those who have somehow arrived at a certain acceptability.

They are there for social reasons–they eschew any real intimacy with Jesus.

For many of us, we are taught that we must have it all together; more or less complete and functioning at an acceptable level to follow Christ. We keep thinking if we work really hard then we just might arrive at a place of acceptable ‘perfection.’ This has become our religion now, this “gospel by achievement.”

But does Jesus agree? Is His Church made up of only ‘completed’ people, those who have it all together? Do we need to become accomplished before we are acceptable? Perhaps we need to find some answers. Perhaps we won’t like what we find.

After over 40 years of following Jesus (most of the time in ministry) I’m starting to realize that I’ve had much of it all wrong. I’ve read that Jesus receives the lame, the tax-collector, the leper and the whore. He deeply loves the unlovable, in spite of what the Church might say.

I believe that true grace is ‘foolish’ to man, and defies human attempts to explain it. Grace is the free, undeserved goodness and favor of God to mankind. We dare not doubt this.

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17

God’s love is completely undeserved. It comes without preconditions. He loves us when we are terribly lost and fallen. It has no bounds or limitations. It is unconditional. Grace grabs us and takes us to a place we’ve only dreamed about. We’re irrevocably changed when we understand.

It is a relationship and not a religion. That’s not a cliché.

This ‘world-system’ desperately wants to confuse us. We discover that Satan detests our intimacy with the Lord Jesus. He marshals all of his demonic strength in order to obscure this truth. It’s funny, but Satan likes ‘religion.’ And he hates our nearness to Jesus. (2 Cor. 11:2-3).

All of us are seeking forgiveness, and yet somehow we think that God won’t accept us. Often we stop going to church, pray, or read His Word. We are slowly becoming hard, and it seems like we are slipping into some sort of a ‘spiritual daze’. Our spiritual malaise is starting to look like it’s permanent.

But Jesus is completely enthralled by your faith in Him!

He doesn’t pull away from the ‘sick’ and the weak. You must understand that intimacy is Jesus’ idea to ‘heal’ you. He draws us to a place of friendship with God. Intimacy with Jesus is God’s exclusive way of ‘turning us’ holy. That’s why Satan militates against “first love” faith.

There is a repentance in all of this.

We need to completely change our mind about our sinfulness. His cross and His blood are enough. But it’s genuine intimacy with Jesus that cures us, not keeping rules or having excellent doctrine. We will never be ‘good’ enough, but even in our sin we are deeply loved!

He knows it all, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, and gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.

“They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.”

Isaiah 40:29-31, Message

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Hineni, “Here I am”

The life of Moses is a wonderful story. When he was a young man he met God in a common shrub. He was shepherding a flock for his father-in-law. Then something quite extraordinary happened. He saw a bush on fire.

“When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Exodus 3:4, ESV

God would call Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Joshua. And there was also Samuel and Isaiah. In the book of Acts Paul heard Jesus call him on the Damascus road. And they all responded with one Hebrew word– hineni.

“Here I am.”

God is never silent. He still speaks to each believer. He calls out to us, and hineni must be our response. Yes, walking in faith can be hard, but each one has been summoned. I believe this is true. Each of us is valuable in God’s eyes–“You were bought with a price.”

How are you going to respond to this?

Hineni is a dangerous word. Ask the disciples. When Jesus called them to follow they had no idea how turbulent and troublesome life would become. Each believer gets a cross. And each will know grace and peace.

“And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Mark 8:34

There’s grace given to everyone who can really say, hineni, “Here I am.” I have known that there is joy in my journey, a kindness that has no bottom, a love that surpasses every pinnacle. I’m loved that much.

“Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Tzel, Shade

“The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.”

Psalm 121:5, ESV

I once worked for my father-in-law who had to meet a deadline. We shoveled rock into 50# bags. It was unbelievably hot–104 F and we had no shade. The sky was clear and the sun was brutal. I recall praying for a cloud, even a little one, anything.

The Jews had a word, tzel. It’s translated “shade” in our English Bible. That word also meant shelter, covering and coolness. In the land of Israel it could get really hot, up to 120 F in the summer. Tzel was much appreciated.

There’s a promise that clearly speaks of this. The Lord guarantees us shade. I suppose figuratively we’ll go through times when life becomes unbearable, and yet the Father understands. He gives us tzel, relief from harsh and cruel conditions we encounter. Without the shade it gets miserable.

Tzel is when the Lord covers you.

We’re protected and given a real place of coolness and relief. This is a good promise for the born-again believer. You can easily appropriate and claim it–God gives it away to those who love Him. Come now and sit in the shade.

The Lord is your shade.

“The safest place in all the world is in the will of God, and the safest protection in all the world is the name of God.”

Warren Wiersbe

Shama, Listening

“And Samuel said,
“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.”

1 Samuel 15:22, ESV

In Hebrew, the word ‘shama’ has a powerful meaning which is hard to translate into English. The word actually means “listening and doing.” Shama is a word that combines both ideas into one. To hear and obey is one word to the Hebrews.

It’s all about activity that’s a result of hearing.

Here, the word shama means to allow the words to sink in, to provide understanding that requires a response—it’s about becoming obedient when you hear His voice. In Hebrew, hearing and doing are the same thing. Obedience to these laws is not about legalism or trying to earn God’s favor—it’s about love and active listening.

We desperately need “shama” as disciples of Jesus.

We must understand that listening to God is needed, but obedience is required. Shama tells us this. We can’t just hear Him without obeying. I believe that obedience becomes easy when we are listening to Him.

And that’s a good thing.

“The willingness to obey every word from God is critical to hearing God speak.”

Henry T. Blackaby

Not of Works, For Good Works

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Ephesians 2:8-10

We will never deserve what He has done.

We struggle with this, and we try very hard to earn our salvation. Paul reminds us that this is simply given and we can’t work enough to deserve it.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

Grace-saved-faith, these definite words bring a triple lesson in how the Father makes salvation happen. It’s grace first. Saved is second, and our faith makes it all real.

“Not a result of works, so that no one may boast.“

Works in the original is ἔργον which can be translated as “energy.” That stresses work, effort, and labor. Paul is amazingly clear and our obfuscation is thrown out the window. It confuses us and we often try to produce good works.

“In contradistinction to the Gospel of Christ, the gospel of Satan teaches salvation by works.

A.W. Pink

The gift of grace mystifies. It is a handout that befuddles. But you must realize that your “energy” will never be enough. Salvation will always be charity, an undeserved endowment that gives us eternal life without us making an effort.

I’m thinking now of the thief on the cross dying with Jesus. (Read Luke 23:42-43.) He had nothing. He deserved nothing–all he could do is ask. And Jesus promised that he would be saved.

What we have is His gift. It’s only given and never earned. It’s the blood of Jesus that saves you.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Let’s think about this, and let’s pray that we understand. Works (energy), workmanship, and good works–words mentioned in this verse. There’s a real connection here between the three which may need an explanation.

“Works” is what we do to earn salvation.
“Workmanship” is God’s effort in making us like His son. He is creating us to be like Jesus.
“Good works” is what happens when we understand what He has done.

Good works are not the cause of our salvation; good works are the evidence of our salvation. Our spiritual efforts can’t save us, but as a result of being saved (free) we’ll do good things.

Good works do not make a good man, but a good man does good works.

Martin Luther

Dragon Warfare

Pencil art by Amiri Bennett, fineartamerica.com

I recently heard a sermon that referred to St. George and the Dragon– a fable, perhaps true, but it does communicate the reality of spiritual warfare. And how easily we forget. The battle is very real for the believer, and Satan has a million and a half strategies and schemes to use against us.

There is a monster out there–described as a vicious dragon and his existence can never be disputed or even minimized. Unbelief in him doesn’t change the reality of his wicked ministry. He often goes by the name of Satan.

“There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counter-claimed by Satan.”

C.S. Lewis

The image of a dragon is used repeatedly in the rook of Revelation. (Thirteen times to be exact.) The imagery is a potent one, and the readers of John’s letter are brought into the cosmic reality of darkness personified. But never fear, Satan (the dragon) is bound and cast down.

Paul writes to the Ephesian church about the absolute necessity of going to war.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Ephesians 6:10-11, (read 6:10-18)

Passivity isn’t an option. Apathy or lethargy will kill you spiritually. If it were not for the grace of God we would collapse. Below is Paul’s exhortation to young Timothy–it’s sobering.

“Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.”

Ephesians 6:10-11, (read 6:10-18)

I would not be a good teacher or writer if I failed to convey this truth. It’s now past time to wake up and go to war. Our own survival depends on this–our families, friends, church and nation are desperately needy.

Your armor hangs in God’s closet waiting for you and you need to wear it. Ephesians 6 has never been more applicable or relevant than in this present moment.

It’s time to step into the battle.

Opening art can be purchased at: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/dragon-fight-amiri-bennett.html