first love

Your Shepherd is Speaking

/ Bryan Lowe / Leave a comment

John 10:1-6, The Message

1-5 “Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you, know he’s up to no good—a sheep rustler! The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice.”

“He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They won’t follow a stranger’s voice but will scatter because they aren’t used to the sound of it.”

6 “Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about.“

For context: 10:7-18

What joy can be found in our Shepherd’s care, and to hear his voice. Nothing really can match this wonder. We follow as he leads. The voice is an integral part of this passage and the foundation of authentic discipleship. You really can’t walk with him unless you hear him. We belong to him. We’re his flock that he keeps and provides for.

He knows our name! That’s the intimacy found in these verses. We’re never forgotten and he will never overlook us. To think otherwise is slander and an attack on his present-day ministry. Jesus is our good shepherd. He always will be.

“Intimacy with God comes in whispers, not shouts.”

     Woodrow Kroll

He sometimes whispers, and this world can’t hear him. To be perfectly honest, my ‘busyness’ silences him. I suppose that the real issue isn’t with him, but with myself.

“And after the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper.”

1 Kings 19:12

The gentle whisper to a man afraid. This fits the Father’s m.o. He doesn’t speak through a windstorm, earthquake, or fire. He chooses to speak very quietly, and that’s a problem for me. In the original Hebrew, the word for “whisper” can be translated as calm, silence, or something gentle. He speaks this way if only we shut up for a little while.

If we are to recognize God’s voice, we must belong to Him. We hear His voice when we spend time in Bible study and quiet contemplation of His Word. The more time we spend intimately with God and His Word, the easier it is to recognize His voice and His leadership in our lives(.

(Perhaps Psalm 23 should be brought in at this point?)

The flock hears the shepherd, and it’s that voice that breaks through our cluttered-up life. We can hear, and it’s that communication that encourages us to walk through life—one day at a time. Just today. That’s all you must do.

There are so many other voices. You must ignore them.

So many are speaking, and so many want us to hear and follow them. But in reality, they want us to leave the Shepherd and his flock behind.

But we can’t allow this, we must learn to listen to him alone.

(Art by Eugène Burnard)

Becoming His Friend

/ Bryan Lowe / Leave a comment

“A rule I have had for years is: to treat the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal friend. His is not a creed, a mere doctrine, but it is He Himself we have.”

  ~D.L. Moody

Friendship with God can be a liberating secret for the believer. It releases us from the terrible bondage of religion and ritual with all its negative connotations. Intimacy with our Lord will carry us beyond creed or doctrine to the place of true communion..

Abraham. Moses. David. The disciples. Paul. Each experienced a relationship with God. This friendship developed over time. I suppose it’s not unlike any other friendship. Being with each other–a special holy familiarity grows.

“I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends since I have told you everything the Father told me.”

John 15:15, NLT

Friendship with Jesus will bring true guidance. He shares secrets and wisdom with his friends. We are brought into a true knowledge of the Kingdom through the relationship of friendship with the King. We are not slaves– or drones, slavishly serving out of slavish fear.

We are now His friends!

Jesus’ kingdom is packed full of great mysteries! He is looking to bring us into the authenticity of constant communion. Only through intimacy with Jesus can we truly handle what He wants to teach us. (See Psalm 25:14; John 15:15.)

Here are 8 ways you can grow your friendship with God. (I found this list somewhere.)

  1. Make time to draw close to Him. …
  2. Revere Him. …
  3. Rejoice at His counsel and trust His corrections. …
  4. Obey what’s on His heart. …
  5. Celebrate what He is doing in you, and in others. …
  6. Have a pure heart and speak with grace. …
  7. Love Him unwaveringly, intimately, and sacrificially.

Friendship with Jesus comes with a price. It means we are now tethered to the Lord. That can get old, especially when I want to do my own thing. I will continually have to lay something down and choose to accept being tethered and follow Him.

But my soul now has a best friend. Or just maybe, Jesus has been my friend all along, and I just didn’t know it.

A good resource can be found here.

Repairing Your Nets

/ Bryan Lowe / Leave a comment

“Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.”

Isaiah 40:31, NASB

The word “wait” used here is powerful. It’s an awesome word, never used casually in the Hebrew scriptures. It does not mean to be uncaring or idle. Sometimes we wait in line at the grocery store, or maybe we’re waiting for a phone call. We wait all the time, and often, we don’t even realize it.

The Hebrew word for ‘wait’ is special. It’s qāvâ. It means, ‘to bind together by twisting.’ It’s an active word.

It sometimes means to work like a fisherman repairing his nets to get them ready for tomorrow’s catch.

(There are always holes to mend after a long night’s efforts.)

When we wait spiritually, repairing our nets, the following should be used. Much of this can be done in prayer.

  • Calming ourselves, setting aside everything that doesn’t fit
  • Reading His word
  • Seeing His face
  • Hearing His voice
  • Keeping pace with Him, whether He moves (or doesn’t)

Fixing our nets is a cool way to describe our journey, right? Sometimes, when we think about waiting, we usually only think about it in English, and that can be annoying. It often stops us from truly understanding the true meaning of ‘wait’.

I strongly believe that the Holy Spirit wants us to understand the concept of being closely connected to Him. Sadly, we are often held back by our own definitions, rather than embracing the definitions found in God’s Word.

“The LORD is good to those who WAIT for him,
to the soul who seeks him.”

Psalm 27:14

Sometimes we are instructed by someone to “wait on the Lord.” This instruction can be challenging and we are unsure exactly how we should do it. It’s usual for us to simply show agreement through a smile and a nod. We never completely grasp the essence of that word.

He becomes my source of power that comes from waiting.

He is now the sturdy bond that I am intertwined with. (Maybe this is how He gives strength and power to His people?) We must listen to this, and the Lord is very enthusiastic about guiding us into this fresh form of closeness.

The promise in Isaiah 40:31 talks about receiving new strength, like an eagle’s wings, a holy energy. This verse is important for us, especially today; we need this kind of strength right now. We need to repair our nets as often as we can.

“Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not going to sleep. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given.”

    G. Campbell Morgan

alaskabibleteacher.com

Two Measly Pennies

/ Bryan Lowe / Leave a comment

Mark 12:41-44

“And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

It wasn’t much but it’s all I had. Some would laugh, most would scorn–but truthfully, I really wasn’t giving my money, I was giving my heart. That’s all I had.

When my husband died, I was left with very little. What I did have I hid in a hole in the wall, but I was concerned, money was going out and nothing was coming in. Often I sat on my stool and stared at that hole, and often I was frightened. There is nothing to live on. What was I going to do?

Please understand. No one was going to help me.

I got up one morning to pull out the leather sack, all that was there were two pennies. That’s it. Two very small pennies, and that’s all I had to live on! I knew that this day would come, but it seemed to come so soon. I was afraid of what life was going to bring next.

————————–

Jesus sat watching the crowd in the Temple with the twelve. Occasionally there was a procession: trumpets blowing and bright banners waving. Another rich man announced to everyone that he was coming to contribute to the Temple. There were six stone receptacles placed in strategic spots, where people could tithe as the Law required of every Jew.

Jesus was watching all of this.

Suddenly an old woman came to give, and there were no trumpets, no fanfare. She simply came to give what she had–two very small copper pennies. Just two pennies. Most would laugh I suppose. After all, the rich were dropping in thousands of silver.

It was funny, but Jesus turned to His disciples. They sat and listened carefully to what He had to say:

“Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.” 

They gasped as they struggled to understand the Teacher. It seemed idiotic, but Jesus often said many outrageous things. You could see their minds working to grip this. It made absolutely zero sense.

“For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

The twelve were dumbfounded. (Again.)

———————-

When I gave, I gave my heart. I now had nothing, but a strange peace came over me. I rejoiced to do this, to give to God and His work. Yes, I now had nothing–nothing but the grace and care of God. Maybe I was a fool. Maybe I was mad. But I knew what I wanted to do. When I threw in my two pennies, I threw myself into the heart and care of God.

What was going to happen next? I really don’t know, but God is good. I will trust my Father.

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Luke 12:33

alaskabibleteacher.com

Art: Coin Week; verses used are from the ESV.

The Five Crowns

/ Bryan Lowe / Leave a comment

In the New Testament crowns are given to certain believers. They’re more than a reward, they’re recognition of a Christian’s life and character. Keep in mind that each one given is pure grace. They are not rewards that we earn, but recognition of God’s blessing. We can do nothing unless He gives us His grace. You must understand this.

We find that there are five. But understand, these are not given as recompense or compensation. A crown is never earned, and it’s never given as an achievement for exceptional behavior. All are received by His grace and kindness. (And, we’re not in any competition on who can receive the most.)

Here’s a list which I hope is complete.

  • the Victor’s Crown
  • the Crown of Rejoicing
  • the Crown of Righteousness
  • the Crown of Life
  • the Crown of Glory 

The Victor’s Crown, which is also called the Martyr’s Crown. We can read it in James 1:12 and also in Revelation 2:10. The Church of Smyrna is promised by Jesus, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer…the devil is about to throw some of you into prison…Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

The Crown of Rejoicing, is described in 1 Thessalonians 2:19 and in Philippians 4:1. This crown is given to those dedicated to evangelism or the mission field. Paul receives this crown for his work with the Thessalonians. “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.”

The Crown of Righteousness, this is given to believers who steadfastly look for Jesus’ Second Coming. It seems it’s also given to those who seek after an intimacy with Jesus. We can read of this in 2 Timothy 4:8. “There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

The Crown of Life, this is given to those who have laid aside all the things this world offers and are committed to a life that is eternal. “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. “They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (1 Cor. 9:25.)

The Crown of Glory, given to the pastoral servants who have prayed and served the Church, “And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” According to 1 Peter 5:2-4 this crown is given to those who have served the flock faithfully as His shepherds and teachers.

These five crowns are freely given, by grace, to each who deserves them. In each and every case it’s Jesus who coronates each believer. We’ll watch and we’ll agree with His decision. We will not vote to see who is worthy but we will understand His gracious wisdom of that person’s trials and challenges.

None of these crowns will not be worn very long. There will not be any reason to show them off to other believers, “Look at me, I’m wearing two, how many crowns are you wearing?” No. Rather, in love, we return each crown to Him who gave it to us.

A crown is temporary and is given back to Him who loved us so much. 

“The twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they existed and were created.”

Revelation 4:10-12

“If you had a thousand crowns you should put them all on the head of Christ! And if you had a thousand tongues they should all sing his praise, for he is worthy!“

Willian Tiptaft

Deer Feet for the Believer

/ Bryan Lowe / Leave a comment

“He made my feet like the feet of a deer
    and set me secure on the heights.
35 He trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.”

2 Samuel 22:34-35

David’s Song of Deliverance

This entire psalm was written after David was delivered from the hand of Saul. David had been a fugitive for years and had experienced extreme difficulties. He had been pushed to the brink many times, yet maintained a close walk with God.

This verse in 2 Samuel has always blessed me. The image of a deer who has been put on a mountaintop through the direct action of the Lord–it’s a place of safety, a position of victory. It comes as a decisive maneuver of the Holy Spirit.

“He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.”

Psalm 18:33

David had learned things in the wilderness that he would never have otherwise. At times life got pretty extreme for him. When he struggled it was understandable. He followed the path that God laid out. It wasn’t easy for David, but he walked in faith and not by sight.

Danger surrounded David on every side – physically, spiritually, emotionally, socially. It would come from enemies, and even from his dearest friends.

God’s people are not immune from trials. It’s good to know that these are now orchestrated by our Father, and they’re purposeful and planned.

The prophet Isaiah extends the imagery of a deer in his prophetic ministry, but adds other ideas as well. The lame, mute and the desperately thirsty are descriptive of people who are given a special grace and touch. They’re promised something. They receive the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
    and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
    and streams in the desert;”

Isaiah 35:6

“David thought of how deer seem to skip from place to place and never lose their footing. God gave him the same kind of skill in working through the challenges brought by his enemies.”

David Guzak

alaskabibleteacher.com

Weak Eyes

/ Bryan Lowe / Leave a comment

Stuck in the wonders of scripture we read about Leah and her sister Rachel. We see the two daughters of Laban have become Jacob’s wives. We must step into Genesis 29 to see more.

Jacob longs for Rachel. She is his “soul mate” and because he’s in love, the customs and technicalities of the day somehow get by him. Because of this, he will have to take on Laban’s subtle trickery, where daughters get exchanged, and we must sort out who is who.

Laban’s deception creates a huge crisis for everyone. 

But it seems Jacob just rolls with it. I suppose deception has always been Jacob’s strong suit. (But when we see a deceiver like Jacob gets deceived, that can’t be all bad).

But it’s Leah that I tend to think about. Her own issues are unique. Genesis 29 explains it a bit cryptically,

“Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.” 

Genesis 29:17

You must know that there is confusion by commentators about the “weak eyes.” Some take it literally (as in, she is very “near-sighted,”) while others who look at the original Hebrew find the words to be a bit looser and vague. They tend to think that this is a polite way of saying she really wasn’t pretty.

The text also states that Leah was “hated.”

Genesis 29:30-31.

She is wounded, and life requires that she live as unwanted. She is a woman of tragedy and broken hopes and dreams. She will always live as a reject. At best, she will always be a distant second, and perhaps a bit scorned and neglected for this.

I conclude that Leah is the champion for the challenged.

I love Leah and I think I understand her. Her life is a long tragedy and very full of sadness. For the next 30-40 years she will always be a cast-off, someone who has been broken on life’s bitter vagaries. She’s a fellow struggler, and a survivor.

Her sad life is comparable to us who have to fight so hard over our own illness or handicaps.

She must’ve been challenged by her terrible weakness. I understand this. My own life has been “topsy-turvy” and a really hard struggle. Somehow it seems we must work through these things way too much.

It doesn’t seem fair. 

For those of you who are confined to a wheelchair, or must use a cane, or who deal with a physical or mental illness. Leah should be our hero. For those who have been betrayed by addiction, or who have felt rejected through a bitter divorce– Leah speaks to us.

She is for every loser and for failures of all stripes. But through all of our setbacks and messes, we must realize that God does love us– even as we weep.

We may have Leah’s eyes, but we also have His grace.

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

Psalm 139:14

I have a new site at alaskabibleteacher.com.

Purity in an Impure World

/ Bryan Lowe / Leave a comment

First, let’s start off with a definition. Purity describes something that is not mixed with anything else. It’s not 80% of something, or even 99.9%, rather it’s fully and completely one thing. Purity also means to be solely without any additive, contamination or pollution.

Purity of heart is to be exclusively focused on one thing.

In the ancient Greek, the phrase “pure of heart” has the idea of straightness, honesty, and clarity. Probably the go-to Bible verse is found in Matthew 5:8. This is the definitive word on being a pure person, and the promise transmitted concerning “purity.”

“God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.” 

Being a “pure-in-the-heart” person is the starting point for anyone who really wants to walk with God. If you’re truly serious about this, and really want to follow Him, then Jesus declares this to be where you begin.

This verse, 5:8, “strikes the very center of the target as he says, not ‘Blessed are the pure in language, or the pure in action,’ much less ‘Blessed are the pure in ceremonies, or in raiment, or in food;’ but ‘Blessed are the pure in heart.’” (C.H. Spurgeon)

We really must see this world as God sees it. 

We find that scripture is not very kind to us. It seems that mankind defiles everything he touches. (I wish it wasn’t so.)

“The human mind is the most deceitful of all things. It is incurable. No one can understand how deceitful it is.” Jeremiah 17:9

Consider the following areas that are affected by out “fallenness:

  • Entertainment, movies, the internet 
  • Politics, local, national and world 
  • Religion, philosophy, theology and spirituality
  • Culture and art, literature and music
  • Education
  • Science and technology, medicine and psychology
  • Economics, wealth and poverty
  • Sexuality

The above list is hardly complete, and as I compiled it I got a little heavy-hearted. I had to ask myself, are we really this bad? Again the Christian must look at the Bible for wisdom and direction.

 “All have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

“The heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live.” Ecclesiates 9:3

As Christians who spiritually understand the work and the love of Jesus Christ. We are called to know and love God, must continually reacquaint ourselves to the absolutely depraved condition of this world. No one, and nothing is exempt.

There is another verse I want to consider, it mentions purity twice!

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,” 1 Peter 1:22

Notice. The verse stresses that we have to take the initiative. Now I suspect that being pure is our responsibility. “Obedience to the truth” must lead to “brotherly love.” It’s not really a surprise that that’s where we end up. 

To really see God, and to truly love others, requires purity. 

When it comes to being pure we must become humble–that’s our starting point. Humility keeps purity from becoming false. We dare not become “holier-than-thou.” We can easily become hard, religious and judgemental. Becoming a “Pharisee” is easy and always possible.

I pray that this isn’t true.

Do You Really Love the Master?

/ Bryan Lowe / Leave a comment

How much do you love Jesus? This parable looks at the heart of the believer, the person who has been incredibly forgiven of everything–past, present and future. And it’s here we see a woman whose heart is broken by her sin, and she discovers Jesus’ grace, and tremendous mercy.

“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 

44 “Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.” 

47 “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

Luke 7:40-47

Jesus has been invited to Simon’s home. He’s a Pharisee, and at this point they haven’t quite banded together to attack Jesus, it seems that there were still some Pharisees who were true seekers.

The text jumps right in and we see Jesus reclining at a table (the Jewish people didn’t use chairs–pillows were used instead.) At a feast like this people who weren’t officially invited could come in to stand in the back and listen in on the conversation. (That seems awkward.)

Suddenly a woman enters the room.

She’s described as “a woman of the city,” which is a code word for “a sinner, or a harlot.” (Let your imagination roll that one around.) She comes with a definite purpose, for she brings a jar of quite expensive perfume with her.

The passage reveals that she’s on her knees, weeping on Jesus’ feet, and rubbing her tears with her hair, and pouring out the perfume. She’s kissing his feet. She’s obviously a broken person—someone who knows who Jesus is, and who understands who she is, and how deep sin has destroyed her.

At this point Simon is deeply offended, and probably embarrassed by what’s happening. But he also assumes that Jesus isn’t who he’s saying he is. “How dare does this man let an unclean person even touch Him!” But Jesus understands everything. His parable is short (just two verses) and it’s directed at Simon; and it’s a no-brainer.

The interpretation is obvious: the man who owes the most will love the most.

Jesus accentuates Simon’s breach of protocol. The Lord deftly explains the entire situation and Simon is busted. He’s put on the spot and Jesus has made his point. It’s all so obvious. The essence of the story is clear. How much do you love the Master?

Do you fully fathom how much sin Jesus has forgiven you?

(Or maybe you’re a Simonite?)

Perhaps you’re someone who doesn’t quite accept what’s real? The Bible tells us repeatedly that no one is righteous. No one. Scripture has a very low opinion of the righteousness of men. (That should shatter your thinking.)

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

Isaiah 64:6, KJV

The Hebrew word for “filthy rags” is extremely graphic–literally it means “a menstruating cloth.” It was something that a woman used before Tampax came along. How very descriptive. Do we even have the slightest idea what that means? Are our good deeds that bad?

Yes they are. Isaiah announces that’s exactly how God sees our best attempts to find acceptance apart from grace. It often seems we try to please Him by doing the best we can, but that isn’t sufficient. We always fall short and mess up.

How does understanding this change our discipleship? I’ll let you be the judge on this on this one.

“He loved us not because we are lovable, but because He is love.”

C.S. Lewis

The Church is Collecting Sinners

/ Bryan Lowe / Leave a comment

The following excerpt is from the devotional book, “Living the Message,” by Eugene H. Peterson.  This pastor-professor is probably the person I want to grow up to be like; he has a gentleness and eloquence that is seldom seen–and highly respected.
Dr. Peterson died in 2018.

***********

“When Christian believers gather in churches, everything that can go wrong sooner or later does.  Outsiders, on observing this, conclude there is nothing to this religious business, except perhaps, business…and a distant one at that.  Insiders see it much differently.”

“Just as a hospital gathers the sick under one roof and labels them as such, the Church collects sinners.” 

“Many people outside are just as sick as the ones inside, but their illnesses are either undiagnosed or disguised.  It is similar with sinners outside the church.”

“One way to define spiritual life is getting so tired and fed up with yourself you go on to something better, which is following Jesus.”

Some other quotes by Eugene Peterson:

  • “All the persons of faith I know are sinners, doubters, uneven performers. We are secure not because we are sure of ourselves but because we trust that God is sure of us.”
  • “Suffering attracts fixers the way road-kills attract vultures.”
  • “When we sin and mess up our lives, we find that God doesn’t go off and leave us- he enters into our trouble and saves us.”
  • “That’s the whole spiritual life. It’s learning how to die. And as you learn how to die, you start losing all your illusions, and you start being capable now of true intimacy and love.”
  • “American religion is conspicuous for its messianically pretentious energy, its embarrassingly banal prose, and its impatiently hustling ambition.”

More Eugene Peterson Quotes…