Michael-Grams: About/Aim

“Come and hear,

 all you who fear God, 

and I will declare

 what He has done for my soul” 

(Psalm 66:16).

Michael D. Alderman

2b4yahweh@gmail.com

– A Little Bit About Me –

Gal 2:20

Navy SEAL
BUD/S Class 62
Hooyah!
(2 Tim 2:3-4; Php 3:13-14)

After my military service during the Vietnam Era, I had the privilege and honor of becoming a soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Tim 2:3). All I knew before experiencing spiritual regeneration was that God existed, and the Bible was God’s Word. I attributed this intellectual information to my parents; that was the extent of my spiritual education. My dad was, after all, a PK or a preacher’s kid.

Unfortunately, the importance of knowing and living out the truth of Scripture was not an integral part of my upbringing. Chasing after the Joneses of the world rather than Jesus was the pattern of pursuit. The seeds of materialism were sown in the furrows of my developing worldview at an early age. Is it any wonder that the things of the world rather than the truth of Scripture dominated my thoughts, words, and behavior?

I was spiritually blind to the truth about Jesus until nearly two months shy of turning twenty-four. Goodness, I was so secular in my thinking that if someone had asked me where the book of Genesis was located in the Bible, I would have literally shrugged my shoulders in abysmal ignorance.

The main reason for attending Tennessee Temple University and doing some post-graduate work at Temple Seminary was to address my severe lack of knowledge of God’s Word. As a new creation in Christ, I wanted to learn how my Redeemer viewed people, places, and things of the world at a faster pace and more concentrated way than the ordinary churchgoer. I wanted this to be my new worldview going forward in my life. Accumulating academic knowledge was one thing, but applying that knowledge in living for Christ can be quite challenging at times, and after all, spiritual maturity does take time, a lifetime.

Admittedly, this is going to sound a bit bizarre, but it was not my intention to seek a vocation as a minister while attending TTU. It sounds a bit crazy to invest time and money in a school that is not going to provide you with gainful employment after graduation, yes? Looking back, however, truly this was one of those things that I would not have done differently. In other words, I am persuaded it was the right thing for me to do (cf. Prov 3:13-15; 15:16; 16:16). I am very thankful to Yahweh for the groundwork of my spiritual education there.

Despite the subsequent undulating years of victories and failures in my life, I have grown slowly but surely in the grace and knowledge of Christ, thanks to Divine patience and wisdom. Through all of this, I have learned that there are no masters of the Word of God, only students. The reality is that we never stop growing in Christ; we are spiritually indeterminate growers until we R.I.P. or are raptured!

As seekers of God (Jer 29:13), our finiteness (Isa 55:9) and sinfulness (Rom 7:25) become quickly evident as we wrestle with obedience to the revelation of God who is eternal, immutable, holy, infinite, and amazingly so much more beyond our imagination (Isa 55:9; Rom 11:33)! I will confess that in the struggles to understand, know, and obey the truth of Scripture, the more you learn the more you realize how little you know, and I still remain baffled on how in the world God puts up with any of us sinful creatures, particularly me! It must be agape (love).

Yahweh knows right well that I am forever indebted to those spiritual seafaring men who were highly skilled in teaching this average southern boy how to navigate the boundless ocean and unfathomable depths of the Word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). Though I consider myself an avid sailor of Scripture, I can definitively say that I am neither a stained-glass saint nor a scholar of the Word; for me to suggest otherwise would be laughable indeed!

Concerning the notion of a stained-glass saint, truly, I am merely a sinner saved by the grace of God through faith (Eph 2:8-9). Once I was a slave to sin, but now, I am a slave (doulos) of God (cf. 1 Cor 6:19-20). As far as a scholar of the Word is concerned, at my very best, I am merely an amateur (French, a lover of something) of the Word.

Chasing after the knowledge and understanding of Yahweh is a passion of mine, and thankfully, I have no inclination to quit such a daunting task given the fact that Yahweh is without beginning or end. I thank the Holy Spirit of God for enabling me for such a noble endeavor and providing me with a quality of persistence to keep my nose to the grindstone.

Every advancement and application of spiritual truth starve the old man (my flesh or sinful nature) within me and humbles my spirit for it reminds me of a time when I once lived in spiritual abject poverty and darkness without hope and without God in my world. We must always keep our new status in mind and walk responsibly as a child of light (Eph 2:12, 5:8), yes?

Even though the antonym of amateur is professional or expert, I am not suggesting that what I am saying in M-G is without cogency, or that I should be easily dismissed simply because I do not bear the right title or letters behind my name (cf. Mt 7:28-29; 11:25; Jn 7:15, 17; Acts 4:13; 1 Cor 1:27). This “having a taste for” as an amateur is actually a lifestyle based on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ which is inextricably linked to His Word (Job 23:12; Psa 19:10; 34:8; 119:103; Song 2:3; Jer 15:16; 1 Pet 2:2-3). Obeying the Word is the natural, unforced byproduct or fruit of genuine love (agape) for God (Jn 14:15, 21, 23; 1 Jn 5:3), not mere but authentic obedience.

If you are like the fair-minded Bereans in the days of Paul and Silas, you can vet me by searching the Scriptures and deciding for yourself with the help of the Holy Spirit if what I am saying aligns with God’s view of the world or not (cf. Jn 7:17; Acts 17:10, 11-12; 1 Jn 4:1). This is what I do whenever I come across any Bible-quoting man or woman who claims to represent God from the internet, a podcast, radio, TV, books, magazines, pulpits, podiums, et cetera. On this side of eternity, there will always be a lot of false teachers parading as Christians.

Now, if you do not take a historical-grammatical approach to the interpretation of the Scriptures where the context is honored above all rules of interpretation and comparing Scripture with Scripture, then you will more than likely find my understanding of Scripture in disagreement with your narrative of Scripture. I make no claim to be perfect, but I do my best to present the truth to the glory of God (cf. 2 Cor 5:9).

Unashamedly, I am simply a follower of Jesus Christ by conviction and a Baptist by preference. I assiduously pursue being a Biblicist who truly believes that the Bible is the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and practice (2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:20-21) and utilizing the traditional tools of interpreting text and honoring the Author’s original meaning to the best of my abilities.

Admittedly, I feel far from worthy to undertake a blog proclaiming the glory and majesty of Yahweh. Inherent in that statement is no assertion of humility nor any claim to be the paragon of virtue! Honestly, I am fearful of writing or saying inaccurate things about Yahweh out of respect and love for Him and personal accountability to Him (cf. Jas 3:1; Job 42:7). This phobia does not make me immune to error for I am a sinner saved by the grace of God, but I do have a great respect for the Truth (Jn 14:6) that helps to keep me aligned or calibrated with the teaching of Scripture.

Therefore, I can ill afford to take what I write or speak lightly. I have also experienced what Paul encountered when it came to looking out for the spiritual welfare of others. Truth expressed in love (agape) often causes some to not respond in kind (2 Cor 12:15; cf. Gal 4:16)! Amidst the battle of light and darkness, pushback is to be expected at every turn. Truth is not always welcomed or embraced!

Should this season of writing come to a close or become sporadic, my plan is to keep on keeping on in the strength of the Lord with the passion of a simple man, chasing after Jesus rather than the Joneses, and feeling His pleasure when running the race of faith for His glory (Psa 146:2). Seasons come and go by Divine design, but following after His will is for all seasons, yes (Lk 9:23)?

I beseech you, therefore, my dear reader;

(1) Stay strong in Yahweh [Eph 6:10];

(2) Seek to be skilled in the Word [2 Tim 2:15], and

(3) Be steadfast in the faith [1 Cor 15:58] until the rapture or R.I.P.!

I encourage the reader to embrace and apply the truths of Scripture and seek to be a champion of a biblical worldview in any situation of life for the benefit of the Kingdom in your service to Him. May Yahweh bless your endeavors that aim to be pleasing to Him in thought, word, and deed as a born again slave (doulos) of the Almighty (1 Cor 6:19, 20). <><

Those who honor Me I will honor (1 Sa 2:30).