Lessons from the Teacher

By Marquis D. Jones

Lessons From The Teacher is the third companion book to "Whispers from the Father", which the author published in 2013. The author highlights a series of real-life situations and adds insight to those situations by relating them to scripture. As you read each story, you will be transported to the scene as the author describes it in vivid detail.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stratton Press
• Release date: Feb 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781648957208

Marquis D. Jones

Marquis (Marc) Jones is known as an engaging, dynamic teacher, speaker and minister. Marc believes each person comes equipped with purpose hidden within us. For over 40 years, Marc has worked to help others find and fulfill their purpose. Additionally, he is the Founder and Executive Director of Ebenezer's Refuge, Inc., a 501 C3 nonprofit organization that seeks to support and strengthen the community by providing supportive services to people who are homeless in the Metro Atlanta area in a manner that restores dignity, hope and honor. Marc's mission is to inspire, enrich, and motivate others to pursue the good life that God intended for them to live. For Marc, the good life consists of doing those things that bring you joy, peace, and a level of happiness that money cannot buy. The good life is about renewal, redemption, and revival of one's God-given, God-breathed, and God-ordained right to a better quality of life. Marc has ministered for over 40 years in the Southeast. He and his family reside in the metro Atlanta area.

Book preview

Dedication

Perhaps one of the greatest teachers I ever had, other than my parents, was Mrs. Helen Haliburton Walker. I came to know her, not just as my 7th grade Social Studies teacher, but as one of my moms.

She was a loving soul. She demanded excellence in everything. She held herself to high standards – whether it was how she dressed, how she carried herself, and how she presented herself to the public. She was always aware of her presence, and her impact.

Teachers, for the most part, have an undying love of teaching and learning. Their goal is to impart knowledge in such a way that students are inspired to seek more – to not accept the status quo, or to think that what they see is all there is. They are inspired to dream, to think, to climb, to pursue – to never give up.

Never underestimate the impact of a great teacher. It is the great teachers who push their students to achieve. They stand as a coach on the sidelines of life, cheering their students on to victory. When the time calls for it, they bring them into the huddle, scold them, if need be, but ultimately incite in them the determination to keep on pushing, until the goal is realized.

Mrs. Walker (Mom) was all of that to me and more – and I am grateful. It is because of her and her impact on me, that I am still evolving into who I will ultimately become.

Thank you, Mom. I miss you every single day, but your steadfast love and the lessons you taught me serve as a reminder to me that life is about love and growth. You loved me, and you challenged me to grow – a lesson well taught, and well received.

I will always love you,

MJ

Foreword

People often ask me, where does your wisdom come from? I explain to them that it is not my wisdom, but wisdom comes from God. The Bible records in James 1:5, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives freely to all, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him.

I decided many years ago to follow God because I recognized that He was much smarter than I. After praying and asking God for wisdom, I committed myself to Him. I told Him if He would speak, I would write, and this book is the result of the conversation I hear when He speaks.

We may not always understand God or even when He is speaking to us. But understanding becomes easier and clearer the more we walk with Him. Hearing from God is not relegated to a chosen few but is available to all His children. God primarily speaks to us through His word, and if we are going to successfully live this Christian life, we must read His word daily.

Too often we complicate our relationship with God. Unfortunately, some have had a tumultuous relationship with their earthly father and have mistakenly equated God, the heavenly Father, as being like their earthly father. God is not like man. He deserves our honor and respect, as our heavenly Father.

My prayer is that you experience God as you read the pages of this book. Allow the stories to come alive as you walk each journey with me. Place yourself in the setting of each story, and see God’s wisdom unfold for you, just as I did. It brings me great joy to share these moments with you. I hope you find inspiration, edification, and restoration as you allow the Father to speak to you.

In His Grace,

MJ

Broken No More

One of the greatest fears of the enemy is that you will find the truth of God’s word and apply it to your life. He specializes in putting mud in the water to keep you from knowing the truth. He will use family, friends, enemies, and even the church to try and confuse you so you walk around in a daze searching for what you already have. Here is a lie straight from the pit of hell: God is disappointed in you. What? How can you disappoint with what is already known? If God is omniscient (all knowing), how can He be disappointed? He already knew you would not complete the assignment. He already knew you would not follow through. He already knew you would miss the mark, so pray tell me—how could He be disappointed in you? He can’t and He is not disappointed in you. On the contrary, He loves you. Jesus told Peter that he would deny him three times before the cock crowed. Peter said, No way! Well, He did. But Jesus did not blast him or walk away in disgust, but He looked at him with love and compassion. Why? He already knew what Peter would do…and so it is with you and I. Stop beating yourself up because you missed the mark. Get up, declare God’s forgiveness over your life, and move forward with what He told you to do. You will fail sometimes, but your failure is no surprise to God. He promises to be there with you to see you through. Don’t allow the enemy to lie to you. Know the truth and the truth that you know will set you free. You are now healed from your brokenness. Walk free.

Dreams Deferred

I received a message from one of my sisters at church concerning my post Refill. Agreeing that our dreams are deposits from God, she stated, I will never discard another dream. It helped me realize the more how the enemy fights to steal, kill, and destroy what God deposits within us. I recognized that just as the ink cartridge runs out of ink, our dreams run out of steam. They run out of steam because of the obstacles that are sometimes, seemingly, placed in one’s way in pursuit of their dream. But you always have a choice. Obstacles have a way of draining you or driving you. If you allow them to drain you then they do exactly what drains do—take away, deplete, remove. But if you choose to allow the obstacle to drive you, you will build needed stamina and strength to achieve your goal. Dreams require constant motivation. Although they are given or deposited by God, you have to supply the determination, hard work, and motivation to bring the dream to reality. The enemy fights you because he knows that others are depending on you for their freedom. Your dream/purpose is tied to someone else. If you do not fulfill your purpose or develop the dream that is within you, if you do not write the book, if you do not start the business, you run the risk of crippling those who are dependent on your dream. This generation cannot afford to wait for the next generation. We need movement now, and your fulfilling your purpose is an answer that we are searching for—now. The cure to AIDS, cancer, other viruses is in a grave somewhere because someone did not fulfill their purpose. When judgement day comes and you are asked the question, What did you do with the gift I gave you? Did you fulfill your purpose? Did you develop the dream I placed inside of you? What will be your response? Get busy—now.

After This…What?

As I was eating my breakfast this morning before work, the teacher whispered three simple words into my hearing: After this, what? It caused me alarm because the reality is that not much will change in our world. We who are alive today have never experienced an entire world shutdown before, yet many remain unchanged. Perhaps the saddest commentary will be God’s people—His church. As a church boy, I will be one of the first to say that we, the church, fell asleep at the wheel. We preached a watered-down gospel to accommodate rather than challenge. We held back on the true power of God rather than display His power for fear that others would call us radical. We turned away the poor, needy, and disenfranchised while accepting and catering to the rich, powerful, popular, and famous. Our churches became social clubs where we came weekly to get our fix and leaving there to go back to raggedy lives and empty dreams. Now what? Will we go back to the sham of religion, or will we pursue relationship? Truth be told, God has always been about relationship. Man made it about religion. What will you do when things get back to normal? Will it be business as usual for you, or will there be a new you? Will you turn a blind eye and a deaf ear, or will you make a difference? The past is gone, the future is uncertain, all you have is the present. Don’t be naive—you are not alive because you wore a mask and stayed inside. What is so special about you that you made it through, and others did not? You are alive because there is something left for you to do. After this, what? Get busy.

May Day

I love the beginning of things as it brings with it the opportunity to start fresh, to begin again. Today is May 1, the first day of May 2020. As I reflected on this new beginning, the teacher whispered to me two simple words, May Day. At first, I wondered why the teacher brought these two words to my mind. Although I was familiar with the term, I looked it up to see if there was a hidden meaning. The term Mayday is a distress call used to signal a life-threatening emergency. It literally means help me. He immediately brought Psalm 46:1 to my mind, I am a very present help in the time of trouble. Still puzzled, I heard Proverbs 18:10, The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it, and are safe. Then I understood.

Many Christians are bound by habits, frustrations, and disappointments because they try to solve their own issues rather than accepting the help that is readily available to them. The teacher reminded me that He is always with us, and that His desire is to help us. Yet many are not helped because pride stands in the way. Whatever you are facing, know that our Father has provided help for you in your time of need. Finances in trouble, credit score 305? Mayday, Mayday! Family in turmoil, full of dysfunction? Mayday, Mayday! Two simple words—and yet we will not call on the name of the Lord because we have been silenced by pride. We would rather watch opportunity pass us by, relegating another generation to have to return to the gate instead of taking the baton and running the next leg of the journey.

How long will it be before your come to your senses? How long will you remain prideful? What will it take to shake you from your stupor? Mayday, Mayday—life is slipping away.