by Jim Gustafson | Aug 4, 2025 | Articles, Mentors Corner
“Two things I asked of You: Do not refuse me before I die; Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, that I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or that I be in want and steal and profane the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:7-9). NASB-95 Desperate men can do radical things. It seems that in desperation, all things are on the table. Particularly under pressure, men will steal, cheat, lie, deny God, hurt others they love and even murder, in an attempt to bring relief to themselves. Any and all of this, in order to get from under a trial, to relieve pain and move to higher ground. We are all capable of despicable acts to get relief from the pressures of life. There is nothing wrong with being desperate. To the contrary, the Bible is replete with examples of desperate men, making decisions out of their extreme hurt and need. Some decisions as recorded in the Scriptures were good and resulted in changes in perspectives and even circumstances; others resulted in more pain. So what is the difference? The answer lies in one’s perception of the source, purpose and goal of pain. The source of pain: “I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and...
by Jim Gustafson | Jun 10, 2025 | Articles, Mentors Corner
This life is full of the difficult. Pain, stress, pressures, trials, tribulations, temptations, even persecutions, oppositions and rejection. A few things are true in such times of trouble: God delivers the circumstance. He does so with purpose and for our good. Man’s required response is endurance or perseverance. God provides promises to the man who perseveres, giving him hope in the midst of the circumstance. The Scripture is full of examples, responses, instruction and related promises. Two of them: Romans 5:3-5: (3) “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance (4) and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; (5) and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” James 1:2-4: (2) “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials (3) because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. (4) Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Perseverance or endurance is our role in the process. It means to “stay under” or to bear patiently. It implies a choice of remaining in or abandoning the God-purposed process in these two passages. God’s purpose in perseverance is to draw us to dependence on Him and to sanctify us in the process. It requires faith, the faith that Jesus Christ will deliver us out or from the trouble. 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not...
by Jim Gustafson | Jan 28, 2025 | Articles, Mentors Corner
“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force” (Matthew 11:12). For many of us, this time of year is an activity for remembrance of last year and what God has orchestrated, what He might have planned for this New Year–and what would be a faithful response. Regardless of the anticipation of future events, a few perspectives have come to mind that are imperatives: “Therefore I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you” (2Peter 1:12). “But one thing I do: Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13). Eternity is for the taking! The future is ours to capture today. Finish the race strong; burst into heaven at a full gallop! Put the pedal to the metal! God promises to provide on the path: acceptance, forgiveness, fellowship, food, shelter, clothing, significance, purpose, love, joy peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. When I look back and review, He has provided all this and more, abundantly! If then, my needs are met, what is there to fear? Therefore, empty myself, take on boldness with confidence in fulfilling the upward calling! Not much time left on this earth—it is passing rapidly. Fear Him, for the time is near! The blessed hope of eternity is with us and no time like right now to...
by Jim Gustafson | Sep 24, 2024 | Articles, Mentors Corner
We all lean on promises. They fuel our hope. Without the promises we embrace, we would be lost, void of hope and aimlessly wandering. Consider the promise of a raise or promotion at work or the promise of a potential marriage. These give encouragement, a path to a vision, a provider of hope. Without promises, we would have no encouragement or anchor to give assurance of our path. Consider this promise of God: “Never will I desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Who among us would consider this not a fundamental but critical promise in our lives? Of course, the legitimacy of the promise is dependent on the integrity of the promise maker. We lose hope if the promise we are depending does not come to fruition. And consequently, lose trust in the one making the promise. Consider: “The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29) and: “For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself” (Hebrews 6:13). Some of His promises, like the one to Abraham (Genesis 12) are non-conditional, meaning God promises without requirement or expectation. Others are conditional, meaning receiving the promise is dependent upon our obedience to a specific command, usually identified with the promise. Others are to the nation of Israel, others to His church or His individual believers. Some are to be realized in the temporal, others not until eternity. In any event, the purposes of the promises are to provide hope, to increase our faith and develop godliness. “For by these He has granted to...
by Jim Gustafson | Dec 5, 2023 | Articles, Mentors Corner
We look forward with eagerness of our inheritance as believers in Jesus Christ. It is the ultimate hope that we will spend our eternity in heaven, out of this world and with the Savior. Any temporal inheritance, riches or reward pales in comparison. We obtain this inheritance only by the gift of the perfect sacrifice by Jesus for our past and future sins as propitiation for God’s required justice. It is this promise that leads us to dependence on Him as none of us can obtain the inheritance by any self-effort or merit. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). As we contemplate what lies ahead in wonder and anticipation, it would stand to reason that this knowledge should impact our behavior today. Gratefulness for His gift of mercy and grace, fear toward His holiness, majesty and power and urgency in response in obedience to One so faithful and loving in providing hope for us, would be logical responses to what He has done on our behalf. That is why we relate to one another in love: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (1John 4:7). It is our common inheritance! Have you considered that God is looking forward to His inheritance? His inheritance is us, the saints! Consider: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of...
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