Israel Lessons

by | Jul 3, 2023 | Articles, Mentors Corner

A study of the nation of Israel provides plenty of material that parallels my own life. One of these is from Exodus 16 where God begins to send manna as they wander through the desert after their departure from Egypt. In Exodus 16:2-3, the whole congregation grumbles against Moses and Aaron, going so far as to say, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” This is at least the third occurrence since the Exodus in which the Israelites voiced their displeasure and complained to Moses, which was effectively complaining against God. In Exodus 14:11, as they stood at the edge of the Red Sea after their miraculous deliverance from Egypt, they ask Moses “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness?” In Exodus 15:24, they complain to Moses that they cannot drink the water of Marah because of its bitterness. Israel proved time and time again that they were good at complaining and bad at remembering how God had provided for them. In spite of their complaining, God continued to provide for them. In Exodus 16:4, God says to Moses, “I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.” God gives clear instructions to...

A New Creation

by | Mar 13, 2023 | Articles, Mentors Corner

Recently my kids discovered a caterpillar on a bush outside of our house. They are at ages where curiosity is abounding and so we brought it inside and borrowed an insect net from some friends. Soon after, the caterpillar spun its chrysalis for its transition to a butterfly. We did some searching on the internet and found out that the chrysalis stage typically lasts for 11-12 days. Unfortunately for the kids, this meant that we were going to be on vacation when the butterfly emerged, so we took the insect net to a friend’s house and had them send some pictures and videos of the butterfly. Soon after we arrived home from vacation, we found several more caterpillars on the bush and ended up with 13 caterpillars, some of which we “blessed” other families with by giving the caterpillars away so they could have the opportunity to watch this amazing process. We ended up with 7 of our own, and over the last few days we have watched them closely as they have matured into butterflies and completed the biological process of metamorphosis. It has been a truly fun experience to watch my kids’ excitement, and it also reminds me of the metamorphosis that occurs in the life of the believer. Just as caterpillars transform into butterflies, so too do we as believers undergo a transformation at salvation when the Holy Spirit dwells within us. We are born again into a new life. Nicodemus wrestled with this idea in John 3 when Jesus tells him that “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus...

The Importance of Obedience

by | Jun 13, 2022 | Articles, Mentors Corner

It seems to me that obedience has become a four letter word, both outside and inside the church. Outside the church, every person is free to decide what they should obey. “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes” (Judges 17:6).  Without a normative absolute truth for all, obedience looks different for each person. Inside the church, where the Bible gives us absolute truth for all, obedience has become synonymous with legalism. When (or if) we hear someone speak on obedience, it is common to declare that a works-based righteousness is being taught, rather than a doctrine of grace. As I consider what the Bible has to say about obedience, a few thoughts come to mind. Obedience does not save me, but I cannot be saved without obedience. The following statements have been tremendously helpful in helping me to see the importance of obedience while understanding that it is not what saves me. The ground of my salvation is God’s grace freely given to me through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. The condition of my salvation is faith in Jesus Christ and declaring him as my savior. The evidence of my salvation is obedience to His commands. These statements need to be understood in the correct order (ground → condition → evidence). I am saved by grace alone, through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9), not by anything I do. And yet obedience is an integral part of that equation because when we declare Christ, the Holy Spirit resides in us and we are a new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17)  As a new creation, our lives should bear godly...