by Ron Hocutt | Apr 1, 2019 | Articles, Testimonies
I was driving along behind a truck the other day when I caught a strong gasoline smell. The first thing that popped into my mind was “I hope that that’s from the guy in front of me and not me.” On the surface, this is a natural thought and one to which I wouldn’t give any extra consideration. What I really said in the quiet of my own heart is “I hope that guy has a problem rather than me.” What I desperately want to think (automatically) is “I hope that guy doesn’t have a problem, and I don’t want one either, but will accept it if it’s God’s will.” What a sad commentary on the state of my soul when I hope evil rests on another in order to protect myself. I had little thought for this man’s safety, life, or soul – only my own. There are those of you who may say that this isn’t important and is such a small thing. True enough; I have not robbed a bank or murdered anyone today (yet), but the longer I walk with Christ, the more convinced I am that we are undone more by the small things than by the large. We ignore these at our peril. Consider the following quote: Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become your character. Watch your character, it becomes your destiny Consider these verses from scripture: A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out...
by Ron Hocutt | Nov 6, 2017 | Articles, Mentors Corner
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. I became aware recently of a beautiful real-world example of the promise in 1 Cor 10-13 and am relaying this with permission as I thought it a rare glimpse into the true day-to-day struggles, trials, and temptations we must overcome if we are to be true obedient disciples of Jesus Christ. The scenario went like this: “ …I was purchasing something online from a vendor and using PayPal to pay for it. They asked me to select the “Friends and Family” button on PayPal so they wouldn’t get charged a fee for the transaction. “ What would you do? This may seem like a simple thing not worthy of God’s attention, but with obedience, the devil is in the details, literally. I think the most common reaction among Christians and non-Christians alike would be to just select the “Friends and Family” button to avoid any conflict. If the Spirit tweaked our conscience, we might justify it as a good thing by feeling we’d done the person a favor by saving them the money. This person, however, felt differently. A man with a pretty clear sense of his own depravity, he was aware of his desire to simply do as they asked, but also aware that this would be a lie and therefore an abomination to God. Not...
by Ron Hocutt | Aug 21, 2017 | Articles, Mentors Corner
Know and Be Known Gal 4:9 – “…but now that ye have come to know God, or rather to be known by God…” We believe that knowing God is our goal, but this passage of scripture makes it clear that we must be known by him. When it comes to knowing someone, it’s the small things that count. You may know what they do for a job, where they live, and how many kids they have, but that does not mean you know them. To really know a person is to know them intimately, not just on the surface. Matt 7:23 – “…And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” These words from our Savior should strike terror into the heart of anyone with an eternal hope. How is it that these people could have lived in such a way as to claim Jesus as their savior only to find out he did not know them, and they clearly did not know him? I think the answer lies in what we consider to be important to God vs. what we consider to be unimportant or irrelevant to Him. We err (to our own eternal detriment) when we presume to know the difference. We disobey His Word and justify it by saying things like “…yes, well, I don’t think God cares about that.” At that point, we have ceased seeking the heart of God and have no assurance that His promises apply to us. We may claim that we “know” Him, but He does not know us. The words in...
by Ron Hocutt | Apr 11, 2016 | Articles, Testimonies
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (KJV) One of the more frustrating things to me is the tendency we have as the body of Christ to retreat to high level statements when what we really need is a kick in the pants. We sit in circles and admonish each other to do things like “…love your wife like Christ loved the church” without going any deeper and looking at what that really means. Being a very black and white kind of guy, I’m seldom satisfied with the high level answer and find myself asking “yes, but what does that look like for me today?” Each of us has to answer that for ourselves and defend it before God, of course, but here’s what I think it looks like to “…love your wife as Christ loved the church….” First and foremost, we know from Ephesians 5:25 and John 3:16 that Christ’s expression of love for the Church was that he died for it, so that’s a pretty good starting point. What does it mean to die for my wife? I think we insulate ourselves from the real answer by another set of high-level, non-threatening answers. “It means we sacrifice for them” or “we put their needs before ours.” Again, these are fine and dandy answers that enable us go on with our lives exactly as we did before convinced that we are obeying the command to “love our wives…” In stark contrast to the statements above, here’s the operative set of guidelines I’ve come up with for myself to determine what it means on a daily basis to die for my...
by Ron Hocutt | Mar 7, 2016 | Articles, Testimonies
Jer 12:5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied three, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? While wallowing in self-pity, confusion, worry and uncertainty the other day, God reminded me of an eternal truth that’s worth sharing: if you think things are bad for you now, how are you going to react when they really are? Will you remain a man of faith? The truth is that it doesn’t take much effort to knock us out of a trusting relationship with Christ. Look around, however, and notice those who are suffering for Christ in ways few of us could comprehend. Even knowing this, my nature is to always focus on my own troubles and assume them to be excessive, unjust, and unwarranted. If this sounds familiar, I ask you to consider the following: * It is our lot as Christians to be used by Him in any manner He chooses while still believing and trusting in His fundamental Goodness. Even a cursory review of scripture will demonstrate how God used (and in our minds perhaps abused) His servants. Are you willing to be used as these people were used? If not, you have no basis to be assured of your relationship with Christ. * Being a slave of Jesus Christ and “dying to self” means a lot more than we commonly think it does. It means all of you – what you own, think, feel, and hold dear – it all belongs to Him. Everything you are and have is to be used for His...
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