by Mitch Hershey | 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...
by Ed Allen | May 17, 2022 | Articles, Mentors Corner
Matthew 10: 26“Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27“What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. 28“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29“Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31“So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. (Observation): The disciples are told not to fear those who hate them, but to fear God, to whom His disciples are valuable. (Interpretation): There is no fear of loss if the thing that could be lost is of little or no value to the one who possesses it. On the other hand, the fear of loss is great when the possession is of great value. The love of God even extends to the individual hairs on a believer’s head. Compared to that, why should the disciples fear “those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul?” The one who loves God fears separation from Him, for the Love of God is eternal and immeasurably more valuable than a temporary earthly body made of flesh and blood. (Cross-reference): Philippians 1: 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Psalm 111: 9 He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever;...
by Craig McAndrews | Apr 25, 2022 | Articles
The topic of mental health is a hot one in today’s world. As a result, institutions are focused on offering support to those who need it. Individuals are admired for talking openly about it, and organizations are popping up in many places to address it. Often, at the center of the mental health challenge is anxiety. Our society is increasingly more anxious about what is happening around us. Whether it is the uncertainty of the future or the overwhelming pressure of the present, people seem captured by a sense of anxiousness. As a college professor, I see this with students. When I started teaching several years ago, the common reason for someone missing class or having an issue with an assignment was a physical illness. Today, it’s more often a mental illness issue. It’s always a challenge discerning what’s real and what’s a smokescreen because a student doesn’t do the things required of them; however, one thing is true; anxiety is weighing people down. The word of God speaks to this topic in Proverbs 12:25, which says, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad.” The phrase, “weighs it down” is written as “stoop” in the King James translation, which means “to prostrate in homage, to fall flat, to do reverence, to worship.” Whatever is the object of our anxiety will cause us to worship it or pay homage to it. According to the Proverb, anxiety will cause you to focus entirely on whatever makes you anxious, which takes your eyes off Jesus. When you consider the magnitude of what is taught in this verse,...
by Ed Allen | Apr 11, 2022 | Articles
Psalms 77:11-15 11 I shall remember the deeds of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. 12 I will meditate on all Your work And muse on Your deeds. 13 Your way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God? 14 You are the God who works wonders; You have made known Your strength among the peoples. 15 You have by Your power redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. NASU (Observation) In verses 11 through 15, the Psalmist turns from lament over his present circumstances in the previous 10 verses, to remembering “Your wonders of old.” As the psalmist remembers, he turns from questioning God to praising Him. (Interpretation) The psalmist purposefully changes his focus away from his own circumstances to God’s past “redemption” of His people. Similarly, today we purposefully change our focus away from our own present circumstances to the resurrection of Jesus Christ; who “died for our sins” just as the Scriptures promised and was “raised on the third day” just as the Scriptures promised. (Cross-reference) 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (Application) As I look back to the resurrection of Jesus and what He has done in my life I cannot help but also look forward to the fulfillment of His promise of eternal live in heaven with Him, for everyone who believes, even “a...
by Trevor McDowell | Mar 29, 2022 | Articles
“Your way was in the sea and Your paths in the mighty waters, and Your footprints may not be known.” Psalm 77:19 The way God works is a mystery most of the time. Jesus promises that He will build His church (Matthew 16:18). He does not need us, but He gives us the opportunity to participate with Him in what He is doing in the lives of people. My mom was a tough nut to crack. When my father came to the Lord she was not interested, and neither was I. Then ten years later I came to faith and a few years after that my two brothers came to know the Lord as well. My mom continued in her unbelief for many years until she was stricken with lung cancer. Prior to her cancer, our family had shared the gospel with my mom through the years with no response. When she was informed she had cancer, my brothers and I planned on taking her to lunch to share the Gospel with her again, hoping she would be more open to it. A few days after our lunch was scheduled, my mother sent an email to my brothers and I that she was trusting Jesus with her cancer. We were amazed with this email. When our scheduled lunch happened a few days after her email, she was open to talking about Jesus. God beat us to our prayerful plan of bringing our mom to faith. My mother battled cancer for just over a year and then passed away. She has now been gone for over three years. Sometimes as...
by Chris Martin | Mar 7, 2022 | Articles
One of the early teachings that I was exposed to as a young man who was beginning to take his faith seriously was the benefit, and the need, for the man of God to “strive for obscurity.” After hearing this a few times, I felt compelled to dig into what I was being challenged to do. What does “obscurity” mean? How do I Strive for it? When can I know that I am successful or have failed in this endeavor? First, I needed to get my arms around what it means to be “obscure.” A summary research of definitions yielded the following: “the state of being unknown, inconspicuous, unimportant,” another definition reads “relatively unknown,” and yet another reads “the state in which somebody/something is not well known or has been forgotten.” These definitions certainly were a help to me in my understanding; however, this was not something that I was certain I wanted to pursue, let alone “strive” to be. To strive for something does not simply mean to focus on it or work towards it. It means “to struggle or fight vigorously.” This means that one must expend a great amount of effort, determination, and diligence toward the goal of striving to be being unimportant, in the background, unseen, unknown, etc. In reality, I am ashamed to confess that this goes against every fiber of my flesh that screams “here I am!” or “Look at and notice me!” or “Tell me how great of a man I am!” Jesus addresses this topic in Matthew 6:1-18 that we should give, pray, and fast in secret. At the heart of...
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