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 Walt Henrichsen | Oct 23, 2017 | Articles, Mentors Corner
“Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.” Deuteronomy 5:27 When God gave His Law to Israel on Mt. Sinai, all the people heard God give the Ten Commandments. They then asked Moses to receive the rest of the Law and function as a mediator between them and God. They discovered that it was terrifying to hear God speak. The generation that began the Exodus exercised the option of accepting God’s Word through another rather than hear Him themselves. Today God’s people hear Him speak, by necessity, through God’s representatives who recorded His Word in Scripture. Are you grateful for this, or would you rather be a Moses, Jeremiah, or Apostle Paul? I confess that I am grateful that I don’t hear God directly, for if I did and heard Him say something seemingly different from what the Bible teaches (as did Paul when he said the New Testament saints don’t have to keep the Old Testament Law), I would have to stand without the affirmation of the Body of Christ. How could I know that I was not like so many kooks and heretics before me who said they heard God speak and then led people astray? Knowing my propensity for self-delusion, I would rather take my risk with Scripture than with a direct word from God. For more articles by Walt...
by Craig McAndrews | Oct 2, 2017 | Articles, Mentors Corner
In a world filled with multi-tasking, speedy technology, on-demand entertainment, and social media, it is easy to understand how we get distracted. I have been disappointed at times when I realize how much of my attention the computer, or some other electronic device has captured eaten up my time. What about you, when was the last time you sat still, by yourself, with zero stimulation—all in an effort to quiet your soul? My guess is that it has been awhile. In fact, if you are under the age of thirty, you may never have done anything like that. For anyone pursuing a deeper relationship with God and a closeness to Jesus, the idea of distraction can be depressing. It is challenging enough to handle the day-to-day work that comes our way, but we also live in a culture that rewards busyness over quiet reflection. What we need is a supernatural time management program, but, until that gets discovered, we can look to the Bible for three key thoughts on dealing with distraction. Purpose—The apostle Paul provides perspective on biblical purpose in Colossians 1:28 when he writes, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” He makes it clear that this is what he works for; to proclaim Jesus to people and challenge them to grow in God’s word. We have a charge to the do the same thing and a clearly stated purpose plays a major role in keeping us “on task”. Do you have clarity on your purpose? Priorities—Having a clear focus on...
by Walt Henrichsen | Sep 4, 2017 | Articles, Mentors Corner
“…He saved them for His name’s sake, that He might make His mighty power to be known…And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy…They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel…They forgot God who saved them, who performed great deeds in Egypt…So He raised His hand in oath to make them fall in the wilderness.” Psalm 106:8, 10, 13, 21, 26 You would think that when God delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage that He would have led them to happier circumstances. In reality the opposite seems to have been the case: They ate bland “manna,” experienced thirst, were led on long marches, and were given a set of harsh expectations from God (in the form of the Law) that they did not have to obey when in Egypt. How does this happen? It seems that the pattern is consistently the same: You cry to God in your need. He delivers you, and with His deliverance He establishes certain expectations. You, in turn, develop your own expectations of God. When these two sets of expectations clash, you are tempted to take things into your own hands, exacerbating the problem. Our immutable God does not change. When He delivers His people from the shackles of sin He does not guarantee happier circumstances. Often His people appear to experience a harsher life than before their conversion. This is, of course, not always the case. Many testify with the Psalmist, “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.”1 But our...
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 Ed Allen | Jul 25, 2017 | Articles, What Do You Think?
AN ETERNAL MINDSET Colossians 3:1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (Observation) The hope of the believer is in the promise of eternal life with Christ who has risen from the dead and returned to heaven to be “seated at the right hand of God.” The believer is instructed to set his mind on heaven where he is going, rather than on earth where he is. (Interpretation) “The things that are on earth” can be seen, but are temporary and by their nature cannot provide eternal life. God, who cannot be seen is eternal and has made provision for men to share in eternity with Him through His Son Jesus Christ, if they will believe. So, by faith, the believer is to set his mind on what he has been promised, but cannot see. This purposeful setting of ones mind on an eternity which is promised but cannot be seen is faith. Faith is given by God to anyone who will accept it. Paul’s advice to the believer in possession of this faith is to “set your mind on the things above.” (Cross-reference) Hebrews 11: 1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Ephesians...
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