by Jerry Bangert | Jun 1, 2020 | Articles, Mentors Corner
The Books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon The Books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon comprise the Hebrew wisdom literature and form a unit. As such, they offer deep insights into the biblically legitimate ways to understand both life and the Author of life. This series will examine each book in successive order. JOB The book of Job views life as suffering. All suffer, though in varying degrees. What is the origin and source of pain? People everywhere instinctively associate it with sin, which accords with God’s purposes since He linked sin to pain in the curses of Genesis 3. Sin and pain do not have a one to one correspondence; but by decree God connects the two in our minds and sometimes in our experience. Why would He do that? God’s purposes toward His elect are redemptive rather than punitive. Pain and suffering are not expressions of His wrath. Rather, they are the loving and gracious inventions of God, whose purpose it is to alert us to the presence and danger of sin. Suffering is one of those rare direct conduits to the soul that bypasses reason and goes directly to the soul itself. Suffering is not an intellectual exercise. All of our being is enveloped in a black shroud, all peace is banished, and sense of well-being lost, while the soul endures its dark night. One must be convicted of sin, not pain. But if it is the soul itself that pain targets, what is its intended effect? Pain compels questions and the first question is usually, “What did I...
by Jim Gustafson | May 18, 2020 | Articles, Mentors Corner
David, from Psalm 27: “When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; thou war arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident.” — Vs 2-3. How to get this kind of perspective? We don’t know much about David’s enemies, but he had plenty. He may have been in war in the spiritual realm, maybe health, financial and relational challenges. We do know the opposition was colluding, surrounding him, intent on taking him down. The perspective of the natural man is that he needs to take on his enemies, up his game, do more and do it better, somehow muster up some courage even though it be hopeless. Or maybe the trouble is too overwhelming, he is alone and strategizing on how to fold his tent and save face. Any man would be void of confidence, filled with dread and fear, plotting his defenses and getting ready to deal with the shame of defeat. Then David makes an extraordinary statement: “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.” — V 4 In the middle of facing all his encroaching enemies, certain failure and impending threat of death, David boils it down to one desire: dwell in the presence of God and meditate! What kind of man thinks like this?! The outcome is found in...
by Joe Bradley | Apr 7, 2020 | Articles, Mentors Corner
For several years I’ve always operated under the MO (modus operandi) of having a Steps-to-Peace with God in my back pocket, blazer pocket, car, office, and… well you get it – on my person/within reach at all times. You never know when God will decide it is the right time and gives me a chance to use it. I drove (essential service) onto our school campus in Nashville, Tennessee this morning to find it completely empty. No one there. Not a single car – except our parked busses that just three weeks ago were providing transportation for hundreds of kids from 44 different zip codes. The school and campus have been shut down by our Governor, who has issued a Safe-at-Home Order through the end of April. After signing the utility and healthcare checks, I went to pull my office door shut behind me, and asked myself this question: “…what am I leaving behind that will be absolutely essential in the days ahead?” The Holy Spirit prompted me immediately – grab all your Steps-to-Peace with God. In the last several weeks I’ve had numerous conversations with men who are scared to death – literally. Men who in the past have put on a good façade and appeared to have life under control. They have managed to skirt the life and death conversation like the plague in the past. Well, now that the plague is here, I’m finding a different audience… and much more receptive. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:1-2, “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming...
by Walt Henrichsen | Mar 2, 2020 | Articles, Mentors Corner
“…even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief.” 1Timothy 1:13 Paul said of those who crucified Christ, “None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”1 He again said, “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all men everywhere to repent.”2 When a man stands before God and argues that he is innocent because of ignorance, he will face three hurdles he must jump: First, he must be ready to defend before God that he had a legitimate excuse why he did not know. Second, he has to defend what he did in light of the Golden Rule. Third, when under authority he is commanded to treat people different from how he wishes to be treated, he must evaluate whether the authority under which he finds himself is egregiously violating what God expects of him. For example, if you are a soldier under authority who is told to kill a traitor who has not been found guilty by an official trial, would you do it? It may be that seeking the will of God results in doing wrong, simply because we cannot know the motives of others, as illustrated by soldiers drafted into the army to fight a battle started by the ruler. It is easy to use people in our endeavor to accomplish our objectives. All of this is a minefield that is exceedingly difficult to cross without getting hurt. The conscientious follower of Christ...
by Walt Henrichsen | Feb 3, 2020 | Articles, Mentors Corner
“Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved.” Psalm 78:17-18 The Psalmist recounts the multiplicity of blessings God bestowed upon Israel during the Exodus. The more God gave them, however, the greater their expectations and the more difficult they were to please. This seems to be a common malady among humans. Affluence tends to anger people more often than it fills them with gratitude; you would think the opposite would be the case. It seems pain was the only way God could get their attention: “When he slew them, they sought for him; they repented and sought God earnestly.”1 It is easy to take God’s blessings for granted, allowing His goodness to create unrealistic expectations. The more He gives us the harder time He has pleasing us. When that happens, He uses His rod to break our ingratitude. Ingratitude for your circumstances is a sure way to “test” God and provoke His anger. If you are like I, you would rather learn to be grateful for the circumstances in which Providence has placed you, rather than being broken to a place of repentance by the heavy hand of God’s displeasure. 1. Psalm 78:34 For more articles by Walt...
by Walt Henrichsen | Jan 6, 2020 | Articles, Mentors Corner
“And when He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?’” Matthew 21:23 Jesus performed miracles in the presence of scribes and Pharisees, and they asked Jesus this question. “Doing these things” pertained to the miracles they witnessed. Assuming that Jesus was unable to control the natural order, who gave Him the authority/ability to alter the natural order? If I see what I believe, rather than the opposite, how do I avoid what these religious authorities did? If I saw a man performing miracles, and he preached as truth that which differs from my understanding of the Bible, how would I respond to him? Jesus therefore answered their question with a question, to which they responded: “…but if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the multitude; for all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And he said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’” Matthew 21:26-27 How do I avoid allowing culture to shape my assumptions of reality? All are teachable. The question remains, “From whom will I learn?” When I say a person is not teachable, I merely suggest that he refuses to learn from me. For more articles by Walt...
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