Rule Over Sin

“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, and you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7)

God had rejected Cain’s offering while accepting the offering of Abel. This rejection led to Cain becoming very angry (Genesis 4:5), an anger that eventually led to his murdering his brother. God knows what is in Cain’s heart and confronts him, but Cain pays no heed to the divine warning.

Sin is depicted here as a savage beast, like a demonic presence, waiting to attack and devour Cain. 1 Peter 5:8 calls us to “Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Satan and sin are ever vigilant for easy prey. You dare not let your guard down.

God called Cain to rule over the beast. But Cain yielded, letting sin dominate him, with tragic consequences. God now calls us to rule over sin (Romans 6:12). While sin is “resident” in our flesh, it is not to be given the place of “president.” In union with Christ who overcame Satan and sin, we can rule over the beast by grace through faith. Stay alert. Yield to Christ and His lordship so that He manifests in your life His overcoming life. Sin is not to rule over you; you can and must rule over it.

Mentoring reflections:

• Where is the beast of sin crouching in your life ready to attack?
• How have you yielded to the rule of sin? How do you plan to confront sin in your life.

All for Jesus Until He Comes!

Accountability

“So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12)

Many Christians assume that having been born again they will not answer to God for the lives that they live after their conversion. Some believe falsely that once they are saved by grace through faith in Christ that they can live however they want without any consequences. As Paul exclaims, “May it never be!” (Romans 6:1) We are called to faithfulness and holiness, and we will give an account of how we lived our Christian life.

We believers will appear before the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10). This is not in reference to salvation which has been purchased for us once for all through the work of Christ on the cross (1 Corinthians 3:10). But it is in reference to how we served the Lord and how we used the gifts and abilities that He gave us. Jesus says, “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done” (Revelation 22:12).

This should give us pause. We may avoid answering for our actions in this life. But there is a day of accountability coming. Eternal rewards in heaven beyond our salvation in Christ await that evaluation. Live your life by the grace of the Lord Jesus with your eyes on that Day.

Mentoring reflections:

• If you were to stand before the judgment seat of Christ today, would you be prepared? Why or why not?
• What area of your life would you most want to hide from the Lord on that Day of Accountability?

All for Jesus Until He Comes!

Staying Focused

“For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:7-8)

It’s easy to get off on rabbit trails that ultimately lead to nothing significant and only take time and focus away from the essential. Staying focused is a challenge in a distraction-filled world. The loss of focus can affect quality of work and of relationships. While driving a vehicle, loss of focus can lead to serious injury or worse.

It’s easy to lose focus in the Christian life, emphasizing debatable issues above the essentials. In Paul’s day, quarrels arose in churches over what foods were appropriate for the Christian to eat, and what days should be religiously observed. He calls the church in Rome to stop judging others based on different opinions (Romans 14:4) and to remember that Christ is above all. The focus is on Him and His glory.

Believers today still have differing opinions and convictions that sometimes lead to loss of fellowship with one another. Brothers and sisters in Christ have been torn apart by everything from politics to theology to the color of the church carpet! But in every issue and in every situation of life, we are Christ’s. We have been bought with a price, and we are no longer our own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). All we are and all we have is under the Lordship of Christ. Stay focused on Him.

Mentoring reflections:

• What is one of your greatest distractions? How do you deal with it?
• How can you get your life back in focus on Christ?

All for Jesus Until He Comes!

The Cure for Anxiety

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:33-34)

We seem to live in an age of anxiety. It afflicts both young and old, affecting their ability to deal with life’s uncertainties with hope and joyful expectation. If left unchecked, it can lead to despair and loss of purpose and meaning. It has no place in the Christian life.

One can be legitimately concerned about something without worrying about it. Timothy was genuinely concerned about the well-being of the church in Philippi (Philippians 2:20). Paul’s concerns extended to all the churches that he had planted (2 Corinthians 11:28). He was attentive to their needs and cared for their spiritual health, believing God to work out His purposes for His glory through His people.

Worry, on the other hand, becomes consumed with the situation before it. The “what if’s” begin to spiral downward until we imagine the worst that could happen. It can be paralyzing. As has been noted, worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but doesn’t take you anywhere.

Jesus was never anxious. Focused on Christ and His kingdom, we are aware of needs and deadlines but need not descend into worry. Rather, with expectant trust in the Lord, we make the decisions that we must make, leaving the outcomes in the loving hands of our Sovereign God. Such a focus frees us from the bonds of anxiety and leads us into a life of confident trust knowing that we are not our own, but belong to our Faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

Mentoring reflections:

• What life situation is currently tempting you to be anxious?
• What keeps you from seeking first the kingdom of God?

All for Jesus Until He Comes!

Steve

Our Sufficiency

“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:5)

When faced with challenging tasks in the kingdom of God, we can feel incapable and insufficient. When approached about taking leadership in the church or in certain ministries, many people default to “I’m not qualified.” Yet, while some roles require specific gifts and abilities, most kingdom work just needs born-again people who are willing, physically able, and committed.

How much of our unwillingness to serve is based on poor self-image and the fear of failure? When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush calling him to lead the children of Israel out of bondage, he presented excuse after excuse. In response to each one, the Lord had an answer. One sees in that somewhat humorous account the principle: When God calls you to a task, He empowers you to carry it out according to His will.

So, when you are presented with ministry opportunities, don’t look first at yourself and your abilities, and don’t evaluate the opportunity based simply on “fit.” Ultimately, none of us are sufficient in and of ourselves, but God is our sufficiency for everything that He wants us to do. Dare to risk failure that He might display His glory and power in your life. It’s more about who He is than who you are.

Mentoring reflections:

• What makes you feel insufficient to serve in the kingdom of God?
• What ministry opportunities are available to you, waiting for you to say “yes?”

All for Jesus Until He Comes!

Peevishness

“But God said to Jonah, ‘Do you do well to be angry for the plant?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.’” (Jonah 4:9)

Peevishness is the sin of being easily irritated, often by small things. It is marked by impatience and is often expressed with sharp words of disapproval, many times directed at people whom we most love. It is a work of the flesh and does nothing to glorify God.

The prophet Jonah was peeved. “It displeased Jonah exceedingly” that Nineveh, the pagan city and enemy of Israel, had repented in response to his proclamation of God’s impending judgement (Jonah 3:4). Then, when God wilted a plant that was giving shade to Jonah to protect him from the scorching heat, Jonah again expressed his peevishness that ultimately was directed toward God. He was angry enough to die.

As He asked Jonah twice in this chapter, God also questions us, “Do you do well to be angry?” Controlling people are angry people because they cannot possibly control everything and everyone around them. When things go contrary to their desires, they can lash out in anger, displeasing God and hurting those around them. Only by dying to self and pride can you find deliverance from the sin of peevishness.

Mentoring reflections:

• When have you acted peevishly? Why?
• How do you justify your peevishness?
• Of whom do you need to ask forgiveness for the sin of peevishness?

To Be Seen by God

“So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, ‘You are a God of seeing,’ for she said, ‘Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.’” (Genesis 16:13)

The story of Hagar, the servant of Sarah, confuses modern listeners with the cultural implications of concubinage and surrogate motherhood. Hagar had conceived Abraham’s first child, creating tensions with Sarah, still barren and without hope of childbearing, who mistreated Hagar to such an extent that she fled from her mistress into the wilderness.

There, the angel of the Lord encounters her. This is not just any angelic being, but “the” angel of Yahweh who appears several times in the Old Testament, always identified with God Himself. May scholars believe the angel of the Lord is a “Christophany,” an appearance of the Eternal Son of God prior to His incarnation. Not only does he give Hagar instructions to return to Sarah, but he also tells her to name her son “Ishmael” (literally “God hears”) and promises God’s blessing on her progeny.

God hears this woman and sees her in her distress. She calls Him in the Hebrew “El Roi,” “the God who sees” or “the God who sees me.” In whatever situation you find yourself, take heart. Jesus does not abandon you in the wilderness. He is the God who sees you, the God who cares, the God who knows you and all that is happening around you. Quietly await His instructions.

Mentoring reflections:

• When, in your walk of faith, have you seen Him who looks after you, work on your behalf?
• In what wilderness do you currently find yourself? What is the Lord saying to you?

All for Jesus Until He Comes!

When God Asks You a Question

“But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9)

When God asks a question of someone, he already knows the answer. Because He is all-knowing, He’s not looking for information that He does not already have. He need not ask for anyone’s opinion since He does as He pleases with infinite wisdom. Why, then, does He ask anyone a question?

The first recorded question that God asks in Scripture is in Genesis 3 in the account of the Fall. After Adam and Eve rebelled against God, they attempt to hide from Him their nakedness that exposed the state of their hearts. As the Lord comes into the Garden he calls out to Adam, “Where are you?” Not because He needed help to find them, but to lead them to understand what lay at the root of their shame.

God’s questions pierce all pretensions and go deeply to the heart. They lead us to articulate before Him the hidden thoughts behind our attitudes and actions. His questions can reveal sin and lead us to repentance and restoration. What question is God posing to you?

Mentoring reflections:

• What question is the Holy Spirit bringing to your mind that you must answer before moving ahead in your spiritual growth?
• What fear must you overcome to answer that question forthrightly?

All for Jesus Until He Comes!

From Mount to Mud

“When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.”(Mark 9:14)

Peter, James, and John had just received a glimpse of Jesus’ divinity on the Mount of Transfiguration. His appearance had been transformed, and his clothes became as white as lightning. They saw Moses and Elijah speaking with Jesus, a bright cloud of heaven engulfed them, and they heard audibly the voice of God. It was an experience that affirmed them in their faith even as they tried to understand Jesus’ announcement that He would soon be crucified in Jerusalem.

Peter wanted to stay on the mountain, and proposed to build shelters for Jesus, Elijah, and Moses. But, like all mountain-top experiences, they had to come down to earth. Upon descending from the mount, they encountered a crowd arguing with the disciples who had been unable to free a boy brought to them afflicted by demons. They went from the divine to the gritty challenges of ministry; from the mountain to the messy mud of life.

We, like Peter, often want to remain in the moment of spiritual “highs” where our faith is fortified and where we experience fresh visions of God. But our relationship with Christ is to be lived out in the challenges of life. Had Jesus remained on the mountain, the child would not have experienced deliverance. It is in the “mud of ministry” where the Lord reveals His glory in and through us.

Mentoring reflections:

• What is one mountain-top experience with God that stands out to you today?
• What present ministry challenge is tempting you to remain on the mountain to avoid it?

All for Jesus Until He Comes!

The Authority to Forgive

“Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7)

In the United States, government leaders like the president or state governors can grant pardons to convicted criminals. They have the authority to forgive those crimes under their jurisdiction. On the other hand, individuals who have suffered wrong at the hand of others have the right to forgive the offending parties. They have the authority to forgive sins committed against them personally. But who can forgive sins against the Almighty except God Himself?

This was the dilemma the teachers of the Law contemplated when Jesus said to the paralytic lowered before Him through the roof, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). One thing is the power to heal physical maladies or even to forgive personal offensives, but it is another thing entirely to have the authority reserved for God Himself to forgive sins. Who did this “rabi” think He was?

Here Christ reveals His divine identity. Yes, only God can forgive sins. For a mere man to pretend to have that authority is blasphemy against the holy judge of the universe. But here stands no mere man as evidenced by the miracle of healing the paralytic. Many people carry the guilt of sin and failure. They live under the cloud of self-condemnation. No amount of self-loathing will suffice to bring you forgiveness and freedom. Jesus breaks every fetter and He sets us free.

Mentoring reflections:

• What sin or failure clings to you and keeps you from enjoying unfettered freedom before God?
• What keeps you from believing that Christ has the authority to forgive you?

All for Jesus Until He Comes!