Russell Mckinney's Blog

Straight Talk About God and Life

Righteousness & You

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6

I’ve been a pastor a long time, long enough to have learned some things about professing Christians. One of those things is: not many of them hunger and thirst after righteousness. When you do come across such a person, you are actually taken aback by how much he or she stands out from the crowd. Your reaction is, “Wow, now that’s the way this Christianity thing is supposed to work. That’s the kind of person it’s set up to produce.”  

I take no pleasure in reporting that a high percentage of professing Christians are only interested in living righteously enough to keep God from getting too ticked off at them. The time they spend in prayer is minimal. Their Bible study is barely a blip on the radar. They attend church only if all the planets align and nothing else comes up. They give sparingly and many times even begrudge that (2 Corinthians 9:6-7). They’ve never witnessed to anyone in their lives.

Even those who do better in some of these areas typically fall short when it comes to actually repenting of sins and making needed changes in their lives. I’ve known professing Christians who were at church every time the doors were open, but they were petty, bitter people who refused to forgive any perceived slight. I’ve known others who made prayer a vital part of their lives but didn’t mind engaging in pre-marital sex or “shacking up.” Others would give generously to the church but spend even more on alcohol or drugs. To all of these people, the idea of hungering and thirsting after righteousness was foreign. They had just enough religion to keep them at peace with themselves and certainly didn’t have a burning desire for anything more than that.

Imagine a man who hasn’t eaten for two days. He gets the opportunity to sit down at a buffet filled with delicious food. The way that man’s eyes dance over that food is the way the Christian’s eyes should dance over righteousness. The way he craves that food is the way the Christian should crave righteousness.

Imagine a woman who has been stranded in the desert for hours. When she is rescued, a rescue worker hands her a bottle of water. At that moment, there is nothing on earth she wants more. That’s how the Christian should thirst after righteousness.

Christian, when you are obsessively hungering and thirsting after righteousness, when righteousness is what you are chasing in life, you won’t have to be goaded into coming to church. You won’t have to be begged to pray. Your pastor won’t have to chide you into Bible study. It won’t take a ten-sermon series on stewardship to get you to give generously. You won’t have to be coerced into telling others about Jesus and inviting them to church. All of that will come as naturally to you as breathing. It will flow effortlessly out of your hungering and thirsting for righteousness. 1 John 2:29 describes this as “practicing” righteousness: “If you know that He (God) is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him” (1 John 5:1; John 3:1-8). 

And, furthermore, Jesus promises that your pursuit of righteousness will not be in vain. He says you shall be filled. I see a two-fold meaning in this promise. First, it only makes the sense that the more you devote your life to righteousness, the more righteousness will be exhibited in your life. Second, as for your eternal standing with God, the moment you realize that your life is stained by unrighteousness and you place your belief (faith) in Jesus as Savior, God actually imparts to you His spotless righteousness (Romans 1:16-17; 3:21-26; Philippians 3:7-9). That is an even more important filling.

So, Christian, how hungry are you? How thirsty? Are you burdened enough about righteousness to do some repenting? Will you commit to moving up to a higher level of practicing righteousness in your daily life? When you get hungry and thirsty enough to actually make some changes in how you conduct yourself, you’ll find Jesus standing ready to help you. He’ll be right there with the never-ending buffet and bottomless well. You will be filled, no doubt about that. But never forget that no one can be filled who is already full enough to suit them.

February 11, 2010 Posted by russellmckinney | Belief, Bible Study, Change, Choices, Church attendance, Discipleship, Doing Good, Evangelism, Holiness, Money, Personal Holiness, Righteousness, The Sermon On The Mount, Witnessing, faith, giving, obedience, salvation, stewardship | | No Comments Yet

Christianity In Shoe Leather

In my last post, “For His Name’s Sake,” I talked about how a Christian’s conduct has a direct effect upon Christ’s reputation in the world. If that conduct is sinful, that does harm to Christ’s name. Now let me give you a practical example that will help you to better understand this.

Let’s say that a man who isn’t a Christian goes to buy a used car. He walks onto a car lot and has a salesman come out, grinning from ear to ear. The salesman says, “Can I help you?”

The man says, “Yes, I like the looks of this car right here. Is it a good car?” The salesman says, “I’ll let you in on a little secret. Just between you and me, this car is the best buy on the lot. It is mechanically as sound as a dollar. I wouldn’t mind taking off cross-country in this car.” But even as those words roll off the salesman’s lips, he knows they are a lie. The mechanics have told him that the car’s engine needs to be completely rebuilt. 

Well, the trusting potential buyer takes the car out for a test-spin. The car does alright on the short test drive, and the man decides to buy it. The salesman says, “Step into my office, and we’ll sign the papers.”

As they step into the office, the buyer notices that hanging on the salesman’s office wall is a beautiful picture of Jesus. He also notices that the salesman has a little plaque on his desk. The plaque reads, “Christ is the answer.” The man says to the salesman, “I gather that you are a Christian.” The salesman says, “Oh yes. I’ve been a deacon in my church for twenty years.”

The man says, “Well, if you can’t trust a deacon, who can you trust?” The salesman says, “That’s right. You can trust me. That car is just a little bit too old to have any kind of warranty, but I’ll take care of you. If you have any trouble with the car, just bring it back to me. I’ll make things right. You have my personal word on that.”

So, the papers are signed and the deal is done. The man just bought himself a car. He climbs into it, starts it up, waves to the salesman, and pulls off the lot. He gets about two miles up the road when the smoke starts pouring out of the hood. Luckily, there is a garage right there on the corner. The man pulls into the garage, and the mechanic takes a look at the engine. The mechanic says, “Sir, I hate to tell you this, but this motor is completely shot. It needs a total rebuilding.”

Upon hearing that, the man immediately marches the two miles back up the road to the car lot. He finds the salesman in his office. He says, “Pal, you sold me a lemon. I drove that car two miles and the motor blew up. I want you to keep your word and make things right.”

And what does that used-car selling deacon do? He says, “Sir, I feel awful about this, but our policy is that all sales are final. And since the car doesn’t have a warranty, I’m afraid that there isn’t much I can do for you.”

You say, “Boy, that car-buyer won’t think much of that Christian salesman.” You’re right. I’ll tell you something else: He won’t think much of Christ either! He’ll say, “If that’s what being a Christian is all about, the Christians can have it. I can do better than that on my own. Who needs a Savior who can only produce that kind of behavior?”

This is why I say, Christian, that you are called to live your faith wherever you happen to be at the time. If you go around claiming to be a Christian, you’d better act right. If you have a tag that says “Christ is my co-pilot,” you’d better be honest. If you have a bumper-sticker that says “Honk, If You Love Jesus,” you’d better pay your bills. If you wear a shirt that says “My best friend is a Jewish carpenter,” you’d better watch your language. Why? Because it is the very name of Christ that is at stake!

You can call this “Christianity in shoe-leather.” It is bringing your Christianity down out of the clouds of doctrine. It is pulling your religion up off your church seat. It is transforming your spirituality from principle into practice.

And how do you do it? Each day that you wake up, you spend time in prayer and say, “Jesus, today, wherever I may go, whatever the day holds for me, lead me in the paths of righteousness. You be the guiding shepherd; I’ll be the obedient sheep.” Nothing less will do if you really want Christ to guide you into paths of righteousness.

January 11, 2010 Posted by russellmckinney | Backsliding, Business, Character, Discipleship, Doing Good, Holiness, Influence, Personal Holiness, church, obedience, salvation, submission | , , , , , , | No Comments Yet

For His Name’s Sake

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:1-3)

Obviously, there are a good many profound truths to be found in these three verses, but I would specifically like to draw your attention to the last part of verse 3. David says of the Lord, “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

These verses describe Jesus as the shepherd and Christians as His sheep. Christ’s name isn’t actually used in the verses, but He certainly had this passage in mind when He said in John 10:11,14,27: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own…My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

And so, Jesus leads Christians in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His own name. If I can get this one truth burned into your mind I will have accomplished something. Jesus leads Christians in the paths of righteousness so that His very name will not be besmirched, soiled, or damaged.

Does walking in the paths of righteousness help the individual Christian? Of course, it does. Does a Christian walking in the paths of righteousness make the world a better place? Of course, it does. But I’m not talking about those ideas right now. Right now I’m hammering on the fact that Jesus leads Christians in the paths of righteousness for the purpose of protecting His own name.

In your mind’s eye, I want you to go with me back to a scene in ancient Israel. Let’s tag along and watch as a local shepherd leads a flock of sheep. As we walk along behind the shepherd, we observe that he seems to be doing an adequate job of leading his sheep. Now it is time, though, for the sheep to eat, and we are interested in how the shepherd will handle that need. We are also aware that once the sheep have filled their stomachs they will want to lie down and rest a while.

With this in our minds, we watch as for some unknown reason the shepherd leads the sheep right past a beautiful, green pasture that would provide perfect food and rest for the sheep. The shepherd seems to have another place in mind as he leads the flock onward. Finally, he brings them to an almost barren, rocky piece of ground. There are just a few sparse patches of grass growing here and there. This is where the shepherd has been headed all along.

The sheep try to eat, but there isn’t enough grass to fill their stomachs. Pretty soon they give up and lie down. They don’t get much rest, though. The ground is far too hard and rocky.

After watching this, we begin to wonder about the shepherd’s judgment. Still, we want to give him the benefit of the doubt, and so we wait around until it is time for him to again put the sheep on the move. The sheep have had their time of eating and resting. Now it is time for them to get some water.

We tag along as the shepherd leads the sheep to an outstanding watering-hole. The waters are still and quiet. We’ve heard that sheep don’t like rushing waters. They can’t swim very well and are terrified of swift currents. Sheep like calm, still, quiet waters. This hole is just right.

But the shepherd shakes his head in disapproval. In his opinion, these waters won’t do. Onward he leads the sheep. Eventually, there is the sound of a rushing stream and the shepherd picks up his pace. He gets to the swift stream, brings the sheep to the water’s edge, and waits for them to start drinking.

The sheep, however, are overly cautious. They won’t go near the dangerous current. Their fear keeps them from getting the water that at this point they desperately need.

After a while, the shepherd realizes that the sheep aren’t going to drink the water, and so he begins again with his leading. The sheep are hungry and tired because the shepherd walked past the green pastures. They are thirsty because he shunned the quiet waters. It’s obvious to us that the sheep need to be refreshed, revived, and restored. Still, the shepherd pushes them onward.

We follow close behind, by now completely bewildered at the shepherd’s actions. Over the remaining course of the day, we watch as he leads those sheep to places that sheep have no business going. He leads them in precarious paths that run along the edges of cliffs. He leads them in dangerous paths that run by places where lions are known to suddenly attack. He leads them in rough paths that run through ditches and briars. Finally, we have seen enough and make our way back to town.

Once we get into town, a man comes up to us and says, “You are the people who tagged along and watched the shepherd lead his flock. Tell me, what did you think of his shepherding?” Having seen what we’ve seen, what must our answer be? We have to say that the shepherd doesn’t know how to care for sheep. We have to say that he is dangerous for sheep. We have to say that he is not to be trusted with sheep. The fact of the matter is, it is absolutely impossible for us to recommend that fellow as a shepherd. We explain this to the man who asked our opinion, and our critical words begin making their way through the town. Pretty soon, the shepherd’s reputation is ruined.

Now let’s come back to the present day. I ask you, Christian, what kind of a reputation as a shepherd does Jesus desire to have amongst the people of this world? The answer is, He wants to be known as a good shepherd. Well, how can He gain such a reputation? To gain it, He must lead us, His sheep, in the paths of righteousness. Therefore, Christian, you’ve got to realize that when you display depravity, when you persist in sin, when you fall short of holiness, when you forego paths of righteousness, you damage not only your name but also Christ’s name.

You see, as the lost people of this world watch the everyday conduct of professing Christians, it is Christ’s reputation as a shepherd that is on the line. We mar the very name of our Savior whenever we refuse to allow Him to lead us in paths of righteousness. That is a sobering thought.

Now, maybe you would say to me, “Wait a minute, Russell. I am a Christian, but I don’t always follow Christ as I should. It isn’t right, then, for Christ’s name to be soiled when He isn’t the one leading me in paths of sin.” You make a good point. The people of this world shouldn’t hold it against Jesus when a Christian refuses to live in a holy manner. But the problem is that the people of this world don’t really understand that Christ will not lead rebellious sheep. They don’t differentiate between the Christian who is living a holy life and the Christian who is backslidden. All they know is that both kinds of Christians profess to have Christ as shepherd.

Is this fair? No. Is it reality? Yes. Your fellow Christians may understand that Christ is not the leader He can be if you aren’t the follower you ought to be, but the lost people of this world won’t. That’s why, Christian, when you stand up and say to others, “Jesus Christ is my Savior,” you’d better do all that you can to ensure that you walk in those paths of righteousness.

January 9, 2010 Posted by russellmckinney | Backsliding, Character, Discipleship, Disobedience, Doing Good, Dress and Appearance, God's Will, Holiness, Influence, Personal Holiness, Sin, Temptation, obedience, separation | , , , , , , , , | No Comments Yet

Blessedness

Psalm 1:1-3 says:

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in it season, whose leaf also shall not wither. And whatever he does shall prosper.”

I’d like to point out that the proper pronunciation of the first word of this passage is “bless-ed,” not “blessed.” The Bible uses one Hebrew word to refer to “bless-ed” and another to refer to “blessed.” The Hebrew word for “blessed” is barak. It is used in passages such as Genesis 1:28, which says of Adam and Eve, “And God blessed them.”

But the Hebrew word that is used here in Psalm 1:1 is esher. This word carries with it various shades of meaning. It can mean happy, fortunate, enviable, or prosperous.

Actually, esher is plural. That’s why it’s been suggested that it could accurately be translated as “blessednesses.” You see, this is not just one blessing that is being described. This is talking about abiding in a continual state of experiencing blessing after blessing after blessing. There is a multiplicity of blessings that rest upon the bless-ed person. I’d rather be “bless-ed” than just “blessed.”

Now, this passage gives us three main thoughts about the blessed. Let’s walk through these together. There is some awesome spiritual stuff here.

First, in verse 1 we are given a clear word about the blessed person in relation to separation. Blessed people are marked by things they do not do. You see, the book of Psalms opens by dispelling the notion that the sinful life is the good life.

Three negatives are mentioned. Negative #1 is: Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Who do you look to for advice? Is that person a godly person? Is that person living under the lordship of Jesus Christ? Is that person highly knowledgeable of what the Bible teaches? Is that person wise in applying the Bible to everyday life? Is that person really in tune with the Lord?

Negative #2 is: Blessed is the man who does not stand in the path of sinners. There is a path of sin in which the ungodly stand. The fact that they stand in this path shows that their sinfulness isn’t just a one-time slip up. These people are engaged in a daily, continual lifestyle of sin. They aren’t trying to get off the path of sinners. To the contrary, they continually stand in it.

Negative #3 is: Blessed is the man who does not sit in the seat of the scornful. The Hebrew word that is translated as “scornful” is luwts. It can also be translated as “mockers” or “scoffers.” These scorners are people who have contempt for God, His ways, and His standards. The verse talks about the seat of the scornful because these people are settled and fixed in their disgust towards God.

The passage’s second main thought concerns the blessed person in relation to scripture. Verse 2 says of the blessed man: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” The phrase “the law of the Lord” refers to the law that God gave the Israelites through Moses. That law was written down. We might say it was the “Bible” by which the Israelites lived. These words actually apply to us all the more then because we have so much more of the holy scriptures than the Israelites did. If you would be blessed, love the scriptures and learn the scriptures.

And then the text’s third main thought deals with the blessed person in relation to success. Verse 3 says: “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season; whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”

The blessed person is compared to a beautiful, bountiful tree. This tree is not withering away from a lack of water because it is planted by rivers of water. That ensures that it will continuingly thrive. Not surprisingly, this tree is not barren. It brings forth its fruit in season just when it should. Its leaf does not wither away either. The tree is strong and healthy. All of this is a beautiful description of the blessed person.

Then the description gets even better. The end of the verse says that whatever the blessed person does shall prosper. Of course, some people run off way too far with this idea. The “health and wealth” preachers that dominate religious television use verses like this to promote a wrong doctrine that can be summed up as “name it and claim it.” Just take your wish list to God, have the necessary amount of faith, and God will give you all the things that are on your wish list. But the truth is, God’s idea of prospering isn’t so simplistic.

I can best explain “whatever he does shall prosper” by pointing us to Joseph. Did you know that even when Joseph was wrongly sold into slavery God called him a prosperous man and caused whatever he did to prosper? Genesis 39:2-3 says:

“The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.”

The Hebrew word that is used there to describe the prosperity that God gave to Joseph is the exact same Hebrew word that is used in verse 3 of our text. So, when you understand what God did for Joseph, even as Joseph was a servant in the house of Potiphar, you will understand the kind of prosperity that God bestows upon the blessed person.

When Joseph was a servant in Potiphar’s house, did he have a lot of money in his bank account? Absolutely not! Did he have a wife and children? No. Was he a man of prestige and standing in the community? No way. Nevertheless, God described him as a prosperous man.

Ultimately, Joseph did become rich beyond his wildest dreams as God made him the second most powerful man in all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. Also, God gave him a wife and two fine sons. But the fact is that Joseph was blessed and prosperous even before the power, wealth, and beautiful family. So it is with any person who truly lives out the requirements of Psalm 1:1-3.

January 4, 2010 Posted by russellmckinney | Bible Study, Character, Discipleship, Doing Good, Holiness, Money, Personal Holiness, Prosperity, Reward, Scripture, The Bible, obedience, separation | , , , , , , , , , | No Comments Yet

A Three-Point Checklist For The New Year

Proverbs 4:25-27 says: “Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left. Remove your foot from evil.”

These verses make for one of the Bible’s best texts on the subject of a new year. In them Solomon offers a three-point checklist that will help us make this new year a godly, blessed, spiritually productive year. Let’s take a look at that checklist.

Item #1 is: Rivet your attention upon this new year. Solomon says, “Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids right before you.” Think of yourself as standing on the precipice of this new year. What should you do as you stand here? You should focus your attention straight ahead and fix your gaze on what lies ahead.

In order to do that, you’ll have to step out of your past. You might as well step out of it, because you can’t change one second of it anyway. Rearview mirrors make poor windshields!

You say, “But Russell, you don’t know my past. You don’t know the things I’ve done. You don’t know the things I’ve gone through.” Well, you’re right, I don’t know your past. But I do know two things. One, I know that Jesus wants to meet you right where you are and do wonderful things for you, in you, and through you. Two, I know that in order for Him to do that you’re going to have to join Him in the here and now. The fact is, this new year can be your fresh start with Christ.

One day a man stormed into the office of his local newspaper and said to the secretary, “I want to see the guy who is in charge of the obituaries.” When the secretary pointed him to a rookie reporter, the man marched over to that reporter and said, “Young man, I want you to know that my name appeared in your obituary column today. And, as you can see, I am very much alive. I want you to print a retraction in tomorrow’s paper.” To that, the young man said, “Sir, I’m afraid that we don’t print retractions in our obituary column, but I’ll put you in tomorrow’s birth announcements and give you a fresh start!”

This new year can be your fresh start with Jesus. You can have a fresh start in the areas of prayer, Bible study, church attendance, personal holiness, giving, and evangelism. Whatever sins you’ve committed in the past, whatever mistakes you’ve made, whatever you’ve gone through, rivet your attention on this new year.

Item #2 on the checklist is: Reassess the path you are traveling. Solomon says, “Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.” The Hebrew word translated as “ponder” means to mentally weigh. The point is, think about the path you are currently traveling. Is it a path that will take you into more intimate fellowship with Jesus? Is it a path that will take you into a deeper level of service to Him? Is it a path that will make you a better Christian and a better person?

It’s sad that most people never take the time to stop and really think about where their path is taking them. Oftentimes this is why they repeat the same mistakes over and over again, year after year. I read about a man who went to the doctor to get some help for his two burned ears. The doctor said, “Before I treat you, I’ve just got to know how you burned your ears.” The fellow said, “Well, doc, here’s what happened. The phone rang while I was ironing my shirt, and I picked up the iron instead of the phone.” The doctor said, “That’s terrible! But what happened to your other ear?” The man said, “The guy called back.”

We laugh at that story, but this world is filled with people who never learn from their mistakes. I’m saying that the beginning of a new year is a great time to get by yourself, turn off the television, lay the phone off the hook, and take a good, hard look at your life.

And don’t be afraid to hurt your own feelings. Be honest about where you are. If the path you are on is a bad one, admit it. You will never get where Jesus wants to take you in life until you get on the right path.

So, here at the start of this new year, I encourage you to reassess the path you are traveling. If you don’t like the harvest you are getting, change your seed! It is a form of insanity to keep doing what you are doing and expect different results. If you want to change your life, change your path.

And then item #3 on the checklist is: Resist the temptation to veer off your God-approved path. Let’s say that you get on the path the Lord wants you to be walking. Is that the end of the story? No, it isn’t. Solomon gives the warning: “Do not turn to the right or the left. Remove your foot from evil.”

As you walk your God-approved path, certain things will appear to your right, things that will look appealing to you. Don’t leave your path and go after them. Certain things will appear to your left, things that will look appealing to you. Don’t leave your path and go after them.

I’ve noticed that some people are very good at making fresh starts with the Lord. Such a person goes his or her own way for a while and then says, “I’ve got to get right with the Lord.” Then they make a renewed effort at living a Christ-honoring life. They walk that God-approved path for a while but then stray from it. Some sinful pleasure to the right looks good, and they leave the path. Some worldly amusement to the left looks good, and they leave the path. As Solomon describes it, they step off the path and out into some form of evil.

Then, after the person has filled up on the evil, he or she again says, “I’ve got to get right with the Lord.” At that point the cycle starts all over again. Such a roller coaster walk with Christ isn’t what He has in mind for you. You just can’t get anywhere like that. How much better it is to get on God’s path for your life and then resist the temptation to veer off your God-approved path. I’m all for fresh starts with Christ. Ideally, though, you only need one of those. And that’s all you will need if you resist the temptation to stray off your God-approved path.

In closing, let me tell you about two boys who once tried to outwit a wise old man. These boys had grown tired of hearing other people talk about the great wisdom the man possessed. So, they decided to show him up. First, they caught a very small bird, which one of the boys concealed in his hand. Next, they went to the old man, where the boy with the bird asked the man, “What do you think I have in my hand?” The old man answered, “You have a bird in your hand. I can see some of its feathers.” The boy said, “Yes, but is the bird dead or alive?”

It was here that the boys planned to trick the old man. If he said “dead,” the boy would open his hand and let the bird fly away. But if the man said “alive,” the boy would crush the bird before opening his hand. And so how did the wise old man answer? He looked at the boy with the bird and said, “As you will it, son. As you will it.”

Will this new year be one in which you serve Christ better than you ever have? The answer is, as you will it. Herschel Hobbs, that notable Southern Baptist preacher of days gone by, said, “Years become new only if we make them so.” You can make this new year “new” by following Solomon’s spiritual checklist. Rivet your attention on this new year. Reassess the path you are traveling. Resist the temptation to veer off your God-approved path. By doing these things, you’ll be able to make this year the best one you’ve ever had in serving Jesus.

January 1, 2010 Posted by russellmckinney | Backsliding, Change, Choices, Discipleship, Doing Good, God's Will, Holiness, New Year, Personal Holiness, Temptation, contentment, obedience | , , , , , , | No Comments Yet

God Is Watching

It was lunchtime at a Catholic elementary school. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun wrote a note and posted it on the apple tray: “Take only ONE. God is watching.” As the children moved further along the lunch line and got to the other end of the long table, they found a large plate of chocolate chip cookies. There one mischievous child had written the note: “Take all you want. God is watching the apples.”

Well, I hope you know that God can watch the apples and the cookies at the same time. The big theological word for this is omnipresence. The Bible’s most extensive passage on the subject is Psalm 139:7-12, but a singular verse that encapsulates the idea is Jeremiah 23:24, where God asks, “Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth?”   

So, if you will permit me to play off my illustration, take all you want of some sin today, but know that God is watching. He fills heaven and earth, and He doesn’t miss one thing you do. Whenever you commit a sin, He sees it. If you will keep this simple fact in mind as you move through your day, you’ll be surprised at how it helps you to live a more godly life.

November 17, 2009 Posted by russellmckinney | Choices, Discipleship, Disobedience, Doing Good, God's Omnipresence, Personal Holiness, Rebellion, Sin, obedience | , , , , | No Comments Yet

Lunchroom Trays & Jesus

You remember those lunchroom trays from your childhood, don’t you? They were so compartmentalized, so sectioned off, so “a place for everything and everything in its place.” The cream corn wasn’t to spill over into the mashed potatoes. The apple sauce couldn’t get out of its banks and make the roll soggy. The peas and Salisbury steak were strictly prohibited from mixing and mingling.

Such trays are nice things to have around when you are feeding kids. Give a seven-year old a flat playing surface with his food groups and who knows what artistic endeavors you might get? I think about Randy in that classic movie A Christmas Story. He was Ralphy’s little brother, the one who wouldn’t eat, the one who worked his mashed potatoes into the shape of a volcano and threw his peas into the side of it, making an explosion noise each time he did it. That probably wouldn’t have happened if his mother had used a lunchroom tray.

But the problem with lunchroom trays is this: Those things become so engrained in our minds when we are kids that we carry the mental imagery of them the rest of our lives. We come to think of our lives as being sectioned off into the neat little compartments of work, home, family, leisure, and religion. We shouldn’t take our work home. That is a spilling over and it’s wrong. Our leisure has no place at our worksite. If the two run together, we’ll get fired for goofing off. Home is for making the beds, sweeping the floor, mowing the yard, and cleaning the basement. It can sometimes walk hand in hand with family, but when family requires a trip to ball practice, piano lessons, dance recital, or the orthodontist, home must be left to stand alone in its own compartment of the tray. Leisure can be neighborly to home as well, what with television, dvds, and internet sites. But leisure and home can never fully join up because leisure must frequently abandon home to travel to the golf course, the lake, the campsite, the beach, or the amusement park.

And what about religion? Well, for the average Christian, religion primarily means going to church. Make no mistake, church is a wonderful thing, that is until it becomes something we merely drive to and back from. If that’s the case, church isn’t much more than a confined building where we sit and check off the program that is printed on the bulletin they hand us when we walk through the door. Opening prayer: listened to that, check. Hymn of Praise: sang that, check. Announcements: sat through them, check. Offering: paid my dues, check. Special Music: heard that, check. Sermon: got through that, check. Invitation: not for me, check. Benedictory Prayer: listened to that, check. Mission accomplished, time to leave for another section of the tray.

Let me assure you, however, that “tray living” is not what God has in mind for the Christian. The apostle Paul said, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17). He also said, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Now, tell me, can you think of anything that isn’t a “whatever”? “Whatever” doesn’t just cover a lot of territory; it covers ALL territory. It is a Ziploc bag big enough to seal in your entire tray. The Christian must do his job, conduct himself at home, interact with his family, enjoy his leisure, and do his church attending all in the name of the Lord Jesus and to the glory of God. What a concept!

Can you imagine the implications of living in such a way? The Christian would be the best worker at his jobsite because he’d work as if Jesus was standing right there beside him. His home would be a well-kept place. It’s hard to have knee-high grass, filthy floors, and unmade beds to the glory of God. His treatment of his family would be exemplary, no spousal abuse, child abuse, or disfunction on his part. Sin wouldn’t enter into his leisure time either. No internet pornography, gambling addictions, alcoholism, or drug use. You just can’t engage in those things in the name of the Lord Jesus. Church attendance would be an awesome thing too. It would be vibrant, exciting, and uplifting, the kind of experience from which a person can launch out victoriously into the world.

You see, the point is that Jesus refuses to be compartmentalized. He wants everything the Christian says or does to come under His Lordship. If it is a “whatever,” He demands jurisdiction over it. He refuses to stay behind in His pew beside you at church and wait for you to rejoin Him there the next time you come. Instead, He stands up with you, listens to the benedictory prayer, and then has the gall to walk with you out the door and get in the car with you. As He climbs in, He asks, “Where are we off to?” When you protest by saying, “Wait a minute, Jesus, You’ve got to stay here at church while I go about my life,” He says, “No, I’m going wherever you’re going.”

By the way, in case you think I’m pushing things too far in depicting Jesus as being beside the Christian all the time, let me remind you that the Bible takes the idea even further than I have. Passages such as Romans 8:10, Ephesians 3:17, and Revelation 3:20 teach that Jesus, by way of the indwelling Holy Spirit, literally lives inside the Christian’s body. You can’t get any closer than that! What better Christians we would be if we would just get a hold of this idea. There you are, tempted to undermine your boss at work, play the slacker around the house, cut your spouse to shreds with cruel words, do something seedy and call it leisure, or daydream in church. Wait a minute, you wouldn’t do any of these things if Jesus was right there watching, would you? And it just dawned on you: He is!

That’s why, Christian, you should purge the concept of “tray living” from your mind. There are no sections, no compartments, no categories of your life. There is only Jesus, with you everywhere, all the time, expecting you to do everything in His name and to His glory. Yes, this is a radical way of living, but it’s a Biblical one. Live like this and your entire existence will be changed. Work won’t be the same place. Home will get an upgrade. Family will be taken to a higher level. Leisure will be good, clean fun. Religion will become something so much more than mere church attendance. Really, it won’t even be religion anymore. It will be a second-by-second relationship with Christ. Are you interested in that? Then turn in your tray and start living the way Jesus means for you to live.

 

 

August 11, 2009 Posted by russellmckinney | Church attendance, Commitment, Discipleship, God's Will, Personal Holiness, Work, Worship, obedience | , , , , , , | No Comments Yet

Abounding More and More

In 1 Thessalonians 4:1, Paul says to the Christians of Thessalonica, “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God.” Please notice the phrase “abound more and more.” His point is that, generally speaking, a Christian’s service to the Lord should increase over the course of life. There should be a noticeable progression in service. At twenty, the Christian should do more for Christ than he did at fifteen. At twenty-five, he should do more than he did at twenty. At thirty, he should do more than he did at twenty-five. On and on it should go.

Of course, we understand that at some point the physical limitations of getting older will stop a Christian from performing certain acts of service. Even in old age, though, a person can shift focus to different kinds of service. The elderly preacher can’t hold down a pastorate anymore, but that just gives him more time for prayer. The retired school teacher can no longer be ”salt and light” in the school system, but she can do more visiting. Even the Christian in the nursing home can be an effective witness for Christ. The goal is to always abound more and more in service.

I was in my early twenties when I gave myself fully to Christ. Since I had been out of church for some time, my first order of business was to start slipping in for Sunday morning worship services. That led to my faithful attendance in Sunday School. That led to me getting serious about having a daily prayer life. That led to my faithful attendance for Sunday night services. That led to my faithful attendance for Wednesday night services. All of that church attendance led to me getting serious about Bible study. That led to me teaching a Youth Sunday School class. That led to me hearing God’s call to preach and accepting it. That led to me becoming a pastor.

You see, things started with me taking the baby step of slipping in for Sunday morning worship services. I took that step, stayed at that level for a little while, and then felt God push me to take another step. I took that step, stayed at that level for a little while, and then felt Him push me to take another step. I took that step, stayed at that level for a while, and then felt Him push me to take another step. The process has been a slow walk, not a long jump. The fact that I currently serve as the pastor of Disciples Road Church is simply where I am right now in my lifelong process of abounding more and more in service to Christ.

The New Testament uses the words “bishop,” “elder,” and “pastor” interchangeably to describe the role I play. Each word speaks to a different aspect of the role. “Bishop” carries the idea of overseeing. “Elder” carries the idea of leading with wisdom. “Pastor” carries the idea of shepherding the sheep. In 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Paul gives a God-inspired list of the qualifications of a pastor. Interestingly, in verse 6, he says that a pastor shouldn’t be a “novice.” It’s a real shame when a young Christian is rushed into the ministry. He hasn’t had the necessary time to get his roots sunk deep. He hasn’t been able to sit under enough teaching. He doesn’t have adequate experience where the rubber of Christianity meets the road of life. For this reason, young preachers oftentimes flame out like shooting stars. Most of that kind of thing could be avoided if each potential preacher was made to work through the careful process of abounding more and more in service to Christ.

I’m not saying that the end of every Christian’s road of service will be the ministry. It won’t be. I’m saying, Christian, that your life should show progression in service. If you aren’t currently doing any more for Christ than you did last year, you are wasting valuable time. You need to get off dead-center and take another step in service to Him. There is another level, one just above you, that you need to reach. Once you’ve been at that one for a while, then you’ll be ready for another one. You’ve got to keep moving up.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson was one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He had incredible natural talent, but he also had a strong work ethic. Each off season he would diligently work to add another dimension to his game. One off season he worked on his free-throw shooting and became an excellent free-throw shooter. Another off season he worked on his long-range shooting and became an excellent long-range shooter. He was never satisfied with where he was as a player. He was always working to get better.

Well, Christian, what Magic Johnson did as a basketball player, you should do as a servant of Christ. When you get your church attendance to where it needs to be, start working on your prayer life. When you get that in order, go to work on your Bible study. Once you get a good handle on that, hone in on specific acts of Christian service. Once those have become part of your routine, start working on your evangelism. Then work on your giving. Then work on your personal holiness. As I said earlier, on and on it goes.

God will take you as you are but He won’t leave you there. In our 1 Thessalonians 4:1 verse, Paul doesn’t talk about “how you ought to stand and to please God”; he talks about “how you ought to walk and to please God.” There is a big difference between standing and walking. Walking implies movement and progression. It goes right along with “abounding more and more.”  Take a look at where you are in service to Christ right now and dedicate yourself to doing more for Him.

May 7, 2009 Posted by russellmckinney | Church attendance, Discipleship, Doing Good | , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Get To Work

Throughout the Bible, we find verses that can be broken down into two parts: your part and God’s part. Here are a few examples:

-Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself also in the Lord, (your part) and He shall give you the desires of your heart. (His part)

-Proverbs 3:6: “In all your ways acknowledge Him (your part), and He shall direct your paths.” (His part)

-Matthew 6:4: “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; (your part) and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (His part)

-Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, (your part) and all these things shall be added to you.” (His part)

-Matthew 11:28: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, (your part) and I will give you rest.” (His part)

-Mark 1:17: “Follow Me, (your part) and I will make you become fishers of men.” (His part)

-Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, (your part) I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (His part)

What you need to understand is that God won’t do your part and you can’t do His part. This isn’t God imposing His will on you any more than it is you imposing your will upon Him. It is a pair working in tandem.

Earlier I cited Christ’s words from Matthew 11:28: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Now let me mention what He says in the very next verse: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). For years I missed the meaning of these words simply because I didn’t know what a “yoke” is.

Webster’s defines “yoke” as: “a wooden bar or frame by which two draft animals (as oxen) are joined at the heads or necks for working together.” To picture a yoke in your mind, envision a wooden board that is laid over the necks of two animals that are standing side by side. The board has a slight arc in each place where the necks rest. Underneath each side of the board hangs a u-shaped harnessing device that buckles the board under each animal’s neck.

It would be blasphemous for me to describe Jesus as an ox. It would also be blasphemous for me to place myself right alongside Him in anything. But it’s a different story when He does these things. And that is exactly what He does in this verse. He says to me, “I have taken my place here on one side of the yoke. The board rests upon my shoulders. The harness is tightened underneath my neck. I’m ready to work. Now I want you to take your place alongside me in the yoke. Let the other side of the board rest upon your shoulders and let the other harnessing device hang tight under your neck.” Get the picture?

And, in Christ’s illustration, who is the farmer who owns the yoke and is ready to work the team of animals? He is God the Father. Remember that Jesus said, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me” (John 9:4). You see, Jesus wants me to work with Him to get the work of God the Father done. Since Jesus is all-powerful, He could do the work by Himself. But He desires that I work with Him.

Now think about that. For Jesus to want to work right alongside me day after day, night after night, He must enjoy my company. He must enjoy having a relationship with me and spending time with me. You see, it’s an honor for Jesus to ask a person to work beside Him! It means that He has saved a place for that person inside the yoke. There He is, shoulders stooped, with the yoke resting upon Him. He turns His head inside the harness, looks at the person, gives a little grin, and says, “Get in here, we’ve got work to do.” 

You say, “But I’m not sure I like the sounds of that. I’m kind of lazy. I’m afraid that the work Jesus has in mind for me would wear me out.” Don’t worry. That’s not how it plays out. Notice that Jesus ends the verse with the words, “and you will find rest for your souls.” Then, He follows that up by saying, “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

I realize this doesn’t make sense. A yoke shouldn’t be easy, and the burden of being in one shouldn’t be light. Keep in mind, though, that we are talking about Jesus. He can make possible that which seems impossible. Just as He never tires of doing God the Father’s work, you won’t tire of it when you work with Him. To the contrary, you will find yourself rested.

Oh, and by the way, you don’t have to be super qualified before you can get in the yoke with Jesus. I’ve heard that farmers will put an inexperienced animal in yoke with an experienced one. They do this so the experienced animal can teach the inexperienced one how to do the work. By mimicking what the experienced animal does inside the yoke, the inexperienced one learns. This is what Jesus meant when He said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me.” He’s saying, “You don’t know how to do God the Father’s work, but I do. All you have to do is follow my lead and do as I do. In that way you will learn.” 

Tell me, how much of God the Father’s work are you getting done these days? If it isn’t much, you aren’t living the life Jesus wants you to live. Even if you are getting some of the work done, but it is tiring you out, something is wrong there too. The answer to both problems is simple: Get in yoke with Jesus. That will result in not only God the Father’s work getting done in your life, but also in you enjoying a rest for your soul. Each of these things is good. So what are you waiting for? Take your place alongside Jesus in God the Father’s yoke and get to work.

April 24, 2009 Posted by russellmckinney | Commitment, Discipleship, God's Work | , , | No Comments Yet

Reunions

When I was elected president of my 1984 high school senior class, I thought it was a real honor. What I didn’t realize was that the title carried with it the lifetime task of organizing a class reunion every so often. I had a nice ten-year cycle going (a ten-year reunion and a twenty-year reunion) until this year. That’s when some in my class started calling for a twenty-five year reunion. As soon as the talk started, I knew I was in trouble. Have you ever just known that something was inevitable? That was how I felt about the reunion. There was a sinking feeling in my gut that told me these people weren’t going to let this go.That’s why I didn’t put up much of a fight to stay on the ten-year cycle. 

We are now well into the process of organizing the reunion, and I’ve noticed something interesting. Some of my classmates who didn’t excel at all in high school have gone on to live accomplished, productive, in some cases even prolific, lives. They’ve got solid marriages, great kids, good-paying jobs, and beautiful homes. In short, it’s obvious that these people didn’t just get older, they got better.     

Spiritually speaking, I wish this same thing could be said of every Christian. The ranks of Christianity are filled with far too many people who believed in Christ as Savior when they were young, went all out for Him for a while, but then burned out somewhere along the way.They used to faithfully attend church, but now they stay home. They used to study the Bible, but now they watch more television. They used to pray fervent prayers, but now they only talk to other people. They used to witness, but now they keep their mouths shut. They’re not becoming better Christians, just older ones. When someone asks them about their walk with Christ, they start off their answer with something like, “Oh, there was a time when I…” They speak in the past tense. They major on things they did for Christ years ago. They have so precious little to report concerning their present walk. It’s all very sad.

I wonder, what reunion are you up to with Christ? Has it been five years since your salvation experience? Has it been seven, ten, sixteen, twenty, or twenty-five? Has it been more? Well, whatever reunion you are on, does it find you better than your last reunion? Are you growing? Are you learning? Are you maturing? Are you a deeper Christian this year than you were last year? If not, you need to take a hard look in the mirror and figure out what happened. Don’t be like the old artist who stood staring at a painting he had done when he was young. A friend said to him, “With all the experience you’ve gained over the years, I suppose that you now feel a degree of shame over this piece.” The artist replied, “Yes, I do feel shame, but it is the shame of having never fulfilled the promise I once showed.”  

Christian, I don’t know what promise you once showed in your walk with Christ. Neither do I know where you are in that walk right now. But what I do know is that reunions keep rolling around and each one brings with it a fresh chance to show improvement. If you didn’t impress at your spiritual two-year reunion, you can start doing the things necessary to dazzle at your three-year. If you’ve already bombed out on your thirteenth, you can change your ways and set your sights on your fourteenth. You get the idea. There is still time to improve. There is still time to better yourself. Get to work at becoming more like Christ. Discipleship is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. And there is still time for you to join in the race.

March 6, 2009 Posted by russellmckinney | Discipleship, Personal | , , , , , , | No Comments Yet

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