Has God Told You Something Lately?

Posted on July 31, 2026 by russellmckinney

Jesus remained completely silent when He stood before Herod Antipas for questioning (Luke 23:6-12). Nothing Antipas said or asked evoked a verbal response from Jesus. What made Christ’s behavior in this instance so strange was the fact that He didn’t give this same silent treatment to Annas (the former High Priest), Caiphas (the High Priest at the time), or Pontius Pilate (the Roman ruler over Judea).

The Bible doesn’t tell us why Jesus turned stone-cold silent toward Antipas. It’s possible, though, that it had something to do with how Antipas had treated John the Baptist. John had preached God’s message to Antipas about the sin Antipas had committed in taking Herodias, the wife of Antipas’ brother Phillip, to be his own wife (Matthew 14:1-4; Mark 6:14-18). Antipas had heard that message and responded badly to it by first having John arrested and imprisoned and then later having him executed (Matthew 14:5-12; Mark 6:18-29).

It is always a serious thing when God gets a message delivered to you personally. That delivery might come by way of you reading a passage in the Bible, hearing a sermon, or reading a blog post. Truth be told, God has any number of ways of getting His message to you. But however and through whomever God’s message gets delivered to you, the important thing is how you respond to the message.

If you respond correctly by heeding the message and making any required changes in your life, that sets you on a good path. Conversely, if you respond incorrectly by failing to heed the message and refusing to make the necessary changes, that sets you on a bad path. Think of it this way: God’s message to you will always bring you to a life-altering intersection. Whether that altering is to your benefit or detriment depends upon what you do with the message.

The Bible’s most extreme example of this spiritual truth involves all the people who hear the gospel before the Rapture occurs but do not act upon the message by believing in Jesus as Savior. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 refers to the coming Antichrist as “the lawless one” and says of the damage he will do in the seven-year tribulation that follows the Rapture:

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (N.K.J.V.)

Don’t just blow past that passage’s last sentence. It says that God Himself will send these people strong delusion to ensure that they will believe the lie that is the Antichrist. It’s as if God will say, “Okay, since that’s the path you’ve chosen, I’ll make sure you don’t get a chance to change paths. If you want the Antichrist instead of Jesus Christ, you’ll get him. I’ll see to that.”

Similar language is found in Romans 1:18-32, a passage that describes people who rejected the truth about God and instead embraced idolatry. As verse 25 puts it these people “exchanged the truth of God for the lie” (N.K.J.V.). In keeping with that idea, the passage then makes a point of saying in three separate instances that God gave these people up (over) to their sins (verses 24, 26, and 28). In giving them up (over) to their sins, God basically said, “If that’s the path you want, have at it. It’s all yours.”

Admittedly, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 and Romans 1:18-32 refer to lost people rather than Christians. Nevertheless, this shouldn’t be taken to mean that the Christian can reject God’s personal message to him or her and get off scot-free. And so, I’ll ask you right now, “Has God told you something lately?” Well, if He has how did you respond to the message? Did you heed it and make the necessary changes? Or did you reject it and stay your course? If the latter describes you then consider this post as God’s way of warning you yet again to heed His message. And consider yourself downright fortunate that He’s not already sealed you in your chosen path.

Posted in Backsliding, Belief, Choices, Commitment, Conviction, Decisions, Disobedience, God's Wrath, God's Guidance, God's Judgment, God's Will, God's Word, Idolatry, Obedience, Prophecy, Rebellion, Repentance, Salvation, Sin, The Bible, The Gospel, Truth | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

What Would Jesus Do?

Posted on July 29, 2026 by russellmckinney

“What Would Jesus Do?” has become a popular catchphrase in Christian circles. The acronym WWJD can be found on bracelets, t-shirts, coffee mugs, etc. in Christian bookstores everywhere. Few Christians today, however, know the origin of WWJD.

Rev. Charles Sheldon was a Congregationalist minister in Topeka, Kansas, in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He was also a leader in what was known as the Social Gospel movement. That movement attempted to apply Christian ethics to social problems such as poverty, economic inequality, crime, racism, child labor, poor schools, and the threat of global war.

In 1886, Sheldon preached a series of Sunday-night sermons in which the sermons were centered around fictional characters who experienced various moral dilemmas. One week Sheldon would introduce a character, describe the moral dilemma the character faced, and close the sermon by asking, “What would Jesus do?” The following week he would then provide what he believed to be the scriptural answer to the question.

These sermons were very well attended and received, and Sheldon later used the material as the basis for a serial in the Chicago Advance, a weekly religious paper. This led to him compiling the material into a book called In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do? The Chicago Advance printed the book in a ten-cent paperback edition that sold 100,000 copies in just a few weeks.

Unfortunately for Sheldon’s bank account, the folks at the Chicago Advance bungled the job of copywriting the material. That mistake caused the material to become labeled as “public domain.” This labeling meant that no one had legal rights to the material, a classification that allowed publishers around the world to print and sell the book without paying royalty fees to Sheldon.

In an odd twist, though, the Advance’s mistake caused Sheldon’s book to be published by more publishers than usual and sold at a cheaper price than usual. This produced immensely larger sales for the book. As of today, In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do? is one of the best-selling books of all time, having sold approximately 50 million copies worldwide. What Sheldon lost in royalties he certainly made up for in readership and influence.

But now let’s get to the purpose for this post. Is asking the question, “What would Jesus do?” a good way for Christians to address the multitude of problems, choices, and moral dilemmas that life throws at us? My answer is that is, “Generally speaking, it is.” However, my answer does come with a couple of very important qualifiers.

Qualifier #1: Jesus sometimes did things we just can’t do. When Jesus was confronted with Lazarus’ death and the intense mourning the sisters Mary and Martha were experiencing because of that death, He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44). That’s not something that I can do. Therefore, I must come up with another approach for funerals and times of mourning.

When Jesus was criticized for not paying the tax that went to support the Jewish temple, he instructed Peter to go fishing and catch a fish that would have a coin in its mouth (Matthew 17:24-27). I wouldn’t advise you to try that the next time you have a financial need. I’ve caught quite a few fish in my life but none of them came with any money.

When Jesus was confronted by a wild man who had a large group of demons living inside him, He cast out those demons and in so doing restored the man’s quality of life (Mark 5:1-20). Here again, that course of action is above my pay grade. If I ever meet a deranged, demon-possessed person, my best move might not be to attempt to perform an exorcism.

When Jesus was faced on two separate occasions with needing to feed massive crowds — 5,000 men (Mark 6:30-44) and 4,000 men (Mark 8:1-9) respectively — He accomplished each task by miraculously multiplying small amounts of food. In the end, there were even plenty of leftovers. Needless to say, this move isn’t part of my repertoire.

Qualifier #2: Jesus wasn’t always consistent in how He handled situations. There were times when Jesus’ actions showed illogical love, mercy, and compassion. Examples would be when He refused to condemn the woman who had been caught committing adultery (John 8:1-11), when He purposely touched a leper (Matthew 8:1-4), and when He invited Himself for a stay at the home of Zacchaeus, the notorious Chief Tax Collector (Luke 19:1-10). These stories, as well as others like them, give us the non-judgmental, tolerant Jesus the world praises.

In the other camp, however, are the times when Jesus flashed righteous indignation and spoke coldly. Examples would be when He looked at the Pharisees with anger because they cared more about their Sabbath rules than about a man with a withered hand (Mark 3:1-6), when He twice overturned the tables in the Temple and ran the money changers out of there (John 2:13-22; Matthew 21:12-13), and when He said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan!” (Matthew 16:21-23). I assure you that the characters on the wrong side of these stories didn’t feel much love, mercy, and compassion coming from Jesus at those particular moments.

Similarly, Jesus said we should love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). Okay, got that. But how much love can be heard when He calls Herod Antipas a “fox” (Luke 13:32) and when He call the scribes and Pharisees “hypocrites” (Matthew 23:13-30), “blind guides” (Matthew 23:16), “serpents” (Matthew 23:33), and a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 23:33)?

Let’s keep going. When Jesus stood before the Roman ruler Pontius Pilate, He engaged in a conversation with Pilate (John 18:28-38). Contrast this with Jesus standing before the Roman ruler Herod Antipas. Despite the fact that Herod Antipas had wanted to meet Jesus for a long time and asked Him many questions, Jesus wouldn’t say one word to him (Luke 23:6-12).

When Jesus first sent the chosen 12 out to preach the gospel, He told them to only preach to Jewish people (Matthew 10:5-6). But later on He instructed His followers to go preach to the whole world (Matthew 28:16-20). Obviously, He had His reasons for giving both sets of instructions. I’m simply pointing out that Jesus gave different instructions for different times.

And here’s one last example. For that first ministry trip, Jesus told the chosen 12 that if a house or a city wouldn’t receive them, they should shake the dust off their feet and move on down the road (Matthew 10:14-15). In other words, each house and city got one shot to receive the message. But in contrast to that Jesus gave His hometown of Nazareth a second chance (Mark 6:1-6) to embrace Him as Messiah after they had rejected Him the first time by trying to kill Him (Luke 4:16-30). Go figure.

Summing up things, I would say that asking the question, “What would Jesus do?” works great to get the discernment process started. After all, Jesus really should be our role model, and the more our lives look like His the better off we will be. As I’ve pointed out, though, the question will always be somewhat limited in that Jesus sometimes did things we just can’t do and even He Himself wasn’t always consistent in how He handled situations.

The fact is that Jesus is a complex Savior, and if you look hard enough in the gospels you can find Him doing just about anything that suits what you want to do. Surely, then, the better question to ask is not, “What would Jesus do?” but, “What does Jesus want me to do in this specific situation?” You see, once you start asking that question in full sincerity, with no slanted bias toward any particular answer, Jesus can provide you with the answer that best suits your situation.

Posted in Choices, Christ's Miracles, Decisions, Discernment, Discipleship, Doing Good, God's Will, God's Work, Influence, Ministry, Scripture, The Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lessons Learned From Wee Bobby

Posted on July 27, 2026 by russellmckinney

Many years ago, in a small village church in southern Scotland, the church leaders were questioning the elderly pastor as to why the church wasn’t growing. To those leaders, a dismissal seemed in order. They said to the pastor, “No one has come to Christ through your ministry in the past year.” The pastor, trying to keep his position, said, “Yea, it has been a lean year, but what about wee Bobby?”

The “wee Bobby” of which the pastor spoke was a small boy, around four years old, who had knelt in the church altar and committed himself to Jesus. But the church leaders had been unimpressed by the child’s supposed decision. They believed that a child that young couldn’t possibly understand enough about salvation to legitimately become a Christian.

What they missed was the fact that even though the boy was from a poor family, it was a family of devout Christians. The mother, for example, often read the stories of famous missionaries to the children. Those stories had stirred little Bobby’s soul for Jesus.

Sometime not too long after Bobby’s conversion his village church conducted a missions meeting. As part of the service a missions offering was collected. When one of the ushers passed by young Bobby, the boy touched the man on the sleeve and whispered, “Please put the offering basket down on the floor.” The usher was shocked by the request, but he obliged the child if for no other reason than to see what the boy had in mind. You can imagine the man’s surprise when Bobby — in bare feet no less — stepped himself into the plate. When the usher asked why the child had done this the boy replied, “I have no money to give to God, but I give Him myself.”

Okay, so whatever became of wee Bobby? Did he ever amount to anything for Jesus? You bet. He grew up to be Robert Moffat, the great missionary who spent more than 50 years ministering in South Africa, becoming nothing less than a missionary legend in the process. Moffat’s life and ministry bear ample evidence of the fact that he meant business when he knelt in that altar as a child and later stepped into that offering basket.

I find at least three teaching points in the story of Robert Moffat, and I offer them as the close to this short post. Consider each one carefully and ask yourself, “How does God want me to apply this to my life?” They are as follows:

  1. We should never seek to dissuade a small child from pursuing spiritual matters. The whole idea of “Wait until you are older” is a lie from the devil. If God the Holy Spirit is working on a child, who are we to throw water onto that spark?
  2. God isn’t limited by the size of a congregation when He wants to do something special. It’s not that He’s against crowds, but He doesn’t require them. Even in crowds, salvation experiences must always come down to individual decisions.
  3. What Jesus really wants is ALL of you. Figuratively speaking, He wants you to step into that offering basket. Why? It’s because He knows that if you ever make the decision to give Him ALL of you like that, that one decision will take care of a lifetime’s worth of “little” decisions that He wants you to make concerning Him.
Posted in Children, Church, Commitment, Decisions, Evangelism, Giving, God's Work, Ministry, Missions, Parenting, Pastors, Preaching, Sacrifice, Salvation, Service, Submission, The Gospel, The Holy Spirit, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Desires of Your Heart

Posted on July 24, 2026 by russellmckinney

Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4, N.K.J.V.)

One interpretation of this verse contends that we shouldn’t take David’s words so simply and so literally. According to this interpretation David isn’t saying God rewards His choice servants by granting them what they ask for in prayer. Instead, he is saying that God implants within — gives — His choice servants inner desires to do the things He wants them to do. Think of it as God hardwiring dedicated believers to want the things He Himself wants for them.

Those who hold to this interpretation cite Philippians 2:13, a New Testament passage, as further evidence of the thought. That verse says:

for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (N.K.J.V.)

While I won’t dispute that God working in individuals to will His good pleasure does mean that He implants desires within them to do things He wants them to do, I really don’t think this is the meaning of Psalm 37:4. I say that because this verse isn’t the only place in the Psalms where David mentions this idea, and the best commentary on any passage written by David is a similar passage written by David. So, with that in mind here are two other passages from him (both from the N.K.J.V.):

You have given him his heart’s desire, And have not withheld the request of his lips. (Psalm 21:2)

He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. (Psalm 145:19)

You’ll notice that both of these references talk about the person’s desire (“his heart’s desire” “the desire”). In this way they remind us of the Psalm 37:4 term “the desires of your heart.” It is noteworthy, then, that each of the two parallel verses clearly links up the person’s desire with answered prayer (“the request of his lips” “their cry”). Obviously, David believed that when a believer delights himself in the Lord, God sees to it that the believer’s requests get answered, “Yes.” Therefore, while I understand the other interpretation and even agree with its premise in light of Philippians 2:13, it doesn’t seem to be the correct interpretation of Psalm 37:4.

Furthermore, if we need a New Testament verse to back up the simpler interpretation, Matthew 6:33 fits the bill pretty well. There Jesus says:

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (N.K.J.V.)

You see, seeking first the kingdom of God equates to delighting yourself in the Lord. And, likewise, God giving you “things” — and in the context of Matthew chapter 6 Jesus is referring to food, drink, and clothing — equates to Him giving you the desires of your heart. In both passages the “things” (“the desires of your heart”) get granted as the result of your worthy walk with the Lord.

Another passage that plugs in nicely here is John 15:7, where Jesus says:

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (N.K.J.V.)

Here again we see the cause-and-effect relationship. If the individual abides in Christ, and if Christ’s words abide in the individual, the rewards for that dedication come by way of granted desires (requests). What else can “…you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” mean?

Of course, it should be noted that any individual who truly delights himself in the Lord will not want anything that isn’t God’s will for his life. Even if the person requests such a thing by mistake or ignorance any and all requests will carry underneath them the requester’s permission for God to say, “No, that’s not My will for you.” This attitude is just standard operating procedure for the person who delights himself in the the Lord, seeks the kingdom of God first, abides in Christ, and has Christ’s words abiding in him.

Nevertheless, with this understanding in place, if you are such a person you have every scriptural right to expect God to give you the desires of your heart, add “things” to you, and grant your requests. That’s why, if you are properly qualified, you’re crazy not to ask! It just could be that God is just waiting on you to officially put in your request.

Posted in Commitment, Desires, Discipleship, Faithfulness, God's Love, God's Provision, God's Will, Grace, Needs, Obedience, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Problems, Reward, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Only Real Fix

Posted on July 22, 2026 by russellmckinney

Evangelist D.L. Moody once told the story of a man who bought a farm that had a well as its water source. The well water was accessed by way of a pump handle that was situated atop a platform. The man had barely moved into his new home, however, when some neighbors dropped by with a serious word of warning. According to them, the well’s water had somehow become contaminated and was now poisonous. How poisonous? It had caused the deaths of the entire family — a father, mother, and group of children — who had previously owned the farm.

The new owner thanked the neighbors kindly for their word of warning and set about to remedy the well’s problem. He started by tearing up the wood from the platform which housed the pump handle and replacing it with new lumber. Then he replaced the old pump handle with a new one. Finally, he painted the platform and pump handle with bright, contrasting colors that gave the whole rig a flashy new look. In his mind, the job was now done.

It’s easy to spot the flaw in the guy’s logic, isn’t it? In all of his redoing and renovating he never addressed the true source of the well’s contamination. That source rested somewhere much, much deeper than anything that could be seen topside. All the man had done was clean up surface issues.

Moody’s illustration is a classic example of how an individual can take the wrong approach in attempting to affect positive change in his or her life. The person will clean up surface stuff and never get at the real problem, the poisonous spring that lies deep inside them. The Bible describes this poisonous spring as being the inborn nature of sin that our race’s father, Adam, has biologically passed down to each of his descendants. Scripture calls this nature of sin “the old man” (Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22-24). Theologians call it “the Adamic nature,” “original sin,” “inherited sin,” or “depravity.”

How poisonous is this nature of sin? Consider the following passages:

  • It causes each of us to be nothing less than conceived in sin. (Psalm 51:5)
  • It causes each of us to be born alienated from the life of God. (Ephesians 4:18)
  • It causes each of us to be born under God’s wrath. (Ephesians 2:3)
  • It causes each of us to be born under condemnation. (John 3:18)
  • It causes each of us to be born as a slave of sin. (Romans 6:6)
  • It causes each of us to be born dead in trespasses and sins (physically alive but spiritually dead). (Ephesians 2:1)
  • It causes each of us to have a carnal mind that is naturally hostile toward God. (Romans 8:7)
  • It causes each of us to have sinful passions. (Romans 7:5)
  • It causes each of us to commit various kinds of sinful deeds. (Galatians 5:19-21)
  • It causes each of us to live under sin’s dominion. (Romans 6:14)
  • It prevents each of us from living a life, apart from God’s help, that is pleasing to Him. (Romans 8:8)
  • It necessitates that each of us will one day die physically. (Romans 5:12)
  • It mandates that at the moment of physical death each of us will, in soul, go to that place the Bible calls “hell.” (Luke 16:22-23)

In regards to how the Adamic nature expresses itself in different categories, Romans chapter 8 names three categories. First, the spiritual expression of the nature is referred to as “the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). Second, the mental expression of it is referred to as “the carnal mind” (Romans 8:7). Third, the physical expression of it is referred to as “the flesh” (Romans 8:8).

It is because of all this that any individual’s efforts to clean up himself or herself spiritually or morally are inefficient if they do not fix the root source of the problem, which is the inborn nature of sin. And how can this root source be fixed? There is only one way. The individual must place saving belief in Jesus Christ and thereby become spiritually reborn (John 3:1-21).

The cause of this spiritual rebirth is God the Holy Spirit coming to take up residence inside the believer. This indwelling takes places the moment the person places saving belief in Jesus. It is the indwelling Holy Spirit who brings to the believer the nature of Christ. Scripture refers to this as the believer experiencing “regeneration” by the Holy Spirit (Titus 2:5) and becoming a partaker of “the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:2-4), Furthermore, this experience provides the following benefits to the believer:

  • It brings the believer to life spiritually. (Ephesians 2:4-7)
  • It makes the believer a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
  • It grants the believer a new self. (Colossians 3:10)
  • It renews the believer’s mind. (Romans 12:2)
  • It allows the believer to be freed from enslavement to sin. (Romans 6:6)
  • It transfers the believer from “the law of sin and death” to “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:2)
  • It allows the believer the option of walking in the Spirit as opposed to walking in the flesh. (Galatians 5:16-25)
  • It enables the believer to bear the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)
  • It causes the believer’s “inner man” to be renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16)
  • It makes the believer one who overcomes the world. (1 John 5:4)
  • It guarantees that at the moment of physical death the believer will, in soul, go to that place the Bible calls “heaven.” (2 Corinthians 5:1-8)

You see, the only real fix is Jesus. He is how you decontaminate the poisonous waters of your inner, Adamic well and make those waters pure. He is how you become spiritually and morally clean from the inside out as opposed to trying to do it from the outside in. He is how you change death to life inside you where the battle is really won or lost. So, do you know Him as your personal Savior? If you don’t, all of your efforts at making yourself a better person are just you doing cosmetic work to your pump.

Posted in Addiction, Adultery, Alcohol, Anger, Change, Death, Depravity, Desires, Eternity, Gambling, Gluttony, God's Wrath, Greed, Heaven, Hell, Homosexuality, Hypocrisy, Joy, Lying, Personal Holiness, Pride, Racism, Rebellion, Reconciliation, Repentance, Restoration, Revenge, Salvation, Sin, The Heart, The Holy Spirit | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Plowing of the Wicked Is Sin

Posted on July 20, 2026 by russellmckinney

A haughty look, a proud heart, And the plowing of the wicked are sin. (Proverbs 21:4, N.K.J.V.)

It’s easy to understand why God classifies a haughty (conceited) look as sin. It’s equally easy to understand why He classifies a proud (arrogant) heart the same way. For that matter, these two sins walk hand in hand because the outer haughty look arises from the inner proud heart. But what’s this business about God classifying the plowing of the wicked as sin? How can the time-honored (even Bible-honored) act of plowing ever be sin? Well, let’s talk about that.

The key to understanding the classification is to understand who is doing the plowing. It’s not the righteous. It’s not the godly. It’s not the spiritual. It’s the wicked.

The Hebrew word translated as “wicked” is rasa and it is used in well over 200 places in the Old Testament. According to Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, the narrowest meaning of the word deals with the legal system. The “wicked” are law breakers, people who despise the law and praise those who ignore it. Vine’s also notes, however, that in the more general usage the word refers to people “who have done wrong, are still living in sin, and are intent on continuing with wrongdoing.”

Now we’re getting at the crux of the matter. The person doing the plowing in our text verse is a thoroughly unrepentant sinner who, even if he isn’t a professing atheist, doesn’t fear God, has no interest in doing God’s will, doesn’t serve God, and has no intention of ever operating any differently. This person is so self-centered, egotistical, and full of himself that the idea of submitting to God is nothing less than a foreign concept. That’s why our verse links up the person’s plowing with a haughty look and a proud heart.

Hebrew scholars tell us that rasa (“wicked”) is very similar to the Hebrew word for “lamp.” For this reason, some translations incorporate this idea into their translation of Proverbs 21:4. Here are some examples:

Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.” (Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version)

Haughty eyes and a proud heart, The lamp of the wicked, is sin.” (New American Standard Version)

The lamp that guides the wicked — haughty eyes and an arrogant heart — is sin.” (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

You see, what we might call the “inner light” of the wicked is marked by haughtiness, pride, conceit, arrogance, and ego. This is the engine that propels them through each and every act each and every day. God doesn’t get to factor into their planning or sign off on what they are doing. Even if the person isn’t a literal atheist, he is a functioning one.

John Phillips, in his Exploring Proverbs commentary, describes this type of person as follows:

A wicked person has no thought of God. He plows and plants as if he himself can make the rain fall, cause the sun to shine, and produce the miracle of germination and growth. That is the height of presumption, the ultimate abuse of God’s mercy. God causes the sun to shine on the good and bad alike, but He writes the word sin over the lifestyle of a person who lives as though He does not exist. Such a person is ignorant of the fact that God looks upon all that he does — even his ordinary routines and mundane activities, such as plowing his field — as sin.

In case you think this is taking the interpretation too far, let me point out that there are some parallel passages that offer this same teaching. For example, Proverbs 15:8 and 21:27 both say the sacrifice (a religious act) of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. Similarly, Proverbs 15:26 says the thoughts (including thoughts that wouldn’t normally be considered evil or impure) of the wicked are an abomination.

This is extreme language. God is telling us there is a certain type of person who can’t do anything that God doesn’t label “sin” because everything about the person is anti-God. Conceited motivations rise from deep inside the person and become outward, arrogant actions. Really, such a person is his own god and operates as such with each breath he takes. Therefore, even when this person is plowing, bringing a sacrifice, or just sitting around thinking, it’s all sin in the eyes of God.

Conversely, the antithesis of such a person is the Christian who is 100% submitted to God in every nook and cranny of life. This is the person who seeks God’s will in everything from buying a candy bar to changing churches. Even more than seek God’s will he submits to that will, whatever it is. He seeks God’s will and submits to it about: when to plow, when to mow the yard, when to wash the car, when and where to go on vacation, what shirt to buy, who to marry, where to live, where to work, where to send his kids to school, what Christmas gifts to purchase, how much money to put in an offering plate, what cable or satellite provider to use, what internet provider to use, etc., etc., etc.

The point is that God dominates this person’s every motivation, intention, thought, and action. Like a little child who won’t dare take a step without daddy firmly holding his hand, this person won’t dare do anything if it means letting go of God’s hand. These are the Christians God is looking for as His eyes scan the earth. These are the ones He can use to accomplish His most impacting works. These are the ones He can reward with His highest levels of heavenly treasure. Tell me, are you such a Christian? Am I? It’s definitely a high calling, but it’s one that we can live if we want it badly enough.

Posted in Atheism, Brokenness, Commitment, Decisions, Discipleship, Doing Good, Dying To Self, Faithfulness, God's Will, God's Work, Influence, Obedience, Rebellion, Reward, Righteousness, Sacrifice, Sanctification, Service, Sin, Submission, Trusting In God, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Your Prayers Don’t Have to Be Perfect

Posted on July 17, 2026 by russellmckinney

Acts 12:1-19 records the story of Peter’s prison break. The story begins with Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great, having Peter arrested and incarcerated in a Roman prison in Jerusalem. Herod is riding high because he has recently had another apostle, James, executed. That move has pleased the spiritually lost Jewish religious leaders immensely and Herod knows that Peter’s execution will please them even more. And so, Peter sits in prison awaiting his death. The only thing keeping him alive is the fact that it’s the week-long Jewish feast time known as The Feast of Unleavened Bread. Once that week is finished, so is Peter.

All Peter has going for him is a group of prayer warriors who have been praying constantly for him all week. But now it is the night before his execution and all those prayers have seemingly accomplished nothing. Still, though, the prayer warriors keep praying. In particular there is a certain group who have met for an all-night prayer session in the home of Mary, the mother of the Mark who will one day write the gospel of Mark. Mary’s house is not far from where Peter is imprisoned.

So, Peter is fast asleep that night. I’d love to say that his sleep stemmed from a confidence that God was going to show up and show off for him by somehow getting him miraculously spared. The events of the story, however, might indicate otherwise. Then again maybe Peter was remembering a promise that Jesus had once made to him, a promise that Peter would live to an old age (John 21:18). Perhaps it’s best to say that Peter could sleep so soundly that night because he knew that he was going to be alright either way. Either God was going to rescue him or he was going to be granted the honor of being killed for the cause of His Savior just as his friends Stephen (Acts 7:54-60) and James (Acts 12:1-2) had been.

Peter is bound with two chains as he lies there asleep between two Roman soldiers. Other guards are stationed at the prison door. But then what happens? A light appears in the prison and suddenly there’s an angel standing beside the sleeping Peter. The angel strikes Peter in the side to wake him up and says, “Quick, get up.” After causing Peter’s chains to fall off his wrists the angel says, “Put on your clothes and sandals, wrap your cloak around you, and follow me.” Peter then follows the angel stealthy through all those guards right out of that prison. When they come to the iron gates that serve as the entrance into Jerusalem the angel even causes those gates to open by themselves.

You might be asking, “Why didn’t those guards stop them?” Well, the story reads as if those guards went into some kind of trance or something that caused them to either not notice the angel and Peter or not care. Even Peter himself wasn’t sure what was happening. He thought he was having a vision similar to one he had experienced in previous days (Acts 10:9-16).

However it happened Peter is now free from prison. The angel accompanies him down one street and then vanishes as suddenly as he had appeared. It’s then that the fog begins to lift from Peter’s mind and he understands what has happened. Next, he makes his way to the house where that group of prayer warriors is praying for him. He knocks on the door of the outer entrance and a servant girl named Rhoda comes to the door. She asks, “Who’s there?” and becomes overjoyed when the reply comes back, “It’s Peter.” As a matter of fact, she becomes so overjoyed that she gets in such a hurry to report the news to those in the house that she forgets to open the door for Peter.

Here now is where we come to my reason for this post. When Rhoda informs all those people that Peter is standing at the door their unified response to her is, “You’re out of your mind.” To her credit, though, Rhoda sticks to her story. This causes those prayer warriors to change their assessment of the situation and theorize that it must be Peter’s guardian angel at the door.

“You’re out of your mind.” “It must be his angel.” Those comebacks don’t exactly ring of perfect faith in prayer, do they? As much as those folks had been praying all week for God to deliver Peter we would expect them to respond to Rhoda’s report by saying, “Praise God! We knew He’d hear our prayers and grant our request.” But that’s not what they said. It wasn’t until they had gone to the door to verify Rhoda’s report and let Peter in the house that they fully believed that God had delivered him. Even then they were astonished at what God had done.

What I take from all this is that our prayers don’t have to be perfect to get God to respond. Our phrasing doesn’t have to be intricately precise. We don’t have to be in a specific place or position. Our faith doesn’t even have to be 100% ideal. After all, didn’t Jesus say that faith as small as a mustard seed (Luke 17:6) can get the job done? One father of a demon-possessed boy even admitted that even though he had some belief that Jesus would cure his son he needed Jesus to help him with his unbelief (Mark 9:24). But did Jesus cure that son? Yep.

I’ll illustrate this by describing the relationship I have with my two sons. When Ryan or Royce come to me with a request my response to that request won’t be based upon how they word the request or where they are when they relay it to me. My response will be based upon whether or not the request fits in with my will for the situation. You see, in regards to that story from Acts chapter 12 it was God’s will to spare Peter’s life in that particular situation. As for James, though, it obviously wasn’t God’s will to spare his life. That’s why all the praying in the world didn’t prevent Herod from executing him.

What I’m trying to do here is get you to correctly understand the nature of prayer. There’s no doubt that you having more faith/belief will help you pray better, more effective prayers. Passages such as Matthew 21:22, Hebrews 11:6, and James 1:5-8 prove that. Also, there’s no doubt that you can pray more intimately when you are alone as opposed to standing on a street corner or in the midst of a crowd (Matthew 6:6, 14:23). But you shouldn’t obsess over every minute detail about your praying as if checking off the boxes of all those details will be the difference between God granting your request or not granting it. God doesn’t want your prayer life to be that complicated or burdensome.

First and foremost, He wants you to be genuine, honest, sincere, and real. He wants your prayers to be conversations you have with Him in which you: thank Him for His blessings, honor His greatness, confess your sins, dedicate yourself to repenting of those sins, pour out your heart to Him, tell Him what’s on your mind, share your anger, express your frustrations, admit your fears, make your requests, and die to His will regarding those requests. Trust me, if you build all those things into your prayer life I promise you that God won’t turn a deaf ear simply because you don’t word everything the way a world-class writer would or don’t have a faith that is bulletproof. Those folks in that house in Jerusalem that night were just regular Christians who were not that much different than you and I. They were imperfect people praying imperfect prayers. And yet those prayers worked, didn’t they? So, take heart in this, Christian, and keep praying!

Posted in Adversity, Angels, Belief, Comfort, Confession, Discipleship, Doubt, Dying To Self, Encouragement, Faith, Fatherhood, Fear, God's Love, God's Provision, God's Will, God's Work, Grace, Honesty, Influence, Needs, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Problems, Repentance, Submission, Thankfulness, Trials, Trusting In God, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Bubba Smith Learned Too Late

Posted on July 15, 2026 by russellmckinney

Bubba Smith was an All-American football player at Michigan State. He is one of only three players from that program to have his jersey number retired. Following his collegiate career, he was the #1 overall pick of the 1967 NFL draft. He played for three NFL teams (the Colts, the Raiders, and the Oilers) during his successful nine-year career, winning a Super Bowl title with the Colts in 1970.

When his NFL days were finished Smith eased into acting and landed several minor roles in television shows and movies. For example, if you remember the campy Police Academy movies from the 1980s his 6’7 height made him a natural to play Officer Moses Hightower. Actually, though, Smith became well known as an actor because of a couple of Miller Lite beer commercials in which he played himself. Those commercials rank among the most successful ads ever.

In the early 1970s, lite beer was a fledgling product trying to find its foothold in the marketplace. The executives at Miller Lite had what they believed could be a sellable item but they needed to make an advertising splash to get the product launched. That would require commercials that resonated with the public.

Their advertising company’s solution was to employ famous sports figures to hawk the product, and Bubba Smith became one of those guys. At the close of his best-known commercial, he ripped the top completely off a Miller Lite beer can and said, “I also like the easy-opening cans.” In a follow up commercial, which he did with retired Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus, he ripped the top off a can of tennis balls and asked, “Tennis, anyone?” So, in a matter of only a couple of years, the catchy slogan attached to the Miller Lite commercials — “Tastes great! Less filling!” — became a phenomenon.

Interestingly, the ironic thing about Bubba Smith selling beer was the fact that he didn’t even drink it. To him the commercials were nothing more than harmless ways to make some money, keep his name in the spotlight, and hang out with some of his jock friends. He really didn’t understand the national effect his commercials were having.

That changed, though, on a day when Smith returned to his alma mater of Michigan State to serve as the Grand Marshal of the Homecoming parade. There he was, riding in the backseat of a convertible, waving to throngs of Michigan State fans as the car made its way down the street. People on both sides of the street were yelling at him, but they weren’t yelling, “Go, State, go” or anything of that sort. The fans on one side of the street were yelling, “Tastes great” and the fans on the other side were yelling, “Less filling.”

Things only got worse when Smith arrived at the stadium for the Homecoming game. As he later recalled:

The older folks are yelling, “Kill, Bubba, kill!” (their old chant from Smith’s playing days). But the students are yelling, “Tastes great! Less filling!” Everyone in the stands is drunk. It was like I was contributing to alcohol, and I don’t drink. It made me realize I was doing something I didn’t want to do. I was with my brother, Tody, who is my agent. I told him, “Tody, I’ll never do another Lite beer commercial.”

Unfortunately for Smith his advertising legacy was already sealed. Because of those commercials kids would continue to come up to him on the street and recite the lines, verbatim, from those Miller Lite commercials. The kids remembered the lines better than Smith did. Smith would also go to popular Spring Break locations such as Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale as a paid spokesman for the brewery and be shocked to see just how drunk the college kids would get.

Bubba Smith learned too late that your actions have lasting consequences and the more influence you have the more responsibility you have to use it wisely. In summing up his decision to stop doing beer commercials he said, “As the years wear on, you stop compromising your principles.” Smith died in 2011 at the age of 66. As for the Miller Lite advertising campaign it ran from 1974 to 1991 and is responsible for making lite beer a staple of American life.

Bubba Smith’s story reminds me of Philippians 4:8. That verse says:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. (N.K.J.V.)

True. Noble. Just. Pure. Lovely. Of good report. Virtuous. Praiseworthy. Boy, talk about a list! These are the kinds of matters upon which you should meditate, with which you should get involved, and around which you should build your life. As best you can, keep yourself separate from anything that is false, ignoble, unjust, impure, ugly, disreputable, unethical, and scandalous. The simple takeaway here is that there is a lot that is wholesome and worthy about life. So, why spend your time polluting yourself with stuff that is unprincipled, unwholesome, corrupt, and even downright evil? God has better for you than that.

Posted in Alcohol, Character, Choices, Decisions, Discernment, Discipleship, Doing Good, Dress and Appearance, Drugs, Entertainment, Family, Gambling, God's Will, Holiness, Honesty, Influence, Justice, Personal Holiness, Righteousness, Sanctification, Separation, Sin, Sports, Temptation, Truth | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When God Doesn’t Seem to Care

Posted on July 13, 2026 by russellmckinney

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? (Psalm 13:1-3, N.I.V.)

A pastor was in his study working intently on a sermon when he heard his study door creak open a bit. He was surprised by the intrusion because he’d left strict orders that he wasn’t to be disturbed. Apparently, his young daughter hadn’t received those orders.

As she began to enter the room the father scolded her by saying, “Stop right there. I’m busy and don’t have time to play. Please leave and close the door as you go.” Realizing she was on the brink of being in real trouble the child spun around and hurriedly slammed the door behind her. Unfortunately for her one of her fingers didn’t quite clear the door and got mashed in the process.

Screaming and crying followed which compelled the father to get up from his desk and walk over to the child. Without even glancing at the mashed finger he called for his wife to come and tend to their daughter. The mother came running and escorted the little girl to the bathroom where the medicine cabinet held the needed supplies. As the mother worked on the finger she asked the child, “Does it hurt much?” To that the daughter answered, “Yes, but what made it worse was that daddy didn’t even care.”

It’s bad enough to have to go through a difficult experience, but it’s something else altogether when you feel like God doesn’t even care about your predicament. I can hear this feeling in David’s question, “Will you forget me forever?” Of all the things I love about David’s Psalms my favorite thing is that he doesn’t mind being down-to-the-bone honest when he talks to God. David was feeling abandoned by the Lord and he told God so.

I myself have been there. I’ve had my share of mashed fingers that God seemingly couldn’t have cared less about. Like the little girl who entered the study when she shouldn’t have, I’ve brought some of these mashed fingers upon myself. No question there. Other times, however, my enemies have pulled out hammers and given me mashed fingers I didn’t deserve. David had this kind of situation in mind when asked, “How long will my enemy triumph over me?”

Where David leaves me behind and goes off to some lofty place that I have trouble finding is summed up in the last two verses of the Psalm. There he says to God:

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me. (Psalm 13:5-6, N.I.V.)

Did you catch that? David’s answer to him feeling completely abandoned by God was to trust in God all the more, find his joy in God, and sing of God’s goodness. You talk about a difficult prescription for treatment! Let’s say that someone has broken your heart by severely disappointing you. What should you do about that? David’s prescription amounts to you forcing yourself to continue to show confidence in that person and continue to give that person chance after chance to come through for you.

David’s basis for this irrational course of action was God’s past goodness toward him. As David puts it, “…for he has been good to me.” These words don’t mean that David was forgetting about his present situation. No, he still felt forgotten, abandoned, and even betrayed by God. But what got him through all that and allowed him to keep looking to God was God’s long-term track record with him.

When David looked at the totality of his life, he could see the lengthy list of good things that God had done for him and the favorable position to which God had brought him. Was the “bad” he was currently experiencing real? Absolutely. Was it painful? Definitely. All told, though, David had to admit that the “good” in his life far outweighed the “bad.”

In golf, you can have a few rough holes and yet still have a good overall round. In tennis, you can lose a lot of points and yet still win the match. In football and basketball, you can lose a quarter and yet still win the game. In baseball, you can strike out and yet still have a good day at the plate if you get some hits in your other times at bat. The key in all of these situations is to keep a proper perspective. Don’t let the unpleasant minority moments rob you of the joy provided by the pleasant majority moments.

Of course, this is easier said than done when your finger just got mashed and God seems thoroughly unconcerned about your plight. Therefore, I’m not saying that David’s prescribed treatment is always easy to put into practice. Nevertheless, I can tell you from my own experience that it does help. It really does.

As for why God doesn’t always come rushing to our aid and comfort when we get our fingers mashed, well, that’s another post for another time. Perhaps He is trying to purge us of our childish mentality. Or maybe He is trying to build trust in us. Whatever His reasons are I’m sure He has them and we’ll just have to leave them with Him.

What we can say for sure is that God does LOVE us. Jesus (God the Son) dying on the cross so that anyone who believes in Him as Savior can have all their sins forgiven proves that. Also, isn’t it interesting that David doesn’t say of God, “But I trust in your unfailing self…”? Instead, he says, “But I trust in your unfailing love…” Getting back to my opening illustration, that father never stopped loving his daughter even though the daughter couldn’t feel his love in that specific situation. Feelings, you see, are not necessarily in line with reality. I would encourage you to keep this in mind anytime you feel like God is unconcerned about your pain. Just because you feel unloved by Him doesn’t mean that you actually are.

Posted in Adversity, Attitude, Children, Christ's Death, Comfort, Complaining, Depression, Disappointment, Discernment, Doubt, Encouragement, Faith, Faithfulness, Fatherhood, God's Love, Honesty, Needs, Parenting, Pastors, Persecution, Personal, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Problems, Suffering, Thankfulness, Trials, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

“Why Sit Here Until We Die?”

Posted on July 10, 2026 by russellmckinney

“Why sit here until we die?” That question is at the heart of one of the Bible’s most incredible stories, 2 Kings 7:1-20, and it’s a question that still has relevance to a multitude of situations today. So, let’s talk about the story.

The army of Ben Hadad, the King of Syria, has laid siege to Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel. Either as a result of the siege, or perhaps in addition to it, severe famine conditions now prevail in the city (2 Kings 6:24-25). People are literally dying of starvation. A donkey’s head is selling for eighty pieces of silver, and a pint of dove droppings (commentators believe this was a nickname for a certain type of plant) is selling for five pieces of silver (2 Kings 6:25). Some of the citizens are even resorting to cannibalism (2 Kings 6:26-29). Yes, the situation has gotten that extreme.

As bad as the conditions are inside the city, they are even worse for the lepers who are forced to live in designated areas outside it. Consequently, there comes a day when four of the lepers who live just beyond the city’s gate engage in a serious conversation. The conversation begins with the logical question, “Why sit here until we die?” (2 Kings 7:3). Then they discuss their possible courses of actions.

One option is to stay where they are and die there from starvation. A second option is to enter into the city and die there from starvation. Since neither one of those options offers any glint of hope, the lepers decide upon a third option. They will make their way out to the Syrian army, surrender, and hope the Syrians will not only mercifully spare their lives but also pity them enough to give them something to eat. Even if the Syrians kill them, nothing will really be lost because death seems inevitable anyway (2 Kings 7:4).

At dusk, as darkness falls, the lepers make their way to the Syrian camp. But when they reach the outskirts of the camp, they are surprised to find no one there (2 Kings 7:5). What the lepers don’t know is that God has just seriously messed with the Syrian army.

What has God done? He has caused the Syrian soldiers to falsely hear the noises of a massive approaching army’s horses and chariots. Upon hearing those noises in the dark, the Syrians have deduced that Israel’s King Jehoram has hired an allied army of Hittites and Egyptians to go to battle against them and that the allied army is about to attack (2 Kings 7:6). Despite the fact that the Syrians haven’t actually seen an army in the darkness, they have certainly heard it and have consequently dropped everything and fled their camp in fear (2 Kings 7:7).

The Syrian soldiers have left behind tents, horses, donkeys, clothing, silver, gold, and plenty of food and drink. Can you imagine the sight of four emaciated lepers, their skin barely hanging from their bones, having free run of the entire Syrian camp? The lepers go into one tent and there they eat and drink. They go into another and there they claim silver and gold. They go into another and there they claim even more silver and gold (2 Kings 7:8). They are like kids having free run in a candy store!

The bounty is so great that the lepers actually begin to feel remorse because of their selfishness. This prompts them to leave the camp and report the situation to the gatekeepers of Samaria. Because King Jehoram suspects the whole thing is a setup to lure his citizens out to a slaughter, he sends a couple of soldiers in chariots to survey the situation firsthand (2 Kings 7:11-15). When the soldiers return with the news that what the lepers have said is true, the citizens of Samaria stampede out to the camp and plunder it (2 Kings 7:16). They actually trample to death the officer that King Jehoram has placed in charge as Samaria’s gatekeeper (2 Kings 7:17-20).

You talk about a story! But now let’s get back to those lepers and their question, “Why sit here until we die?” How many individuals should be asking that question right now? How many businesses should be asking it? How many schools should be asking it? How many churches should be asking it?

I mean, it’s one thing if you are doing what God wants you to be doing and He hasn’t given you a peace about changing. In that case, you need to stick with what you are doing and trust that God has a plan. But if you aren’t making a needed change because you are being foolish, illogical, cowardly, or just downright stubborn, then you can learn something from those four lepers. You see, if no one else comes off looking good from this story, those lepers do. That in itself proves that God was pleased with not only their actions but (perhaps even more importantly) the attitude that led to their actions.

Posted in Addiction, Adversity, Attitude, Change, Choices, Church, Complaining, Contentment, Courage, Decisions, Desires, Discernment, Faith, Fear, God's Timing, God's Guidance, God's Provision, God's Will, Inner Peace, Needs, Problems, Seeking Advice, Suffering, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment