Gamaliel’s Advice

Posted on September 28, 2019 by russellmckinney

“And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it — lest you be found to fight against God.” (Acts 5:38-39, N.K.J.V.)

The words of our text passage were spoken by Gamaliel, the most well respected Jewish rabbi of Christ’s day. Not only was he a member of the Sanhedrin (the powerful ruling Council that held sway over Jewish life), he was also the man under whom Paul (who was then known as Saul of Tarsus) learned the ways of Judaism (Acts 22:3). To say that Gamaliel’s opinion carried weight is a definite understatement.

Following the ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:1-11) and the Holy Spirit coming to indwell Jesus’ followers (Acts 2:1-13), the Christian movement spread like wildfire throughout Jerusalem. The apostles were preaching Jesus in the streets and performing miracles, thousands of Jews were getting saved and baptized, and the church in Jerusalem was becoming a force with which the Jewish religious leaders had to reckon. In the eyes of those leaders, this “Jesus thing” was getting completely out of hand.

It was along about then that Peter and John were arrested at the Jewish temple after performing a healing on a lame man, a healing that was followed with a sermon by Peter (Acts 4:1-26; 5:1-4). The Jewish religious group known as the Sadducees were responsible for having the two arrested. The next day the entire Sanhedrin council convened to try the case against Peter and John (Acts 4:5-12). However, after hearing Peter’s powerful defense and after being forced to admit that the once lame man was now clearly healed, the Sanhedrin decided to release Peter and John under the condition that the two would stop preaching the name of Jesus (Acts 4:13-18). Peter and John, of course, ignored that warning and went right back to doing what they’d been doing (Acts 4:19-31).

Not long afterward, the Sadducees again flexed their muscle by having all the apostles arrested and thrown into Jerusalem’s common prison (Acts 5:17-18). But that same night God sent an angel to open the prison doors and help the apostles escape (Acts 5:19). The angel told the apostles to go to the temple the next morning and preach, and they obeyed (Acts 5:20-21). So there the apostles were, at the temple preaching, while the Sadducees and the other Jewish religious leaders assumed they were still in prison.

Once it was discovered that the apostles weren’t in prison but were, instead, preaching at the temple, the Sanhedrin had them peacefully brought before the council one more time (Acts 5:21-27). The question the members of the council should have asked was, “How did you men escape from prison last night?” Apparently, though, the members didn’t want to know that answer. What they did ask was, “Didn’t we command you not to teach in this (Jesus’) name?” They also added in the comment, “You have filled Jerusalem with this doctrine, and intend to bring Jesus’ blood on us!” (Acts 5:28).

And how did the apostles, Peter being their spokesman, respond to that? They answered:

….”We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him. (Acts 5:29-32, N.K.J.V.)

That’s not exactly backing down, is it? Now the Sanhedrin members had to decide what to do about the situation. The conclusion the majority of them reached was that all the apostles should be killed (Acts 5:33). Remember, these council members were the same murderous bunch who had worked together with the Romans to get Jesus killed.

Gamaliel, however, took a different view as to how to handle the problem. After having the apostles removed from the meeting room, he noted that previous such threats to Judaism had come to nothing. A man named Theudas had raised an army of about 400 soldiers and had proclaimed himself as the Messiah, but his movement had ended when he had been killed (Acts 5:36). Likewise, Judas of Galilee had once built a movement around himself, but he had died and so had his movement (Acts 5:37). Based upon these past examples, Gamaliel deduced that time was the true test of whether or not a movement was of God. If God wasn’t in it, it would come to nothing, but if He was in it, nothing the Sanhedrin could do would stop it anyway.

Of course, what Gamaliel should have added was, “Men, when Jesus died, his movement was supposed to die with him, but it didn’t. That makes him different than Theudas and Judas of Galilee. So maybe we should start at least considering the possibility that we were wrong about him. Could it be that what these apostles of his are saying about him is true?” Gamaliel, however, didn’t go that far. Perhaps even he was afraid to venture out into those uncharted seas.

But what spiritual help can we Christians today glean from Gamaliel’s advice? We can appreciate the advice as being spiritually astute and apply it to any situation we face in which something that isn’t of God is thriving while something that is of Him is just puttering along. Just as those movements begun by Theudas and Judas of Galilee seemed so impressive for a while, many earthly situations that don’t bear God’s stamp of approval can come to the front and rule the day for a certain amount of time before crashing. Conversely, many situations that do bear His stamp can start out quite unimpressive and build momentum like a slow burn.

The fact is that earthly situations can be like fun-house mirrors in the way they can distort reality for a time. Just as you can’t trust what you are seeing as long as you are standing in front of one of those mirrors, you can’t always trust what a situation looks like for the moment. So, if you are reading this and you know that God is in what you are doing, but things really aren’t going well right now, let me encourage you to hang in there. Take Gamaliel’s advice by giving your situation some more time. It just might be that God is delaying His manifested blessing upon your situation because He wants to build trust and perseverance into you. And if that’s the case, you’d be wise to stay your course and let Him work.

Posted in Adversity, Choices, Depression, Disappointment, Discernment, Encouragement, Faithfulness, God's Timing, God's Will, God's Work, Ministry, Perseverance, Preaching, Problems, Prosperity, Reward, Service, Sowing and Reaping, Suffering, Trials, Trusting In God, Waiting | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Importance of Obeying Christ’s Commands

Posted on September 24, 2019 by russellmckinney

Alexander the Great is one of those historical figures about which enough stories are told to make you wonder if they are all true. My guess is that some of them really happened and some of them didn’t. With that in mind, I’ll offer one as part of this post.

As the story goes, after a long day’s battle with an enemy army, Alexander’s troops were encamped for the night awaiting a second round of battle the next day. As part of the night’s standing order, Alexander decreed that no fires could be lit. He didn’t want to give away his army’s location to any reinforcing troops that might be marching that night to join the enemy army.

However, as Alexander made his rounds to ensure that his order was being obeyed, he noticed a light in the tent of one of his officers. When he stepped inside the tent, he found the officer writing a letter. The officer, realizing the serious trouble he had made for himself, quickly began explaining that he had just recently gotten married and was writing a letter to his wife to let her know that he hadn’t gotten injured in the previous day’s battle. Alexander responded to the explanation by saying, “Then finish your letter, and add to it this postscript: ‘I am to be executed at dawn for disobeying orders.'”

I ask you, what if Jesus was like that concerning His commands to us? If He was, I dare say that not one person would be left alive to inhabit planet earth. That includes Christians, too. Think about how many times we all fail to do what Jesus commands us to do. Sometimes we fail because of slackness. Other times we fail because of outright disobedience. Either way, the end result is the same: disobedience to Christ’s commands.

Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15, N.K.J.V.). In one way, that is a simple thing for Him to ask. In another way, though, it is a monumental assignment. After all, He does give a lot of commandments. Some of His commandments are general, standing ones found in scripture, but others are specific, personal commandments made to individuals by way of the voice of the Holy Spirit. At any rate, whatever the commandment is and however we receive it, Jesus expects us to keep it. Please remember this the next time you receive one from Him, and make sure you do a better job of obeying than that officer of Alexander the Great.

Posted in Disobedience, God's Will, God's Word, Obedience, Rebellion, The Bible | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

“Christian Verses” Podcast: 2 Timothy 4:2

Posted on September 23, 2019 by russellmckinney

Drew Brees, the quarterback for the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, recently got himself into trouble with the LGBTQ community. What did he do? He promoted Focus on the Family’s “Bring Your Bible to School Day.” Focus on the Family, you see, is a Christian organization that stands staunchly against homosexuality.

When the LGBTQ backlash hit, Brees had to make a choice. He could either take his stand with Focus on the Family and its anti-homosexuality beliefs or distance himself from the organization. He chose the latter by using his Twitter account to explain that he doesn’t support any groups that discriminate or promote inequality.

In the new podcast, Malcolm and I discuss the whole situation by launching off from the focal verse 2 Timothy 4:2. That verse talks about what Christians should do when the word of God is “out of season.” Here’s the link:

https://soundcloud.com/user-185243867/preaching-our-of-seasoncv2019008

Posted in "Christian Verses" podcast, Current Events, God's Word, Homosexuality, Sports, The Bible, The Gospel | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Royce’s World Civilizations Textbook

Posted on September 21, 2019 by russellmckinney

Royce, our eighteen-year-old son, is currently attending the local community college. He’s in the general-education program, the idea being that he will complete that two-year program and then transfer to a four-year school. Okay, so far so good.

He comes to me a couple of nights ago complaining about his textbook for his World Civilizations class. The book is Traditions & Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past, and it is blatantly anti Bible. Mind you that the course itself is not religious in nature. It’s just a course about the multitude of civilizations that have flourished at different times throughout history. One of those civilizations, however, is the one the textbook describes under the heading “Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews.” That’s where the problem crops up regarding the Bible.

Here are some direct quotes from the textbook:

The Hebrew scriptures do not offer reliable historical accounts of early times, but they present memories and interpretations of Hebrew experience from the perspectives of later religious leaders who collected oral reports and edited them into a body of writings after 800 B.C.E.

The early Hebrews had recognized many of the same gods as their Mesopotamian neighbors: they believed that nature spirits inhabited trees, rocks, and mountains, for example, and they honored various deities as patrons or protectors of their clans. Moses, however, embraced monotheism: he taught that there was only one god, known as Yahweh, who was a supremely powerful deity, and the creator and sustainer of the world.

Historical and archaeological records tell a less colorful story than the account preserved in the Hebrew scriptures.

There are signs of intermittent conflicts with neighboring peoples, but there is no indication that Israelites conquered all of Palestine.

The recognition of Yahweh as the only true god seems to have emerged after the eighth century B.C.E. rather than in the early days of the Hebrews’ history.

I found it particularly interesting that monotheism (the worship of one god) supposedly didn’t exist in Israel until Moses came along and took the nation down that path for what were evidently his own nefarious purposes. I can just hear Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob saying, “Boy, we sure thought we were worshiping just one god.” I guess that every time God says in the Old Testament, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” the quote is a lie made up by a later writer in an attempt to retool Israel’s religious history. (Yes, in a case you are wondering, that was sarcasm on my part.)

I’d also like to get Joshua’s take on Israel’s conquering of Canaan (and please note that I refuse to substitute the politically correct name “Palestine” for the land’s true name “Canaan”). Did Israel’s army, under Joshua’s leadership, thoroughly fulfill God’s command to either annihilate or drive out the various races that inhabited Canaan and in so doing claim the land for Israel? No they didn’t, and the Bible makes no bones about admitting that shortcoming and the devastating effects it had going forward as Israel occupied the land. But were all those resounding victories described in the book of Joshua nothing more than “intermittent conflicts with neighboring peoples”? Tell that to the slain inhabitants of cities such as: Jericho, Ai, Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Japhia, Lachish, Eglon, Hazor, and Madon.

I know, I know, I’m not supposed to take the Bible’s accounts of those battles as undisputed fact. That’s how the academic world would respond to my previous paragraph. But c’mon, if Joshua and his army didn’t do more than win a few “intermittent conflicts” how did the land itself ever get to be called Israel? Surely Israel’s military efforts were quite impressive, regardless of whether or not those efforts got recorded in a book.

Look, I understand Royce’s situation. I myself went to public school for twelve years and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from a public university. For that matter, my wife Tonya has taught in a public middle school for close to thirty years. So, I’m not some naive babe in the woods who suffers under the delusion that our public schools are bastions of Christianity. (Truth be told, even many of our so-called “Christian” universities don’t live up to their founders’ stated purpose.)

I guess I just wanted to write this post to let you Christians out there know that textbooks with an anti-Christian slant are still being written and printed, and when Christian parents send their kids to any type of “public” school — whether it be an elementary school, a middle school, a high school, or a university — those kids need to know going in what to expect. Evolution will be taught as fact rather than theory. Traditional lines of gender and sexuality will be downplayed. Ancient Mesopotamian records will be deemed more reliable than ancient Hebrew records. And what passes for “truth” will always be dependent upon the most recent archaeological find and how the experts chose to interpret that find.

Still, though, it does get frustrating for the Bible-believing Christian. Royce isn’t the first Christian student to find this out and he won’t be the last. It’s all just a clear reminder that we Christians are a minority group in this world and we always will be until Jesus returns to walk this earth again. Christian beliefs were once valued in America, even exalted to a large degree, but those days are long, long gone, and to expect any public institution to adhere to them is little more than fool’s folly.

Posted in Children, Current Events, Discernment, Parenting, Personal, Scripture, The Bible, Truth, Youth | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Far Better

Posted on September 19, 2019 by russellmckinney

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. (Philippians 1:21-23, N.K.J.V.)

The past few weeks have reminded me of how “far better” life in heaven must be than life upon this earth. Visiting hospitals, nursing homes, and Hospices will do that for you. Praying for folks who have lost loved ones will, too.

I’ll start with my dad. He recently spent a week in our local hospital recovering from a variety of physical problems (urinary tract infection, dehydration, a heart flutter, etc.). Even when he was released, he didn’t return home. Instead, he went to the physical therapy wing of a nearby nursing home. He’s scheduled to spend the next three weeks there doing physical therapy. Hopefully, once he completes the three weeks, he’ll be well enough to return home.

On the subject of nursing homes, a few weeks ago I visited a church member who had been placed in one in a county adjacent to ours. We had a blessed visit together, but it was obvious that she wasn’t well either physically or mentally. Now she has been transitioned to a Hospice care facility in another county. I visited with her there the day before yesterday but she didn’t rouse up enough to have a conversation. I did, however, spend the time having a good talk with one of her sons. He confirmed that death is imminent for her unless the Lord intervenes.

That same day I received news from one of my deacons that his sister had died. The news wasn’t surprising because she had been hovering near death for some time, but that didn’t make the pain the family was feeling any less real. Actually, the woman’s death was something of a relief for her. I say that because she just couldn’t get better and didn’t want to go on struggling like she was struggling.

What I’m happy to report is that the common denominator in all three of these cases is that each person is a Christian. One of them is a Christian spending the next three weeks in a nursing home. Another one is a Christian currently residing in a Hospice care facility. And another one is a Christian who is now enjoying the wonders of heaven. In other words, one of the Christians is already in heaven and the other two have reservations awaiting them there. Heaven, of course, is a place devoid of hospitals, nursing homes, Hospices, hospital gowns, i.v.’s, catheters, and oxygen masks. Christian doctors and nurses will be there but there won’t be a need for their services. As David says of God in Psalm 16:11:

…In your presence is fullness of joy; At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (N.K.J.V.)

Earthly life is hard. If you haven’t found that out yet, just keep living and you’ll learn it. Sometimes we bring the hardness upon ourselves as we make bad decisions and have to reap the harvests from those bad decisions. Other times, however, the hardness just seems to hunt us down like a hunter hunting his prey regardless of the fact that we haven’t done anything to deserve being hunted.

Despite everything, though, the end result for the Christian will be eternity spent with God. This is a promise that we must never let ourselves forget. No matter how hard life gets here upon the earth, this isn’t the final chapter of our book. Death is a comma, not a period, and for the Christian what follows the comma is heaven.

Isn’t it so encouraging that Paul, writing under the inspiration of God, describes the Christian’s death as “gain”? And isn’t it equally encouraging that he describes heaven as being “far better”? I sure do like the sounds of all that. And do you know what it makes me wonder? It makes me wonder just how much is wrapped up in that little word “far”! That deacon’s sister could tell us right now if we could talk to her, couldn’t she? But keep your chin up, Christian, because we’ll all eventually know the answer firsthand. That’s a Bible promise.

Posted in Adversity, Aging, Comfort, Death, Encouragement, Eternity, Heaven, Persecution, Personal, Problems, Restoration, Reward, Salvation, Sickness, Suffering, Trials | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Your Mind Is Like a Hotel

Posted on September 16, 2019 by russellmckinney

One writer has compared our minds to a hotel. The hotel manager cannot keep a problem person from entering the lobby, but he can keep that person from getting a room and staying there. Similarly, you cannot cannot keep a problem thought from entering the lobby of your mind, but you can definitely keep that thought from finding a lodging place and taking up residence there.

The Bible has a lot to say in regards to the importance of us keeping our minds right. Here’s a starter’s list of verses (all from the N.K.J.V.):

  1. Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)
  2. Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (1 Peter 1:13)
  3. Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth. (Colossians 3:2)
  4. and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. (Ephesians 4:23)
  5. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)
  6. casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
  7. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (Romans 8:6)

The central theme of all these verses is that the mind is ground zero of the spiritual battleground. If you cannot keep your thoughts (at least for the most part) pure, holy, and Christlike, you stand no chance of living a life that is (at least for the most part) pure, holy, and Christlike. The old saying about computers is “Junk in, junk out.” Well, the same thing can be said of your mind. If you mentally take in enough junk, eventually that junk will work its way out to your conduct.

That’s why I encourage you to start paying closer attention to the thoughts that are entering the lobby of your mind. Those thoughts come in by way of the ideas and images presented in t.v. programs, movies, songs, news reports, internet sites, videos, books, magazines, and conversations you have with others. Some of the thoughts are worthy enough to be allowed a room in your hotel, but many of them should be shown the door as quickly as possible.

When I was growing up in the 1970s, a popular advertising campaign for the United Negro College Fund said, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” That slogan focused on the problem of many black kids not having enough money to attend college. The fact is, though, the slogan can also be applied to living the Christian life. Yes, a mind is a terrible thing to waste, and it’s a shame that so many Christians aren’t doing a better job of flashing the “no vacancy” sign at thoughts that are unworthy of the high calling of Jesus Christ.

Posted in Discernment, Discipleship, Entertainment, Music, Personal Holiness, Sanctification, Separation, Temptation | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

How Jesus Speaks to His Followers Today

Posted on September 13, 2019 by russellmckinney

Here’s a companion post to my previous one about the indwelling Holy Spirit. This time let’s focus upon the relationship that Jesus had with the chosen twelve during His earthly life. As you know, those twelve men had the privilege of talking with Jesus, walking with Him, eating with Him, sleeping with Him, laughing with Him, being taught by Him, etc., etc., etc.

Okay, so here’s the question: How do you think the dynamics of all that activity played out on a daily basis within that group? What I mean is, do you think Peter woke up in the morning and said, “I feel like going to Jerusalem today, so let’s go”? Do you think Andrew said, “I’ve been studying and thinking a lot lately, so I’m going to be doing the teaching today”? Do you think John said, “I know what God the Father wants done in this situation, so I want the whole group to follow my lead”?

No, that’s not how things played out. Jesus was in charge of that group. He gave the daily travel plans. He did all of the teaching. He told them what God the Father wanted done in a situation. You say, “Well sure, but what does that have to do with me? I’m not around Jesus the way the chosen twelve were.” Well, Christian, if that’s your attitude, then you’ve missed the point of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

You see, the same Jesus who led the chosen twelve now lives inside you! Do you need some scriptural evidence of that? Sure, the Bible provides it.

For starters, Romans 8:9 says:

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. (N.K.J.V.)

The teaching of this verse is plain. If an individual does not have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside him or her, that individual is not a true Christian. That’s what the words “not His” mean.

But now listen to the next verse, Romans 8:10, as it continues with this thought:

And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

Did you catch what the Bible threw there? In verse 9, the Holy Spirit is described by the dual names “the Spirit of God” and “the Spirit of Christ.” What those dual titles show us is that Christ is God. Putting it another way, Jesus (God the Son) and God the Father are one. However, just as verse 9 says the Holy Spirit is literally in the Christian, verse 10 says that Christ is in the Christian. This proves that not only are Jesus and God the Father one, Jesus and God the Holy Spirit are also one.

What this means for you, Christian, is that you having the Holy Spirit dwelling inside you amounts to you having Jesus dwelling inside you. A parallel passage on this teaching is Ephesians 3:17, which speaks of Christ dwelling “in your hearts through faith” (N.K.J.V.). Another one is Colossians 1:27, which uses the phrase “Christ in you” (N.K.J.V.). In each of these passages the idea is that Jesus literally dwells inside the Christian’s body (by way of the indwelling Holy Spirit).

Furthermore, Jesus Himself said that having this kind of relationship with Him is even better than having the relationship the chosen twelve had with Him. In John 16:7, He says to His chosen twelve:

“…It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you” (N.K.J.V.).

We know, of course, that “the Helper” is a reference to God the Holy Spirit. Also, we know that Jesus did soon depart from those men as He died, resurrected, and ascended back up to heaven. And it was from heaven that He kept His promise to send the Holy Spirit to His followers. The story of how the Holy Spirit first began to indwell Christ’s followers is recorded in Acts chapter 2. That’s why we Christians can now rest assured that God the Holy Spirit does indeed dwell inside our bodies.

So, how should we react to this mind-blowing truth? We should spend our days and nights listening for the indwelling Holy Spirit’s voice as He speaks to us. We should hear His voice and obey it. This is our version of the chosen 12 hearing and obeying the voice of Jesus, and as such it is the the key to us walking in God’s will, being where He wants us to be, and doing what He wants us to do.

Posted in God's Will, The Holy Spirit | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Christian, Do You Truly Understand Who Lives Inside You?

Posted on September 11, 2019 by russellmckinney

Of all of the topics the apostle Paul addressed in his writings to Christians, the topic of the indwelling Holy Spirit was one of his most prevalent. Consider the following verse, which he wrote to the Christians of the city of Rome:

But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. (Romans 8:9, N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

The teaching of this verse is clear: If you do not have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you, you are not Christ’s. In other words, you are not an authentic Christian. Also notice the verse’s references to the fact that God is a Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). In one portion of the verse, the Holy Spirit is described as being “the Spirit of God” but in a later portion He is described as being “the Spirit of Christ.”

Here’s another verse from Paul, this one to the Christians of Corinth:

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19, N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

Unfortunately, it has become a common phrase for the nutritionist, the dietician, the fitness guru, the workout leader, or the bodybuilder to say, “My body is a temple.” Actually, however, the only person who can truthfully say, “My body is a temple” is the Christian. Why is that? It’s because the indwelling Holy Spirit is God, and wherever God dwells that place can be called a temple. Therefore, the Christian’s body is a temple.

But Paul wasn’t the only New Testament writer who taught that God the Holy Spirit literally dwells inside the Christian’s body. The apostle John taught this same truth. First, he gave us 1 John 3:24, which says of God:

Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in Him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

Second, he repeats this thought in 1 John 4:13, when he says:

By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

And then there is Jude, who described the lost apostate teachers of his day by saying in verse 19 of his book:

These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. (N.I.V., emphasis mine)

You see, what we have in all of these passages (as well as others like them) is basic Bible doctrine. God the Holy Spirit really does dwell within the true Christian. Even Jesus Himself refers to this awesome truth when He says in Revelation 3:20:

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

How does Jesus come in to the Christian? He does it via the indwelling Holy Spirit. As I noted earlier, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one.

And so what am I saying? I’m saying that we Christians need to start recognizing the indwelling Holy Spirit for who He is. He’s not Casper the friendly Ghost. He’s not the wind. He’s not a vapor. He is a person. He is GOD.

The Trinity is not God the Father, God the Son, and God the Bible. Jesus isn’t talking about the Bible when He says in John 14:26:

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (N.K.J.V.)

Likewise, He isn’t talking about the Bible when He says in John 16:13:

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth…. (N.K.J.V.)

Of course, I’m not trying to set the indwelling Holy Spirit against the Bible. The fact is, the Holy Spirit takes the Bible and helps us understand it and apply it. I’m simply saying that we need to get the Holy Spirit back to His rightful standing in our lives. Christian, the Holy Spirit is God, living inside you, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. He has a mind, a will, and a voice, and His voice is the voice that you need to start listening for and obeying.

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“Christian Verses” Podcast: Matthew 28:17

Posted on September 10, 2019 by russellmckinney

Christian, it’s okay to admit that you sometimes struggle with doubt. Trust me, that makes you normal. Some of the best Christians who’ve ever lived have wrestled with the problem. As a matter of fact, even some of Christ’s followers who literally saw Him with their own eyes in His resurrected body doubted what they were seeing.

In this week’s podcast, Malcolm and I deal with doubt in the life of the Christian. While we certainly don’t claim to have the foolproof remedy for the problem, we at least get the issue on the table and dissect it a bit. Hopefully, our frank discussion will provide some encouragement for any Christian out there who sometimes finds himself or herself hindered by doubt. Here’s the link:

https://soundcloud.com/user-185243867/doubtcv2019007

Posted in "Christian Verses" podcast, Doubt, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Look What I Saw

Posted on September 9, 2019 by russellmckinney

And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ’s. (1 Corinthians 11:1, N.L.T.)

I feel led of the Lord to use this post to share something that I didn’t write. The piece I’ll borrow is primarily aimed at parents, but most of it can also speak to grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, or really anyone who has spends time around a young person, whether that young person be a family member or not. I offer the piece as both an encouragement and a motivation. I would gladly give full credit to its author by name, but it is only attributed to an anonymous “young adult.” Here we go:

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator; and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you feed a stray cat; and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me; and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I heard you say a prayer; and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick; and I learned that we have to help take care of one another.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing; and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don’t.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it; and I learned that we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn’t feel well; and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grew up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes; and I learned that sometimes things hurt and that it’s all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw that you cared; and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, “Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.”

Posted in Children, Doing Good, Family, Fatherhood, God's Work, Influence, Motherhood, Parenting, Service, Youth | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment