Don’t Be Fooled by Those South Winds

Posted on August 24, 2012 by russellmckinney

The main point of today’s post takes a little bit of time to set up, so I hope you’ll bear with me as I lay all the groundwork. That groundwork involves a brief overview of Acts chapter 27. In that chapter, we are given Luke’s highly detailed account of Paul’s fateful voyage to Rome.

Technically, Paul sailed as a prisoner of the Roman empire, along with some fellow prisoners (v.1). Despite that fact, however, Julius, who was the Roman centurion in charge of the prisoners, treated Paul kindly. He even allowed him to go ashore during a port of call at Sidon to receive care from friends (v.3). Later on, at the port of Myra, Julius, Paul, and the other prisoners changed ships and boarded an Alexandrian cargo ship (v.6). Their inclusion raised the ship’s total number of passengers to 276 (v.37).

It was at this point of the journey that the winds turned contrary and the sailing became difficult (v.7). They managed to sail from Myra toward the island of Cnidus and then southwest to the south side of Crete, but the weather was against them all the way and caused them to make slow time. (The weather on the Mediterranean Sea during that time of year — late September to early October — was usually harsh.) Finally, they harbored at a place called Fair Havens just off the coast of Crete (v.8).

There, Paul advised Julius and the others in charge to suspend the journey and ride out the winter in Fair Havens, lest the voyage end in much loss of life and cargo (v.9-10). The problem, however, with them heeding Paul’s advice was that the Fair Havens harbor was not really an ideal place for such a long-term stay. That’s why Julius, along with the ship’s helmsman and the ship’s owner, ignored the advice and made the decision to sail on for the Crete harbor of Phoenix, which would be more suitable (v.11-12). Their plan was to reach Phoenix by skirting along the coastline, thus avoiding the open sea. Much to their delight, after they had settled on that plan, an advantageous south wind began to blow softly. Human nature being what it is, they took that gentle south wind as confirmation that their decision to sail for the Phoenix harbor was the correct one and promptly weighed anchor (v.13).

But they were wrong. Not long into the sailing, the ship got caught in a hurricane-like storm, which was an incredibly powerful northeaster. The storm drove the ship helplessly out into the open sea (v.14-15), and from there it was one adventurous episode after another. They managed to make it to the small island of Cauda (or Clauda), which was twenty-five miles south of Crete. There, they pulled in the skiff (lifeboat) they had in tow and tried to shore up the ship as best they could (v.16-17). The storm, however, continued to rage.

Fearing they would be run aground on a sandbar, they set sail again and let the winds drive them back out into the open sea (v.17). The following day, with the ship now severely battered, they lightened the load by throwing the cargo overboard (v.18), and the day afterward they threw over the rigging (v.19). Thus began a period where they saw neither the sun nor the stars for several days and constantly battled a strong wind (v.20). They sailed for days without even taking time to eat and finally gave up all hope of survival (v.20-21).

That’s when Paul stood up in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me.” You’ve got to love that “I told you so” moment. Mercifully, though, that wasn’t all Paul said. He went on to explain that an angel had stood by him and told him that Paul must be brought before Caesar so that he could testify to Caesar. For this reason, the men needn’t fear for their lives. The ship would indeed be lost by being run aground on some island, but not one human life would be lost in the wreck (v.21-26).

I won’t go into all the remaining details of the story, but the ship eventually shipwrecked at the large island of Malta, some sixty miles south of Sicily. With the ship broken up, every man aboard took to the water, either swimming or floating on boards or other parts of the broken ship, and made it safely onto the island. In two-weeks-time, the great storm had carried them 600 miles from Fair Havens in Crete to shipwreck on Malta. As Paul had said, though, not one life had been lost. For the next three months, the group remained on Malta as the welcomed guests of the people there and then boarded another Alexandrian ship and sailed on to Rome (Acts 28:11-16). Whew, what a trip!

Obviously, there are a hundred life-lessons and spiritual truths that I could pull from this whole story, but let me just latch onto just one and leave it with you. It goes like this: When you step out of God’s will and do something you shouldn’t do, things oftentimes go well for a little while before the storm breaks loose. Do you remember what happened right after those men ignored Paul advice about spending the winter in Fair Havens and decided instead to try to skirt down the coastline to the harbor of Phoenix? Acts 27:13-14 says:

When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called a “northeaster,” swept down from the island. (N.I.V., emphasis mine)

Ladies and gentlemen, let me warn you about those south winds that blow softly to initially make your wrong course of action seem like a good move. Beware, such winds are always followed by a big storm! And when that hurricane-force wind starts blowing, who knows where you might end up out on life’s open sea? Surely it won’t be a good place, and surely some type of a shipwreck will be eminent.

So, where does this post find you right now? Are you toying around with choosing a course of action that isn’t God’s will? Do you feel those south winds rising, beckoning you out into forbidden waters? Are you thinking, “I’ll just safely ease down this coastline and keep out of the dangerous open sea?” If any of this describes you, allow me to play the same role that Paul played for those men. Hear me when I say, “Don’t do what you are planning to do!”

You say, “But Russell, you don’t understand my current situation. You don’t know what a struggle I’m having. You don’t know how rough it’s been. I can’t stay here!” Yes, you can. If God wants you to ride out the storm by spending the winter there in your Fair Haven, He’ll make a way for you to do so. You just have to trust Him. Most likely there will come a time when He will let you set sail for a new place in His will, but you must wait for His perfect timing. And if being told to stay where you are upsets you, just keep your alternative in mind: You can chase those south winds to what you think is a better, safer, more pleasing situation. If that’s your course of action, though, don’t be surprised when major trouble hits you right on the heels of those fleeting soft winds.

Posted in Adversity, Choices, Counsel, Deception, Decisions, Discernment, God's Will, Problems, Seeking Advice, Temptation, Trials, Trusting In God, Waiting, Weather | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

What’s Got You Afraid?

Posted on August 22, 2012 by russellmckinney

A boy took a shortcut across a certain field after dark. He was leery about the trip because his mother had warned him not to try to cross that field in the darkness. But on this occasion he was so late for supper that he decided to ignore her advice and take the chance.

When the boy got about halfway across the field, the wind picked up, the leaf-barren trees started making creaking noises, and the boy became frightened. Instinctively, he accelerated his walking pace. That’s when he started hearing footsteps behind him.

He stopped in his tracks but was way too scared to turn around. He noticed, though, that when he stopped, the footsteps stopped. As he stood there, he thought, “I’m just being silly. There’s no one behind me. My mind is playing tricks on me.” Then he resumed walking. But as soon as he did, he heard the footsteps again. He sped up his walk, but the footsteps matched him. Then he broke into a full run, but so did they.

Finally, when the boy reached exhaustion, he quit running and turned around to meet his gruesome fate. To his surprise, there was no one there. As he stood there trying to figure out what was happening to him, he hit upon a new plan. He started up again with a brisk walk, but this time he kept his head turned around so that he could see behind him. Sure enough, when he started walking, the footsteps did too. As before, though, there was no one there.

The boy kept walking and looking back for several yards until suddenly the truth dawned upon him. The “footsteps” he was hearing were coming from his corduroy pants as the material rubbed back and forth between his legs as he moved. So, basically, it was corduroy that had him scared him to death.

There are many things in life that are genuinely scary, and I’m not for one second trying to minimize their threat. However, I think we can all agree that a lot of things that scare us amount to little more than corduroy once the dust settles. We Christians mustn’t forget that Jesus has promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Matthew 28:18-20) and to guide us as our good shepherd (Psalm 23; John 10:11-18). Those promises stand good for trips across darkened fields as well as all sorts of other situations. So, Christian, let me encourage you to take the fear that you are experiencing right now and turn it over to Jesus. When you do, you might just realize that what’s had you scared amounts to little more than corduroy.

Posted in Adversity, Comfort, Courage, Doubt, Encouragement, Faith, Fear, God's Love, God's Omnipotence, God's Omnipresence, God's Sovereignty, Inner Peace, Problems, Trials, Trusting In God, Worry | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Life on the Island

Posted on August 20, 2012 by russellmckinney

In his book 1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching, G. Curtis Jones tells a story from the life of Methodist pastor Roy L. Smith. As the story goes, Smith had a deep concern for an elderly couple who lived by themselves on a tiny island in the Great Lakes area. Since the island was completely isolated, Smith genuinely feared for their well-being. His concern led him to call a family meeting wherein he asked his family if they would mind if the couple came and lived out their remaining days with them. The family agreed, after which Smith and his wife took a boat out to the island and extended the gracious offer to the couple.

The elderly gentleman was touched by the Smiths’ kindness, but he looked at his wife and said, “Of course we cannot accept the invitation, can we dear?” Smith then interrupted and again laid out the reasons why making the move would be a good idea. The couple, however, weren’t going to leave their island home, and they set about to show the Smiths why. Walking arm in arm, they led them down a narrow but carefully kept path that ended at an immaculately tended plot of green grass. In the midst of that plot was a mound watched over by a white cross. Standing there at that grave site, the elderly gentleman told the Smiths, “We can’t leave our island home, for you see we have lost a son here.”

In his closing remarks for that illustration, G. Curtis Jones explains that God lost His Son on this cosmic island that we call Earth. What a powerful thought that is! It serves to remind us that God is always interested in what’s going on down here because this is the island where Jesus died. Admittedly, that’s where the similarities between the two stories ends because Jesus arose from the dead in a glorified body and forty days later ascended up to heaven to take His seat at the right hand of God the Father. Still, though, we should never doubt that this Earth, this island floating in space, will always hold a special, unique place in God’s eyes. Furthermore, we should also never doubt that He knows all about each and every detail concerning it. That includes everything about you and what you are going through right now. I just felt like someone out there on another part of the island might need that reminder today.

Posted in Adversity, Aging, Children, Christ's Death, Christ's Resurrection, Comfort, Family, Fatherhood, God's Love, God's Omniscience, Love, Marriage, Motherhood, Priorities, Problems, Trials, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Three Factors in Determining God’s Will

Posted on August 17, 2012 by russellmckinney

Like a lot of preachers, I have an extensive collection of file folders where I keep illustrations. For example, in my “A” files I have folders for: “Abortion,” “Alcoholism,” “America,” “Angels,” “Animal Rights,” “Astrology,” and “Atheism.” Next, the “B” files consist of “Baptism,” “Bible,” and “Buddhism.” On and on the folders go, all the way up through the alphabet, and inside each one are illustrations that I’ve collected over the years pertaining to that folder’s subject.

One of the largest folders that I have carries the heading “God’s Will.” Consequently, if the subject is “God’s will,” I’ve got illustrations galore for it. And one that stands out in my mind more than many of the others comes from Arthur W. Pink. It’s a quote from his commentary remarks on the subject of Jacob leaving Haran and returning to Canaan (Genesis 31:1-55).

Pink sets up the quote by pointing out three things from the story. First, Jacob had developed a desire to leave Haran. Second, Jacob’s circumstances were conducive to him leaving Haran. Third, God spoke to Jacob and told him to return to Canaan (verse 3). With these three things in mind, Pink writes:

It is not always that God gives us a manifestation of these three principles, but whenever they do combine and are evident we may be sure of his will in any given circumstance. First, a definite conviction in our hearts that God desires us to take a certain course or do a certain thing. Second, the path he would have us take being indicated by outward circumstances, which make it (humanly) possible or expedient we should do it. Then, third, after definitely waiting on God for it, some special word from the Scriptures which is suited to our case and which by the Spirit bringing it manifestly to our notice (while waiting for guidance) is plainly a message from God to our individual heart.

Perhaps you are currently in the valley of decision, sincerely trying to discern God’s will for you in regards to a certain situation. If you are, I think you’d be well advised to look around for Arthur Pink’s three indicators: a desire to do a thing, circumstances conducive to doing it, and the Holy Spirit taking some word from the Scriptures and bringing it to your notice in relation to the thing.

Are these three factors an all-inclusive list for how to determine God’s will? Hardly. And does God always employ each of the three to show His will? No. But as Pink pointed out, whenever these three things do come together in a clear way in your life, you’ll know that the thing is surely God’s will for you.

Posted in Choices, Decisions, Desires, Discernment, God's Guidance, God's Will, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

J.C. Penney & Chick-fil-A

Posted on August 15, 2012 by russellmckinney

For eight-and-a-half years, I pastored a non-denominational church that I started. Some Sundays, as a part of our services, I would describe an everyday situation and ask, “What would Jesus have us do in this situation?” My original plan for the segment was to play off the old question, “What would Jesus do?” But the first time I included the segment in our service, someone wisely noted that oftentimes what Jesus would do isn’t the same as what He would have us do. For example, if Jesus attended a funeral, He might very well raise the deceased! So, I changed the whole theme to, “What would Jesus have us do?”

My questions were never easy ones, such as, “Should I rob this bank?” or “Should I beat my wife?” I always chose situations that didn’t have obvious, cookie-cutter answers. What I was after was a good discussion, one that addressed all the sometimes conflicting angles of the situation. I found it fascinating to moderate these discussions and listen as sincere Christian people bantered back and forth in their answers. By listening to a person’s answer, I could tell what his or her priorities were. You see, each Christian is unique, and each one tends to major upon different aspects of Jesus and His teachings.

One Sunday I waded into the shark-infested waters of our nation’s cultural war by talking about not only the gay and lesbian ads that J.C. Penney was doing at the time but also the counter stance that was being taken by Chick-fil-A at the time. I said, “At one end of a shopping mall, you have a J.C. Penney store. At the other end, in the food court, you have a Chick-fil-A. If Jesus was in that mall, what would He do? Would He shop at J.C. Penney? Would He boycott them? Would He eat at Chick-fil-A? And even more than that, what would He have us, as Christians, do?”

The discussion that followed was so impactful that folks wanted to revisit the topic the following Sunday. So we did. Perhaps not surprisingly, with everyone having had a week’s worth of time to think about the matter, that second discussion was even better than the previous one had been.

One woman noted that Christians condemning homosexuals and alienating ourselves from them hasn’t led one homosexual to attend church, join a Bible study, or accept Christ as Savior. Conversely, one man said that he believes that Christians have given up way too much ground already and that if we had spoken up early enough and loud enough we wouldn’t be in such a mess today. Another man said that he just couldn’t see himself continuing to shop at J.C. Penny. Another woman said that it’s easy for Christians to come down hard on homosexuals until the homosexual is a family member or close friend.

The entire discussion caused me to think a lot harder about the proper Christian response to the homosexual movement, and I’m going to use this post to share some of my thoughts. I’ll ask you to read each thought and consider it carefully, keeping in mind that what we’re after here is a maturing of our Christian faith and a heightening of our spiritual discernment. This goes for this author as well.

#1: Jesus is much more complex than many Christians want Him to be. The same Jesus who taught, “I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Matthew 5:39) flew into a rage against the wicked money-changers in the Jewish temple and angrily ran them out of there with a whip of cords (John 2:13-17). I wonder, which Jesus do you like? The same Jesus who showed mercy and refused to condemn a woman caught in the very act of adultery also made a point of telling her, “Go, and sin no more.” Then He started talking about the difference between walking in darkness and walking in the light (John 8:1-12). Which part of that story do you like best? Needless to say, the actions and character traits of Jesus that personally appeal to you the most will be an indicator of how you feel a Christian should conduct himself or herself in the cultural war.

#2: Christians aren’t all the same. Paul was an educated intellectual (Acts 22:1-3), but Peter and John were uneducated fishermen (Acts 4:13). Matthew was a tax collector (Matthew 9:9), but Luke was a physician (Colossians 4:14). You get the idea. Some Christians are very comfortable grabbing a picket sign and marching against a sin. Other Christians oppose the same sin but simply aren’t hardwired to be so vocal and outspoken. With this understood, how wonderful it would be if each Christian stopped criticizing fellow Christians who don’t think and act exactly like he or she does.

#3: God knows how to use each Christian effectively based upon that Christian’s individuality. Joshua was a great military man who led the Israelites in their conquering of Canaan (Joshua chapters 6-12). Daniel, on the other hand, allowed himself to wrongfully be thrown to the lions rather than fight (Daniel 6:1-23). Which man did God use mightily? Both. Therefore, Christian, I would advise you not to try to be something you’re not. If you are a Joshua, don’t be ashamed of it. Likewise, if you are a Daniel, don’t try to grab your sword and go play Joshua. Whereas Daniel was God’s voice in the highly charged political atmosphere of Babylon for decades, that’s a role that Joshua couldn’t have played nearly as well. Think of it this way: A hammer is a fine tool, but it can’t do the job of a Phillips screwdriver. God is a master worker who knows that no one kind of tool can do every job, and He knows how to use each Christian effectively in His service.

#4: Christians simply don’t have the option of ignoring the fact that the Bible plainly teaches that homosexuality is sin. The biblical truth about homosexuality isn’t complicated. God’s written word consistently classifies the act as sin and condemns it. First, homosexuality would have been sin in the days of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden (Matthew 19:4-5). Second, it was sin in the age before God gave His law to Israel (Genesis 19:1-29). Third, it was sin under that law that God gave to Israel (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Deuteronomy 23:17). Fourth, it was sin during the many centuries that Israel lived under that law (Judges 19:11-13; 1 Kings 14:21-24; 15:9-15; 22:41-46; 2 Kings 22:1-2; 23:7). Fifth, it is sin in this the New Testament “church age” (Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:8-10).

#5: Christians are commanded to share God’s truth with others, and that includes the truth about homosexuality. I really do sympathize with every Christian who says, “I’m just so tired of all the fighting. Can’t we talk about something besides homosexuality?” I once had a Christian say to me, “I’m Switzerland,” and I had to laugh because if anybody was Switzerland, he was. But the fact of the matter is that if you, as a Christian, know that certain people are living in sin, and you don’t tell them the truth about that sin, you aren’t truly showing them love. This is something that Jesus Himself understands, and that’s why He commands His followers to be salt and light in this world (Matthew 5:13-16). Think about it, if every Christian stopped condemning homosexuality today, how long would it take for the sin to become a hundred times more commonplace than it is now? So, don’t we owe it to our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to try to hold back the tide of the homosexual movement as long as we can?

#6: When we Christians speak God’s truth concerning homosexuality (or any other sin), we must do it in love. In Ephesians 4:15, the Bible talks about “speaking the truth in love.” Some Christians are very good at speaking the truth, but their words aren’t always laced with love. I’ll admit that I tend to fall into this category. Other Christians excel at speaking in love, but their words are hollow because they lack the bite of the truth. The goal is a God-approved balance. Don’t get me wrong, though, even if you master the art of speaking the truth in love, many homosexuals will still label you a homophobic, hate mongering, bigoted Neanderthal. That just goes with the territory. Nevertheless, Jesus will know that you are out there trying to share the truth in an appropriate way and He will reward you for it.

#7: We Christians leave ourselves wide open to the charge of hypocrisy when we speak loudly against homosexuality and whisper against other types of sexual sin. Is homosexuality sin? Yes. But so are premarital sex, adultery, incest, pedophilia, and pornography. Christian, do you know any young folks who are “fooling around” before marriage? Do you know any couple who is living together without getting married? Do you know any husband or wife who is cheating on their spouse? Are you covering up for someone who is committing incest or pedophilia? Do you speak out against homosexuality at your workplace and then go home and look at pornography on your computer? These are all probing questions. The point is, you need to address each of these other types of sexual sin with the same fervor and voice level with which you address the sin of homosexuality. To fail to do so makes you a hypocrite, and hypocrisy causes you to lose your credibility as a messenger of God.

Now, as I begin to close all this out, I want to offer my answer to one reasonable question that some Christians ask concerning gay marriage. The question goes like this: “Since marriage in the United States is a legal contract (meaning, you have to have a license to get married) as much as it is a religious covenant, do we as Christians have a right to impose our narrow definition of it onto a country that consists of Jews, Muslims, agnostics, and atheists as well as Christians?” My answer is, yes we should. And guess what, I’ve got a Bible passage to back up that answer. It’s Mark 6:14-29. Those verses give us the story of how John the Baptist publicly rebuked the Roman ruler Herod Antipas because Antipas had committed a form of incest by marrying Herodias, who had previously been married to Herod’s brother, Philip. John told Antipas, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Now, what law was John talking about? Well, it certainly wasn’t the Roman law. Obviously, he was referring to God’s law, that body of law that God had given Israel to live by. So, you see, that was a case of a saved believer (John) holding two unsaved Romans (Herod and Herodias) to God’s standards concerning marriage. And I have to say that I, for one, find in that plenty of scriptural support for the idea that Christians shouldn’t give up the fight against same-sex unions.

Posted in Adultery, Balance, Bible Study, Church, Current Events, Discipleship, Doing Good, Evangelism, Faithfulness, God's Word, God's Work, Homosexuality, Hypocrisy, Marriage, Ministry, Personal, Preaching, Scripture, Sex, Sin, The Bible, Truth, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

What’s Your Weakness?

Posted on August 10, 2012 by russellmckinney

Chuck Swindoll, in his study guide on Samson, makes an excellent point about the value of understanding one’s own weaknesses. He writes:

It is important to know your strengths. But it is life-or-death essential to know your weaknesses….it was Samson’s vulnerability to sexual enticement that led to his demise….Possibly, like Samson, your area of weakness is a blind spot to you. If so, you can bet the aisle seat that the people around you see your weaknesses on a big screen, in 3-D, and in Technicolor. Certainly the Philistines could see Samson’s. Why don’t you ask a few friends for a candid film review of your life? Remember that “faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy” (Proverbs 27:6). And be thankful that you’re surrounded by friends rather than Philistines!

Now, if you want to ask some of the people closest to you to identify your main weakness, feel free to do so. However, if you are like me, you already know what your main weakness is. (And, no, I’m not going to tell on myself!) But however you figure out what your most problematic weakness is, the key thing is to identify it.

Maybe your weakness is sexual enticement, as it was with Samson. Do you enjoy looking at and lusting over attractive, scantily clad members of the opposite sex? Maybe your weakness is the love of money. Do you spend most of your time and energy in the pursuit of the almighty dollar? Maybe your weakness is alcohol or drugs. Is your craving for either one your constant undoing? Maybe your weakness is gambling. How much money have you lost to that compulsion? Maybe your weakness is food. Did you know that the Bible categorizes gluttony as a sin right alongside drunkenness? Maybe your weakness is your temper. Has that out-of-control rage of yours gotten you into trouble more times that you’d like to admit? On and on the list goes because, let’s face it, weaknesses come in all shapes and varieties.

So, again, you need to identify your weakness. But then what should you do? Well, I’d suggest two things. First, ask the Lord to help you overcome that weakness. That’s His part. And, second, keep yourself away from those places and situations where you know your weakness will be tempted. That’s your part. You see, you can’t do God’s part, and He won’t do your part, but by working together with God, you can keep yourself from ending up like Samson.

Posted in Addiction, Alcohol, Anger, Backsliding, Choices, Depravity, Discipleship, Drugs, Gambling, Gluttony, Money, Personal Holiness, Sanctification, Sex, Sin, Temptation | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Pocket Watch Theology

Posted on August 7, 2012 by russellmckinney

Civil War veteran Colonel Robert Ingersoll was the foremost orator of his time. In the years following the war, he traveled the country and delivered long-winded lectures (sometimes more than three hours in length) to packed audiences. He spoke on a wide variety of subjects, religion being prominently featured among them. Even though his father was a Christian minister, Ingersoll openly doubted the inspiration of the Bible, ridiculed the miracles found in its pages, and called into question the existence of God. In Ingersoll’s opinion, if the God of the Bible did exist, He was a cowardly, bloodthirsty, vengeful tyrant.

Oftentimes, Ingersoll would close his lectures on religion by pulling out his pocket watch, raising his hand dramatically, looking upward, and saying something like this:

God, are you up there somewhere? I don’t believe you exist; but if you do, I here and now brand you a coward and a bully. I hate you and defy you and will do so as long as I live. So why don’t you kill me right now? If there is a God, I dare Him to kill me before this minute is up!

After one minute had passed, Ingersoll would put his watch back into his pocket and declare that he had conclusively proved in sixty seconds that God didn’t exist. This “big finish” proved so effective that dozens of Ingersoll wannabees started running around the country, giving their atheistic lectures, holding up their watches, and daring God to kill them in one minute. Not one of them was struck dead.

There was, however, one of these imitators who had the misfortune of having a Moody Bible Institute student in his audience at Chicago’s Washington Square Park (commonly known as Bughouse Square). After hearing the orator rail against God at length and then do Ingersoll’s watch bit, the student took the soapbox himself and addressed the crowd by saying the following:

Friends, just a few minutes ago as I was walking down Clark Street to come here, a little boy came out of an alley and stepped in front of me. I had never seen him before; but he doubled up his fists, looked up into my face and with hatred in his eyes and anger in his voice yelled, “If you wanna fight just start somethin’. I ain’t scared of you, ya big coward! Ya dirty bully! Go on and hit me – I dare ya to.” Then that little boy began to swear and call me vile names as he continued daring me to hit him.

Of course, I could have slapped him head over heels with one hand, but nothing was further from my mind. He was dressed in rags and was dirty from head to foot. He needed a haircut, looked like he might be hungry and was certainly miserable.

As I saw the hatred and bitterness in his face and heard the vile words pouring from his lips, I pitied him with all my heart and longed to help him, to bathe him, dress him, feed him and help him find a home; but when I spoke kindly to him, he cursed and reviled me all the more. Sadly, I stepped around him and came on down the street.

Imagine my amazement when I found the same scene being enacted here! Back there a dirty little boy stepped up on a soapbox and dared me to strike him. Here a dirty little man stepped up on a soapbox and dared God to kill him!

I did not strike the boy because I pitied him and longed to help him, clean him up, dress him and give him a home. God did not kill this man because He loves him and longs to save him, cleanse him from his sins, clothe him in a robe of righteousness, feed him the Bread of Life and give him a home in Heaven.

That was an awesome reply, wasn’t it? And if we are looking for a Bible verse to go along with it, I’d say that 2 Peter 3:9 fits the bill nicely:

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (N.K.J.V.)

Posted in Atheism, Evangelism, God's Love, God's Mercy, Ministry, Salvation, Witnessing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Problem With an Unequal Yoke

Posted on August 6, 2012 by russellmckinney

A Christian girl once told Charles Spurgeon, the legendary preacher, that she was about to marry a man who didn’t attend church or make any allegiance whatsoever to Jesus. Spurgeon, true to form, quickly reminded her of the command from 2 Corinthians 6:14-15:

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? (N.K.J.V.)

But the young woman had another plan. She explained that she would lift the young man up spiritually after they were married. Spurgeon listened to what she was saying and then asked her to stand on a chair. The girl was puzzled by such an odd request, but she obliged. Once she was standing on the chair, Spurgeon said to her, “Now you try to pull me up to your level.” The girl tugged hard on the portly preacher, but no matter how hard she pulled she couldn’t pull him up on the chair with her.

Now it was Spurgeon’s turn. He said, “Now I am going to pull you down, and I want you to do your best to remain where you are.” Well, you can guess what happened. Despite the young woman’s best efforts, Spurgeon easily pulled her down from that chair. Then he said to her, “That is what will happen if you marry that man. You won’t lift him up, but he will pull you down.”

Whether the unequal yoke is a marriage, some other type of personal relationship, or a business partnership, it is never God’s will for the Christian. As for an illustration of why it isn’t, I’ve never read anything better than Spurgeon’s demonstration to that young girl. Over the course of time in the yoke, as the Christian and the lost person try to work together to pull the plow, the great differences between the two will eventually become evident. Mismatched priorities, contrasting opinions, conflicting worldviews, and incompatible standards will be the rules rather than the exceptions. And what will the end result of all those differences be? The inevitable will happen as the Christian will, at least to some degree, get pulled down to the level of the lost person.

Posted in Business, Choices, Discernment, Discipleship, God's Will, Influence, Marriage, Personal Holiness, Sanctification, Temptation | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Daily Medicine

Posted on August 1, 2012 by russellmckinney

Back in the days when doctors made house calls, a doctor paid a visit to John, an elderly man who had called for him. Having treated John many times, the doctor had a good idea going in what the diagnosis would be. Old John was prone to suffer from a particular ailment that was preventable if he would just take his prescribed medicine each day. Unfortunately, John was also prone to be lax in doing that. Instead, he usually waited until he was in a bad way and then called for the doctor. It was all a little game that he and the doctor played.

Well, sure enough, the doctor’s examination showed that John’s failure to take his daily medicine had again created the problem. Once the doctor got the old fellow to feeling better, he said, “John, I’m leaving now. Just be sure to take your medicine.” In typical fashion, John replied, “But when should I take it, doc?” Even though the doctor had heard that question numerous times before, this time it struck a raw nerve. That prompted him to try a new approach with the old man. The conversation went as follows:

Doctor: “Well, John, you seem to be doing all right at this moment. Take the medicine exactly one month from now.”

John (astonished): “Pardon me, Doc, but did you say take the medicine in a month?”

Doctor: “Yes. That should work.”

John: “But Doc, I could be dead in a month.”

Doctor: “Oh, I see your point. Then I guess you’d better take it a week from now.”

John (incredulous): “You’re not understanding me, doctor. I could be dead in a week, too.”

Doctor: “Well, I suppose the odds are against that, but I can’t rule it out as a possibility. So, I guess you’d better start taking the medicine tomorrow.”

John: “But Doc, isn’t it possible that I could die today?”

Doctor: “Oh, right, I guess it is possible. Well then, John, I’ll tell you what I’d do if I was in your shoes: I’d start taking the medicine right now and then I’d take it every day from here on out.”

Christian, prayer is the daily medicine that Jesus, the great Physician, has prescribed for you. What does He say in the famous Lord’s prayer? “Give us this day our daily bread.” Obviously, that implies daily prayer. So, do you pray each day? For that matter, have you prayed today? Or are you waiting until you have to call for the doctor because you’ve let yourself get in a bad way?

Posted in Adversity, Backsliding, Discipleship, Faithfulness, Humor, Prayer, Problems, Sanctification | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Day Mitchell Page Ended My Childhood

Posted on July 30, 2012 by russellmckinney

Today is one of those hot, sultry, late July days. The temperatures are in the 80s, and there is a slight chance of the thunderstorms that are such a classic trademark of summer in the mountains of western North Carolina. The trees are as full as they get. The grass has a tinge of brown here and there from the summer heat. Bees, gnats, and mosquitoes are everywhere. Ants are working themselves in double shifts.

School has been out since the middle of May, which means that the boys have gotten quite used to sitting up past midnight and sleeping in late. The summer trips have all be taken. Most of the calendar dates have been met and scratched off. The next major event on the horizon is the return to school. It was on just such a day, almost thirty-five years ago now, that the last second of my “innocent little boy” era was snatched away and I lost one of the dearest things in the world to me: the wonder, safety, and insulation of my backyard sanctuary.

When I was a kid, my backyard served as the epicenter of the sports universe. It was a football field, a basketball court, and a baseball stadium all rolled into one. How it was used depended upon which sport was in season. Far and away, though, my favorite season was baseball and my favorite time of the year was summer. Virtually every day my schedule was the same: sleep till noon, get up and eat some cereal, and then head out to play the big game. For me, stepping out the door onto our carport and then out into the backyard was akin to running out of the tunnel and onto the field at a Major League ballpark. I’d even do pregame shows in my head, complete with announcers, before hitting the door.

The layout of my field was simple. Home plate was in front of the side of my swing set. The third base line was the pole of my basketball goal. The first base line was the middle support of our carport. And the canopy of huge trees that encircled our house was the outfield fence. Any ball hit high enough into any of those trees was a home run. All other balls were either fielded for outs by the imaginary players that manned each position or went for singles, doubles, or triples.

I used a plastic bat and ball and batted for each player in each team’s lineup. I batted right-handed for the righties and left-handed for the lefties. I swung somewhat weakly for the weak hitters and came out of my shoes swinging for the big studs. Over the years, I must have gone through fifty balls and a dozen bats hitting for the lineups of Major League teams. I wrote the batting lineups out on sheets of notebook paper, played regular innings, and kept precise score. Of course, my beloved Philadelphia Phillies rarely lost.

I wish I was a good enough writer to adequately convey just how important my backyard stadium was to me. It was my refuge from a world that didn’t always go to suit me. It was my empire where I ruled as undisputed king. It was my personal fantasy land where all my athletic dreams could come true. Even today if a psychiatrist asked me to go to a “happy place” in my mind, I’d find myself standing at home plate of that stadium, at the height of summertime, plastic bat in one hand, plastic ball in the other, just about to toss up the ball and cut loose with a mighty swing. No site from my warehouse of memories is safer or more magical.

Ah, but then came that one summer’s day, that one game, and that one swing. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was batting for the order of the Oakland As, and the specific guy at the plate was a player named Mitchell Page. That name has long since been lost to baseball history, but in 1977 Page finished second in the American League’s Rookie of the Year voting to future hall-of-famer Eddie Murray. I knew all about Page because I had his baseball card from that year, complete with all the information that I would ever need about the man.

Since Page was a left-handed power hitter, I switched over to the left side of the plate and mustered my strength to do his swing justice. I tossed the ball up into the air, paused for just a moment to get the timing right, and then cut loose with all I had in a left-handed swing. To my surprise, the ball jumped off the bat in a way I’d never seen one do. I remember that it started off on a much higher plane than usual, a fact that caused me to first assume that I had hit the backyard equivalent of a mile-high Major League popup that would land somewhere between the infield and the outfield for an easy out.

The strange thing was, though, rather than the ball reaching an apex and coming down, the ball kept climbing higher and higher as it soared toward the canopy of trees. I stood there and watched it, thinking to myself, “Man, Mitchell Page shouldn’t have this kind of power.” I was having real trouble getting my logical mind wrapped around the illogical reality that was playing out before me. Higher and higher, farther and farther, the ball sailed until suddenly, in a flash, just as surely as it had been headed toward the highest point of those trees, it disappeared completely from my sight!

I stood there for a while looking confused and puzzled, like one of those guys who thinks he just caught a second’s glimpse of Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. I was thinking, “Did what I think just happened really happen? Could it be possible? Would the laws of the universe allow for such a thing? Did I just step out of time and space and enter into some parallel dimension like those I’ve seen on those t.v. shows The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits? Did Mitchell Page just hit a baseball over the trees and, thus, completely out of the stadium?”

With my mind still racing, I threw down my bat, forsook all pretense of the game, and headed off to find exactly where that ball had landed. I went through our back yard, down the bank, and into the woods. My eyes scanned every known place where any previous ball had ever landed, but there was nothing white to be seen anywhere.

So, then I made my way further out into the trees, out toward our neighbor’s gravel driveway. That driveway ran along the edge of the backside of that big canopy of trees, with the trees basically separating our property from hers. And that’s when I saw it, that white plastic baseball lying there in the middle of that driveway. I remember how the white of the ball stood out so vividly against the backdrop of the dark gray of the gravel. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the unimaginable had happened: Mitchell Page had hit a ball completely out of the greatest backyard stadium of all time.

How did I feel at that moment? Well, would you believe that I literally had to hold back the tears? Rather than being ecstatic over such an awesome feat, I was devastated. I felt like a baby bird that had just been pushed out the nest where it had been nurtured and protected for so long. I was now living in a brand-new world and there was no going back to how things had been.

I didn’t even finish that game. As a matter of fact, I only tried playing a couple of times after that day, and my heart wasn’t even in those. I had grown too old and too strong for my own good. Now I needed a bigger stadium, and deep down I knew that such a place didn’t exist. Life would come hard and fast from here on out, and my safe place was no more. The yard, landmarks, and trees were still there, but they’d never hold the same fairy dust they’d once held.

Needless to say, after all these years my mind still makes occasional trips back to my backyard baseball stadium. Of course, I can never stay there for long. The past is the past and the demands of the present must constantly be met. But those fleeting memories serve as the lenses through which I personally view those words from Ecclesiastes 11:9:

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. (N.K.J.V.)

My youth is long gone now, and there’s a certain brand of cheer (let’s call it “little boy” cheer) that I’ll never know again. It’s not that my life is bad now. To the contrary, I’d say that in God’s eyes it’s better than it’s ever been. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t sometimes miss those imaginary big-league games in my backyard.

This post got me to thinking about Mitchell Page, and so I did a little internet research on him. I learned that he died in his sleep on March 11, 2011 at the age of 59. Something in me was saddened by that news. All I’ll say is that I hope he was a Christian. If he was, then one day we’ll have an awesome conversation in heaven, and I’ll tell him what a profound influence he unknowingly had on my life.

Posted in Aging, Children, Personal, Sports, Youth | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments