Everybody Is Not Your Friend

Posted on July 25, 2012 by russellmckinney

The story that I want to use for this post is an old one that has been passed around in preachers’ circles for quite a while. I have no idea whether or not the story is true, and if it is true, I don’t know how it ended or whatever became of the characters. All I know is that the story is a funny one that teaches a great lesson.

As the tale goes, Jorge Rodriguez was a bank robber who operated along the Texas border in the late 1800s. He lived in a small village in Mexico and frequently crossed the Rio Grande into Texas to rob the banks there. He was so successful with his robberies that the Texas Rangers finally placed an extra posse along the river for the sole purpose of catching him.

Late one afternoon, one of the men in that posse saw Rodriguez slipping back across the river into Mexico. Since there was no time to collect any other members of the posse, the Ranger decided to trail Rodriguez back to Rodriguez’s village. When they arrived there, the Ranger watched Rodriguez mingle with the people in the village square and then go into the cantina.

Now the Ranger had Rodriguez cornered. So, he made his way to the cantina and barged in with pistol in hand. As he stood in front of the stunned Rodriguez, the Ranger said, “I know who you are, Jorge Rodriguez, and I have come to get back all the money you’ve stolen from the banks in Texas. Unless you give it to me now, I’m going to blow your brains out.” The Ranger thought he had Rodriguez right where he wanted him, but he didn’t realize the bandit couldn’t speak English, which put the two men at a communication impasse.

Just then a little Mexican spoke up and volunteered to serve as translator. The Ranger agreed to the offer and told the little fellow to translate the ultimatum for Rodriguez. Upon hearing it, Rodriguez grew visibly nervous and answered, “Tell the Texas Ranger that I have not spent a cent of the money. If he will go to the well in the town square, face north, and count down five stones, he will find a loose stone. When he pulls out the stone, he’ll find that all the money is behind it. Please tell him quickly.” To that, the little Mexican got a solemn look on his face, stared the Ranger squarely in the eye, and said in perfect English, “Jorge Rodriguez is a brave man. He says he is ready to die.”

What’s the lesson of the story? Everybody is not your friend. In light of this, be careful who you trust. Understand that even though you might have hundreds of acquaintances, you’ve only got a few real friends who’ll be there for you when the chips are down. And, first and foremost, realize that Jesus is the friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). After all, He’s the only friend you’ve got who has proven His love for you by literally dying for you:

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. (John 15:13, N.K.J.V.)

Posted in Christ's Death, Communication, Deception, Discernment, Friendship, Humor, Truth, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

“I Am the Joker”

Posted on July 23, 2012 by russellmckinney

Lately, I’ve been preaching a series on the life of Samson. As you might recall, Samson lived his life under the Old Testament law’s Nazirite vow (Judges 13:5, Numbers 6:1-21). That vow had its definite particulars, but a big part of it involved being separated from the world and unto God.

Christians today don’t live under Old Testament law, including the Nazirite vow. Nevertheless, we are called to live a life of separation. Please slow down right here and read the following passages carefully, all of them from the New Testament:

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4) (N.K.J.V)

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anybody loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17) (N.K.J.V)

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?….Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean. And I will receive you.” (2 Corinthians 6:14,17) (N.K.J.V.)

I couldn’t help but think about this whole subject of separation when I heard about the mass shooting that transpired in the Aurora, Colorado theater this past Friday night. 12 people were killed and 58 others were wounded at a packed midnight showing of the new Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises. And what was it the alleged shooter, 24-year-old James Holmes, told police? Reportedly, he said, “I am the Joker.” Obviously, he was referring to the Joker character that was depicted in the previous Batman film The Dark Knight. The now-deceased Heath Ledger played that character and posthumously won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the role.

You’d be hard pressed to find a more “worldly” character than Ledger’s Joker. Some of us remember the campy Batman t.v. series from the 1960s in which Caesar Romero played the Joker. Romero’s version was a clownishly silly prankster, nothing more than a Saturday-morning cartoon character brought to life. He never did any real harm, let alone kill anybody. Then came Jack Nicholson’s Joker in the 1989 blockbuster film Batman, a character who was darker and much more dangerous than Romero’s but was still fairly lighthearted and prone to comic one-liners.

Ledger’s Joker, however, took the character to a heavy, sad, maniacally perverse corner. In an interview he gave not long before his death, Ledger described his Joker as, “a psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy.” He also said of playing the role, “I couldn’t stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going.” He slept an average of two hours per night while filming. That led him to take prescription drugs, and it is commonly believed that it all contributed to his death at the age of 28 from an accidental overdose of a combination of his high-powered medicines.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming Heath Ledger for the actions of James Holmes. The fact is that millions of people around the world saw Ledger’s The Dark Knight Joker and didn’t use it as motivation or inspiration to kill others. All I’m saying is that it is absurd to think that what you pour into your brain doesn’t have some effect on your mindsets, attitudes, opinions, worldviews, and, yes, to some degree actions. James Holmes is clearly a disturbed young man, one whose madness could have been set off by any number of things. But can anyone honestly tell me that him watching Heath Ledger’s Joker was an edifying, positive event in his life? Of course not.

The movie, television, and music industries love to churn out products that major on the negative aspects of human existence, things such as: sex, adultery, lust, homosexuality, rape, incest, profanity, drug abuse, alcoholism, murder, brutality, extortion, blackmail, gambling, lying, robbery, greed, corruption, and hypocrisy. The idea is that good, wholesome, moral entertainment just doesn’t have that pizzazz factor that creates buzz and wows the critics. But then the same industries want to wash their hands of any ill-effects their products might have on people. Executives say, “We’re just giving people what they want.” I suppose they are. However, they are also playing an undeniable role in helping people want the wrong things. It’s a two-way street.

As for God, He understands the human mind far better than we do, and so we ought to listen when His written word gives us counsel on the subject of entertainment. Consider the following three passages:

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. (Philippians 4:8) (N.K.J.V.)

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (1 Corinthians 6:12) (N.K.J.V.)

I will set nothing wicked before my eyes… (Psalm 101:3) (N.K.J.V.)

It is on the heels of these passages that I’ll ask you a simple question: How does the entertainment that fills your life measure up to these passages? If your life is like mine, it could stand some tidying up in this area. Of course, I’m not the entertainment czar and couldn’t even begin to tell you what shows, movies, or songs are in bounds or out of bounds for you. All I’ll say is that if you want to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord, the biblical call to separate yourself from the world has to come into play at certain points along the way. As I said, I don’t know precisely where those points are for you. But the good news is that God knows where they are, and He will surely reveal them to you if you will ask Him.

Posted in Alcohol, Choices, Christian Liberty, Current Events, Discipleship, Dress and Appearance, Drugs, Entertainment, Gambling, Influence, Music, Personal Holiness, Separation, Temptation | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Miss Thompson & Teddy

Posted on July 20, 2012 by russellmckinney

Today, I feel led to share a story that I picked up years ago from well-known pastor and author John Ortberg. It’s Ortberg’s story put into my own words. The story has always been a blessing to me, and I hope it will be one to you.

Miss Thompson was a 4th-grade teacher who had a student who was unmotivated, apathetic, and well behind the rest of the class academically. Actually, the only reason he was even in the 4th grade was because his previous teachers had promoted him undeservedly. The student’s name was Teddy.

It didn’t take Miss Thompson long to reach the end of her rope with the boy, and her frustration began to come out by way of negative comments toward him. But no matter how much she scolded him or criticized him, nothing seemed to faze him one way or the other. He just took it all in silence. She began to suspect that he just didn’t have the mental capacity to learn.

In desperation, she decided to dig up Teddy’s progress reports from previous years and see if she could find something she could use to reach him. All she found, though, was the sad pattern that had brought him to his current state: “Teddy is academically inferior and in great need of help.” “Teddy has no dad.” Teddy’s mom is sick.” “Teddy is in need of professional counseling.” “Teddy’s mom has died.” “Teddy lives with his aunt.” The reports helped Miss Thompson understand Teddy better, but none of them gave her the answer as to how to help him.

When Christmastime rolled around that year, each of the kids brought a gift for Miss Thompson. Teddy came in carrying a brown paper bag with the opening crudely taped closed. Miss Thompson opened the bag, which held inside it half a bottle of cheap perfume and an old bracelet. Basically, it was the tackiest gift she had ever received. She had enough sensitivity and courtesy, though, to make a good show of things for Teddy. She put a little dab of the perfume on her wrist and complimented him in front of the entire class.

At the close of class that day, Teddy lingered around until the other kids were gone. This was something he had never done. He stood in silence for a good while until he finally said of the perfume, “Miss Thompson, you smell just like my mother when she wore it.” Then he left. Miss Thompson cried all the way home that afternoon, and the following morning she walked back into class with a renewed sense of mission. She would make Teddy her personal project and pour more time, effort, and compassion into him than she had any other student.

And how did it all turn out? Well, Teddy passed Miss Thompson’s class. Then he went on to graduate high school. Then he enrolled in college and graduated from there. Then he enrolled in medical school and graduated from there. Every now and then along the way he would send Miss Thompson notes informing her of his progress. The last one came just prior to the ceremony for his graduation from medical school. The note read: “Miss Thompson, I am graduating soon. I want you to sit in my mother’s chair.” It was signed “Theodore Salvard, M.D.”

Ortberg’s point to the story was that you, Christian, are the only Jesus that some people will ever see. I’ll add in that this world is filled with people like Teddy, people who need someone who will put in the effort to understand them and help them. Perhaps the Lord will one day have you cross paths with someone like that. Maybe it’s even already happened. That person might be a kid, an elderly person, a homeless person, or someone who is “the talk of the town.” I don’t know who God might have in mind for you to help, but what I do know is that Jesus Christ came to serve others, including those who needed the most help. And I also know that if we, His people, really want to walk in His steps, such ministering to others has to be a major part of who we are and what we do.

Posted in Children, Christmas, Doing Good, Encouragement, Evangelism, Friendship, God's Love, God's Work, Influence, Mercy, Ministry, Motherhood, Service, Teaching, Witnessing, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mud

Posted on July 18, 2012 by russellmckinney

Following a summer storm, a mischievous little boy raced outside and proceeded to splash the water out of every mudhole he could find. By the time he was finished, the mudholes were all dry and he was covered in mud from head to toe. Then he went back inside the house. He had taken just a few steps inside the back door when his father intercepted him and said, “Stop right where you are, take off those dirty shoes and clothes, and go take a bath.” The boy tried to protest but the father was having none of it. All discussion was ended when the father said, “Son, you are welcome in this house but your mud isn’t.”

I’ve been a pastor for many years now, and I’ve met a lot of people who would willingly admit their sins and even express shame and regret over them. Sadly, however, the percentage of those people who would actually repent of those sins was relatively small. Like the little boy in that story, a lot of folks want to play in the mud without consequence. Like the father in that story, however, God doesn’t allow that.

You say, “But I’m a Christian and I am eternally forgiven.” Okay, I understand that. Do you understand, though, that sins for which you haven’t confessed and repented will seriously hinder your daily fellowship with God? You see, the relationship will still be there, but there is a difference between having an eternal relationship with God and being in daily fellowship with Him.

And so, Christian, here’s a good question to ask yourself: “Do I have any mud on me right now?” If your answer is “Yes,” consider this post as God’s call for you to repent. Of course, unlike that boy in our story, you can’t be made clean by a bath and a change of clothes. Instead, your forgiveness and cleansing can only be found in Jesus. As 1 John 1:8-9 says:

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (N.K.J.V.)

I, for one, am very grateful those words are in the Bible, and I don’t mind admitting that I’ve put them to good use many times in my walk with Christ. Perhaps, Christian, that’s what you need to do as soon as you finish reading this. I’m not trying to put you on a guilt trip over things you haven’t done, but I don’t believe the Lord would have led me to write on this topic unless someone needed it. So, if that someone is you, stop what you are doing and employ 1 John 1:8-9. And remember that even though John doesn’t specifically mention the word “repent” in those verses, as the old saying goes, “Confession without repentance isn’t much more than bragging.”

Posted in Addiction, Backsliding, Change, Confession, Conscience, Conviction, Disobedience, Forgiveness, God's Holiness, Personal Holiness, Repentance, Salvation, Sin | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Go Easy on Other People’s Cargo

Posted on July 12, 2012 by russellmckinney

But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. (Jonah 1:3-5, N.K.J.V.)

I once heard James Merritt, the pastor of Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, Georgia, preach a sermon on Jonah entitled “The Fugitive.” I’ve heard a lot of preaching from the book of Jonah, read a lot of commentaries on the book, and preached through the book myself, but Merritt brought out a certain point that I’d never considered. He noted that the ship upon which Jonah fled to Tarshish was a cargo ship, and when God sent the windstorm to strike the ship, one of the first things the sailors did was throw all the cargo overboard in an attempt to keep the ship from sinking. It was only after losing that cargo that they figured out that Jonah was the cause of the storm and reluctantly obliged when he told them to throw him overboard to calm the sea (Jonah 1:12).

Merritt’s point was that losing an entire cargo haul hit those sailors where it hurt: right in the wallet. Those men had their livelihoods tied up in those goods they were transporting, and cargo ships don’t get paid to unload nothing at the docks. Consequently, even though the windstorm immediately subsided as soon as they threw Jonah overboard, it’s not like those men sailed on to Tarshish unscathed. No, when Jonah forsook God’s will and ran off to do something else, those sailors got hurt by his actions. They got caught in the ugly backwash of his mess.

This is how it always works when someone refuses to do God’s will. Not only does the disobedient individual get hurt, other people get hurt as well. So, Jonah, are you being tempted right now to run from God’s will and head off to some Tarshish of your own choosing? Well, just know that somebody somewhere, perhaps someone you wouldn’t even begin to consider as you are making your decision, will get hurt by your disobedience. You see, life is such that we are all intertwined enough that our actions, either good or bad, affect others either positively or negatively. And that’s just one more reason for each of us to always do God’s will in every situation.

Posted in Backsliding, Choices, Confession, Decisions, Disobedience, Doing Good, God's Will, Influence, Obedience, Rebellion, Repentance, Temptation | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Plea for Courtesy

Posted on July 10, 2012 by russellmckinney

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous. (1 Peter 3:8, N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

I want to use this post to address a problem that I believe has reached epidemic proportions in our society. That problem is the basic lack of common courtesy that seems to mark about half the things people do these days. I’m telling you, on a list of my pet peeves, this one ranks very high.

I really couldn’t begin to name all the examples where this lack of courtesy is exhibited, but let me start with three simple ones from the realm of communication. #1: If a person calls you and wants a return call, call them back. #2: If a person sends you a text that requires a reply, send a reply. #3: If a person sends you an email that needs a response, email them a response. C’mon people, this isn’t that hard.

And, please, don’t come to me with that worn out, lame excuse, “Well, I just got so busy.” Listen, we’re all busy. Stop being so arrogant as to think that you are busier than the person you are ignoring. You aren’t so busy that you can’t take a minute or two and return a phone call, a text, or an email. Trust me, if you make such returns a priority, you’ll be amazed at how you can find time to do them.

As another prime example of the problem that I’m describing, let tell you about something that happened to me one fall during high school football. My son, Ryan, was a freshman playing on our local school’s j.v. team, and one afternoon I went to pick him up at practice, which was supposed to be over at 7:00. So, I got there a few minutes before 7:00 and waited. Then I waited some more. Then I waited some more. Then I waited some more. It was now close to 7:30, and neither Ryan nor any other player had come walking out of that locker room. Keep in mind now that I was just one of a parking lot full of parents who were waiting on their kids. It was, after all, j.v. football, so it’s not like a lot of the players had their drivers licenses.

Well, at some point the door to the locker room finally flung open and the players started streaming out in droves. When Ryan got in the car, I asked him, “What took so long in there?” He then informed me that an assistant coach had taken it upon himself after practice to give one of those “manhood” speeches that football coaches live to give. I know the speeches well because I myself have given a few of them during my days of helping coach youth-league football.

By the way, in case there are any coaches reading this, please take note of the report that Ryan gave me about that speech. When I asked him if he got anything out of what the man said, he answered, “No.” When I asked him what the speech was about, he said, “I don’t know, just a bunch of stuff I’d heard a million times before.” When I asked him if the coach used any profanity, he grinned and said, “Yes, he used seven curse words. I counted.” Meet the modern-day kid. Needless to say, Vince Lombardi would have a hard time relating to him.

Even though I could say a lot about cursing in front of highly impressionable high school boys and being a good role model, I’ll let that go for now and stay on subject. Can you understand the sheer lack of common courtesy that oozes out of an assistant coach boring his players with a profanity-laced speech for some twenty minutes while a sea of parents sit in their cars in the parking lot worrying about their kids’ lack of supper and amount of homework? I assure you that if you want to teach genuine manhood to a bunch of teenage boys, teaching them to cuss and ignore their worried parents in the parking lot ain’t the way to do it.

But please don’t think that this lack of courtesy extends only as far as a high school locker room. Like I said, I couldn’t even begin to name all the relevant examples. So, let me mention just one more and then I’ll wrap this up. A few days after that j.v. football practice, Tonya and I took Ryan and our other son, Royce, to the local pool. As usual, the place was pretty busy and the spots where women could lay out in the sun were somewhat limited. That meant that some ladies ended up doing their sunning in the vicinity of the diving board.

You know where I’m going with this, right? I watched as some heavy-set dude absolutely drowned a woman with his cannonball. You say, “Well, Russell, he probably didn’t mean to do that.” Yes, he did. He actually jumped off toward that side to make sure that he nailed somebody. You say, “Well, teenage boys do stupid things.” You’re right, they do, but I’d estimate this guy to have been in his thirties. You say, “Well, that woman probably didn’t mind get splashed. She knew it was all in good fun.” Yeah, right, I guess that’s why she jumped up and fussed.

You see, nobody likes being on the bad end of a lack of courtesy. Why, then, has our society sunk so low in this department? I suspect it’s because somewhere along the line people started giving as good as they were getting. They don’t return phone calls, texts, or emails because nobody returns theirs. They don’t care to flippantly waste other peoples’ time because they’ve had their time flippantly wasted. They don’t care to splash unsuspecting sunbathers at the pool because they figure that someone would do it to them if they got the chance.

So, this post is my way of sending out a challenge for the madness to stop, and I’m asking you, the reader, to pick up that challenge. Go ahead and let that car pull out in front of you. Life as you know it won’t end if you do. Put that grocery cart in its place properly. You might just save someone a door ding by doing so. Pick up what’s left of your nachos and popcorn after the game and put it all in a trash can. That will keep someone else from having to do it. If you say you will be somewhere at a certain time, be there at that time. Don’t keep people waiting. If someone lets you borrow something, get it back to them promptly. That person shouldn’t have to hunt you down to reacquire their property. Hold the door open for an elderly person. You’ll be aged yourself one day and you’ll want someone to hold the door for you. Do you hear what I’m saying? This world is a hard enough place without you adding to the hardship, and keep in mind that if no one else is watching, God is.

Posted in Character, Children, Communication, Doing Good, Honesty, Humility, Influence, Leadership, Parenting, Personal, Personal Holiness, Priorities, Sports, Youth | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Transitioning Into the Afterlife

Posted on July 4, 2012 by russellmckinney

An old Scot lay on his death bed, and his family called for their local minister. As the minister entered the room and sat down in a chair next to the bed, he saw that another chair was pulled up right alongside the bed’s opposite side. The dying man noticed the minister’s puzzlement about the other chair and began to explain. He said, “Pastor, I used to have a very hard time praying. So, one day I talked to our previous pastor about the problem and he advised me to place an empty chair opposite me, imagine that Jesus was sitting in that chair, and then talk with Him as I would a friend. I found that praying that way worked for me and I’ve been doing it for many years ever since.”

A few days later, the Scot’s daughter called the minister and informed him that her father had passed away. She said, “I wasn’t expecting him to die when he did. I had just gone to my room to lie down to get a couple hours sleep. I thought it would be alright because he seemed to be sleeping so comfortably. But when I checked on him after my nap, I found him dead. The only difference between when I left him and when I found him was the fact that his hand was now placed on the empty chair beside his bed. Isn’t that strange?” The minister couldn’t help but give a little smile as he answered, “No, it’s not so strange. I understand.”

That story reminds me of one that I’ve heard used in relation to Genesis 5:21-24, the passage that tells us that God “took” Enoch. Verse 24 of that passage says:

Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. (N.I.V.)

As the story goes, each day God would come to Enoch in the morning and say, “Enoch, let’s walk together today.” Enoch would agree, and he and God would spend the whole day walking together. Every day they would walk a little further than they had the previous day and then return to Enoch’s house. But eventually there came a day when God said, “Enoch, we’ve walked so far today that we are actually closer to My house. So, let’s just go on there this time.”

Yes, I know, Enoch didn’t literally die a physical death. Still, though, that little story is a beautiful way to think about how the believer transitions into the afterlife. I don’t suppose that any piece of writing every put it more succinctly or more perfectly than the classic K.J.V. translation renders 1 Corinthians 15:55, and so I’ll close this post with those familiar words:

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Posted in Aging, Comfort, Death, Discipleship, God's Love, Heaven, Prayer, Reward, Salvation, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Ducking Those Spears & Arrows

Posted on July 2, 2012 by russellmckinney

In The Making of a Man of God: Studies in the Life of David, Alan Redpath gives us a wonderful quote concerning the man of God in relation to the people of the world. He writes:

It is impossible for a man chosen of God to be at peace with the children of the devil. A man anointed of the Holy Spirit is immediately the target of Satan…It is possible that for a while you, like David, may be able to soothe your enemy and make him happy if you play your spiritual harp to him. But the moment the world discovers what you are, when the obvious evidence of heavenly reality rests upon you, they will begin to sling the javelins at you.

The story that Redpath is referencing is found in 1 Samuel chapters 16 through 18. The teenage David played the harp for King Saul whenever Saul was depressed or melancholy, and David’s playing refreshed the king. The situation changed, however, after David slew the Philistine giant Goliath and became a national hero in Israel. Following that, Saul became so insanely jealous of David that one day, while David was playing the harp for him, Saul threw a spear at him in an attempt to pin him to the wall. The spear missed, but the message was sent. From that moment on, Saul was out to get David.

Whereas Redpath spoke of javelins being slung at David, the Israelite patriarch Jacob spoke of arrows being shot at his son Joseph, another man of God. In Genesis 49:22-26, the elderly Jacob offers up his deathbed description of Joseph, verse 23 of which says:

The archers have bitterly grieved him, shot at him, and hated him (N.K.J.V.).

Now, was Jacob talking about literal archers with literal arrows, just as Saul had thrown a literal spear at David? No. First, Jacob was talking about his ten oldest sons whose jealousy and hatred of Joseph had led them to sell him into slavery (Genesis 37:1-36). Second, he was talking about Potiphar’s wife, who had falsely accused Joseph of attempted rape when Joseph had spurned her sexual advances (Genesis 39:1-18). Third, he was talking about Potiphar, who had sided with his wife in that whole scandal and had ordered that Joseph be thrown into prison (Genesis 39:19-20). Fourth, he was talking about Pharaoh’s chief butler, who had reneged on a deal he had made with Joseph about making Pharoah aware of Joseph’s unjust imprisonment (Genesis 40:1-23). You see, each of these individuals, with his or her actions toward Joseph, had shot an arrow at him in an attempt to wound him.

But why am I telling you all this? I’m doing it to let you, the man or woman of God, know that when you step out into the world and start serving God in an uncommonly high way, you’d best know how to duck. Trust me, stuff will start flying at you! I don’t figure that it will be literal stuff, but, hey, you never know. Just ask David on that one. The point is, though, that the world recognizes the person who walks out of step with it, let alone the one who stands as a daily rebuke of it.

But please don’t let this warning deter you from going all out for Christ. Remember that the same David who had the spear thrown at him wrote about the Lord preparing a table for him in the presence of his enemies (Psalm 23:5). That tells us that God can not only keep His servant safe against the world’s spears and arrows but also provide a bountiful table of blessing for that servant right in the midst of the servant’s enemies. I like the sounds of that, don’t you? So, don’t give up on serving the Lord when those spears and arrows start flying at you. Instead, start looking for God’s table of blessing. It will be there.

Posted in Adversity, Comfort, Commitment, Courage, Criticism, Disappointment, Doing Good, Encouragement, Faithfulness, God's Love, God's Provision, God's Work, Ministry, Persecution, Perseverance, Problems, Service, Spiritual Warfare, Suffering, Trials, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How’s Your Contending?

Posted on June 27, 2012 by russellmckinney

Jude was the earthly half-brother of Jesus. He was also the writer of the Bible’s book of Jude, which is a letter he wrote to his fellow Christians. Jude’s original plan was to build the letter around the subject of the salvation that Christians hold in common. But when it came time to put ink to parchment, the Holy Spirit led him to write a much different letter, one that encouraged Christians to contend for the Christian faith and be on guard against apostate teachers who would pollute the pure stream of that faith. Jude 1:3-4 say:

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. (N.K.J.V.)

Christian, you need to understand that if some dedicated, courageous Christians down through the ages hadn’t contended for the faith in the face of apostasy, wrong doctrine, and false teaching in their day, you might never have heard the true, pure gospel in your day. Furthermore, you need to also understand that it is now your job to carry the torch they have passed. In his book Of God & Men, A.W. Tozer, a great defender of the faith himself, puts it this way:

The task of the church is twofold: to spread Christianity throughout the world and to make sure that the Christianity she spreads is the pure New Testament kind.

If you need some additional scriptural motivation to take up this challenge, the Bible offers plenty. Consider the following list (all from the N.K.J.V.):

1. We are to test all teachings:

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)

2. We are to expose those teachings that are false:

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. (Ephesians 5:8-11)

3. We are to rebuke false teachers:

…Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. (Titus 1:13-14)

4. We are to separate from those who persist in false teaching:

Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. (Romans 16:17)

5. If we refuse to separate ourselves from false teachers, we hinder ourselves from being vessels of honor that can be used by God to perform every good work:

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. (2 Timothy 2:20-21)

In closing, let me say that I realize full well that this subject doesn’t get preached much these days. Instead, modern-day Christians are all about tolerance, acceptance, ecumenicalism, and what we refer to as “unity.” But unity around error is not a unity to be valued. Actually, it’s the polar opposite of Jude’s plea for us to contend for the faith. In light of this, Christian, I want you to ask yourself a serious question: “If every Christian contended for the pure Christian faith the way I do, where would that faith be fifty years from now?” Be honest with your answer, and if you need to pick up the torch of contending for the faith, please do so. I assure you that we need you in the battle.

Posted in Bible Study, Christian Unity, Courage, Discernment, Discipleship, Doctrine, Faithfulness, God's Word, God's Work, Ministry, Pastors, Preaching, Salvation, Scripture, Service, Truth | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Word About the Media & Polling

Posted on June 25, 2012 by russellmckinney

An international automobile race was once held in the Soviet Union. With that country being under strict Communist control, the international media was forced to rely upon Pravda to report the race results. Pravda was the mouthpiece newspaper for the Communist party. And so, what were those results? According to Pravda, the American car came in next to last while the Russian-made Moskovich car came in second.

Okay, sounds like a plain case of Communist engineering over American engineering, right? Wrong. The truth is that there were only two cars in the race and the American car beat the Russian car! Do you see how the report from Pravda was literally true and yet oh so misleading? Welcome to the world of biased media and manipulated statistics.

Every time I hear the words, “According to the latest polls, the majority of Americans…” my ear just tunes out. C’mon, it’s not like every American was polled. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pollster for a national organization on the streets of tiny Spruce Pine, North Carolina, where I live. Stop 100 people on the streets of San Francisco, California, and ask your questions. Then fly down to Birmingham, Alabama and ask 100 people there. Do you think the results from both cities will match up evenly?

But, really, even if the poll results are based upon large-scale polling and are unbiasedly reported, what practical difference do they make to the Bible-believing Christian anyway? I mean, is abortion going to suddenly become right in the eyes of God just because 50.1 percent of Americans think it is okay? No. Is God going to change His mind on homosexuality just because a slim majority of Americans don’t agree with what His written word teaches about it? No. Is the approval of capital punishment going to disappear from the pages of both the Old Testament (Genesis 9:6) and the New Testament (Romans 13:1-4) just because the latest poll shows that most Americans disagree with it? No. Do you see what I mean? God is never going to change His truth, standards, and word simply to appease a bunch of rogue Americans. And I don’t need a poll to tell me that.

Posted in Abortion, Bible Study, Capital Punishment, Current Events, Deception, Discernment, Discipleship, Doubt, God's Word, Homosexuality, Politics, Scripture, The Bible, The Death Penalty, Truth | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment