Be Wary of Hay

Posted on March 28, 2012 by russellmckinney

One Sunday morning a pastor noticed that a certain farmer wasn’t in church. Because the farmer never missed a service, the pastor figured that something must be wrong. So, after church he drove out to visit the man and found him working in a hay field. The pastor walked up to him and said, “We missed you in church this morning, brother. I hope nothing is wrong.” The farmer replied, “No, nothing is wrong, preacher. But I had this hay cut and lying on the ground and it looked like rain, and I figured it’d be better to be here and thinking about God than sitting in church worried about my hay.”

I’ll reserve judgment on where God would have had that farmer be that Sunday morning, but any pastor will tell you that a lot of people sit in church services and think about some kind of “hay.” Their “hay” keeps their minds off worship. It causes them to zone out during the Sunday School lesson or the sermon. It keeps them from vibrantly participating in the congregational singing. We might say that these peoples’ bodies are at their posts, but their minds are somewhere else.

Is such a thing pleasing to God? Of course not. He wants more than mere zombies who dutifully report for roll call. Certainly this goes for church attendance, but it also goes for Bible study, prayer, witnessing, and giving. Any time we are engaged in doing these things, our minds should be fixated on the task at hand. No “hay” should divide our thoughts and focus. Remember this whenever you find your mind drifting as you try to do something for the Lord.

Posted in Bible Study, Church, Church Attendance, Faithfulness, Giving, God's Work, Prayer, Preaching, Sunday School, Witnessing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Wonder of Being Childlike

Posted on March 26, 2012 by russellmckinney

My oldest son, Ryan, was a freshman on his high school’s j.v. baseball team, and the team had an away game against a school that was located an hour and a half away. So, I made the drive to watch him play a game that ended in a 2-2 tie. The conference rule for j.v. games was that teams played six innings and then got one extra inning to decide a tie. If the score was still deadlocked after that seventh inning, it was time for the varsity teams to hit the field for warm ups.

Because it was a school night and the varsity team would be getting back home quite late, the j.v. players were allowed to ride home early with their parents. That meant that Ryan would be riding home with me and I would be responsible for getting him some supper. This is where Burger King comes into the story. After I had I ordered my usual Whopper with cheese and Ryan had ordered his usual chicken tenders, we sat down at a table. I had to get back up, though, because it was one of those “fill your own drink” places and I hadn’t filled mine yet.

When I returned from getting my drink, I saw that Ryan was praying. I figured he was offering his typical fast prayer over his fast food, but I soon noticed that the prayer seemed a touch more lengthy and intense than usual. Once he was finished praying, I took my seat across from him and just had to ask, “What were you praying?” Yes, that was nosy of me, but, hey, that’s how parents roll. Before Ryan answered, he gave a little grin as if he had been caught doing something off limits. Then he said, “I thanked God for the game. I thanked Him for the food. And I asked Him to have you let me get some dessert.”

You’d understand that request perfectly if you knew how passionate the boy was about his desserts. It was an ongoing issue that he always had to have dessert at a restaurant. While the extra expense was one thing, the extra time required to deal with dessert was another. Nevertheless, I almost always gave in and let him have dessert.  And, yes, that night he got his ice cream/brownie thing at Burger King. How could I possibly have refused him after he had melted my heart with such a sweet, simple, childlike request, one that he wasn’t even going to let me in on if I hadn’t asked?

Okay, so where am I going with this story? Well, as I sat there eating my Whopper that night, I couldn’t help but think how wonderful it would be if we Christians could master the childlike faith of a boy asking God to lead his daddy to let him buy a dessert. What was it Jesus said?

Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3-4, N.K.J.V.)

Tell me, Christian, how much of the pure, innocent, guileless faith of a child do you have left about you? I must confess that my level at this stage of my life isn’t as high as it once was. Unfortunately, as you get older, and as life runs you through some painful experiences, your childlike faith can take a real hit.

Then again, maybe I’m just not quite old enough yet. What I mean is, if I keep living, and if the aging process continues to systematically make me less and less self-sufficient, perhaps more of my childlike faith will return to me. That’s what I suspect will happen, anyway. Let’s face it, when you just can’t do for yourself, the Lord has to do for you, right?

This concept of having to be taken care of is one that we instinctively understand as children, but we unlearn it when we become adults. And that unlearning hurts us in regards to looking to God to meet our needs and believing that He is going to grant our requests that are in His will for our lives. Thinking about Ryan’s little prayer that night reminds me of all this. Now we’ll see if I can reclaim some of the childlike characteristics I have lost along the way.

Posted in Aging, Belief, Children, Desires, Faith, Fatherhood, God's Love, God's Provision, God's Will, Grace, Needs, Parenting, Personal, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Sports, Trusting In God, Worry, Youth | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Praying in Jesus’ Name (part 6)

Posted on March 22, 2012 by russellmckinney

For the past several posts, I’ve been explaining what all is involved with praying “in Jesus’ name” (John 14:12-14). Thus far we’ve covered the following ground:

1. Praying in Jesus’ name can only be done by a Christian.

2. To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray in submission to God’s will.

3. To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray in the authority of Jesus.

4. To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray with an understanding of the limitless power such praying offers.

5. Praying in Jesus’ name means praying the kind of prayer that Jesus would pray.

Now let me move on to the sixth and last thing I want to say on this subject. It is this: To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray with an awareness of the work of redemption that Jesus completed.

Christian, whenever you pray you should be keenly aware of the fact that your privilege of prayer rests upon the foundation of Christ’s divinity, virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, miraculous resurrection, and victorious ascension back to heaven. Hebrews is the Bible’s great book here. Allow me to string together some of the relevant passages (all from the N.K.J.V.):

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. (2:9)

Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things, pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (2:17)

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (4:14-16)

You see, the teaching of these passages is this: The only reason we Christians can bow our heads anytime, anyplace and have our prayers heard by God the Father is because Jesus did the work that we might be redeemed. If you take that work out of the equation, our prayers take a deadly hit. That’s why, Christian, when you pray you should always have Christ’s work of redemption in the back of your mind. You should remember not only that Jesus is your High Priest but what it took for Him to earn that title. The redemptive work He did is of infinite importance, and without it your prayers would carry little if any weight with God the Father.

Posted in Christ's Birth, Christ's Death, Christ's Resurrection, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Salvation, Series: "Praying in Jesus' Name" | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Praying in Jesus’ Name (part 5)

Posted on March 20, 2012 by russellmckinney

Perhaps the simplest thing I can say about what it means to pray “in Jesus’ name” is this: Praying in Jesus’ name means praying the kind of prayer that Jesus would pray. As we study the four gospels, it isn’t hard to see how Jesus thought, how He responded to certain situations, what priorities He held, and what goals He wanted to achieve. To use an old expression, it isn’t hard to see what made Him tick. So, Christian, as you listen to yourself pray, you should engage in a running analysis of contrasting what you know about Jesus with what you are saying in prayer. You just might be surprised at how different your prayers sound from what you figure your Savior would say if He Himself was doing the praying.

You’ve heard the term “power of attorney,” haven’t you? A person who holds the power of attorney for another person has the privilege of handling that individual’s affairs. However, according to the spirit of the arrangement, the one who has the power of attorney should make decisions that are in line with the wishes and desires of the one he is representing. Well, to a certain degree, Jesus gives Christians the power of attorney to handle His affairs, and much of this handling is done by way of our prayers. This means that it’s vitally important that we pray prayers that are in line with Christ’s wishes and desires.

Some years ago, the letters WWJD became something of a craze. They stood for the question, “What would Jesus do?” My point with this post is that our prayer times should fit into the confines of the letters WWJP: “What would Jesus pray?” Keep these letters in mind the next time you pray, and I’ll guarantee you that your prayers will be much more effective.

Posted in Prayer, Prayer Requests, Series: "Praying in Jesus' Name" | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Praying in Jesus’ Name (part 4)

Posted on March 16, 2012 by russellmckinney

I want to use this post to deal with yet another aspect of what it means to pray in Jesus’ name. The new aspect goes like this: To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray with an understanding of the limitless power such praying offers. Christian, I’m not trying to swell your head with this one, but I do want you to realize just exactly what Jesus said in John 14:12-14 concerning praying in His name. Read His words again and let them sink down into your soul:

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

Now, before you run off and become a “name it and claim it” kind of Christian, let me remind you of my second post from this series. There, I explained that to pray in Jesus’ name is to pray in submission to God’s will. This means that words such as “whatever” and “anything” must always be viewed through the lens of God’s will. Not only is this implied in the New Testament, there is even a passage that comes right out and says it. That passage is 1st John 5:14-15, and it’s worth mentioning that it was written by the same John who wrote John 14:12-14. The passage reads:

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

And so, you see, it’s clear that Jesus never intended for His followers to turn God the Father into a wish-granting genie via their prayers. Let’s be clear about that. But, with that understood, let’s not water down what Jesus did teach about prayer. He said, “The one who believes in Me and asks for things in My name will do even greater works than I have done.” What an astounding thought!

Jesus walked on the water. Jesus fed thousands with a boy’s lunch. Jesus turned water into wine. Jesus healed the sick. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. How could Christians, even praying Christians, do greater works than these? The answer is: Our works can be greater in extent.

Remember that Jesus, in His earthly body, was confined to one place at one time and spent His entire life in one small part of the world. Furthermore, His public ministry only lasted for three-and-a-half years. Jesus didn’t preach a sermon that led 3,000 people to get saved. But Peter did that (Acts 2:14-41). Jesus didn’t take the gospel throughout the entirety of the Roman empire. But Paul did that. Jesus didn’t start churches wherever He went or write the books of the New Testament. But His followers did that. And these works were all greater in extent than even Christ’s earthly works.

Therefore, Christian, never be guilty of underestimating the incredible power of prayer. As James 4:2 says:

…you do not have because you do not ask. (N.K.J.V.)

A church got a new pastor, and his first Sunday there he walked to the pulpit and said, “Let us pray.” Then he proceeded to pray for ten minutes. When the service was over, one church member said to another, “Boy, we’ve sure got a good pastor now. He asks God for things our other pastors didn’t even know God had!”

Christian, don’t you be like those previous pastors. Lay claim to the fact that praying “in Jesus’ name” means praying in POWER. The only requests that lay outside that power are those that lay outside God’s will for your life. Other than those, have at it with your asking! Who knows what “greater works” the Lord might have in mind to pour out in your life?

Posted in Christ's Miracles, Desires, God's Omnipotence, God's Provision, God's Will, God's Work, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Series: "Praying in Jesus' Name" | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Praying in Jesus’ Name (part 3)

Posted on March 14, 2012 by russellmckinney

“And we ask these things in Jesus’ name.” As a pastor, I’ve said those words at the close of prayers in church services more times than I can remember. Even more than that, I’ve said them at the close of scores of personal prayers during my alone times with the Lord. But what do they really mean? That’s what we’ve been exploring with the last couple of posts. Thus far we’ve established two things. First, praying in Jesus’ name is something only a true Christian can do. Second, it involves praying in submission to God’s will.

Now, the third thing I want to say about praying in Jesus’ name is this: To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray in the authority of Jesus. When a United States ambassador travels to a foreign country, he doesn’t greet people on the basis of his own authority. He greets them on the basis of the considerable authority of the President of the United States of America. This gives the ambassador much more clout than he has on his own.

This concept of ambassadorship is one that Jesus Himself understands perfectly. I say that because He was quick to point out that His teachings and miracles were all based upon the authority of His heavenly Father. So, in the same general way, when a Christian prays in Jesus’ name, that Christian evokes an authority greater than his own.

Imagine me taking my requests to God the Father through prayer and saying, “And you have to honor my requests, heavenly Father, because this is Russell talking.” If angels could be sarcastic, there would probably be one standing beside the Father’s heavenly throne saying, “Ooh, we’re so impressed.” I mean, think about it, there are times when I can’t even get my two sons to do what I ask them to do! That’s why I’d be well advised to do my praying in the authority of Jesus. You see, that kicks everything about my prayer into a much higher gear. Praying “in Jesus’ name” is as different from praying “in Russell’s name” as day and night.

Someone asks, “But just how much authority does Jesus have?” I’ll answer that with a Bible verse. Matthew 28:18 reads:

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (N.K.J.V.)

You certainly can’t have any more authority than that, can you? Oh, and don’t miss the fact that Christ’s authority covers not only the earth but also heaven. That’s relevant to the topic of prayer because heaven, the location of God the Father’s throne, is where our prayers are headed. Understanding this helps us dive a little deeper into the infinite depths of Hebrews 4:16, which says to Christians:

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (N.K.J.V.)

Far too often we Christians are needlessly timid when we talk to God the Father. We’re like the cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz as he approaches the great Oz. And, truth be told, if we try to approach the Father’s throne on the basis of our own authority, we should be every bit as mousy as that lion. Ah, but when we approach God’s throne in the authority wrapped up in Jesus’ name, that changes everything. That should turn our cowardice into courage and our bashfulness into boldness. Claim this great truth, Christian, and put it into practice the next time you pray.

Posted in Heaven, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Series: "Praying in Jesus' Name" | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Praying in Jesus’ Name (part 2)

Posted on March 12, 2012 by russellmckinney

I used my previous post to explain that Christians are the only people who can rightfully close their prayers with the words “in Jesus’ name.” Now, with this post, I want to offer a second fact about praying in Jesus’ name. That second fact is: To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray in submission to God’s will.

It is only fitting that praying in Jesus’ name would entail praying in submission to God’s will. After all, Jesus was the very embodiment of one who was submitted to the will of His heavenly Father. Consider the following passages. First, in John 6:38 He says:

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (N.K.J.V.)

Second, Matthew 26:39-44 tells us that Jesus prayed the same prayer three times in the garden of Gethsemane on the night of His arrest:

O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will. (N.K.J.V.)

Third, Matthew 6:9-10 says that Jesus taught His followers to pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done. (N.K.J.V.)

Christian, you need to grasp the concept that prayer isn’t you sending God on an errand. It isn’t you getting your will done in heaven, either. It is much more about God getting His will done on earth. You see, your prayer time is a good time to die. I’m talking about you dying to your wants, wishes, aspirations, plans, and schemes. Don’t spend twenty minutes in prayer demanding that God grant all your requests and then have the audacity to close that prayer by tacking Jesus’ name onto the end of it. When Jesus hears such a prayer, He could very well say to Himself, “That’s not how I lived my life, and that’s certainly not how I prayed.”

I think each of us would do well to follow the example of the legendary evangelist, D.L Moody. He used to pray the following prayer:

Lord, if what I ask for does not please you, neither would it please me. My desires are put into your hands to be corrected. Strike the pen through every petition that I offer that is not right. And put in whatever I have omitted, even though I might not have desired it had I considered it.

Another good role model in this area would be the renowned preacher, Phillips Brooks. He wrote:

Every true prayer has its background and its foreground. The foreground of prayer is the intense, immediate desire for a certain blessing which seems to be absolutely necessary for the soul to have; the background of prayer is the quiet, earnest desire that the will of God, whatever it may be, should be done.

And so, Christian, the next time you use the words “in Jesus’ name” at the end of your prayer, I hope they will be in accord with the attitude you have evidenced in making your requests. If they aren’t, your best move would be to restart the prayer and do a more Christlike job making your requests. Yes, this will take some time. Even more than that, it will take some dying. But the end result will be that you will be able to use the words “in Jesus’ name” correctly, without them being mere lip service.

Posted in Desires, Dying To Self, God's Will, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Series: "Praying in Jesus' Name", Submission | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Praying in Jesus’ Name (part 1)

Posted on March 9, 2012 by russellmckinney

If you’ve spent much time in church, you’ve no doubt heard someone end a prayer by saying, “And we ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.” But have you ever wondered what all is involved with praying “in Jesus’ name”? Well, to help you with that, I’d like to devote a series of posts to the subject.

I’ll begin by giving you the Bible passage from which we draw this whole idea. It’s John 14:12-14, where Jesus says to His chosen twelve apostles:

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (N.K.J.V.)

Okay, now that we have quoted the passage, the first thing we need to learn about praying in Jesus’ name is this: It can only be done by a Christian. And before you label me a bigot for saying such a thing, please note that Jesus addresses His words specifically to “he who believes in Me.” That narrows the field down quite a bit, doesn’t it?

The fact is, there are a lot of people out there praying. It’s even become a cliche for politicians and celebrities to say to the victims of some tragedy, “You are in our prayers.” That sounds so compassionate and comforting, doesn’t it? What we must question, however, is the level of power in such prayers.

You see, real power in prayer comes from praying in Jesus’ name, and the only people who can legitimately pray in Jesus’ name are Christians. Oh, sure, lost people can mouth the words “in Jesus’ name” at the end of their prayers, but that doesn’t mean those people have truly prayed in Jesus’ name. It just doesn’t work that way.

In the next few posts, we are going to learn the incredible importance of these words, “in Jesus’ name.” What we are going to find is that the words are not only the key to an effective prayer life but also to living the Christian life. But I don’t want to get ahead of myself, and so for now I’ll just ask you to stay tuned. For this first post, we’ve begun where we had to begin: at the beginning. Now that we’ve laid the necessary foundation for the topic, we can start building the levels necessary to complete the task.

Posted in Prayer, Prayer Requests, Salvation, Series: "Praying in Jesus' Name" | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Just Do Your Best TODAY

Posted on March 7, 2012 by russellmckinney

I’d like to use this post to offer some good thoughts from a couple of well-known Independent Baptist preachers who have gone on to be with the Lord. The first one comes from Tom Malone. After quoting Deuteronomy 33:25, which reads: “As thy days, so shall thy strength be”, Malone said, “I’m glad He didn’t say, ‘As thy strength, so shall thy days be.'”

The second one comes from Curtis Hutson. He wrote:

Most people live either in the past or in the future. They talk about how it used to be or how it’s going to be someday. In so doing, they miss life altogether. Jesus said in Matthew 6:34, “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” In other words, don’t borrow from tomorrow. Someone suggested that worrying is using today’s strength on tomorrow’s problems.

You’ve heard this little adage: “Yesterday is a canceled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have, so spend it wisely.” A friend once asked, “Do you know how to eat an elephant?” “No,” I replied. “One bite at a time,” he smiled and said. Years ago I saw a church sign which read, “Yard by yard is mighty hard, but inch by inch is a cinch.”

I have to admit that I spend too much time looking back longingly on the past. I also have to admit, though, that I spend even more time looking ahead to how it’s going to be someday. You see, I’ve been trying to get “there” for a good many years now. As for where “there” is, it’s just some idealized place I’ve got conjured up in my mind. Actually, it changes every so often. That’s why I can never say for sure where it is, let alone when I might arrive at it.

But what makes me think that everything will be wonderful “there” anyway? As far as this earthly life goes, is there any place that doesn’t offer some sort of struggle and travail? Not really. Therefore, as Christians, the best we can do is have a good attitude about today and do our best for Christ where we are at this very second. Looking back to where we once were, or looking ahead to where we plan to be, just isn’t the way the Lord wants us to live.

Posted in Adversity, Aging, Attitude, Commitment, Contentment, Depression, Desires, Doing Good, Encouragement, Faithfulness, Perseverance, Personal, Problems, Service, Trials, Trusting In God, Worry | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

How to Handle a Bad Inning

Posted on March 5, 2012 by russellmckinney

At a Little League game, the visiting team had already scored 21 runs and was still batting in the top of the first inning. The mother of the boy playing the position of right fielder began to worry that such a staggeringly lopsided loss would demoralize him and destroy his confidence. So, she left her seat in the stands and made her way out to the fence located beside right field. She stood there and yelled out to the boy, “Son, this has to be an awful experience for you, and I just want you to know that you don’t have to keep playing if you don’t want to. I’ll take you home right now and explain things to your coach.” The boy, however, seemed shocked by the suggestion. He simply smiled back and said, “But mom, we can still win this game. We haven’t come to bat yet!”

You have a choice to make as to how you approach life. You can operate with an optimistic attitude or a defeatist one. You can believe that God is up to something good in your life or that He is leading you off a cliff. The choice is yours.

As for the optimistic approach, I’m not talking about some pie-in-the-sky, “hope so” kind of thing. I’m talking about you putting your faith in Jesus, a Savior who loves you enough to die on the cross for your sins and stands ready to give your life ideal meaning and purpose. I’m talking about you heeding Him when He says, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23). I’m talking about you relating to the apostle Paul when he says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Does following Jesus mean that you will never experience any blowout defeats? Hardly. But it does mean at least two things. First, if you stay submitted to Christ’s will for your life, He will keep you out of a lot of those situations that would end badly for you. Second, even when those difficult times do come along, Jesus will not only give you what you need to get through them but also use them to increase your strength and wisdom.

Christian, I don’t know where this post finds you, but perhaps you are right now guilty of bringing a defeatist attitude to the playing field. While this might be understandable for a person who doesn’t know Christ as Savior, it should be different for the Christian. Our Savior wasn’t a quitter, even as battered, bloodied, and bruised He carried His cross up Calvary’s hill. None of us will ever have a worse day than that one, and yet the eternal good He accomplished through it is far too deep for our human minds to grasp. That should teach us that the hardest things we have to endure in life can produce the greatest good. And that’s why we shouldn’t quit playing even in the midst of a bad inning.

Posted in Adversity, Attitude, Belief, Christ's Death, Disappointment, Encouragement, Faith, Fear, God's Love, God's Provision, God's Will, Perseverance, Problems, Trials, Trusting In God, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment