Rejoicing in the Lord Always

Posted on September 6, 2011 by russellmckinney

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4, N.K.J.V.)

Many years ago, in Germany, a young man was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue. The prognosis was that the cancer would spread unless the tongue was completely removed. Only by removing the tongue could the young man have any chance of living to an old age.

On the day of the surgery, a group of students gathered around the operating table to observe the procedure. Before the surgeon began, though, he bent down over the patient and said to him, “My friend, if you wish to say anything, you now have the opportunity. But I must warn you that your words will be the last words that you will ever utter. So, think well about what you wish to say.”

The young man did take considerable time before speaking, and those moments of silence hung heavy in the air as the surgeon and the students waited. Finally, they heard the young man utter four simple words. He said, “Thank God, Jesus Christ.” That response brought tears to the eyes of everyone in the room.

I have to question if I would express such devotion at such a time. My last words could well have been: “Why, Lord?” or “I don’t understand, Lord.” Of course, I could be underestimating myself. Then again, maybe I’m not.

The New Testament book of Philippians is a letter the apostle Paul wrote to the Christians of Philippi. It is a short book, just four chapters long. Nevertheless, over the course of those four chapters, Paul uses some variation of the word “rejoice” no less than eleven times. Furthermore, he uses the word “joy” six times. What makes these words all the more amazing is the fact that Paul wrote the letter while he was under house arrest in Rome. This explains his references to “the palace guard” (1:13) and “Caesar’s household” (4:22).

How could a man talk so much about rejoicing and joy when he was chained to a Roman soldier twenty-four hours a day? (The guards operated in six-hour shifts). How could he say, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (4:4)? Obviously, Paul had learned that inner joy isn’t dependent upon outward circumstances. He understood that he had been granted spiritual life by Christ, that his sins had all been forgiven, that God could use him no matter what his circumstances were, and that even his death would merely be his promotion to heaven. This explains the joy that was bubbling up from inside him.

Christian, I don’t know where you find yourself today, but I do know that you can have joy there. Even if your earthly circumstances aren’t all that pleasant, you can focus on your eventual entrance into heaven, that glorious place where there will be no more sorrow, pain, sickness, shame, or regret. There, you will be eternally wedded to Jesus as a part of the church, His bride. And, there, you will surely have never-ending reason to say, as that young man in Germany chose to say, “Thank God, Jesus Christ!”

Posted in Adversity, Attitude, Complaining, Contentment, Depression, Disappointment, Heaven, Joy, Perseverance, Praise, Reward, Salvation, Thankfulness, The Tongue | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Labor Day

Posted on September 5, 2011 by russellmckinney

Labor Day isn’t one of those holidays that Americans classify as “religious.” We associate it more with the end of summer, the start of school, and the beginning of football season. But we do tend to loosely classify Thanksgiving as “religious,” and I would submit that a holiday that celebrates the concept of work is just as scriptural as one that celebrates the giving of thanks.

Of course, you won’t find a mandate for workers’ unions in the Bible. (In case you didn’t know, such unions were the launching pads for the Labor Day holiday.) What you will find, though, is a plethora of passages that sing the praises of work. Here are a few of those passages (all from the N.K.J.V.):

He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. (Proverbs 10:4)

The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor. (Proverbs 12:24)

The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. (Proverbs 13:4)

Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread. (Proverbs 20:13)

Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds. (Proverbs 27:23)

He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough! (Proverbs 28:19)

Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. (Ephesians 4:28)

that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you. (1 Thessalonians 4:12)

For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:10)

But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8)

The truth is that it has always been God’s will for men and women to work. Going all the way back to the Garden of Eden, the Bible says that God put Adam in the Garden to tend it (cultivate) and keep (guard) it (Genesis 2:15). As for Eve, God’s command for her was, “Be fruitful and multiply…” (Genesis 1:28). Does anyone want to argue that raising kids doesn’t involve work?

You see, the idea of Adam and Eve working was entrenched into God’s plan for them long before they sinned and fell from innocence. This means that work wasn’t a byproduct of the fall. The byproduct was that the work would now be hard. Since Adam’s job was to tend and keep the garden, God’s post-sin word to him was, “Cursed is the ground for your sake. In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground…” (Genesis 3:17-19). And since Eve’s job was that of motherhood, God’s post-sin word to her was, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception. In pain you shall bring forth children…” (Genesis 3:16).

Moving ahead into human history, God eventually began a new nation (Israel) with one man (Abraham). Ultimately, He gave the people of that nation a body of law by which they were to live. We now call that body of law the Old Testament law (the law of Moses, the Mosaic law), The moral center of it was found in the famous ten commandments which served as its introduction (Exodus 20:1-17), and the fourth commandment on that list involved Israel’s keeping of a weekly Sabbath (rest) day. God said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work…” (Exodus 20:8-10). For the purposes of this post, let me draw your attention to the fact that the fourth commandment called for six days of labor. It’s yet another instance of God telling mankind, “I want people to work.”

For many people, the dream is to make enough money to retire early and never work again. Actually, though, in light of the Bible’s teaching about work, we have to seriously question that life goal. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against retirement. It’s just that we shouldn’t become slugs and sloths during our retirement years. Remember that there are all kinds of ways to work and all kinds of different jobs to do. Volunteering at a Christian ministry is work. Keeping the house is work. Tending to the yard is work. Putting out a garden is work. Babysitting grandchildren is work. You get the idea.

In conclusion, let me say that God understands the human body far better than we do, and He knows that it functions best when it is active. That’s why He commands us to work. He doesn’t see work as a necessary evil. Much to the contrary, He sees it as a foundational building block of human existence. And let’s admit that if He sees it that way, you and I should as well.

Posted in Aging, Business, God's Will, Work | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wise as Serpents, Harmless as Doves

Posted on September 2, 2011 by russellmckinney

In Matthew chapter 10, we find Matthew’s account of Christ’s commissioning of His chosen twelve. It’s a marvelous chapter to study in terms of basic ministry, bold evangelism, and preaching for a decision. With that said, I’d like to draw your attention to a single verse from the chapter. I’m referring to verse 16, where Jesus says:

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” (N.K.J.V.)

Notice that Jesus begins by describing Christians as sheep. That’s the good part. But then He says that we are sent out into a world filled with wolves. That’s the bad part. It’s because of that bad part that we can’t be just regular sheep. We must simultaneously be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves.

Picture a flock of sheep in the midst of a ravenous pack of wolves. That mental image doesn’t foretell a pretty outcome, does it? Oh, but wait, these aren’t regular sheep. These sheep are as wise as serpents. And how wise is a serpent? Well, going all the way back to the garden of Eden, the serpent is described as being more cunning than any of the other creatures (Genesis 3:1). Based upon that description, a sheep as wise as a serpent wouldn’t be easy pickings for the wolves. That’s exactly the point Jesus is making.

A Christian who is as wise as a serpent will exhibit good sense, prudence, and tact when it comes to evangelism. He will not go out into the world wild-eyed, ignorant, and hopelessly naive. He will not be of the world, but he will be in the world, and he will understand how the world works. Charles Spurgeon described the situation as follows:

He sends them, not to fight with wolves, nor to drive them out of their haunts, but to transform them. The disciples were sent to fierce men to convince them, and therefore they must be wise…The Christian missionary will need to be wary, to avoid receiving harm; but he must be of a guileless mind, that he do no harm…we are to be simple-hearted, but we are not to be simpletons.

Is it a tough balancing act to stay wise but harmless? Yes, it is. Whereas wisdom is typically associated with power, and power is often associated with the ability to inflict harm, that’s just not how Jesus expects His followers to wield their wisdom. Do you remember the story where James and John learned this lesson? It’s found in Luke 9:51-56. When Jesus and the chosen twelve came to a certain village in Samaria, the citizens wouldn’t let them enter the village. James and John, being as wise as serpents in the racial hatred that existed between the Jews and the Samaritans, understood the roadblock for the insult that it was. Accordingly, they responded by wanting to strike like cobras and exact revenge. Their question to Jesus was, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But Jesus rebuked them by saying, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” He might as well have said, “Calm down boys, I need doves not cobras.”

And so, Christian, I’ll ask you to assess how you are doing with your balancing act. Are you a sheep that has either too much dove or too much serpent about you? Neither imbalance is good. If you are too gullible in worldly matters, you need to develop more of an edge because you have too much dove about you. Conversely, if you are too quick to strike, you need to develop more of a calm, peaceable nature because you have too much serpent about you. Think of it this way: Too much dove will make you easy pickings for the wolves, but too much serpent will keep you from converting any of the wolves into sheep. And, at the end of the day, turning wolves into sheep is why we’re called to go out in the first place, right?

Posted in Adversity, Anger, Attitude, Balance, Character, Discernment, Discipleship, Evangelism, God's Work, Ministry, Missions, Revenge, Service, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Nibbling Your Way Into Real Trouble

Posted on August 31, 2011 by russellmckinney

Here’s a good word from Mike Yaconelli, who writes for The Wittenburg Door:

I live in a small, rural community. There are lots of cattle ranches around here, and every once in awhile a cow wanders off and gets lost…Ask a rancher how a cow gets lost, and chances are he will reply: “Well, the cow starts nibbling on a tuft of green grass, and when it finishes, it looks ahead to the next tuft of green grass and starts nibbling on that one, and then it nibbles on a tuft of green grass right next to a hole in the fence, so it nibbles on that one, and then goes on to the next tuft. The next thing you know, the cow has nibbled itself into being lost.”

Yaconelli then applies his illustration to the problem of Christian backsliding. He writes:

…Backsliders keep moving from one tuft of activity to another, never noticing how far we have gone from home or how far away from the truth we have managed to end up.

Tell me, Christian, when was the last time you looked around and got your spiritual bearings? Could it be that you have nibbled yourself right through a hole in the fence and are currently a long, long way from where God would have you to be? Maybe you didn’t start out with the intention of leaving your God-appointed pasture. Nevertheless, that’s what happened as you continued to nibble your way through life.

I especially like what Yaconelli says about the backslider not noticing how far away from the truth he has managed to end up. Isn’t it amazing how we start to rationalize our sin or explain it away the further we get from walking with Christ? The backslider begins to see scriptural truth more as a dull gray rather than as black and white, and once that rationalizing and explaining away begins, all bets are off as to where that person might end up in life. That’s how a simple case of backsliding becomes a full blown case of rebellion and catastrophe. So please, Christian, take this post as your warning. Stop your nibbling and get back to your pasture today.

Posted in Backsliding, God's Will, Rebellion, Repentance, Sin | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Old Bearskin

Posted on August 30, 2011 by russellmckinney

Notre Dame football has had a long and successful history, but it stood the tallest when Knute Rockne was the head coach. From 1918 to 1930, the team’s winning percentage was .881. They lost only twelve games during those thirteen years and won six national championships. And the unprecedented success would no doubt have continued had Rockne not been killed in a plane crash on March 31, 1931. He was just 43 years old.

During Rockne’s tenure at Notre Dame, a football column regularly appeared in the school newspaper. The column’s writer would say incredibly mean, nasty, insulting things about the team as a whole, and he would pointedly criticize individual players. But the writer always remained anonymous by merely signing his name as “Old Bearskin.”

What was most shocking about the column was that the writer seemed to have inside information concerning the team. He knew which players were lazy, which ones were ladies’ men, and which ones kept scrapbooks to read their own press clippings. As you might expect, every player on the team hated “Old Bearskin.” When a player would come to practice and complain about something that had been written, Coach Rockne would sympathize and say that no one should write such things. Then he would say to the team, “Boys, let’s get out there and show ‘Old Bearskin’ that the things he writes aren’t true.”

It was only after Rockne’s death that “Old Bearskin” was revealed to be none other than Rockne himself. His purpose in writing the column was to keep his players humble and hungry as opposed to egotistical and content to rest on their laurels. Obviously, Rockne understood the pitfalls of pride and went to the extreme of writing the column to keep his players from succumbing to those pitfalls.

I trust this illustration will help us all understand why God sometimes allows us or even causes us to experience humbling setbacks and defeats. We don’t like such experiences any more than Knute Rockne’s players liked that newspaper column, but how can we argue that we don’t, at times, need these experiences? Actually, God either allowing or causing these experiences is nothing less than an act of love on His part. You see, He understands Proverbs 16:18 far better than we do, and that’s why He faithfully does His part to keep us from becoming a victim of its warning:

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (N.K.J.V.)

Posted in Adversity, Balance, Character, Criticism, God's Love, Humility, Pride, Problems, Prosperity, Sports, Trials | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

When the Stick Breaks

Posted on August 29, 2011 by russellmckinney

Here’s a true story. A man caught a large rattlesnake and kept it in a cage. One day he decided to use the snake to jokingly give his wife a good scare. He opened up the cage, firmly placed a stick directly behind the snack’s head, caught the snake, and put it into a bag. Then he carried the bag into his living room and dumped the snake out onto the floor in front of his wife. Naturally, she shrieked in horror and fled the room as the man enjoyed a hearty laugh.

Now it was time for the job of getting the snake back into the bag. The man took his stick and again placed it behind the snake’s head as the rest of the snake’s body writhed and twisted. Everything was going as planned until the man made the mistake of pressing down too hard on the stick. The pressure caused the stick to suddenly snap and break in the middle. This freed up the snake’s head and with lightning speed the snake turned and bit the man’s index finger. As the deadly fangs plunged deep into the finger, in rushed the poison.

So, how did the story end? Well, thanks to good medical treatment the man’s life was saved. The finger, however, had to be amputated. For the rest of his life, whenever someone would ask the man how he lost his index finger, he would say, “A snake bit me.” And when he was asked, “How did a snake bite you?” he would answer, “The stick broke.”

Alright, now let’s move to the spiritual application of this story. Just as that fellow had a pet rattler, you have a pet sin. This is the sin to which you are most vulnerable and susceptible. I promise not to ask what your pet sin is if you promise not to ask what mine is. But what I will do is implore you to resist the temptation to play around with your sin. Don’t trust whatever “stick” you’ve got that you think enables you to enjoy the sin while avoiding its poison. Believe me, sooner or later that “stick” will break and your pet sin will bite you. And when it does, you’ll inevitably pay a high price because of it.

Posted in Addiction, Backsliding, Choices, Personal Holiness, Sin, Temptation | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Addiction

Posted on August 26, 2011 by russellmckinney

A group consisting of linguists and animal trainers set about to train a chimpanzee to talk. For years they pampered the chimp and taught him different sounds. Finally, the day came when he was to verbalize his first words. With anxious anticipation the group gathered around the cage to listen to anything he might say. And, sure enough, the chimp did say something. He said, “Let me out!!!”

No matter how nice a cage is, it’s still a cage. Sadly, many people find themselves trapped right now in one of life’s cages. These cages all get filed under the general heading “Addiction” and they have specific names like “drugs,” “alcoholism,” “gambling,” and “pornography.” Perhaps these people enjoy fleeting moments of happiness in these cages, but a cage will always be a cage, and it will never be the way that God intends for the person to live.

I don’t mean to undermine or devalue the good work that is done by anyone who helps people deal with addiction. With that said, however, a personal relationship with Jesus will always be the best way to conquer an addiction. And to any addict who might say, “I don’t need Jesus to be my crutch,” my response would be, “You’ve already got a crutch; you just need to trade it in on a far better one.”

In John 8:34, we read the following:

Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” (N.K.J.V.)

Take special notice of those words “whoever commits sin.” While that rendering of the New Testament’s original Greek is accurate, it doesn’t capture the full bloom of what Jesus said. As evidence of this, Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest’s Expanded Translation of the New Testament translates the words as “everyone who habitually commits sin” (emphasis mine). Likewise, the English Standard Version renders the phrase as “everyone who practices sin (again, emphasis mine).

You see, this more precise translation of the Greek takes us into the realm of addiction. Jesus isn’t talking about the man who sees a scantily clad woman on t.v., lusts for a moment, and then changes the channel — even though that moment of lust is surely a sin (Matthew 5:27-28). No, He’s talking about the person who lives his life eaten up by lust and actively seeks out scantily clad women on t.v. or the internet so that he can stare at them for long periods of time and fantasize about them. Do you see the difference?

The good news is that right on the heels of talking about those who are such slaves to sin, Jesus gives the cure. He says:

“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36, N.K.J.V.)

You ask, “But how can Jesus offer such sure liberation from the addiction?” He can do it because He alone has the power to change the addict’s nature rather than just the behavior. In John 3:1-21, He explains how those who place their belief in Him as Savior are “born again,” and to be “born again” is to have God the Holy Spirit literally take up residence inside your body (Romans 8:9).

Once the Holy Spirit is dwelling inside your body, He will not obliterate your inborn, sinful, addictive nature. But what He will do is bring to you a contrasting nature, a nature which is nothing less than the nature of God. As 2 Peter 1:4 says, believers become “partakers of the divine nature,” and that nature of God can provide you with both the incentive and the power to resist your addiction. In this way, you become what 2 Corinthians 5:17 calls “a new creation.”

So, do you find yourself in some type of cage right now? Is some addiction getting the best of you? Do you feel helpless to break free from its grip? If you answer “Yes” to these questions, let me urge you to turn to Jesus. Maybe you need to genuinely place your belief in Him as Savior and become “born again.” Then again, maybe you’ve already done that but your fellowship and daily walk with Jesus have grown so anemic that you are severely limiting the indwelling Holy Spirit’s influence upon your life. Whatever your case may be, just know that your addiction is not bigger than Jesus. And that’s not just some cutesy little sound bite that a preacher is supposed to say. Jesus really does stand ready right now to set you free from your cage, but the question (one that only you can answer) is: Will you let Him?

Posted in Addiction, Alcohol, Backsliding, Belief, Change, Desires, Gambling, Gluttony, Homosexuality, Lust, Personal Holiness, Repentance, Restoration, Salvation, Sex, Sin, Slavery, Temptation, The Holy Spirit | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Spirit Is Willing, But the Flesh Is Weak

Posted on August 24, 2011 by russellmckinney

Let’s say that a man makes a weekly habit of taking a walk in the woods on Sunday rather than attending church. One Sunday he sees an angry bear running toward him. He says, “God, if you will keep me safe from this bear, I promise that I will start going to church every Sunday.” As soon as the man finishes that quick prayer, the bear stops running, calms down, and slowly walks away in the other direction.

Now here’s the question: Do you think that man will honor the “deal” that he made with God? The answer is: There’s a pretty good chance that he will go to church that first Sunday, but if nothing else changes, he won’t keep up the attendance for long. Why not? It’s because it takes more than a quick moment of desperation to create a lasting turnaround in a person’s life.

As a pastor, I’ve seen many people who were going through difficult times make grandiose boasts about what all they were going to do for the Lord if He helped them out of their messes. But how many of those boasts actually came to pass, even after the Lord gave the help? Maybe there were two or three, but right now I can’t even remember there being that many.

I do remember one particular Sunday morning when I preached and gave an invitation. The pianist had barely begun playing the invitation music before a woman promptly made her way to the altar and knelt for prayer. When I went over and asked her why she had responded to the invitation, she told me that she wanted to dedicate herself more completely to Jesus. She was crying very real tears and her face was something of a mess from the running makeup. I knew that she was sincere. I also knew that she was a good Christian woman who had some areas of her life that could have been more submitted to Christ’s lordship. So, I prayed with her and asked the Lord to help her be even more devoted to Him. The emotion of the moment was almost palpable.

Imagine my surprise then when that woman didn’t even show up for the evening service that same Sunday night. As I looked around the sanctuary that night and didn’t see her, I was in virtual disbelief. That was the moment when I truly understood for the first time just how fickle and inconsistent we humans are when it comes to serving the Lord.

Jesus, of course, understands this far better than I ever will. On the night of His arrest, He took Peter, James, and John into the garden of Gethsemane with Him and said to them, “Stay here and watch with Me” (Matthew 26:37-38). Then He walked alone a little further into the heart of the garden and prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). Following that prayer, He returned to where He had left Peter, James, and John at their watch post. And what did He find? Rather than keeping diligent watch, they had all drifted off to sleep (Matthew 26:40).

After rebuking the three (Matthew 26:41), Jesus summed up their problem by saying, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). And then, as even further evidence of just how weak the flesh is, Jesus returned by Himself into the heart of the garden, prayed again, came back to the three disciples, and found them asleep a second time (Matthew 26:42-43). Then, amazingly, the same sequence of events played out for a third time, with the three disciples sleeping through it as well (Matthew 26:44-45). That’s what you call failing at the assignment of “Stay here and watch with Me”!

Getting back to my opening illustration, I think those words “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” perfectly describe why that Christian woman didn’t come back for church that Sunday night. Her spirit was willing, but her flesh was weak. When she had devoted herself more fully to Jesus that morning, she had meant it. Unfortunately, however, that moment had soon passed and the rest of her life had come crashing back in upon her.

Okay, so what’s my purpose for this post? I’m trying to encourage us all to work at eliminating the spiritual fickleness from our lives and repent of the roller-coaster-ride devotion that comes so easily to us. Yes, your flesh is weak. So is mine. But we can’t keep using that excuse to consistently fail the Lord and not live up to the commitments we have made to Him. Oh, and here’s one last thought: We shouldn’t expect Him to keep sending angry bears our way to keep us committed, either.

Posted in Backsliding, Change, Church Attendance, Commitment, Discipleship, Faithfulness, Obedience, Personal Holiness | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

How You Get In

Posted on August 23, 2011 by russellmckinney

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16, N.K.J.V.)

Dr. Thomas John Barnardo was revered in London for his work with orphans. One day a dirty, destitute little boy came to him and asked for admission to the London orphanage. Somewhat surprised, Barnardo said, “But, my boy, I don’t know you. Who are you? What do you have to recommend you?” The little boy held up his tattered coat and said, “If you please, sir, I thought these here rags would be all I needed to recommend me.” Barnardo swept the child up into his arms and said, “You are right, little fellow! Welcome to our orphanage!”

Just as that little boy’s ragged attire was all he needed to receive help from Dr. Barnardo, our sins are all we need to receive help from Jesus. But, like that boy, we must see our need for help. It is only when we stop attempting to either justify our sinful behavior or cleanse our own sins that Christ can step in and provide the forgiveness we need.

One writer has described it this way:

God has no message and no blessing for men who are trying to justify themselves. As long as you try to make a good name for yourself, God can only condemn you; but when you come into His presence and confess yourself a lost, guilty sinner, God has a message and a blessing for you. “God so loved the world” – a wicked, corrupt and ungodly world, and you and I belong to it.

Going back to the illustration of the little boy and the orphanage, yes, his rags got him inside the doors. However, his admittance was also dependent upon the love, grace, and authority of Dr. Barnardo. So now let’s take all this and apply it to heaven. If heaven is the orphanage and God the Father is playing the role of Dr. Barnardo, how does the lost sinner get in? He gets in by way of his sins (rags). But those sins must stand as forgiven, and God the Father only forgives the sins of those who place saving belief in God the Son (Jesus).

You ask, “But didn’t Christ’s death on the cross pay the sin debt for the whole world?” Yes, it did, but that doesn’t mean that the whole world is saved. Only those who stop trying to work out their own salvation and, instead, simply believe in Christ for the forgiveness of sins are saved. While it’s true that Christ’s death on the cross is sufficient for God to forgive all sins, that death is only efficient for those who believe in Christ as Savior. So, when everything is said and done, the question that each of us must ask is, “Am I in?”

Posted in Belief, Christ's Death, Forgiveness, God's Holiness, God's Love, God's Mercy, Grace, Heaven, Salvation | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Life’s Army Barracks

Posted on August 22, 2011 by russellmckinney

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, N.K.J.V.)

Presbyterian minister Harry Rimmer told the story of a young man who entered the army. This young man was in the habit of studying his Bible in his bedroom each evening and then kneeling down to pray before retiring for the night. He knew, however, that the army barracks would be a real test of that nightly routine.

Unfortunately, the barracks held true to their reputation as the young man found himself surrounded by scores of rough soldiers. The soldiers joked around, made crude comments, and cursed. Concerned about drawing their ire, the young man’s first instinct was to read his Bible by keeping it half covered under his blanket. But the more he considered that option, the more conviction came over him. He thought, “I’m a Christian! I should take my stand for the Lord. I shouldn’t hide my faith. I should do as I did at home.” So he boldly opened his Bible that first night, read a chapter, and knelt down to pray quietly beside his cot.

When the other men noticed what the young man was doing, a few of them sneered. In just a few minutes, however, the barracks became strangely quiet as the soldiers who respected the new recruit’s devotion hushed those who were sneering. After a while, all the soldiers began to talk among themselves again, but this time their conversations didn’t include any crudeness or cursing.

The next night, when the young man opened his Bible, eight other men dug out theirs and did the same. Within a month, every soldier in the outfit respected the young Christian so much that they would defend him against anyone who dared criticize him. Even more than that, they started bringing their troubles to him and seeking his counsel. Rimmer concluded the story by saying, “That young man influenced more men for Christ than half a dozen chaplains could have in a year of Sundays.”

The world can be a rough, course, vulgar place, and being a Christian who tries to live a holy life in its midst can be difficult. Do the people at your workplace tell dirty jokes? Do some of your fellow students use profanity? Do you feel like you would be mocked and ridiculed if you were caught on site reading your Bible or praying? Well, welcome to your army barracks.

What would Jesus have you do? The answer is found in the example He set. He didn’t isolate Himself in a cave atop a mountain and shun the “real” world. He didn’t limit His dealings to people who thought and spoke like He did. He didn’t act one way in private but another way in public. What He did was live what He preached. And what did He preach? He told His followers to resist the urge to hide their light under a basket and let it, instead, shine before men.

Therefore, Christian, please take this post as your call to arms to stop hiding your light under a basket. Seriously, you have no idea how much those around you need to see your light burning brightly for your Savior. Who knows what domino effect you taking a stand for holiness might start? It might just be that there are others in your setting who are just as offended with certain things as you are. They just need a leader to show them how to express it. And that leader can be you!

Posted in Adversity, Bible Study, Character, Courage, Discipleship, Doing Good, Faithfulness, God's Will, God's Word, Influence, Obedience, Persecution, Personal Holiness, Scripture, Witnessing, Work, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment