Is the Story of Jonah True?

Posted on August 10, 2011 by russellmckinney

A little girl got saved during the local church’s summer Bible School. Sadly, her parents didn’t share her newfound faith in Jesus and refused to take her to church or even buy her a Bible. So, each Sunday morning she would use the city sidewalk to walk herself the short distance from her house to the church. As she walked, she always carried the Bible that her Sunday School bought her when she began attending class.

Well, it just so happened that the little girl’s route to church took her directly past the home of an atheist professor who taught at a university. Once he noticed that the girl walked past his house every Sunday morning, he began to feel increasingly sorry for her. In his way of thinking, she had bought into what he called the “nonsense” of the Bible and Christianity. Finally, his interest in the girl became so great that one Sunday morning he went out to meet her and enlighten her. He politely stopped her in front of his house and struck up a conversation.

The professor said, “Little girl, you don’t really believe that book you are carrying, do you?” Surprised by what she considered to be a strange question, she replied, “Yes, I do.” Already knowing where he was taking the conversation, the professor asked, “So, have you read the story of how Jonah got swallowed by a whale and stayed in there three days and three nights before coming out alive?” Excitedly, the girl answered, “Oh yes, we studied that story in my Sunday School class a few weeks ago.”

Continuing to probe, the professor said, “But how could Jonah do that?” The little girl was stumped as she tried to scientifically reason out an explanation, but in the end she gave up trying and gave the simple answer, “I don’t know, but when I get to heaven I’ll ask him.” Now the professor felt confident that he had her childlike faith on the run, and so he said, “And what if Jonah isn’t in heaven?” To that, the little girl immediately replied back, “Oh, well, then you can ask him.”

In my study, I have several excellent commentaries on the book of Jonah, commentaries written by men who believe the Bible is the inspired word of God. Concerning Jonah being swallowed by the “whale,” these commentators make two main points. First, it would have been simple for the God who created all of creation and performs miracles as simply as you and I breathe to have had Jonah swallowed whole and kept alive. Second, even if we take the miraculous out of play, the whole story is even possible on a naturalistic level.

In regards to the naturalistic level, the Hebrew term that is used to describe the monster that got Jonah is gadol dag, a term that can generically refer to any kind of large sea creature. For example, the sulfur-bottom whale (which is commonly referred to as “the blue whale”) can reach a size of over one hundred feet and have a mouth as wide as twelve feet. This whale has multiple compartments in its stomach, any one of which could provide more than ample room for a man to live. The head of the whale can be seven feet high, seven feet wide, and fourteen feet long, and actually serves as an air storage chamber. Also, this whale has no teeth. It feeds by swimming along with its mouth open, straining out the water, and then swallowing whatever is left.

A sperm whale is another candidate for the creature that swallowed Jonah. Its mouth can be twenty feet long, fifteen feet high, and nine feet wide. According to one famous story, a sailor named James Bartley was lost at sea in February of 1891 during an attempt to harpoon a sperm whale in the Falkland Islands region. A short time later, the whale was killed and drawn to the side of the ship to be worked up and have its blubber removed. The following day the stomach was hoisted on deck, and when the stomach was opened, Bartley was found unconscious, but alive, inside. He was revived and not long afterward resumed his duties aboard the ship. Admittedly, however, this story has been diligently researched in recent years, found lacking in its historical details, and now gets classified as a piece of fiction that got passed off and passed along as fact for the better part of a century.

Nevertheless, the creature that got Jonah didn’t have to be a whale at all, and there is another well-known story (this one vetted and verified) that tells of a sailor who got swallowed whole by a whale shark and remained alive inside the creature for two days before being rescued. The account comes from the early 1920s as the Literary Digest ran the story of an English sailor who was swallowed by a whale shark in the English Channel. Two days later, the creature was spotted again and killed, and when it was cut open, the sailors found the man unconscious but alive. He was rushed to the hospital, only to be discharged a few hours later after being found to be physically fit. In 1926, Dr. Harry Rimmer, the President of the Research Science Bureau of Los Angeles, actually met the man. Rimmer described the man’s physical appearance as being odd in that he was devoid of hair and had patches of skin that were marked by a yellowish-brown color.

In more recent times, June of 2021 to be precise, a commercial lobsterman named Michael Packard was in his scuba gear diving for lobster off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, when he felt a huge bump and everything suddenly went dark. At first, he thought he had been attacked by a large great white shark, but then he realized that he hadn’t been bitten and the creature didn’t actually have any teeth. Being an experienced seaman, he thought, “I’m in a whale’s mouth and he’s trying to swallow me.” But then Packard saw light and felt the whale, which turned out to be a humpback whale, shake its head and blow him out of its mouth. After being shot into the air, the unharmed lobsterman landed safely in the water and was hauled back into his boat by his crew, who had been anxiously scanning the waves for him.

You see, those who attempt to criticize or explain away the story of Jonah do so at their own peril. The God of the miraculous is certainly not on their side, and neither are these historical accounts of “Jonahs” from modern times. Then, of course, there is the one piece of evidence that should settle all doubt about the matter. You ask, “And what is that piece of evidence?” It’s the fact that Jesus Himself not only taught that the story of Jonah was literally true but even used it as an illustration of His resurrection. Therefore, I offer Christ’s own words as the close to this post. Never forget that He said:

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:40, N.K.J.V.)

Posted in Bible Study, Children, God's Word, Heaven, Hell, Scripture, The Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Why the Christian Will Be in Heaven

Posted on August 8, 2011 by russellmckinney

“Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. You know the way to where I am going.” “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where You’re going. How can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:1-6, HCSB)

Evangelist Dr. A.J. Fristoe used to tell the story of something that happened to him when he accepted an invitation to preach a revival in London, England. Upon his arrival in London, he was met by those who had invited him. They told him he would be staying in one of the finest palaces in all of England due to the fact that the couple who owned the home had requested that he be allowed to stay with them.

As Fristoe made his way to the home, the question of why the wealthy couple were being so gracious to him weighed upon his mind. Unfortunately for him, the mystery only deepened when he arrived at the home and realized the couple were strangers to him. It wasn’t until they were all comfortably seated in the home’s exquisite living room that he got his explanation.

The couple’s son, who was an officer in the Royal navy, was stationed on the other side of the world, but he had heard that Dr. Fristoe was to be in London. It was the young man who had sent instructions for his parents to be so hospitable to Dr. Fristoe. Once the couple described their son, Dr. Fristoe did remember him. Years earlier, the officer had been on a ship that had put into Norfolk, Virginia, for repairs when Fristoe had been serving as the pastor of a church there. The officer had attended Fristoe’s church and gotten to know the preacher quite well. Fristoe had even invited the young man into his home for dinner on multiple occasions. There, the two had enjoyed long discussions on the subject of religion, and those discussions had led the young man to believe in Christ as Savior and be baptized by Dr. Fristoe.

After the officer’s ship had pulled out of Norfolk, he had kept in touch with Fristoe. Upon hearing that Fristoe was going to be preaching a revival in London, the officer had cabled his parents and instructed them to extend the invitation to the evangelist. That was why the couple had specifically requested that Fristoe be allowed to stay with them. Once they had explained it all to him, they summed up the situation by saying, “Dr. Fristoe, you are here because of our son.”

The spiritual parallel isn’t hard to spot. Christian, when you journey to heaven and arrive at that indescribably beautiful place, God the Father could rightly say to you, “You are here because of My Son.” So, with this spiritual application in mind, let me encourage you to take a moment right now and thank Jesus that heaven awaits you when you leave this world. You will be welcomed there because of Him because He is, after all, the only way that you or anybody else can ever get there.

Posted in Belief, Christ's Death, Eternal Security, Eternity, Evangelism, Faith, God's Love, God's Provision, Grace, Heaven, Praise, Salvation, Thankfulness, The Gospel, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

What Two Wrong Clocks Can Teach Us About God’s Will

Posted on August 4, 2011 by russellmckinney

Did you know that a clock that is five minutes off is more dangerous than one that is five hours off? Think about it. If a clock is five hours off, you will see that it is obviously wrong and not use it to tell the time. But a clock that is just five minutes off will fool you, and the deception can cause you to burn a meal, miss an important appointment, or be late to pick up your child.

Okay, now let’s apply this same idea to the realm of you discerning God’s specific will regarding a given situation. Oftentimes, the most dangerous alternative to God’s will is the one that is just “five minutes” off as opposed to the one that is “five hours” off. As a way of illustrating this, I’ll use an example that involves house-buying.

Let’s say that it’s God’s will for a newlywed couple to buy a specific house. We’ll call this house House A. The couple likes the house and can see themselves enjoying a wonderful life there, but they want to have the experience of at least looking at some other houses before they purchase House A. So, they find two other houses to tour and line up appointments with realtors to visit those houses. We’ll call the first of these two other houses House B and the second one House C.

House B is everything the couple could ever want in a home, but the house’s expensive price tag makes the purchase all but impossible for the couple. Consequently, when they tour the house, there is a lot of oohing and aahing but that’s as far as things go because they understand that the house is a pipe-dream for them. Using the terminology of “five minutes” and “five hours,” this house is like a clock that is five hours off. As such, there really isn’t much of a threat that the couple will miss God’s will by buying the house.

Now it is time for the couple to tour House C, and they can afford this one because it’s about the same size and style as House A (the house God wants them to buy). Actually, the main difference between House A and House C lies in the neighborhoods of the two houses. What the couple doesn’t fully understand is that House A sits in a neighborhood that features godly neighbors, solid churches, and schools with teachers that will better reach the two children that God knows is in the couple’s future. As for the neighborhood of House C, it is respectable enough itself, but it simply isn’t as good a fit for the young couple and the plans that God has in mind for them.

This brings us to the question: Which of the two alternative houses (House B or House C) serves as the greater temptation for the couple to miss God’s will in house-buying? Obviously, it is House C, the one that is the most like House A in terms of size, style, and price. That makes it the alternative that is just five minutes off while House B is five hours off.

I hope this practical illustration will help you whenever you find yourself trying to discern God’s will regarding multiple opportunities. While very few people step out of God’s will by chasing opportunities that are hopelessly far-fetched, many people do step out of it by chasing opportunities that are very doable. It’s the difference between driving a Ford or a Chevrolet, between attending one local school or another, or between working in an office building on 1st Avenue or one on 2nd Avenue. Yes, the slight difference might seem as harmless as a clock that is five minutes off, but God knows that just that little bit of difference can make all the difference in the world in terms of the course of your life.

Posted in Choices, Decisions, Desires, Discernment, God's Omniscience, God's Will, Temptation | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Church Attendance in the Summer

Posted on August 3, 2011 by russellmckinney

Memorial Day in America has long been called “the unofficial beginning of summer.” With that in mind, I’d like to talk to you about the “summer slump” most churches experience in regards to attendance in June, July, and August. I doubt there is a pastor alive who doesn’t have to deal with this issue at least to some degree.

Vacations, family reunions, camps, travel ball, etc. all take their toll on church attendance this time of year despite the fact that pastors try everything to keep folks coming. We’ll start a series on marriage or prophecy, two subjects which are always popular. Some pastors swap pulpits with each other for one Sunday morning. Others bring in guest speakers. These are all attempts to keep the flock interested in coming to church rather than going to the lake, the ocean, the campground, the ball field, or wherever.

Mind you now that I’m not saying all such trips are wrong or sinful. But as is the case with so many issues, there should be moderation and balance when it comes to missing church. God doesn’t mind you missing a church service every now and then if He approves of the reason, but far too many churchgoers don’t ask for His approval before they make their plans that cause them to miss church.

Truth be told, most people could do their summer stuff and yet still attend church if they put just the slightest effort into it. For example, instead of heading out for vacation on Sunday, they could do so on Monday. Or instead of checking out and driving back on Sunday, they could check out and drive back on Saturday. Rather than schedule the reunion or the family get-together on Sunday, they could schedule it on Saturday. And if they attend a church that offers Sunday night or Wednesday night services, they could attend those even if they have to miss the Sunday morning service. I’m telling you, with just a small amount of planning and effort, the amount of church services people miss in summer could be greatly reduced.

Of course, the world and all it has to offer gives us absolutely no help in this area. Let me give you just one example from a long list of them. Our oldest son, Ryan, once attended a Clemson Tigers basketball camp in Clemson, South Carolina, as part of our local high school’s basketball program. And what were the dates for that camp? They were June 17th (Friday), 18th (Saturday), and 19th (Sunday). My question was, why couldn’t those dates have been June 16th (Thursday), 17th (Friday), and 18th (Saturday)? After all, it was summer, the kids were out of school, and it would have been just as easy for them to have showed up for camp on Thursday as it was Friday. You see, whoever set up that camp seemed to go out of his way to ensure that the kids were there on Sunday rather than in church.

This same kind of thing plays itself out time and time again in tournaments for so-called “travel teams.” I assure you that if tournament directors scheduled their summer tournaments for Friday and Saturday rather than Saturday and Sunday, the teams would still be there. So, why do they schedule them for Saturday and Sunday? All I can figure is that the schedulers are lost people who don’t give a rip about church.

But I don’t mean to lay all the blame for the annual summer slump at the door of lost people. Let me tell you the dirty little secret that we Christians don’t want to acknowledge: The average church-goer actually likes missing church every now and then. Follow my logic here. People will bend over backwards and move mountains to get to a place where they truly want to be, right? I mean, if a destination becomes a priority, the masses will be there. As the old saying goes, “Hell or high water couldn’t keep them away.” Okay, doesn’t this prove that church isn’t really a priority with most people? Even the ones who regularly attend can be knocked out by just the slightest problem or misalignment of the stars.

On this subject, I’ll admit that church has become its own worst enemy. The problem is, church has now become so much a part of the fabric of our lives that we take it for granted. We think, “What’s the big deal if a service is missed? There will be another one next week.” Well, I suppose there will be, if you live another week to see it. But who’s to say what blessings you will miss at church if you skip for a reason that doesn’t pass God’s test of approval? You might miss the sermon that would change your life. You might miss the song that would carry you through the rest of your week. You might miss the prayer request for which you could make a major difference. You might be the source of encouragement that helps keep your tired, frustrated, out-of-heart pastor going. You might be the reason some visitors decide to become a part of your church. I’m telling you, you just never know.

So, in closing, I plead with you to consider these things any time you are planning to miss church. This goes for the summer months as well as all the other months. I guess what I’m trying to do with this post is get you to think deeper and more spiritually about your church attendance. Don’t be so casual or flippant about blowing off church. Remember that Hebrews 10:24-25 is still in the Bible. And what does that verse say?

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

Posted in Balance, Choices, Church, Church Attendance, Commitment, Discipleship, Faithfulness, God's Will, Memorial Day, Pastors, Personal, Priorities, Sports, Worship | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

“You Almost Missed Me”

Posted on August 2, 2011 by russellmckinney

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. (Proverbs 11:30, K.J.V.)

Dr. Louis Evans was the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, California. He used to tell a story about his father, Dr. William Evans, who was also a prominent pastor. As the story went, one day a man came knocking on William Evans’ door and presented himself as a typewriter salesman. The man said, “Dr. Evans, I know that you write a lot, and I would like to show you this new machine that we have.” Evans said, “I’m sorry, but I’m working on a manuscript for a new book and I’ve got a deadline to meet. I just don’t have the time.” So, the man went away.

A couple of days later the same man knocked on Dr. Evans’ door again. He said, “Dr. Evans, I thought you might have some time for me today to show you this machine.” This time Dr. Evans wasn’t as cordial as he had been the first time. He said, “I thought I made it clear to you that I don’t have the time. I’m pressed with this deadline that I’ve got to meet.” So, the man went away.

But a few days later the man again knocked on Dr. Evans’ door and asked to be allowed to show the new machine. Dr. Evans again declined the offer, but this time, just as he was about to close the door, the Lord spoke to him in that still, small, inner voice and said, “Why don’t you tell him about Me?” So, in obedience to the Lord’s nudging, Dr. Evans invited the man into his home and told him about Jesus.

And how did the man respond to the conversation? He broke down somewhat and said, “Dr. Evans, I’m so glad that you spoke to me today. I’ve come here three times now, but I’m not really in this kind of business. I’ve been coming here because I knew that you were a preacher of the word and I hoped that you would share with me. And Dr. Evans, you almost missed me.”

Tell me, Christian, have you recently found yourself in the somewhat unusual situation of consistently ending up in the company of a particular person? Well, have you gotten around to telling that person about Jesus? If you haven’t, be careful, you don’t want to miss them!

Posted in Evangelism, God's Work, Influence, Ministry, Obedience, Salvation, The Gospel, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Find Things for Which to Be Thankful

Posted on August 1, 2011 by russellmckinney

A subway car was overly crowded, causing several people to have to stand. Naturally, most of them were griping about the situation. As the car pulled into another station where still more people boarded, one standing man said to those who were coming aboard, “I hope you people like standing because we’ve been doing it for a long time.” He didn’t see the crippled invalid who was helped aboard the train and graciously given a seat, but the invalid heard the comment. To it, he somberly replied, “Then you are fortunate.”

But, please, let’s not hypocritically judge the fellow who was standing. The fact is, he could have been any one of us. Speaking for myself, his complaint sounds just like something that I would have said. After all, it’s typical human nature, isn’t it? Yes, it is, but that still doesn’t make it right or pleasing to God.

Hebrews 13:15 says of Jesus:

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. (N.K.J.V.)

By breaking down this verse into its three sections, we find that each section presents a different question for the Christian to answer. Question #1 is: “How are you doing these days at continually offering the sacrifice of praise to God?” Question #2 is: “What form has the fruit of your lips been taking recently?” And question #3 is: “Are you currently in the habit of giving thanks to the name of the Lord?” Truth be told, our answers to these questions probably leave much to be desired.

Christian, the Lord knows that you have legitimate problems, and He also knows that life can be a difficult game to play. But through it all, He remains forevermore worthy to be praised. Even during those times in which you don’t feel like praising Him, He is still worthy. The secret to praising Him during those times is to train yourself to count your blessings rather than complain about your troubles. As the old saying goes, “Count your blessings one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”

Even that crippled invalid who was boarding that train wouldn’t have had to look very hard to find something for which to be thankful. First, he could have been thankful for the people who helped him get aboard the train. Second, he could have been thankful for the person who gave up his seat for him. Third, he could have been thankful that someone in his condition could get aboard a train and travel to distant places, places he could never have seen on his own. Do you see my point?

So, Christian, in the midst of all your grumbling and complaining, make yourself stop and be thankful for all the good things that God has sent your way. And if you can’t come up with anything, be thankful for the fact that Jesus Christ (God the Son) left heaven, took upon Himself human flesh, lived without sin among men, died on a cross to pay the sin debt for the sins of the world, arose from the dead, ascended back to heaven, and now offers salvation to anyone who will believe in Him as Savior. Trust me, that one item right there should be enough to keep you thankful for all eternity.

Posted in Adversity, Attitude, Christ's Death, Christ's Resurrection, Complaining, Contentment, Disappointment, Perseverance, Problems, Salvation, Suffering, Thankfulness | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Walking in Truth

Posted on July 29, 2011 by russellmckinney

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. (3rd John 1:3, N.K.J.V.)

A man was on trial for murder. All the circumstantial evidence strongly indicated his guilt, but the police hadn’t been able to find the corpse. That left some doubt as to whether the jury would convict him. Nevertheless, the man’s defense attorney believed the jury was leaning toward doing just that. So, he resorted to a clever trick.

In the attorney’s closing argument, he said, “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a surprise for you. Within one minute, the person presumed dead in this case will walk into this courtroom.” Then he looked down at his watch as if counting the seconds. Thirty seconds later, he turned and started staring at the courtroom door. The jurors, somewhat stunned, all fixed their eyes on the door as well. After the allotted time had passed, however, it became obvious that no one was walking through that door.

Finally, the attorney broke the courtroom silence by saying, “Actually, I made up the previous statement. But since each of you looked at the door with anticipation, I submit that you all have reasonable doubt in this case as to whether or not my client really killed anybody. And because of that, I insist that you return a verdict of ‘not guilty.'” The jury then retired to deliberate.

To the attorney’s surprise, they came back into the courtroom just a few minutes later and pronounced a verdict of “guilty.” Risking the ire of the judge, the attorney shouted at them, “How could you do this? You must have had some doubt. I saw all of you stare at that door.” To that, the jury foreman replied, “Yes, we did. But your client didn’t.”

As clever as lawyers can be, not one of them is in Satan’s league when it comes to twisting and distorting the truth. Revelation 12:9 says that he “deceives the whole world,” and Jesus said of him, “There is no truth in him” (John 8:44). Rest assured that if Satan was able to talk Eve out of the truth, he is able to deceive us, too. We are simply no match for him. That is why we must make it a matter of regular prayer to ask the Lord to give us discernment and wisdom in regards to what is true and what is a lie.

If you haven’t done so today, take a moment right now and ask the Lord for such discernment and wisdom. Tell Him that you don’t want to believe anything that isn’t the truth. Tell Him that you don’t want to be duped by Satan. Tell Him that you want to know the truth so that you can bring your life in line with it. And then listen to and heed the truth when God sends it your way. You see, without God’s help, you’ll never be able to fully walk in truth.

Posted in Choices, Counsel, Deception, Decisions, Demons, Discernment, Doubt, God's Will, God's Word, Satan, Seeking Advice, Spiritual Warfare, Temptation, The Devil, Truth | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Swimming at Your Own Risk

Posted on July 28, 2011 by russellmckinney

One summer, when the boys were young, we had one day left on our beach vacation. So, we used that day to give the boys a final opportunity to enjoy the ocean and pool. This had been the first year ever that Royce, our youngest, had enjoyed splashing around in the ocean more than splashing around in the pool. He had even used some of his own money to buy himself a boogie board in order to ride the waves properly.

Well, for a good while at the ocean that day, everything hummed along delightfully just as the week’s previous days had done. The boys played in the waves while Tonya and I laid on the beach. Then I joined the boys in the water, and Tonya waded in a few minutes later. So there we were, all four Mckinneys splashing around in the ocean, enjoying every minute of it.

But then suddenly, out of nowhere, I felt a brief but intense sting on my arm. It didn’t take me long to figure out that a jellyfish had stung me. The pain wasn’t enough to cause me to scream and head for the shore, but it did hurt, about like a bee-sting. Since I had no clue what to do and didn’t want to create a scene from the movie “Jaws,” causing hundreds to abandon the water, I decided to stay in the water and let the salt water disinfect the sting. I found out later that my plan was a good one. The worst thing you can do for a jellyfish sting is pour fresh water on it. That causes the toxins (or whatever they are) to spread.

After a few minutes, some small whelks raised up on my arm and I began to feel a slight tingling in my fingers. I thought, “If things get any worse, I’m going to have to get some medical attention.” Thankfully, though, that was the worst of it and before long my arm was virtually back to normal except for the small whelks. Okay, event over, right? Nope, not so fast.

About twenty minutes after I got stung, Royce rode an exceptionally large wave all the way into the shallows. But before he even fully emerged from the water, we heard him scream. And he kept screaming as he hurled himself out of the water, ran to our beach blankets, and buried himself in one of them. Honestly, Tonya and I would have feared that he had been bitten by a shark if not for the fact that I had been stung by a jellyfish just a few minutes earlier. That gave us a pretty good idea what had happened.

As it turned out, Royce’s sting was much worse than mine. It was as if a jellyfish had wrapped itself around his leg and kept stinging. He had big marks on the inside and outside of his leg and they were already becoming whelks. It was no wonder the poor little fellow had gotten out of that water so fast. I wouldn’t have hung around in there either!

As Tonya raced to comfort Royce, I made my way to our lifeguard and reported the two stings. The lifeguard immediately grabbed a spray bottle of vinegar and sprayed down my arm. Then she went over to Royce and did the same for his wounds. By that time, he was beginning to calm down somewhat, but he didn’t want any more to do with the ocean for that day. Consequently, we gathered up our things and headed for the pool.

Now, here’s the thing that you ought to know about those two jellyfish stings. All week long, as we had ridden those ocean waves, a warning sign had been posted just next to the lifeguard’s chair along the shoreline. What did that sign warn about? Jellyfish! You see, Royce and I, along with dozens and dozens of others, had been swimming at our own risk all week because jellyfish had been reported in the area and the warning sign was in place.

Accordingly, the spiritual application to this story is simple: God’s word, the Bible, is like that warning sign, and when your actions go against it, don’t be surprised when you get stung. Sure, you might swim around for a while and get along fine. You might even have some fun and enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. Ultimately, though, God will not be mocked and His word will not be ignored without consequence. Jellyfish stings hurt, but those stings are nothing compared to the hurt that we bring upon ourselves by sin. And just as Royce and I could offer no legitimate objection to us getting stung, neither can the sinner who has been warned by God’s word and blatantly ignored it.

Posted in Backsliding, Choices, Confession, Disobedience, God's Chastening, God's Judgment, God's Word, Obedience, Personal Holiness, Rebellion, Repentance, Scripture, Sin, Sowing and Reaping, The Bible | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Recalculating

Posted on July 27, 2011 by russellmckinney

In my last post, I mentioned G.P.S. systems as examples of the otherworldly technology that now passes for our normal, everyday lives. I remember the first time that Tonya and I used one of those systems for our family’s vacation trip. When I asked why the system featured a woman’s voice instead of a man’s, my son Ryan had a good answer. He said, “Since men never ask for directions, they probably figured that mostly women would be using it.” I couldn’t argue with that.

The more we drove, the more we became accustomed to having that woman’s voice in the van with us. Every so often we’d hear her say something like, “In 1.2 miles turn right onto Deer Park road and continue 3.6 miles.” It was pretty cool stuff. I even began to anticipate her voice piping up when I knew we were coming to a turn. I’d ask Tonya, “Shouldn’t that woman be saying something by now?”

Unfortunately, though, there was one word we heard the woman use a few too many times on that trip. The word was, “Recalculating.” Whenever we missed a stated turnoff, she would go silent for a moment and then say, “Recalculating.” Then she would pick her directions back up from our new position. It got to the point where we would miss a turn and I would immediately say, “That woman is not going to like that.” Then right on cue we would hear, “Recalculating.”

I’m glad that when it comes to God’s guidance in our lives, He knows how to recalculate. That means that even if we do miss His will for a given situation, it isn’t the end of our walk with Him. He doesn’t throw up His hands and say, “Well, now you’re on your own.” Instead, it’s as if He says, “Recalculating.”

Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that missing God’s will is ever good or acceptable. He never grins about it and playfully says, “Oh, you little rascal, what am I going to do with you?” No, missing His will is always serious, serious business, and there will always be unpleasant consequences for doing so. My point is simply that missing one of the turns of God’s will doesn’t mean the end of your journey with Him. If it did, we would all be hopelessly adrift as we move through life, forevermore cut off from the voice and guidance of our Maker.

I don’t know where this post finds you today, but maybe you are just coming out of a situation in which you really missed God’s will. Well, I’m not patting you on the back and saying, “There, there, honey, what you did was understandable,” but I am saying that God hasn’t abandoned you. Even now He is in “recalculating” mode concerning you, and He wants you to pick back up with Him right where you are and start following His new instructions. If you will do that, you’ll find that He can still take you to some wonderful places. Even more than that, there will be some great scenery for you to enjoy along the way.

Posted in Backsliding, Choices, Disobedience, God's Love, God's Omniscience, God's Will, Grace, Obedience, Repentance, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

G.P.S. and Armageddon

Posted on July 26, 2011 by russellmckinney

By now, even the most “old school” of us know about G.P.S. systems. G.P.S., as I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, stands for Global Positioning System. When these systems first hit the market, they were small devices that attached to a vehicle’s windshield or dash to give the driver highly specific directions on what roads to take and when to turn to reach whatever destination the driver had programmed into the system. The systems would even list local stores and restaurants in the area. Nowadays, of course, those mounted versions have been replaced by ones that are either built into our vehicles or our cellphones.

How do G.P.S. systems work? From what I hear, the system links up to a satellite somewhere out in space and computerized information is relayed via the connection. While I realize that is a very rudimentary explanation, frankly, that’s about as deep as I want to get into the technology. Beyond that, it starts to get a little too creepy for me.

You might be asking, “What do you mean by that last statement?” Okay, I’ll tell you. First, the fact that the data concerning virtually every interstate, highway, and site location in the world can be stored in a device that I can hold in my hand is too “Star Trek” for me. When did we get smart enough to devise such technology? Second, if a satellite up in space can tell exactly where my vehicle is at any given time and place, who knows what else the powers that be know about me and mine? That’s too “Big Brother” for me. Third, by living in a world that has become so dependent upon computers, we seem to have ripened ourselves for some kind of cataclysmic technological meltdown in the future. And that’s a little too “book of The Revelation” for me.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m really not the type to go around playing Chicken Little by saying, “The sky is falling.” I’m also not the type to grow a long beard, dress in weird clothing, and stand on a street corner holding a sign that reads, “The end of the world is near.” With that said, though, there is something about the book of The Revelation that has aroused my curiosity for years. That something is the fact that the book makes specific mention of horses being used in battle in the future.

The passage is Revelation 19:17-18, two verses which are found in the context of the book’s account of the famous Battle of Armageddon. They read:

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” (N.K.J.V. emphasis mine)

The bloody carnage that will be on display in the wake of the battle of Armageddon will be unfathomable. Revelation 14:20 speaks of blood flowing as high as the horses’ bridles (about four feet high), covering a distance of 1,600 furlongs (the approximate distance between the site of the Battle of Armageddon and Edom in the south). Then, in addition to that verse, the words of Revelation 19:18 speak of untold numbers of corpses and carcasses that will become a great feast for the vulturous birds of the air. This brings me to the point I’m trying to make: A bird can’t eat the remains of a tank, a jeep, a helicopter, a fighter jet, or a transport truck, but it can eat the remains of a horse. Because of this, how can we not interpret the horses at the Battle of Armageddon to be literal horses?

Admittedly, this whole line of thought hinges upon the interpretation that the events of The Revelation are future events that should be understood literally, an interpretation that not everyone buys. For example, some people believe that the vast majority of the events were fulfilled when the Romans laid siege to Jerusalem and finally destroyed it in 70 A.D. Others believe that the events should be understood allegorically or figuratively rather than literally. But after studying The Revelation for many years now, preaching through it on multiple occasions, and writing blog posts about it, I side with the now predominantly held belief that the events should be taken literally and are still to come in the future. This world simply hasn’t yet seen the likes of all that is described in The Revelation.

So, that brings us back to the matter of the literal horses at the coming Battle of Armageddon. The question is: Why will this world’s future soldiers be relegated to mounting horses? Well, could it be that there is coming a time when our vast array of military technology, technology which is based upon computers, will cease to function? Will someone invent a weapon, perhaps some type of EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) device that will render not only the world’s machinery but also the world’s computers inoperative? While I freely confess that this is all mere speculation on my part, it’s certainly something to think about.

If it does happen, I suspect (and again I’m not presenting any of this as indisputable fact) that it will not take place until after the man the Bible calls the Antichrist has instituted his worldwide identification program known as “the mark of the Beast” (Revelation 13:16-18). That will take place at the midway point of the coming seven-year tribulation period. Students of prophecy puzzled for centuries as to how the Antichrist would be able to pull off such a worldwide program, but now, with computers having the power to store oceans of data and give us a cashless society, the puzzle is solved. Therefore, I’m guessing that all our machinery and computer technology will still be up and running at the halfway point of the tribulation period.

You see, this is the kind of stuff that I think about when I use a device such as a G.P.S. I know, I know, I should just sit back and enjoy the ride, right? But give me credit for at least trying to understand how all of today’s computer wizardry factors into Bible prophecy. I may not have all the answers right, but at least I’m trying to take the test.

Posted in Bible Study, Christ's Second Coming, Coming Judgment, God's Word, Prophecy, Scripture | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment