Contemporary Vs. Traditional

Posted on January 15, 2010 by russellmckinney

(This article ran in the January, 2010 regional edition of The Blue Ridge Christian News.)

At Disciples Road Church, we feature a balanced blend of music. Unlike churches that offer separate traditional and contemporary services, we just throw everybody together and ask them to sing classic hymns and contemporary worship songs. Since having preferences is a part of being human, our members have theirs. With a few exceptions, the lines fall exactly as you would think: the kids like the contemporary songs best, but the adults like the classics.

The truth is, I can’t blame the kids for favoring the contemporary songs. Have you ever really paid attention to some of the words of the old hymns? The second verse of Holy, Holy, Holy has the line: “Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee.” That’s a glorious thought, but how many youth know that cherubim and seraphim are two categories of angels? (And, yes, I’ve taught on that subject at the church.) The first verse of All Hail The Power of Jesus’ Name reads: “Let angels prostrate fall; Bring forth the royal diadem.” When does a ten-year old hear the word “prostrate” or “diadem” other than in that song? The second verse of Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing begins with: “Here I raise mine Ebenezer; Hither by thy help I come.” That line is a reference to 1 Samuel 7:12, but a teenager sings it and thinks, “What’s an Ebenezer?” I’ve got to admit that even my initial reaction to the word has more to do with the Ebenezer Scrooge of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol than the great prophet Samuel. And I won’t even get into their reactions to “hither” and “thy.”

You say, “Russell, you’re just singing the wrong hymns. You need to quit trying to be ‘high church.’ Just stick to old standbys like At Calvary, What A Friend We Have In Jesus, and Leaning On The Everlasting Arms.” Well, I must report that we even run into some problems with these seemingly simple songs. At Calvary contains words such as “spurned,” “imploring,” and “raptured.” What A Friend We Have In Jesus gives us “laden,” “cumbered,” and “solace.” Leaning On The Everlasting Arms talks about walking in this “pilgrim way” and being safe and secure from all “alarms.” Any child who knows about getting up early for school knows what an alarm is and is left to wonder how God keeps us secure from them.

Do you understand the point I’m making? Oftentimes it takes an elderly theologian to grasp doctrinal truths that are presented in language from the 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s. There’s a reason why Bible-school songs sound so much different from our classic hymns. Yes, the quicker beat helps keep the attention of hyperactive kids, but the unsophisticated words are a major draw too. Children are like adults in that they want to be able to understand what they are singing.

My son Ryan is twelve years old. He is a straight-A student who has been raised in church. He knows Jesus as his Savior and wasn’t baptized by me until I was thoroughly convinced that his salvation was genuine. It has only been over the last three years that he has been introduced to contemporary Christian music. Before that, he only sung such songs during Bible school. Everything else was classic hymnology. What I’m saying is, if any kid should be able to handle the old songs, it’s Ryan.

Nevertheless, a few weeks ago, after our church had sung Victory In Jesus, Ryan asked me something that really opened my eyes. His question was, “Daddy, what’s a ‘wretch’?” You see, if that song had said, “I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory, how he gave his life on Calvary to save a sinner like me,” Ryan would have understood completely. But that word “wretch” confused him, even though he’d also sung it before in the opening words of Amazing Grace. You see, he is a “wretch” who has been saved by God’s amazing grace via Christ’s death on Calvary, but he needs a song that expresses that great truth in words that he can grasp.

A couple of weeks later I had a similar experience with Royce, my nine-year old. For several months now Tonya has been working to get him to remain in the worship service for its entirety, which includes his daddy’s sermon. She’s taken longer to make that transition with him than she did with Ryan because he has matured at a different rate than Ryan. I’ve tried to help by encouraging Royce to really sing out when we sing our songs. I always try to get the kids to participate in the service. It helps them and it helps the service. Since Royce likes singing, he has become one of the loudest voices in our church. (We’ll work at staying on key and in tempo later.)

Well, I don’t remember exactly what we were singing that morning, but I could hear Royce’s loud voice coming in and out of the song. It was obvious what was happening: He was singing loud until he came to a word he didn’t know. If I hadn’t figured that out during the song, Royce certainly let me hear about it at the song’s conclusion. He said, for all the congregation to hear, “Those words are too hard!” Everybody laughed, but I knew the little fellow was simply voicing a frustration that has been felt by thousands of young people at some point during their church lives.

Under this same category, we also find the debate concerning the use of modern translations of the Bible. Just as words such as “wretch,” “prostrate,” “diadem,” “cumbered,” and “solace” are completely foreign to today’s youth, so are K.J.V. words such as:

“chambering” (Romans 13:13); “sackbut” (Daniel 3:5); “clouted” (Joshua 9:5); “glede“ (Deuteronomy 14:13); “ouches” (Exodus 28:11); “brigandines” (Jeremiah 46:4); “chode“ (Numbers 20:3); “nitre” (Proverbs 25:20); “purtenance” (Exodus 12:9); “choler“ (Daniel 8:7); “scall” (Leviticus 13:30); “amerce” (Deuteronomy 22:19); “tabret” (Genesis 31:27); “neesings” (Job 41:18); “suretiship“ (Proverbs 11:15); “collops” (Job 15:27); “trow” (Luke 17:9); “cieled” (Haggai 1:4); “blains” (Exodus 9:9); “wen” (Leviticus 22:22); “cotes” (2 Chronicles 32:28); “crookbackt” (Leviticus 21:20); “wantonness” (Romans 13:13); “ambassage” (Luke 14:32); “wimples” (Isaiah 3:22); and “habergeon” (Exodus 28:32).

I’ve been preaching for seventeen years, but even I have to work hard to figure out what these words mean. I can only imagine what young people think of the Bible when they run into such words while reading it. Since translation teams devote their lives to putting the Bible into the common languages of indigenous groups around the world, shouldn’t we do the same for our young folks here at home?

Frankly, I don’t claim to have all the answers in the traditional vs. contemporary debate. But what I do know is that if we want our kids to understand the word of God and the great doctrinal truths it conveys, we have to give them translations and spiritual songs that speak the way they do. The critic would call this more of the “dumbing down” of our society, but I just can’t justify holding 21st century kids (or adults for that matter) to the language standards of the 17th, 18th, or 19th centuries.

If I know anything about God, I know that He is alive and vibrant, always pushing ahead and moving on to the next thing. Jesus refused to be trapped by so many of the “traditions” of His day, and He hasn’t changed. Our Lord is in the business of reaching all people with His message, and as such He doesn’t want to be held hostage to archaic language that doesn’t speak in a clear, easily understood way to the people of the day. That is especially true when it comes to highly impressionable young people. I’m not saying that we should abandon the time-honored hymns or the K.J.V. translation. As long as large numbers of people still prefer these, there’s no reason to exclusively embrace the contemporary. But, on the other hand, let’s not drive into the other ditch by automatically labeling anything “new” as “bad.” Our young folks need us to be more discerning than that.

Posted in Balance, Bible Study, Children, King James Only, Music, Scripture, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Diet Time Again

Posted on January 13, 2010 by russellmckinney

Well, this past Monday I hit the ground running on my new diet. My digital scales clocked me in at 201. That’s 20 to 25 pounds north of where I need to be. Since it’s been a few years since I really got into diet mode, I think I’m due for a reconfiguring.

Truth be told, in addition to my weight issues, my stomach has been bothering me quite a bit for the past several months. Too much fried food will do that. I was up to two tagaments a day because the heartburn had become such an issue.

I don’t worry that I won’t be able to lose weight. That’s not to brag, just to state the truth. I know I can drop pounds when I put my mind to it. I wasn’t always so confident, but several years ago I went from 225 to 175 in just a few months. That’s when I learned how to effectively shed weight.

My teacher was a Bariatric Clinic that Tonya and I attended for a while. They gave us a simple plan and guaranteed that we would lose weight if we followed it. For a male, it goes like this:

1. I’m allowed food and drinks totaling up to 30 fat grams and 2,000 calories per day.

2. I have to drink two quarts of water each day.

3. I have to put in 30 minutes of exercise each day.

Certainly there are all kinds of other diets out there (Atkins, Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc.), and I’m sure these other plans will work, too. For me, though, I know what’s done the trick in the past. I’ll dance with the one that brought me.

Back then, it took me a few weeks to get the hang of reading the sides of every box and learning to count fat grams and calories. Eventually, though, I became an expert at it. As for the 30 minutes of exercise, my weapon of choice is a treadmill. Yes, it’s old school, but it works. It’s been sitting there in my bedroom just waiting for the day when we’d get reacquainted. I can drink one of my two required quarts of water while walking on it and watching t.v.

The exercising is fine once you get in the habit of it, and it really does give you more energy. Drinking all that water is a bit of a chore, but it’s not too terrible. The hardest thing is the difference in the tastes of foods. With a few notable exceptions, fattening food does taste better. Don’t believe the hype about not being able to tell the difference between regular food and low-fat food. As the old saying goes, though, no pain no gain (or in this case, no loss).

If I needed any reassurance that my tried-and-true system still works, my digital bathroom scales have been giving it to me. By Tuesday morning, I had gone from 201 to 199, and this morning I was at 198. So, the slow process has begun. Oh, I’m well aware that losing the first handful of pounds is the easiest. (Just drinking the water will accomplish that.) Still, if I’ll stay on course, the scales will continue to be friendly. Like so many things, the plan will work if I will work the plan.

Of course, I’m not one of these fitness fanatics who is going to lose my mind over my appearance or start bowing down before weight loss as an idol. Admittedly, I experienced a touch of that when I lost all that weight years ago. And, yes, I’ve read 1 Timothy 4:8, which says: “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things…” (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine). Every overweight preacher knows that verse. Nevertheless, if I can get in on that “little” profit without sacrificing any godliness, I’ll take all the profit I can get.

I think the better scripture concerning weight loss is 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, which says that God the Holy Spirit’s indwelling of the Christian’s body makes that body a temple. As such, the Christian is told to “glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (N.K.J.V.). Admittedly, those verses are found in the context of a warning about sexual immorality, not weight loss. Still, though, the basic idea can be applied in any number of ways, including that of excess weight.

I do know that too many Christians are far too flippant about this topic. Preachers, in particular, are notorious for making jokes about it. For example, one old joke says that a preacher’s belt is nothing more than a fence around a chicken graveyard. While that’s funny, it loses some of its humor when a guy has been preaching for fifteen minutes and is red in the face, out of breath, and in need of a chair. Getting drunk or having an affair isn’t the only way to defile a temple.

As the weeks move along, I’ll keep you posted here and there on how my diet is going. I’m also trying to make some other changes for this new year. For example, I want to go to bed earlier and get up earlier, something that is hard for a born night-owl. I want to watch less television. I want to listen to more preaching and contemporary Christian music. And I’ve already started writing a second book. This one deals with prayer. Hopefully, and prayerfully, I’ll make great strides in all of these areas as 2010 unfolds. Through it all, though, one thing’s for sure: I’ve got plenty of room in my life for improvement.

Posted in Choices, Christian Liberty, Dieting, New Year, Personal, The Holy Spirit | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Christianity in Shoe Leather

Posted on January 11, 2010 by russellmckinney

In my previous post, “For His Name’s Sake,” I talked about how a Christian’s conduct has a direct effect upon Christ’s reputation with the lost people of this world. Summing up the situation, a Christian’s sinful conduct does harm to Christ’s name. Now let me give you an example to illustrate this truth. Like the exaggerated examples Jesus loved to use, this hypothetical story will be on the extreme side.

Let’s say that a husband and wife, neither of whom is a Christian, go to buy a used car. They drive to a local dealership and find a car that looks good to them. As if he is reading their minds, a salesman suddenly appears from the office and makes his way out to them. He says, “You folks have a good eye. Just between you and me, this car is the best buy on the lot. It is mechanically as sound as a dollar. I wouldn’t mind taking off cross country in it. And if you’ll finalize the deal today, I’ll knock an extra $500 off the asking price.”

Even as those words roll from the salesman’s lips, however, he knows he is lying. His mechanics have told him the car’s engine needs to be completely rebuilt. Ignorant of this inside information, the husband and wife take the car out for a test spin, and the car does alright on that short test drive. Arriving back at the lot, the couple talk between themselves briefly, after which the husband tells the salesman, “We’ll take it. The salesman says, “Great. Step into my office and we’ll sign the papers.”

As they walk into the office, the husband notices that hanging on the salesman’s office wall is a beautiful picture of Jesus. He also notices that sitting on the salesman’s desk is a little plaque that says: “Christ is the answer.” The husband says to the salesman, “I gather that you are a Christian.” The salesman says, “Oh yes. I’ve been a deacon in my church for twenty years.”

The husband says, “Well, my wife and I aren’t very religious, but I guess we can trust a deacon.” The salesman says, “Absolutely! You can trust me. Even though this car is just a little bit too old to have any kind of warranty, I’ll take care of you. If you have any trouble with it, just bring it back to me. I’ll make things right. You have my personal guarantee on that.”

So, the papers are signed and the deal is done. The husband and wife just bought themselves a car. The husband climbs into it, starts it up, and pulls off the lot while his wife falls in behind him in the car they drove to the lot. But the husband only gets about five miles up the road before smoke starts pouring out from under the hood of his car. Luckily for him, there is a service station right there on the corner. He pulls into the station, and a mechanic pops the hood and takes a look at the car’s engine. The mechanic says, “Sir, I hate to tell you this, but this motor is completely shot. It needs a total rebuild.”

Upon hearing that, the man immediately gets into the car with his wife, who has followed him to the service station, and tells her, “Take me back to that car lot. I’m going to have a word with that salesman.” The wife obliges, and the husband storms into the salesman’s office. He points his finger at the salesman and says, “You sold me a lemon. I drove that car about five miles and the motor blew up. I want you to keep your word and make things right.”

And how does that used-car salesman/deacon respond? He says, “Sir, I feel awful about this, but our policy is that all sales are final and that car doesn’t have a warranty. So, I’m afraid there isn’t much I can do for you.”

You say, “Boy, that husband and wife won’t think much of that Christian salesman.” You’re right, they won’t. I’ll tell you something else: They won’t think much of Christ either! They’ll say, “If that’s what being a Christian is all about, the Christians can have it. We can do better than that on our own. Who needs a Savior who produces that kind of behavior in His people?”

The takeaway lesson from this story, Christian, is that you are called to live your faith wherever you happen to be at the time. This means that if you go around claiming to be a Christian, you’d better act right. If you have a tag that says “Christ Is My Co-Pilot,” you’d better be honest. If you have a bumper sticker that says “Honk, If You Love Jesus,” you’d better pay your bills. If you wear a shirt that says “My Best Friend Is A Jewish Carpenter,” you’d better watch your language. Why? It’s because Christ’s reputation is at stake by way of your behavior!

You can call this “Christianity in shoe leather.” It is you bringing your Christianity out of the clouds of doctrine. It is you pulling your religion up from your church seat. It is you transitioning your spirituality from principle to practice.

How do you do this? Every day that you wake up you spend time in prayer, saying, “Jesus, today, wherever I go, whatever the day holds for me, lead me in the paths of righteousness. You be My guiding shepherd and help me be your obedient sheep. Don’t let me do anything today that will bring shame to Your name.” Once you start praying like that and living out that prayer, you’ll find yourself walking in those paths of righteousness. And that will not only be beneficial to you and others, it will be beneficial to Jesus as His good name will not be muddied by your ungodly behavior.

Posted in Backsliding, Business, Character, Church, Discipleship, Doing Good, Faithfulness, Honesty, Influence, Lying, Obedience, Personal Holiness, Salvation | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

For His Name’s Sake

Posted on January 9, 2010 by russellmckinney

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:1-3, N.K.J.V.)

There are a slew of profound truths to be found in these three verses, but I would like to specifically draw your attention to the last part of verse 3. David says of the Lord: “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” That makes for an interesting motivation on Christ’s part, doesn’t it?

Of course, I realize that Christ’s name isn’t actually used in these verses. Undoubtedly, though, Jesus had this passage in mind when He said in John 10:11,14,and 27:

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own…My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. (N.K.J.V.)

And so, Jesus leads Christians in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His own name. This means that He leads Christians in the paths of righteousness so that His name won’t be besmirched, soiled, or damaged. Obviously, Jesus is quiet concerned about His reputation.

Now, does walking in the paths of righteousness help the individual Christian? Yes, it does. Does a Christian walking in the paths of righteousness make the world a better place? Yes, it does. But neither of these motivations is mentioned in Psalm 23:3. The only motivation mentioned is that of Jesus protecting His own name.

In your mind’s eye, go with me back in time to a day in ancient Israel. Let’s tag along as a local shepherd leads a flock of sheep for the day. We don’t have to help the man do his shepherding. All we have to do is observe.

As we walk along behind the shepherd, we see that he seems to be doing an adequate job of leading his sheep. Now it is time, though, for the sheep to eat, and we are interested in how the shepherd will meet that need. We are also aware that once the sheep have filled their stomachs they will want to lie down and rest a while.

Much to our surprise, the shepherd leads the sheep right past a beautiful, green pasture that would provide perfect food and rest for the sheep. For some inexplicable reason, he seems to have another site in mind. Finally, he brings the flock to a rocky, almost barren piece of ground where just a few sparse patches of grass grow here and there. The sheep try to eat, but there just isn’t enough grass. This causes them to give up on the idea and lie down. They don’t get much rest, though, because the ground is far too hard and rocky.

After watching this, we begin to question the shepherd’s judgment. Still, we want to give him the benefit of the doubt and so we wait around until it is time for him to again put the sheep on the move. Now that the sheep have had their allotted time for eating and resting, it is time for them to get some water. We then accompany the flock as the shepherd leads them to an outstanding waterhole. We’ve heard that sheep don’t like rushing waters because they can’t swim very well and are terrified of swift currents, but these waters are still and quiet. This hole is just right.

We watch in amazement, though, as the shepherd shakes his head in disapproval. Evidently, he doesn’t think these waters will suffice. Onward he leads the sheep until finally the sound of a mighty, rushing river is heard. The shepherd picks up his pace, and upon arriving at the river, he brings the sheep to the water’s edge and waits for them to start drinking.

The sheep, however, are overly cautious and won’t go near the dangerous current. This keeps them from getting the water they desperately need. Once the shepherd realizes the sheep aren’t going to drink, he begins again with his leading. Now the sheep are hungry and tired because the shepherd walked them past the green pastures, and they are thirsty because he walked them past the quiet waters. It’s clear to us that the poor animals need to be refreshed, but the shepherd pushes them onward, seemingly oblivious to their plight.

We continue to follow close behind the flock even though by now we are completely bewildered at the shepherd’s actions. Over the remaining course of the day, we watch as the shepherd leads the sheep to places sheep have no business going. He leads them in precarious paths that run along the edges of cliffs. He leads them in dangerous paths that run by places where lions are known to suddenly attack. He leads them in rough paths that run through ditches and briars. Finally, we have seen enough and make our way back to town.

Once we get into town, a man comes to us and says, “You are the people who tagged along and watched the shepherd lead his flock. Tell me, what did you think of his shepherding?” Having seen what we’ve seen, what must our answer be? We must say that the shepherd doesn’t know how to care for sheep. We must say that he is dangerous for sheep. We must say that he is not to be trusted with sheep. The fact of the matter is, it is absolutely impossible for us to recommend that man as a shepherd. We explain this to the fellow who asked our opinion, and our critical words begin making their way through the town. Pretty soon, the shepherd’s reputation is ruined.

Now let’s come back to the present day. I ask you, Christian, what kind of reputation as a shepherd does Jesus desire to have among the people of this world? Answer: He wants to be known as a good shepherd. Okay, so how can He gain such a reputation? To gain it, He must lead us, His sheep, in the paths of righteousness. Therefore, Christian, every time you forego those paths of righteousness, you damage Christ’s name.

Maybe you would say, “But it isn’t right for Jesus to be blamed when He’s not the one who leads the Christian into paths of sin.” Well, you make a good point. The people of this world shouldn’t hold it against Jesus when a Christian refuses to live in a holy manner. The problem, however, is that the people of this world don’t always differentiate between Christian sheep who follow Christ’s leading and Christian sheep who don’t.

You see, Christian, your fellow Christians might understand that Christ is not the leader He can be if you aren’t the follower you ought to be, but there’s no guarantee that lost people will understand it. That’s why, when you stand up and say, “Jesus Christ is my Savior,” you’d better do all you can to ensure that you walk in Christ’s paths of righteousness. You failing at this assignment will not only damage your own name, it will damage Christ’s name. Neither of these things is something you should want, and Christ’s own reputation taking a hit simply because you played the part of a rogue sheep is surely not something He deserves.

Posted in Addiction, Backsliding, Character, Discipleship, Disobedience, Doing Good, Dress and Appearance, God's Will, Influence, Obedience, Personal Holiness, Sanctification, Separation, Sin, Temptation | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Got Any Trees That Need Cutting?

Posted on January 8, 2010 by russellmckinney

Charles Bracelan Flood’s book, Lee: The Last Years, gives us a thought-provoking story from the life of Robert E. Lee. As the story goes, Lee visited the home of a Kentucky woman shortly after the end of the Civil War. The woman took him to the remains of a grand old tree that stood in front of her home. Standing there beside the ruined tree, Lee listened as she cried bitter tears and cursed the Union army for destroying the tree’s limbs and trunk. When she finished, she expected Lee to condemn the North or at least sympathize with her loss. Lee, instead, paused for a moment and said, “Cut it down, my dear madam, and forget it.”

Finish this sentence for me: “In all honesty, I have never fully forgiven ………..” If no particular name came to your mind to finish that sentence, it’s possible that you aren’t carrying any old grudges or hatreds. On the other hand, if a name instinctively popped in there, even if you didn’t want it to pop in there, you need to address that problem in your life.

Carefully consider the following quotes from Jesus (all from the N.K.J.V.):

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15)

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses. (Mark 11:25-26)

And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. (Luke 11:4)

Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37)

It’s hard to overstate the seriousness of these quotes. If Jesus said something once it was important, but how important a subject must be for Him to hammer on it multiple times? Suffice is to say that Jesus makes a big deal out of you refusing to forgive someone even if you don’t think it’s a big deal.

Just like that Kentucky woman who carried a hatred for the Union army because of what they had done to her tree, perhaps you are withholding forgiveness from someone who has wronged you. If that’s the case, let me encourage you to take Robert E. Lee’s advice. Cut that tree down and forget it. Stop visiting it every day. Stop thinking about it all the time. Stop shedding tears about it. Stop mourning over it. And stop trying to get others to join you in your mourning. Instead, extend forgiveness to the person, even if the forgiveness is undeserved. You’ll be amazed at what a difference this will make in your life. After all, spending hours on end staring at a ruined, bombed out tree doesn’t make for much of a life.

Posted in Extending Forgiveness, Forgiveness, Seeking Forgiveness | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Right Kind of Meditation

Posted on January 7, 2010 by russellmckinney

We’ve been mining Psalm 1:1-3 for spiritual truth this week. So, here now is one last post on the passage. I’m calling this one “The Right Kind of Meditation.”

The practice of meditation is typically associated with far-eastern religions and the mental exploration of one’s “inner self.” But the Bible has nothing to say about that kind of meditation. The Biblical kind of meditation is described in Psalm 1:2, which says of the godly, blessed man:

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

The Hebrew word translated as “meditates” is hagah. Specifically, it refers to the sighs and low sounds a person makes while musing over something. Imagine a man or woman silently reading a line from a book, pausing for a moment to give in-depth consideration to the line, and then lowly saying, “Hmmm…” That catches the idea behind the word.

The application of Psalm 1:2 is three-fold. First, we should devote diligent, somber study to God’s written word. Second, this studying should be done “day and night.” By the way, this doesn’t mean an employee has to quit work and study the Bible full time or that a student has to quit school and only study the Bible. It does mean, though, that we should make time during the day and night to study the holy scriptures. And then third, even more than just making time to study the scriptures, our studying should be serious enough to cause us to say, “Hmmm…” as God’s truths are driven deep into our hearts.

It’s been said that we hold our Bibles high but rarely open them. The average person’s Bible study might even be compared to the eating habits of a certain tribe of backwoods Aborigines in Australia. The explorers and researchers who discovered this tribe studied the tribe’s cultural habits and noticed that by age thirty the adults had practically no teeth. Further study gave the reason for this odd condition. It was learned that the tribe enjoyed cooking meat in the open sand with water and fire, and the meat was eaten with the sand actually clinging to it. As a result, by the time the adults reached the age of thirty, the years of having their teeth ground away by all that sand left them for the most part toothless. This meant that the children had to chew the meat in advance and give it to the adults. This, of course, kept the vicious cycle going because those children wouldn’t have any teeth left when they got to be adults.

That story describes a lot of people’s relationship to the Bible. They want someone else to “chew” the scriptures for them. They want someone else to put in the hard work of studying and then hand them all that knowledge and understanding. In that way, these people never have to meditate upon the scriptures themselves. They can grab a bite here and there from a sermon or a commentary and receive their nourishment that way.

I’m certainly not saying that preachers and teachers don’t have their place in God’s plan. No, everyone ought to enjoy the fruits of the labors of good, solid, doctrinally straight preachers and teachers. But what I am saying is that you need to study the Bible yourself as well. Fine meat might still taste good after it’s been chewed on by someone else, but doesn’t it make for a more pleasurable dining experience when you do your own chewing?

Posted in Bible Study, Discipleship, God's Word, Preaching, Scripture, Teaching, The Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sin’s Progression

Posted on January 5, 2010 by russellmckinney

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; (Psalm 1:1, N.K.J.V.)

In my previous post, I outlined Psalm 1:1-3 under the title “Blessedness.” Now, with this post, I’d like to narrow the microscope down onto one particular aspect of that passage and offer a word about sin’s progression. What do I mean by “sin’s progression”? I mean that hardened sinners don’t get that way overnight. No, they become hardened in their sin by way of a definite progression of events.

First, the individual in question gets counsel from an ungodly person and puts that wrong counsel into action. That gets him started walking in the wrong direction. That’s why Psalm 1:1 speaks of walking in the counsel of the ungodly.

Second, walking in that unwise counsel takes the individual off the path of God’s will and onto the path of sinners. That’s bad enough, but once he is on that path, he finds that he enjoys the sin. Consequently, he decides to stand around for a while in that path. So, now he’s stopped walking the path of sinners and is, instead, standing on it.

Third, sometime later, the individual gets tired from constantly standing on the path of sinners and chooses to actually sit down on that path. Psalm 1:1 describes this as sitting in the seat of the scornful. That term “the scornful” refers to the most hardened and calloused sinners who occupy that path. You see, when the individual takes his seat with them, he is settling in for a lengthy stay to become a fellow member of that group.

To use a specific sin to illustrate how this sad progression might play out in real life, let’s say that a husband is considering having an affair. He’s having some trouble in his marriage, and there is a woman at work who seems to be just what he needs. Well, rather than seek out wise counsel from a godly person who knows the Bible and how to apply it to life, this husband gets counsel from an ungodly buddy of his. This buddy has been married and divorced three times and had numerous affairs over the course of those marriages. Naturally, the buddy tells the tempted husband, “Have the affair. You’ll be glad you lived a little.”

Now the husband has a choice to make. Will he walk in that ungodly counsel by having the one-night stand with the coworker? Or will he keep himself safely inside the confines of God’s will for his life? Tragically, the husband makes the wrong choice and opts to have the one-night stand. In doing that, he is walking in the counsel of the ungodly.

Okay, what happens next? The husband discovers that he enjoys the one-night stand very much. Not only does he keep the affair under wraps, he finds that the sneaking around is exciting! This leads him to start meeting once or twice a week for sexual rendezvouses with the coworker. What’s he doing now? He is standing in the path of sinners as his rebellion toward God has become deeper and more concrete.

Then, somewhere along the way, that adulterous husband goes from standing in the path of sinners to sitting down in the seat of the scornful. He becomes cynical and hardened. In some illogical way, he’s angry at God because God didn’t give him a “happily-ever-after” marriage. This causes him to start mocking the things of God and despising anything remotely spiritual.

Do you see the progression of sin? First, there is the walking. Then there is the standing. Finally, there is the sitting down. That is sin’s progression.

And would you believe the story doesn’t even end there? Sadly, it begins anew and repeats itself on another victim. Sticking with the example of the adulterous husband, when a young man naively asks the hardened, scornful sinner about marriage, he sarcastically answers, “Yeah, that’s what you need to do. Go and get married. Hook yourself up to that old ball and chain.” That answer, of course, comes under the category “the counsel of the ungodly,” and the naive potential groom then has to make his own decision as to whether or not to walk in it and begin his own line of sin’s progression.

Posted in Adultery, Backsliding, Choices, Counsel, Doing Good, Holiness, Husbands, Influence, Marriage, Personal Holiness, Repentance, Seeking Advice, Sin, Temptation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Blessedness

Posted on January 4, 2010 by russellmckinney

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in it season, whose leaf also shall not wither. And whatever he does shall prosper. (Psalm 1:1-3, N.K.J.V.)

Let me begin by pointing out that the proper pronunciation of the first word of this passage is “bless-ed” rather than “blessed” (as in “blest”). You see, the Bible uses one Hebrew word to refer to “bless-ed” and another to refer to “blessed.” The Hebrew word for “blessed” is barak, and it is used in passages such as Genesis 1:28, which says of Adam and Eve: “And God blessed them.” Notably, however, the Hebrew word used n Psalm 1:1 is esher, a word that means happy, fortunate, enviable, or prosperous.

Actually, esher is plural. This explains why it’s been suggested that esher might accurately be translated “blessednesses.” The point is, esher speaks of more than just one blessing. The person who is esher abides in a continual state of experiencing blessing after blessing as there is a multiplicity of blessings that rest upon the person. Trust me, you’d rather be “bless-ed” than just “blessed.”

But how does a person become “bless-ed”? Well, this passage gives us three main thoughts for an answer. Let’s walk through them together.

First, in verse 1 we are given a word about: the “bless-ed” person in relation to SEPARATION. “Bless-ed” people are marked by things they don’t do, deeds from which they keep themselves separate. Clearly, the book of Psalms opens by dispelling the notion that the sinful life is the good life.

Three negatives are mentioned. Negative #1 is: Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Tell me, who do you look to for advice? Is that person a godly person? Is that person living under the lordship of Jesus Christ? Is that person highly knowledgeable of what the Bible teaches? Is that person wise in applying the Bible to everyday life? Is that person really in tune with the Lord?

Negative #2 is: Blessed is the man who does not stand in the path of sinners. There is a path of sin in which the ungodly stand, and them standing in this path shows that their sinfulness isn’t just a one-time slip up. To the contrary, they are engaged in a daily, continual lifestyle of sin. Instead of trying to get off the path of sinners, they continually stand in it.

Negative #3 is: Blessed is the man who does not sit in the seat of the scornful. The Hebrew word translated as “scornful” is luwts. It can also be translated as “mockers” or “scoffers.” These scornful, mocking, scoffing people have unfiltered contempt for God, His ways, and His standards. Mention is made of such a person having a seat because he is thoroughly settled and fixed in his disgust toward God.

The passage’s second main thought concerns: the “bless-ed” person in relation to SCRIPTURE. Verse 2 says of the “bless-ed” man: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” The phrase “the law of the Lord” refers to that body of law God gave the people of Israel through Moses. That law was written down, which meant that it was the “Bible” by which the Israelites lived. Obviously, the fact that us modern-day believers have a completed “Bible” to consult should result in us delighting in God’s written words even more than those Jews did. Putting it simply, if you want to be blessed, love the scriptures and learn the scriptures.

Finally, the text’s third main thought deals with: the “bless-ed” person in relation to SUCCESS. Here the passage shifts from talking about things the “bless-ed” person does and doesn’t do and offers, instead, a simile (as evidenced by the use of the word “like”) to describe the results of the person’s blessedness. As verse 3 says: “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season; whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”

Why doesn’t this tree wither away? It can’t wither because it is planted by rivers of water. That location ensures that the tree will always bring forth its fruit in season just when it should. Even its leaves don’t wither, which serves as further evidence of the tree’s health and vibrancy. This all makes for a beautiful description of the “bless-ed” person’s life.

Then the description gets even better! The end of verse 3 says that whatever the blessed person does shall prosper. Unfortunately, some people take this to mean that all a godly person has to do is take his or her wish list to God, have the necessary amount of faith, and wait for God to grant the wishes. Actually, however, God’s idea of prospering isn’t so simplistic.

We can best understand “whatever he does shall prosper” by looking at the life of Joseph. Did you know that even when Joseph was wrongly sold into slavery God called him a prosperous man and caused whatever he did to prosper? Genesis 39:2-3 says:

And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. (K.J.V., emphasis mine)

The Hebrew word used to describe the prosperity God gave Joseph is the exact same word, esher, that is used in verse 3 of our text. Therefore, when you understand what God did for Joseph, even as Joseph was a servant in the house of Potiphar, you will understand the kind of prosperity God bestows upon the “bless-ed” person.

As for what kind of prosperity that was, let’s consider the facts. When Joseph was a servant in Potiphar’s house, did Joseph have a lot of money in his bank account? Absolutely not! Did he have a wife and children? No. Was he a man of prestige and standing in the community? Nope. Still, though, God described him as a prosperous man.

Ultimately, Joseph did become rich beyond his wildest dreams as God made him the second most powerful man in all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. Also, God gave him a wife and two fine sons. Nevertheless, these later blessings and more obvious prosperity don’t cancel out the fact that Joseph was “bless-ed” and prosperous even before the power, wealth, and beautiful family. And so it is with any saved believer who truly lives the requirements of Psalm 1:1-3.

Posted in Adversity, Bible Study, Character, Discipleship, Doing Good, Faithfulness, God's Word, Holiness, Money, Obedience, Persecution, Personal Holiness, Prosperity, Reward, Sanctification, Scripture, Separation, Service, The Bible, Trials, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Three-Point Checklist for the New Year

Posted on January 1, 2010 by russellmckinney

Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left. Remove your foot from evil. (Proverbs 4:25-27, N.K.J.V.)

These verses make for one of the Bible’s best texts on the subject of a new year. In them, Solomon offers a three-point checklist that will help us make this new year a godly, blessed, spiritually productive one. Let’s take a look at that checklist.

Item #1 is: Rivet your attention upon this new year. Solomon says, “Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids right before you.” Think of yourself as standing on the precipice of this new year. What should you do as you stand here? You should focus your attention straight ahead and fix your gaze on what lies ahead.

In order to do that, you’ll have to step out of your past. You might as well step out of it anyway, because you can’t change one second of it. Rearview mirrors really do make poor windshields!

You say, “But Russell, you don’t know my past. You don’t know the things I’ve done. You don’t know the things I’ve gone through.” Well, you’re right, I don’t know your past. But I do know two things. One, I know that Jesus wants to meet you right where you are and do wonderful things for you, in you, and through you. Two, I know that in order for Him to do that you’re going to have to join Him in the here and now. The fact is, this new year can be your fresh start with Christ.

One day a man stormed into the office of his local newspaper and said to the secretary, “I need to see the guy who is in charge of the obituaries.” When the secretary pointed him to a rookie reporter, the man marched over to that reporter and said, “Young man, my name appeared in your obituary column today, but as you can see, I am very much alive. So, I want you to print a retraction in tomorrow’s paper.” To that, the young man said, “Sir, I’m afraid that we don’t print retractions in our obituary column. But what I can do is put you in tomorrow’s birth announcements and give you a fresh start!”

This new year can be your fresh start with Jesus. You can have a fresh start in the areas of prayer, Bible study, church attendance, personal holiness, giving, and evangelism. Whatever sins you’ve committed in the past, whatever mistakes you’ve made, whatever you went through last year, rivet your attention on this new year.

Item #2 on the checklist is: Reassess the path you are traveling. Solomon says, “Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.” The Hebrew word translated as “ponder” means to mentally weigh. The point is, think about the path you are currently traveling. Is it a path that will take you into more intimate fellowship with Jesus? Is it a path that will take you into a deeper level of service to Him? Is it a path that will make you a better Christian and a better person?

Most people never take the time to stop and really think about where their path is leading them. This is why they repeat the same mistakes over and over again, year after year. I read about a man who went to the doctor to get some help for his two burned ears. The doctor said, “Before I treat you, I’ve just got to know how you burned your ears.” The fellow said, “Well, doc, I’ll tell you what happened. The phone rang while I was ironing my shirt, and I picked up the iron instead of the phone.” The doctor said, “That’s terrible! But what happened to your other ear?” The man said, “The guy called back.”

We laugh at that story, but this world is filled with people who never learn from their mistakes. I’m saying that the beginning of a new year is a great time to get by yourself, turn off the computer, the television, and the phone, and take a good, hard look at your life. And don’t be afraid to hurt your own feelings. Be honest about where you are, and if the path you are on is a bad one, admit it. You will never get where Jesus wants to take you in life until you get on the right path.

So, here at the start of this new year, I encourage you to reassess the path you are traveling. If you don’t like the harvest you are getting, change your seed! As we often hear, it is a form of insanity to keep doing what you are doing and expect different results. If you want to change your life, change your path.

Finally, item #3 on the checklist is: Resist the temptation to veer off your God-approved path. Let’s say that you get on the path the Lord wants you to be walking. Is that the end of the story? No, it isn’t. Solomon gives the warning: “Do not turn to the right or the left. Remove your foot from evil.”

As you walk your God-approved path, certain things will appear to your right, things that will look appealing to you. Be careful that you don’t leave your path and go after them. Likewise, certain things will appear to your left, things that will look appealing to you. Again, don’t leave your path and go after them.

Some people are very good at making fresh starts with the Lord. Such a person goes his or her own way for a while and then says, “I’ve got to get right with the Lord.” The person then makes a renewed effort at living a Christ-honoring life. He or she walks that God-approved path for a while but eventually strays from it as some sinful pleasure off to the right or the left proves too tempting to resist. Then, after the person has filled up on the sin, he or she again says, “I’ve got to get right with the Lord,” and at that point the cycle starts anew. I hope you understand that such a roller coaster walk with Christ isn’t what He has in mind for you. How much better it is to get on God’s path for your life and then resist the temptation to veer off your God-approved path.

In closing, let me tell you about two boys who once tried to outwit a wise old man. Because these boys had grown tired of hearing other people talk about the great wisdom the man possessed, they decided to humble him. First, they caught a very small bird, which one of the boys concealed in his hand. Next, they went to the old man, where the boy with the bird asked the man, “What do you think I have in my hand?” The old man answered, “You have a bird in your hand. I can see some of its feathers.” The boy said, “Yes, but is the bird dead or alive?”

It was here that the boys planned to trick the old man. If he said “dead,” the boy would open his hand and let the bird fly away. But if the man said “alive,” the boy would crush the bird before opening his hand. So, how did the wise old man answer? He looked at the boy and said, “As you will it, son. As you will it.”

Will this new year be one in which you serve Christ better than you ever have? The answer is: As you will it. Herschel Hobbs, that notable preacher of days gone by, said, “Years become new only if we make them so.” Ah, but the good news is that you really can make this new year “new” if you will follow Solomon’s spiritual checklist. That means: rivet your attention on this new year, reassess the path you are traveling, and resist the temptation to veer off your God-approved path. By doing these things, you’ll be able to make this year the best one you’ve ever had in serving Jesus.

Posted in Backsliding, Change, Choices, Contentment, Discipleship, Doing Good, God's Will, Holiness, New Year, Obedience, Personal Holiness, Temptation | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Top 10 Posts For 2009

Posted on December 30, 2009 by russellmckinney

With 2009 winding down, I’d like to list this blog’s top ten posts for the year. These are the posts that were the most read via search engines. Other posts might have been read more by regular visitors to the site, but those readings don’t get recorded in a specific category the way readings off search engines do.

#1: Tim Tebow & Jesus: This was the most read post by a wide margin. It almost doubled the second post on the list. When I realized that the piece was being read by so many people, I thought, “Lord, do you want me to change it in any way?” The word I received was, “No, leave it just as it is. It’s what I wanted you to say.”

#2: What Does The Bible Teach About Divorce?: It could well be that this post will become my most read in the long run. Tim Tebow will soon be going to the NFL to play his football, and he’ll most likely be much less of a star at that level. But, sadly, the issue of divorce won’t be waning anytime soon.      

#3: The Bible & Homosexuality: I wrote this post in response to the scandal that arose in the wake of homosexual activist Perez Hilton asking Miss California, Carrie Prejean, that infuriating question. The post was at the top of this list for most of the year. Actually, it shot out of the gate and took such a sizable lead that I figured it would stay there. But the Tebow piece took off in an even greater way, and the divorce piece just kept steadily moving up the list all year.

#4: Straight Talk About God’s Will (The Book): This isn’t actually a post. It’s a sample chapter of my book. I’m glad that a lot of people have accessed it, and I hope that God has used it mightily. Now if I can get more folks to actually buy the book!

#5: Brief Bio: This isn’t a post either. But would you believe that it was the hardest thing I had to write all year? You try summing up your life and ministry in a “brief” way! I figure that one of these days I’ll get around to rewriting it. If people are going to keep visiting the blog, I suppose they’ll keep clicking on “Brief Bio” because they’ll want to know who they are reading.

#6: Lessons Learned From The Tiger Woods Story: I wrote this post late in the year, but it was a “hot” enough search to pull some good numbers. For now, Woods still hasn’t been seen in public since his fall from grace and his marriage seems to be over. No sports celebrity has ever plummeted so far so fast.

#7: Why Hasn’t Russell Been Posting More?: I’m at a loss as to why so many people found this post off search engines. It’s just a simple little update that I wrote to let my regular readers know what was going on with me. I’m glad that so many people read it because my church, Disciples Road Church, and my book, Straight Talk About God’s Will, are prominently mentioned in it. By the way, if you are interested, the church website is disciplesroadchurch.com. We’ve got a lot of good stuff on there. (Yes, that was a shameless plug.)

#8: Billy Graham: I wrote this post after some of my preacher friends and I paid a visit to The Billy Graham Training Center At The Cove. What makes the piece different from the usual writing on Billy Graham is that I name some criticisms that have been leveled at the world’s most famous preacher.

#9. Ted Kennedy & Leadership: I’m glad this post ended up being read by a good number of people because the Lord gave me an uncommonly strong burden to write it. The fact that so many people have found it only validates to me that God always intended to use it in a significant way. Also, I have no doubts that the post will continue to be read going forward. People will always be doing searches on Ted Kennedy.

#10: Does Satan Exist?: This post came out of a debate that was aired on Nightline. Mark Driscoll and Annie Loberts argued for the existence of Satan. Deepak Chopra and Carlton Pearson argued against it. I like this piece because I use it to raise what I think is an intelligent and valid point that comes out of the debate.

Well, there you have them, my top ten posts for the year. If you missed any of them, let me encourage you to go back and read them. And as for 2010, who knows what the Lord might lay upon my heart to write about? We’ll just have to see what the new year holds. Writing a blog has been a whole new adventure for me, and the adventure continues. I want to thank each and every person who has taken the time to read anything I’ve written. Keep coming back and reading and don’t be shy about leaving comments!

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