A Word About Church Services

Posted on November 3, 2025 by russellmckinney

A faithful churchgoer was asked by his fisherman friend, “How can you go to the same church every service, week after week, month after month, year after year? It’s the same place, the same people, the same hymns. You’ve even had the same preacher for several years. Hasn’t it all gotten boring to you?”

In reply, the churchgoer said to his friend, “You fish at the same hole a lot, don’t you?” But the hole is never exactly the same. The water is constantly flowing and changing as old water moves down the stream and new water replaces it. Well, church is like that. The hole is never exactly the same from one service to the next. Every time I go the Lord has something fresh for me.”

Like a fingerprint, each church service is unique. It’s a one-off collection of the specific attendees, the specific conversations, the specific fellowship, the specific songs, the specific prayer requests, the specific prayers, the specific scripture, and the specific sermon for that service. That day’s local and national news might have some bearing upon it. What’s happening within the church itself during that period of its history will definitely play a role in it. The time of year will even make a difference in how the service looks and feels. For that matter, that day’s weather will probably affect the service one way or another. But one thing is constant in church services: unending diversity. No matter if the church is big or small, city or rural, contemporary or traditional, each service will always be different than any service that has ever been held there.

Actually, even if everything about one service is an exact replica of a previous service, something will still be different: how God is dealing with you at that moment in your life. If you don’t believe me, listen to a copy of a sermon that you like. Then wait two weeks and listen to it again. What you’ll find is that God uses the sermon to speak to you in different ways from one listen to the next. You see, it’s not the sermon that changes. It’s you! Like the waters in a stream, your life is constantly flowing as old water moves down the line and is replaced by new water.

God is always up to something new not only in your outward circumstances but also in your inner spiritual life. This is why Jesus said that if you want to follow Him, you must pick up your cross each day (Luke 9:23). Whatever else we might say about God, He refuses to be predictable. If you think God is boring, that’s a tell-tale indicator that you aren’t walking with Him very closely. The apostles walked with Jesus every day, but I’ll guarantee you they would never have classified Him as predictable or boring.

And even though non-churchgoers might be loathe to agree, God does have something fresh and new for each attendee at each church service. He’s faithful in that way. The question is: Will we keep ourselves spiritually in tune enough with Him to catch what He is throwing us during each service?

So, the next time you attend church, be sure to ask God to make it crystal clear to you what He wants you to get out of the service. That’s a prayer request He’ll surely be glad to answer. Then put His answer into action and watch it make a marked difference in your life. Additionally, watch it make a marked difference in your church as God molds and shapes you into a servant who doesn’t just take  from church but also contributes to it. That, after all, is the highest ideal in regards to church services, and it’s where God ultimately wants to get you.

Posted in Church, Church Attendance, Current Events, Discipleship, God's Work, Ministry, Music, Pastors, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Preaching, Service, Spiritual Gifts, Sunday School, Talents, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Satan & His Fall

Posted on October 31, 2025 by russellmckinney

Since today is October 31st, Halloween, I thought I’d devote a lengthy post to the topic of Satan and his fall from heaven. No, I don’t think every trick-or-treater who heads out to collect candy on this night is doing the devil’s bidding. I do, however, think it’s important that we understand Satan, his history, and his future. In order to do that, I’m going to give you five statements and say some things under each statement.

Statement #1: The angels were created by God.

Despite what you’ve seen on movies and television shows, angels are not humans who did good enough on earth to “earn their wings.” The firefighters who were killed when the twin towers fell on that fateful day of September 11, 2001, did not (as someone has claimed) instantly become angels. Angels do have the ability to at times take on the appearance of humans, but they are not human nor have they ever been. Angels are supernatural beings who were long ago specially created by God to serve Him. As Psalm 148:1-5 says:

Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light!  Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created. (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

Statement #2: God created all the angels sometime before He created the earth.

Job 38:1-7 says:

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line (measuring line) upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy (N.K.J.V.)

In the book of Job, the title “the sons of God” refers to angels. This is clearly seen in Job chapters 1 and 2. In keeping with this, the “morning stars” this passage speaks of are also angels. They can’t be literal stars because the verse says they sang together. Along the same lines, Revelation 1:20 and Revelation 12:4 also call angels stars.

Putting everything together then, this passage from Job tells us that the angels were already in existence when God created the earth The picture is this: God created the earth — He laid its foundations and its cornerstone — and when He was done all of the angels shouted for joy. The passage even uses the word “all” in reference to those angels. That shows us that at the time of the creation of the earth none of the angels had rebelled yet.

Statement #3: There are different classes of angels.

The Bible mentions at least five distinct classes of angels. The first class is a class of one as Jude, verse 9, calls the angel Michael “the archangel.” This seems to indicate that Michael is the highest ranking angel. He is one of only three angels who are named by name in the Bible. The other two are Gabriel and the one we know as Satan. While I’m talking about Michael, Gabriel, and Satan, let me say that even the unnamed angels in the Bible are always described by use of male terms.

A second class of angels are the chief princes. Daniel chapter 10 teaches that Michael is just one of the chief princes. In terms of the angelic hierarchy, chief princes are more powerful than angels that aren’t chief princes.

A third class of angels are the princes. Just as that 10th chapter of Daniel calls Michael one of the chief princes, it also refers to other powerful angels called princes. For example, Daniel 10:13 mentions the prince of the kingdom of Persia and Daniel 10:20 mentions the prince of the kingdom of Greece. These princes were not human, earthly princes; they were powerful angels who were in supernatural control of Persia and Greece.

A fourth class of angels are the cherubim. These angels are mentioned in passages such as Genesis 3:24 and Ezekiel chapters 1 and 10. The word “cherub” refers to a single angel, while the word “cherubim” refers to multiple cherubs. Each of the cherubim that Ezekiel saw had four wings and four faces. The four faces were those of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle.

A fifth class of angels are the seraphim angels. Just as “cherub” refers to a single angel, “seraph” does as well, and just as “cherubim” refers to multiple cherubs, “seraphim” refers to multiple seraphs. Seraphim are mentioned in Isaiah chapter 6. Each of the seraph angels Isaiah saw had six wings. Two wings covered an angel’s face, two wings covered an angel’s feet, and two wings were used by the angel for flying.

Statement #4: Satan and one-third of the angels are now in rebellion against God.

The problem started with the cherub angel we call Satan. Here now we’ll look at Isaiah 14:12-14. But before we start with those verses, let me set them up for you.

In verses 3-11 of the chapter, Isaiah prophesies against the king of Babylon. Beginning at verse 12, though, Isaiah creates what we might think of as a double stream for his prophecy. In one way, he continues on with his prophecy against the king of Babylon, but in another way he prophesies against an angel the text calls Lucifer. Lucifer is another name for Satan. You see, Babylon had a human king, but Satan was the real power behind the throne.

The main point of the prophesy, then, is that just as God once brought down an arrogant, proud angel named Lucifer, He would also bring down the arrogant, proud king of Babylon. That king, after all, was controlled by Lucifer. The king was also mimicking Lucifer’s sinful attitudes and ways. In a very real sense, Lucifer was reliving his sin over again through that king of Babylon. This explains why the prophecy reads the ways it does. It is primarily a prophecy against the king of Babylon, but mixed into the prophecy is a word about Satan’s past. Look now at verse 12:

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!” (N.K.J.V.)

Since no king of Babylon ever fell from heaven, this immediately lets us know that Isaiah must have someone else in mind besides the literal king of Babylon The name “Lucifer” is actually a Latin word that means “light bearer.” For the record, the New King James translation and the King James translation are the only two translations that use this Latin name “Lucifer.” Additionally, this is the only place in those two translations where the name is used. For these reasons, I think it’s better that we use the name Satan rather than the name Lucifer.

And how did Satan end up fallen from heaven? The answer is found in verses 13 and 14:

“For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'” (N.K.J.V.)

There came a day when the angel Satan said in his heart, “I am tired of serving God; it’s time others served me.” Consequently, he rebelled against God and was persuasive enough and impressive enough to take one-third of all the angels, who can now rightly be called demons, with him. (If you are wondering where we get that percentage one-third, read Revelation 12:4.) Of course, God put down this angelic rebellion and cast Satan and the other rebellious angels out of heaven. This was what we call their “fall.”

A second passage that describes the fall of Satan from heaven is Ezekiel 28:11-15. That passage is structured in a way similar to the Isaiah passage in that it is another two-streamed prophecy. In one way, it is a prophecy against the earthly ruler of Tyre, but in another way it is a prophecy against Satan. Even though Tyre had a human ruler, the real power behind the throne was Satan as the earthly ruler’s ways and sins mimicked Satan’s old ways and sins.

In the first ten verses of Ezekiel chapter 28, Ezekiel prophesies against the prince of Tyre. This prince was the human, earthly ruler of Tyre. Beginning with verse 11, though, Ezekiel begins a prophecy against the king of Tyre. Normally, that would simply mean that Ezekiel had moved from prophesying against the prince to prophesying against the prince’s father, the king, but that interpretation doesn’t work here because of the description Ezekiel concerning this king. That description is one that can only apply to Satan. Verses 11 and 12 say:

Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God: You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.'” (N.K.J.V.)

Here we have the beginning of what is by far the Bible’s best description of Satan as God made him. According to that description, Satan was the seal of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Know this: God did not create a devil. God created a perfect, wise, beautiful angel who rebelled against Him and became devilish. Sin did not originate with Adam and Eve; it originated in the heart of Satan.

Look now at verse 13:

“You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering; the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.” (N.K.J.V.)

Notice three key things from this verse. First, Satan was “in Eden, the garden of God.” This proves that this passage does not refer to the king of Tyre, who was certainly never in the garden of Eden. But Satan was. It was in the garden of Eden that he entered into the serpent and tempted Eve.

Second, Satan, originally, was indescribably beautiful. We learn this from the phrase “every precious stone was your covering” and from the included list of precious stones. When Satan was created all of those precious stones were somehow part of his appearance. Even since his rebellion against God, Satan surely still has a certain beauty about him. Please don’t think of him as being a red, horned, hoofed, grotesque figure who goes around carrying a pitchfork. Satan, before his fall, had an incredible beauty to him, and there’s little doubt that he still retains some of that beauty.

Third, some believe that Satan’s original role in God’s service involved music. In the New King James translation, the end of verse 13 says: “The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.” I don’t pretend to know all that is meant by these words, but if this particular translation of the verse is correct, Satan was originally equipped to offer musical praise to God.

Even as I say that, though, I must point out that there is much debate about how the Hebrew of this part of the verse should be translated. The New King James translation’s “your timbrels and pipes” more or less follows the Old King James translation, which says, “thy tabrets and thy pipes.” Other translations, however, don’t translate the Hebrew as “timbrels” and “pipes.” For example, the New American Standard reads “your settings and sockets,” the English Standard Version reads “your settings and your engravings,” and the New International Version reads “your settings and mountings.”

What am I saying? I’m saying that Satan originally having something to do with music depends upon the exact translation of this verse, and there is a lot of debate as to what that exact translation should be. That’s why I won’t say with total certainty that Satan was originally associated with offering musical praise to God. Some believe that, and it may well be true, but there is enough question about how these words should be translated to make me hold off on stating that as fact.

Now look at verse 14:

“You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.” (N.K.J.V.)

Notice four things from this verse. First, even though the earthly king of Tyre was not a cherub angel, Satan is “the anointed cherub who covers.” Perhaps this idea of Satan having the job of covering refers to the close proximity he had to God’s throne. In other words, maybe Satan was responsible guarding God’s throne.

Second, God, speaking through Ezekiel, says to Satan, “I established you.” It was God who not only created Satan but also gave him his privileged position in the realm of heaven. Even though Satan is now a devil, He is still what he has always been: a being created by God.

Third, the verse says that Satan was “on the holy mountain of God.” This seems to mean that Satan originally dwelt in the heavenly presence of God. This would fit in with the idea of Satan once being responsible for guarding God’s throne.

Fourth, the verse says that Satan “walked back and forth in the midst of the fiery stones.” This part of the description is even harder to interpret than the other parts, but it is probably yet another reference to the heavenly realm. Satan, before his fall, had virtually unlimited access to all the wonders of God’s heaven.

And now look at verse 15:

“You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.”

Here again we see that God did not create a devil. God created an angel who was perfect in all his ways until iniquity was found in him. Also, since no human being (other than Jesus) has ever been at any time perfect in his ways, this verse provides even more evidence that Ezekiel is describing Satan rather than an earthly ruler.

Statement #5: Satan & all the other fallen angels will spend eternity in God’s eternal lake of fire.

In Matthew 25:41, Jesus speaks of “the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” You see, even though Satan and the other fallen angels are at war with God’s people and sometimes win battles against us, the outcome of the war has already been decided. In God’s timing and way He will one day bring a final end to the reign of terror that Satan and the other fallen angels have perpetrated on this world and its inhabitants for so long.

Until then, though, we, as God’s people, must be strong in the Lord, put on our spiritual armor, and stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-18). But don’t ever think, Christian, that Satan is God’s equal or His rival. Almighty God has no true equals or rivals. God isn’t sitting on His throne in heaven, wringing His hands in worry that Satan is getting the better of Him. Much to the contrary, God is sovereign enough over all creation to allow Satan to do his worst. Even more than that, God actually uses the unholy works of Satan to accomplish His own holy goals. May we keep this in mind this Halloween and all the other days of the year. Satan and his fallen angels sail a sinking ship, and scripture promises that eternity will in the end see them finally get their just reward.

Posted in Angels, Creation, Demons, Eternity, God's Omnipotence, God's Timing, God's Wrath, God's Judgment, God's Sovereignty, God's Work, Heaven, King James Only, Prophecy, Satan, Scripture, Sin, Spiritual Warfare, The Devil | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fear in the Life of the Christian

Posted on October 29, 2025 by russellmckinney

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble, Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah. (Psalm 46:1-3, N.K.J.V.)

The August 14, 1989, edition of Time magazine reported the bizarre story of a man from East Detroit who, for all intents and purposes, had died of fear. This man had gone on a number of fur-trapping expeditions over the course of his life and had consequently been bitten by ticks many times. He’d never thought much about the bites until the day he’d first heard about Lyme disease, which is carried by deer ticks. That news had sent him into an obsessive panic.

The man had become convinced that not only had he become infected with the disease but that he’d passed it along to his wife. He’d gone to multiple doctors and been tested, but each test had come back negative. Even more than that, each doctor had explained to him that it was virtually impossible for one person to transmit the disease to another person.

Nevertheless, the doctors hadn’t been able to calm the man’s fear, and he’d ended up going completely insane and had killed both his wife and himself. When the police had arrived at the home, they’d found the man’s mailbox stuffed with all kinds of material describing Lyme’s disease. They’d also found a doctor’s slip confirming that he had recently scheduled yet another appointment to be tested again for the disease.

Fear can ruin your life if you let it. So, do you have something right now that is creating a ton of fear in you? If you do, have you talked to God about it? More importantly, have you rolled your fear over onto Him and trusted Him with the problem? Needless to say, you haven’t if the fear is still with you. You should heed the counsel of that wise person who said, “Don’t be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

Matthew 6:25-34 is the Bible’s great passage on fear and the worry fear produces. There Jesus explains that God taking care of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field proves that He’ll also take care of His people, who are of far more value to Him than the birds and the lilies. It should be understood, though, that the passage is addressed specifically to Christ’s followers. In other words, you don’t know Jesus as Savior, you reading that passage is akin to you reading someone else’s mail. For the Christian, though, Christ’s promise stands true. Therefore, Christian, claim the promise as your own, activate it in your life, and walk peacefully in the knowledge that the God of all creation is your heavenly Father, is on the case for you, and has infinite resources to help you with your problem.

Posted in Adversity, Attitude, Comfort, Courage, Depression, Doubt, Faith, Fear, God's Love, God's Omnipotence, God's Provision, God's Sovereignty, Needs, Peace, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Problems, Suffering, Trials, Trusting In God, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Trouble with Convenient Ships

Posted on October 27, 2025 by russellmckinney

But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. (Jonah 1:3, N.K.J.V.)

Jonah really didn’t want to go to Nineveh and preach, as God had plainly told him to do (Jonah 1:1-2). And his reason for not wanting to go there wasn’t noble. Nineveh was the capital city of the wicked Assyrian empire, and Jonah wanted God to destroy the Ninevites. However, even as Jonah heard God’s command to go there and preach, he had a feeling deep down that God wasn’t actually going to lower the boom on those people. He even told God, “If I go there and preach, you won’t condemn those people; you’ll convert them” (Jonah 3:10; 4:1-2).

But I don’t want to focus on Jonah’s vengeful attitude toward the citizens of Nineveh. Instead, I want to focus on that ship he boarded in Joppa, the one bound for Tarshish. Tarshish, in case you don’t know, was in the complete opposite direction of Nineveh. Have you ever noticed how there always seems to be a ship that will take you in the opposite direction of God’s will?

On this subject, H.G. Bosch wrote:

How prone we are to seize upon that which is convenient as being that which is correct! When we get out of the will of God, it is surprising how many excuses we can find for going our own way. Deeply impressed with our carnal desires, we quickly interpret that which may be only coincidental as a significant indication of God’s will for us…Beware of misinterpreting convenient ships! Remember that the so-called “opportunity” may actually be the Devil’s snare, the world’s allurement, or the path of self-will that will result in God’s chastening.

If Jonah operated like a lot of today’s Christians, he arrived in Joppa, found that ship bound for Tarshish, and thought to himself, “If God didn’t want me to go to Tarshish this ship wouldn’t be here for me to board.” Have you ever used that kind of logic? Isn’t it amazing how much God gets blamed for! If Jonah did think that, I’m sure God was sitting up in heaven thinking, “No, I told you to go to Nineveh, not Joppa. If you had minded Me, you’d never have even laid eyes on that ship.”

Jonah, of course, knew exactly what he was doing. He didn’t go to Joppa on a whim or end up there by chance. No, he went there purposely because he knew it was a port city that had a harbor that lead out into the Mediterranean Sea toward Tarshish. In other words, he knew he would find a ship there bound for Tarshish because such ships were commonplace there. Isn’t it interesting how we become diabolical geniuses when we are running from what God wants us to do?

Perhaps you are struggling right now with a decision, and perhaps you are “going Jonah” with it. You know what God wants you to do but you don’t want to do it, and so you have created a scenario whereby you can do what you want to do, and you are calling that scenario God’s open door. Well, all I can say about that is what H.G. Bosch said about it: Beware of misinterpreting convenient ships! 

Don’t think that God is approving your little plan just because He hasn’t personally stepped down from heaven and brought the scheme to nothing. Truth be told, He might even let you keep doing what you are doing for an extended period of time. At some point, though, He’ll start turning the operation sour, and when that happens you can start looking for the “great fish” backlash that is surely headed your way. This, you see, is the ultimate destination of every “convenient ship,” and it’s a destination you’d be well advised to avoid.

Posted in Backsliding, Choices, Decisions, Disobedience, Dying To Self, Faithfulness, God's Judgment, God's Will, God's Work, Man's Freewill, Ministry, Missions, Obedience, Preaching, Rebellion, Sowing and Reaping, Submission | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Holiness, Mercy, Grace, and Wrath

Posted on October 24, 2025 by russellmckinney

Statement #1: God is a God of perfect holiness. Statement #2: Each human being is a sinner. Statement #3: Therein lies the problem.

Fortunately for us, God is a God of love in addition to Him being a God of holiness. And it is out of His love that He extends mercy to each human being. This mercy takes the form of Him not immediately passing the sentence of physical death and eternal damnation that each human being’s sins warrant by violating His holiness.

Thankfully, though, God doesn’t stop at simply being merciful. No, He takes things one step further by offering grace to each sinner (Titus 2:11). Grace is nothing less than undeserved favor. So, now we’ve gone from God’s holiness, to His love, to His mercy, to (potentially) His undeserved favor.

You’ll note that I worked in the word “potentially” there. Why did I do that? It’s because the grace that God offers doesn’t just magically wash over us as we sleep. Instead, it must be purposefully accepted.

Okay, so how do you accept it? You accept God’s grace by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. As God the Son come down from heaven, Jesus died as the substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of the entire human race and then arose from the dead and ultimately ascended back to heaven. What does Christ’s death have to do with grace? In regards to salvation, it has EVERYTHING to do with it! Consider the following:

  • Grace comes through Jesus (John 1:17).
  • We receive grace through Jesus Romans 1:5).
  • Our salvation comes through Jesus’ grace (Acts 15:11).

And the grace that comes through Jesus doesn’t just stop at salvation. Once you have accepted God’s grace by accepting Jesus, who is the channel of that grace, you are then afforded all kinds of spiritual privileges by that grace. These privileges are referred to as “the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). Here is a partial list of those privileges:

  • It is by grace that you are saved from the eternal punishment your sins deserve (Ephesians 2:5,8).
  • It is by grace that you are justified, which means “declared righteous” (Romans 3:24).
  • It is by grace that you are given everlasting consolation (comfort, encouragement) and good hope (2 Thessalonians 2:16).
  • It is by grace that you are guaranteed to spend eternity with Jesus (1 Peter 1:13).
  • It is by grace that God’s holy throne becomes a throne of mercy and help to you rather than a throne of judgment (Hebrews 4:16).
  • It is by grace that you are able to stand “in Jesus” (Romans 5:2).

With such spiritual privileges granted to the person who has accepted Jesus as Savior, you would think that everyone would accept Him. Tragically, though, this is far from the case. Even more tragically, if an individual will not accept God’s grace by accepting Jesus, all that is left for that individual is God’s eternal wrath, which stems from His holiness. This takes us back to the original problem: God is a God of perfect holiness, and each human being is a born sinner. God, in grace, has done the work to remedy that problem. So, now the question I put to you is, “Have you accepted that work by accepting Jesus as Savior?”

Posted in Assurance of Salvation, Belief, Christ's Death, Christ's Resurrection, Comfort, Eternity, Faith, God's Holiness, God's Love, God's Wrath, God's Mercy, Grace, Mercy, Salvation, Sin, The Gospel | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Step by Step

Posted on October 22, 2025 by russellmckinney

Imagine taking a trip in which God says: “I want you to get in your car and start driving and I’ll let you know where you’re going sometime along the way. As you drive just keep listening for My voice at every turn, stop sign, intersection, crossroad, and exit ramp. If I say, ‘Turn here,’ make that turn. If I say, ‘Get on this road,’ get on that road. If I say, ‘Take this exit,” take that exit. If I say, ‘Stop here at this place,’ stop at that place.”

I wonder, could you travel like that? Could I? It would surely be a hard thing to do, wouldn’t it? And yet, I can think of at least three Bible stories in which God instructed people to take such trips.

#1: God told Abram (Abraham), “Get out of your country, from your family, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). Hebrews 11:8 says that Abraham “…went out, not knowing where he was going.” Do you understand the obedience and faith it would take to uproot from the only life and home you had ever known and head out into the great unknown with God?

#2: Following the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, their only daytime GPS was a pillar of cloud, and their only nighttime GPS was a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21-22). There were probably over two million people in that group, and God expected that massive horde to do their traveling by following the appropriate pillar. Wherever that appropriate pillar went, they followed. Whenever it stopped, they stopped.

#3: As part of Saul of Tarsus’ encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road, Jesus told him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:6). Saul, who had been struck blind by the encounter, was led into Damascus by some helpful men. Once there, he waited in blindness that was not only symbolic but also literal for the next three days, eating nothing and drinking nothing. Only then did God send Ananias, a Damascus Christian, to lay hands on him, after which he immediately regained his sight.

What each of these stories shows us is that God’s will is oftentimes revealed on a moment-by-moment basis. Oh, but we don’t like living like that, do we? We don’t like having to ask God for day-by-day bread (Matthew 6:11; Luke 11:3). We don’t like having to get up each morning and look to him for our next allotment of manna (Exodus 16:1-36). No, we want Him to give us the whole bakery at once and trust us to do a good job of managing it.

But God knows that the regiment that best allows us to build our trust in Him and our obedience to Him is the moment-by-moment, day-by-day walk. That’s why He gives us meal-sized portions rather than the whole pantry at once. It’s also why He doesn’t let us know the end from the beginning as we travel life’s road.

So, if you are genuinely confused about what your next move should be, let me advise you to do two things. First, sincerely ask God for His guidance, having the faith that He’ll answer that request (James 1:5-8) by way of: a Bible passage, an open door, a closed door, a word of counsel, an undeniable burden, a specific word from His Spirit, or a circumstance. Second, as you await that guidance, just do the next thing that is right in front of you. After all, sometimes you don’t get the guidance for the second step until you’ve taken the first one.

Posted in Choices, Commitment, Decisions, Dying To Self, Faith, Faithfulness, God's Guidance, God's Will, Obedience, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Going Backward in Life

Posted on October 20, 2025 by russellmckinney

“But this I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’ Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, followed the counsels and dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.” (Jeremiah 7:23-24, N.K.J.V.)

I’d had my driver’s license only a few weeks when I suffered my first wreck. And what was I doing when I wrecked? Going backward.

My dad, my brother, and I were in our family’s Buick Regal and late for a church-league softball game. We’d gotten about a half mile down the road when I realized that I’d forgotten my glove. So, rather than turn the car around like a normal person would do, I just threw the thing into reverse and set about to back all the way home. To this day, I have no earthly idea why I did that. My dad, who was in the passenger’s seat, just kept asking, “What are you doing, Russell? What are you doing, Russell?” My brother, who was in the back seat, pulled the old “duck and cover” move in the floorboard.

I hadn’t gotten very far into my adventure when the car started swerving. That should have been my cue that my plan of attack was a poor one. Undeterred, though, I just kept going, even picking up momentum, like the guy who hears he’s going the wrong way and doubles his speed. And I continued to pick up speed, like a runaway locomotive, right up until the moment I lost control of the car and put it into the ditch off to my right. I still remember my dad having to crawl out by way of the driver’s door because his door was pinned shut. To say that he wasn’t happy with me would be a sizable understatement.

Our text passage caused me to recall that story as the verses speak of going backward rather than forward. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God tells the people of Judah, “Because your forefathers did not obey My commandments but instead followed their own ideas and desires, they went backward and not forward.” Isn’t that interesting? Here these people were, trying to progress and make themselves better by implementing their own logic and ideas, when in reality that logic and those ideas caused them to regress and become worse.

Even today many people think of God’s word as being old fashioned, archaic, outdated, and irrelevant to these modern times. These people say, “We’ve got to get away from the old standards of the Bible so that we can embrace bold, new ideas for this bold, new age. That’s the only way we can move society forward.” But the truth is that anyone who follows the counsels and dictates of their own heart rather than those of God’s word actually goes backward in life. It’s God who is the forward thinker, not us. And when we ignore His word and follow our own thinking, we barrel in reverse toward an inevitable wreck in an inevitable ditch.

Posted in Backsliding, Bible Study, Choices, Coming Judgment, Counsel, Decisions, Depravity, Desires, Disobedience, Faithfulness, God's Guidance, God's Will, God's Word, Man's Freewill, Obedience, Personal, Personal Holiness, Rebellion, Scripture, Sin, The Bible, Trusting In God, Truth | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Fall & You

Posted on October 17, 2025 by russellmckinney

One look out my window today here in the mountains of western North Carolina proves that Fall has arrived. I’ve already got a yard full of dead leaves that have officially made the “fall” from their trees to the ground, and more of their peers will come down today. Despite the fact that I have to deal with all the leaves, I love this season. It’s my favorite time of the year.

My neighborhood is also currently offering vivid reminders that Fall is here as the yards of some of my neighbors look like shrines to Halloween. One guy up the street from me has devoted literally thousands of dollars to turning his yard into a ghoulish graveyard filled with row after row of gigantic, towering decorations (a talking witch, a mummy, a grim reaper, ghosts, zombies, etc.) No wonder Fall is considered the season of death. The leaves die. The grass dies. The long summer days die. The warm weather dies. Following their deaths all these things will be buried for the duration of the winter, and then spring will arrive, the season of new life.

I don’t know what it says about me that Fall is my favorite season of the year. A psychologist might tell me it means that I’m more into death than life. Then again, it might be as simple as me hating bees, mosquitoes, gnats, ticks, and hot weather. Or, since I love baseball, maybe my mind subconsciously associates fall with the Major League playoffs and World Series. For that matter, since October 3rd is my birthday, I don’t necessarily associate fall with death anyway. I associate it with life, at least mine. Take that, Mr. Psychologist.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is one of my favorite passages of scripture. It’s one that I reference often. The passage’s opening two verses say:

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die…(N.K.J.V.)

Perhaps today, as you read this short post, there is something in your life that needs to die. Maybe that something is a pet sin. Maybe it’s a relationship that isn’t God’s will for you. Maybe it’s a mindset that isn’t pleasing to God. Maybe it’s a course of action that you’ve started that God never wants you to finish. Maybe it’s something else. Whatever it is, there is no better time of year to put it to death. If you think about it, God’s symbolism for the death is seen all around us right now.

Posted in Backsliding, Change, Conviction, Creation, God's Will, Personal, Personal Holiness, Repentance, Sanctification, Sin | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Can You Trust Your Work?

Posted on October 15, 2025 by russellmckinney

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10, N.K.J.V.)

It is said that Napoleon once ordered a coat of mail. (Mail is a steel mesh kind of armor in which metal rings are linked together and worn over the top half of the body to protect the chest.) When the artisan completed the armor, he hand-delivered it to Napoleon. To the artisan’s surprise, though, Napoleon promptly ordered him to put the armor on himself. Then Napoleon took a pistol and fired several shots at the armor. Fortunately for the artisan, his work stood true, after which Napoleon rewarded him with a large fee.

I have no idea whether or not this story is actually true, but it certainly conveys a valuable spiritual lesson to every Christian. That lesson is: As we do our work for Christ, we should make sure our work is high-grade quality. Anything done for the King of Kings demands nothing less.

As for the testing of our work, well, each Christian will surely have his or her moment standing before the King for examination. Have you heard of the Judgment Seat of Christ? Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:10 tell us that every Christian must appear before that judgment in heaven, and 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 explains that the judgment will somehow involve fire. Worthy work will come through the fire unscathed and be rewarded with heavenly reward, while unworthy work will be obliterated by the fire and fail to merit heavenly reward.

We Christians are so busy, aren’t we? We spend our days and nights running here and there, doing this and that, trying to carve out our various niches in life. But will everything we are doing withstand the fire of the heavenly Judgment Seat of Christ? Ah, there’s the question. No doubt the sad truth is that we shouldn’t be doing some of the things we are doing, and we aren’t doing a good enough job with some of the things we should be doing.

Christian, my purpose in writing this post is simple. I want you to slow down long enough to ask yourself, “When it comes to serving Jesus, am I doing the work I’m supposed to be doing? And am I doing that work in a worthy manner?” You see, your work isn’t my work and my work isn’t your work, but make no mistake, the Lord has work that He wants each of us to do.

The ideal, of course, is each Christian doing the right work in the right way. All such work will ultimately be rewarded handsomely in heaven. But if we are doing either the wrong work or the right work in a slipshod manner, we needn’t expect any heavenly reward for it. While the fire of the Judgment Seat of Christ can’t create a lost salvation, it can and will create a loss of some eternal rewards. That’s why you need to get this right, Christian. Neither your life nor your salvation is depending upon it, but the number of eternal rewards you will one day receive definitely is.

Posted in Backsliding, Commitment, Discernment, Discipleship, Doing Good, Eternal Security, Eternity, Faithfulness, God's Will, God's Work, Heaven, Individuality, Ministry, Obedience, Priorities, Reward, Sanctification, Service, Sowing and Reaping, The Judgment Seat of Christ, Work | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Man Who Couldn’t Sort Potatoes

Posted on October 13, 2025 by russellmckinney

A farmer hired a man to work for him. The worker’s first job was to paint the barn. The farmer said, “The job should take you about three days.” To the farmer’s surprise, however, the worker finished the job in one day.

Next the farmer gave the worker the job of cutting firewood. Since the supply of wood had gotten low, the job was a big one, even bigger than painting the barn. The farmer said, “I figure this job will take you about four days.” To the farmer’s surprise, however, the worker completed the job in a day and a half.

The next job that needed doing was sorting a large pile of potatoes. The farmer told the worker, “I want you to arrange these potatoes into three piles: seed potatoes, food for the hogs, and potatoes that are good enough to sell. This is easy work. It shouldn’t take long at all.” But when the farmer checked on the worker a few hours later the worker had barely begun the job. The farmer said, “What’s the problem here? You finished those first two jobs so quickly that I assumed you’d knock this one out in no time.” The worker said, “The problem is that I’m a hard worker but I can’t make decisions!”

Do you find that you have a lot in common with that worker? Do you have trouble making decisions? If so, then allow me to share some Bible passages with you. As you read these let the truth found in them wash over you. And what is that truth? It’s that God will help you to make the right decisions if you will seek Him, His wisdom, and His plan for your life. Here are the passages:

  • Who are those who fear the Lord? He will show them the path they should choose. (Psalm 25:12, N.L.T.)
  • The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8, N.L.T.)
  • Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6, N.K.J.V.)
  • Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21, N.K.J.V.)
  • If you need wisdom — if you want to know what God wants you to do — ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. (James 1:5-6, N.L.T.)
Posted in Choices, Decisions, Discernment, God's Guidance, God's Will, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment