Jesus & Social Media

Posted on May 4, 2024 by russellmckinney

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31, N.K.J.V.)

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:17, N.K.J.V.)

Let’s say that a known drug addict named Jack gets arrested yet again for possessing drugs and his picture ends up on Facebook as part of the local Sheriff Department’s page. Under that post, one Christian writes the comment: “Drug addiction is a disease. We need to pray for Jack.” But then another Christian responds by typing, “If drug addiction is a disease, it’s the only one you get by using drugs.” That prompts the first Christian to reply, “Jesus said, ‘Judge not that you be not judged.’” To that, the second Christian types back, “He also said, ‘Judge with righteous judgment,’ and my righteous judgment tells me not to waste my prayer time praying for drug addicts who’ve already had multiple chances to repent.” And just like that, the scripturally worthy topics of intercessory prayer, personal accountability for sin, judging others, and showing spiritual discernment have been dragged down into the mud of social media. 

Did you know there is an actual meme that quotes Jesus’ words from Luke 22:36: “…and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one”? Accompanying that slice of scripture is a picture of a gun followed by the words: “Obey Jesus, buy a gun.” So, let’s say that a Christian (one who doesn’t care that a quote from Jesus has been brutally ripped out of its context) posts that meme on his X (formerly Twitter) page. That, in turn, gets another Christian to type the reply, “Jesus also said, ‘Love your enemies and turn the other cheek.’” In response to that, the first Christian cites Psalm 144:1, where David says, “Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle” (N.K.J.V.). Can you imagine the negative influence those two Christians bickering back and forth, both of them quoting the Bible, would have on a lost person who happened to be reading and was forming an opinion of Christianity?

Such is the world of social media. Even well-meaning Christians can find themselves wandering down controversial paths in regards to their posts and comments. But is social media really the place for “keyboard warriors for Jesus” to go to war? I suppose some good can come of it, but that good will have a hard time outdoing the bad that gets created by the disrespectful, negative, and even offensive language these warriors often resort to using.

This, of course, is to say nothing of the professing Christians who lace their social media pages with personal pictures that scream of vanity, narcissism, and worldliness. Seriously, is there any way for a supposedly Christian woman to post a selfie of herself looking “hot” and it be done “to the glory of God”? Is there any way for a supposedly Christian man to post of selfie of himself partying in a bar and it be done “in the name of the Lord Jesus”?

Look, it’s not that I’m against Facebook, Instagram, X, TiK ToK, or whatever other social media platforms are out there. I myself use Facebook and X to advertise my blog posts and use Facebook to advertise my sermons. I’d just like to see us Christians do a better job of harnessing social media for the purposes of evangelism and discipleship and stop using it so much as a soap box to advance our political agendas, bludgeon those who disagree with our takes on controversial topics, and glorify our own selves. Maybe we should all stop asking, “What would Jesus do?” and start asking, “What would Jesus post?”

I guess when it’s all said and done, my advice concerning social media would be this: Don’t put anything on there that you wouldn’t feel comfortable letting Jesus see. I mean, after all, He IS seeing it, right? Here’s a good test for you, Christian: Study your posts, comments, pictures, memes, videos, etc. as if you were a lost person assessing them and be honest about what impressions you are left with about you. You might just be surprised at the portrait you are painting of yourself.

You see, if your walk with Jesus isn’t life changing enough to keep your social media activity done to the glory of God, in the name of Jesus, and (dare I say it?) holy, then what have you got that lost people don’t have? Think about this the next time you start to post something or make a comment under someone else’s post, and let the Lord guide you in what you put out there for the world to see. Remember, you aren’t just representing yourself; you are also representing your Savior. And He might want you to use social media in a much different way than you plan to use it.

Posted in Character, Communication, Current Events, Discernment, Discipleship, Doing Good, Evangelism, God's Work, Gun Control, Influence, Personal, Personal Holiness, Righteousness, Sanctification, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Incredible Power of Showing Kindness

Posted on May 2, 2024 by russellmckinney

The Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan, was once a world-renowned health resort. Opening its doors in 1866, the Sanitarium eventually grew into a massive complex that included a hospital, a nursing school, and multiple research facilities that were all designed to further the causes of health and wellness. The Sanitarium catered especially to the wealthy, and the likes of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, J.C. Penny, and Amelia Earhart spent time there.

The Sanitarium was a place where new (sometimes even controversial) treatments were tried. These included treatments involving hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, dietary nutrition, and physical exercise. Scientific experimentation also took place in the research facilities, and one story from those days was told by Dr. Carolyn Geisel, who became a noted speaker who traveled around the world to promote the work being done at the Sanitarium. Her story might seem a bit cruel to our modern sensibilities, but keep in mind that she and her coworkers were in the business of thinking outside the box in their efforts to figure out what makes for heath and wellness. Her story goes as follows:

There came to the building where we lived and worked the cutest little pup I ever saw. We all fell in love with him. He was so anxious to show us his appreciation of our affection that he wagged his tail with such enthusiasm that his whole body wagged along with it. He was the happiest pup I ever saw. We took him into the operating room, gave him an anesthetic, and probed the bone in one of his rear legs. The marrow was a beautiful pink, filled with red corpuscles. We carefully bound up the wound, and it healed almost overnight.

Then we passed the word around that no one was to smile at the pup or speak in a kind tone of voice for six weeks. We fed him as always, but nobody petted him or showed any affection. The poor little pup just wilted. He became the most forlorn little dog I ever saw. He crept into the dark corners, and his tail dragged the ground. We took him back to the operating room and examined the marrow in the same bone. It was a dark brownish color, and the red corpuscles were very scarce. It took the wound a long time to heal, despite the fact that we showered all of our pent-up affection on the little puppy. He responded very slowly to our overtones, and it took a long, long time to get him to wag his tail again. When his enthusiasm was finally restored, we took him again to the operating room and found the marrow in the bone was pink and beautiful again.

I really have no idea what correlation might exist between the color of a puppy’s bone marrow and how that pup is treated, but I do know that the Bible has a lot to say about being kind. This holds true especially in regards to Christianity. Consider the following passages (all from the N.K.J.V., emphasis mine):

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, and longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…(Ephesians 5:22-23)

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. (Colossians 3:12-13)

Love suffers long and is kind…(1 Corinthians 13:4)

Getting more specific, the book of Proverbs has a lot to say about the power of showing kindness in one’s speech. Here are five such verses:

The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. (Proverbs 10:11)

There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health. (Proverbs 12:18)

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit. (Proverbs 15:4)

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. (Proverbs 18:21)

She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness. (Proverbs 31:26)

Keep both categories of verses in mind, Christian, as you deal with others. Show kindness in your actions and speak words of kindness that promote life rather than death. Even if you must rebuke someone — and, yes, that can be a way of showing kindness when done rightly (Galatians 2:11-14) — do it with the goal in mind of helping the person and making the situation better. To sum up, be kind in every situation, whatever form of kindness the situation needs. You just never know what effect you might have on someone’s marrow.

Posted in Character, Communication, Counsel, Criticism, Doing Good, Encouragement, Friendship, God's Work, Influence, Ministry, Problems, Reconciliation, The Tongue | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Holy Spirit: The Secret to Serving Rightly

Posted on April 30, 2024 by russellmckinney

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. (Romans 8:5, N.I.V.)

Christian, you’ve probably heard that you need to work smarter rather than harder. But have you heard that the secret to you working smarter is you making sure your efforts are ordained by, ordered by, and empowered by God the Holy Spirit? You see, the indwelling Holy Spirit doesn’t just want to be resident in you; He wants to be President in you.

This fact holds true in every realm of your life, including the realm of your Christian service. Show me a Christian who is either “burned out” or “out of heart” in the midst of Christian service, and I’ll show you a Christian who is either doing more than the Holy Spirit is asking or is doing something different than the Holy Spirit is asking. Sadly, both problems are very real. The burned-out Christian does too much, and the out-of-heart Christian does the wrong things.

On the topic of how the Holy Spirit is the secret to right service for the Christian, let me offer an extended quote from Ralph A. Herring, a Southern Baptist minister of a previous generation. In his book, God Being My Helper, he wrote:

The great majority of Christ’s followers today know the importance of service and have sensed something of the joys that may be found in it. Christians readily agree that serving is their one great business as it was their Lord’s, who came “not to be ministered unto, but to minister” (Matt. 20:28). They are busy enough. Indeed, there is ceaseless, almost feverish activity of an undoubtedly well-meaning nature. A study of the announcements in almost any church bulletin reveals many such “activities” – multiplied almost to the breaking point of those who seriously take part in them. The urge to serve is seen in civic clubs and social organizations as well as in the church. But to the thoughtful observer something is wrong. “Where does it get us?” he asks, and, more thoughtfully yet, “Where does it get others?” The painful answer is that so much of what we call “service” proves ineffectual. The tree is full of leaves, but little fruit abides. Unhappily, a great portion of our activity falls under the classification of “dead works.” The truth is that the vitalizing touch of the Holy Spirit is missing from our busy life. In the realm of service he is our supreme helper, and our ministry as well as our devotional life must be energized by him.

With this quote in mind, Christian, let me ask you a simple question: Are all those “good” things you are doing in your attempts at Christian service ordained by, ordered by, and empowered by God the Holy Spirit? It’s a fair question because it’s possible that you are doing some things the Spirit isn’t sanctioning and not doing some things He is sanctioning. And if that is the case, it goes without saying that you need to make the necessary changes. To use Paul’s terminology from our text verse, you need to live in accordance with the Spirit and set your mind on what the Spirit desires. That is the secret to doing Christian service rightly.

Posted in Discernment, Doing Good, God's Guidance, God's Will, God's Work, Individuality, Ministry, Service, Spiritual Gifts, Talents, The Holy Spirit | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Got Any Trees That Need Cutting?

Posted on April 27, 2024 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 , , , , , | 2 Comments

Leaping for Joy About Being Persecuted

Posted on April 25, 2024 by russellmckinney

“The Beatitudes” series: (post #8)

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12, N.K.J.V.)

Up until this last Beatitude in Matthew’s version of The Sermon on the Mount, Christ’s words have been quite pleasant to Christians. The poor in spirit will gain the kingdom of heaven. Those who mourn will be comforted. The meek will inherit the earth. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. The merciful will obtain mercy. The pure in heart will see God. The peacemakers will be called the children of God. If you are a Christian, what’s not to like about all that?

With the eighth Beatitude, however, Jesus broaches the unpleasant subject of Christian persecution. To make matters worse, this is the only Beatitude in which He states the Beatitude and then provides some extra commentary. You’ll notice that the actual Beatitude ends at the close of verse 10, but then we get two more verses on the subject of persecution.

Of all the Beatitudes, did Jesus have to linger a bit longer on the most distressing one? I mean, who wants to hear more about being persecuted? Furthermore, whereas the previous Beatitudes were matters the believer could control, persecution strikes from the outside. The saved believer certainly doesn’t persecute himself, does he?

As for Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount, which is most likely the record of a second preaching of the sermon, it actually calls for Christians to meet an even higher standard in regards to persecution. That passage quotes Jesus as saying:

“Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets” (Luke 6:22-23, N.K.J.V., emphasis mine).

It should be understood, however, that the persecution of which Jesus speaks must be brought about for “righteousness’ sake.” In other words, a Christian’s bad behavior might cause that Christian to have trouble with others, but that trouble shouldn’t be categorized as persecution. For there to be true persecution, the Christian’s stance or actions must be in the godly right. As Jesus says in the Beatitude, the evil that is spoken against the Christian must be spoken “falsely.” If the supposed “evil” is no more than legitimate criticism, that’s not persecution. Peter picks up on this same theme when he says in 1 Peter 4:14-15:

If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other peoples’ matters. (N.K.J.V.)

All in all, though, there’s certainly no denying that the early church experienced legitimate persecution. The apostles were arrested (Acts 4:1-22; 5:17-42). Stephen was stoned to death (Acts 7:54-60). James was killed with the sword (Acts 12:1-4). Paul was stoned (Acts 14:19-20). Paul and Silas were whipped and imprisoned (Acts 16:16-34). And Paul was arrested again and ultimately brought before Caesar (Acts chapters 21-28). The fact is, it wasn’t until the Roman emperor Constantine “Christianized” the Roman empire that the persecution of Christians ceased.

But does Christian persecution still exist today? You bet it does. According to a recent article on the website opendoors.org, 2 in 5 Christians in Asia are persecuted, 1 in 5 Christians in Africa are persecuted, 1 in 7 Christians worldwide are persecuted, and 365 million Christians around the world suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. A similar article in Christianity Today from a few years ago stated that each day worldwide: 13 Christians are killed for their faith, 12 churches or Christian buildings are attacked, 12 Christians are unjustly arrested or imprisoned, and 5 Christians are abducted.

Admittedly, us Christians here in America don’t typically experience such extreme versions of persecution. However, that doesn’t mean we are immune from persecution altogether. Anytime a Christian takes a Christian stance and is made to somehow suffer for it by someone else, that’s persecution. For example, the Christian girl who won’t consent to premarital sex, only to have the spurned young man tell retaliatory lies about her at school, experiences persecution. The Christian office worker who gets mocked by his coworkers because he won’t join them when they hit the bars after work experiences persecution. The Christian pastor who loses some church members because he preached a sermon that was true to the Bible’s teaching regarding a controversial topic experiences persecution. You see, persecution can take on many different shapes and appearances.

Ah, but now let’s get to the good news, which is this: Christian persecution, as unpleasant and even deadly as it can be, carries with it tremendous eternal rewards. That’s why Jesus said, “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” Since every Christian will enjoy a certain degree of reward in heaven, Christ’s promise here must mean that being persecuted brings an even higher degree of heavenly reward. This makes perfect sense, of course, because it’s only fair that the harder a thing is to endure for Christ, the greater the eternal reward should be for doing that thing.

Keep this in mind, Christian, anytime you find yourself being persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Remember that you are standing in a long line of believers that extends back through the early Christians, back through the Old Testament prophets, all the way back to Abel (Genesis 4:1-8). That line even includes your Savior, who was persecuted unto death. Also remember that experiencing persecution allows you to earn heavenly rewards you just can’t earn any other way. As a matter of fact, it would even be good if you would take a moment to leap for joy about the persecution. I know, I know, that’s asking a lot. It is, however, literally what Jesus said to do.

Posted in Adversity, Comfort, Commitment, Criticism, Doing Good, Encouragement, Eternity, Faithfulness, God's Work, Heaven, Ministry, Missions, Pastors, Persecution, Perseverance, Personal Holiness, Reward, Righteousness, Sanctification, Series: "The Beatitudes", Service, Spiritual Warfare, Suffering, Thankfulness, The Sermon On The Mount, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Peacemaking

Posted on April 22, 2024 by russellmckinney

“The Beatitudes” series: (post #7)

“Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9, N.K.J.V.)

If there was any doubt that the “blessed” who are described in the Beatitudes should be equated to Christians, it is laid to rest with this seventh Beatitude. This Beatitude carries with it the promise: “…they shall be called sons of God.” The fact of Christians being the children of God is a familiar one to students of the Bible. We find it in passages such as John 1:12-13 and Galatians 3:26, which say:

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13, N.K.J.V.)

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26, N.K.J.V.)

So, the Christian is to be a peacemaker. But just exactly what does that mean? Clearly, the thought of making peace goes deeper than just keeping peace or loving peace. In order to actually make peace, a Christian must exert himself. As Psalm 34:14, Romans 14:19, and 1 Peter 3:11 put it: “…Seek peace and pursue it” (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine).

I suppose it goes without saying that mending relational fences falls under the category of peacemaking. The way Barnabas brought Saul (Paul) and the disciples together is a beautiful example of this (Acts 9:26-27). Likewise, seeking to prevent wars and end them falls under the category as well. We hear this in David’s words, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6).

But would you believe that confronting problems can also be labeled as peacemaking if the confronting is done in a manner pleasing to God? As the Old Testament prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel recognized, it is futile to cry “Peace, peace!” when there is no peace (Jeremiah 6:14; Ezekiel 13:10). You see, since true peace can never be found in a compromise with evil, a peacemaker might sometimes have to take part in great conflicts against evil.

We see this even in the life of Jesus. On two separate occasions, He flew into a righteous rage at the site of the greedy, corrupt money-changers defiling the Jewish temple with their unscrupulous practices (John 2:13-17; Matthew 21:12-13). Anyone who witnessed those two scenes after hearing Jesus preach, “Blessed are the peacemakers” might have been quite perplexed by His warlike actions.

Jesus, of course, did know all about peacemaking. What’s the famous quote from the angels in the story of His birth? It is, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14, N.K.J.V.). Likewise, Ephesians 2:14-16 explains that Jesus is a Christian’s peace and has reconciled that Christian to God, who is the “God of peace” (Hebrews 13:20). Along the same lines, Romans 5:1 says: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (N.K.J.V.). Clearly, there are valid reasons why Jesus is called “The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

It was the comparison between the Christian’s peace and the lost person’s lack of it that prompted some famous words from Jesus. He said:

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:34-36, N.K.J.V.).

With these words, Jesus was letting everybody know that the one who places saving belief in Him becomes at peace with God, and that peace immediately sets that person in conflict with lost people. Why is this so? It’s because lost people, even lost family members, aren’t at peace with God (Isaiah 57:20-21). Just as light and darkness are always going to be in conflict with one another, the same can be said of the Christian and the lost person.

Because of this, a Christian winning a lost person to Christ is the most lasting kind of peacemaking there is because it creates an eternal peace between not only the lost person and God but also the lost person and the Christian. With that in mind, I’ll close this post with two passages which speak of how important it is for Christians to win others to Christ. The first passage is Romans 10:15, and the second one is Ephesians 6:14-16. You’ll notice that both passages specifically call the gospel of Christ “the gospel of peace.” They say:

And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:15, N.K.J.V.)

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. (Ephesians 6:14-16, N.K.J.V.)

Posted in Evangelism, Family, Inner Peace, Salvation, Series: "The Beatitudes", The Sermon On The Mount, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Pureness of Heart

Posted on April 19, 2024 by russellmckinney

“The Beatitudes” series: (post #6)

“Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8, N.K.J.V.)

The Bible doesn’t use the word “heart” in reference to the bodily organ that pumps blood. Instead, it uses “heart” to refer to the center of one’s being. Therefore, to be pure in “heart” is to be pleasing to God, not just in outer conduct but also in inner motives, attitudes, and desires. As God Himself says in 1 Samuel 16:7:

For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (N.K.J.V.)

It should be understood, though, that no matter how pure your heart is, that purity cannot produce sinless perfection in either your outward or inward conduct. Ironically, it is actually your heart (the center of your being) that keeps you from living sinlessly. This “heart problem” of yours stems from the fact that you are a member of Adam’s sin-poisoned, fallen race. This is what God is describing when He speaks through the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 17:9 and says:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked… (K.J.V.)

Centuries later, Jesus (God the Son) picked up on this same theme when He said:

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. (Matthew 15:19, N.K.J.V.)

So, if our hearts are such wicked wrecks, who is Jesus referring to in the sixth Beatitude when He talks about “the pure in heart”? He is referring to people who, despite their inborn wickedness of heart, have a burning inner desire to please God. David was a prime example of such a person. Even though his sin-tainted heart caused him to commit many sins (lying, polygamy, lust, covetousness, adultery, murder, and trusting in numbers instead of God) over the course of his life, he nevertheless had a very real desire to please God. This is evidenced by the fact that he cried out to God in the wake of his adulterous affair with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of her husband, Uriah:

Create in me a clean heart, O God… (Psalm 51:10)

Similarly, in Psalm 24:3-4 he spoke of the direct relationship between pureness of heart and godliness of conduct when he wrote:

Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. (N.K.J.V.)

Furthermore, it seems clear that David taught this same truth to his son, Solomon. How do we know this? We know it because of Solomon’s words from Proverbs 4:23:

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. (N.K.J.V.)

Getting back to the early life and ministry of Jesus, the Jewish religious elite of that day focused exclusively on the outward appearance and completely disregarded anything involving the heart. They would have had Jesus say, “Blessed are the pure in conduct, for they shall see God.” For example, a Sadducee might have harbored an intense inner hatred for his brother, but that Sadducee wouldn’t have considered that hatred a sin as long as he didn’t actually murder that brother. Likewise, in a Pharisee’s way of classifying sin, he could lust over every woman he met as long as he didn’t have sex with any of them.

You can imagine what an uproar was created, then, when Jesus came preaching a radically different standard. He said, “Sin begins deep inside a person. If you have hatred toward your brother, you need to treat that as murder (Matthew 5:21-26), and if you look at a woman lustfully, that’s nothing less than you committing adultery with her in your heart” (Matthew 5:27-30).

Jesus even reserved His harshest preaching for some of the Jewish religious elite, and that preaching specifically referenced the difference between appearing to be sinless outwardly while being eaten up with sin inwardly. He said:

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. (Matthew 23:25-26, N.K.J.V.)

In regards to not only the sixth Beatitude but also all the other Beatitudes from The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is referring to saved people when He speaks of “the pure in heart.” The spiritual process isn’t hard to understand. First, the “pure in heart” have a desire to please God. Second, that desire will ultimately lead them to place saving belief in Jesus as Savior. This process makes perfect sense in light of the fact that God wants everyone to get saved (1 Timothy 2:1-6; 2 Peter 3:9).

And what reward does Jesus promise those who are pure in heart enough to believe in Him as Savior? He says, “…they shall see God.” By this, He doesn’t mean, “They will see God in a sunset, a baby’s smile, or a charitable deed.” No, He means, “They will one day literally see God and they will also literally spend eternity with Him. As 1 Peter 1:3-5 says to Christians:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. (N.K.J.V.)

Isn’t it wonderful that just as the pure in heart have a desire to please God, He has a desire to be around them for all eternity? Yes, Christian, you will get to visibly see God for all the endless eons of the ages to come. Think about that! You’ll see God the Father. You’ll see God the Son. And you’ll see God the Holy Spirit. This promise comes straight from the lips of God the Son, and it’s one that you would do well to meditate upon more often. By doing that, you might just become even more pure in heart for this earthly sojourn.

Posted in Belief, Death, Desires, Eternity, God's Love, Grace, Heaven, Salvation, Series: "The Beatitudes", The Sermon On The Mount | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Got Mercy?

Posted on April 17, 2024 by russellmckinney

“The Beatitudes” series: (post #5)

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7, N.K.J.V.)

The Greek noun our New Testaments translate as “mercy” is eleos. Vine’s Expository Dictionary defines the word as being:

the outward manifestation of pity; it assumes need on the part of him who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who shows it.

The Old Testament Hebrew’s primary word for “mercy” is checed. William Barclay, in his commentary on Matthew, says of this Hebrew word:

…It is an untranslatable word. It does not mean to sympathize with a person in the popular sense of the term; it does not mean simply to feel sorry for someone in trouble. (It) means the ability to get right inside the other person’s skin until we can see things from his eyes, think things with his mind, and feel things with his feelings.

Putting the Vines and Barclay definitions together, we come up with a working application for mercy. First, mercy assumes need on the part of the mercy-receiver. Second, it assumes the mercy-giver has resources adequate to meet the need. Third, to ideally show mercy, the mercy-giver must place himself inside the skin of the mercy-receiver.

It’s been said that justice is getting what you deserve and mercy is not getting it. Speaking for myself, I’d call that an accurate description of mercy. You see, mercy lives on the same street as compassion and pity, and this is a street the Christian should know well because God expects that Christian to make a regular practice of bestowing mercy upon others. How big a deal is this to God? It’s big enough for James 2:13 to say the one who has shown no mercy will experience judgment “without mercy.” That is a very sobering thought.

Not only does God expect Christians to show mercy, He is even interested in the way we do it. According to Romans 12:8, He wants it to be done “with cheerfulness.” That sets the bar even higher, doesn’t it? It’s one thing to be expected to show mercy, but it’s something else entirely to be expected to do it cheerfully!

But what makes God think He has the right to demand such a lofty standard from Christians? Well, putting it simply, He has the right to demand it because He has cheerfully extended mercy to us. As Titus 3:5 says:

not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

Of course, it shouldn’t surprise us that God Himself would extend mercy. After all, Ephesians 2:4 says He is “rich in mercy.” Micah 7:18 says “He delights in mercy.” And Psalm 103:8,11 says: “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy…For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him” (N.K.J.V.)

The good news, Christian, is that if you will meet God’s standard by cheerfully extending mercy to others, you will feel the benefit of that gesture as much as them. As Proverbs 11:17 says: “The merciful man does good for his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh” (N.K.J.V.). Similarly, Proverbs 14:21 says: “He who despises his neighbor sins; but he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he” (N.K.J.V.). And then there is Psalm 18:25, which says: “With the merciful, You will show Yourself merciful” (N.K.J.V.). That last reference goes right along with Christ’s words from the fifth Beatitude: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (N.K.J.V.).

So, Christian, do you want to be pleasing to God in your dealings with others? Do you want to do good for your own soul? Do you want to be happy? Do you want to obtain mercy from God? If your answer to each of these questions is, “Yes,” then cheerfully show mercy to others. Figuratively speaking, when you find yourself in a position of holding a hammer over the head of a person who has sinned, don’t make a nail out of that person’s head. Instead, remember all the past times when you yourself needed mercy, and look ahead to any future times when you might just need it again.

Posted in Forgiveness, Grace, Humility, Mercy, Revenge, Salvation, Series: "The Beatitudes", The Sermon On The Mount | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Righteousness & You

Posted on April 15, 2024 by russellmckinney

“The Beatitudes” series: (post #4)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6, N.K.J.V.)

With the fourth Beatitude from Matthew’s account of The Sermon on the Mount, we come to another difference between Matthew’s version of the sermon and Luke’s version of it. You might recall that Matthew quotes Jesus’ first Beatitude as, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” while Luke quotes it as, “Blessed are you poor…” Well, similarly, Matthew lists “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” as being Beatitude #4, while Luke’s account puts “Blessed are you who hunger now…” as being Beatitude #2. As for the reward promised in both versions, it is the same in that the believer will be filled.

As I explained in my post about that first Beatitude, the simple explanation for any and all differences between Matthew’s version of The Sermon on the Mount and Luke’s version of it is that Jesus preached the sermon (or parts of it) on at least two separate occasions in different settings to different audiences. Evidently, He preached the Matthew version exclusively to His disciples while He was sitting atop a mountain, and He preached the Luke version to not only those same disciples but also to a great multitude of people while He was standing on a level site. And since many individuals in that great multitude were no doubt literally poor (Luke’s Beatitude #1), literally hungry (Luke’s Beatitude #2), and well acquainted with crying literal tears (Luke’s Beatitude #3), it would have made sense for Jesus to speak directly to those needs.

However, for the purposes of this entire series and this specific post, I’m sticking primarily with the Matthew version of the sermon because it offers the most Beatitudes. So, with this in mind, I’m going to build this post around Christ’s words, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…” (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine). That’s why I’ve entitled the post “Righteousness & You.”

I’ve been a pastor a long time, long enough to have learned some things about professing Christians. One thing I’ve learned is that not many of them hunger and thirst for righteousness. How rare are such Christians? They are so rare that when you do come across one, you are actually taken aback by how much he or she stands out from the crowd. Your reaction is, “Wow, now that’s the way this Christianity thing is supposed to work. That’s the kind of person it’s rumored to produce.”

I take no pleasure in reporting that a high percentage of professing Christians are only interested in living righteously enough to keep God from getting too ticked off at them. The time they spend in prayer is minimal. Their Bible study is barely a blip on the radar. They attend church only if all the planets align and the creeks don’t rise. They give sparingly, even begrudgingly (2 Corinthians 9:6-7) of their finances. They’ve never witnessed to anyone.

Even the professing Christians who do better in some of these areas typically fall short when it comes to thoroughly repenting of sins and making needed changes in their lives. I’ve known professing Christians who were at church every time the doors were open, but they were petty, bitter people who refused to forgive any perceived slight. I’ve known others who made prayer a vital part of their lives but didn’t mind engaging in premarital sex or “shacking up.” Others would give some money to the church but spend even more on alcohol or drugs. To all of these people, the idea of hungering and thirsting for righteousness was foreign. They had just enough religion to keep them at peace with themselves and certainly didn’t have a burning desire for anything more.

Imagine that a man who hasn’t eaten for two days gets the opportunity to sit down at a buffet filled with delicious food. The way that man’s eyes dance over that food is the way the Christian’s eyes should dance over righteousness. The way that man craves that food is the way the Christian should crave righteousness.

Or imagine a woman who has been stranded in the desert for hours. When she is rescued, a rescue worker hands her a bottle of water. At that moment, there is nothing on earth she wants more than that water. That’s how the Christian should thirst for righteousness.

Christian, when you are obsessively hungering and thirsting for righteousness — when righteousness is what you are chasing in life — you won’t have to be goaded into attending church. You won’t have to be begged to pray. Your pastor won’t have to chide you into Bible study. It won’t take a ten-sermon series on stewardship to get you to give generously. You won’t have to be coerced into telling others about Jesus. All of that will come as naturally to you as breathing. It will flow effortlessly out of your hungering and thirsting for righteousness. 1 John 2:29 describes this as “practicing” righteousness:

If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him (1 John 5:1; John 3:1-8, N.K.J.V.).

Furthermore, in the fourth of the Beatitudes, Jesus promises that your pursuit of righteousness will not be in vain. He says you shall be filled. I see a two-fold meaning in this promise. First, it only makes sense that the more you devote your life to righteousness, the more righteousness will be exhibited in your life. Second, in regards to your eternal standing with God, the moment you realize your life is stained by unrighteousness and you place saving belief in Jesus, God actually imparts His spotless righteousness to you (Romans 1:16-17; 3:21-26; Philippians 3:7-9). That is an even more important filling.

So, Christian, how hungry are you? How thirsty are you? Are you burdened enough about your level of righteousness to do some repenting? Will you commit to practicing more righteousness in your daily life? When you get hungry and thirsty enough to actually make some changes in how you conduct yourself, you’ll find Jesus standing ready to help you. He’ll be right there with a never-ending buffet and a bottomless well. But you’ll never get to enjoy the blessings of that buffet or that well as long as you are satisfied with the amount of righteousness you currently have.

Posted in Alcohol, Backsliding, Belief, Bible Study, Change, Church Attendance, Confession, Discipleship, Doing Good, Drugs, Evangelism, Giving, Money, Obedience, Personal Holiness, Rebellion, Righteousness, Salvation, Sanctification, Series: "The Beatitudes", Stewardship, The Sermon On The Mount, Witnessing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The True Meaning of Meekness

Posted on April 12, 2024 by russellmckinney

“The Beatitudes” series: (post #3)

“Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5, N.K.J.V.)

The word “Beatitude” is not found anywhere in the Bible, but we use the word in reference to each of the instances where the Bible says “Blessed is…” or “Blessed are…” The word comes from beatus, the Latin word for “blessed.” While Beatitudes can be found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, far and away the most famous list is the one that begins Christ’s Sermon on the Mount.

The Greek word for “blessed” is makarios, a word that carries multiple shades of meaning. It can mean happy, fortunate, to be envied, satisfied, joyful, or spiritually prosperous. Needless to say, the word packs quite a punch. To be “blessed” in this way is no small thing!

Of all the Beatitudes, the one that has probably been the most misunderstood is: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” The problem has always stemmed from the false notion that meekness equates to weakness. The fact is, nothing could be further from the truth.

Numbers 12:3 says:

Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth. (K.J.V.)

If you think Moses was a ninety-pound weakling who couldn’t take care of himself, you really need to read Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Moses was a man’s man. He was an outdoorsmen who had a hot temper and could singlehandedly kill an Egyptian.

In addition to Moses being described as meek, would you believe that Jesus described Himself in this same way? In Matthew 11:29, He says:

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your souls. (K.J.V.)

This was Jesus, who spent forty days and nights fasting in the Judean wilderness. This was Jesus, who oftentimes slept on the ground. This was Jesus, who lived through a brutal Roman scourging. The idea of Him being weak is preposterous.

In light of Moses and Jesus, it is obvious that meekness means something other than weakness. But what does it mean? It means strength under control. The Greek word translated as “meek” is praus. It’s a word the Greeks used to describe a horse that had been broken. The horse was far from weak, but its strength had been brought under the control of a rider. Transferring this illustration to the life of the Christian, meekness equates to being broken of one’s self-will and being submitted to the Lordship of Jesus.

You see, Jesus wasn’t calling His followers to lay aside their strength and become milquetoast peons. No, He wanted them to be strong, especially in terms of spiritual might. But He challenged them to bring their strength under His control. Just as a rider can’t use a horse that hasn’t been broken, Jesus can’t do much with a person whose strength isn’t under His control.

Jesus did, however, promise an awesome reward for the Christian who lives his or her life this way. The world is still awaiting the fulfillment of this promise, but that fulfillment will occur when Jesus returns to this earth (Revelation 19:11-21) and establishes His 1,000-year kingdom upon it (Revelation 20:1-4). At that time, Christians will indeed inherit the earth and reign over it with Jesus as His bride (Revelation 2:26-27; 5:8-10; 19:6-9).

I feel safe in saying that those who literally heard Jesus make that promise didn’t truly grasp the ultimate meaning of it. That meaning was just too far off in the future. That isn’t to say, though, that they didn’t like the sounds of it. Could there really be a time when Christ’s followers would inherit the earth? Couldn’t there really be a time when the Romans wouldn’t rule the known world? Who else but Jesus would have preached such a radical idea in the midst of that culture? And who else but Him would have the power to one day make it a reality?

Posted in Brokenness, Christ's Second Coming, Dying To Self, Obedience, Prosperity, Reward, Series: "The Beatitudes", Submission, The Sermon On The Mount | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment