Praying in Jesus’ Name (part 4)

Posted on September 11, 2023 by russellmckinney

I want to use this post to deal with yet another aspect of what it means to pray in Jesus’ name. The new aspect goes like this: To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray with an understanding of the limitless power such praying offers. Christian, I’m not trying to swell your head with this one, but I do want you to realize just exactly what Jesus said in John 14:12-14 concerning praying in His name. Read His words again and let them sink down into your soul:

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

Now, before you run off and become a “name it and claim it” kind of Christian, let me remind you of my second post from this series. There, I explained that to pray in Jesus’ name is to pray in submission to God’s will. This means that words such as “whatever” and “anything” must always be viewed through the lens of God’s will. Not only is this implied in the New Testament, there is even a passage that comes right out and says it. That passage is 1st John 5:14-15, and it’s worth mentioning that it was written by the same John who wrote John 14:12-14. The passage reads:

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

And so, you see, it’s clear that Jesus never intended for His followers to turn God the Father into a wish-granting genie via their prayers. Let’s be clear about that. But, with that understood, let’s not water down what Jesus did teach about prayer. He said, “The one who believes in Me and asks for things in My name will do even greater works than I have done.” What an astounding thought!

Jesus walked on the water. Jesus fed thousands with a boy’s lunch. Jesus turned water into wine. Jesus healed the sick. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. How could Christians, even praying Christians, do greater works than these? The answer is: Our works can be greater in extent.

Remember that Jesus, in His earthly body, was confined to one place at one time and spent His entire life in one small part of the world. Furthermore, His public ministry only lasted for three-and-a-half years. Jesus didn’t preach a sermon that led 3,000 people to get saved. But Peter did that (Acts 2:14-41). Jesus didn’t take the gospel throughout the entirety of the Roman empire. But Paul did that. Jesus didn’t start churches wherever He went or write the books of the New Testament. But His followers did that. And these works were all greater in extent than even Christ’s earthly works.

Therefore, Christian, never be guilty of underestimating the incredible power of prayer. As James 4:2 says:

…you do not have because you do not ask. (N.K.J.V.)

A church got a new pastor, and his first Sunday there he walked to the pulpit and said, “Let us pray.” Then he proceeded to pray for ten minutes. When the service was over, one church member said to another, “Boy, we’ve sure got a good pastor now. He asks God for things our other pastors didn’t even know God had!”

Christian, don’t you be like those previous pastors. Lay claim to the fact that praying “in Jesus’ name” means praying in POWER. The only requests that lay outside that power are those that lay outside God’s will for your life. Other than those, have at it with your asking! Who knows what “greater works” the Lord might have in mind to pour out in your life?

Posted in Christ's Miracles, Desires, God's Omnipotence, God's Provision, God's Will, God's Work, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Series: "Praying in Jesus' Name" | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Praying in Jesus’ Name (part 3)

Posted on September 8, 2023 by russellmckinney

“And we ask these things in Jesus’ name.” As a pastor, I’ve said those words at the close of prayers in church services more times than I can remember. Even more than that, I’ve said them at the close of scores of personal prayers during my alone times with the Lord. But what do they really mean? That’s what we’ve been exploring with the last couple of posts. Thus far we’ve established two things. First, praying in Jesus’ name is something only a true Christian can do. Second, it involves praying in submission to God’s will.

Now, the third thing I want to say about praying in Jesus’ name is this: To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray in the authority of Jesus. When a United States ambassador travels to a foreign country, he doesn’t greet people on the basis of his own authority. He greets them on the basis of the considerable authority of the President of the United States of America. This gives the ambassador much more clout than he has on his own.

This concept of ambassadorship is one that Jesus Himself understands perfectly. I say that because He was quick to point out that His teachings and miracles were all based upon the authority of His heavenly Father. So, in the same general way, when a Christian prays in Jesus’ name, that Christian evokes an authority greater than his own.

Imagine me taking my requests to God the Father through prayer and saying, “And you have to honor my requests, heavenly Father, because this is Russell talking.” If angels could be sarcastic, there would probably be one standing beside the Father’s heavenly throne saying, “Ooh, we’re so impressed.” I mean, think about it, there are times when I can’t even get my two sons to do what I ask them to do! That’s why I’d be well advised to do my praying in the authority of Jesus. You see, that kicks everything about my prayer into a much higher gear. Praying “in Jesus’ name” is as different from praying “in Russell’s name” as day and night.

Someone asks, “But just how much authority does Jesus have?” I’ll answer that with a Bible verse. Matthew 28:18 reads:

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (N.K.J.V.)

You certainly can’t have any more authority than that, can you? Oh, and don’t miss the fact that Christ’s authority covers not only the earth but also heaven. That’s relevant to the topic of prayer because heaven, the location of God the Father’s throne, is where our prayers are headed. Understanding this helps us dive a little deeper into the infinite depths of Hebrews 4:16, which says to Christians:

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (N.K.J.V.)

Far too often we Christians are needlessly timid when we talk to God the Father. We’re like the cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz as he approaches the great Oz. And, truth be told, if we try to approach the Father’s throne on the basis of our own authority, we should be every bit as mousy as that lion. Ah, but when we approach God’s throne in the authority wrapped up in Jesus’ name, that changes everything. That should turn our cowardice into courage and our bashfulness into boldness. Claim this great truth, Christian, and put it into practice the next time you pray.

Posted in Heaven, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Series: "Praying in Jesus' Name" | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Praying in Jesus’ Name (part 2)

Posted on September 6, 2023 by russellmckinney

I used my previous post to explain that Christians are the only people who can rightfully close their prayers with the words “in Jesus’ name.” Now, with this post, I want to offer a second fact about praying in Jesus’ name. That second fact is: To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray in submission to God’s will.

It is only fitting that praying in Jesus’ name would entail praying in submission to God’s will. After all, Jesus was the very embodiment of one who was submitted to the will of His heavenly Father. Consider the following passages. First, in John 6:38 He says:

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (N.K.J.V.)

Second, Matthew 26:39-44 tells us that Jesus prayed the same prayer three times in the garden of Gethsemane on the night of His arrest:

O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will. (N.K.J.V.)

Third, Matthew 6:9-10 says that Jesus taught His followers to pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done. (N.K.J.V.)

Christian, you need to grasp the concept that prayer isn’t you sending God on an errand. It isn’t you getting your will done in heaven, either. It is much more about God getting His will done on earth. You see, your prayer time is a good time to die. I’m talking about you dying to your wants, wishes, aspirations, plans, and schemes. Don’t spend twenty minutes in prayer demanding that God grant all your requests and then have the audacity to close that prayer by tacking Jesus’ name onto the end of it. When Jesus hears such a prayer, He could very well say to Himself, “That’s not how I lived my life, and that’s certainly not how I prayed.”

I think each of us would do well to follow the example of the legendary evangelist, D.L Moody. He used to pray the following prayer:

Lord, if what I ask for does not please you, neither would it please me. My desires are put into your hands to be corrected. Strike the pen through every petition that I offer that is not right. And put in whatever I have omitted, even though I might not have desired it had I considered it.

Another good role model in this area would be the renowned preacher, Phillips Brooks. He wrote:

Every true prayer has its background and its foreground. The foreground of prayer is the intense, immediate desire for a certain blessing which seems to be absolutely necessary for the soul to have; the background of prayer is the quiet, earnest desire that the will of God, whatever it may be, should be done.

And so, Christian, the next time you use the words “in Jesus’ name” at the end of your prayer, I hope they will be in accord with the attitude you have evidenced in making your requests. If they aren’t, your best move would be to restart the prayer and do a more Christlike job making your requests. Yes, this will take some time. Even more than that, it will take some dying. But the end result will be that you will be able to use the words “in Jesus’ name” correctly, without them being mere lip service.

Posted in Desires, Dying To Self, God's Will, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Series: "Praying in Jesus' Name", Submission | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Praying in Jesus’ Name (part 1)

Posted on September 4, 2023 by russellmckinney

If you’ve spent much time in church, you’ve no doubt heard someone end a prayer by saying, “And we ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.” But have you ever wondered what all is involved with praying “in Jesus’ name”? Well, to help you with that, I’d like to devote a series of posts to the subject.

I’ll begin by giving you the Bible passage from which we draw this whole idea. It’s John 14:12-14, where Jesus says to His chosen twelve apostles:

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (N.K.J.V.)

Okay, now that we have quoted the passage, the first thing we need to learn about praying in Jesus’ name is this: It can only be done by a Christian. And before you label me a bigot for saying such a thing, please note that Jesus addresses His words specifically to “he who believes in Me.” That narrows the field down quite a bit, doesn’t it?

The fact is, there are a lot of people out there praying. It’s even become a cliche for politicians and celebrities to say to the victims of some tragedy, “You are in our prayers.” That sounds so compassionate and comforting, doesn’t it? What we must question, however, is the level of power in such prayers.

You see, real power in prayer comes from praying in Jesus’ name, and the only people who can legitimately pray in Jesus’ name are Christians. Oh, sure, lost people can mouth the words “in Jesus’ name” at the end of their prayers, but that doesn’t mean those people have truly prayed in Jesus’ name. It just doesn’t work that way.

In the next few posts, we are going to learn the incredible importance of these words, “in Jesus’ name.” What we are going to find is that the words are not only the key to an effective prayer life but also to living the Christian life. But I don’t want to get ahead of myself, and so for now I’ll just ask you to stay tuned. For this first post, we’ve begun where we had to begin: at the beginning. Now that we’ve laid the necessary foundation for the topic, we can start building the levels necessary to complete the task.

Posted in Prayer, Prayer Requests, Salvation, Series: "Praying in Jesus' Name" | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Lynched by Mistake

Posted on September 1, 2023 by russellmckinney

In one Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown is lying in bed talking to Snoopy, who’s lying atop the covers at Charlie’s feet. Charlie says, “Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, ‘Is life a multiple choice test or is it a true or false test?’” Next, in the closing panel, Charlie says, “Then a voice comes to me out of the dark and says, ‘We hate to tell you this, but life is a thousand-word essay.’”

It should make sense that the older you get the easier life gets. After all, you should have all your dumb mistakes behind you, right? You have the advantage of experience, and you are wiser, more seasoned. But the problem is that whatever help comes from being experienced and wiser gets counteracted by life’s issues becoming more complex.

When I lie awake at night, I sometimes think back to the days when I was a kid playing with a plastic baseball and bat in my backyard. Those were such simple, carefree times for me. The only thing I had to worry about was hitting my ball so far into the surrounding woods that I lost it. If I got hungry, I went back inside and ate, and I never gave a moment’s thought to what all was involved with getting those groceries paid for and placed in those cabinets. For that matter, I never gave a moment’s thought to how the mortgage on our house got paid. I know now that “baseball stadium” back yards don’t come cheap.

Am I being a good husband? Am I being a good father? Am I being a good pastor? What sermon should I preach this Sunday? What blog post should I publish next? What am I going to do about retirement? These are the kinds of topics that I struggle with nowadays. And, yes, despite all my experience and seasoning, it’s a struggle. You want essay questions? I got ’em.

I’ve read that at Boot Hill Cemetery in Arizona there is a grave marker that reads: “Lynched By Mistake.” That inscription tells me that all mistakes aren’t created equal. Obviously, some of them carry far greater consequences than others.

This is why I obsess so much over God’s specific will for my life, which just also happens to coincide with His specific will for my family’s life. Seriously, I don’t want to make a bad decision that will get me or any of my family members lynched in the sense of ending up in a setting or circumstance that isn’t in God’s will. You see, gallows are everywhere if we only had the spiritual discernment to recognize them for what they are.

It is for this reason that I pray frequently and fervently, and I try to talk with God as opposed to just talking at Him. Why do I want my prayers to be dialogues and not monologues? It’s because I understand that I don’t have the answers to life’s essay questions. The truth is that my best decisions come when I willingly play the role of sheep and let the Lord play the role of shepherd.

While I don’t always agree with the direction in which God leads me, I do try to obey Him. That takes more faith in regards to some decisions than others, but I’ve learned that whenever I obey Him, a great weight of responsibility is taken off my shoulders. The reason is simple: If I’m carrying out His will, how the decision turns out is His responsibility, not mine. And, trust me, any responsibility that I can scratch off my list these days is a good thing.

Posted in Adversity, Aging, Choices, Discernment, Faith, Family, Fatherhood, Fear, God's Omniscience, God's Will, Husbands, Obedience, Parenting, Personal, Prayer, Problems, Submission, Trials, Trusting In God, Work, Worry, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

An Unpleasant Truth

Posted on August 30, 2023 by russellmckinney

God gave the prophet Jeremiah a thankless task. Jeremiah was to prophesy, for decades, to his own people of Judah. Those people were a sinful, proud, stiff-necked bunch. Their nation stood on the precipice of being conquered by the Babylonians, and time and time again Jeremiah warned them of this impending doom. Nevertheless, despite Jeremiah’s pleadings, the people wouldn’t heed his message and return to God. They were just too set in their sinful ways.

Since God knew this about them, the bulk of the prophesying He had Jeremiah do involved pronouncing judgment. Even though there were times when God offered some hope to the people, He never lost sight of the fact that they weren’t going to make the necessary changes to avert the Babylonian invasion. For example, in Jeremiah 13:16, Jeremiah says to the people:

Give glory to the Lord your God before He causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and while you are looking for light, He turns it into the shadow of death and makes it dense darkness. (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

You see, the use of the word “before” could imply that there was still a chance that the conquering could be averted. At least that’s what the reader initially thinks. But later on in that same message, in verse 23 to be precise, Jeremiah trumps that chance by saying:

Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard change its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil. (N.K.J.V.)

What we can take from this verse is that the person who shuns God and is accustomed to doing evil can never truly “do good.” Oh, sure, such a person might quit some bad habits, reform a bit, get involved in some charitable causes, or do some nice things. What he won’t do, though, is lead a life that is genuinely pleasing to God, the kind of life that can head off eventual judgment. That kind of change is only possible via a personal, saving relationship with God wherein God changes your very nature (that sinful, Adamic nature with which we are all born.)

We’d all do well to remember the unpleasant truth this verse conveys. Once a person becomes accustomed to doing evil, that’s the path he will remain on unless he somehow turns to God and allows God to do a supernatural work in his life. Don’t be fooled by the person’s hollow words, seemingly sincere resolutions, or grandiose promises to change. Putting it bluntly, change is just not that simple. All the self-will, determination, and positive attitude in the world can’t produce it any more than an Ethiopian can change his skin color or a leopard its spots.

Mark it down, the people of Judah didn’t change and God eventually allowed the Babylonians to march in and lower the boom. And Jeremiah, despite all his earnest preaching and love for his people, couldn’t alter that inevitable outcome. This isn’t a happy story to be sure, but it’s certainly a real-life one from which we can learn.

Posted in Addiction, Backsliding, Change, Character, Coming Judgment, Depravity, Disobedience, God's Judgment, Preaching, Pride, Rebellion, Repentance, Restoration, Salvation, Sin | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Water Lines & Old Paths

Posted on August 28, 2023 by russellmckinney

You don’t have to be a nautical expert to know that boats must be as solid below the water line as they are above it. A boat that looks good above the water line but is rotten below it will eventually sink. Well, the same kind of thing holds true for Christians. Those who have a fellowship with Christ that looks good on a surface level, but who are rotting away spiritually on the inside, are in trouble. Eventually, they will sink into the murky depths of life.

So how can you, as a Christian, ensure that such a thing doesn’t happen to you? The answer is simple: You must do that which is necessary to keep your fellowship with Christ strong. And how do you accomplish this? You do it by way of such things as: daily prayer, daily Bible study, weekly church attendance, cheerful giving, frequent witnessing, and regular confession and repentance. I know, I know, these things have been promoted so much they have become virtual cliches of Christianity. But they’ve been promoted so much because they work!

In Jeremiah 6:16, the prophet Jeremiah says to the people of Judah:

Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it. Then you will find rest for your souls…” (N.K.J.V.)

By encouraging the people to ask for the old paths, God was telling them, “The things I’ve had you do before will still work and keep you in right fellowship with Me.” To those Jews, that meant keeping the moral specifics of the Mosaic law, bringing their sacrifices to the temple as acts of worship, offering up their prayers to God, confessing their sins and repenting of them, and looking to God for their guidance and protection. Sadly, though, those people would have none of it. Jeremiah 6:16 ends with the mournful words:

“…But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” (N.K.J.V.)

Now, I do realize that the “old paths” for the Christian today aren’t the same as the ones the Old Testament Jews were to walk. However, the basic template is still the same: adherence to God’s word, worship, prayer, confession, repentance, and seeking God’s guidance and protection. The spiritual boat of the Christian whose life evidences these things will have no rot about it and will be very much worthy of sailing the seas of life. Even when those seas get stormy and dangerous, the Christian who is walking in God’s old paths won’t sink. How can he when he has the Lord Himself as his captain?

Posted in Adversity, Backsliding, Bible Study, Church Attendance, Commitment, Confession, Discipleship, Doing Good, Faithfulness, Giving, Obedience, Perseverance, Prayer, Priorities, Repentance, Righteousness, Sanctification, Scripture, Service, Sin, Stewardship, The Bible, Trusting In God, Witnessing, Worry, Worship | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Who Are You Riding With?

Posted on August 26, 2023 by russellmckinney

The Lone Ranger and Tonto were in the desert. When 10,000 Indians attacked them from the north, the duo fled south. When 10,000 more Indians attacked them from the south, they fled east. When 10,000 more attacked them from the east, they fled west. When 10,000 more attacked them from the west, they were trapped on all sides. The Lone Ranger looked at Tonto and said, “What are we going to do?” Tonto answered, “What do you mean we, white man?”

Many years ago, there was a hit country song entitled “You Find Out Who Your Friends Are.” It talked about instances such as you running your car into a ditch, needing a couch, or having your well go dry. That’s when you find out who your friends are. It reminds me of something I once read: A true friend is someone who will walk in your door when everybody else is walking out.

Along these same lines, one of the most valuable lessons that I’ve ever learned is this: The more you deal with people who like you for who you are, the happier you’ll be in life. This is a lesson that can be applied to so many circumstances. Allow me to name just three examples from a long, long list.

Example #1: If you are single, don’t waste your time and energy chasing someone you have to jump through hoops to impress. I don’t care how desirable the person is or how much you long for them. The hard cold truth is that no matter what you do, you will probably never impress them anyway. And even if you do, you’ll have to keep up that standard of achievement as long as you are with them. As the old saying goes, “What you win them with is what you have to keep them with.” Remember that the highest ideal for love is unconditional love. Hold out for someone who loves you unconditionally for who you are.

Example #2: If you are looking for a job, try to find one where your boss appreciates what you bring to the table. Of course, I realize that we don’t always have the luxury of being selective about where we work. Still, though, you get the idea. Holding down your job is hard enough without you feeling like you have to prove yourself or earn your stripes every day. It’s maddening to work for someone who always seems to be looking for a reason to fire you or demote you.

Example #3: If you have a child who is involved in some kind of team sports, do your best to keep that child on teams where the child is a good fit. What I mean is, sometimes the team with the best winning percentage or the most successful coach isn’t right for your child. Does the coach share your standards of integrity? Does he or she share your goals for team sports? Can your child get along with the other players on the team? Can you get along with the other parents? Is your child’s talent level on par with the other members of the team? Again, I realize that sometimes you have no vote in the team for which your child plays. All I’m saying is that whenever you do have some sway in this department, use it to get your child on a team where he or she will be truly appreciated and valued. That makes for such a better experience all the way around.

My point in all this is that life is hard enough without you adding unnecessary “hard” to the mix. I don’t know why the Lord led me to write on this topic, but I’m guessing that someone reading this needed it. Are you that someone? Have you been knocking your brains out trying to impress or please someone you stand no chance of ever impressing or pleasing? Then cut your losses and move on. Are you calling some people “friends” who wouldn’t lose one minute’s sleep if you vanished off the face of the earth tomorrow? Then find yourself some new friends, some honest-to-goodness ones. Are you trying to “keep up with the Joneses” even though you can’t stand the Joneses and everything they represent? Then ask yourself why you are doing that and stop it. As I said, the more you deal with people who like you for who you are, the happier you’ll be in life. It’s such a shame that so many of us spend our lives riding with Tontos who aren’t worthy of all the time, energy, effort, money, loyalty, etc. we pour into them.

Posted in Business, Children, Choices, Contentment, Decisions, Fatherhood, Friendship, God's Will, Marriage, Motherhood, Parenting, Personal, Sports, Work | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Humility Through Character-Building Experiences

Posted on August 23, 2023 by russellmckinney

The noted preacher and author Chuck Swindoll tells of a man who won a plaque for being the most humble man on earth. The man took the plaque home and placed it prominently on the mantle in his living room. As soon as he did that, however, the people who had awarded him the plaque came and took it from him.

Would you describe yourself as a humble person? More importantly, would others describe you as a humble person? I think it’s obvious that our society doesn’t value humility nearly enough. We’re too busy envying the aloof rich and worshiping self-absorbed celebrities. That’s why we need to be reminded every now and then that God places immeasurable value on humility.

The Bible is replete with passages that prove this. Here are just a few of them (all from the N.K.J.V.):

Psalm 10:17: Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear.

Psalm 138:6: Though the Lord is on high, yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar.

Proverbs 11:2: When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.

Proverbs 16:19: Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Isaiah 57:15: For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I will dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Romans 12:3: For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think…

Colossians 3:12: Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering…

James 4:6: But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Of course, these verses stand alongside the fact that humility was one of the major themes of Christ’s ministry. For your homework, read: Matthew 5:3-5; 11:29; 18:1-4; 20:25-28; Luke 1:52; 18:9-14; 22:24-27; and John 13:12-17. Trust me, you won’t have any trouble picking up on the recurring teaching in those passages. But how could we expect anything less from a Creator God who evidenced His own humility by voluntarily leaving heaven, taking lowly human flesh upon Himself, living among the mess of the fallen human race, and dying a substitutionary death for the sins of that race?

I’ve known Julie (Mckinney) Phillips for years. For a while, she was the person who cleaned my teeth twice a year at our local dentist’s office. During one of those visits she said something that I’ve never forgotten. As we were talking about our lives and the various troubles we had endured, she said, “Yes, I think I’ve had about enough character-building experiences!” I couldn’t help but laugh because I understood exactly what she meant and felt the same way about myself. I don’t see Julie much anymore, but even now there are times when I’m praying about some circumstance and say, “Lord, I really don’t want another character-building experience right now.”

Nevertheless, despite these prayers, God keeps sending such experiences my way. Why? I’ve come to the conclusion that it is to keep me humble. Apparently, He knows that deep down inside me there is a streak that is prone to pride and arrogance and He doesn’t want that streak to get too wide. So, lest I get “too big for my britches,” I never go too long without having to endure some humbling ordeal or “character-building experience.” Understanding how God uses such experiences helps me cope with them. It doesn’t make them easier, mind you, but it does allow me to view them through His perspective and see the good He can bring out of them. And that good is very real, even if I don’t always enjoy or appreciate what it took for me to acquire it.

Posted in Adversity, Complaining, Disappointment, Faithfulness, God's Omniscience, Humility, Persecution, Perseverance, Personal, Personal Holiness, Pride, Problems, Sickness, Suffering, Trials, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Hands of Jesus

Posted on August 21, 2023 by russellmckinney

“You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.” (John 13:13-16, N.K.J.V.)

The story is told of a certain European town in which there was a beautiful statue of Jesus. The hands of the statue reached out, and the inscription read, “Come unto me.” The statue was a beautiful reminder of the fact that Christ’s arms are always outstretched to minister to those in need.

Then came World War II, during which the town was bombed and the statue left destroyed in the aftermath. Following the war, the townspeople hired the statue’s sculptor to replace it with one just like it. The man worked hard and the work went well, but when he came to the statue’s defining feature, its outstretched hands, he decided to do something different. Covertly, however, he kept his decision a secret until the day of the unveiling.

When that day came the townspeople, with great excitement, gathered around the covered statue. Their excitement was quickly replaced with shock, though, when the sculptor unveiled the new statue. What the people saw was a Jesus who had arms but no hands. Then, as the people stood there in stunned disbelief, the sculptor unveiled the inscription on the statue’s base. It read: “Who will be My hands today?”

Actually, that’s a question that Jesus could ask every day, isn’t it? So, Christian, will you be His hands today? The reality is that somebody out there needs for you to be “Jesus” to them, and you might just be the only “Jesus” that person encounters today.

Posted in Doing Good, God's Work, Ministry, Missions, Service, Spiritual Gifts, Talents, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment