The Bible & Homosexuality

Posted on January 27, 2024 by russellmckinney

A 2023 poll taken between August 21st and September 15th by the Public Religion Research Institute showed that 28% of Americans between the ages of 12 and 25 now identify as either “Bisexual,” “Gay or Lesbian,” or “Something Else.” Only 72% of this age group defined themselves as being “Straight.” This age group, in case you aren’t aware, is known as “Generation Z.”

According to this recent poll, even though 90% of all Americans identify as Straight, the younger the generation, the lesser this rate will be. The numbers read as follows:

The “Silent Generation” (people born between 1925 and 1945): 97% Straight

The “Baby Boomers” (people born between 1946 and 1964): 96% Straight

The “Generation Xers” (people born between 1965 and 1980): 93% Straight

The “Millennials” (people born between 1981 and 1996): 84% Straight

The “Generation Z” (people born between 1997 and 2012): 72% Straight

Even though no poll can ever be a thoroughly precise rendering of a situation, it is undeniable that LGBTQ, which stands for Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Queer (or at least Questioning), is on the rise in the ranks of America’s younger generations. This is why it is so vitally important that we Bible-believing Christians continue to convey what the Bible teaches about sexuality. Therefore, even though I have presented this information in past posts, I feel compelled to offer it again right now.

The Biblical case against anything other than being “Straight” is as follows (all references from the N.K.J.V.):

1. Genesis 1:26-28; Matthew 19:4-6: God’s plan for the sexual relationship is obviously man-woman.

2. Genesis 19:1-29; Ezekiel 16:49-50; 2 Peter 2:4-6; Jude v.7: Homosexuality was rampant in the twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and God destroyed those cities for their wickedness. The Ezekiel passage uses the word “abomination” in reference to homosexuality, while the Jude verse describes the sin as giving one’s self over to sexual immorality and going after “strange flesh.”

3. Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Deuteronomy 23:17: Under that body of law God gave the Israelites to live by, homosexuality was a crime. More than that, it was a capital punishment offense (Leviticus 18:29, “cut off” means “put to death”). Again, the word “abomination” is used in the Leviticus verses in reference to the sin. Furthermore, the context of the Leviticus 18:22 verse groups homosexuality with incest (Leviticus 18:6-18) and bestiality (Leviticus 18:23).

4. Judges 19:11-30: This passage gives an account from the days when various Judges ruled over different parts of Israel. It labels a group of homosexuals as “perverted men.”

5. 1 Kings 14:21-24; 15:9-15; 22:41-46; 2 Kings 22:1-2; 23:7: The homosexuals (“perverted persons”) who are mentioned in these passages were religious prostitutes who played major roles in the worship of false gods. There is a distinct pattern seen in the passages. During the reigns of good kings, these sodomites were banished from the land. During the reigns of wicked kings, they were allowed to remain in the land.

6. Romans 1:18-32: These verses trace the origins of homosexuality and lesbianism back to mankind’s rejecting of God and embracing of idol worship. Homosexuals and lesbians are labeled as people who have: a knowledge of God (v.18-21), no excuse (v.20), a lack of glorifying God (v.21), a lack of thankfulness (v.21), futile thoughts (v.21), foolish, darkened hearts (v.21-22), a profession of wisdom (v.22), a foolishness about them (v.22), a bent towards idolatry (v.23), unclean, lustful hearts (v.24), dishonored bodies (v.24), an abandonment of the truth (v.25), a worship of self (v.25), vile passions (v.26), a desire to pervert nature (v.26-27), shameful conduct (v.27), a forgetfulness of God (v.28), debased minds (v.28), a love of doing those things which aren’t fitting (v.28), a nature geared towards being ungodly in many other ways (v.29-31), a knowledge of the judgment of God (v.32), a worthiness of death (v.32), and an approval of others who commit the same sins (v.32). Actually, the argument that homosexuality is “natural” is correct in one sense. The sin is just as natural to sin-fallen mankind as rebelling against God and worshipping false gods.

7. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: The category “homosexuals” (N.K.J.V.) or “effeminate” (K.J.V.) refers to homosexuals as does the category “sodomites” (N.K.J.V.) or “abusers of themselves with mankind” (K.J.V.). It is noteworthy that this passage teaches that the homosexual doesn’t have to continue in the sin. Verse 11 says “And such were some of you.” The homosexuals say, “God made us this way” and contend this allows them to equate their movement to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. But the crippling flaw in this line of thought is: Whereas there are some former homosexuals, there are no former African Americans. It is also worth noting that this passage teaches that homosexuality has no more place in the life of the Christian than fornication (all other forms of sexual sin), idolatry, adultery (the specific sexual sin of cheating on a spouse), theft, covetousness, drunkenness, reviling, or extortion.

8. 1 Timothy 1:8-10: The category “sodomites” (N.K.J.V.) or “them that defile themselves with mankind” (K.J.V.) refers to homosexuals. These verses place the homosexual on the same level as: the lawless, the insubordinate, the ungodly, the sinful, the unholy, the profane, the murderer of a father or a mother, the manslayer, the fornicator, the kidnapper, the perjurer, and anyone else who is contrary to sound doctrine.

Okay, if you are still reading, and your mind is open to the truth, you should now be in agreement with me that the Bible condemns homosexuality and lesbianism (and by implication transgenderism) as sin. It really is an open-and-shut case. But would you believe that some homosexuals try to employ the words of Jesus in their attempts to get out from under the Bible’s obvious teaching? These people say, “If God condemns homosexuality so much, why didn’t Jesus specifically preach against it?” This question is easily answered in the following ways.

Answer #1: In Luke 17:28-37, Jesus used the fire-and-brimstone judgment by which God leveled the city of Sodom as an illustration of the judgment this world will endure before He comes in His Second Coming to walk this earth again. Clearly, Jesus saw no need to apologize for the judgment upon Sodom, which was a judgment against Sodom’s rampant homosexuality (Genesis 19:1-28; Jude 1:5-7).

Answer #2: Jesus didn’t specifically preach against rape, spousal abuse, child abuse, pedophilia, or genocide, either. It’s safe to say, though, that He was against such acts.

Answer #3: Jesus did say, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). This is significant because in three passages (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Deuteronomy 23:17) the Old Testament law condemned homosexuality. Similarly, the Old Testament prophet Isaiah negatively called the sinful people of Israel “rulers of Sodom” and “people of Gomorrah” (Isaiah 1:10), and Ezekiel spoke of the “abomination” and “lewdness” of Sodom (Ezekiel 16:44-59).

Answer #4: Jesus confirmed and reiterated the Adam-and-Eve standard of marriage between a man and a woman (Matthew 19:4-6). Consequently, by painting the Adam-and-Eve kind of marriage in such a positive light, He painted any other type of marriage in a negative light.

Now let me mention another route certain homosexuals take in their useless efforts to align their sin with the Bible. They quote Christ’s words, “Judge not that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1) as if this passage is some kind of trump card that muzzles Bible believers from speaking against homosexuality. Really, though, this argument is just another one that doesn’t make honest sense.

I say this because it is obvious to anyone who studies the verses following Matthew 7:1 that Jesus isn’t forbidding any and all types of judging. (For that matter, He even advocates righteous judging in Luke 12:57 and John 7:24). No, what He is forbidding in Matthew 7:1 is hypocritical judging. He illustrates His point by saying, “If you have a plank (a large piece of wood) in your eye, you have no business criticizing someone else for having a speck (a small piece of wood) in his eye.” Then He says, “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5).

To apply this teaching to my own life, if I am a homosexual who unashamedly engages in homosexual sex every night, it is wrong for me to stand in my pulpit and preach against someone I know to be a closet homosexual. It is only when I have removed the plank from my own eye (repented of my prolific homosexuality) that I can help that closet homosexual remove the speck from his eye (repent of his lesser homosexuality). Please notice, though, that Jesus taught that the goal in each situation is the repentance of the sin, the removal of the plank or speck.

Someone says, “But Russell, why are you singling out homosexuals for a blog post? There are, after all, other sexual sins.” Well, as far as I know, those who engage in premarital sex, adultery, incest, or bestiality haven’t banded together to force people to accept their sinful lifestyles. When that happens, I’ll write blog posts about their sins.

Furthermore, we Bible-believing Christians must fight this fight because we don’t want to be lumped in with those who “delight in the perversity of the wicked” (Proverbs 3:14). Instead, we want to learn from David’s experience, the one he describes in Psalm 39:1-3. There, he talks about how he tried to restrain his mouth with a muzzle and remain mute with silence while the wicked were before him, but his silence only stirred up sorrow inside him. Finally, when the fire within him reached a point whereby he could no longer keep quiet in the midst of obvious sins, he spoke out against those sins.

In closing, please hear me when I say that God loves homosexuals. He loves them so much that Jesus (God the Son) died on a Roman cross as the potential payment for all their sins, including the sin of homosexuality. But God loves homosexuals too much to leave them in their state of rebellion against Him. That’s why He calls their sin what it is and demands that they repent of it. This isn’t the message they want to hear, of course, but it is the only one that accords with the Bible.

Posted in Adultery, Bible Study, Current Events, God's Love, Homosexuality, Marriage, Sex, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Preacher Cassity’s Desires

Posted on January 25, 2024 by russellmckinney

I was sorting through some old stuff and came across a sermon outline from Richard M. Cassity. His friends called him Dick, but our entire county knew him as “Preacher Cassity.” He befriended me when my days as a young pastor were just beginning and his as an elderly one were coming to a close.

To give you an idea how great a man of God Preacher Cassity was, allow me to list some facts that were included in a couple of little booklets that were produced about his life and ministry. Over the course of his ministry, he served as Supply or Interim Pastor in 30 churches, performed over 300 weddings, conducted over 1,400 funerals, and preached over 200 revivals. Most importantly, his ministry produced over 5,000 conversions to Jesus.

I was privileged to hear the last sermon Preacher Cassity preached for our local pastors’ conference. The date was February 3rd, 2003. The sermon was entitled “My Desire,” and the opening text was Psalm 37:4: “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (K.J.V.).

After Preacher Cassity’s death, a fellow pastor gave me a copy of the simple, handwritten outline Preacher Cassity had with him at the podium the morning he preached that sermon. That’s the outline I still have, and I’d like to name for you the nine desires listed on it. After each desire, I’ll cite an appropriate passage (all references from the N.K.J.V.). Some of these were passages Preacher Cassity referenced in his sermon, but others are ones I’ve included myself. I’ll also add an application question after each desire to drive home the point of the desire.

#1: A Closer Union With God: Psalm 42:1: “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to have a deeper fellowship with God?)

#2: A Deeper Compassion for the Lost: 1 Corinthians 9:22: “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to win others to Jesus?)

#3: A Spirit-Filled Life: Ephesians 5:18: “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to filled with — controlled by — the indwelling Holy Spirit?)

#4: A Committed Life That My Prayers Be Answered: Psalm 37:5: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in him; and He shall bring it to pass.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to live a life committed enough to the Lord that He will be able to bless you by answering your prayers?)

#5: To Be Kept from Care: 1 Peter 5:6-7: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to reach a spiritual state wherein your life is free from worry because you so consistently cast all your care upon the Lord?)

#6: To Fulfill My Ministry: Acts 20:24: “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to faithfully fulfill all the acts of ministry to which God calls you in service to Him?) 

#7: To Thank Him for “The Calling”: 2 Timothy 1:8-9: “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to live the kind of life by which you show the Lord daily how thankful you are to Him for calling you to salvation?)

#8: To See All the “Family” Saved: Acts 16:31-32: “So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to see your entire family experience the salvation offered in Jesus?)

#9: Most of All to See Jesus: Philippians 1:21-23: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.” (As a Christian, do you have a burning desire to depart from this life and go to be with Jesus?)

Well, after reading Preacher Cassity’s list, it isn’t hard to see why he was such a wonderful servant of God. Instead of desiring money, fame, power, or status, his desires were all wrapped up in Jesus. Tell me, Christian, can the same be said of your desires? If not, what better time could there be than right now to change your desires? And if you need a good list to get you headed in the right direction, I’d say the one you just read is a worthy one.

I miss my friend, Preacher Cassity. To me, he was a role model, a mentor, and an inspiration. I’ll see him again one day, though. I know exactly where he is: in heaven with Jesus. That was, after all, the one desire he prefaced with the words “Most of all.” As I read that last and greatest desire on his list, I couldn’t help but think, “That one is being fulfilled at this very moment.”

Posted in Desires, Doing Good, Dying To Self, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Family, God's Will, God's Work, Heaven, Ministry, Personal, Personal Holiness, Priorities, Salvation, Sanctification, Service, Thankfulness, Trusting In God, Witnessing, Worry | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Real Help in Understanding the Bible

Posted on January 23, 2024 by russellmckinney

Every so often someone will ask me to recommend a resource that will help them understand the Bible. This gets into the area of study Bibles, commentaries, reference works, etc. The problem with these resources is that the bad ones cost as much as the good ones. So, I thought I’d use today’s post to name some good ones.

Before I begin, though, let me offer a few qualifying remarks. First, I believe the books of the Bible, as they were originally written by men who were inspired by God, were perfect, infallible, and authoritative. They were nothing less than God’s written words to the human race. Second, I believe the copying process that left us with a great number of copies (copies of copies of copies of copies, etc.) of those original books was faithful enough and meticulous enough to give us a Bible we can still trust in this 21st century. Third, with only a few exceptions here and there, I believe in interpreting the Bible literally. Fourth, I believe Jesus is going to come to earth’s sky to claim His people by way of the Rapture before the seven-year tribulation period this earth is prophesied to undergo. Fifth, I believe Jesus is going to walk this earth again seven years later at the end of that tribulation period when He comes for His Second Coming. At that time, He will establish his literal 1,000-year reign upon the earth.

I’m telling you what I believe about the Bible and what I believe about the Rapture, Christ’s Second Coming, and Christ’s 1,000-year reign because the study Bibles, commentaries, and reference works I recommend all align with these views. You see, what you believe affects what resources you prefer. For example, while I can get some use from a commentary on the book of The Revelation that holds to a post-tribulation-period Rapture interpretation, I’m not going to enjoy or recommend that commentary nearly as much as I will one that employs a pre-tribulation-period Rapture interpretation. Do you understand?

Finally, let me say I am old enough to have started studying the Bible in an era that was before the internet, personal computers, and cellphones. That means I started out by holding literal books in my hands whenever I was studying the Bible. I’ve never gotten over that, which means I am quite out of step with the younger folks today who only know how to receive information by way of some type of screen. Nevertheless, with that understood, let’s get down to business.

Study Bibles (listed in no particular order):

1. The MacArthur Study Bible: The commentary notes per page in this Bible are numerous and excellent. Also, at the beginning of each book, MacArthur’s identifies the book’s: title, author, date, background, setting, historical themes, theological themes, and interpretive challenges. This information is simply awesome. The only negative thing I can say is that MacArthur is a staunch Calvinist and there are a few places, especially in the New Testament, where his Calvinism, in my opinion, adversely affects his interpretations. But if you can ease around these places, this study Bible is great. I have the New King James Version of this Bible, but MacArthur also offers it in the New American Standard Version, the New International Version, and the English Standard Version.

2. Nelson’s Study Bible: This study Bible has as many commentary notes per page as you will find in any study Bible, and they are wonderfully helpful. It also features many in-depth articles, charts, and word studies. I have the New King James Version of this Bible, but Nelson also offers it in the classic King James Version.

3. NLT Study Bible: The initials “NLT” stand for New Living Translation. My son Royce didn’t like reading the King James Version of the Bible because he said he couldn’t understand what he was reading. So, I bought him a NLT Study Bible for Christmas one year and almost overnight he became a devout reader of scripture. Not only does the New Living Translation text make for easier reading than other translations, this Bible is absolutely chocked full of commentary notes at the bottom of each page. At the beginning of each book, it also features an extensive section that identifies the author of the book, describes the book’s setting, summarizes the book, and explains the book’s meaning and message.

4. The Ryrie Study Bible: For many years, Charles Ryrie served on staff at Dallas Theological Seminary and in the process became a legend as a Bible teacher. The commentary notes in his study Bible are excellent, but there aren’t quite as many of them as there are in those first three study Bibles I’ve listed. With that said, though, I’m always interested in what Ryrie has to say about any passages he chooses to address. I have the New International Version of this Bible, but Ryrie also offers it in the King James Version, the New American Standard Version, and the English Standard Version.

5. The Jeremiah Study Bible: This is the study Bible put together by the popular pastor and author, David Jeremiah. As is the case with the Ryrie Study Bible, the commentary notes offered in this Bible are solid but there just aren’t as many of them per page as there are in other study Bibles. I have the English Standard Version of this Bible, but Jeremiah also offers it in the New King James Version and the New International Version.

6. The Tony Evans Study Bible: Another popular pastor and author is Tony Evans. The number of commentary notes in his study Bible are pretty much on par with the number in The Ryrie Study Bible and The Jeremiah Study Bible, but they are different in that many of them are written in a conversational style that sounds more like Evans as a preacher than a scholar. To me, that is a good thing because he is one of the best preachers I’ve ever heard. I have the Christian Standard Bible version of this Bible, but Evans also offers it in the New American Standard Version.

7. The Scofield Study Bible, The New Scofield Study Bible, The Scofield Study Bible III: I’ve listed these three study Bibles together because they all come under the heading “The Scofield Study Bible.” This is the study Bible that basically invented the whole market of study Bibles. The original version of The Scofield Study Bible first appeared in 1909, but the most popular edition of it is the revised 1917 one. Both the 1909 and 1917 editions were edited by C.I. Scofield and were only offered in the King James Version. Therefore, I have this study Bible in the King James Version.

Overall, the 1917 edition of The Scofield Study Bible provided relatively few commentary notes per page, but the notes it did provide would heavily influence conservative preachers for decades to follow. Most famously (or infamously, depending upon your point of view), The Scofield Study Bible taught: (A.) There are 7 distinct eras (Dispensations) to God’s working in human history. This led to the popular use of the term “Dispensationalism.” (B.) Christ’s Millennial (1,000 years) reign upon the earth will be literal and will be preceded by His Second Coming. This led to the popular use of the term “Premillennialism.” (C.) There is an eons-long gap of time between Genesis 1:1-2 that was the result of God’s original Genesis 1:1 creation becoming ruined by the fall of Satan. Consequently, beginning with Genesis 1:3, God began the process of recreating His ruined creation. This interpretation led to the popular use of the term “The Gap Theory.”

In 1967, a committee was put together to update The Scofield Study Bible, thus creating The New Scofield Study Bible. This version kept many of C.I. Scofield’s original teachings in place but also provided certain other possible interpretations to some of his most controversial teachings, such as The Gap Theory. The 1967 version added more maps and illustrations as well and featured references to archaeological finds that were more current than the ones mentioned in the 1917 edition. The New Scofield Bible was offered in the King James Version and the New American Standard Version. I have it in the New American Standard Version.

In 2008, The Scofield Study Bible III was published. It was edited by Doris White Harris. While still retaining many of C.I. Scofield’s original study notes and his basic framework of a Dispensational view of human history, this update featured more up-to-date archaeological finds, more current and expanded maps, and an even more balanced approach to Scofield’s original teachings. This version is offered in the King James Version, the New King James Version, the New American Standard Version, the New International Version, and the English Standard Version. I myself do not have a copy of this third edition.

Commentaries That Cover the Whole Bible (listed in no particular order):

1. William MacDonald’s Believer’s Bible Commentary. William MacDonald taught at Emmaus Bible College from 1947 until 1965 and served as the President of the school from 1959 until 1965. He then began an extensive career as a Bible teacher and Christian writer. His commentary is probably my favorite of all the one-volume commentaries I have. It is based on the text of the New King James Version.

2. The Moody Bible Commentary: If the Believer’s Bible Commentary isn’t my favorite one-volume commentary, this one is. It was written by some of the faculty members of Moody Bible Institute and is incredibly thorough. I especially like the fact that this commentary not only frequently provides multiple potential interpretations of difficult-to-interpret passages, it usually lets the reader know which interpretation it prefers. Even if I don’t agree with the given conclusion, I appreciate the whole approach. This commentary is based on the text of The New American Standard Version.

3. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: This two-volume set was written by some of the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary, and both volumes are superb. In particular, their scores of charts and diagrams such as “An Overview of Old Testament History”; “Chronology of the Flood”; “Plan of Solomon’s Temple”; “Jesus’ Six Trials”; “Harmony of Events of Jesus’ Crucifixion”; “Sermons & Speeches in Acts”; etc. are great. They are the best such things I’ve ever seen anywhere. Both volumes of The Bible Knowledge Commentary are based on the text of the New International Version. 

4. The Bible Exposition Commentary: This six-volume set was written by Warren Wiersbe, the popular pastor, preacher, and author. For years, Wiersbe wrote the little “Be” books: “Be Delivered” (Exodus); “Be Skillful” (Proverbs); “Be Right” (Romans); “”Be Victorious” (Revelation); etc. The “Be” books can still be purchased individually, but now they’ve all been compiled into this six-volume set. Wiersbe uses multiple translations in offering his commentary remarks, and anything he writes is well worth reading. Putting it simply, I’ve never heard or read a better teacher of scripture than Warren Wiersbe.

5. The MacArthur Bible Commentary: This one-volume commentary provides all the excellent information of The MacArthur Study Bible and much more. Whereas MacArthur is provided limited space per page for his commentary remarks in his study Bible, his one-volume commentary affords him much more space to offer much more commentary. That’s why, if I had to choose between purchasing his study Bible or his one-volume commentary, I would purchase the commentary. It is based on the text of the New King James Version.

6. The King James Bible Commentary: Most of the writers who helped compile this commentary were on the faculty of Liberty University/Seminary, but there are some contributors from other seminaries. Anytime I use this commentary I find it helpful, and it’s the commentary I tend to recommend for anyone who prefers to exclusively use the King James Version to do their Bible studying. As the commentary’s title suggests, it is based on the text of the King James Version.

7. The Baker Commentary on the Bible: This one-volume commentary was edited for Baker Books by Walter A. Elwell, the well-known Christian scholar who taught at Wheaton College from 1975 to 2003. This commentary is not quite as conservative as the other ones I’ve listed, but what I like the most about it is that I find helpful material in it that I simply do not find in any other commentary. It is based on the text of the New International Version.

Other Helpful Resources (listed in no particular order):

1. Charles Ryrie’s Basic Theology: This is a wonderful easy-to-read book on Bible doctrine.

2. Steven Waterhouse’s Not By Bread Alone: This is an outlined guide to doctrine that offers a ton of good information on just about every Bible topic. It is actually more thorough and extensive than Charles Ryrie’s Basic Theology.

3. Nave’s Topical Bible: When you are trying to locate all the relevant passages on a specific topic in the Bible, this book is a must.

4. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible: If you know one word from a certain verse and want to locate that verse, this is the book you grab. It also gives definitions for the Hebrew words of the Old Testament and the Greek words of the New Testament.

5. Adrian Rogers’ What Every Christian Ought To Know: This book does a wonderful job of covering the basics of living the Christian life. For example, some of the chapters are: “Every Christian Ought to Know the Bible Is the Word of God”; “Every Christian Ought to Know the Assurance of Salvation”; “Every Christian Ought to Know How to Handle Temptation”; “Every Christian Ought to Know How to Discern the Will of God”; and “Every Christian Ought to Know How to Discover His Spiritual Gift.”

6. Ray Stedman’s Adventuring Through the Bible: This one-volume book describes itself as “A Comprehensive Guide to the Entire Bible,” and it really does back up that claim. It is not a commentary in the classic sense of that word, and it certainly doesn’t use a verse-by-verse approach to explain scripture. What it does do, though, is provide the reader with an overview of each book of the Bible and cut into quite a bit of the “meat” of each book.

7. Richards Complete Bible Dictionary: Every student of the Bible needs a good Bible dictionary. I myself have no less than five of them, and I suppose this one is the best of the five. Let me say, however, that there are many excellent Bible dictionaries on the market. Some other good ones are: The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary; Easton’s Bible Dictionary; and Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary. It’s hard to go wrong with any of these (or others than could be named).

8. Halley’s Bible Handbook and Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible: Neither of these little books is a true commentary, but each one gives a lot of “bang for the buck” by relaying a wealth of information about the Bible.

9. David Jeremiah’s God In You: This is the best book I’ve ever seen on the topic of the Holy Spirit.

10. John MacArthur’s Charismatic Chaos: If you wondering about speaking in tongues, healing, signs and wonders, the “health and wealth” gospel, and “prosperity preachers,” this book is the gold standard that exposes the outright fraud that passes for a lot of “religion” these days.

11. Tim Lahaye’s Revelation Unveiled: Everybody is fascinated by the book of The Revelation, and I have dozens of good commentaries on the book. To me, though, this commentary does the simplest, best job of explaining the book.

12. Walter Martin’s The Kingdom of the Cults and the Josh McDowell-Don Stewart book Handbook of Today’s Religions. Each of these books does a fantastic job of naming religions other than Christianity and explaining how they differ from Christianity.

Well, I’ll stop here, but please understand I’m not claiming to have done any kind of thorough job on this topic. Just because a study Bible, commentary, or other type of resource isn’t on my list, don’t automatically take that to mean I wouldn’t recommend it. This post has simply been my attempt to offer a relatively brief list of some of the books that sit on the shelves of my study and have helped me over the years. Since the prices on each of these is very reasonable considering what they will give you in return, what are you waiting for? If you really want to understand the Bible, all this help is readily available. Pretty much whatever I know about the Bible, I learned from these books and others like them, and you can as well if you will put in the effort.

Posted in Bible Study, Personal | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

God’s Chemistry

Posted on January 19, 2024 by russellmckinney

My yard is currently covered in snow. Living where I do, I’m quite used to the stuff. But there is one thing about snow that always, without exception, takes me by surprise: how bright it is. Every time I pull back the curtains on a new day and find snow on the ground, my eyes receive a jolt because I’m never ready for the startling effect of snow’s pure whiteness. This effect takes my mind to Psalm 51:7, where David says to God:

“…Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (N.K.J.V.)

The heading of Psalm 51 leaves no doubt as to what prompted David’s need of cleansing. The prophet Nathan had just confronted him regarding the adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah (2 Samuel chapters 11 & 12). Shockingly, David, the “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), had broken three of the ten commandments that made up the moral summation of that body of law God had given to Israel. He had coveted his neighbor’s wife (Exodus 20:17), committed adultery (Exodus 20:14), and murdered (Exodus 20:13).

David understood God was the only One who could remove the dark stain of his sins. There was no heroic deed David could perform to remove that stain. There were no good works, rites, or rituals that would result in his cleansing. There was only God. If He would forgive, David could be restored. If He wouldn’t, there was no hope.

And did David receive his forgiveness and cleansing? Yes. God used that odd chemical process of His to do it. He took David’s sins, which in His holy eyes were crimson, scarlet red, and covered them with sacrificial blood, which was also crimson, scarlet red. That covering turned David’s sins white as snow. While it’s true that dark red on dark red shouldn’t produce white, somehow in God’s chemistry it does. As the Bible says in Isaiah 1:18:

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord., “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” (N.K.J.V.)

Of course, David lived in Old Testament days, days in which God commanded the people of Israel to offer up blood sacrifices to Him (Leviticus 17:11). What we must understand, though, is that those sacrifices couldn’t truly “take away” sins (Hebrews 10:4,11). All they could do was roll those sins forward and stay the wrath of God (Hebrews 10:1-3) until Jesus (God the Son), the One whose blood could take away sins (John 1:29), would come and die on the cross as the eternal payment for all sins (Hebrews 10:12-14).

It was only by way of Christ’s death that all the Old Testament sacrifices found legitimacy. Just as we look back upon that death, Old Testament believers such as David looked ahead to it. Therefore, ultimately, it was in the crimson blood that flowed through Christ’s sacrificial body that David found his eternal cleansing.

Maybe you have done something that makes you want to cry out to God for cleansing. Maybe you have committed sins you want God to make whiter than snow. If so, you need to know that such forgiveness is available to you as well. Again, it’s found in Jesus, the One who died on a Roman cross as an Old Testament style, blood sacrifice for the sins of the entire world (1 John 2:2). There is no sin so scarlet He cannot plunge it under His blood and make it as white as snow.

However, just as there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22), there is no application of Christ’s blood without belief in Him. Whereas His death was sufficient for everyone’s sins, it is only efficient for those who place their belief in Him as Savior (John 3:16-18). This profound doctrinal truth is presented in 1 John 1:5-10, which says to Christians specifically:

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. (N.K.J.V.)

You see, it is only the authentic believer (the Christian) who has fellowship with God, walks in spiritual light, has fellowship with other Christians, and has his or her sins cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Such people freely confess their sins and have those sins forgiven. The Greek word translated as “confess” is homologeo, which literally means “to speak the same thing.” Therefore, to honestly confess one’s sins is to say the same thing about them God says about them rather than try to defend or deny them.

The point in all this is that God’s chemistry does work as scarlet sins are turned snow white, but the agent that produces the reaction is the blood of Jesus. And that blood only gets applied to those who make the voluntary decision to believe in Jesus as Savior. Just as homologeo, the Greek word for “confess,” has a specific definition, so does pisteuo, the Greek word for “believe.” It means “to place confidence in” or “to trust.” One popular definition defines it as “to place one’s full weight down upon.”

So, tell me, have you believed in Jesus (God the Son) as your personal Savior in this way? Are you right now resting all your hopes of forgiveness (i.e. salvation) solely upon Him? Have you confessed your sins to Him, agreeing completely with His assessment of them? And have those crimson, scarlet sins of yours been made white as snow by His crimson, scarlet blood? If so, you can say like David, “I have been washed and made whiter than snow.” If not, God has no choice but to see you as unclean and dirty. No, that’s not His preference, but His perfect holiness demands nothing less and your unforgiven sins leave Him no other choice.

Posted in Belief, Christ's Death, Confession, Depravity, Forgiveness, God's Holiness, Personal, Sacrifice, Salvation, The Old Testament Law | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Are You Too Busy?

Posted on January 17, 2024 by russellmckinney

I live in Mitchell County, way up in the mountains of western North Carolina. Our total population is under 16,000. We roll up the sidewalks at night in our two towns, and we know far too much about our fellow citizens.

Even here in our little county, though, the roads are now filled with cars, trucks, big rigs, dump trucks, and school buses. The situation has gotten so bad that having a clear path to pass any slow-moving vehicle has become a thing of the past. Oftentimes, I find myself asking, “Who are all these people and where are they going?”

I’ve read that North Carolina’s percentage of households with at least one vehicle is 94.4% and the average number of vehicles per household is 2.2. That makes for a lot of vehicles on the roads. I don’t know where you live, but I’m guessing there are more cars on your roads as well these days.

Okay, so why am I fixating on cars today? I’m not. What I’m really fixating on is how busy we’ve become as a society. Everybody seems to be running around to some place to do something.

It reminds me of that episode of The Andy Griffith Show where the visiting preacher tells the Mayberry church folk to slow down and enjoy the simpler things of life. That was 1960s Mayberry, mind you. If that preacher wanted to preach that same message to today’s church folk, he’d have to leave home earlier just to account for the traffic to get to church.

There’s a Bible story that fits in here nicely. You’ve heard the one about Mary and Martha, haven’t you? They were the two sisters of Lazarus, the man Jesus raised from the dead.

Luke 10:38-42 is the record of a visit that Jesus made to their home. While Martha was scurrying around the house, taking care of the serving, doing the work of a hostess, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. Finally, in her frustration with the whole scene, Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me.”

On paper, it seemed to be a perfect occasion for a Proverbs-style lesson on the value of a work ethic. Instead, Jesus reversed field and said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

The lesson of the story isn’t hard to identify: No matter how busy you are, you must make time to “sit at Christ’s feet” and “hear His word.” In our lives today, this can be done through prayer, Bible study, or reading a daily devotion. Many people call it “having a quiet time” but an even better word for it is “worship.”

You say, “Russell, I understand what you are saying, and I really want to have such times in my life, but I’m just so busy.” Well, you’re just going to have to make this a priority. Be like the wife of a friend of mine. My friend fussed at her a little because she didn’t exercise enough. When she told him, “I just don’t have the time” he replied, “You’ve got to make it a priority.” A few days later, when he asked her what was for supper, she said, “I don’t know because I’m doing the treadmill. I’M MAKING IT A PRIORITY.”

Please understand now that I’m not telling you to stop doing any of the dozens of things that are mandatory for your day. Trust me, Jesus knows all about what is mandatory. But I am telling you that you must build times of intimacy with Jesus into your life.

Your bed doesn’t always have to be made. Your yard doesn’t have to be manicured. And it’s okay to let a few dishes pile up in the sink every once in a while. You get the idea. Steal some time each day to have a “Mary experience” with Jesus. Oh, and try to stay off the roads, too. Some of us out there are always running late and needing to pass.

Posted in Balance, Bible Study, Business, Church Attendance, Personal, Prayer, Priorities, Work, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Does Satan Exist?

Posted on January 15, 2024 by russellmckinney

I once watched an interesting debate on the topic: “Does Satan Exist?” The debate was held at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington and featured four speakers. Two argued for the existence of Satan and two argued against it.

Arguing for Satan’s existence were Mark Driscoll (the pastor of Mars Hill Church at the time) and Annie Lobert (a former prostitute who now runs a ministry dedicated to winning prostitutes and sex-industry workers to Christ). Arguing against Satan’s existence were Deepak Chopra (a prominent new-age spiritualist who has written several books on the subject of God) and Carlton Pearson (a former Pentecostal preacher who had converted to the idea that the love of God is so all-encompassing that there is no eternal damnation for anyone).

All four speakers passionately expressed their viewpoints, and everyone was generally cordial. The audience members, for the most part, believed in the existence of Satan. There were, however, some who cheered the remarks of Chopra and Pearson.

Interestingly, the core of the debate wasn’t so much about Satan as it was the Bible. You see, if the Bible really is the inspired, inerrant, authoritative word of God, then Satan is real. Why? Because the Bible says he is.

That being the case, Chopra and Pearson didn’t even attempt to use the Bible to back up their claims. Their take on the Bible was that it is not God’s book to man but, rather, man’s book about God. Chopra characterized it as an ancient book that was written from superstition and is, as such, now outdated and irrelevant. Likewise, Pearson flatly stated that we can pick and choose what parts of the Bible we believe because the book isn’t so much God’s inspired word to man as it is man’s inspired word about God.

But do you know what the great problem was with Chopra’s and Pearson’s beliefs? It was the fact that they had no authoritative basis upon which to rest them. For example, even as Chopra tried to make the case that God is too big to be confined by any religion, including Christianity, it was obvious the assertion was merely his opinion. The only authority upon which he based it was the authority of his own mind, a mind which, hopefully, even he would admit isn’t perfect. My mind isn’t perfect either, but let’s say that I hold the opinion that God is a big, green frog who lives in the middle of the universe. Can you see that I’ve got just as much authority for that belief as Chopra does for his? It’s all just personal opinion.

Along the same lines, someone could have asked Pearson, “In your life, who decides which parts of the Bible are applicable and which parts aren’t?” If he had been truthful in his answer, he would have said, “I do. I’m the judge.” That’s the only truthful answer he could possibly have given.

In Pearson’s opinion, passages such as Matthew 4:1-11 weren’t worthy of acceptance because they speak of a literal devil. Again, though, that was merely a conclusion he had reached in his own mind. I could go around saying, with just as much human authority, I have reached the conclusion that such passages should be believed. Do you see what I mean? When you throw out the authority of the Bible, anybody is free to believe anything.

You might ask, “But what’s wrong with people reaching their own conclusions about topics such as the existence of Satan?” The problem is found in the limitations of the human mind. This reminds me of the joke about the atheist who confidently proclaimed, “There is no God.” A man said to him, “Sir, do you know everything?” The atheist answered, “Of course not. No one knows everything.” The man replied, “Then maybe God exists in that part you don’t know.” That same kind of thing could have been said to Deepak Chopra and Carlton Pearson during that debate. “Maybe Satan exists in that part you don’t know.”

You ask, “Okay, so how can we even know that what the Bible says can be trusted?” Well, first, we must establish the Bible’s trustworthiness from sources outside the book. This is done by using four distinct categories of evidence:

1. Archaeological Finds: In scores of digs at numerous sites, archaeologists have unearthed evidence that verifies the Bible’s record of human history.

2. Fulfilled Prophecy: The Bible currently holds a perfect record in the fulfillment of its prophecies.

3. Internal Consistency: Even though the Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years, in three languages (Hebrew, Greek, and just a touch of Aramaic), by forty different writers, on three continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe), there is a remarkable consistency to its record that simply cannot be attributed to human genius.

4. Changed Lives: No other book ever written has impacted lives the way the Bible has.

Then, after we have used these four categories of evidence to establish the trustworthiness of the Bible, we can go to the Bible and see what it says about itself. And what do we find when we do that? In 2 Timothy 3:16, we read:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

Frankly, anyone who denies the existence of Satan and hell needs reliable doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. Unfortunately, unless that person holds to a correct understanding of what the Bible is and what it teaches, he or she will never receive these things. Such a person might attract audiences, sell books, and appear on t.v., but that worldly success will be built upon mere opinion rather than eternal truth. And you know that old line about opinions: Everybody’s got one.

Posted in Belief, Bible Study, Discernment, Doubt, Faith, Satan, Scripture, The Bible, The Devil | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Family Resemblance

Posted on January 13, 2024 by russellmckinney

Let me shock you: God’s chief characteristic is not love. “Then what is it it?” you ask. Answer: holiness. Psalm 47:8 doesn’t say God sits upon his “loving” throne. It says He sits upon His “holy” throne. When Moses stood before the burning bush and talked with the great I AM, he wasn’t told he was standing on “loving” ground. No, he was told he was standing on “holy” ground (Exodus 3:1-14).

How holy is God? The stars aren’t pure in His sight (Job 25:5). He cannot even look upon wickedness (Habakkuk 1:13). He speaks in holiness (Psalm 60:6), and He swears by His holiness (Psalm 89:35). Actually, His very name is “Holy” (Isaiah 57:15). It’s no wonder the seraph angels of Isaiah 6:1-3 cry out, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts!”

If God’s love trumped His holiness, everyone’s soul would go to heaven in the afterlife. But that doesn’t happen (Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 16:19-31). You see, people ending up in hell has nothing to do with God not loving them. To the contrary, He loves them enough that Jesus (God the Son) died for their sins (Romans 5:6-11; 1 Corinthians 15:3), and His death allows those who place saving belief in Him to be forgiven of all their sins (John 3:16-18; Colossians 1:14, 2:13; 1 John 2:12). So, why do people end up in hell? It happens because God’s holiness compels Him to judge the unforgiven sins of those who do not believe in Christ as Savior (John 3:36; John 5:40; Titus 1:15; Hebrews 2:3).

Think now about an earthly father whose chief characteristic is generosity. How best would that father’s child showcase the father-child relationship? That child would be generous, right? Whenever that child displayed generosity, people would say, “You act just like your father!”

Well, Christian, God is your heavenly father (John 1:1-5, 9-12; Galatians 4:4-7; 1 John 3:1). How then can you best show people that you are His child? You got it: be holy. This connection is made so clearly in passages such as 1 John 3:2-3, 1 Peter 1:15-16, and 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, 7:1.

In light of this, it’s no wonder that the spiritually lost people of this world don’t come knocking on the doors of our churches, begging us Christians to lead them to God. After all, what’s so appealing about a father whose children engage in sexual immorality, alcohol abuse, lying, cheating, foul language, pornography, drug use, backbiting, greed, provocative dress, and unforgiveness? And, let’s admit it, the lives of far too many Christians are marked by these sins and others that we could name.

As a pastor, I’ve seen some church members conduct themselves in ways that certainly did not cast their heavenly Father in a favorable light. Furthermore, I’ve heard these peoples’ feeble attempts to explain away their unholy behavior. “I know this is wrong, but…” “I understand that God isn’t pleased with what I’m doing, but I’m still a Christian.” “Whatever sins I’m committing are covered by the blood of Christ.”

The problem with all these lines is that they lean heavily on the love of God and play down His holiness. They make God out to be a God of mush and gush whose love forces Him to accept any and all standards of conduct. But this is not the God of the Bible. This is the God of the person who doesn’t have enough healthy reverence for God’s frightful holiness to repent of his or her sins.

Christian, if you have never done so, it’s time you started taking your heavenly Father’s holiness seriously. It’s time you gave some real thought to how your ways are causing Him to appear to others. You need to realize that your sins hurt your heavenly Father’s reputation as well as your own.

Since you are the child that God has produced via the born again experience (John 3:1-8), you are His statement to the world. Through you He is saying, “Here is what I can do with the person who becomes My child.” What good is that statement, though, if your life is marked by unholiness? The unholiness mars the family resemblance.

That’s why I encourage you to build personal holiness into your life. Live the kind of life that is worthy of the holy God who has forgiven you and made you His child. Remember, other people are watching you, and a few of them are judging the validity of your heavenly Father by way of your conduct as His child.

Posted in Backsliding, Character, Disobedience, Fatherhood, God's Holiness, God's Love, Heaven, Hell, Holiness, Obedience, Personal Holiness, Rebellion, Salvation, Sanctification, Sin, Temptation, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Children Are…

Posted on January 11, 2024 by russellmckinney

Think about how you would finish the following sentence: “Children are…” Truth be told, some of the parents of young children might finish it in a way that wouldn’t be heartwarming. Having learned to function in a state of semi-exhaustion from keeping up with the hectic schedules of today’s kids, those parents might say, “Children are draining, demanding, needy, expensive, ungrateful, and hard.”

Such parents feel like the ones in that story about two teenagers who were talking. One teen said to the other, “I’m worried. My father goes to work every day to keep a roof over my head, food in my stomach, clothes on my back, and a car under me. When he comes home, he mows the yard, trims the hedge, and pays the bills. And my mother cooks all our meals, washes the dishes, cleans the house, and does the laundry.” The second teen said, “So what have you got to be worried about? It sounds like you’ve got it made.” To that, the first teen replied, “I know. I’m worried they will try to escape!”

This kind of thing can keep a parent’s attitude toward a son or daughter from being what it should be. I’m reminded of another illustration about a dutiful dad who was easily annoyed and cranky. Someone asked his little boy, “Does your daddy have a den?” The boy said, “No, he just growls all over the house.”

But how does the Bible finish the sentence: “Children are…”? We find that answer in Psalm 127:3-5. Those verses say:

Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. (K.J.V., emphasis mine)

For years, as Tonya and I were raising our two sons, I kept a certain printout taped to my desk, just below my computer monitor. It was a copy of a word of personal testimony written by a man named Anthony Mullinax. It was entitled “If I Knew Then.” Mullinax writes:

There are so many daily joys for the parents of young children: pushing their swing, bouncing them on your knee, playing horsey, shooting marbles, playing baseball, etc. Then one day it dawns on you that you aren’t doing those things anymore – they’ve outgrown it. You realize that somewhere back there was the very last time. If I knew then what I know now, I would have savored the last occurrence of each of those childhood games a little more. I would have lingered a little longer at the swing, bounced them on my knee a little longer that last time. When we played horsey and that inevitable, gleeful plea came, “One more time! Daddy, one more time,” I would have crawled across that floor on my hands and knees until only sheer exhaustion made me drop.

I kept that piece where I could see it because I wanted to make the most of my boys’ childhood days. Through all the time consumption, energy drain, financial outlay, and downright aggravation, I wanted to keep in mind that those “little boy days” wouldn’t last forever. And, sure enough, they were over far too quickly. Now all Tonya and I have left of them are the memories and the videos.

The Hebrew word translated as “Happy” in Psalm 127:5 is esher. In the King James Version of the Bible, it is translated as “happy” about 20 times in the Old Testament. Even more frequently, however, it is translated as “blessed.” Furthermore, anytime esher is translated as “blessed,” the pronunciation should be “bless-ED” rather than “blest.” You see, esher conveys the idea of abiding in a continual state of blessing rather than merely experiencing a one-time blessing. In other words, it’s better to be “bless-ED” than just “blest.”

I should point out, though, that being described as esher (“bless-ED”) doesn’t always equate to being “happy” by our standards of happiness. For example, Job 5:17-18 uses esher in reference to the one who is suffering the chastisement of God. Along these same lines, the Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words says the following:

One’s status before God (being “blessed”) is not always expressed in terms of the individual or social conditions that bring what moderns normally consider to be “happiness.”

The point is that even though being a parent makes you “bless-ED,” it doesn’t always make you “happy” in terms of what we call happiness. No, parenting can be rough, and it comes complete with plenty of happiness-dampening difficulties. To do it right takes a lot of hard work, devotion, time, energy, and money, and there will be days when you won’t be able to honestly give your sweetest finish to the sentence, “Children are…” Nevertheless, there’s no higher calling in the world than parenthood, and may all of us who are parents redouble our efforts to rise to the task of keeping our “arrows” straight.

Posted in Children, Family, Fatherhood, Motherhood, Parenting, Personal | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Ups & Downs of Life

Posted on January 8, 2024 by russellmckinney

For five springs, I served as an assistant coach on our middle school’s 7th-8th grade baseball teams. It was my oldest son, Ryan, who first got me involved with the gig. When he was a 6th grader, he volunteered to be one of the team’s managers until he could play the next year. From there it was just a hop, skip, and a jump to me becoming an assistant coach not only during Ryan’s 6th-8th grade years but also for the teams my youngest son, Royce, played on during his 7th and 8th grade years.

There were two games, played on consecutive days, that fascinated me during my first season as assistant coach. We lost the first game 11-2 and set baseball back at least a century with our poor play. But then the very next day we won the second game 10-0. In that game, we hit well, fielded well, and pitched well. It was hard to believe that the same team could play such vastly different games. That was my introduction to the reality that middle school baseball teams provide plenty of ups and downs.

Forrest Gump’s mother, played by Sally Field, is famous for saying, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.” Well, with all due respect to Sally Field, I might say that life is like a 7th-8th grade baseball team. Some days everything goes your way in that you hit what you swing at, catch what comes at you, and throw strike after strike. Other days, however, you look completely overmatched by striking out, making errors, and falling way behind in the score.

In Philippians 4:11-12, the apostle Paul instructs the Christian on how to handle life’s ups and downs. He says:

…I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (N.K.J.V.)

Those words “whatever state” cover anything and everything that life can throw at you. Did you win 10-0? Be content. Did you lose 11-2? Be content. (You don’t have to be happy about losing, but you should be content with what a sovereign God has allowed to come your way.)

I’ve always thought the key word in Philippians 4:11 is “learned.” Paul says, “…for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” The point is, living with such contentment doesn’t come naturally to us. Even the great apostle had to learn how to do it, and the same can be said of us.

But what are we trying to learn? The lesson is two-fold. First, we should learn that when we are riding one of life’s ups, we mustn’t get greedy and demand more. For example, winning by a score of 10-0 shouldn’t cause us to want to win by 15-0 or 20-0. Second, we should learn that when we are riding one of life’s downs, we mustn’t get mad at God and start railing against Him. Losing 11-2 isn’t fun, but at least God gave us the health and the opportunity to be able to run onto the field and play the game. The truth is, blessings are all around us if we will just acknowledge them.

Do you know what our head coach said to me after we had won that second game 10-0? He said, “When you win, don’t get too high. And when you lose, don’t get too low.” That was good advice then for baseball, and it’s good advice now for life.

I don’t know what “state” you are in today, but strive to be content in it. If you are being abased, don’t let yourself get too low. Understand that God is still on the throne and He isn’t finished with you yet. On the other hand, if you are abounding, don’t let yourself get too high. Remember that nothing will bring you down quicker than pride (Proverbs 16:18).

You say, “I just don’t think I can ever learn such contentment. It’s beyond my ability.” Okay, fine, I believe you. But let me share with you the thought that is found right on the heels of our Philippians 4:11-12 passage. In the very next verse, Philippians 4:13, Paul says confidently:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (N.K.J.V.)

Does that mean, Christian, that Jesus will give you the strength it takes to learn to be content in regards to life’s highs? Yes, it does. And does it mean that He will do the same for you in regards to life’s lows? Yes, it does. You see, the contented balance that you need is found in Jesus. He is the One who taught it to Paul, and He will teach it to you too if you will let Him.

Posted in Adversity, Attitude, Balance, Complaining, Contentment, Desires, Disappointment, Gambling, God's Provision, God's Sovereignty, Humility, Personal, Thankfulness, Trusting In God, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

God’s Provision

Posted on January 5, 2024 by russellmckinney

I’ve never been a wealthy man, but there have been times when I was financially better off than usual. One such time was when I served as the pastor of a certain church. That church paid me a larger salary than I had ever made up until that point.

During those days, God also opened the door for Tonya and I to sell the house we had lived in for about ten years. It was a nice house, but we had decided we wanted something different. Ideally, we hoped to scale down to a smaller house and have a smaller mortgage payment.

So, after the sale was complete, we rented another house on a monthly basis and excitedly began looking around for our next home. Our excitement soon waned, however, when we couldn’t find what we wanted. The houses that would have allowed us to scale down were all too overpriced, too in need of repair, too poor in location, or too something.

The only house we liked was one that would be a step up for us. It was a beautiful house in an older, well-established neighborhood, a place perfect for raising our two young boys. But the problem was, our mortgage payment on the house would be even more than our previous one had been.

Finally, after weeks of waiting, looking, praying, and asking God to show us His will, we knew that He wanted us to buy the expensive house. Even though we remained apprehensive about the mortgage, God assured us that He would take care of us. And why wouldn’t we trust Him? After all, He already had me in a church where I was making a good salary to go along with Tonya’s teacher’s salary.

Well, things progressed along as expected for almost two years, but then God got weird on me by instructing me to resign as the pastor of that church, step out in faith, and start a new church. The idea of starting a new church was very appealing, but it was also frightening. Not the least of my concerns was, how will we make our mortgage payments if I take such a major cut in salary?

In the end, however, I submitted to God’s will and started the new church. I didn’t know where we would get the money to cover our bills, but I knew that God was able. I had preached so many sermons about God’s provision, and now it was time for me to put that preaching to the test in my own life.

It was during those days that God used nature to give me two object lessons. The first one was a squirrel. One afternoon as I was watching the little thing search for nuts in my yard, God spoke to me and said, “If I can make sure that squirrel has nuts for the winter, I can make sure that your bills get paid.”

The second object lesson came a few days later. I was sitting at my desk in my study when a small bird landed in the bush just outside my window. As I watched that bird for a moment, God said to me, “Just as I take care of that bird, I will take care of you.”

As God spoke to me about those two creatures, I was reminded that Jesus loved to use nature as a means of illustrating His teachings. Furthermore, I understood that those promises to me concerning those two creatures lined up perfectly with similar teachings He had given some 2,000 years earlier about the birds of the air and the lilies of the field (Matthew 6:25-34). Obviously, Jesus has been a nature lover for a long time.

And so, how did things turn out for me and my little family? All told, I spent eight-and-a-half years serving as the pastor of that new church, and we never once failed to make a payment or pay a bill. Even more than that, we were able to afford “extras” such as vacations, nice Christmas gifts, baseball camps, etc.

Were we able to do all that because my salary at the new church ended up being more than expected? No, that salary never did amount to much. So, how did we do it? I would have to write an entire book to explain it, but we watched in amazement as time and time again God met the need.

You’ve noticed God’s incredible imagination and creativity in the natural world, haven’t you? Well, trust me when I say that you can apply that same imagination and creativity to the financial realm as well. I’m telling you, He just never runs out of new and interesting ways to get the bills paid for those who will put their complete trust in Him and let Him work.

Before I go, though, I do need to share with you a couple of important truths on this whole topic. Truth #1: Never try to make God cover the bill for something that isn’t His will. You see, Tonya and I made it because that house and that church were God’s will. As I once heard a preacher say, “When it’s God’s will, it’s God’s bill.” I guess the flip side of that is, “When it’s your will, it’s your bill.”

Truth #2: Be warned that there will be times when God bleeds the situation right down to the last possible moment before He meets your need. Think about Moses and the Israelites standing on the shore of the Red Sea. It wasn’t until Pharaoh’s army was right on top of them that God parted the waters. As I once heard another guy say, “God is never late, but He does miss numerous opportunities to be early!”

Through it all, though, those opening words of the famous 23rd Psalm still ring out loud and clear: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Those words mean that when you play the role of sheep and let the Lord play the role of shepherd, you will have everything you need. That includes the money you need to pay your bills.

Even now, despite the fact that Tonya and I are past that rough financial stretch of our lives, I watch the squirrels and the birds around our house and am reminded of God’s provision. And, yes, it’s the same house we once wondered if we could afford. Even more importantly, it’s the same God who is still meeting our needs. So, in light of all this, let me encourage you to get in God’s will today and trust Him to meet your needs. Just as He provides for the squirrels and birds, He will provide for you. He doesn’t promise to meet all your greeds, but He really does promise to meet all your needs.

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