A Simple Test for Standards

Posted on December 8, 2023 by russellmckinney

You’ve probably noticed that Christians have wildly different standards when it comes to matters of personal holiness. Sometimes these differences stem from nothing more than the generation gap. Other times they are created by the varying diversities of local cultures. And then there are those differences that arise from honest disagreements in regards to how certain Bible passages should be interpreted and applied.

It’s not my purpose here to identify every last difference in Christian standards of holiness and give you my take on it. I could write on that subject for the rest of my life and still not reach the bottom of that well. Instead, what I want to do is offer a simple test that any Christian can use when he or she is trying to come down on the right side of God-approved personal holiness. The test is one question and goes like this:

“If I was picking up Jesus in my car and taking Him with me, would I feel comfortable wearing what I’m wearing, looking like I’m looking, listening to what I’m listening to, talking like I’m talking, and taking Him to where I’m going?”

Now, I realize that this question isn’t 100% foolproof. The problem is that it is dependent upon each individual’s conscience and, unfortunately, a person’s conscience can be misinformed. (You should think of your conscience as being like a computer in that it only works as well as the information that is fed into it.)

For example, if you’ve been wrongly told that you are supposed to keep off a patch of grass, your conscience will cause you to feel bad if you step on that grass, even though the yard’s owner doesn’t actually care that you’ve stepped on his grass. Or, let’s say that you’ve been raised by parents who taught you that having the internet is a sin. Well, if that’s the case, then I guess your conscience is eating you alive right now as you sit there reading this blog post. Do you see my point about the problem with your conscience?

This problem really kicks in with some Christians in regards to a wrong interpretation, understanding, or application of a certain Bible passage. If these Christians fail to live up to that wrong interpretation, understanding, or application, their consciences will rack them with guilt which they will take to be conviction from the indwelling Holy Spirit. So, admittedly, how effectively our test question works for you depends upon how accurate the information is from which your conscience operates.

Nevertheless, with this understood, the question is still a good one. Let me explain why. In Romans 14:14, we learn that anything that you consider unclean for yourself is, in actuality, unclean for you even if it might not be unclean for someone else. Likewise, in Romans 14:23, we learn that if you can’t do something in complete faith that it isn’t sin, then it becomes sin to you even if isn’t sin for someone else. You see, these two verses apply even if your conscience is working from faulty information. They teach that God doesn’t want you to ever sense even a tinge of guilt or conviction, arising from whatever source, and then plow on ahead and do what you don’t feel right about doing.

So, in closing, let me encourage you to use our simple test question whenever you find yourself conflicted about some issue of personal holiness. And please, if you just can’t make yourself feel right about something, don’t ignore what’s going on inside you. Not only is it important for you to keep your conscience uploaded with accurate information, it’s equally as important that you pay attention to that conscience in matters of decision-making.

Posted in Choices, Christian Liberty, Conscience, Decisions, Discernment, Doubt, Dress and Appearance, Entertainment, Faith, God's Guidance, God's Will, Guilt, Personal Holiness, Rebellion, Sin, Temptation | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Lesson From Nob

Posted on December 6, 2023 by russellmckinney

Even those who criticize the Bible have to admit that it doesn’t shy away from painting its characters warts and all. Is Noah the man of obedience and faith who saved the human race from extinction? Yes (Genesis chapters 6-8). But did he shamefully get drunk once after the flood? Yes (Genesis 9:20-21). Is Moses the legend who took on Pharaoh and led Israel out of Egyptian bondage? Yes (Exodus chapters 4-14). But did he murder an Egyptian and hide the body in the sand as a part of his first attempt at doing so? Yes (Exodus 2:11-12). Is Peter the devoted apostle who was willing to go head to head with the Romans and Jews and die fighting at the side of Jesus? Yes (John 18:1-11). But did he deny Jesus three times on the night of Christ’s arrest? Yes (Luke 22:54-62). You see, such conflicting, mercurial behavior is nothing short of commonplace for many of the great characters from the Bible. They showcase not only their incredible good but also their very human bad.

One character that definitely fits into this category is David. We might even think of him as the category’s poster boy. To say that David had his good days and bad days is an understatement on par with, “The Great Lakes are big.”

The slaying of the giant Goliath (1 Samuel chapter 17)? That would be David at his best. The affair with Bathsheba and the subsequent killing of her husband Uriah (2 Samuel chapter 11)? That would be David at his worst. David showing mercy to Mephibosheth, the crippled son of his friend Jonathan (2 Samuel chapter 9)? That’s David doing good. David aligning himself with the Philistines and literally joining their forces to fight against King Saul’s Israel (1 Samuel chapters 27-29)? That’s David doing bad.

These are just a few examples of the rights and wrongs from David’s life. Perhaps this helps us understand why he is such a beloved character. No matter what your circumstances are, there’s probably a story that fits them from David’s life.

In 1 Samuel 21:1-9, we find a prime example of David behaving badly. The setting for the story is Nob, which was a town of priests. At that time, Israel’s tabernacle was located at Nob.

David and his small band of men were on the run from Saul, but David lied to Ahimelech (Israel’s high priest) by telling him that they were there on official business for Saul. David then asked Ahimelech for some bread so that he and his men could eat. Ahimelech replied that the only bread he had was some of the consecrated bread that had been used in the tabernacle. Such bread was replaced every Sabbath. Even though the Mosaic law stipulated that the old loaves could be eaten only by the priests, Ahimelech gave the loaves to David and his men. Before leaving the tabernacle, David also took Goliath’s sword for his own personal use. That sword was kept at the tabernacle.

Now, there’s no doubt that we can excuse David’s eating of the consecrated bread. I say that because Jesus excuses it in Matthew 12:1-8 and Mark 2:23-28. However, there is no way that we can excuse the lie that David told Ahimelech. You say, “Oh, what’s the big deal about a little lie? Nobody got hurt, did they?” Well, actually, a whole lot of people got hurt!

In 1 Samuel 22:6-23, we learn that pretty much the entire population of Nob got wiped out because of David’s lie. When Saul found out that Ahimelech had aided David by giving him bread and a sword, he had Ahimelech and 84 other priests killed. The man who did all that killing, a merciless Edomite named Doeg, also killed many of the men, women, children, babies, oxen, donkeys, and sheep of Nob. And lest you think that I’m laying too much of the blame for that massacre at David’s feet, consider what David himself later told Abiathar, the one priest who escaped the slaughter. David said, “I have caused the death of all the persons of your father’s house” (1 Samuel 22:22).

And so, what is the lesson from Nob? It’s simple: When you sin, other people get hurt by your sin. You see, when David told his lie, he never dreamed that Ahimelech, 84 other priests, and dozens of the citizens of Nob, from the oldest down to the youngest, both male and female, would end up losing their lives because of it. But that’s exactly what happened. Sure, Saul and Doeg were primarily to blame for the tragedy, but we can’t overlook David’s part in the whole affair, either.

Even more than that, we can’t overlook the fact that our sins, no matter how godly we might act at other times, can cause others to really get hurt. Let’s all remember this the next time we find ourselves on the brink of sin. Perhaps the sin might make our situation a little easier in the short term, but who’s to say what long-term damage it might create for others?

Posted in Addiction, Adultery, Alcohol, Backsliding, Character, Choices, Decisions, Desires, Disobedience, Gambling, Gluttony, Homosexuality, Influence, Lesbianism, Lust, Lying, Rebellion, Sin, The Tongue | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Abraham, Ishmael, & Obedience

Posted on December 4, 2023 by russellmckinney

Most of us know the story of how God tested Abraham by asking him to offer up his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice (Genesis 22:1-19). However, in Genesis 21:1-21 we find another story in which God asks Abraham to do something almost as displeasing in regards to Ishmael, his other son. What was it that God asked Abraham to do to Ishmael? Let him go.

Stating it bluntly, Ishmael was the son that Abraham never should have had. God had promised to give Abraham a son through his wife Sarah, but after years of continued barrenness on her part, the couple devised a plan to “help” God keep His promise. With Sarah’s blessing, Abraham had sexual relations with Hagar, Sarah’s servant girl. Consequently, Ishmael was born nine months later.

Mission accomplished, right? Wrong. There was never a day when God accepted Ishmael as the son that He had promised Abraham. That son came along several years later, when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90, as Sarah gave birth to Isaac, the true son of God’s promise.

As could have been predicted, the arrival of Isaac into the camp initiated a ton of friction between not only the two mothers but also the two sons. That friction came to a head on the day when Isaac was weaned, which was probably when he was three years old. On that day, Abraham threw a great feast for Isaac, a feast that really irked Ishmael, who was a teenager by that time. At some point during the festivities, Ishmael started making fun of little Isaac in a mean-spirited, mocking kind of way. Abraham didn’t see him do it, but Sarah did, and she immediately went to Abraham and said (to paraphrase), “That woman and her son have got to go. This camp’s not big enough for two heirs.” And how did Abraham feel about that? Genesis 21:11 says concerning Abraham and Ishmael:

And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son. (N.K.J.V.)

It’s interesting that the verse doesn’t say that the matter was very displeasing to Abraham because of Hagar. Truth be told, he had never truly loved her. Ishmael, however, was another matter altogether. You see, despite the sinful circumstances of the boy’s birth, Abraham loved him greatly. After all, Ishmael was his firstborn in every earthly sense of the word.

Think about it, what kind of father would delight in having his firstborn son around until the boy became a teenager and then be glad to send him away? Abraham must have thought, “I can’t send him away now. He’s just reaching the early stages of manhood. Surely he’ll need me to guide him through these next few difficult years until he is ready to get out on his own.” But God, for His part, chimed in with Sarah. Genesis 21:12-13 says:

But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of the bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed. (N.K.J.V.)

Abraham must have received that word from the Lord on the night following the feast because he got up early the very next morning and sent Hagar and Ishmael off to create a new life for themselves. By the way, it’s worth noting that in each story in which God commands Abraham to do something displeasing with his one of his sons, Abraham rises early in the morning to do it (Genesis 21:14; 22:3). That right there speaks volumes about the man. No, he wasn’t perfect, but his love for the Lord was real and his obedience ran amazingly deep. How many of us would get an early start to do something that we didn’t want to do, simply because God had told us to do it?

Now, in closing, let me say that whatever else these two stories from Abraham’s life teach us, they teach us that God’s commands aren’t always easy or pleasant. The hard, cold fact of the matter is that God sometimes asks us to do things that we really don’t want to do. Those are the times when we find out just how obedient we are.

Perhaps God is right now telling you to do something that is very displeasing to you. Maybe He is telling you to go or maybe He is telling you to stay. Maybe He is telling you to break up or maybe He is telling you to make up. Maybe He is telling you to raise your voice or maybe He is telling you to hold your tongue.

Obviously, different situations call for different commands. But no matter what God’s word to you is, and no matter how much you disagree with it or how much it pains you, you must do as He says. He simply won’t be satisfied with anything less. Abraham, when he was at his best, understood that, hence the early-morning starts. And may you and I understand it as well and get our own early-morning starts on obedience.

Posted in Choices, Commitment, Decisions, Desires, Disappointment, Discipleship, Disobedience, Dying To Self, Faithfulness, God's Guidance, God's Will, God's Word, Obedience, Submission, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

You Need Jesus as a Savior More Than as an Example

Posted on December 1, 2023 by russellmckinney

There is a mindset that exalts Jesus as merely being the ultimate example of human potential. Those who hold to this mindset talk about Him as the great teacher and the ideal role model, but they express doubt about His divinity. Furthermore, they attempt to downplay the redemption of sinners that He accomplished through His tortuous death on the cross. To sum up, these folks like the Jesus who preached the Sermon on the Mount and talked about turning the other cheek, forgiving others, and loving one another, but they are uncomfortable with the Jesus who hung bloodied and battered on a Roman cross. That Jesus doesn’t fit in well with their clean, sanitized notions of religion, morality, and basic human goodness.

There came a day when one such man visited the church of pastor D. M. Stearns. After the service, the man approached the pastor and said, “I don’t care for your preaching, Dr. Stearns. I don’t care for the cross. Instead of preaching the death of Christ, it would be far better to preach about Jesus as the Teacher and Example.”

At that point, many preachers might have fumbled around for a reply and struggled to show the man just how illogical his opinion was. Dr. Stearns, however, wasn’t one of those preachers. He looked the visitor squarely in the eye and asked, “Would you be willing to follow Jesus if I preached that way?” “I would,” answered the man. “I would follow in His steps.” Then let us take the first step,” said Dr. Stearns. “It is said of Jesus that He did no sin (1 Peter 2:22). Can you take that step?” Confused, the man replied, “No, I do sin, and I acknowledge it.” “Well then,” said Dr. Stearns, “your first need of Christ is not as an example but as a Savior. You must have His Spirit to guide you before you can walk in His steps.”

Beware of any preacher who fails to address the problems of sin and human depravity. Man is not basically good! We are all sinners by nature and by choice. There in my mother’s womb, from the initial moment of my conception, I was a sinner. Consequently, when I was born, I simply started acting naturally. And the same thing can be said of you. Consider the following verses (all from the N.K.J.V.):

Psalm 51:5: Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.

Romans 3:23: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Ecclesiastes 7:20: For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.

So, yes, each of us needs a Savior, someone who can offer us complete forgiveness of all our sins. That Savior is Jesus. As Isaiah 53:6 describes the situation:

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (N.K.J.V.)

Someone says, “Okay, so if all my iniquity has been laid upon Jesus and paid for by His death, then my sins are automatically forgiven, right?” No, things aren’t that simple. The fact is, even though Christ’s death is sufficient to pay for everybody’s sins and provide forgiveness for all those sins, it is only efficient for those who willingly admit their sin, understand their utter helplessness at achieving forgiveness on their own, and place their belief in Christ as Savior.

As scriptural evidence of this, in 1 John 2:2 the apostle John names two groups of people for whom Jesus is the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for sins. The first group consists of Christians, the people who have placed their belief in Christ as Savior. The second group consists of the rest of the world’s population (all the people who have not placed their belief in Christ as Savior). In regards to Jesus, John says to the Christians to whom he was writing:

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (N.K.J.V.)

And so, clearly, the all-important issue is one’s belief in Christ or lack of it. Most of us know the famous John 3:16 verse:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (N.K.J.V.)

But here’s a good question to ask: “What exactly is authentic belief in Christ?” Well, according to the Bible, such belief involves:

1. coming to Jesus: John 5:39-40

2. receiving Him: John 1:12

3. opening the door to Him: Revelation 3:20

4. placing faith in Him: Romans 3:21-22

5. trusting in Him: Ephesians 1:11-14

6. calling upon Him: Romans 10:9-13

7. repenting: Mark 1:15

Please understand that each of these terminologies is not a separate decision or different stage of one’s belief. The point is that when the sinner exhibits the right kind of belief — what we call “saving belief” — he or she will inherently be doing all of these other things (coming to Jesus, receiving Him, opening the door to Him, placing faith in Him, trusting in Him, calling upon Him, and repenting).

And so, right now, I ask you, the reader, a simple question: “Have you placed saving belief in Christ as your personal Savior?” If you have, then you can rest assured that every sin you have ever committed, just committed, or ever will commit in the future is forgiven. But, on the other hand, if you haven’t placed such belief in Christ as Savior, then no amount of personal good works, decency, or morality will ever produce forgiveness of your sins.

As for all of those good works, all that decency, and all that morality, none of it can total up to you being forgiven of your sins because the Bible says that even what you’d call your “good stuff” carries the taint of sin upon it. Isaiah 64:6 actually goes so far as to say that all our righteous acts are like “filthy rags.” This, you see, is why you receiving forgiveness by way of your human efforts is patently impossible, and it’s just one more direction sign to point you to Jesus and His death on the cross.  

Posted in Assurance of Salvation, Belief, Christ's Death, Church, Depravity, Faith, Forgiveness, God's Holiness, God's Love, Grace, Preaching, Repentance, Salvation, Seeking Forgiveness, Sin | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

One Flesh

Posted on November 29, 2023 by russellmckinney

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24, N.K.J.V.)

The union of a man and a woman in matrimony can be illustrated in various ways, but my favorite one involves two lumps of clay. Step 1: Take a lump of red clay in one hand. Step 2: Take a lump of white clay in the other. Step 3: Rub the two lumps together until they become one lump. Now, what does that new lump look like? Is it red? Well, there is some red in there, but it’s not completely red. Is it white? Again, there is some white in there, but it’s not completely white, either. The fact is, the new lump is a unique mixture of the red and the white. Welcome to marriage.

Tonya and I are very different. She goes to bed early, but I sit up late. She gets up early, but I sleep late. She could drink Pepsi every day for the rest of her existence on earth, but I’ve got to have some variety in my beverages. She’s not too big on leftovers, but I consider it a moral obligation to finish them. She gets quiet when she gets mad, but I get loud. She’s a math person, but I’m the language-arts type. She likes reality shows and home-improvement shows, but I like scary movies and old westerns. Her favorite meal is breakfast, but mine is dinner. Needless to say, we make for a strangely colored ball of clay.

The Bible teaches that the husband and wife become “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6). The old joke is that they go on the honeymoon to decide which one they’ll become! Getting back to the ball of clay, though, they won’t become either one. They’ll become a brand new entity, one every bit as unique as any one individual.

And how will this play out in real-life situations? Being “one flesh” means that if I have a bad day, Tonya’s day is affected, too. If she gets sick, I get caught up in the wake of her sickness one way or another. If there is a social gathering with her family, I’m expected to be there. If my salary isn’t adequate, she has to suffer for it right along with me. When one feels pain, so does the other. When one feels happiness, so does the other. We’re a team. We’re in everything together. Being “one flesh” is the lock in wedlock.

You see, marriage is not about two people flying solo. I don’t mean that a husband can’t have his personal space or that a wife can’t have her individual interests. A husband and wife don’t have to do everything together or be around one another 24-7. But there must be that realization that the two are always, deep down at their core, one. Frankly, this is why divorce is so gut-wrenching. If you pull yourself away from someone with whom you’ve been “one flesh,” you will inevitably leave a certain part of yourself with that person. For that matter, a part of that person will remain with you.

And so, with all this in mind, let me encourage every married person who reads this post to take a few minutes right now to grasp the seriousness of you being “one flesh” with your spouse. Make yourself come to grips with the reality that the relationship you have with that person is wholly different from the relationship you have with anybody else (your father, your mother, your child, your brother, your sister, your friend, etc.). You simply aren’t “one” flesh with any of them. It’s only your spouse that gets to exclusively play that role in your life, and the sooner you understand that and start living in accordance with it, the better off you (and your spouse) will be.

Posted in Adultery, Children, Divorce, Divorce & Remarriage, Family, Fatherhood, Husbands, Marriage, Motherhood, Parenting, Personal, Priorities, Wives | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Redefining Prosperity

Posted on November 27, 2023 by russellmckinney

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: I wish my blog readership was bigger, my church had more people, my home was nicer, my salary was larger, and my bank account was more impressive. Does that shock you? It shouldn’t. After all, I’m an American, and Americans are supposed to be winners, right? I’m also a Christian, and every prosperity-preaching preacher who comes across my tv screen tells me that I’m living beneath my privilege in Christ, or not doing something right, if I’m not prosperous in everything I do.

Oh, and then there are those Bible verses that seem to verify what those preachers teach. For example, consider the following seven (all from the N.K.J.V.):

Psalm 1:3 (describing the godly man): And whatever he does shall prosper.

Joshua 1:7 (God speaking to Joshua): “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to the law which Moses my servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.”

1 Kings 2:3 (David speaking to Solomon): “And keep charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.”

2 Chronicles 26:5 (of Judah’s King Uzziah): He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.

Nehemiah 2:20 (Nehemiah speaking of the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem): “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us…”

Psalm 122:6: …May they prosper who love you, peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.

3 John v.2: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

These verses certainly seem to create an airtight case that faithful and obedient service to the Lord leads to prosperity, don’t they? And guess what, I don’t necessarily disagree with that conclusion. However, what I do disagree with is the assumption that “prosperity” always equates to big numbers, nice things, and a lot of money. Mind you that I’m not denying that it can equate to these things. I’m simply saying that it doesn’t automatically have to equate to them. You see, the fact is, the Bible’s definition of “prospering” is different than the world’s definition of it.

The classic case here is Joseph. There he was, a slave in Egypt, serving in the home of Potiphar. He had been betrayed by his brothers, sold into bondage, and carried out of his homeland. He had no money, possessions, wife, children, or standing in the community. As a matter of fact, you’d have been hard pressed to find anybody on a lower rung of life’s ladder. And yet, Genesis 39:2-3 says of him during that time:

And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. (K.J.V.)

Obviously, God’s view of being a prosperous person isn’t the same as the world’s view, is it? Somewhere along the way I picked up the following quote and stuck it in my files:

Success from God’s perspective is the continuing achievement of being the person He wants you to become and accomplishing the goals He has helped you establish.

I especially like that part about goals that God has helped me establish. I don’t mind saying that I’ve got some of those. I have a God-given goal of continuing to be a good husband to Tonya. I have a God-given goal of finishing strong in my raising of my two sons. I have a God-given goal of continuing to be the preacher/pastor/minister/blogger He wants me to be. And if I can get my God-given goals accomplished, I’ll be a prosperous man in His eyes regardless of whether or not I ever pastor a megachurch, make a six-figure salary, live in a mansion, drive a Porsche, or wear Italian suits.

Now, why did the Lord lead me to write this post today? I figure it’s because some Christians out there who will read it are feeling like failures because worldly success continues to elude them. So, if you are one of those Christians, please listen to me: If you are faithfully plodding along, working toward the accomplishment of certain goals that God has helped you establish and that are His will for your life, He classifies you as being a prosperous person right now right where you are.

Am I saying that just to make you feel better? No, I’m saying it because it’s the truth. So, keep on keeping on with what you are doing there in your Potiphar’s house and let the Lord be the judge of just how “prosperous” you really are. Never forget that His definition of prosperity is different from the world’s definition of it, but His definition is the one that counts for eternity.

Posted in Adversity, Contentment, Covetousness, Desires, Disappointment, Discipleship, Doing Good, Encouragement, Faithfulness, God's Will, God's Work, Greed, Influence, Money, Personal, Priorities, Problems, Prosperity, Reward, Service, Trials | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Galatians 6:9

Posted on November 25, 2023 by russellmckinney

Robert Raikes was the father of the Sunday School movement that swept over England in the late 1700s and spilled over into the United States in the early 1800s. As the editor of the Gloucester Journal, Raikes became greatly burdened about the plight of Gloucester’s underprivileged children. Those children received no schooling and typically worked six days a week in the factories right alongside their parents. The kids couldn’t read or write, had little or no chance of upward mobility when they got older, and ran wild in the streets on Sundays, which was the only day the factories were closed.

So, in 1781 Raikes opened a home school on Sunday wherein the Bible was used as the textbook to teach the children to read and write. That small spark created a movement, and in four years time over a quarter of a million children were attending the various Sunday Schools of England. Ultimately, those Sunday Schools became the basis for England’s state-funded school system.

From England, the Sunday School movement spread to the United States. Like the Sunday Schools of England, the emphasis in the Sunday Schools of America was on teaching underprivileged children to read and write and give them a moral basis by which to improve themselves. Obviously, those early Sunday Schools bore little resemblance to the Sunday Schools of today’s churches wherein the children attend public schools through the week.

It was to one of those early Sunday Schools in the English city of Newcastle that a boy named Bob came in rather raggedly dressed. As was the custom, the School’s Superintendent gifted the boy with a brand new suit of clothes. But after attending for three Sundays, Bob stopped coming.

The kindly woman who was his teacher went looking for the boy and found him. Since Bob’s new suit was now torn and dirty, the Superintendent gave him another new one. This time Bob attended for two Sundays but afterwards went missing again.

The teacher tracked him down one more time and found that the second suit of clothes was now as bad as the first one. This second setback was more than she could bear, and she reported to the Superintendent that they should consider Bob a lost cause. The Superintendent, however, wasn’t ready to give up all hope just yet. He said, “I’ll give him a third suit if he will promise to attend regularly.”

Well, Bob did promise to attend regularly and made good on that promise. Even more than that, he went on to become a Christian, join the Presbyterian church, become a teacher, study for the ministry, and become a missionary. History knows him as Dr. Robert Morrison, the first Protestant missionary to China, the man who lived in that country for twenty-seven years and translated the entire Bible into the Chinese language.

But what would have happened if that Sunday School teacher had given up on Bob the first time he quit her class and ruined his new suit? Or what if that Superintendent had let her give up on the boy the second time he quit and ruined the second suit? Clearly, the history of missions would have been changed for the worse. Isn’t it amazing how much difference some perseverance, faithfulness, and patience can make? Galatians 6:9 is a good verse to quote here:

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (N.K.J.V.)

I, for one, know what it is to grow weary and lost heart while doing good. And I’m guessing that I’m not the only one who knows that feeling. It’s so hard to keep serving the Lord when you can’t see the immediate benefits of it, isn’t it? For that reason, let’s take the case of the legendary missionary Dr. Robert Morrison as encouragement. Christians, we can make a profound difference in peoples’ lives if we just keep on plodding in service.

Now, will there be setbacks, trying times, and days of disillusionment? Certainly. Nevertheless, if we will stay the course, continue the work, and resist the temptation to quit, we are promised by God that “we shall reap” in due season. You ask, “And just when is my due season?” Well, it might be today or it might be in ten more years. The thing to remember, though, is that it’s coming. So, don’t lose heart and derail it before you get to enjoy it.

Posted in Adversity, Children, Church, Commitment, Disappointment, Doing Good, Doubt, Dress and Appearance, Encouragement, Evangelism, Faith, Faithfulness, God's Work, Impatience, Influence, Ministry, Missions, Patience, Perseverance, Problems, Reward, Service, Sowing and Reaping, Sunday School, Trials, Trusting In God, Waiting, Witnessing, Youth | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

What Matthew Henry Was Thankful For

Posted on November 22, 2023 by russellmckinney

Matthew Henry was an English preacher in the late 1600s and early 1700s. He is best remembered for the legendary commentary set that bears his name. He died from a stroke while on a preaching tour in June, 1714.

Once, while Henry was traveling by horseback on his preaching circuit, he was held up and robbed. That night he recorded the incident in his journal. He concluded the record with the following prayer:

I thank Thee first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed and not I who robbed.

Friend, when you and I reach the place in our spiritual maturity where we think and pray like that, we won’t have any problem finding things for which to be thankful. Matthew Henry obviously had learned the lesson of Ephesians 5:20, and may we learn it as well. That verse says:

giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

Posted in Adversity, Complaining, Contentment, Disappointment, Personal Holiness, Prayer, Problems, Revenge, Sanctification, Suffering, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Don’t Be Fooled by Those South Winds

Posted on November 21, 2023 by russellmckinney

The main point of today’s post takes a little bit of time to set up, so I hope you’ll bear with me as I lay all the groundwork. That groundwork involves a brief overview of Acts chapter 27. In that chapter, we are given Luke’s highly detailed account of Paul’s fateful voyage to Rome.

Technically, Paul sailed as a prisoner of the Roman empire, along with some fellow prisoners (v.1). Despite that fact, however, Julius, who was the Roman centurion in charge of the prisoners, treated Paul kindly. He even allowed him to go ashore during a port of call at Sidon to receive care from friends (v.3). Later on, at the port of Myra, Julius, Paul, and the other prisoners changed ships and boarded an Alexandrian cargo ship (v.6). Their inclusion raised that ship’s total number of passengers to 276 (v.37).

It was at this point of the journey that the winds turned contrary and the sailing became difficult (v.7). They managed to sail from Myra toward the island of Cnidus and then southwest to the south side of Crete, but the weather was against them all the way and caused them to make slow time. (The weather on the Mediterranean Sea during that time of year — late September to early October — was usually harsh.) Finally, they harbored at a place called Fair Havens just off the coast of Crete (v.8).

There, Paul advised Julius and the others in charge to suspend the journey and ride out the winter in Fair Havens, lest the voyage end in much loss of life and cargo (v.9-10). But since the Fair Havens harbor was not an ideal place for such a long-term stay, Julius, along with the ship’s helmsman and the ship’s owner, ignored Paul’s advice and made the decision to sail on for the Crete harbor of Phoenix, which would be more suitable (v.11-12). Their plan was to reach Phoenix by skirting along the coastline, thus avoiding the open sea. Much to their delight, after they had settled on that plan, an advantageous south wind began to blow softly. Human nature being what it is they took that gentle south wind as confirmation that their decision to sail for the Phoenix harbor was the correct one and promptly weighed anchor (v.13).

But as the group would soon learn that decision was a wrong one. Not long into the sailing the ship got caught in a hurricane-like storm, an incredibly powerful northeaster, that drove the ship helplessly out into the open sea (v.14-15). Fortunately, the ship managed to make it to the small island of Clauda (or Cauda), which was twenty-five miles south of Crete. There, the sailors pulled in the skiff (lifeboat) they had in tow and tried to shore up the ship as best they could (v.16-17) even as the storm continued to rage.

Fearing, however, that they would be run aground on a sandbar the group set sail again and let the winds drive them back out into the open sea (v.17). The following day, with the ship now severely battered, they lightened the load by throwing the cargo overboard (v.18). The day afterward they threw over the rigging (v.19). Thus began a period where they saw neither the sun nor the stars for several days and constantly battled a strong wind (v.20). They sailed for days without even taking time to eat. By this point, they had given up all hope of survival (v.20-21).

That’s when Paul stood up in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me.” (You’ve got to love that “I told you so” moment.) Mercifully, though, that wasn’t all Paul said. He went on to explain that an angel had stood by him and told him that Paul must be brought before Caesar so that he could testify to Caesar. For this reason, the men needn’t fear for their lives. The ship would indeed be lost by being run aground on some island, but not one human life would be lost in the wreck (v.21-26).

I won’t go into all the remaining details of the story except to say that the ship eventually shipwrecked at the large island of Malta, some sixty miles south of Sicily. With the ship broken up every passenger took to the water, either swimming or floating on boards or other parts of the broken ship, and made it safely onto the island. In two-weeks-time, the great storm had carried them 600 miles from Fair Havens in Crete to shipwreck on Malta. As Paul had said, though, not one life had been lost. For the next three months, the group remained on Malta as the welcomed guests of the people there and then boarded another Alexandrian ship and sailed on to Rome (Acts 28:11-16). Whew, what a trip!

Obviously, there are a hundred lessons and spiritual truths that I could pull from this story, but let me just latch onto one and leave it with you. It goes like this: When you step out of God’s will and do something you shouldn’t do, things oftentimes go well for a little while before the storm breaks loose. Do you remember what happened right after those men ignored Paul advice about spending the winter in Fair Havens and decided instead to try to skirt down the coastline to the harbor of Phoenix? Acts 27:13-14 says:

When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called a “northeaster,” swept down from the island. (N.I.V., emphasis mine)

Ladies and gentlemen, let me warn you about those south winds that blow softly to initially make your wrong course of action seem like a good move. Beware, such winds are always followed by a big storm! And when that hurricane-force wind starts blowing, who knows where you might end up out on life’s open sea? Surely it won’t be a good place, and surely some type of a shipwreck will be eminent.

So, where does this post find you right now? Are you toying around with choosing a course of action that isn’t God’s will? Do you feel those south winds rising, beckoning you out into forbidden waters? Are you thinking, “I’ll just safely ease down this coastline and keep out of the dangerous open sea?” If any of this describes you, allow me to play the same role that Paul played for those men. Hear me when I say, “Don’t do what you are planning to do!”

You say, “But Russell, you don’t understand my current situation. You don’t know what a struggle I’m having. You don’t know how rough it’s been. I can’t stay here!” Yes, you can. If God wants you to ride out the storm by spending the winter there in your Fair Haven, He’ll make a way for you to do so. You just have to trust Him. Most likely there will come a time when He will let you set sail for a new place in His will, but you must wait for His perfect timing. And if being told to stay where you are upsets you, just keep your alternative in mind. You can chase those south winds to what you think is a better, safer, more pleasing situation, but don’t be surprised when major trouble hits you right on the heels of those deceiving soft winds.

Posted in Adversity, Choices, Counsel, Deception, Decisions, Discernment, God's Will, Problems, Seeking Advice, Temptation, Trials, Trusting In God, Waiting, Weather | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Life on the Island

Posted on November 17, 2023 by russellmckinney

In his book 1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching, G. Curtis Jones tells a story from the life of Methodist pastor Roy L. Smith. As the story goes, Smith had a deep concern for an elderly couple who lived by themselves on a tiny island in the Great Lakes area. Since the island was completely isolated, Smith genuinely feared for their well-being. His concern led him to call a family meeting wherein he asked his family if they would mind if the couple came and lived out their remaining days with them. The family agreed, after which Smith and his wife took a boat out to the island and extended the gracious offer to the couple.

The elderly gentleman was touched by the Smiths’ kindness, but he looked at his wife and said, “Of course we cannot accept the invitation, can we dear?” Smith then interrupted and again laid out the reasons why making the move would be a good idea. The couple, however, weren’t going to leave their island home, and they set about to show the Smiths why. Walking arm in arm, they led them down a narrow but carefully kept path that ended at an immaculately tended plot of green grass. In the midst of that plot was a mound watched over by a white cross. Standing there at that grave site, the elderly gentleman told the Smiths, “We can’t leave our island home, for you see we have lost a son here.”

In his closing remarks for that illustration, G. Curtis Jones explains that God lost His Son on this cosmic island that we call Earth. What a powerful thought that is! It serves to remind us that God is always interested in what’s going on down here because this is the island where Jesus died. Admittedly, that’s where the similarities between the two stories ends because Jesus arose from the dead in a glorified body and forty days later ascended up to heaven to take His seat at the right hand of God the Father. Still, though, we should never doubt that this Earth, this island floating in space, will always hold a special, unique place in God’s eyes. Furthermore, we should also never doubt that He knows all about each and every detail concerning it. That includes everything about you and what you are going through right now. I just felt like someone out there on another part of the island might need that reminder today.

Posted in Adversity, Aging, Children, Christ's Death, Christ's Resurrection, Comfort, Family, Fatherhood, God's Love, God's Omniscience, Love, Marriage, Motherhood, Priorities, Problems, Trials, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment