A Cautionary Tale About Rebellion

Posted on May 19, 2023 by russellmckinney

Sixty-year-old Jan Davis was a professional parachutist. She was also involved in the dangerous sport of “BASE jumping.” “BASE jumping” is leaping off fixed places, plummeting toward the earth for a few seconds, and then pulling your parachute chord. The letters B-A-S-E represent the fixed places from which one can jump: B (buildings), A (antennas), S (spans, bridges), and E (earth, cliffs).

On October 22, 1999, Jan and four other jumpers were in California’s Yosemite National Park to jump off the 3,200 foot granite cliff known as El Capitan. They were jumping to protest the fact that the Park had made BASE jumping illegal in the wake of the six deaths and numerous injuries that jumpers had incurred in the Park. In the minds of Jan and her group, their jump would prove the safety of their sport. Jan’s husband had come along to film the event, and several reporters were also on hand.

Jan was the fourth of the five jumpers. She launched off the cliff, fell for twenty seconds, and then fatally crashed into the rocks. As it would later be learned, her chute had failed to open properly. Her husband and the reporters stood there stunned, having just watched Jan plunge to her death. The husband even had it on film.

I’m really not trying to be insensitive to the Davis family, but I think we can glean a spiritual lesson from Jan’s needless death. Over and over again the Bible warns against the sin of rebellion — such as rebelling against a logical law that has been enacted. Consider the following passages (all from the N.K.J.V.):

1. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry… (1 Samuel 15:23)

2. An evil man seeks only rebellion; Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him. (Proverbs 17:11)

3. There are those who rebel against the light; They do not know its ways Nor abide in its paths. (Job 24:13)

4. “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. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 1:18-20)

5. God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound in prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land. (Psalm 68:6)

It is with these verses in mind that I ask you, “Are you, in some way, playing the rebel these days?” If you are, my next question is, “Do you really think that God is going to let your rebellion go unpunished?” If He did that, He’d become a rebel Himself, a rebel against His own written word. And since that isn’t going to happen, your wisest move is to quit playing the role yourself.

Posted in Attitude, Backsliding, Character, Choices, Coming Judgment, Decisions, Disobedience, Dying To Self, God's Holiness, God's Wrath, God's Judgment, Man's Freewill, Obedience, Personal Holiness, Rebellion, Repentance, Sin, Submission | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

“Yes, We Know That Man”

Posted on May 17, 2023 by russellmckinney

A missionary assigned to a foreign land zealously embraced his new ministry by promptly telling a crowd of natives about Jesus. He spoke of Christ’s love, compassion, and power to heal. As he spoke, he was surprised to see the people smile and nod their heads. It was as if they already knew all about Jesus.

Finally, at the end of his sermon, the missionary asked, “And how many of you have ever heard of this man?” Oddly, the entire crowd indicated that they knew of him. This puzzled the missionary and he began to further question them. What he discovered was that they all thought he was talking about a Christian doctor who had lived among them at one time and faithfully ministered to them.

That, Christian, is what you are after! To live such a life that the unlearned could so closely associate you with Jesus is the ideal. The apostle Paul described it this way:

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20, N.K.J.V.)

There’s an old gospel hymn entitled “Let Others See Jesus In You.” Christian, do your best to live out that ideal today. You’ll be amazed at the impact it makes not just upon you but upon others as well.

Posted in Character, Discipleship, Doing Good, God's Work, Influence, Ministry, Missions, Personal Holiness, Service, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Forgiveness, But Not Change

Posted on May 15, 2023 by russellmckinney

I live in a small, rural county in the so-called “Bible belt.” It’s the kind of place where there is a church on every corner, down every sideroad, and up every holler. Consequently, it can be hard to find someone who has no qualms about admitting to not knowing Christ as Savior. What I mean is, it seems like just about everyone I meet was baptized as a kid, has their name on a church roll, claims to attend somewhere, knows pastor so-and-so as a friend, etc. You get the idea. We’ve got religion, church, the Bible, and prayer running out our noses.

With that said, what bothers me about our little county (approximately 15,000 in number) is how easily we blur the line between authentic Christian conduct and rank worldliness. For example, some of the same people who go to church every Sunday morning don’t mind doing a good deal of drinking and carousing on Saturday night. Some of the ones who rant and rave about the sexual sin of homosexuality evidently don’t understand that premarital sex and adultery fall into that same category. Some of the ones who are quick to request prayer for themselves or their families are also far too well versed in backbiting, gossiping, and rumor spreading.

My point is that a lot of people love to hear about Christ, the Bible, forgiveness, grace, and salvation, but the numbers dwindle significantly when the topics become repentance, godly conduct, separation from the world, and personal holiness. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not promoting a works-based plan of salvation here. I myself sin every day and have to spend more time than I should asking the Lord for forgiveness of those sins. I like to think, though, that with me, sin is the exception, not the rule. It’s the uncommon, not the common. That’s what salvation has done to me.

Maybe an illustration will help me say what I’m trying to say. Little Billy was dressed for church in his Sunday best, but his mother wasn’t quite ready to go. That gave Billy time to go out into the back yard and play in the dirt. Naturally, in just a few minutes, his clothes were absolutely filthy. When his mother saw him she became furious and threatened to punish him. Passionately, Billy said to her, “Mom, I’m real sorry. Please forgive me.” She replied, “Okay, you’re forgiven but go change.” But Billy didn’t want to go back inside the house and go to the trouble of dressing again. So, he said, “No, I’ll just go as I am.” You see, he wanted forgiveness but not change. And, unfortunately, there seem to be a lot of Billys running around out there these days.

Posted in Adultery, Alcohol, Backsliding, Change, Church Attendance, Discipleship, Disobedience, Drugs, Forgiveness, Hypocrisy, Personal, Personal Holiness, Rebellion, Salvation, Sanctification, Sin | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Power of a Word of Praise

Posted on May 13, 2023 by russellmckinney

Benjamin West was a famous British artist in the 1700s. He also served as the President of the prestigious Royal Academy of Arts. He was especially known for his paintings of historical scenes.

West first become aware of his artistic talents on a day when his mother had him babysit his younger sister, Sally. While his mother was gone, he discovered some bottles of colored ink and attempted to keep Sally amused by painting her portrait. In doing so, he made quite a mess. West expected to be reprimanded by his mother upon her return, but what she did instead was look beyond the mess, pick up the rather crude painting, smile, and say, “Why, it’s Sally!” From that point, West’s mother became his greatest source of encouragement in regards to his talent. He would often say, “My mother’s kiss made me an artist.”

We have no idea just how much influence we have over the lives of others. A well-timed word of praise can go a long way in building a person’s confidence, just as an ill-timed word of criticism can go a long way in destroying that confidence. The single greatest thing that my father ever said to me was, “I’ve seen all these ballplayers around here, and you can play with any of them.” To this day I remember how that one sentence made me feel. It made me feel like I was as good a ballplayer as anyone in our county. Maybe I wasn’t actually as good as the best players in our county, but that didn’t stop me from feeling like I was.

Rev. Jay Orr was my pastor when I felt God’s call to the ministry, and I will always be indebted to Jay for helping me to yield to that call and fulfill my God-appointed role in life. In particular, there was one line from Jay that especially found a home in my heart. We were sitting in his car talking, and he looked me squarely in the eye and said, “Well, you’re preacher material.” The funny thing is that I’m sure that Jay had no idea the impact that statement had on me.

So, the purpose of this post is to get you to find someone and brag on them a little. You don’t have to make a big deal out of it, and I definitely don’t want you to lie. But chances are that you’ll cross paths with someone very soon whom you can sincerely praise for something. Perhaps it will be your child. Perhaps it will be your spouse. Perhaps it will be someone who looks up to you. All I’m saying is, whoever it is (a budding artist, a young ballplayer, an aspiring preacher, etc.) you just never know the lifelong impact your word of praise might have.

Posted in Children, Communication, Encouragement, Fatherhood, Influence, Motherhood, Parenting, Personal, Sports, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Description of Prayer

Posted on May 11, 2023 by russellmckinney

Christian, have you prayed today? If you have, what motivation did you have for praying? I hope you’re not like the little boy who was asked, “Do you pray every day?” He answered, “No, some days I don’t want anything.”

Of course, I realize that God’s word does tell us to make our requests to Him (Philippians 4:6; Psalm 21:1-2; James 4:2). I get that. But God’s word also teaches that prayer should be so much more than just you handing God a grocery list or sending Him on an errand. If that’s all your prayers are, you’re no better than that little boy.

The moment a person genuinely believes in Christ as Savior, he or she is “born again” (John 3:1-21), and to be “born again” is to have God the Holy Spirit literally come into your body and take up residence (Romans 8:9-11). Furthermore, it is through this glorious experience that you become nothing less than a child of God. In one sense, you become His child by way of birth (the new birth, which is not a physical birth but a spiritual one). In another sense, you become His child by way of adoption as He adopts you into His family (Romans 8:15-17; Galatians 4:4-7). All this explains John 1:12-13, which says of Jesus:

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

Okay, now here’s where I’m headed with this. Imagine a child who only talks to his or her father as a way of putting in requests. “Dad, take us on vacation this year.” End of conversation. “Dad, give me some money.” End of conversation. “Dad, buy me a car.” End of conversation. “Dad, make that guy be my boyfriend.” End of conversation. How do you think a father would feel if the only talking his child ever did with him involved the child requesting him to do something? Surely that father would think, “I’m just a magic genie to this child. This child doesn’t love me or want to spend time with me. This child isn’t interested in hearing my opinion or allowing me to impart my wisdom. I’m just a means to an end.”

Well, if that’s what an earthly father would think about such a child, do you think that God, the Christian’s heavenly father, thinks any differently? You see, Christian, God wants your prayer time to be a dialogue with Him not a monologue at Him. He wants it to be a confessional booth in which you confess your sins to Him. He wants it to be a psychologist’s couch upon which you lie down and pour out your deepest feelings, emotions, fears, hurts, disappointments, and regrets. He wants it to be an altar at which you resolve to live for Him and do His will. He wants it to be a classroom in which He instructs you. He wants it to be a dining table at which you feast on His wisdom and His word. He wants it to be a general’s desk at which battle plans for how to defeat the enemy are laid out and discussed. He wants it to be a pickup truck in which the two of you just drive along and talk about anything and everything under the sun.

So tell me, Christian, is your prayer time all these things? If it isn’t, then the problem is with you, not God, because He longs for your prayers to be everything that I’ve described and even more. And here’s hoping that, starting today, your prayers times will become just that.

Posted in Discipleship, God's Love, Prayer, Prayer Requests | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Let Me Illustrate

Posted on May 9, 2023 by russellmckinney

All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables, and without a parable He did not speak to them… (Matthew 13:34, N.K.J.V.)

Several years ago, at the close of a funeral service we both attended, I talked with a friend of mine named Geraldine. Previously, I had given her some c.d. copies of a sermon series I had preached on the life of David, and she had listened to them. In commenting on them, she had just one question. She asked me, “Are you enjoying having Josh on your football team again this year?”

I have to say that the question caught me off guard, and I got a deer-in-the-headlights look for a moment as my mind began to race. I thought, “Josh? Josh who? And how does Geraldine even know that I’m helping coach youth-league football right now? What’s the connection that I’m missing here?”

Since there were currently two boys named Josh on my son Royce’s team, I stammered out something like, “Yes, I am.” I don’t think Geraldine could tell that I was trying to bluff my way through the conversation, but the truth was that I was still trying to get up to speed subject wise. But then she said something that made everything clear. It was something along the lines of, “I thought the way you used him as an illustration was just perfect.”

At last I knew exactly who and what we were talking about. In one of the David sermons, I had spent a couple of minutes talking about how “little Josh” was the best tackler on Royce’s football team even though he was one of the smallest kids on the team. Since Geraldine knew that I had preached that sermon about a year ago, she rightly assumed that I was helping coach Royce’s football team again that following year and that Josh, being the same age as Royce, would be on the team again. Once all that clicked in my mind, I told her that, yes, Josh was on our team again, and, yes, he was still our best tackler. We both got a good laugh out of that.

As Geraldine and I exited the funeral service and went our separate ways, I couldn’t help but be impressed by how she had remembered my Josh illustration. She hadn’t asked about a sermon title, an outline, or a finer point of some text. No, apparently the top thing that had stuck in her mind from all my preaching was an illustration that I had used, a personal one at that. I guess that Jesus, being the master communicator, teacher, and preacher that He was, knew exactly what He was doing when He spoke in parables.

The word “parable” comes from the Greek word parabole. Literally, the word means “a placing beside.” Therefore, a parable is a story that is placed alongside a teaching to help illustrate the teaching and make it more memorable. You see, Christ’s parables were what we would call sermon illustrations. Of course, His illustrations were of a significantly higher grade than ours!

The book Love Worth Finding is the biography of Adrian Rogers, the great Baptist preacher. His life certainly makes for an interesting read, but my favorite part of the book is its closing section, which is entitled “The Preaching Philosophy of Adrian Rogers.” Concerning the use of illustrations, Rogers says this:

One of God’s great ways of communicating spiritual truth so it is easily understood is by use of illustrations. I attempt to include an illustration with every outline point of the sermon.

Likewise, Rick Warren, in his book The Purpose Driven Church, writes:

Jesus was a master storyteller…In fact, the Bible shows that storytelling was Jesus’ favorite technique when speaking to a crowd (Matthew 13:34). Somehow preachers forgot that the Bible is essentially a book of stories. That is how God has chosen to communicate his Word to human beings…Long after a pastor’s clever outline is forgotten, people will remember the stories from the sermon. It is fascinating, and sometimes comical, to watch how quickly a crowd tunes in when a speaker begins telling a story and how quickly that attention vanishes as soon as the story is finished.

Now, I realize that every Christian is not a preacher. But I also realize that every Christian is supposed to share not only the gospel but also a multiplicity of nuggets of truth from God’s written word. So, how can we effectively do this sharing? Well, I don’t think there is a canned answer to that question, but surely one of the best ways is to incorporate interesting, relevant, thought-provoking illustrations into what we are saying. After all, if Jesus, who was God in the flesh, chose to major on this way of teaching, who are we to think that we can come up with something better?

Posted in Communication, Evangelism, God's Work, Ministry, Personal, Preaching, Sunday School, Teaching, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Throw Up Your Cap

Posted on May 5, 2023 by russellmckinney

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11, N.L.T.)

Years ago, in a small fishing village on the coast of New England, a winter storm blew up suddenly and caught the small boats out at sea. The fishermen rowed hard to reach the safety of the harbor, and all the boats made it in except for one that was captained by an old man named John. Just when that boat was almost to safety, a huge wave struck and hurled it up against a rock. With his boat in ruins, John did the only thing he could do: pull himself up onto the rock and commence to hang on for dear life.

John’s fellow fishermen saw his plight, but there wasn’t anything they could do about it. The idea of taking rescue boats out into the teeth of the storm was ludicrous. To further complicate matters, it would soon be dark. So, being the practical New Englanders they were, they decided to wait until the morning to attempt a rescue. In the meantime, they built a bonfire on the shore and dedicated themselves to keeping it burning all night. Every now and then, by the light of that bonfire, one of the men would throw his cap up into the air just to let John know they were there and hadn’t abandoned him.

Finally, after a long, rough night, the winds subsided and the dawn broke. The fishermen quickly put out their boats and were able to rescue old John. After he had warmed himself by the fire and been given something to eat, they asked him what it had been like out there on that rock all night. Here’s what he said:

Well, it was the longest night of my life. I made out pretty well at first, but then a big wave came along and flattened me out and I felt myself slipping. I was worn out. I was ready to give up. My old father went down at sea, and I had decided my time had come. But just as I was ready to let go, I looked through the darkness and saw somebody’s cap going up in the air. I said to myself, “If there’s somebody who cares enough about old John to stay out on a night like this, I guess I’m not going to quit yet.” Just then the winds seemed to ease up, and I got a fresh hold, and well, here I am.

With this story in mind, I’ll ask you to throw up a cap yourself today because Johns are out there everywhere, just trying to hold for dear life. Find someone who needs some encouragement and tell them that you appreciate them. Show them that you care and that they’d be missed if they weren’t around. You never know how much influence your encouragement might have. It could just be that an encouraging word from you will give that person reason to keep pressing on rather than quit.

Posted in Communication, Doing Good, Encouragement, Friendship, God's Work, Influence, Ministry, Missions, Service, The Tongue | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Got a Need?

Posted on May 3, 2023 by russellmckinney

A small Bible college was growing so fast that it desperately needed more dormitory space. If a new dormitory couldn’t be built, students would have to be turned away. So, the school’s president took the matter to God in prayer and left the request with Him.

Not long afterward, the president was invited to speak at a conference in another city. One night, after the service, he was handed a small envelope with a note inside it. The note was an elderly woman’s request to meet with the president.

The following day the president went to the woman’s home for tea. All the while, as they sat there drinking tea and talking, he hoped that God would work through her to meet the financial need. Much to his disappointment, however, no offer had been made as the visit began to draw to a close.

Somewhat dejectedly the president headed for the door, but as he did, the woman’s face suddenly lit up. She said, “Oh my, I almost forgot.” Then she left the room momentarily and came back carrying a small folder. As she handed the folder to the president, she said, “This is for you and the work you are doing for the young people.” The folder contained many thousands of dollars worth of stocks and bonds, the cash value of which totaled up to the exact amount needed to build the dormitory.

While this story is supposedly true, the fact is that the Christian realm is filled with such stories. Preachers like myself know all about books of illustrations, and these books offer many such stories about God meeting people’s needs. Actually, the stories are so numerous as to be almost cliched. But are they true? Do such things really happen? Does God really meet needs?

I speak from personal experience when I answer, “Yes.” During my first few years of Disciples Road Church, a church I started and pastored for over eight years, God ran me through a lengthy class on this subject. Whereas I had always preached that God would meet every need, I found out that it’s a different deal altogether when you find yourself sincerely wondering how you are going to pay the light bill, the phone bill, the car payment, the mortgage payment, etc. That’s when you truly learn whether or not all those corny old stories you’ve read are for real. And again let me say: they are.

So who am I writing this to today? Is it you? Do you have some pressing need staring you squarely in the face right now? If you do, then take heart because God can and will meet that need if you will sincerely turn it over to Him and leave it there. Remember, Philippians 4:19 is still in the Bible, and it is applicable for any and all genuine needs. That verse says:

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (N.K.J.V.)

Posted in Comfort, Doubt, Faith, Fear, God's Love, God's Omnipotence, God's Provision, Money, Needs, Personal, Prayer Requests, Problems, Trusting In God, Worry | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

1,500 Sheep

Posted on May 1, 2023 by russellmckinney

A few years ago the Associated Press ran a story that came out of Gavas, a town in eastern Turkey. According to the story, one sheep from a very large flock walked to the edge of a cliff and jumped to its death. A second sheep soon followed. Then a third. Then a fourth. Then a fifth. The A.P. report read:

Stunned Turkish shepherds, who had left the herd to graze while they had breakfast, watched as nearly 1,500 others followed, each leaping off the same cliff.

Incredibly, only 450 of the sheep died. The rest survived because their fall was cushioned by the bodies of the sheep that had jumped before them. I guess there’s something to be said for being toward the back of the line, after all.

Here’s a typical parent-child conversation:

Jimmy: “Dad, can I take my skateboard and try a triple-spin-reverse off the front porch?”

Dad: “No!”

Jimmy: “Why not? Tommy does it.”

Dad: “If Tommy jumped off a cliff, would you follow him?”

That comeback about jumping off a cliff has traditionally been the go-to line that parents have used to keep kids from caving in to peer pressure. It reminds me of the “You’ll shoot your eye out” line from the movie A Christmas Story. As little Ralphie says about his mother using that line as her excuse not to buy him a BB rifle, “That deadly phrase uttered many times by hundreds of mothers was not surmountable by any means known to kid-dom.”

Truth be told, though, parents have to warn their kids about jumping off cliffs because peer pressure is such a powerful force. In his book There’s A Sheep Born Every Second, David Kirkwood uses that A.P. story about those sheep and writes, “Imagine the peer pressure that last sheep must have felt. Surely 1,499 sheep can’t be wrong, can they?”

So, consider today’s post a word of encouragement to all you parents who are still trying to hold the line. Keep up the good work. Don’t make the mistake of giving in to peer pressure yourself, the pressure other parents put on you to let your kids: watch anything they want to watch, listen to anything they want to listen to, wear anything they want to wear, think anything they want to think, say anything they want to say, go anywhere they want to go, buy anything they want to buy, and do anything they want to do. Can 1,499 sheep be wrong? You’d better believe they can! And that’s why you can’t let your child be number 1,500.

Posted in Children, Choices, Courage, Decisions, Desires, Discernment, Discipline, Dress and Appearance, Family, Fatherhood, God's Will, Influence, Motherhood, Parenting, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

God Is Not Mocked

Posted on April 29, 2023 by russellmckinney

Dr. R.G. Lee was one of the most famous Baptist preachers who ever lived. From 1927 to 1960, he served as the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. During those years the church grew in membership from 1,400 members to 10,000. He also served three terms as the president of his denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention.

Dr. Lee once used the following illustration:

Newburg, New York had a society led by Bline Palmer called The Druidical Society. It had a high priest and met to ridicule and destroy religion. Infamous and blasphemous acts were performed. At a meeting they burned a Bible, baptized a cat, partook of a mock sacred meal and administered sacrament to a dog.

In the evening, he who administered the sacrament was attacked with a violent inflammatory disease and died before morning in great bodily and mental agony, his inflamed eyeballs protruding and his tongue swollen. Another was found dead the next morning. A third died in a fit a few days later.

In five years of the organization of the society, all thirty-six of the original members had met strange and premature deaths: one of horrible swelling, one found dead in bed, one died in convulsions, one froze to death, three died in accidents, five were suicides, two were stoned to death, seven died on the gallows and eight were shot.

In conclusion, I guess about all I can add to Dr. Lee’s illustration is a thought from the Bible. It’s a simple thought but a profound one. In Galatians 6:7, the Bible still says:

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked… (N.K.J.V.)

Posted in Atheism, Depravity, God's Holiness, God's Wrath, God's Judgment, Rebellion, Sin, Sowing and Reaping | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments