Putting Out a Fire

Posted on January 18, 2023 by russellmckinney

Proverbs 26:20 has rung true since the days of Solomon, the man who wrote it under the inspiration of God. As a matter of fact, it has rung true since the days of Adam and Eve. It says:

Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. (New King James Version)

The New Living Translation puts the verse in even simpler terms:

“Fire goes out for lack of fuel, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.”

We’ve all done it, allowed ourselves to at least temporarily become gossips and talebearers. One fairly reliable way to tell that you are about to gossip is if you lower your voice when speaking. When you catch yourself doing that, be careful, you might be about to cross a line into territory the Bible condemns.

Where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. And quarrels disappear when gossip stops. Do you want to be a peacemaker? Then stop spreading tales about others. After all, our world is incendiary enough without you adding more wood to fires that are already burning.

Posted in Character, Communication, Influence, Personal Holiness, The Tongue | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Unpardonable Sin

Posted on January 16, 2023 by russellmckinney

Will God forgive any sin or is there one sin that He considers unpardonable? That’s a good question. In Matthew 12:22-32, the Bible gives us the record of an incident in which a group of Jewish Pharisees attributed Christ’s miracle-working power to the power of the devil. In the context of this story, Jesus gave the following warning:

“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” (N.K.J.V.)

I should point out that there are reputable commentators who contend that the sin of which Christ spoke (the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit) cannot be committed today because it specifically involved attributing an obvious miracle of Jesus to the power of Satan. According to this view, since Jesus is no longer personally on the earth working miracles, the “unpardonable sin” no longer comes into play. Speaking for myself, however, I agree with those who believe this sin can be committed today.

To rightly understand this whole subject, it is vital that we understand the role that God the Holy Spirit plays in salvation. First, the Spirit convicts the lost sinner concerning the sinner’s sin (John 16:8). Second, He (the Spirit is not an “it”) strives with the sinner over the sinner’s need for forgiveness/salvation (Genesis 6:3). Third, He works to convince the sinner to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and thereby receive that forgiveness/salvation (John 15:26, 16:14). Fourth, at the moment the sinner chooses to believe in Christ as Savior, the Spirit comes to indwell the sinner’s body (Romans 8:9-11, 1 Corinthians 6:19, Titus 3:5). It is the Spirit’s entrance that creates the “born again” experience inside the person (John 3:1-8).

But what if a lost sinner time and time again refuses the Holy Spirit’s convicting, striving, and convincing? Well, that is where the issue of blaspheming the Holy Spirit comes into play because, at some point, the Holy Spirit will simply stop working on that lost sinner. You see, when the Spirit stops striving with the lost sinner, that sinner has committed the unpardonable sin. Why? It’s because no one will ever come to Jesus who isn’t first drawn to Him by the ministry of the Spirit.

Let me use an illustration that I trust will help. Let’s say that you have a life-threatening disease, but your doctor knows about a cure and tries repeatedly to tell you about it. For whatever reason, though, you refuse to hear his words. When he walks in to see you, you get up and leave. When he calls on the phone, you hang up. When he sends you a letter, you throw it away without opening it. When he sends you an email or a text, you immediately delete it. Finally, after his best efforts have been rebuffed repeatedly, the doctor says, “Alright, if you want to die, go ahead. I’m through trying to help you.” And so you die. Okay, what killed you? Was it the disease? Yes, in a sense. But in another sense it was your refusal to heed the doctor who was trying to point you to the cure. That is, of course, to say nothing of your lack of the cure.

So now let’s apply this illustration to the committing of the unpardonable sin. The individual’s fatal disease is sin. The doctor who is trying to help the individual is God the Holy Spirit. And the cure the Spirit is trying to get the individual to put to use is Jesus Christ. Therefore, when the individual rejects the Spirit’s conviction to the point where the Spirit says, “I’m done trying to help you,” that is how an individual commits the unpardonable sin today. 

Posted in Belief, Forgiveness, Salvation, The Holy Spirit, The Unpardonable Sin | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Could You Pass Review?

Posted on January 14, 2023 by russellmckinney

One night a British soldier was caught creeping back into his quarters from some nearby woods. Under suspicion of being a spy, he was immediately brought before his commanding officer and ordered to explain his actions. The soldier answered that he had gone into the woods to pray.

His commanding officer, who was highly skeptical of that answer, sarcastically scoffed, “And have you been in the habit of spending such time in private prayer?” “Yes, sir,” answered the soldier. “Well then,” said the officer, “get down on your knees right now and pray, because I assure you that you never needed it more than you do at this moment.”

Expecting a death sentence for treason, the soldier knelt down on the spot and poured out his soul in prayer. He prayed with such eloquence, emotion, and obvious experience that it was undeniable that he truly was a genuine man of prayer. Consequently, when his prayer was finished, the commanding officer rendered his verdict in terms a military man would use. He said, “You may go. I believe your story. If you hadn’t drilled often, you couldn’t have done so well at review.”

The application of this story is easy to grasp. How much do you pray each day? Is it enough to give you the experience and expertise to pass review? If it isn’t, then you need to find your own “woods” somewhere and start drilling. Remember that even Jesus, God the Son in human flesh, was a man of prayer. And if He needed to pray, so do you.

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Started School Yet?

Posted on January 12, 2023 by russellmckinney

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed.” (John 8:31, N.K.J.V.)

John Phillip Sousa was sitting in his hotel room on a summer evening when he heard a hand-organ on the street just below his window. The organ grinder was playing Sousa’s famous march, “The Stars & Stripes Forever.” But Sousa found himself greatly irritated by the way the song was slowly dragging out of the organ. Finally, he couldn’t stand it any longer and dashed down to the street. “Here, here,” he said to the slothful grinder, “that’s no way to play that march.” Then Sousa seized the handle of the organ and began working feverishly as the song’s proper power and purpose surged from the instrument. Afterwards, the grinder simply bowed low and smiled.

The next night Sousa heard the same hand-organ playing the same march again, but this time the tune was sounding forth in the right tempo. Mildly amused, Sousa looked out the window and to his surprise saw a great crowd gathered around the organ grinder. He went down to investigate and saw that the grinder had now placed a large card over his organ. At the top of the card, written in large letters, was the grinder’s name. Underneath his name, written in equally large letters, were the words: PUPIL OF JOHN PHILIP SOUSA.

The Bible has much to say about Christian discipleship, and the word “disciple” literally means “learner.” Sadly, even though every disciple is a Christian, every Christian is not a disciple. You see, there is a considerable difference between Jesus merely being your Savior (as eternally vital as that is) and Him being your Teacher. So tell me, Christian, can you truthfully write under your name “PUPIL OF JESUS CHRIST”? If you can’t, I’d say it’s past time you enrolled in school.

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A Hop of Faith

Posted on January 9, 2023 by russellmckinney

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21, N.K.J.V.)

I read about a very frustrated pastor who said to his congregation, “I’ve stopped expecting you to make leaps of faith, but it would be nice to see a hop now and then.” I can’t help but wonder if God doesn’t feel that same way about His people. Tell me, Christian, when was the last time you showed Him even a hop of faith, let alone a leap?

For example, think about the expectations you have for this new year. Do they fall under the category of “optimistic” or “pessimistic”? If you answer, “Pessimistic,” your faith in God surely isn’t what it needs to be.

You say, “But Russell, with everything that is going on in the world right now, how could anybody have much faith that this year is going to be a good one? Don’t you keep up with the news?” Well, yes, I do keep up with it, and I’m definitely aware that: gas prices are too high, grocery prices are soaring, the economy is lagging, the housing market is troubling, climate change is going to end civilization as we know it, etc., etc., etc. But here’s the thing: Despite it all, I’m also aware that God continues to reign over all creation from His throne in heaven.

Furthermore, I’m aware that if you are a true Christian, that same God is your loving heavenly FATHER. So, why should you be so doom-and-gloom about this upcoming year? Why not, instead, show God at least a hop of faith to prove that you think He’s going to do great and mighty things in your life this year? My guess is that He is tired of most of us (including Russell Mckinney) underestimating Him.

Posted in Adversity, Attitude, Complaining, Current Events, Depression, Disappointment, Faith, Fear, God's Love, God's Omnipotence, God's Provision, God's Sovereignty, Needs, New Year, Problems, Trials, Trusting In God, Worry | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

What Kind of Shape Are You in Spiritually?

Posted on January 6, 2023 by russellmckinney

Christian, perhaps you are one of the hordes of people who have hit the new year full bore with a new diet or workout routine. Well, there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. But even as you try to get yourself into better physical condition, you’d do well to work even harder at getting yourself into better spiritual condition.

So, I ask you, “How is your spiritual condition heading into this new year? How is your prayer life? How is your Bible study? How is your church attendance? How is your giving? How is your witnessing? How is your personal testimony in regards to holy conduct? How is your service to others?” These are important questions.

Remember that the Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:8:

For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. (N.K.J.V.)

Please understand that I’m not trying to diminish the “little” that bodily exercise profits. Truth be told, many of us need that “little” and a whole lot more! All I’m doing is offering a simple reminder that your spiritual condition is more important than your physical condition. This is something we tend to forget in this world that is obsessed with outward appearances.

Posted in Balance, Bible Study, Church Attendance, Commitment, Dieting, Discipleship, Giving, New Year, Personal Holiness, Priorities, Sanctification, Witnessing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Maybe It’s Time to Sharpen Your Blade

Posted on January 4, 2023 by russellmckinney

If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success. (Ecclesiastes 10:10, N.K.J.V.)

This verse teaches us the value of working smarter rather than harder. Obviously, sharpening the edge of a dull ax blade shows wisdom and makes wood-chopping easier. That’s the specific illustration Solomon uses to make his point. But there’s no doubt that he intended the application of the teaching to cover any and all areas where wisdom is required in life. That includes the area of repentance.

Since we Christians typically think of the start of a new year as a time to recommit ourselves to repentance, let us be sure to spiritually sharpen our blades before we attempt any repentance. And how do we sharpen our blades? First, we solemnly rededicate ourselves to Jesus for the purpose of bringing everything about us under His Lordship. Second, in blunt honesty, we confess our sins to Him and ask Him to forgive those sins. Third, we immerse ourselves afresh and anew in daily prayer, Bible study, and the doing of God’s will.

You see, Christian, if your plan to repent of the lingering sin in your life hinges upon little more than you throwing more effort into not committing the sin, that is akin to you chopping harder without sharpening your ax blade. Consequently, your plan is destined for failure. After all, you’ve “tried harder” to repent of the sin in the past, only to find that increased effort didn’t get the job done, right? Well, what makes you think that taking that same approach in this new year is going to produce different results?

A better plan, one with a greater chance of success, features you sharpening your ax blade spiritually as an indispensable part of you accomplishing your repentance. Instead of simply trying to give up your sin, you also start up with an increased amount of prayer, Bible study, and submission to God’s will. By doing that, the hole that is left in your 24-hour day by you no longer wasting precious time on your sin will be filled with things of the Lord. That’s how you work smarter rather than harder at your repentance. And remember, our text verse doesn’t say that throwing more effort at a task will bring success at performing that task. Instead, it says that wisdom brings that success.

Posted in Addiction, Backsliding, Bible Study, Change, Church Attendance, Commitment, Confession, Dying To Self, God's Will, God's Work, New Year, Personal Holiness, Prayer, Repentance, Sanctification, Scripture, Sin, Submission | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Three-Point Checklist for the New Year

Posted on January 2, 2023 by russellmckinney

Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left. Remove your foot from evil. (Proverbs 4:25-27, N.K.J.V.)

These verses make for one of the Bible’s best texts on the subject of a new year. In them, Solomon offers a three-point checklist that will help us make this new year a godly, blessed, spiritually productive one. Let’s take a look at that checklist.

Item #1 is: Rivet your attention upon this new year. Solomon says, “Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids right before you.” Think of yourself as standing on the precipice of this new year. What should you do as you stand here? You should focus your attention straight ahead and fix your gaze on what lies ahead.

In order to do that, you’ll have to step out of your past. You might as well step out of it anyway, because you can’t change one second of it. Rearview mirrors really do make poor windshields!

You say, “But Russell, you don’t know my past. You don’t know the things I’ve done. You don’t know the things I’ve gone through.” Well, you’re right, I don’t know your past. But I do know two things. One, I know that Jesus wants to meet you right where you are and do wonderful things for you, in you, and through you. Two, I know that in order for Him to do that you’re going to have to join Him in the here and now. The fact is, this new year can be your fresh start with Christ.

One day a man stormed into the office of his local newspaper and said to the secretary, “I need to see the guy who is in charge of the obituaries.” When the secretary pointed him to a rookie reporter, the man marched over to that reporter and said, “Young man, my name appeared in your obituary column today, but as you can see, I am very much alive. So, I want you to print a retraction in tomorrow’s paper.” To that, the young man said, “Sir, I’m afraid that we don’t print retractions in our obituary column. But what I can do is put you in tomorrow’s birth announcements and give you a fresh start!”

This new year can be your fresh start with Jesus. You can have a fresh start in the areas of prayer, Bible study, church attendance, personal holiness, giving, and evangelism. Whatever sins you’ve committed in the past, whatever mistakes you’ve made, whatever you went through last year, rivet your attention on this new year.

Item #2 on the checklist is: Reassess the path you are traveling. Solomon says, “Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.” The Hebrew word translated as “ponder” means to mentally weigh. The point is, think about the path you are currently traveling. Is it a path that will take you into more intimate fellowship with Jesus? Is it a path that will take you into a deeper level of service to Him? Is it a path that will make you a better Christian and a better person?

Most people never take the time to stop and really think about where their path is leading them. This is why they repeat the same mistakes over and over again, year after year. I read about a man who went to the doctor to get some help for his two burned ears. The doctor said, “Before I treat you, I’ve just got to know how you burned your ears.” The fellow said, “Well, doc, I’ll tell you what happened. The phone rang while I was ironing my shirt, and I picked up the iron instead of the phone.” The doctor said, “That’s terrible! But what happened to your other ear?” The man said, “The guy called back.”

We laugh at that story, but this world is filled with people who never learn from their mistakes. I’m saying that the beginning of a new year is a great time to get by yourself, turn off the computer, the television, and the phone, and take a good, hard look at your life. And don’t be afraid to hurt your own feelings. Be honest about where you are, and if the path you are on is a bad one, admit it. You will never get where Jesus wants to take you in life until you get on the right path.

So, here at the start of this new year, I encourage you to reassess the path you are traveling. If you don’t like the harvest you are getting, change your seed! As we often hear, it is a form of insanity to keep doing what you are doing and expect different results. If you want to change your life, change your path.

Finally, item #3 on the checklist is: Resist the temptation to veer off your God-approved path. Let’s say that you get on the path the Lord wants you to be walking. Is that the end of the story? No, it isn’t. Solomon gives the warning: “Do not turn to the right or the left. Remove your foot from evil.”

As you walk your God-approved path, certain things will appear to your right, things that will look appealing to you. Be careful that you don’t leave your path and go after them. Likewise, certain things will appear to your left, things that will look appealing to you. Again, don’t leave your path and go after them.

Some people are very good at making fresh starts with the Lord. Such a person goes his or her own way for a while and then says, “I’ve got to get right with the Lord.” The person then makes a renewed effort at living a Christ-honoring life. He or she walks that God-approved path for a while but eventually strays from it as some sinful pleasure off to the right or the left proves too tempting to resist. Then, after the person has filled up on the sin, he or she again says, “I’ve got to get right with the Lord,” and at that point the cycle starts anew. I hope you understand that such a roller coaster walk with Christ isn’t what He has in mind for you. How much better it is to get on God’s path for your life and then resist the temptation to veer off your God-approved path.

In closing, let me tell you about two boys who once tried to outwit a wise old man. Because these boys had grown tired of hearing other people talk about the great wisdom the man possessed, they decided to humble him. First, they caught a very small bird, which one of the boys concealed in his hand. Next, they went to the old man, where the boy with the bird asked the man, “What do you think I have in my hand?” The old man answered, “You have a bird in your hand. I can see some of its feathers.” The boy said, “Yes, but is the bird dead or alive?”

It was here that the boys planned to trick the old man. If he said “dead,” the boy would open his hand and let the bird fly away. But if the man said “alive,” the boy would crush the bird before opening his hand. So, how did the wise old man answer? He looked at the boy and said, “As you will it, son. As you will it.”

Will this new year be one in which you serve Christ better than you ever have? The answer is: As you will it. Herschel Hobbs, that notable preacher of days gone by, said, “Years become new only if we make them so.” Ah, but the good news is that you really can make this new year “new” if you will follow Solomon’s spiritual checklist. That means: rivet your attention on this new year, reassess the path you are traveling, and resist the temptation to veer off your God-approved path. By doing these things, you’ll be able to make this year the best one you’ve ever had in serving Jesus.

Posted in Backsliding, Change, Choices, Contentment, Discipleship, Doing Good, God's Will, Holiness, New Year, Obedience, Personal Holiness, Temptation | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Find Things for Which to Be Thankful

Posted on December 30, 2022 by russellmckinney

A subway car was overly crowded, causing several people to have to stand. Naturally, most of them were griping about the situation. As the car pulled into another station where still more people boarded, one standing man said to those who were coming aboard, “I hope you people like standing because we’ve been doing it for a long time.” He didn’t see the crippled invalid who was helped aboard the train and graciously given a seat, but the invalid heard the comment. To it, he somberly replied, “Then you are fortunate.”

But, please, let’s not hypocritically judge the fellow who was standing. The fact is, he could have been any one of us. Speaking for myself, his complaint sounds just like something that I would have said. After all, it’s typical human nature, isn’t it? Yes, it is, but that still doesn’t make it right or pleasing to God.

Hebrews 13:15 says of Jesus:

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. (N.K.J.V.)

By breaking down this verse into its three sections, we find that each section presents a different question for the Christian to answer. Question #1 is: “How are you doing these days at continually offering the sacrifice of praise to God?” Question #2 is: “What form has the fruit of your lips been taking recently?” And question #3 is: “Are you currently in the habit of giving thanks to the name of the Lord?” Truth be told, our answers to these questions probably leave much to be desired.

Christian, the Lord knows that you have legitimate problems, and He also knows that life can be a difficult game to play. But through it all, He remains forevermore worthy to be praised. Even during those times in which you don’t feel like praising Him, He is still worthy. The secret to praising Him during those times is to train yourself to count your blessings rather than complain about your troubles. As the old saying goes, “Count your blessings one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”

Even that crippled invalid who was boarding that train wouldn’t have had to look very hard to find something for which to be thankful. First, he could have been thankful for the people who helped him get aboard the train. Second, he could have been thankful for the person who gave up his seat for him. Third, he could have been thankful that someone in his condition could get aboard a train and travel to distant places, places he could never have seen on his own. Do you see my point?

So, Christian, in the midst of all your grumbling and complaining, make yourself stop and be thankful for all the good things that God has sent your way. And if you can’t come up with anything, be thankful for the fact that Jesus Christ (God the Son) left heaven, took upon Himself human flesh, lived without sin among men, died on a cross to pay the sin debt for the sins of the world, arose from the dead, ascended back to heaven, and now offers salvation to anyone who will believe in Him as Savior. Trust me, that one item right there should be enough to keep you thankful for all eternity.

Posted in Adversity, Attitude, Christ's Death, Christ's Resurrection, Complaining, Contentment, Disappointment, Perseverance, Problems, Salvation, Suffering, Thankfulness | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Walking in Truth

Posted on December 28, 2022 by russellmckinney

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. (3rd John 1:3, N.K.J.V.)

A man was on trial for murder. All the circumstantial evidence strongly indicated his guilt, but the police hadn’t been able to find the corpse. That left some doubt as to whether the jury would convict him. Nevertheless, the man’s defense attorney believed the jury was leaning toward doing just that. So, he resorted to a clever trick.

In the attorney’s closing argument, he said, “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a surprise for you. Within one minute, the person presumed dead in this case will walk into this courtroom.” Then he looked down at his watch as if counting the seconds. Thirty seconds later, he turned and started staring at the courtroom door. The jurors, somewhat stunned, all fixed their eyes on the door as well. After the allotted time had passed, however, it became obvious that no one was walking through that door.

Finally, the attorney broke the courtroom silence by saying, “Actually, I made up the previous statement. But since each of you looked at the door with anticipation, I submit that you all have reasonable doubt in this case as to whether or not my client really killed anybody. And because of that, I insist that you return a verdict of ‘not guilty.’” The jury then retired to deliberate.

To the attorney’s surprise, they came back into the courtroom just a few minutes later and pronounced a verdict of “guilty.” Risking the ire of the judge, the attorney shouted at them, “How could you do this? You must have had some doubt. I saw all of you stare at that door.” To that, the jury foreman replied, “Yes, we did. But your client didn’t.”

As clever as lawyers can be, not one of them is in Satan’s league when it comes to twisting and distorting the truth. Revelation 12:9 says that he “deceives the whole world,” and Jesus said of him, “There is no truth in him” (John 8:44). Rest assured that if Satan was able to talk Eve out of the truth, he is able to deceive us, too. We are simply no match for him. That is why we must make it a matter of regular prayer to ask the Lord to give us discernment and wisdom in regards to what is true and what is a lie.

If you haven’t done so today, take a moment right now and ask the Lord for such discernment and wisdom. Tell Him that you don’t want to believe anything that isn’t the truth. Tell Him that you don’t want to be duped by Satan. Tell Him that you want to know the truth so that you can bring your life in line with it. And then listen to and heed the truth when God sends it your way. You see, without God’s help, you’ll never be able to fully walk in truth.

Posted in Choices, Counsel, Deception, Decisions, Demons, Discernment, Doubt, God's Will, God's Word, Satan, Seeking Advice, Spiritual Warfare, Temptation, The Devil, Truth | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment