What to Do About Clouds

Posted on July 15, 2022 by russellmckinney

I miss Patrick Swayze. He was one of my favorite movie stars. I always liked watching him, no matter what part he was playing.

Swayze and his wife Niemi were both pilots, and they enjoyed flying airplanes together. On one flight, however, they got into a big argument over how to handle a cloud bank in front of them. The husband wanted to climb above it, but the wife wanted to dive below it. I don’t know which option they chose, but later on they took the debate to a flight instructor and asked him who was right. He said, “You’re both wrong. You should have flown right through it. You should trust your instruments and stick to your flight plan.”

Christian, I think we can apply that flight instructor’s words to your life. When you know that you are in God’s will, and yet clouds blur your horizon, you should trust your instruments and stick to your flight plan. What are your instruments? They are the words of the Bible as well as the counsel and guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit. What is your flight plan? It is truth concerning God’s will that He has previously revealed to you.

So, has God told you to do something? Does He have you on a certain path in life? But is that path right now being obscured by some clouds of problem or difficulty? What should you do? Trust your instruments and fly straight through the clouds. If God wants you to do any climbing or diving, He will tell you. If He wants to change your flight plan, He’ll let you know. But until you receive some new directions from Him, the last ones He gave you still stand.

Posted in Adversity, Bible Study, Choices, Decisions, Discernment, Faith, God's Will, Perseverance, Problems, Scripture, The Bible, The Holy Spirit, Trials, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Words

Posted on July 13, 2022 by russellmckinney

Kent Crockett is a Bible teacher who is the President of Making Life Count Ministries. Like many of us, he is old enough to understand what the terms “8mm home movie camera,” “VHS,” and “VCR” mean. In reference to these items, he tells the following story from his past:

Years ago my wife and I recorded many of our family highlights using an 8mm home movie camera. We collected years of precious memories in numerous spools of film, which became antiquated after the invention of video cameras. Some friends living in another state offered to combine all our films into one videotape. We gladly accepted their generous offer and sent them our films.

Our friends placed an 8mm home movie camera in their living room to project our movies. They also set up a VHS video camera pointed at the screen and recorded the films while the other camera’s reels turned. They sent the completed videotape to us.

Cindy and I were anxious to watch the tape of our old movies. We brought out the popcorn and inserted the video into our VCR. But that’s where the fun stopped. As we beheld our old home movie films on videotape, we also listened to our friends’ remarks. They had not realized that when they recorded our films, the video camera also taped their critical comments about us!

When the videotape began, they started making fun of us. As the film continued to roll, their comments turned vicious. With every new scene came a cutting remark or hurtful joke. Daggers entered my heart as I listened to what our friends honestly thought about us. My wife was devastated.

Our friends looked at us through judgmental glasses. Although they were cordial to our faces, the video recorded the true thoughts of their hearts.

The Bible features numerous passages that are downright terrifying, and one of them is Matthew 12:36-37. In those verses, Jesus gives us an ominous warning:

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. (N.K.J.V.)

When we consider this awesome weight our words carry, not just in this life but in the “day of judgment,” I think you’ll agree with me that our frequent prayer should be David’s from Psalm 141:3:

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.(N.K.J.V.)

Posted in Character, Communication, Discipleship, Doing Good, Friendship, God's Judgment, Lying, Personal Holiness, Reward, Sanctification, Sin, The Tongue | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Beauty Untapped

Posted on July 11, 2022 by russellmckinney

Two men were driving down the road in a truck. Suddenly, the driver slowed down and said, “Look at that beautiful angel.” The passenger excitedly asked, “Where? Where?” The driver said, “Right there.”

The passenger said, “I don’t see any angel. All I see is that big rock.” The driver said, “I’m going to prove to you that there is an angel there.” He then took the passenger home, let him out, and drove back to his own house. There, he went into his garage, got out his hoist, and loaded the hoist into his truck bed. Then he drove back to the rock, used the hoist to load the rock into the truck bed, took the rock back to his house, and unloaded it with the hoist.

At that point, he went to work on the rock, systematically chipping away at it with hammers and chisels. He worked for weeks and weeks until finally he was finished. Then he called up the passenger and said, “Come over to my house. I want to show you something.” The passenger came over and saw a beautiful, sculptured angel. He said, “My, what a beautiful angel.” The driver said, “That’s the angel I saw on the road that day. It was in that rock all along. All I did was release it.” This story makes me think about how God can see the untapped beauty that lies within people.

God looked down at a timid sort of man whose family was entrenched in idolatry and saw the founding father of the race of people by whom Jesus would enter the world. Abraham was in that “rock” all along.

God looked down at a former member of Egyptian nobility, now living as a humble exile on the backside of the desert, and saw the man who would lead Israel out of Egyptian bondage. Moses was in that “rock” all along.

God looked down at a young shepherd boy whose own family didn’t even rate him all that high and saw Israel’s greatest king. David was in that “rock” all along.

God looked down at an uneducated fisherman, a man who was very prone to extremes, and saw the apostle who would preach the famous Pentecost sermon after which 3,000 people would get saved. Peter was in that “rock” all along.

God looked down at a brilliant, highly educated Pharisee, a man whose zeal for Judaism knew no bounds, and saw the apostle who would start churches all over the Roman empire, win hordes of people to Christ, and write half the New Testament. Paul was in that “rock” all along.

So, before you give up on yourself and decide that you’ll never amount to much in life, you’d better consider all these examples. You may be just a “rock” now, but God knows the untapped beauty that lies within you. But first you must believe in Jesus as your personal Savior and then unreservedly cast yourself at His feet, to do with as He will. That’s your part. His part is then to faithfully mold you and shape you, a little hammering here, a little chiseling there, until that beauty that was always within you is on display for the world to see.

Posted in Discipleship, Faith, God's Love, God's Omnipotence, God's Omniscience, God's Work, Individuality, Salvation, Service, Spiritual Gifts, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

How to Be a Herod

Posted on July 6, 2022 by russellmckinney

Israel’s first temple, known as Solomon’s temple, stood for 400 years before it was destroyed by the Babylonians. Israel’s second temple, known as Zerubbabel’s temple, stood for 500 years and served as the centerpiece of Jewish worship all during the 400-year gap that lies between the last page of the Old Testament and the first page of the New Testament. It was toward the end of that time period that an Idumean named Herod the Great became a major player in the history of Israel. By being a consummate politician, Herod convinced the Romans to place him in charge over Judea, which was the southern region of Israel. He then ruled over Judea for more than thirty years before dying not long after his infamous role in the story of the birth of Jesus.

Herod the Great was a very wicked man, but he was a tremendous builder, and perhaps his greatest building project was the redoing of Jerusalem’s temple. He understood that Zerubbabel’s temple was nowhere near as spectacular as Solomon’s had been, and so he made up his mind to correct that problem by not only reconstructing the temple but also expanding it greatly. Workers completed the bulk of the project in ten years, but the “detail work” continued on for many years afterwards. In John 2:20, the Jews even say, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple…” By the way, this was the temple that Jesus knew during His earthly life.

But, in the end, what happened to the temple that is now commonly referred to as “Herod’s temple” or “the third temple”? Would you believe that in 70 A.D., some 70 years or so after Herod’s death, the Romans completely destroyed it as a part of their efforts to reestablish their dominion over the Jews? Actually, the destruction of that temple was the fulfillment of a prophecy that Jesus had given. We read that prophecy in Matthew 24:1-2:

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (N.K.J.V.)

You say, “Okay, Russell, what’s your point?” My point is that Herod the Great poured untold time, wealth, energy, and manpower into a project that was destined to come to nothing, and if you and I aren’t careful we will make the same mistake. No, I don’t suppose that you will be building or renovating any temples anytime soon, but you can certainly pour your time, wealth, energy, and manpower into something that will not last. You can chase dreams that are unworthy dreams. You can spend your life in pursuit of futile accomplishments. You can lose years aiming at and firing at wrong targets.

Therefore, I guess right now would be a good time to look in the proverbial mirror and ask yourself, “Am I using my life to accomplish goals that are truly worthwhile or am I making the mistake that Herod made?” If you don’t know how to answer, ask God to show you what He thinks. And if He shows you that you need to change what you’re after, then do so immediately. After all, why kill yourself trying to build something that somebody else will just come along and knock down in the future?

Posted in Change, Choices, Decisions, Desires, Dying To Self, God's Will, God's Work, Priorities, Sports, Work | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Golden Rule

Posted on July 4, 2022 by russellmckinney

When you talk about the Old Testament law that God gave to the people of Israel, you’re on a BIG subject. Likewise, when you talk about the many prophecies that were given by God’s prophets from the Old Testament era, you’re on another BIG subject. Isn’t it interesting, then, how Jesus summed up the law and the prophets? He said:

“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12, N.K.J.V.)

Today, we call this “the golden rule.” However, what most people don’t know is that assorted versions of the rule actually existed before the time of Christ. Those versions could be found in Hinduism, Buddhism, and even in the teachings of the Jewish rabbis. But the difference was that all of those previous versions stated the rule as a negative command. For example, the rabbi Hillel’s version was, “What is hateful to yourself do not to someone else.” You see, what Jesus did was put a positive spin on things. His teaching was, “It’s not enough just to keep yourself from doing bad to others; you also need to make a point of doing good to them.”

One Christian realized to his dismay that he had become not only selfish but also very cynical in his attitude toward others. So, he determined that each day he would do at least one thing that would brighten the life of someone else. What he found was that with each day and each deed, his own happiness grew more and more.

But one night, as this Christian was going to bed, he realized that he hadn’t made good on his commitment for that day. Since it was late, he decided that the best thing he could do was give someone a phone call. The recipient he chose was a man who had been confined to his home for a long time by illness.

As it turned out, the sick man was absolutely dumbfounded by the call. Every so often during the conversation he would ask the Christian, “Why are you calling me?” Each time the answer was something along the lines of, “Oh, I was just thinking about you. I haven’t been to see you lately, but I intend to come soon. In the meantime, I thought I’d call and talk a little.” A few days later the sick man’s wife happened to bump into the Christian. She told him, “My husband is still not over your call. It was a miracle. He had just said the day before, ‘Nobody ever calls me.’”

Christian, we would all do well to commit ourselves to doing at least one good deed per day that brightens someone else’s life. It can be a phone call, an email, a text, a visit, a card, an act of kindness, or an encouraging word. The options are virtually limitless. The one thing they all have in common is that each one falls under the heading of the golden rule: Whatever you want others to do to you, do also to them.

And so, I’ll ask you to give this a try. Make a point of doing something to brighten another person’s day. There’s just no telling how much good you will do for that person. For that matter, there’s just no telling how much good you will do for yourself as well.

Posted in Discipleship, Doing Good, God's Work, Influence, Ministry, Service | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A “Bring Your Own Board” Kind of Church

Posted on July 1, 2022 by russellmckinney

A man named Squire Hughes was one of the first settlers west of the Miami River in Ohio. Being a religious man, he would ride twenty miles on horseback just to worship at the Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati. There was a problem, however, the first time he attended worship at that church. The church’s pews were the style that had a door on the outside of each one, and all those doors remained closed to Hughes when he initially walked down the church aisle. That meant that not one person from one pew was hospitable enough to open their door and invite him into their pew to sit with them.

After Hughes had walked all the way down to the front of the church, he started making his way back up the aisle. By this time, a few of the “good Christians” were feeling ashamed enough of themselves to open their doors for him, but Hughes had a temper and the damage had already been done. So, he angrily stormed back up the aisle, past all the pews, and walked out the back door.

A short time later he came back into the church, this time carrying a board he had found. He walked all the way back down to the front of the church, sat down on the board, and remained there until the end of the service. Then he picked up the board, put it on his shoulder, walked out the back door, and rode away. And what do you think happened the next time he attended that church? Every pew door was opened to him!

Have you had any visitors to your church lately? If so, how did you treat them? Did you greet them with a smiling face, a warm welcome, and a hearty, “Here, sit by me”? Or did you look at them with an upturned nose and think, “Now what are they doing here?”

Ah, the church of the “frozen chosen.” Most towns have at least one. It might be a rich church or it might be a poor church, but it’s the one where the folks have the mentality, “We’ve got our select group and we don’t need anyone else.” I’m telling you, Christian, beware of that mentality. Why? Well, first and foremost, it is highly displeasing to God because it is lethal to outreach. But second, you just never know when some Squire Hughes type might put you in your place one Sunday.

Posted in Church, Church Attendance, Evangelism, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

One is Enough

Posted on June 29, 2022 by russellmckinney

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. (1 Corinthians 12:7, N.L.T.)

When a person is born, he or she comes wired with certain talents, skills, and natural abilities. Obviously, these must be recognized and honed as the individual grows, but the point is that these things are inside the person even in infancy. They simply need to be put to use.

Along the same lines, the New Testament teaches that when a person believes in Christ as Savior, God the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside that person’s body (Romans 8:9-11). Thus, the person is born again (John 3:1-21). And one of the things the Spirit does is impart to the person at least one “spiritual gift” (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Ephesians 4:7-11).

What is a spiritual gift? It is a talent, skill, or ability that the person did not have before becoming a Christian. As with natural talents, skills, and abilities, it might take the new Christian (who is called a babe in Christ: 1 Corinthians 3:1; 1 Peter 2:2) a while to identify the spiritual gift and hone it, but the gift is present from the moment of salvation. Some Christians are given more than one spiritual gift, but every Christian is given at least one (1 Corinthians 12:7). The good news is that one is plenty by which to serve Christ in great and mighty ways.     

A young man who lost his left arm in an automobile accident wanted to learn judo. His family, delighted that he wasn’t letting his disability keep him down, hired an old Japanese master to teach him judo’s throws. After three months had passed, the master had taught the young man only one throw, but that specific throw had been perfected. Surprisingly, the master felt that it was time for the young man to enter his first competition. Even more surprisingly, the young man actually won the event, defeating the defending champion in the finals.

After the finals, the young man asked the master the question that had been on his mind: “Why did you teach me only one throw?” The master replied, “There are two reasons. First, by mastering that one throw you have mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second, the only known defense for that throw is for your opponent to grab your left arm.”

You see, that young man knew only one throw, but one was enough. Likewise, Christian, God the Holy Spirit may have imparted to you only one spiritual gift, but that one is enough. So use it, use it, use it, over and over and over again in service to Christ. Why? Because Satan won’t have a defense for it and it will surely help others.

Posted in Adversity, Attitude, Doing Good, God's Provision, God's Work, Ministry, Salvation, Satan, Spiritual Gifts, Talents, The Devil, The Holy Spirit | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Arms of God

Posted on June 27, 2022 by russellmckinney

The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms… (Deuteronomy 33:27, N.K.J.V.)

A family was awakened one night by the blaring of their smoke detector. Sure enough, their house was on fire. The father immediately raced into the kids’ room and came out carrying his eighteen-month-old baby with one arm and holding his four-year-old son’s hand with the other. They were halfway down the stairs when the four-year-old realized that he’d left his teddy bear in his room. Impulsively, he broke away from his father’s grip and ran back to get the bear. With the house beginning to fill up with smoke, the father made the split-second decision to get the baby out and then go back and retrieve the four-year-old. He calculated that he’d have enough time.

Unfortunately, the fire accelerated faster than the father expected, and by the time he got the baby outside, the flames had trapped the four-year-old in the second-floor bedroom. Frantically, the father looked up to the window and through the thick smoke saw that the boy had raised the window and was trying to get out. The man yelled, “Jump, son, I’ll catch you!” The boy, who was now engulfed in smoke, said, “But I can’t see you, daddy.” To that, the father answered, “That’s okay, son. Jump. I can see you!”

Tell me, is God calling you to make some “jump” in your life right now? In other words, is He asking you to do something that you’re just not sure about? Maybe you are hesitating to obey Him. Maybe you are arguing with Him. Maybe you’ve passed through the stages of hesitation and argument and are now in full-blown disobedience.

If any of that describes you, I want you to remember that if you know for certain that it’s God who is doing the calling, you needn’t worry about not being able to see where you will land. Where you will land is in the strong arms of a God who loves you more than you can imagine and knows what’s best for your life. You see, if God is calling you to “jump,” He is already standing with His arms open wide to catch you, and the reality of life is that His arms are always the best place to end up in the aftermath of any decision you will ever make.

Posted in Belief, Choices, Faith, Fatherhood, Fear, God's Omnipotence, God's Omnipresence, God's Will, Obedience, Submission, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Overturning of Roe vs. Wade

Posted on June 24, 2022 by russellmckinney

Not only did I not expect to hear today that the Supreme Court had officially overturned Roe vs. Wade, I’ve spent the last thirty years not expecting to hear it. That’s how long I’ve been preaching. During those years I have preached anti-abortion sermons more times than I can remember, but I never preached even one of them with full expectation in my heart that Roe vs. Wade would ever be overturned. And yet, I’ve now lived long enough to see that day. Praise God.

More than eleven years ago, on January 25, 2011, I wrote a blog post entitled “What the Bible Teaches About Abortion.” Today, I’d like to republish that post in honor of this historic day in American history. I’m republishing this post for two reasons. First and foremost, it provides the Biblical case against abortion. Second, it stands as just one example in a vast sea of them of how Bible-believing Christians have doggedly held the scriptural line in the battle over abortion. Even as I write these words, I am reminded of Galatians 6:9, which offers encouragement to committed Christians by saying: “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.). Needless to say, today is a “due season” in which we are reaping a good harvest for our labor. No, the battle over abortion isn’t 100% won yet, but there’s certainly no denying that today is a watershed moment in that battle.

So, here now is the old post. Even if you don’t agree with it, I trust that it will help you better understand what the Bible teaches about this topic. All the scriptural references come from the New King James Version, with me adding emphasis to certain words and phrases by placing them in bold print and italics:

This past Saturday, January 22, marked the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 ruling in the infamous Roe vs. Wade case. That ruling legalized abortion in America. As it so happens, yesterday I dropped off some items our church had donated to our local Tri-County Pregnancy Center. These two occurrences have brought the issue of abortion front and center to my mind.

The number of babies reported as aborted in America now stands at over 53 million. Please stop right now and read that sentence again. The Nazis killed 6 million Jews in World War II, and history rightly labeled it a holocaust. It makes you wonder what we should call 53 million forced deaths. Tragedy? That’s too soft. Atrocity? That’s a little closer. Barbarity? Now you’re getting warmer. Savagery? That might be about as accurate as we can come.

And the plain fact is that the death toll actually stands at more than 53 million. I say that because it is common knowledge that abortion is oftentimes a “cash” business, and in such businesses the books aren’t always, shall we say, exact. Why pay the I.R.S. when you can cheat, right? Before she became a Christian, Carol Everett was the head of multiple abortion clinics, and she freely admits that her clinics routinely kept two sets of books — one for herself and one for the I.R.S. In light of such typical operating procedure, there’s simply no way of calculating a truly accurate number of the abortions that have been performed in America.

But it’s not my purpose here to try and figure out the exact number of babies that have been lost since Roe vs. Wade. It’s also not my purpose to bring politics into the discussion. No, what I really want to do with this post is take the Bible and explain just what it teaches about abortion. So, if you have a problem with what I say, your problem will be with God’s written word, not with me. Keep that in mind as we go along.

Now, I want to ask and answer three questions, and question #1 is:

According to the Bible, when does life actually begin?

The answer is: at the moment of conception in the womb. As proof of this, I’ll cite seven passages and ask you to read them carefully, with an open mind.

  • Psalm 139:13-16: “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb…My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret…Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed…”
  • Psalm 22:10: “…From My mother’s womb You have been My God.”
  • Isaiah 49:1: “…The Lord has called me from the womb. From the matrix (inward parts) of My mother He has made mention of my name.”
  • Job 10:8-12: “Your hands have made me and fashioned me, an intricate unity; yet You would not destroy me. Remember, I pray, that You have made me like clay. And will You turn me into dust again? Did you not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese, clothe me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews? You have granted me life and favor, and your care has preserved my spirit.”
  • Jeremiah 1:4-5: “Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you…’”
  • Luke 1:13-15: “But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.’”
  • Galatians 1:15: “…it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace…”

Alright, now, question #2 is:

According to the Bible, is a mother’s life ever more important than her child’s life?

The answer is: no. The Bible contains seemingly countless passages that sing the praises of selflessness, love, sacrifice, motherhood, and concern for others, but I think a good singular proof text here is Genesis 35:16-20. That passage tells the story of how Jacob’s beloved wife, Rachel, died giving birth to their son, Benjamin. What’s interesting is that despite Rachel’s great importance in the life of Jacob, to say nothing of her importance in the unfolding of the history recorded in Genesis, God let her die and her baby live. That right there ought to tell us something about His mind on this question.

And then, question #3 is:

According to the Bible, does an unborn child have the same standing with God an adult has?

The answer here is, yes, and the passage is Exodus 21:22-25. I understand that these verses are specifically a part of God’s Old Testament law for Israel, and we don’t live under that law. However, that doesn’t mean that we can’t glean truth from it. As you read these verses, pay careful attention to how God rates the health of a baby in a womb on legal par with someone who injures that unborn child. The verses say:

If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. (N.K.J.V.)

Well, now that I’ve asked these three questions and provided their answers, I’d like to think that I’ve said enough to convince you of what the Bible teaches about abortion. But, just for further proof, here are a few more “quick hits.” Hopefully, you’ll find these instructive too:

  1. A man and a woman can have sex, but only God can create life. Thus, He is the only one who should have any say over how that life is ended.
  2. The argument that a deformed fetus can be aborted without repercussion because such a child doesn’t come with God’s full “stamp of approval” is not a valid one. In Exodus 4:11, God says to Moses, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?”
  3. In Job 3:11, Job asks, “Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?” Think about it, you have to be alive to begin with in order to die or perish at birth.
  4. In Genesis 25:23, God refers to Jacob and Esau as two nations even as they were still fetuses in Rebekah’s womb.
  5. A Christian woman has no right to say, “My body is my own, so I’ll do what I want to with it.” Why doesn’t a Christian woman have that right? It’s because 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says to Christians: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
  6. Psalm 106:34-43; Deuteronomy 12:31; 2 Kings 17:17; and Ezekiel 16:20-21 describe how the people of Israel learned the idolatrous ways of the people of Canaan and ended up sacrificing their sons and daughters to idols, which in reality was sacrificing them to demons. God called these sacrifices the shedding of innocent blood, and His wrath was kindled against Israel as He began to abhor His own people. Should we Americans not expect Him to respond to us the same way in the wake of the millions of innocent babies we have aborted? Keep in mind that Proverbs 6:16-19 says that God hates “hands that shed innocent blood.”
  7. Christians simply do not have the option of remaining silent on the issue of abortion. Proverbs 31:8-9 says: “Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”

Now, in closing, let me be sure to say something to any man or woman who has been the cause of an abortion: GOD STILL LOVES YOU. Abortion is not the unpardonable sin, and there is a full and blessed life that can be lived even after an abortion. You need to understand that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses and forgives all sin. Heaven isn’t divided into the camps of mothers and fathers who aborted their children and mothers and fathers who didn’t. For that matter, neither is hell.

Furthermore, while we’ve seen that the Bible has a lot to say about abortion, it has even more to say about the forgiveness that is offered to all in Jesus Christ. That forgiveness certainly extends to the sin of abortion, and Jesus is more than willing to shower it upon you if you will place your belief in Him as Savior (John 3:16). So, I assure you that the purpose of this post has not been to demoralize you by clubbing you over the head with the Bible. What it’s been is an attempt to provide a faithful and fairly thorough analysis of what God’s written word teaches on a highly controversial subject.

Posted in Abortion, Bible Study, Children, Current Events, Fatherhood, God's Word, Motherhood, Parenting, Scripture | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is Beautiful Music Coming From You?

Posted on June 22, 2022 by russellmckinney

Old stories are just that: old stories. Some are true and some aren’t. Here’s one that comes from the late seventeenth century. I can’t testify to it’s authenticity, but it’s a good story.

As a wealthy man from London was traveling across Europe, he found an old violin in a rundown little shop in Paris. The violin’s finish was flaking. Its bridges were broken down. Its strings were gone. But something about the instrument intrigued the man, and so he bought it for a small sum.

He took the violin to his room and tinkered with it a bit before realizing that repairing it was far too great a task for him. He then began a systematic search to find someone to do the job. In Cremona, Italy, he asked a man on the street if he knew anyone who repaired violins, and the man directed him to a certain house. The wealthy man went to that house, knocked on the door, and was greeted by a servant who instructed him to leave the violin and come back in one week.

When the man returned to pick up his instrument a week later, the door was answered by someone other than the servant. This other man looked quite elegant and wore distinguished glasses, and when he brought forth the violin, it was restored completely and sparkled with beauty. It didn’t even look like the same instrument from a week earlier.

The wealthy man took his violin and tried to play it, but the sound that came from it was harsh and unpleasant. He thought, “Oh well, it was worth a try to fix it. At least it looks better now.” Then he asked the other man for the bill and was appalled at what seemed to be an outrageous price, considering that the violin’s sound still left much to be desired.

At that point the man with the glasses took the instrument back and began playing it, producing a sound that was indescribably beautiful to the ear. The owner, with his eyes bouncing, quickly changed his mind about the restoration fee and agreed to pay it. As he handed over the money, he asked the gentleman, “Who are you, sir?” The answer came back, “My name is Antonio Stradivari. If you will look closely, you’ll find that name inside your violin because I made it.”

The spiritual application of this story is two fold. First, just as Antonio Stradivari knew how to restore one of his Stradivarius violins, God knows how to restore you, His creation. Second, just as Stradivari knew exactly how to play one of his violins to produce the most beautiful music from it, God knows how to play you to produce the most beautiful music you have in you.

Posted in Change, Doing Good, God's Love, God's Omniscience, God's Sovereignty, God's Work, Grace, Individuality, Service, Spiritual Gifts | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment