A Word to the Adults

Posted on June 20, 2022 by russellmckinney

I once had the privilege of speaking at the chapel service of our local Tri-County Christian school. Trust me when I tell you that wasn’t an easy assignment. If you doubt me, you try coming up with something that will keep the attention of young people whose ages range from K-12.

I began by having us all read Matthew 26:36-44 together, and then I spoke on the subject of surrendering yourself completely to God’s will. For a focal point of emphasis, I talked about the “nevertheless” way of living. That concept comes from Christ’s garden of Gethsemane prayer: “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” I really don’t know if my sermon made much of an impact on those young folks, but if even one of them got hold of the “nevertheless” concept, I accomplished a lot that morning.

After I left the school that day, I found myself thinking about Ecclesiastes 12:1: “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, ‘I have no pleasure in them.’” As I reflected back upon the days of my own youth, I had to admit that even though I had remembered my Creator to some degree, my track record in that department had been a few billion miles from perfect. My prayer for those kids of Tri-County Christian school was that their efforts at serving the Lord during their younger days would far outdo anything previous generations had done.

The truth is, however, that much of what kids do or don’t do will always depend upon what kind of mentoring and guidance they receive from adults. That’s why us adults must never stop remembering our Creator, no matter how old we get. For one thing, God desires the obedience. For another, we need the blessings that come from such obedience. And for yet another, our young people need the role models. You see, it’s a win-win-win situation. So, adult, I ask you: What kind of a role model are you? That’s a good question to ask yourself right now, no matter what season of adulthood you currently find yourself.

Posted in Aging, Character, Children, Discipleship, Doing Good, Dying To Self, Elderly, God's Will, God's Work, Holiness, Influence, Parenting, Personal, Personal Holiness, Sanctification, Service, Submission, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Faith

Posted on June 17, 2022 by russellmckinney

Flywheel was the first movie done by the Kendrick Brothers, who are associated with Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga. It’s not as well known as the brothers’ other movies (Facing The Giants, Fireproof, Courageous, War Room, and Overcomer), but I like it. At the end of Flywheel, the lead character names his new baby girl “Faith.” This comes on the heels of all the lessons about faith that God had been teaching him.

I once heard a preacher say, “The faith walk is on a need-to-know basis,” and my own walk with the Lord has proven the truth of those words. God never gives me the full revelation of what He’s doing in my life. Instead, I only get the guidance and instruction I need to take the next step. And whenever I think I’ve got the path figured out and can run ahead, He throws me a curveball to keep Me looking to Him.

In the New Living Translation, Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as “the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen” and “the evidence of things we cannot yet see.” Tell me, are you “hoping” for a particular thing from God? Are you desiring something you “cannot yet see”? If you are, then rest assured that if the thing is God’s will, He will bring it to pass in His timing and way.

In the meantime, though, He wants you to have sincere faith that He is going to get that job done. There really is no substitute for this faith, and you having it will make an incalculable difference in your overall attitude and mindset. You see, faith creates optimism, hope, and joy, but a lack of it creates pessimism, despair, and gloom. So, if you were naming your baby girl today, could you honestly name her “Faith”? If not, what you need to do is have a long talk with God about why you couldn’t name her that. The truth is, whether you like it or not, even the answers you are looking for in regards to your lack of faith can only be found in Him.

Posted in Adversity, Belief, Faith, God's Timing, Patience, Perseverance, Personal, Prayer, Reward, Trials, Trusting In God, Waiting | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Slander

Posted on June 13, 2022 by russellmckinney

Ray Donovan was the Secretary of Labor under President Reagan. His time in office was marked by a highly publicized case in which Donovan and six others were tried in New York on charges of larceny and fraud. In the end, Donovan and the six other defendants were acquitted. However, at the conclusion of the trial, Donovan pointed out a lingering problem when he famously asked, “Which office do I go to to get my reputation back?”

Proverbs 22:1 says: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches…” (N.K.J.V.). In light of this, we should all guard ourselves against committing the sin of slandering another person. And as proof that slander can take place, let me point out that some of the Bible’s greatest characters were slandered. I’m talking about the likes of Joseph (Genesis 39:7-20), David (2 Samuel 10:1-3), Stephen (Acts 6:8-14), Paul (Acts 24:5-6), and, of course, Jesus (Matthew 11:19, Matthew 26:59-68). Even though these men were all innocent of the accusations leveled against them, much damage was done to their reputations.

To be clear, all criticism is not slander. If the criticism is legitimate and valid, that’s another subject altogether. Furthermore, God’s word certainly does allow for not only the proper voicing of appropriate criticism but also the proper prosecution of criminals if a situation merits it. Christians are even scripturally mandated to rebuke sin. But we must tread carefully in the midst of this potential minefield, especially in these days when anybody can use social media to accuse anyone of anything. Ray Donovan was spot on when he noted that there is no way for a person to reclaim his or her unjustly destroyed reputation. As Proverbs 11:9 says: “The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor…” (N.K.J.V.). That’s why we must make sure that our words are marked by both accuracy and discernment. Otherwise, we’ll cross the line into sin ourselves by damaging someone’s reputation who doesn’t deserve it.

Posted in Character, Communication, Criticism, Discernment, Doing Good, God's Work, Holiness, Honesty, Influence, Personal Holiness, The Tongue, Truth | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Church Bulletin Humor

Posted on June 10, 2022 by russellmckinney

There’s nothing wrong with using bulletins in your church, but you’d better make sure they are done well. Otherwise, they can make your church look kind of stupid. Today’s post offers a few examples from that category. I got these from an article that Bob Terrell ran in the December 17, 2000, edition of the Asheville Citizen Times. According to him, they were sent to him by Bea Pyle of Ormond Beach, Fla. See if you can spot the problem with each bulletin announcement.

-Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Memorial Church. Come and hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.

-Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday in the recreation hall. Come and watch us kill Christ the King.

-Miss Charlene Mason sang “I Will Not Pass This Way Again,” giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

-The sermon this morning: “Jesus Walks on the Water.” The sermon tonight: “Searching for Jesus.”

-Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community.

-Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say “hell” to someone who doesn’t care much about you.

-Don’t let worry kill you off. Let the Church help.

-At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be “What Is Hell?” Come early and listen to our choir practice.

-Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

-Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles, and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

-The Lutheran men’s group will meet at 6 p.m.: steak, mashed potatoes, beans, bread, and dessert will be served for a nominal feel.

-Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person(s) you want remembered.

-Attend and you will hear an excellent speaker and heave a healthy lunch.

-Potluck supper Sunday at 5 p.m. Prayer and medication to follow.

-The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

-This evening at 7 p.m. there will be a hymn sing in the park across from the church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

-Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the BS is done.

-Low Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. Please use the back door.

-The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the church basement Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

-The associate minister unveiled the church’s new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: “I Upped My Pledge – Up Yours.”

Posted in Church, Humor | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Making Your Time Count

Posted on June 8, 2022 by russellmckinney

During the Desert Storm invasion of Kuwait and Iraq, Colonel William Post received an urgent fax from headquarters. The fax was a complaint that 400 cases of jelly were not accounted for in the Colonel’s records. Consequently, he sent a Private to find the missing cases of jelly. But the Private couldn’t locate them.

After not receiving a reply from the Colonel’s office, headquarters promptly sent a second fax, one that sounded more urgent than the first. It said the end of the month was approaching and that every effort must be made to either find the cases of jelly or somehow account for what had happened to them. Colonel Post, having already ordered one attempt to find the jelly, chose to ignore the second fax.

As a result, it wasn’t long before a third fax came, and this one had a tone. It demanded that the Colonel immediately respond to the need to find the cases of jelly – or else. At this point, Colonel Post got mad. In reply, He sent back a fax that read: “Look, I can find the jelly or I can kick Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait. Which do you prefer? I can’t do both.”

Are you wasting too much time on non-essentials? Do you spend a good portion of your days “finding jelly”? If you will do an honest assessment of how you spend your time, you might be surprised to learn how much fluff makes up your day. God, of course, wants us to be good stewards, and that involves stewardship over our time. So, always remember this: Others may be more skilled, talented, or gifted than you, but no one is allotted more time per day than you; make that time count.

Posted in Choices, Doing Good, Entertainment, God's Will, God's Work, Priorities, Service, Stewardship | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

God’s Delays

Posted on June 6, 2022 by russellmckinney

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “God is taking too long,” you come from a large tribe. I, for one, am very impatient. You know that you are impatient when microwaves, fast food restaurants, and remote controls are too slow for you!

Nevertheless, God’s timing, though oftentimes perplexing, is always best. Consider the story that is found in John 11:1-45. As Lazarus, who was a close friend of Jesus, lay sick and near death, his two sisters, Mary and Martha, sent word to Jesus. Obviously, they wanted Jesus to drop whatever He was doing and rush to Lazarus’ aid.

But after receiving the news that Lazarus was gravely ill, Jesus remained where He was for the next two days. Rather than rush to help Lazarus, Jesus’ reaction to the news was simply, “This sickness will not end in death. It is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” It was only after the two days had passed that Jesus said to His disciples, “Lazarus is dead.”

By the time Jesus arrived at Lazarus’ home, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Apparently, he had died shortly after that messenger had been dispatched to find Jesus. It had taken the messenger a day to get to Jesus, and it had taken Jesus a day to get to Lazarus. Add in the two days of delay and you get four days in the tomb. I’ve read that the Jews believed that the spirit hovered near the body for three days and then departed. So, with Lazarus being in the tomb for four days, it seemed that even Jesus wouldn’t be able to do anything to remedy the situation.

Understandably, Mary and Martha were angry and disappointed with Jesus. On separate occasions, each of them uttered the same line: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” To be fair, Martha did add in a touch of faith to her complaint by saying, “But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give You.” That seems to indicate that she still wanted to believe that Jesus could do something miraculous.

And, of course, He did. He went out to the tomb and, with many onlookers in attendance, raised Lazarus from the dead. When Lazarus came out of that cave still loosely wrapped in burial cloths, Jesus said to some of those people, “Loose him and let him go.” How would you like to have been given the assignment of unwrapping a mummy?

Then, just when we think the story can’t get any better, we get the payoff. John 11:45 says: Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in him.” You see, just as Jesus gave physical life to Lazarus that day, He gave spiritual life to all those new believers. That two-day wait of His had set the stage for a prolific evangelistic harvest.

This story should teach us that if God delays doing something, He has a good reason for the delay. He really is always up to something bigger and better than we can imagine. So, if He currently has you in the midst of a delay, make yourself be patient. Keep your faith high that He hasn’t forgotten about you, and just let Him work things out not only in His will but in His timing. The fact is, you just never know what miracle, either physical or spiritual, He might have in mind.

Posted in Belief, Christ's Miracles, Doubt, Evangelism, Faith, God's Timing, God's Will, Impatience, Patience, Perseverance, Prayer Requests, Problems, Trusting In God, Waiting | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

God’s Thoughts, Plans, & Love

Posted on June 4, 2022 by russellmckinney

Jeremiah 29:11 is an often-quoted verse. It says: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says the Lord, “thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (N.K.J.V.) The Hebrew word translated there as “thoughts” carries with it the idea of planning, plotting, intending, devising, imagining, and purposing. That’s why every translation other than the King James and the New King James translate the word as “plans.” For example, the N.I.V. renders the verse: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” The point is, God doesn’t just think good thoughts; He also devises plans that will bring those good thoughts to pass.

Obviously, this is a beautiful verse that conveys a very pleasant idea. But we must be sure to take the verse’s context into account. This isn’t Paul writing to Christians. Instead, it is God speaking through the Jewish prophet Jeremiah to the Old Testament Jews. God is telling them what He is going to do for them once their seventy-year captivity in Babylon has ended. The previous verse, verse 10, makes this clear. It says: For thus says the Lord: “After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place (Jerusalem).” So, you see, there really isn’t anybody alive right now who can specifically claim verse 11 as their own.

This doesn’t mean, however, that the general principle of the verse cannot be carried over into our day. We shouldn’t think of God as creation’s mean-spirited policeman, a cosmic killjoy who won’t let us have any fun. The truth is, He would much rather think good thoughts than bad ones toward people. He’d much rather devise plans for good than bad. He’d much rather bless than judge.

God didn’t enjoy allowing the Babylonians to conquer Judah and carry the Jews off to Babylon for seventy years of captivity. He only did that because those Jews needed chastening. For a 490-year period, they had ignored His command to let the land rest every seventh year (Exodus 23:11). This meant that they owed the land seventy individual years of rest. The land got each year of that rest during those seventy years the people were exiled in Babylon (Leviticus 26:27-35; 2 Chronicles 36:15-21).

While that punishment definitely conveys one side of God’s nature, it isn’t His only side. As soon as the seventy years of whipping were finished, God’s word to those Jews was, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Do you see the perfect balance?

If there were ever any doubts about God loving all people, they were dispelled when Jesus (God the Son) came into this world and became one of us. This was God giving to all humanity the absolute best He had: Himself. He did this even though He knew the gift would be ridiculed, misunderstood, mocked, rejected, arrested, whipped, and nailed to a cross to die. Why would God do such a thing? To save believers from their sins! As John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (N.I.V.)

I don’t know how you are feeling right now, but I can tell you with all certainty that God loves you. He loves you so much that Jesus died for you so that God can spend all eternity with you. You’ve got to love someone a whole bunch to want to be around them forever!!! Jesus came to Earth so that you could go to Heaven. He lived and died so that you could die and live. He paid a debt He did not owe because you owed a debt you could not pay. So, the next time you to start to doubt that God loves you, look to the cross. There you’ll find the indisputable measure of His love.

Posted in Balance, Belief, Christ's Death, Crucifixion, Disobedience, Forgiveness, God's Love, Heaven, Salvation | Leave a comment

The Christian as a Teacher

Posted on June 1, 2022 by russellmckinney

Allow me to offer three illustrations that involve teaching. Teaching, of course, can be a wonderful thing that produces desirable results. As we will see with each of these illustrations, however, sometimes the whole process can turn sideways in a hurry.

Illustration #1: A man was attempting to house train his dog. Every time the dog made a mess in the house, he threw the dog out the window as punishment. After about three weeks, someone asked the man how the training was coming along. He said, “That dumb dog – now every time he makes a mess he finishes up by jumping out the window.”

Illustration #2: A teenage girl took first-aid training. A few days later she burst into the house and said, “Mother, I just saw a terrible accident and I used my first-aid training.” The proud mother, with visions of her daughter heroically giving someone mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, said, “Oh, honey, that’s wonderful. What did you do?” The girl said, “When I saw the blood, I sat down and put my head between my knees so I wouldn’t pass out.”

Illustration #3: The starting quarterback on the high school team got injured and the team had to send in an untested freshman to replace him. Normally, the freshman was the team’s punter. Since the coach didn’t trust the freshman to run the offense, he said to the kid, “Just hand the ball off to Jones, our big fullback, for three plays and then punt.” The freshman said, “Got it, coach” and ran onto the field.

On the first play, Jones ripped off a long run. The hometown crowd roared. The next play Jones rumbled for another big chunk of yards. The crowd roared again. The next play Jones ran the ball all the way down inside the one yard line, just inches away from a touchdown. The crowd went into a frenzy.

Then the team lined up for the next play. The freshman quarterback took the snap, dropped back a couple of yards, and punted the ball completely through the end-zone, far up into the stands. As the team came off the field, the incensed coach grabbed the young quarterback and screamed, “What in the world were you thinking when you punted that ball?” The youngster said, “I was thinking, ‘we sure do have a dumb coach.’”

Teaching gets trying at times, doesn’t it? But let’s keep at it, especially in the realm of Christian teaching. As Solomon attempted to teach his son, Rehoboam, about the dangers of adultery, he told him to obey his words so that the young man wouldn’t have to admit to a certain truth about himself. What was that truth? Solomon didn’t want Rehoboam to have to say, “How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised correction! I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me! I was on the verge of total ruin…” (Proverbs 5:12-14, N.K.J.V.). You see, right there is the highest motivation for Christian teaching. The Christian teaches for the purpose of keeping someone from total ruin.

There is a debate as to who wrote the Bible’s book of Hebrews. Whoever it was, though, wrote under the inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16), and in Hebrews 5:12 he rebukes the Jewish Christians to whom he is writing. And what does he rebuke them for? He rebukes them for not being spiritually far enough along to be TEACHERS of the word of God. Obviously, those Christians had been saved long enough to have become capable of teaching God’s word, but they hadn’t done their “learning” and therefore still needed to be taught themselves.

Whatever else we might say about that verse, it certainly proves that God wants Christians to be teachers of His word. This doesn’t mean that it’s His will for every Christian to be a pastor, Sunday School teacher, missionary, theologian, or seminary professor. It does mean, though, that each Christian should be doing his or her part to instruct others in what “Thus saith the Lord.”

So, how are you doing on that, Christian? Can you effectively weave the teachings of God’s word into everyday conversations? Are you a veritable well of scriptural instruction to your friends, acquaintances, and coworkers? If you have children, do you make a point of telling them what the Bible says about controversial issues? I hope you will agree with me that your answer to each of these questions should be: yes. And in case you are wondering why this is such a big deal, let me remind you that God just might want to use your teaching to save someone from spiritual ruin.

Posted in Bible Study, Children, Influence, Parenting, Scripture, Teaching, The Bible | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A Prayer Worth Praying

Posted on May 30, 2022 by russellmckinney

My friend Malcolm Woody once sent me an e-mail that included an awesome prayer. The prayer came from John Baillie, the Scottish theologian who wrote the classic book A Diary of Private Prayer. The prayer goes like this:

Teach me, O’ God, to use all the circumstances of my life today that they may bring forth in me the fruits of holiness rather than the fruits of sin.

Let me use disappointment as material for patience.

Let me use success as material for thankfulness.

Let me use trouble as material for perseverance.

Let me use danger as material for courage.

Let me use reproach as material for longsuffering.

Let me use praise as material for humility.

Let me use pleasures as material for temperance.

Let me use pain as material for endurance.

The idea behind this prayer is that everything that life brings our way can be harnessed and used in God’s service. There is no circumstance that can’t be redeemed. Good days, bad days, ups, downs, joys, and heartbreaks can all produce what Baillie calls “the fruits of holiness.”

Romans 8:28-29 says:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

Those verses mean that God doesn’t waste anything. He repurposes all things (disappointment, success, trouble, danger, reproach, praise, pleasures, pain, etc.) by making them work together for a very specific type of good in the life of the Christian. And what is that specific type of good? It is the conforming of the Christian to the image of Christ.

You see, a life filled with nothing but disappointment will conform a Christian to some of the image of Christ but not all of it. Likewise, a life filled with nothing but success will conform a Christian to some of the image of Christ but not all of it. It really does take the whole gamut of human experiences to conform a Christian to the complete image of the Savior.

Someone once asked a certain Christian, “Why do you work so hard at trying to be like Jesus?” The Christian answered, “When I get to heaven I will at last be made completely like Him, and I don’t want the change to be such a shock to my system.” That’s the idea! The more we are conformed to Christ’s image in this life the less radical the completion of the conformation will be in the afterlife.

And how do we become more and more conformed to that image in this life? We allow God to use ALL of life’s varied circumstances to mold and shape us. That’s why John Baillie’s prayer is so worth praying. So, Christian, why not pray it today? Better yet, why not make it a part of your daily praying? After all, it’s really not all that hard to memorize, and it will help you to truly grab hold of the teaching of Romans 8:28-29.

Posted in Adversity, Courage, Disappointment, Fear, God's Sovereignty, Humility, Loneliness, Persecution, Perseverance, Personal Holiness, Prayer, Problems, Sanctification, Sickness, Suffering, Trials, Trusting In God, Waiting | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Sin & Church Attendance

Posted on May 27, 2022 by russellmckinney

Can you imagine getting drunk Saturday night and then going to church the next morning? Can you imagine rolling out of a bed you share with your live-in lover, getting dressed, and going to church? Can you imagine having beer on your breath as you attend a church service? Can you imagine not paying a bill you owe and then trying to worship with the person to whom you owe it?

As a pastor, I’ve seen professing Christians do these things. Each time I was left to wonder about the mentality that could create such behavior. I’m sure that Ananias and Sapphira would have some thoughts on this subject. They lied about their level of commitment to the Lord and were struck dead after bringing their offering to the apostles (Acts 5:1-11). Nadab and Abihu would have some thoughts, too. They were devoured in flames as they attempted to perform their priestly duties while under the influence of alcohol (Leviticus 10:1-11).

The hard, cold truth is that if God still imposed such high standards for worship, we’d be seeing a lot of funerals in our churches today. The current status quo reminds me of the worshipers of Amos’ time. Even though the northern kingdom of Israel was wicked to the core, the citizens were still faithfully attending their supposed “worship” services at Bethel and Gilgal. Amos sarcastically mocked these services by saying, “Come to Bethel and transgress. At Gilgal, multiply transgression” (Amos 4:4).

Far too many Christians seem to have the idea that sprinkling church attendance onto their sins makes those sins more acceptable. Do they not realize that a rotten egg is still a rotten egg no matter how much sugar you pour on it? Going to church might ease your conscience a little and make you feel better about yourself, but it won’t impress God. You can attend a hundred different services in a hundred different churches and still not do any substantive business with Him until you repent of the sins that characterize your life Monday through Saturday.

1 Samuel chapter 15 will preach. That chapter records how God spoke through the prophet Samuel, commanding King Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites. That meant that every Amalekite man, woman, child, ox, sheep, camel, and donkey was to be put to death. Saul, however, didn’t fully carry out that command. Instead, he took Amalek’s king as a prisoner of war and spared the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings, and lambs.

Samuel went out to see Saul, and Saul boasted to him, “I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” With words dripping of sarcasm, Samuel responded, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of oxen which I hear?” When Saul explained that he planned to offer the animals as sacrifices to God, Samuel told him, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than to sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.”

Samuel was teaching Saul that no amount of “worship” can make up for rank disobedience. You can “play church” all you want, but God will never ignore the fact that He hears the bleating of sheep and the lowing of oxen in your life. As Saul described the spectacular sacrifices he was planning to offer up as “worship,” Samuel might as well have said to him, “I’m sorry, I can’t hear you because the fruits of your disobedience are drowning out your voice.”

1 Peter 4:17 says: “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God…” Peter wrote those God-inspired words sometime between A.D. 63-65, which is over nineteen centuries ago. Needless to say, if he could truthfully make that statement in his day, how much more can we make it today?

Tragically, our churches have become infected with what has been called (at best) “casual Christianity” and (at worst) “sloppy grace.” Additionally, this problem is compounded by the fact that we live in terror that people will quit church if we rebuke them over their sinful behavior. That’s why we acceptingly wink at all kinds of blatant sin.

Our acceptance of these sins, however, kills our credibility with lost people. You see, lost people instinctively understand that professing Christians should conduct themselves in a manner that bears a fair degree of resemblance to the personal holiness that marked Jesus’ life. Consequently, when even they can look at our lives and recognize that we have far too much bleating of sheep and lowing of oxen about us, why should they show an interest in accepting the Savior whom we call “Lord”? After all, if He can’t clean up our lives by helping us repent of our sinfulness, who’s to say that He will do any better with their lives?

Posted in Backsliding, Character, Church, Church Attendance, Discipleship, Disobedience, Doing Good, Faithfulness, Holiness, Obedience, Personal Holiness, Repentance, Sanctification, Sin, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments