Somebody Got My Goat

Posted on November 10, 2021 by russellmckinney

He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. (Psalm 107:29, N.K.J.V.)

Perhaps you’ve heard the expression, “Somebody got my goat.” Or perhaps you’ve heard someone say, “That person really gets my goat.” To get someone’s goat is to irritate them, make them angry, or unsettle them.

The origin of “Somebody got my goat” is a little unclear, but the idiom is usually attributed to horseracing. As the legend goes a horse trainer would sometimes calm a high strung horse on the night before a race by putting a goat in the stall with the horse. For some reason, a goat seemed to have a calming influence on a horse. But then there were times when a rival trainer would steal a goat right out of the stall of an opposing horse, and the horse would revert back to its edgy, jumpy nature. Upon finding that the goat had been stolen, the horse’s trainer would say, “Somebody got my goat.”

Tell me, Christian, has someone, some circumstance, or some bit of recent news gotten your goat? Has that person or that thing that has happened robbed you of your inner peace and left you unsettled? If so, you would do well to read Psalm 107.

That Psalm is chocked full of illustrations involving people who found themselves in trouble, called out to the Lord for help, and experienced His deliverance. I particularly love verses 23-30, which use sailors as an illustration. The sailors go down to the sea to do business on the great waters (v.23). Once they are out to sea in their merchant ships, they see how God works in the depths of the ocean (v.24). He commands the winds to blow during a storm, and the winds churn up the ocean waves (v.25). Up and down the waves go, rising higher and higher each time they come up, and they cause the sailors’ hearts to melt (v.26). In a panic, the sailors stagger and pitch, trying their best not to get knocked overboard (v.27). It is then that they cry out to the Lord (v.28) and experience the deliverance He provides by calming the storm and stilling the waves (v.29). Then the sailors are glad, and the Lord guides them to their desired haven (v.30).

It is impossible to read that passage and not think of the time when Jesus quieted a raging storm upon the Sea of Galilee and calmed the dangerous waves the storm had created. The parallel accounts of that story are found in Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, and Luke 8:22-25. As Mark 4:39 says:

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. (N.K.J.V)

But then there is another famous story involving Jesus, a big wind, and scary waves. The parallel accounts of that story are found in Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52, and John 6:15-21, and in it Jesus walks upon the tumultuous waves straight through the teeth of a windstorm to reach His chosen 12 apostles on the Sea of Galilee. Only when Jesus joins the apostles in the boat do the wind and the waves turn calm. As Mark 6:51 says:

Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. (N.K.J.V.)

The point of both stories is that Jesus can bring calmness to situations that are raging and terrifying. If you want Him to do that in your life, though, you must have Him in your boat. Of course, if you are an authentic Christian, you do have Him in your boat, don’t you? So, your best move is to cry out to Him and ask Him to calm the storm in your life. Like those sailors in Psalm 107, you too can be guided to your desired haven by the Lord because, after all, who needs a goat when you have Jesus?

Posted in Adversity, Anger, Christ's Miracles, Comfort, Contentment, Disappointment, Encouragement, Fear, Grace, Inner Peace, Jealousy, Peace, Persecution, Problems, Revenge, Suffering, Trials, Worry | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Good Thing About Trouble

Posted on November 8, 2021 by russellmckinney

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. (James 1:2-3, N.L.T.)

Dr. Lee Roberson was scheduled to preach the following night as part of a Bible conference. His announced sermon was “The Secret of Greatness.” Pastor Tom Wallace showed up early that night because he didn’t want to miss one word of that sermon. He had his pen and notebook in hand and was ready to write down every single point that Roberson made about what it takes to be great. Then Roberson walked to the pulpit and said to the audience, “I give you tonight the secret of greatness. It is found in one key word. The word is Trouble.”

Sometime later, Wallace wrote the following:

I was so disappointed not to get a systematic formula of instruction from Dr. Roberson based upon his years of experience and success. But the more he preached, the more I realized that what he was saying was the true secret of greatness. People react to trouble in several different ways. Some grumble, others gripe, many growl, a few groan; then there are those who grieve and thank the Lord; then some grow. Trouble will never leave one the same.

Christian, don’t miss the precise order that Wallace employs in his quote. First, come the words “then there are those who grieve.” Second, come the words “and thank the Lord.” Only then come the words “then some grow.” The point is, if you can get to the place where you can move past your grieving and be genuinely thankful for your trouble — because you understand that the trouble provides you with the opportunity to have your faith tested — then you can grow spiritually.

James, in our text passage, even uses the word “joy” in relation to the Christian experiencing trouble. Was he nuts? How can anyone be joyful about having to endure a bout of trouble? The answer is, while God doesn’t expect us to be joyful about the trouble itself, He does want us to be joyful that He is going to use the trouble to build our perseverance and faith. Just as athletes lift weights to build up their muscles, better their performance, and increase their endurance, troubles play this same role (spiritually speaking) in the life of the Christian.

I must admit that I myself have certainly not mastered this lesson yet. When trouble comes my way, I’m still quick to grumble, gripe, growl, and groan about it. Then, once I’ve passed through all that, I’m also pretty good at grieving over the trouble, even to the point of becoming morbidly obsessive over it. But I’m still flummoxed about thanking the Lord for the trouble. I just can’t see past all the bad stuff about the trouble in order to see the good work that God is doing on me through it.

Perhaps, Christian, you can relate to what I’m saying. Maybe you find yourself right now in the midst of a round of trouble, and you really haven’t give any thought to how God is using it to build spiritual perseverance into your life. All I can encourage you to do is take the words of James 1:2-3 and apply them to your life the best you can. Every time you ask God to take away your trouble, follow up that request by asking Him to not only grow your faith and perseverance by way of the trouble but even get you to the point where you are THANKFUL for the trouble.

Is this a tall order? Of course. No one would dispute that. But the alternative to having to endure trouble is to spend your life as a shallow, superficial, immature person who can’t relate to the problems of others and is therefore far too self-absorbed to ever render any real service to God. Obviously, that alternative isn’t a good one from God’s perspective, and that’s why He allows us to go through trouble sometimes. You see, just as Dr. Lee Roberson and Tom Wallace figured out, trouble is the secret sauce that makes spiritual growth happen, and spiritual growth is the secret sauce that makes spiritual greatness possible.

Posted in Adversity, Attitude, Commitment, Disappointment, Discipleship, Faithfulness, Joy, Persecution, Perseverance, Personal, Problems, Service, Spiritual Warfare, Suffering, Trials, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Lord, This Isn’t What I Requested”

Posted on November 4, 2021 by russellmckinney

Perhaps you’ve seen the following piece (or at least some version of it):

I asked for strength — and God gave me difficulties to make me strong. I asked for wisdom — and God gave me problems to solve. I asked for prosperity — and God gave me brawn and a brain to work. I asked for courage — and God gave me danger to overcome. I asked for love — and God gave me troubled people to help. I asked for favors — and God gave me opportunities. I received nothing I wanted — I received everything I needed!

Anyone who has spent much time walking with the Lord and serving Him can understand the truth of this piece. There really are times when we ask for the finished product only to have Him send us the tools to build it ourselves. I guess we can label these answers, “Some assembly required.”

Even more puzzling and disappointing, however, are the times when we specifically ask for “A” but the Lord sends “B” or “C.” I’m referring now to those prayer request answers that can’t even be labeled “Some assembly required.” Instead, they should come with a handwritten note that says, “I know this is not what you asked for, but it’s what I sent.” Those answers are definitely the hardest ones to understand.

I’m happy to report, though, that in Luke 11:9-13, we find a teaching from Jesus that can help us sort through all the confusion created by such answers. You probably know the passage already because it gets quoted a lot, but I wonder if you’ve ever really grasped what it says. Let me give you a hint: it doesn’t say what most people think it says. The passage quotes Jesus as saying:

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (N.K.J.V.)

Okay, so did you catch what Jesus threw there? After reading Jesus’ words about how earthly fathers know enough to give their children bread when the request is for bread, fish when the request is for fish, and an egg when the request is for an egg, we would assume that He would say, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to His children.” Furthermore, if Jesus had actually said that, we would be right to assume that if we specifically ask God the Father for something that is good, He will grant us that specific good thing.

The catch, however, is that Jesus didn’t say, “…how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to His children.” No, what He said was, “If sinful earthly fathers know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” You see, what Jesus wants us to understand is that the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift that God the Father can give anyone.

Now let’s relate this thought to the context of the passage. Since Jesus seems to go out of His way to cram a teaching about the Holy Spirit into the passage, the implication is that the Holy Spirit is God the Father’s abiding gift to the saved believer to help that believer correctly interpret odd answers to prayer requests. What this means for you, Christian, is that when God the Father does answer your prayer request in a strange way, the Holy Spirit will teach you why God did that.

Be warned, though; these teaching sessions will rarely be one-class sessions. Usually they will be much more akin to entire courses or even entire degree programs! If, however, you will keep attending the Holy Spirit’s classes and keep letting Him teach you, He really will eventually get you to the place where you understand God’s reason for sending you something that wasn’t even close to what you requested. As Jesus said of the Holy Spirit in another passage, John 14:26, “The Holy Spirit will teach you all things.” That word “all” certainly includes teaching us God’s purposes in sending us different things than we requested, and we would do well not to skip any of those classes.

Posted in Disappointment, God's Omniscience, God's Provision, Prayer, Prayer Requests, The Holy Spirit | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Best Reference Possible

Posted on November 2, 2021 by russellmckinney

Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind would not be favorable toward this people. Cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth.” (Jeremiah 15:1, N.K.J.V.)

The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness, says the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 14:12-14, N.K.J.V.)

The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel both prophesied against Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel. God had given the people of Judah many years to repent of their sins and return to Him, but they had refused to do so. Therefore, all that was left for them was judgment, and the vessel through which God would pour out that judgment was the nation of Babylon.

Setting all that aside, though, what I’d like to focus upon from our text passages are the names that God uses as examples of His choicest servants. First, speaking through Jeremiah, God says, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood (in intercession for Judah) before Me, My mind still wouldn’t be favorable toward this people.” Second, speaking through Ezekiel, He says, “Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job lived in a land that had sunk to the sinful level of Judah, their presence wouldn’t be enough to spare that land My judgment. Those men would be delivered from the judgment, but no one else would be.”

Moses. Samuel. Noah. Daniel. Job. You talk about a “who’s who” of Old Testament characters! Surely it would be difficult to provide the names of any five other people who served God more impressively in that era. You know what it means when you’ve served an employer well enough to receive an excellent reference from that employer, don’t you? Then just apply that illustration to what God does in these passages. He gives each of these five men the best reference possible, one from Himself!

Christian, you should strive to live a life that will allow God to give you this same type of reference. You can’t relive the lives of Moses, Samuel, Noah, Daniel, and Job, but what you can do is live your own life in the best possible way in regards to holiness and service to God. And remember three things about Moses, Samuel, Noah, Daniel, and Job. #1: All five of them were born sinners just like you are. #2: Daniel was still living at the time Ezekiel wrote, which means that you don’t have to be dead to receive a glowing reference from God. #3: Not one of those men had the indwelling Holy Spirit, a completed Bible, a church to attend each week, Christian programming, Christian books, daily devotionals, helpful commentaries, or any of the other spiritual advantages that God’s people enjoy today. You see, all these advantages can help you to earn God’s highest recommendation upon the way you are living, and that’s definitely a good reference to have as you live in this sin-sick world that is itself prophesied as heading for judgment.

Posted in Character, Current Events, Discipleship, Doing Good, Faithfulness, God's Judgment, God's Work, Ministry, Personal Holiness, Righteousness, Sanctification, Service | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Foundational Cracks & Little Foxes

Posted on October 29, 2021 by russellmckinney

Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes. (Song of Solomon 2:15, N.K.J.V.)

In Hand Me Another Brick, Chuck Swindoll’s commentary on the book of Nehemiah, he tells the story of a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania that built a red brick building to house its police department, fire department, and city hall. The community was understandably quite proud of the achievement, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to dedicate the building. More than 6,000 people attended, nearly the entire population of the town.

Less than two months later, though, some scary looking cracks suddenly appeared on the side of the building. Not long afterward the building’s windows stopped closing all the way. Next, the same thing happened with the doors. Then the floor shifted so much that unsightly gaps were left in the floor covering and corners. Finally, the roof began to leak. Within a few more months, the building had to be evacuated because it was no longer a safe environment in which to work. The builder who had been hired to build it was beyond embarrassed, and the taxpayers who would be paying for it for years to come were furious.

A firm was brought in to do a thorough analysis of what had happened. After much research the firm concluded that the blasts from a nearby mining area were slowly but surely creating unseen shifts in the ground beneath the building’s foundation. Those shifts were causing the foundation to crack, and those cracks were creating an unstable platform for the building. Even though no one could feel the blasts in the town, what was happening out of sight deep down underground was affecting what was happening in sight above the ground. Once this truth became known, a city official had to write the following words across the door to the building: “Condemned. Not fit for public use.” Later on the building was demolished.

This story should serve as a reminder to you, Christian. It should remind you that little problems deep down inside you can ultimately cause the demolition of your personal life. A slight spiritual compromise here…Cutting a moral corner there…A quick dance with rebellion…A worldly relationship left unchecked…A pet sin continued…No interest in Bible study…No time for prayer…Church attendance not a priority…Giving optional…Witnessing non existent. Each of these is a detonation that creates a shock wave inside you, the effects of which will eventually begin cropping up in your conduct. The answer, of course, is confession and repentance because as long as your destructive blasts keep occurring, you’ll never get your foundation fixed.

In Song of Solomon 2:15, the Bible references how the little foxes were the ones that were well known for ruining grape vines in Israel. Whereas the larger foxes could easily be spotted and either caught or at least kept away from the vine, the little foxes were harder to manage. In that way, they played the role of object lessons to show that it’s the supposed “little” sins that can ruin a life. Therefore, Christian, you need to stop your blasting and curtail your little foxes. And if you refuse to do so, the result will surely be a life that becomes irreparably damaged.

Posted in Backsliding, Bible Study, Character, Church Attendance, Confession, Giving, Personal Holiness, Prayer, Repentance, Sin, Temptation, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Wednesday Worry Box

Posted on October 27, 2021 by russellmckinney

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (Philippians 4:6, New Living Translation)

Today is Wednesday and so I thought I’d share an illustration geared specifically to that day. It comes from the life of British industrialist J. Arthur Rank. Rank was a devout Methodist who had a unique way of dealing with worries.

Being a very busy man, Rank frequently found himself consumed with worldly worries. Try as he might, he just couldn’t make himself stop worrying. So, he decided that if he couldn’t stop worrying altogether, he would at least attempt to minimize the problem. He did this by selecting a box and calling it his “Wednesday Worry Box.”

Anytime something came up that caused Rank to worry, he wrote it down on a piece of paper and placed it inside the box. Then, each Wednesday, he opened the box and reviewed the list of worries that had built up since the previous Wednesday. And what did Rank discover about his worries? To his great surprise, he discovered that most of the things he had worried about had gotten themselves settled enough by Wednesday to no longer merit worry. This taught him that most worry is nothing more than a completely unnecessary waste of energy.

Much of worry’s bite comes from our fear of the unknown, doesn’t it? Since we don’t know what is surely going to happen, we worry about what might happen. Perhaps we would do well to put J. Arthur Rank’s experiment into action. Even if we don’t literally start writing out our worries and placing them inside a box, we can at least learn the same lesson that he learned: that most worry is a waste of energy.

Of course, God’s written word doesn’t tell us to sit around, be passive, and just hope that our worries evaporate. Instead, it advises us to pray about everything (including everything that has us worried). In other words, we should turn every worry into a prayer. That goes for Wednesdays and every other day of the week. So what is it that has you worried today? Whatever it is you should take it to God and leave it with Him. You see, He is the ultimate “worry box” and since nothing is unknown to Him, He can handle whatever we bring Him.

Posted in Adversity, Courage, Faith, Fear, God's Foreknowledge, Inner Peace, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Problems, Trials, Trusting In God, Worry | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Did God the Father Beget Jesus?

Posted on October 25, 2021 by russellmckinney

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16, K.J.V.)

The Bible is a book filled with genealogies and begetting. Its first use of the word “begat” is found in Genesis 4:18, which tells us that Irad begat Mehujael, Mehujael begat Methusael, and Methusael begat Lamech. With all the begetting that took place, both the Old Testament and the New Testament of the classic King James Version translation provide us with numerous uses of the words “begat,” “beget,” “begettest,” “begetteth,” and “begotten.”

The Old Testament Hebrew word for all this begetting is yalad. The New Testament Greek equivalent is gennao. Both words mean what you think they mean. When used in reference to women, they mean “to bear young,” “to bring forth,” “to deliver,” etc. When used in reference to men, they mean “to father.”

Herein lies the problem with the King James Version and the New King James Version. Their use of the word “begotten” in John 1:14; 1:18; 3:16; 3:18; and 1 John 4:9 make it sound as if God the Father somehow fathered Jesus rather than Jesus being eternal (having no beginning) like God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Putting it another way, they make it sound as if Jesus is a created being and therefore not a fully equal member of the Trinity.

This idea that Jesus was somehow created (begotten) by God the Father allows some false religions to deny the divinity of Jesus. For example, the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that Jesus was “the first and direct creation of Jehovah God,” and that unlike God the Father He had a distinct beginning. Similarly, the Mormons believe that God the Father literally fathered Jesus (brought Him into existence) by coming down to the earth in a celestial body and having sex with the virgin Mary.

Actually, this controversy about Jesus’ eternality and divinity goes all the way back to the fourth century A.D. and an influential heretical Presbyter named Arius. In the city of Alexandria, he clashed with his denominational superior, a Bishop named Alexander. While Alexander taught that Jesus coexisted from eternity past with God the Father, Arius taught that there was a time when Jesus “was not.” This new interpretation of Jesus became known as “Arianism.” The dispute between Alexander and Arian reached a fever pitch when Alexander publicly condemned Arius’ teachings and used his influence to have him removed from his post in the church at Alexandria. Arius refused to accept this removal and instead organized his supporters into a public crusade in his defense.

The whole mess became such a scandal that the Roman emperor Constantine had to get involved. When his attempt to reconcile the two factions failed, he scheduled a Council in which all the Christian Bishops from throughout his empire were invited to gather in the city of Nicea to settle various doctrinal disputes. This convening of these Bishops became famously known as The Council of Nicea, and first and foremost the Council had the job of deciding what to do about Arianism. Since Arius himself wasn’t a Bishop and therefore couldn’t attend, one of his prominent supporters, Bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia, represented him. In the end, The Council of Nicea ruled against Arianism and in favor of the traditional view of Jesus espoused by Alexander.

Getting back to the the King James Version and New King James Version, the sad thing is that those translations create a theological problem they don’t even have to create. Do you remember that I told you that the Greek word for “begat” is gennao? Well, the adjective form of that word is not the Greek word that gets translated as “begotten” in John 1:14; 1:18; 3:16; 3:18; and 1 John 4:9. Instead, the Greek word used in those verses is monogenes. It is the word used in Luke 9:38 when the father of a demon-possessed boy says to Jesus, “…look upon my son; for he is my only child” (K.J.V., emphasis mine). This shows us that even the translators of the K.J.V. didn’t always translate monogenes as “begotten.” With this in mind, let me offer a list of how seven modern translations translate John 3:16. You’ll note that each of these foregoes the word “begotten” and uses instead some form of the term “only Son.”

  • For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. (New American Standard Version)
  • For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (Christian Standard Bible)
  • For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. (New Revised Standard Version)
  • For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
  • For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (English Standard Version)
  • God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. (New International Version)
  • For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (New Living Translation)

If you can manage to remember the basics of this post, it will help you the next time you are talking to someone from the Jehovah’s Witnesses or the Mormons. All you have to do is ask them, “Do you think that Jesus is a created being?” If they are truthful, they will answer, “Yes.” Then you can correct their theology. Even if they try to use John 3:16 against you, you’ll be able to refute their claims that God the Father somehow created Jesus by begetting Him. Of course, if you really want to go “old school” on them, you can tell them their spiritual forefather was Arius and that the church dealt with his doctrinal error a long time ago.

Posted in Bible Study, Christ's Birth, Doctrine, King James Only, Scripture, The Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Warts & All

Posted on October 23, 2021 by russellmckinney

Oliver Cromwell was a political and military leader in 17th century England who held the official title “Lord Protector of England.” He once commissioned an artist to paint an official portrait that would enshrine his appearance so that future generations would know what he looked like. It was typical in such portraits for the artist to paint the person’s appearance in a way that made the person more attractive. (We do this same kind of thing today by airbrushing photographs to take out wrinkles, blemishes, pimples, etc.). But as legend famously has it, Cromwell told the artist who was painting him to paint him “warts and all.” Supposedly, that explains the origins of that phrase.

The Bible certainly paints its characters warts and all. Noah gets drunk. Moses kills an Egyptian. David has an affair and sanctions a murder. Peter denies knowing Jesus. Thomas doubts Jesus’ resurrection. Paul is a persecutor of Christians before he becomes one himself. And yet God still uses these men in awesome ways to accomplish His work.

This should provide each of us with great encouragement because, let’s admit it, we’ve all got some warts. Oh, sure, we usually put forth our best face in public, but God knows how we look behind closed doors. He sees all the bad behavior. He hears all the ugly talk. He even knows the deep, dark inner stuff, the stuff that no one else knows but us. Still, though, He will use us in His service if we will let Him.

There’s an old saying that says, “God can hit a straight lick with a crooked stick.” If He couldn’t do that, He’d never hit a straight lick because there are no straight sticks. So, you say you’ve got some issues? Well, join the club. You say your past is marked by sin? Everybody else’s is too. It’s not that I’m making light of your shortcomings or excusing your sins, but I am trying to help you understand that God can still use you in His service. To get in on that you must first get saved by placing your belief in Jesus Christ, the One who died on the cross as the substitutionary sacrifice for your sins. Then you must get up each day and say, “Lord, use me today” and be obedient to whatever He tells you to do. If you do that I guarantee you that He will take you up on the offer. How can I make that guarantee with such confidence? I can do it because if there is one thing that is true about God it’s that He is always short on help.

Posted in Abortion, Addiction, Adultery, Alcohol, Anger, Backsliding, Christ's Death, Divorce, Divorce & Remarriage, Drugs, Encouragement, Gambling, God's Work, Grace, Guilt, Obedience, Rebellion, Repentance, Salvation, Service, Sin | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

When Lightning Strikes You

Posted on October 21, 2021 by russellmckinney

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 did foreknow, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:28-29, N.K.J.V.)

In the yard that lies adjacent to mine stands an apple tree. The former owner of that property was faithful to keep that tree trimmed as needed and the result was an annual harvest of delicious apples. Unfortunately, lightning hit that tree and split it at the top just prior to that neighbor selling the property, and the new neighbor has never trimmed and reshaped the damaged tree. Consequently, the apples the tree now produces are not even close to the previous quality.

I know a little bit about this subject because I saw the same thing happen to an apple tree that used to sit on my grandmother’s property. That tree produced the most plump and delicious Golden Delicious apples that I’ve ever tasted until lightning hit it and ruined it. The tree managed to hang on for a few years producing apples that weren’t remotely comparable to its previous ones, but eventually it was cut down. At that point the cutting down was pretty much a mercy kill.

Just as literal lightning struck those two apple trees, figurative lightning can strike us without warning. The unexpected death of a loved one. A fire. An automobile accident. A lost job. A pleasant circumstance that inexplicably turns horribly wrong. These are just a few examples of the destructive streaks of “lightning” that can decimate our lives.

Christian, perhaps your life has been struck by one of these “lightning” bolts and the blast not only damaged you but crippled you in terms of fruit production. Is there any way for you to recover? Yes, but it’s not something that you can do yourself. What I mean is, God is going to have to personally do some pruning on you. In the wake of your lightning strike, you need Him to reshape you, cut away the damaged parts of you, and get you back to a healthy spiritual state wherein you can once again produce sweet-tasting fruit.

The encouraging thing is that your post-lightning state doesn’t have to be inferior to your pre-lightning one. Remember our text passage. It teaches that ALL things work together for GOOD for the Christian. That promise includes not only the good things that happen to us but also the bad things. But be sure to notice just how it is that all things work together for the Christian’s good. They do so because they help accomplish God’s ultimate, eternal goal for the Christian. And what is that goal? It is the Christian being conformed to the image of God’s Son, Jesus.

As we study the gospels we learn that Jesus’ earthly life was struck by “lightning” on many different occasions. For the most part, His own nation of Israel rejected His claim of Messiahship. Even His own family, with the exception of His mother, rejected that claim. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes constantly hounded Him. Peter denied Him. Judas Iscariot betrayed Him. The Romans crucified Him. Do we honestly believe that these events (as well as others that could be named) didn’t adversely affect Jesus? If they didn’t, He wouldn’t have been human at all.

By keeping Jesus’ earthly troubles in mind we can understand that the “lightning” strikes in our lives become events that make us what Peter described as partakers of Christ’s sufferings (1 Peter 4:13). You see, if we truly want to understand Jesus and align ourselves with Him, we must suffer in this same old world that once made Him suffer. By doing this we will be able to experience gladness and joy in that day when Christ’s glory is fully revealed (1 Peter 4:13). That day will be the day of His Second Coming, the day when He will visibly return to the earth and establish His thousand-year reign upon it (Matthew 25:31). We Christians will have the great privilege of ruling and reigning with Him during that reign (Revelation 5:8-10).

Of course, we will be in our glorified bodies by then, and receiving those bodies will be the final, completing stage in us becoming conformed to the image of Jesus. Even before we receive those bodies, though, God goes ahead and begins the process of conforming us to that image. And, again, before we can become like Jesus we must experience some of the pain and heartache this world can produce. So, Christian, even as you ask God to prune you and reshape you after some kind of destructive “lightning” has struck you, don’t forget to see the value in what has happened to you. Because of that “lightning” strike you are a little more conformed to Christ’s image, and that is a good thing even though you surely didn’t like how it came to pass.

Posted in Adversity, Christ's Death, Christ's Return, Complaining, Disappointment, Discipleship, Persecution, Perseverance, Personal, Problems, Suffering, Trials | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Christ’s Teachings Don’t Save Us

Posted on October 19, 2021 by russellmckinney

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. (Ephesians 1:7, N.K.J.V.)

One Sunday morning a pastor preached about Christ’s crucifixion. The sermon featured graphic detail about how Christ’s literal blood was literally shed as Jesus died as the substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of the human race. After the service a woman approached the pastor and said, “Preacher, I don’t like to hear so much about Jesus’ death. I’d much rather focus on His wonderful life. There is so much for us to learn from the example He left us of how to live the Christian life.”

“So,” said the pastor, “are you saying that you’d rather hear about Jesus as a role model than as a martyr?” The woman thought about that for a moment and answered, “Yes, that’s one way of putting it. I think we follow Him by living the way that He lived.” Now the pastor knew that the woman was caught in a theological trap. He smiled at her and said, “Then you’ve got a serious problem because you can’t even take the first step to follow Jesus.” Somewhat insulted, the woman asked, “Why can’t I?” The pastor, with his smile now completely wiped from his face, said, “Because Jesus committed no sin and you can’t match Him in that step.”

Then the pastor offered an illustration to expound upon his point. He said, “Suppose that you are speeding in your car, have a terrible wreck, and wind up pinned inside your car. As you are lying there trapped, a man pulls his car to the side of the road and comes over to help you. He says, ‘What you need to do is not drive so fast. You should be like me; I never break the speed limit.’ Then the man gets back into his car and leaves. Has he helped you? Of course not. You see, before you can follow the good example set by that other driver you must first be rescued! And just like that wrecked driver, you must first be rescued by Jesus before you can even begin to try to follow Him.”

Jesus’ teachings, as deeply profound as they were, cannot produce salvation in anyone’s life. It is only through Him shedding His divine blood in death that salvation can be offered to a world full of spiritual car-wreck victims. That is why Jesus’ death must take priority over His teachings. It’s not that those teachings aren’t important and don’t hold incalculable value to our lives; it’s just that we are far too sinful in our natural state to even begin to emulate them successfully until we experience the salvation He is able to provide us because of His death. And He provides that salvation the moment we place saving belief in Him. At that moment the Holy Spirit comes to takes up residence inside us, bring us to life spiritually, and empower us to live out those teachings.

Posted in Christ's Death, Crucifixion, Doctrine, Preaching, Priorities, Salvation | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment