Classified Falsely

Posted on December 30, 2025 by russellmckinney

Private First Class Alan Barton, an American soldier fighting in the Vietnam War, was reported missing from his base in South Vietnam on July 28, 1970. 32 days later his commanding officer notified his mother that her son was now officially classified as a deserter. Since Barton’s father was a 20-year army veteran, the news of the desertion was especially embarrassing for him.

In reality, though, Alan Barton had not deserted. He had been killed by the steel pellets from either a landmine or a booby trap that had been hidden along the perimeter of his base. The problem was that his skeletal remains would not be discovered until March 28, 1972, and even then the army would be unable to identify the soldier to whom they belonged. Consequently, those remains would be sent to a military morgue in Honolulu, Hawaii. Meanwhile, through it all, Alan would continue to be classified as a deserter.

Nevertheless, Alan’s mother never gave up fighting to clear his name. She didn’t know what had happened to him — she suspected that he had been captured and was being held in a prisoner-of-war camp — but she could not make herself believe that he had deserted. For 13 years she fought for Alan until the army finally rechecked the Honolulu morgue records and were able to correctly identify Alan’s remains by use of dental records. Truth be told, various personal belongings that would have helped to identify him had been found with his remains in 1972, but the army had somehow lost them. All that was left of those belongings was a fragment of an envelope that was postmarked from Alan’s hometown in Michigan.

In February of 1983, Private First Class Alan Barton was finally given the full military funeral that he deserved. A 21-gun salute was sounded, taps was played, and his mother was handed the folded American flag that moments earlier had draped her son’s coffin. Her fight was now ended. She had her closure. Her son’s good name had been vindicated.

The story of Alan Barton reminds us that this world is filled with injustices and false accusations. Unfortunately, Christian, you are not immune from such things. You can take heart, though, in the promise that God always knows the truth and in eternity everything will be revealed, classified accurately, and set right. As Jesus said of eternity, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:30, N.K.J.V.). That means this world’s distorted classifications will not continue into the afterlife. And I, for one, am grateful for that and long more each day for that better world to come.

Posted in Adversity, Comfort, Coming Judgment, Criticism, Deception, Eternity, God's Judgment, God's Omniscience, God's Sovereignty, Heaven, Justice, Patience, Persecution, Reward, Suffering, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

God the Trinity

Posted on December 26, 2025 by russellmckinney

God being a Trinity means that He is one God who exists in three distinct persons. He is God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit, and yet these three distinct persons are one. God is one God, not three. As it says in the Constitution & Bylaws of many a Baptist church: “The one God is revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.”

The fact that God is a Trinity really is taught in the Bible. Unfortunately, however, there isn’t one umbrella passage that spells it all out for us. That means we must consult many different passages, study what each of the passages is saying, and compare passage with passage in order to understand the holy Trinity.

With this in mind, I want to use this post to provide a lengthy list of many of the passages that teach that God is a Trinity. By referencing all of these passages, I’ll just let the Bible speak for itself. I’ll cite the passages in the order in which they are found in scripture, and with each passage I’ll include just a touch of commentary to explain how the passage shows that God is a Trinity. So, if you’re ready, let’s get started. (All references from the N.K.J.V.)

  1. Genesis 1:1: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (The Hebrew word translated in this verse as “God” is Elohim. What’s significant about that is the fact that Elohim is a plural word. You see, from the very first verse of the Bible, God is laying the groundwork for the idea that He is a triune being.)
  2. Genesis 2:26: Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” (Note the words “Us” and “Our.”)
  3. Genesis 3:22: Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil….” (Here again God uses the word “Us” concerning Himself.)
  4. Genesis 11:7: “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” (God spoke these words about the building of the Tower of Babel and again He used the word “Us” in reference to Himself.)
  5. Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” (These words are the opening words for the Jewish prayer called the Shema, which is the most famous prayer in Judaism. Notice that the Lord our God is ONE.)
  6. Psalm 2:7,12: “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You’”….Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are those who put their trust in Him. (Pay attention to the capitalized titles in this Messianic passage. They indicate that God the Father has a Son who is fully divine Himself and in whom we should place our trust.)
  7. Proverbs 30:4: Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, If you know? (This is another Old Testament passage that teaches that God has a Son.)
  8. Isaiah 6:8: Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” (Here again we see God using the word “Us” in reference to Himself, even though in this instance He also uses the word “I.”)
  9. Isaiah 9:6: For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (New Testament passages such as Luke 2:11 and John 1:45 leave no doubt that the Messiah spoken of in this passage is none other than Jesus. That’s important to understand because this passage calls Jesus not only “Everlasting Father” but also “Mighty God.” Both of those titles can also rightly serve as titles for God the Father.)  
  10. Matthew 3:16-17: When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (This passage finds the Trinity on full display as God the Son is baptized, God the Holy Spirit comes down from heaven to rest upon Him, and God the Father speaks from heaven.)
  11. Matthew 17:5: While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (As He had done at Jesus’ baptism, here God the Father speaks directly from heaven concerning Jesus and calls Him “My beloved Son.”)
  12. Matthew 28:18-20: And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Notice here that Jesus commands His followers to baptize in the SINGULAR “name” of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.)
  13. John 1:1-3,14: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (These verses teach that not only was Jesus with God in the beginning but that He was God. He was the Creator.)
  14. John 5:22: “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son.” (Jesus taught that the divine Judge of the Universe is none other than Himself, and that certainly speaks to His divinity.)
  15. John 8:58: Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” (No Jew had to be told what Jesus meant in claiming the title “I AM.” Moses had asked God, “What shall I say to your people when they ask me, ‘Who sent you to us?’” And God had responded by saying, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM’ has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). Jesus claimed to be that same God, and that’s why the Jews immediately took up stones and attempted to stone Him to death for blasphemy.)  
  16. John 10:30: “I and My Father are one.” (By Jesus’ own teaching, He and God the Father are one even though they are each a distinct person. The Jewish religious leaders certainly took His statement that way, which explains why they immediately tried to stone Him for the blasphemy of making Himself God.)
  17. John 12:41: These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. (This verse hearkens back to the vision that Isaiah has of God in Isaiah 6:1-13. John’s use of the capitalized words “His” and “Him” in reference to Jesus shows that Jesus was the God in Isaiah’s vision.)
  18. John 14:9: Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’” (Even though God the Son and God the Father are each distinct persons, their oneness means that, in essence, to see one is to see the other.) 
  19. John 15:26: “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” (The capitalized title “Helper” is a reference to God the Holy Spirit. Notice that the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father and testifies of God the Son.) 
  20. John 17:5: “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” (Here Jesus speaks of having a divine glory with God the Father in a time before Genesis 1:1.) 
  21. John 20:28: And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” (Thomas called Jesus “my God” and Jesus didn’t correct him.)
  22. Acts 2:32-33: “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God the Father, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.” (These verses teach that Jesus is right now seated at the right hand of God the Father. He’s not God the Father, but He is seated on His right side, which was always the side of favor in the Jewish placements.)
  23. Acts 5:3-4: But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” (Notice the way that Peter interchangeably uses the titles “the Holy Spirit” and “God.” First, he says that Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit, but then he says that Ananias lied to God. The logical conclusion to be drawn is that the Holy Spirit is God.)
  24. Acts 7:55-56: But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” (This is another passage that places Jesus in a seat of divine prominence at the right hand of God the Father. The classic interpretation of the passage is that Jesus had stood up to receive the soul of the soon-to-be martyred Stephen.)
  25. Acts 13:2: As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (This verse equates the Holy Spirit to “the Lord” and speaks of the Holy Spirit doing God’s job of calling people to the mission field.)
  26. Acts 20:28: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” (This is a significant passage because it speaks of Jesus and the Holy Spirit as each being God. According to Paul’s words, the Holy Spirit had made these men the overseers — the shepherds, the pastors — of the church of God. That implies that the Holy Spirit is God. But Paul also says that God purchased the church with His own blood. That, of course, is a reference to Jesus dying on the cross and shows that Jesus is God as well.)
  27. Acts 28:25-26: So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, saying…” (Paul quotes verses 9 and 10 of the familiar Isaiah 6:1-13 Messianic passage. But whereas John 12:41 proves that Jesus was the God in Isaiah’s vision, this passage teaches that it was the Holy Spirit who actually spoke the Lord’s words in that vision. The clear indication is that Jesus and the Holy Spirit, though distinct from each other, are one.)
  28. Romans 9:5: of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen. (Not only is Jesus “over all,” Paul also called him “the eternally blessed God.”)
  29. 1 Corinthians 8:4-6: Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. (Paul doesn’t mention God the Holy Spirit in these verses, but he does specifically name God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet still affirms, “…there is no other God but one.”)
  30. 2 Corinthians 3:17: Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (Here we see that the Holy Spirit is the Lord. In other words, He is God.)
  31. Galatians 4:6: And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” (All three members of the Trinity are mentioned in this verse. First, Jesus is God the Son. Second, God the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of Jesus. Third, God the Holy Spirit’s indwelling of the Christian allows the Christian the right to refer to God the Father as “Father.”)
  32. Colossians 2:9: For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. (The term “the Godhead” refers to the Trinity.)
  33. Titus 2:13: looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Here again Paul doesn’t hesitate to call Jesus “our great God.”) 
  34. Hebrews 1:1-2: God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds. (This is a parallel passage to John 1:1-3, both passages teaching that Jesus is the Creator mentioned in Genesis 1:1.)
  35. Hebrews 1:8: But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.” (The teaching is that Jesus, the Son, is God.) 
  36. Hebrews 10:12: But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. (This verse is yet another one that places Jesus in a role of divinity at the right hand of God the Father.) 
  37. James 2:19: You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe — and tremble! (You see, we do well to believe that God is a singular God.)
  38. 2 Peter 1:1: Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Peter refers to Jesus as “our God.”)
  39. 1 John 5:7: For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. (The title “the Word” is a title for Jesus.)
  40. Revelation 22:8-9: Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” (This passage is significant because of the angel’s words, “Worship God.” First, that indicates that there is just one God. Second, Jesus receives such worship in Revelation 5:8-14.)
Posted in Bible Study, Scripture, The Bible, The Holy Spirit, The Trinity, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Let’s Make Sure the Right One Wins

Posted on December 24, 2025 by russellmckinney

Approximately 300 years or so after the death of Jesus, in a town in what is today called Turkey, a baby boy was born. The child was born into a wealthy, well-educated family, and he grew up in an atmosphere of luxury and higher education. To his credit, though, he did not become an arrogant, self-absorbed, intellectual snob. Much to the contrary, he was exceptionally kind.

This young man’s name was Nicholas, and he would ultimately become the Bishop of Myra. Even more than that he would become Saint Nicholas. Not only were miracles associated with his life, he was also renowned for unmatched generosity. The best-known story regarding his generosity involved the three unmarried daughters of a very poor man who lived in the same town as Nicholas.

According to the story the life goal for each of the girls was to marry, but their father didn’t have enough money to provide them with dowries. A dowry was money, land, or some type of treasure a bride would give to her husband. Any girl who didn’t have a dowry faced the possibility of being sold into either slavery or prostitution.

Well, as the story goes, Nicholas heard about the plight of these three daughters and decided to help them. So, when the oldest daughter reached marrying age, he secretly delivered a bag of gold to her to use for a dowry. And not long afterward she got married.

When the next oldest daughter came of marrying age Nicholas secretly delivered a bag of gold to her as well, and a short time later she got married. That left only the youngest of the three girls unmarried. Of course, by now the father was wildly curious to learn the identity of his daughters’ benefactor.

Then came the time when the youngest daughter reached marrying age. The father, expecting another bag of gold to somehow arrive in his home, made a point of being on the lookout for the deliverer. And who did he catch in the act? It was none other than the wealthy, well-educated Nicholas. The father thanked him for his generosity, and the youngest daughter was soon married.

You see, if we can believe the legend, a man named Saint Nicholas not only lived but during one season of his life brought unexpected gifts in the night. Furthermore, the legend goes on to say that he spent the rest of his life displaying that same degree of charity and kindness. As his reputation for generosity grew, any time someone received an unexpected gift from an unknown source that person assumed it was from Saint Nicholas.

It was Dutch immigrants who brought the basic story of Saint Nicholas to America. Our name for Saint Nicholas is simply a corruption of the Dutch name “Sinterklaas.” As for the idea of Santa Claus leaving gifts in stockings, that detail comes from different versions of the original story. In one version, St. Nicholas throws a bag of gold for each of the first two visits through a window, but he throws the third bag down the chimney and it lands in a stocking that had been hung by the chimney to dry. In another version, he throws all three bags down the chimney and each time the bag lands in a stocking. But whichever version of the story gets used the outcome is always the same: St. Nicholas provides a dowry for each of the daughters, thus setting them up for marriage.

It is from these beginnings that the story of Santa Claus has grown and evolved into the one we know so well today. In 1809, Washington Irving wrote a story about children leaving stockings out for Saint Nicholas to fill. A few years later, in 1821, Irving wrote a book entitled “The Children’s Friend,” in which he said that Santa traveled by a sleigh that was pulled by reindeer. That was different from earlier versions of Santa’s story, which said that he traveled by wagon with the assistance of a magic white horse.

One year later, in 1822, a New Yorker named Clement C. Moore wrote “A Visit from Saint Nicholas.” It began, “Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house…” That story inspired an artist named Thomas Nast to draw a cartoon of Santa for the popular magazine Harper’s Weekly. That cartoon depicted St. Nicholas as a jolly, fat man. On and on the legend rolled, picking up new bits and pieces to it as it went, until we arrived at the full-blown version that is on display today in movies, tv shows, commercials, etc.

While it might be argued that Santa Claus is just clean, harmless fun, the problem we have at Christmastime is that he has become bigger than Jesus. The battle between Santa and Jesus was once depicted in a comic strip I saw in my local newspaper. (This was back when hold-in-your-hand newspapers were still a big deal.) As the comic strip’s two characters stood in front of a nativity scene, one of them said to the other, “Where does Santa fit into that nativity scene?” The other character answered, “He doesn’t. There are two separate Christmas traditions.” To that the first character said, “Ah, a little competition.” Then came the last frame of the strip, a frame that placed both characters sitting on a hill overlooking a shopping mall. On top of the shopping mall there was a giant Santa Claus with a giant reindeer beside him. The parking lot was filled with cars and there were all kinds of people rushing into the mall. As the characters stood there taking in the whole scene, one of them said to the other, “I wonder which one’s winning.”

Unfortunately, we don’t have to look very hard to see which Christmas tradition is winning, do we? Nevertheless, let us as Christians make sure that the right one wins in our lives. I figure that even Saint Nicholas himself would be embarrassed at what his name has come to represent, and we don’t need to throw any more fuel onto that fire. Just as you can’t spell “Christmas” without “Christ,” we should do our best to make the holiday a holy day. Even though I don’t expect that we will ever knock Santa Claus off his perch atop the world of Christmastime, we can do our part to begin that job until Jesus comes back to finish it once and for all.

You see, the winner of the war between Santa Claus and Jesus is already decided. This world is just waiting for the day when the one who was once the babe in the manger will become the King on His throne. That will put an end to the battle between Santa Claus and Jesus, and if Saint Nicholas was the devout Christian he is purported to have been, I’m sure that he will have no problem at all bowing the knee to the rightful King.

Posted in Christ's Birth, Christmas, Christmas Traditions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Changed Heart

Posted on December 22, 2025 by russellmckinney

Each year at this time thousands of people participate in Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree program. The names of the children of inmates are placed as “angel ornaments” on Christmas trees in churches, businesses, and shopping malls. Along with each name is a short list of the “gift wishes” that child has requested. People take the ornaments from the trees and purchase the Christmas gifts for those children. The idea is that the individual who takes a name is, in essence, purchasing a Christmas present on behalf of that child’s incarcerated parent. The gospel is also shared with the child. What makes Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree program different from the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program is the fact that the Prison Fellowship program specifically caters to children whose parents are incarcerated.

What most people don’t know is that Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree program began with a woman named Mary Kay (no, not the cosmetics queen). In the late 1960s and early 1970s, she was a notorious safecracker and bank robber who wound up on the list of America’s Most Wanted. She and her husband became so infamous that they earned the nicknames “the Bonnie and Clyde of Alabama.”

Even after Mary’s husband abandoned her and went his own way, she continued with her criminal career. All of that ended, though, in June of 1972 when she was arrested, charged with 35 charges and 11 federal indictments, and sent to prison. She was 27 years old at the time.

Mary spent the first five months of her imprisonment in solitary confinement. Those months gave her a lot of time to think about her life. When she was moved out of solitary confinement she began attending the prison’s weekly Sunday church services. Having grown up in the deep south, she had heard the gospel in Sunday School, and so hearing the familiar story of Christ once again made no major impact on her. But what did impress her greatly was the dedication of the volunteers who organized the services. Since the Sunday service started at 7:00 a.m. those volunteers had to get up around 5:00 a.m. to give them time to drive to the prison, get through all the security, and get things set up for the service. Such dedication baffled Mary. She couldn’t figure out why anyone would get up at 5:00 a.m. on Sunday morning to go and visit prisoners.

On a particular Sunday she curiously asked an elderly volunteer, “Why do you bother?” The woman answered, “Well, Jesus loved you enough to go all the way to Calvary. So, we love you enough to come in here and tell you about Him.” That answer pierced Mary to the core, and over the next few weeks God began to convict her of her sinful, wasted life. One night, as she sat alone in her small cell, she opened up the Bible that one of the volunteers had given her and began flipping through its pages. One passage in particular caught her eye. It was Ezekiel 36:26-27:

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (K.J.V.)

Upon reading that passage Mary knew what she needed: a changed heart. So, right there in that cell she prayed for the first time since she was a little girl. She said, “God, if you can do all that — if you can really change my heart — I’ll give my life back to you.” And God really did change her heart as she placed saving belief in Jesus. Afterward, she began to study the Bible more and grow in her relationship with Christ.

Each year at Christmastime when Mary was in prison, local church groups would bring the inmates gifts of shampoo, soap, and toothpaste. While Mary was always glad to receive these gifts, she noticed that many of her fellow inmates would save their items, crudely wrap them up, and give them to their children as presents when those kids came for Christmas visits. As Mary would say later, “Most children wouldn’t think much of such small gifts, but in prison there was such joy on their faces! It really didn’t matter to them what they got; it was from Mama.”

In all, Mary ended up serving 6 years in prison before being released on early parole. After her release, and with her new heart that Jesus had changed, she joined Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship staff, agreeing to become the ministry’s first Alabama State Director. One of her assignments was to create a Christmas project for the inmates, but it was during one of her speaking engagements that a conversation with an ex-inmate’s daughter changed the direction of that assignment. The woman asked, “What about the inmates’ kids? They are the real victims.” That conversation took Mary’s mind back to the toiletries she had seen her fellow inmates pass along to their children as Christmas gifts.

Then she hit upon an idea. She paid a visit to the same prison that had once held her, Alabama’s Julia Tutwiler Prison, and asked the women for the names of their children and where they lived. Next, she contacted the caretaker of each child and asked what the child wanted for Christmas. That provided her with the first 100 of what would become her “paper angels.”

Mary then took those 100 names and placed them on the first Angel Tree, which was set up in Birmingham’s Brookwood Mall the day after Thanksgiving. An advertisement in the Birmingham News paper notified readers about the project, and many of the store owners in the mall agreed to offer a 10% discount to shoppers who bought their Angel Trees gifts in their store. Much to Mary’s delight all 100 paper angels were gone in four days.

Well, she knew exactly what to do after that. She visited more prisons, collected more names, contacted more caretakers, and put more angels on the tree. The gifts were wrapped by volunteers, after which each child’s caretaker would come pick up the gifts for the child. Mary enlisted the aid of the Gideons organization and the mail-carriers of the Birmingham News to deliver the gifts for the children who lived far away. Everything went smoothly, and that first year 556 children received gifts.

Additionally, to Mary’s surprise, the effects spread much further than she could have ever dreamed. For some time she had been offering various Bible study groups in her former prison, and the attendance at these doubled beginning in January. Who were all the newcomers? They were the mothers of the children who had received gifts. Now these women would get to hear the same gospel that had so miraculously changed Mary’s life. The following year Mary’s Angel Tree program extended out to twelve states and was off and running. It is now Prison Fellowship’s most recognized and popular program and reaches the children of prisoners in no less than 90 countries besides the United States.

So, when you are out and about during the Christmas season, if you run across a Prison Fellowship Angel Tree, consider taking an “angel” and making that child’s Christmas. And when you do, think of a roughneck woman from Alabama named Mary Kay. Better yet, think of Jesus Christ, the Savior who marvelously changed that roughneck’s heart and made her a new creation:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17, N.K.J.V.)

(p.s. In 1984, Mary Kay married Don Beard to become Mary Kay Beard. He had served 9 years in prison for embezzlement and, like Mary, had given his life to Christ in prison.)

Posted in Bible Study, Change, Children, Christmas, Christmas Traditions, Doing Good, God's Word, God's Work, Grace, Influence, Ministry, Missions, Motherhood, Restoration, Salvation, Scripture, The Gospel, The Heart | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I’m with You

Posted on December 19, 2025 by russellmckinney

An elderly grandfather took his little grandson for an afternoon walk. After they had walked a while, the old man asked the boy, “How far do you think we’ve walked?” The boy answered, “I don’t know, grandpa.” The grandfather asked, “Well, where are you right now?” Again, the boy answered, “I don’t know, grandpa.” At this point the grandfather chuckled a bit and said, “It sounds to me like you’re lost.” To that the little fellow replied, “No, I can’t be lost, grandpa. I’m with you.”

Hebrews 13:5 says to the Christian:

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (N.K.J.V.)

Those words “I will never leave you nor forsake you” quote a promise that God once made to the Israelites through their leader, Moses, regarding their conquest of the land of Canaan (Deuteronomy 31:1-6). A short while later, following Moses’ death, God made the promise specifically to Joshua, the man who succeeded Moses as the leader of the Israelites and led them in the actual conquering of Canaan (Joshua 1:5). But what’s wonderful about the passage in Hebrews is that it lifts the promise out of the Old Testament storyline and places it firmly down upon the life of the Christian.

The immediate context of the promise, as it is offered in Hebrews 13:5, involves the sin of covetousness. Why is covetousness a sin? It’s a sin because it shows a lack of contentment, which indicates that you aren’t trusting God fully regarding your circumstances. And what other sin usually rides on the back of a lack of contentment? Worry. You worry that what you have won’t be enough.

So, the point of Hebrews 13:5 is this: If you are a Christian, you should eliminate covetousness, a lack of contentment, and worry from your spiritual resume. After all, you are a child of the King. And the King’s kids don’t go around lacking!

Christian, because you know Christ as Savior, you have the Creator of the universe in your corner. That means that you have unlimited resources at your disposal through Him. The One who makes sure the birds of the air are fed will make sure that you are fed (Matthew 6:25-26). The One who makes sure the lilies of the field are clothed will make sure that you are clothed (Matthew 6:27-30). If you will seek His kingdom and His righteousness first, He will add to you all the necessities of life (Matthew 6:31-34).

Really, though, the Christian can apply this promise “I will never leave you nor forsake you” to any area of life. Perhaps you are contented right now but confused about your current station in life. Jesus promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Perhaps you haven’t reached a state of worry yet but you do find yourself in a very difficult circumstance. Jesus promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Perhaps you are even standing at death’s door. Jesus promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” and that promise extends into the afterlife.

Christian, like that little boy who was walking with his grandfather, your job is simply to trust in the One who is doing the leading. Just place your hand in His and know that He is never lost. He always knows the way into places and out of places. Most importantly He knows the way home. And when you truly grasp this profound truth, then you’ll be able to genuinely say with confidence, “No, I can’t be lost, Jesus. I’m with you.”

Posted in Adversity, Assurance of Salvation, Comfort, Contentment, Doubt, Eternal Security, Eternity, Faith, Fear, God's Love, God's Omnipotence, God's Omnipresence, God's Guidance, God's Provision, Greed, Money, Needs, Problems, Prosperity, Sickness, Trials, Trusting In God, Worry | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Put on the Whole Armor of God

Posted on December 17, 2025 by russellmckinney

Ephesians 6:10-17 is the famous “armor of God” passage. There Paul tells us that we must put on the whole armor of God if we are to be successful in the midst of spiritual, demonic warfare. That armor consists of: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit (the word of God), and footwear that keeps us prepared to share the gospel.

Why does a Christian need a belt of truth? It’s because Satan is the great deceiver. Why does a Christian need the breastplate of righteousness? It’s because a breastplate protects the heart, and if a person’s heart isn’t protected by a covering of righteous living that person will be easy pickings for Satan. Why does a Christian need the shield of faith? It’s because Satan is constantly shooting his flaming arrows.

Why does a Christian need the helmet of salvation? It’s because a helmet protects the head, which houses the mind, and Satan is constantly trying to get the Christian’s thinking off base. Why does a Christian need the sword of the Spirit, the word of God? It’s because God’s word is the only offensive weapon that can strike a damaging blow to Satan. Why does a Christian need footwear that keeps one prepared to share the gospel? It’s because any good soldier who truly believes in the cause for which he is fighting will try to recruit others to that cause.

Obviously, each item of the whole armor of God is of vital importance. It is noteworthy, though, that each one is mentioned only once. On the other hand, what the passage mentions no less three times is the idea of standing. Here are the verses (emphasis mine):

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11, N.K.J.V.)

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness… (Ephesians 6:14)

You see, Paul didn’t say, “Put on the whole armor of God so that you can charge toward the devil.” He didn’t say, “Put on the whole armor of God so that you can go on a seek-and-destroy mission against Satan.” Instead, he said, “Put on the whole armor of God so that you can stand against the wiles (the schemes, the methods, the plans, the strategies) of the devil.” In other words, there’s no doubt that Satan is going to bring the fight to you, so you’d better have your battle gear on when he does. If you don’t, your stand is going to become at best a retreat or at worst an all-out fall.

So, Christian, I know that you’ve got salvation (the helmet of salvation) covered. If you don’t, then you are not an authentic Christian. But how are you doing in the areas of truth, righteous living, faith, Bible study, and evangelism? If you are lacking in even one of these areas, then you really aren’t wearing the whole armor of God. And that’s a problem that you need to get shored up because if you aren’t wearing all the armor, Satan is a worthy enough adversary to find your weak spot and do some real damage.

Posted in Bible Study, Commitment, Deception, Demons, Discernment, Discipleship, Evangelism, Faith, Faithfulness, God's Work, Perseverance, Personal Holiness, Righteousness, Salvation, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, The Bible, The Devil, The Gospel, The Heart, Trials, Truth, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Give God Time

Posted on December 15, 2025 by russellmckinney

The Bible makes no attempt at all to contradict the statement: “Timing is everything.” It tells us that God the Father didn’t send Jesus to the earth until “the fullness of the time had come” (Galatians 4:4, N.K.J.V.). It tells us that Jesus died for the ungodly “in due time” (Romans 5:6, N.K.J.V.). It tells us that there is “a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, N.K.J.V.). It tells us that God “has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, N.K.J.V.).

What is it that you are waiting on God to do? Perhaps your unrequited waiting has caused you to conclude that what you are waiting on is never going to happen. You’ve started telling yourself, “It must not be God’s will; if it was, it would have happened by now.”

Well, I’d be lying if I promised you that God always says, “Yes” to our requests. Sometimes He really does say, “No” even to requests that make perfect sense to us not only logically but spiritually. But this post is all about those instances in which the fulfillment of His “Yes” gets delayed so long that it takes on the false appearance of a “No.” It’s these situations that require great patience on our part as we are forced to wait for His timing.

I have lived long enough to learn that God isn’t in a hurry. I’ve seen Him bleed a “Yes” out for years, even decades, before finally bringing it to pass. Why does He do this? Does He just like watching us squirm? No, His reasons are far more loving than that. He makes us wait because He loves us enough to put in the necessary time to teach us, instruct us, mold us, shape us, train us, mature us, and season us. You see, God isn’t satisfied to merely grant our request; He wants to make sure that before we receive it we have reached a state where we can properly appreciate it and use it as He wants us to use it.

Frank W. Boreham was a highly influential pastor of another day. I offer the following quote from him as an encouragement to anyone who is right now waiting out God’s timing for the fulfillment of a “Yes.” (I’ll even add in the scripture references for the Bible stories that Boreham references so that you can read them for yourself and draw encouragement from them.) Boreham wrote:

Give God time, and even when the knife flashes in the air, the ram will be seen caught in the thicket (Genesis 22:1-13). Give God time, and even when Pharaoh’s host is on Israel’s heels, a path through the waters will be suddenly opened (Exodus 14:1-31). Give God time, and when the bed of the brook is dry, Elijah will hear the guiding voice (1 Kings 17:1-9).

And so, dear reader, my closing advice to you is very simple and direct: Whatever that “Yes” is that you are waiting to be fulfilled, give God time. Oh, and while you are waiting be sure to cooperate with Him fully as He does the work inside you that will prepare you to make the most of the request once you receive it. Remember, waiting carries with it great rewards if you do it God’s way. You just have to trust His process and not lose faith.

Posted in Desires, Disappointment, Doubt, Faith, God's Timing, God's Sovereignty, God's Will, Impatience, Patience, Prayer Requests, Trusting In God, Waiting | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Depression

Posted on December 12, 2025 by russellmckinney

Depression is a real thing. According to the website http://www.healthline.com, it’s estimated that 21 million adults in the United States have at least one major bout with depression each year. Of course, that number is probably low given the fact that many depressed people don’t talk about their problem and therefore don’t end up a statistic in a poll.

I personally know some good people, Christians, who struggle with depression. One of the best church members that I ever had called her depression “the pit.” It robbed her of her Christian joy and caused her to isolate herself from people, an isolation that cut completely against her normally outgoing nature. Each time her depression came upon her all she wanted to do was lie on her bed in a completely dark room.

Ralph Barton was perhaps the most popular cartoonist/illustrator of America’s roaring ’20s. His caricatures of celebrities and New York socialites were featured in various magazines such as Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, and, most notably, The New Yorker, where he served as an advisory editor. He also drew the illustrations for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, a wildly popular book of the decade.

Barton had fame and money, hobnobbed with celebrities (he and Charlie Chaplain were very close friends), traveled the world, dated and married beautiful women, and enjoyed the finer things of life. And yet on May 19th, 1931, he committed suicide by shooting himself in the head in his penthouse apartment in Manhattan. He was just 39 years old.

The truth about Barton is that he was a deeply troubled man who suffered from chronic depression and mental illness. The suicide note he left is one of the most famous ones ever written, having been published many times in many places. I offer it here as an illustration of the depths to which depression can take a person. Barton wrote:

Everyone who has known me and who hears of this will have a different hypothesis to offer to explain why I did it. Practically all of these hypotheses will be dramatic – and completely wrong. Any sane doctor knows that the reasons for suicide are invariably psychopathological. Difficulties in life merely precipitate the event – and the true suicide type manufactures his own difficulties. I have had few real difficulties. I have had, on the contrary, and exceptionally glamorous life – as lives go. And I have had more than my share of affection and appreciation. The most charming, intelligent, and important people I have known have liked me – and the list of my enemies is very flattering to me. I have always had excellent health. But, since my childhood, I have suffered with a melancholia which, in the past 5 years, has begun to show definite symptoms of manic-depressive insanity. It has prevented my getting anything like the full value out of my talents, and, for the past three years, has made work a torture to do at all. It has made it impossible for me to enjoy the simple pleasures of life that seem to get other people through. I have run from wife to wife, from house to house, and from country to country, in a ridiculous effort to escape from myself. In doing so, I am very much afraid that I have spread a good deal of unhappiness among the people who have loved me.”

Barton’s glamorous life and tragic death prove that no one is immune from depression. Even the Bible backs up this truth. Take the time sometime to read the following passages:

  • Israel’s King Solomon voices his depression in Ecclesiastes 1:1-11.
  • Solomon’s father, King David, does the same thing in Psalms 42 and 43.
  • The prophet Elijah asks God to take his life in 1 Kings 19:1-4.
  • Jonah asks God to take his life in Jonah 4:1-3.
  • Job asks God to take his life in Job 6:8-9.
  • Moses asks God to take his life in Numbers 11:10-15.

Charles Spurgeon was one Christian who had a different take on depression. He was England’s most famous preacher during its golden age of preachers, the Victorian age, and his Metropolitan Tabernacle in London is sometimes referred to as the world’s first megachurch. However, Spurgeon suffered from great bouts with depression that plagued his ministry and life. As the The Spurgeon Center website puts it:

Spurgeon owned more than thirty books on mental health. He read about depression, wrote about depression, and suffered from depression. Spurgeon’s letters contain numerous references to his sinking spirits. He often called himself a “prisoner” and wept without knowing why.

And what was the different take that Spurgeon had concerning depression? He called his depression “a prophet in rough clothing.” In his Lectures to My Students, he says:

Fits of depression come over most of us. Usually cheerful as we may be, we must at intervals be cast down. The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the joyous not always happy. There may be here and there men of iron…but surely the rust frets even these.

Basically, Spurgeon looked upon depression as something with which everyone, to some degree or another, must wrestle. But he viewed bouts with depression as helpful experiences for the Christian. As he saw it, fits of depression cast Christians down to keep us humble before God so that we might not be egotistically exalted above measure (2 Corinthians 12:7). They teach us that we have the power of Christ upon us the most when we are the weakest, not when we are the strongest (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). They strip us of our overrated wisdom as we learn that we don’t really have all the answers to life’s troubles. They reveal the inferior quality of our supposed courage as we grow scared that we can’t overcome our depression. And they force us to face the reality that even though the born-again experience has equipped us to feel true Christian joy, sometimes we are not even happy, let alone joyous. 

I have to say that the more I study Spurgeon’s attitude toward depression the more I see the blessing in it. Surely, it’s no coincidence that God was able to use the man so mightily. Needless to say, I would like to have some degree of that same uncommon spiritual power upon my own ministry.

But what if that power only comes by way of bouts of depression? What if it takes those bouts to keep me humble and cause me to understand the fullness of Jesus’ words, “…without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5)? Well, that’s another matter altogether, and it’s one that I have to come to grips with one way or another in my own life.

I really don’t believe that God wants us to desire depression. Furthermore, I don’t believe that depression comes from Him. I do believe, though, that He can use a person’s depression as a tool to do outstanding spiritual work not only in that person but also through that person. We might think of this as God redeeming depression and bringing good out of it. It’s just a shame that so few depressed people actually understand this, and therefore they never reach the place where they can benefit from that good.

Posted in Adversity, Attitude, Brokenness, Depression, Discipleship, Encouragement, God's Work, Humility, Loneliness, Ministry, Perseverance, Preaching, Suffering, Trials, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

What I Didn’t Know Back Then

Posted on December 10, 2025 by russellmckinney

I was 27 years old when I accepted what is commonly referred to as “the call to preach.” 32 years have passed now. And what have I learned in those years? I’ve learned what I didn’t know back then.

What I didn’t know back then was that God’s call to preach would be housed inside His call to pastor. Preaching and pastoring are not the same thing. When you accept God’s call to preach, you envision yourself standing before congregations, open Bible in front of you on the pulpit, sharing the message that God has given you for the hour. What you don’t envision is all the messy stuff that comes with pastoring.

Preaching requires studying your Bible. Pastoring requires studying your church members. Preaching means spending time with God in prayer. Pastoring means spending time with your church members. Preaching locates you in a pulpit. Pastoring locates you in hospitals, rehab centers, and nursing homes. Preaching involves the question, “Is this the message that God wants me to preach?” Pastoring involves the question, “How can I get more people to attend church?” Preaching incorporates effective introductions, illustrations, and conclusions. Pastoring incorporates effective leadership, motivation, and results.

When you accept God’s call to preach you don’t understand about contentious business meetings. You don’t take into account church budgets, committees, and problem people. You don’t realize that “stepping on toes” with a sermon will usually be followed by mending a broken relationship with an in-home “let’s make up” visit. You assume that all your church members have the same innocent motivation and deep commitment to Jesus that you have, and then you come to the wildly disappointing realization that they don’t.

According to the gospels Jesus spent a lot of His time preaching. But according to those same gospels, He spent every bit as much of His time, if not more, ministering. He didn’t isolate Himself in an ivory tower, only coming down periodically to preach a powerful sermon. Instead, He moved in and out among the common folk of the land, visiting them in their cities, towns, and villages. He held one-on-one healing sessions with sick individuals. He touched lepers that no one else would even approach. He cast demons out of actual human beings who had actual names. He showed love to a country full of people who weren’t getting it from the Romans, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes, the priests, the tax collectors, or the merchants.

Oh, and did I mention how Jesus’ loving ministry ended? He got nailed to a cross. That is how this world treats God’s servants, and anyone who is feeling “the call to preach” should be made aware of this. It’s not all nice suits, expensive cars, big salaries, and congregations who can’t wait to hear and apply what you have to say. Instead, it’s trying to minister to needy people who oftentimes don’t understand their need and other times don’t appreciate your help even if they do understand their need. Thankfully, there are exceptions to this rule, but the exceptions simply prove the truth of the rule. That, of course, is something else I didn’t know back then.

Posted in Church, Church Attendance, God's Work, Ministry, Personal, Preaching, Service | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A Fresh Word from God

Posted on December 8, 2025 by russellmckinney

Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. (1 Samuel 3:1, N.K.J.V.)

The Hebrew word translated as “widespread revelation” in this verse is hazon. It’s a word that refers to divine revelation. Most typically in the Old Testament it is used in reference to a prophetic vision such as the ones God’s prophets received from Him.

Therefore, our text verse is describing a time in ancient Israel in which God wasn’t doing much talking. A fresh word from Him was rare and God-sent visions were scarce. The nation was forced to operate from old revelation, the revelation that God had given them centuries earlier through Moses by way of the Mosaic law.

And what was the cause of Israel’s sad spiritual state? The main problem was that Israel’s priesthood had turned corrupt. The High Priest, Eli, was old, and he was allowing his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to handle most of the priestly duties. Unfortunately, Hophni and Phinehas were wicked men.

For example, even though the Mosaic law allowed for Israel’s priests to receive designated portions of the Israelites’ animal sacrifices (Deuteronomy 18:3), Hophni and Phinehas always greedily took more than the share the law allowed (1 Samuel 2:13-17). Also, they commonly had sexual relations with the women who served at the Tabernacle, Israel’s God-ordained place of worship (1 Samuel 2:22). The elderly Eli did make some attempt to rebuke his sons, but they ignored the old man’s words (1 Samuel 2:23-25). How bad were Hophni and Phinehas? For one thing, they didn’t even know the Lord in a saving way (1 Samuel 2:12). For another, God wanted to kill them (1 Samuel 2:25), which He did by means of an Israelite battle with the Philistines (1 Samuel 4:1-11).

Is it any wonder, then, that a word from the Lord was rare in the days of Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas? Is it any wonder there was no widespread revelation during that time? Why would God bother to share new revelation when Israel’s priests weren’t even living up to the old revelation?

Interestingly, our word hazon is also used in Proverbs 29:18, which famously says in the King James Version: “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” The teaching of the verse is that a fresh word from God (a revelation) is the difference between perishing and thriving. A situation is lying stagnant, and then all of a sudden God speaks a fresh word into it. He says, “Here’s how things are and here’s what I’m going to do about it.” Without that fresh word (that God-sanctioned vision, that divine revelation) the situation will continue to trudge along in its pitiable condition.

It is also worth noting that the Hebrew word translated as “perish” in Proverbs 29:18 of the King James Version is para. It’s a word that means “to run wild and unrestrained.” You see, what the original Hebrew of Proverbs 29:18 tells us is that where there is no fresh word from God, people run wild. As the New International Version renders the verse: “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint…” The New Living Translation gets even more blunt, saying: “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild…”

You say, “Okay, but what does all this mean to me?” First, it means that if your life is marked by unrepentant sin, you needn’t expect a fresh word of guidance from God. Why should He impart new guidance to you when you aren’t even living up to the guidance that He has previously shared? Second, it means that without that divine guidance you are running unrestrained and wild. You aren’t in God’s will. You aren’t living a life that He can ideally bless. You aren’t in a place where He can share with you all the wonderful insight that He has for you. Only when you repent of your sins and start living up to the spiritual light that God has already given you will He be able to impart to you a fresh word of guidance that will allow you to move to a higher level in your living.

Posted in Backsliding, Character, Commitment, Confession, Discernment, Disobedience, Faithfulness, Fatherhood, God's Guidance, God's Will, God's Word, Greed, Obedience, Personal Holiness, Rebellion, Repentance, Restoration, Scripture, Sex, Sin, The Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment