Carrying Water

Posted on May 4, 2020 by russellmckinney

The Civil War’s Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, was primarily fought on December 13, 1862. Approximately 200,000 soldiers fought in the battle, as Union General Ambrose Burnside commanded his 120,000 troops in a two-pronged attacked against Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s 80,000 troops. Lee’s troops were able to turn back both prongs of the attack, but the Union army and the Confederate army each suffered casualties in the thousands.

One field in particular, which was marked by a long stone wall, had hundreds of Union soldiers who were either dead or wounded lying in it. The carnage was the result of 2,000 Confederate soldiers holding their positions behind the wall and firing into the Union soldiers as they attempted to advance toward it. To make the horrific scene even worse, the Union soldiers who were wounded spent the rest of the day and the entirety of the night crying out for water their fellow comrades couldn’t bring them for fear of being shot themselves.

The cries were so mournful and so persistent that they broke the heart of a nineteen-year-old Confederate sergeant named Richard Kirkland. The next day, December 14, Kirkland went to his field General, Joe Kershaw, and said, “General, I can’t stand this any longer! All day and all night I have heard those poor people calling for water. I’ve come to ask permission to go and give them some.”

General Kershaw admired the young sergeant’s compassion for the enemy, but he couldn’t help but worry about what the Union soldiers on the other side of the field would do if they saw a Confederate soldier moving toward their wounded. Kershaw said, “Sergeant, don’t you know that you would get a bullet through your head the moment you stepped over the wall?” “Yes, sir,” Kirkland answered, “but if you will let me, I am willing to try it.” Finally, with one last comment on Kirkland’s noble motives and a request that God would protect the young sergeant, Kershaw agreed to the request.

From the second-story window of his command post, Kershaw watched as Kirkland, carrying several canteens of water, jumped over the wall and headed out into the battlefield. To Kershaw’s amazement, the Union soldiers didn’t fire upon Kirkland even as he arrived at the first wounded Union soldier. Kirkland carefully lifted the soldier’s head, gave him a drink of water, and then adjusted the soldier’s coat for warmth before moving on to the next of the wounded.

It soon became evident to the Union army what Kirkland was doing, and they allowed him to roam the battlefield freely. By the time his job was completed, Kirkland had made several trips back across the wall to get more water to give to the wounded soldiers. His incredible act of compassion will always stand as one of the greatest acts of compassion ever offered in the midst of warfare.

Russell Dennis, Jr., the President of Heritage Baptist College in Franklin, Indiana, has said the following concerning Richard Kirkland’s deed:

As soldiers in the army of the Lord, we see so much need and suffering. If we listen, we can often hear their cries. Like the woman at the well, they seek for water — that Water of Life found only in Jesus Christ our Lord. When we take courage like Richard Kirkland and say, “I can’t stand this!” we can begin to be led by the Holy Spirit to reach a thirsty world.

So, Christian, how about you? Have you jumped over any walls lately to minister to someone who needed your help? If you haven’t, maybe it’s time you did. The wounded are lying here, there, and everywhere all around this world. As Jesus said to His chosen twelve in that same story about the woman at the well, “…Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” Those wounded all need Jesus, the Water of Life. Will you step out from behind your protective wall and take Him to them?

Posted in Courage, Discipleship, Doing Good, Evangelism, God's Work, Mercy, Ministry, Salvation, The Gospel | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

“Christian Verses” Podcast: Judges 21:25

Posted on May 3, 2020 by russellmckinney

This week’s podcast is centered around Judges 21:25, which says: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” This business of people doing what seems right to them has been a problem for a long time and continues to be one today. In the podcast, Malcolm and I discuss not only how the problem applied to ancient Israel but also how it applies to these modern times. Basically, it always comes down to one thing: a lack of submission to the Lord. To hear the podcast, just click on the link below:

Posted in "Christian Verses" podcast, Rebellion, Submission | Tagged , | Leave a comment

One Man’s Thought About the Coronavirus

Posted on May 2, 2020 by russellmckinney

I’ve frequently been asked about the Coronavirus (Covid-19), but I’ve been hesitant to render much of an opinion simply because I didn’t know enough about it to speak intelligently. And, to be honest, I’m still no more an expert on the topic than the average person. Like most everybody else, what I know about it comes from the local and national news, articles on the internet, or everyday conversations with people. I’m not a doctor or a health official, and I certainly haven’t been with God atop Mount Sinai getting special insight about the virus.

With that said, though, I do feel led of the Lord to use this post to share my current thoughts about the topic. If you find these thoughts helpful, that will be great, but my feelings won’t be hurt if you don’t. If you agree with what I say, that will be a nice bonus, but we’ll still be friends if you don’t. Again, what you are about to read is all just one man’s opinion.

First, in my opinion, the Coronavirus has generated a sizable degree of media overhype. Fear sells, and the people who work in the media know this. Reporting on all the deaths the virus has produced is reliable news, but reporting on all the deaths the virus might produce is something else. We might call that fearmongering. I’ve also found it interesting that about the time some states started talking about easing restrictions, the media started pushing stories about a possible resurgence of the virus in the fall. Sure, the last thing we all need right now is a little bit of optimism. Why choose to promote that when you can keep everybody living under a rock?

Second, in my opinion, the Coronavirus actually is worse than the flu. I’ve lived through a lot of flu seasons in my life, but I’ve never seen people die from the flu in a matter of just a few days or funeral homes become overwhelmed with corpses. Even in regards to a big city like New York, I haven’t seen body bags stacked up like cordwood. That’s new territory for this fifty-three-year-old. Someone says, “But the mortality rate for the Covid-19 virus isn’t any greater than the mortality rate for the flu.” Okay, let’s just pretend for a moment that I agree with that assessment. Since Covid-19 is by virtually every account more contagious than the flu, doesn’t that automatically mean that it kills more people than the flu (even if the death rate between the two really are the same)?

Third, in my opinion, the people — many of them Christians — who think the Coronavirus is little more than an orchestrated event to bring down President Donald Trump and sweep him out of office this November must think the entire world has a vested interest in American politics. I say that because the entire world has been adversely affected by this virus and over 170,000 people would still be dead worldwide if the virus had never reached American shores. Think about that. That’s 170,000 people dead who couldn’t have cared less whether the President of the United States was Donald Trump, Joe Biden, or John Doe. That sure is a lot of “cover story” just to get one guy out of office.

Fourth, in my opinion, our churches have been right to switch to either online services, “drive in” services, or both in the wake of the Coronavirus. Believe me, I’ve heard the other side of this debate. In particular, one conservative website of which I am a faithful reader has laid waste to us pastors for daring to kowtow to the wishes of our local governments, state governments, and national government in regards to public assemblies. All I can say is that I have prayed, faithfully and fervently, for God’s direction and guidance during this pandemic, and He has consistently guided me to forego my church’s in-the-building services. We began by streaming our Sunday morning and Wednesday night services live on You Tube, and then a few weeks later we added the “drive in” option — featuring a short-distance radio transmitter that sends the signal to the cars in the parking lot — for anyone who either doesn’t have the internet or prefers to literally show up for church. Am I in sin for doing all that instead of having in-the-building services? If I am, then God needs to let me know it because I haven’t felt one ounce of conviction over it. Much to the contrary, I’ve had a great peace about it all.

Fifth, in my opinion, the Coronavirus isn’t the means by which the “powers that be” are trying to bring down Christianity. If the closures had only targeted churches, obviously that case could be made. But that isn’t what’s happened. The NCAA basketball tournament was cancelled, and the NBA playoffs are in danger of being cancelled. The college baseball season was cancelled, and the MLB season has been put on hold. The Masters golf tournament was postponed, the French Open tennis tournament was postponed, and the Wimbledon tennis tournament was cancelled outright. Oh, and by the way, let’s not forget about all the MONEY that has been lost because of these cancellations. Frankly, most of our churches are continuing to collect offerings through online giving, mail-in giving, etc. Financially speaking, that puts them in a lot better shape than all the sporting events that got cancelled.

Sixth, in my opinion, the Coronavirus has nothing to do with the persecution of the church. Here again, I’ve heard the other side of this debate. Try using Romans 13:1 and 1 Peter 2:13 — both of which instruct Christians to submit to their governments — as scriptural evidence for why you aren’t holding typical church services, and see what you get. It won’t be long before someone is coming back at you with Acts 5:29: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” My response to the Acts 5:29 application is that during this pandemic no new laws have been passed that forbid preachers from preaching against abortion, homosexuality, or any other politically incorrect topic. That indicates to me that the issue at hand is public safety, not religious persecution.

Seventh and last, in my opinion, there actually is a vast, global conspiracy to devalue Christianity, deemphasize each nation’s autonomy, and usher in a one-world government. As a matter of fact, I even know who is behind this conspiracy. His name is Satan. Yes, the devil really is getting this world ready to one day bow down to his human masterpiece: the coming Antichrist. Still, though, this doesn’t mean that every politician that you didn’t vote for and every media outlet that you don’t like is secretly in league with Satan. Instead, it’s more correct to think of Satan as being the behind-the-scenes puppet-master who knows how to use the world’s happenings to bring about his grand plan. And, of course, he can’t even do that without God’s permission.

So, in closing, you can consider these thoughts to be my current take on the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Am I saying they are all 100% correct in their conclusions? Nope. Am I saying that I won’t revise them accordingly if I come across some purer truth? Nope. What I will say is that the Bible teaches that God the Father is still on His throne, God the Son is still seated at His right hand, and global events are still not causing any panic in heaven. Putting all that another way, even though we don’t know what the next few days, weeks, and months will hold, we do know who holds them. This fact alone can be enough to bring us comfort during this uncomfortable time if we will let it. But if we won’t, then I guess we’ll just have to live at the mercy of the next news broadcast. And, as we’ve all now had a chance to experience firsthand, that’s just no way to live.

Posted in Current Events, Prophecy, Satan, The Devil, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

When God’s Answer Isn’t What You Asked For

Posted on April 29, 2020 by russellmckinney

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

One day a little girl asked her father for a quarter. The father tried to oblige her but all he had at that moment was a $20 bill. So, he said, “Honey, I don’t have a quarter, but I’m going to do you better than that. I’m going to give you this $20 bill.” Then he handed her the bill. He thought that would thrill the child, but it didn’t. Instead, she said, “No, Daddy, I asked you for a quarter.”

The father chuckled a bit and said, “Honey, you don’t understand. What I just gave you is a whole bunch of quarters put together.” By now, though, the little girl was starting to get upset. She said, “Daddy, all I’m asking you for is a quarter, and you won’t even give me that. I thought you loved me.” The father answered, “I do love you. That’s why I just gave you $20.” But the girl still wasn’t impressed. She said again, “If you loved me, you would give me a quarter.”

At this point the father decided that it was time for an arithmetic lesson. He said, “Honey, let me explain this to you. There are four quarters in every dollar, and I just gave you a $20 bill. That means that I just gave you 80 quarters.” Try as he might, though, he just couldn’t make the child understand. Finally, she started crying, pitched a fit, and ran into her bedroom to get away from him.

You say, “That dumb little girl. She certainly didn’t know what was best for her.” You’re right, she didn’t. But tell me, Christian, do you always know what’s best for you? How many times have you asked your heavenly Father for something, only to get upset when He sent you a replacement product that you couldn’t understand was exceedingly abundantly better than what you asked Him for?

Try to keep this in mind the next time God sends you something different than you requested. The fact that you can’t see His answer for what it is doesn’t mean that it isn’t a veritable goldmine for you. Never forget that He loves you enough to give you more than you request from Him. That’s why He feels free to send substitute answers when they fit better. Just because His answer is different doesn’t mean that it’s worse.

Posted in God's Love, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Blessing of Rest During the Coronavirus

Posted on April 27, 2020 by russellmckinney

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31, N.K.J.V.)

As the Coronavirus continues to adversely affect our daily lives, many people are wondering what lesson God is trying to teach us through it. While I don’t claim to have a patent on that answer, I feel safe in saying that, if nothing else, God seems to be using the virus to slow us down. I mean, who can argue that “Go, go, go” hasn’t become “stay home, stay home, stay home”?

This reminds me of a lesson that a certain college football player once learned the hard way. The player’s name was Nate Irving, and he was a linebacker for N.C. State. Going into the 2009 season, Irving was a preseason All-ACC pick and was poised for big things. That all changed, though, on June 28, 2009, when he left N.C. State’s Raleigh campus and made the 90-mile drive to visit his family in Wallace, NC. When the visit was over, Irving’s family tried to get him to spend the night with them and drive back to school the next morning. Irving, however, would hear none of it and insisted on driving back to Raleigh that night. That turned out to be a bad decision as he fell asleep at the wheel about 30 Raleigh miles outside Raleigh and crashed his car.

The wreck left Irving with broken ribs, a separated shoulder, a compound fracture in his left leg, and a collapsed lung. His injuries forced him to miss the entire 2009 season, but he counted himself fortunate just to be alive. He then rehabbed his injuries, returned to the team for the 2010 season, played at an All-American level that season, and was drafted in the third round of the NFL draft by the Denver Broncos. Needless to say, Irving’s story had a happy ending. Still, though, he never forgot his death-defying crash and said of it, “There’s nothing more important than getting your rest. I almost lost my life because I didn’t get enough rest.”

Am I staying busy during this current pandemic? Yes, I am. I’m still preaching to my congregation twice a week (by way of You Tube online streaming and short-distance radio broadcasting), I’m writing three blog posts per week, and Malcolm Woody and I are doing a podcast most every week. But am I as busy as I was before the Coronavirus hit? No, I’m not. I haven’t been doing any personal visiting, and I haven’t been having any meetings at church, either.

Of course, my family and I count ourselves blessed that not one of us has been afflicted with the Coronavirus (at least not yet). That blessing in and of itself would be plenty for which to thank God. I have to say, though, that another blessing that we’ve experienced during this time has been simply being able to slow down for a while and catch our collective breath from life’s hectic pace. Others have experienced this blessing as well even if they haven’t fully appreciated it for the good it’s done in their lives. No doubt God knew that many of us needed such a slow down. And maybe, just maybe, that’s one of the reasons why He has allowed the Coronavirus. It’s at least something to consider, even though I’m sure that it hasn’t been His only reason.

Posted in Current Events, God's Provision, God's Sovereignty, Needs, Personal | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Is God Doing Anything With You?

Posted on April 25, 2020 by russellmckinney

Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. (Acts 14:27, N.K.J.V.)

Most of us want God to do something for us. We prove that by taking our Christmas list of prayer requests to Him on a regular basis. But how many of us want God to do something with us?

The events of Acts 14 are found within the context of the record of Paul’s first missionary journey. His ministry companion for that trip was Barnabas (Acts 13:1-3), even though Mark, the writer of the gospel of Mark, traveled with them for a while as well (Acts 12:25; 13:13). Paul and Barnabas were both Jews, but they ministered to Jews and Gentiles alike. As a matter of fact, their ministry to Gentiles produced more spiritual fruit than their ministry to Jews.

That missionary journey ended where it had begun, at the church in Antioch. It was there that Paul and Barnabas gave a full report to the church. And what did they tell those Christians? Our text verse says they told them how God had worked with them to open up salvation (“the door of faith”) to the Gentiles.

Could God have opened up the door of salvation to those Gentiles without using Paul and Barnabas? Certainly. He could have had a host of angels visit all those cities and preach the gospel. Or, He could have had every single one of the Gentiles in those cities have a dream, a dream in which the gospel was presented. But God’s preferred method of getting the gospel shared in all those cities was to have Paul and Barnabas preach it.

Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, once said:

I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up by asking Him to do His work through me.

Those words “do His work through me” equate to the same thing as Paul and Barnabas reporting what God “had done with them.” Either way the idea is that God uses you as the vessel by which He gets His work done. The funny thing about God is that, as awesome as He is, He is always hard up for help. That’s because He relies upon volunteers rather than draftees.

Trust me, if God isn’t doing anything with you or through you, the problem isn’t on His end. He has given you talents. He has given you skills. He has given you abilities. If you are a born-again Christian, He has given you have at least one spiritual gift. Also, He has sovereignly placed you in your little corner of the world, which means that you live next door to people, work with people, and meet people that are uniquely your folks.

There’s an old saying that goes, “He’s our man in ………( fill in the city).” Well, God is looking for you to be His man/woman in wherever you happen to be at any given moment. Paul was that person. Barnabas was that person. Hudson Taylor was that person. But the question right now is, will you be that person? If you will be, then I guarantee you that God will do important things with you. Just give Him a try and see.

Posted in Commitment, Discipleship, Doing Good, Faithfulness, God's Work, Individuality, Influence, Missions, Prayer Requests, Sacrifice, Sanctification, Service, Spiritual Gifts, Talents | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Respecting the Elderly

Posted on April 23, 2020 by russellmckinney

You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:32, N.K.J.V.)

Every pastor feels the not-so-subtle pressure to keep the young people (and their parents) happy at church. Statements such as, “The young people are the future of the church” become so stamped onto a pastor’s brain that they become nothing less than official church doctrine. The result is that the wants, desires, and preferences of young people (and their parents) oftentimes trump those of all other age groups in the church.

However, when we come to the Bible we find that the elderly are the age group to whom God would have us give the most honor. Our text verse is a perfect example of this truth, but there are plenty of other passages that present this same teaching. Consider the following (all from the N.K.J.V.):

  • Job 12:12: Wisdom is with aged men, And with length of days, understanding.
  • Job 32:4-6: Now because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited to speak to Job. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused. So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said: “I am young in years, and you are very old; Therefore I was afraid, And dared not declare my opinion to you. I said, ‘Age should speak, And multitude of years should teach wisdom.'”
  • Proverbs 16:31: The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, It is found in the way of righteousness.
  • Proverbs 20:29: The glory of young men is their strength, And the splendor of old men is their gray head.
  • Proverbs 23:22: Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.
  • 1 Timothy 5:1: Do not rebuke an older man but exhort him as a father…

In 1 Kings 12:6-16, we find the story of how King Rehoboam, Solomon’s heir to the throne, foolishly favored the counsel of his young companions over that of the elderly men who had advised Solomon. That decision led to Israel’s ten northern tribes breaking away from its two southern tribes and forming their own kingdom. The split ended the unity the nation had enjoyed under the reigns of David and Solomon.

In Isaiah 3:1-5, God actually lists young people’s insolence toward the elderly as being a mark that His judgment is upon a nation. That same passage also quotes Him as saying of His judgment upon Judah, “I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.” How different this assessment is from our modern world that is constantly on the lookout for fresh young voices in politics.

In Psalm 92:12-14, the Psalmist speaks of how the true servant of God will flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree in the courts of God. And what else will the servant do? He will continue to bear spiritual fruit even in his old age.

A similar passage is Titus 2:1-3, where the apostle Paul exhorts Titus to speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine so that the older men and the older women can be all that God wants them to be. In regards to the elderly men, that amounts to them being sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, marked by love, and marked by patience. In regards to the elderly women, that amounts to them not being irreverent, slanderous, or given to much wine. The elderly women are also encouraged to teach the younger women to love their husbands, love their children, be discreet, be chaste, be homemakers, be good, and be obedient to their husbands. Isn’t it interesting that the teaching should flow down from the elderly women rather than up from the younger women?

This goal of being a godly instructor to the younger generation was one that the Psalmist who wrote Psalm 71 understood full well. In verse 18 of that Psalm, he pleas with God not to forsake him when he is old and grayheaded until he has had time to declare God’s strength to the younger generation. How much more worthy a life goal that is than to simply retire comfortably and not be bothered with trying to help anyone.

The point in all of these passages is that the younger generations should hold the elderly in great respect. Even more than that, they should learn from them. This applies to every realm of life whether it be the church realm, the home realm, the political realm, the business realm, or any other realm. In God’s grand plan for the human race, old people are a blessing rather than a nuisance because they have the wisdom that can only be gleaned by years of living. That’s why God actually made it a national law in Israel that the younger generations should literally stand in honor anytime they found themselves in the presence of an elderly man. Am I advocating that we return to such a custom? Not necessarily, even though it wouldn’t be a bad idea. But I am advocating that we give our elderly the proper respect and attention they deserve according to God’s word. Not only will this be pleasing to God, it will also be beneficial to us.

Posted in Aging, Church, Counsel, Elderly, Youth | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

“Christian Verses” Podcast: Luke 23:34

Posted on April 21, 2020 by russellmckinney

In the new podcast Malcolm and I discuss Luke 23:34, where Jesus utters His famous, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” statement. That statement absolutely dripped with grace, and that grace wasn’t lost on one of the two criminals who were crucified alongside Jesus. As a matter of fact, that man no doubt understood grace in a deeper way than most of us ever will. To hear the podcast, just click on the link below:

Posted in "Christian Verses" podcast, Christ's Death, Grace, Salvation | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Landing Is Important

Posted on April 20, 2020 by russellmckinney

A student pilot was doing an excellent job flying the plane during his lesson. Then came the moment when the flight instructor looked over at him and said, “Okay, let’s take it down and land.” The student said, “Sounds good, let’s do it.”

As the plane began to descend, the instructor couldn’t help but notice how calm the student remained. Whereas most trainees instinctively got a little nervous at the thought of bringing the plane in for a landing, this trainee’s facial expression and demeanor didn’t change one bit. The instructor thought to himself, “This guy is going to make a great pilot.”

Not too long afterward, though, the plane hit the runway hard, bounced 50 feet into the air, hit the runway hard again, bounced 25 feet into the air, hit the runway hard again, bounced 5 feet into the air, and finally came to a full stop. The instructor was horrified. Actually, he was just glad to be alive after that awful landing. He looked over at the student and said, “You did just fine flying the plane, but your landing was the worst one I’ve ever seen.” That’s when the student looked at him and said, “MY landing? I thought YOU were handling the landing!”

When you seek God’s will regarding a decision and then do that will, the landing for that decision becomes God’s responsibility. Conversely, when you do your own will regarding a decision, God isn’t responsible for the landing. Unfortunately for God, His reputation has taken many a hit simply because He got blamed for a landing in which He had no part.

So many times we go our own way, do our own thing, and then somewhere in the middle of it all say, “Lord, please bless Your work.” God must think to Himself, “MY work? Do you really think you are doing MY work here?” The term “rubber stamp a decision” is a metaphor that means that the person who is technically in charge of an operation robotically grants approval to what his underlings think should be done. This approval is evidenced by the person opening his desk drawer, pulling out the custom-made rubber stamp that has his signature embossed on it, and pressing that stamp down onto the official document that sanctions the project. Needless to say, God doesn’t “rubber stamp” anything that isn’t His will.

Right now, whatever decision you are facing, seek God’s will concerning that decision. Even more than just seek it, do it. Then take your hands off the controls and let God bring the decision in for a landing. Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you that even God’s landings can sometimes get a little rough. Oh, and did I mention that He might not land you where you thought you were going to land? Still, though, the great benefit from doing God’s will and letting Him handle the landing is that when you are finally at “all stop,” you will have the deep-settled inner peace that only comes from doing God’s will. And that, of course, is really the only way to fly.

Posted in Choices, Decisions, God's Will, God's Work, Humor, Inner Peace, Obedience, Prayer Requests, Submission, Trusting In God | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

What the Bible Teaches About Cremation

Posted on April 18, 2020 by russellmckinney

According to the website for the National Funeral Directors Association, the cremation rate for funerals in the United States was 40.4% in 2010 and 47.9% in 2015. It is projected to be 56.4% by the end of 2020, 63.5% by 2025, 69.7% by 2030, 74.8% by 2035, and 78.7% by 2040.

Currently, the highest percentage rate for cremations in the world is Japan at 99.97%. Nepal and Taiwan aren’t far behind with rates of 95% and 92.47% respectively. India and South Korea both have rates over 80%. In terms of sheer numbers of cremations per year, China leads the world. With that nation’s rate of cremation currently standing at approximately 50%, that equates to approximately 5 million cremations annually.

But now let’s get to the all-important question: “What does the Bible teach about cremation?” In answer to that question, I should first point out that the word “cremation” is nowhere to be found in the Bible. This doesn’t mean, though, that the Bible offers us no guidance concerning this topic. All it means is that we must consider the totality of scripture and glean from it the relevant truths and principles that apply.

First, the Bible provides us with several examples of bodies getting burned to ashes, and the vast majority of these examples involve God’s judgment and wrath. Here is a list:

  • God rained fire and brimstone down upon the citizens of the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Genesis 19:1-25; 2 Peter 2:6)
  • After having received God’s law at Mount Sinai, Moses and the Israelites began making their way toward the land of Canaan. At some point along the way, the people complained enough to arouse God’s anger. That caused God to throw down fire among the people, a fire that consumed some of them. (Numbers 11:1)
  • As part of a rebellion that was led against Moses by a man named Korah, 250 men carried censors that had fire and incense in them. After God caused the ground to open up and swallow Korah (as well as several others associated with the rebellion), God threw down fire that consumed the men who were carrying the censors. (Numbers 16:1-40)
  • Nadab and Abihu, the two oldest sons of Israel’s high priest Aaron, violated the holy rituals associated with the Tabernacle. God judged their sin by sending down fire that devoured them. (Leviticus 10:1-2)
  • Achan, one of Israel’s soldiers, violated God’s command about not touching any of the spoils from the nation’s victory over the walled city of Jericho. Once the sin was discovered, Joshua led Israel in burning Achan and Achan’s entire family alive. (Joshua 7:20-26)
  • God was not pleased with the actions of Israel’s King Ahaziah. Consequently, God sent the prophet Elijah to tell the king’s messengers that Ahaziah was going to die from a recent injury the king had suffered. Upon hearing Elijah’s word from those messengers, Ahaziah dispatched a group of 50 men, led by a captain, to fetch Elijah and bring him to Ahaziah. But God protected Elijah by throwing down fire from heaven to consume the captain and the 50 men. After receiving this news, King Ahaziah dispatched another group of 50 men, led by another captain, to bring in Elijah. They too were all consumed by fire that fell from heaven. (2 Kings 1:1-12)

In the interest of being thorough, let me mention that the Bible also provides some examples of bodies that were incinerated apart from God’s judgment and wrath. Obviously, though, these examples are not God’s ideal for what He’d like to see happen to a body. The examples are:

  • all the infant children whose bodies were burned as part of the hideous Canaanite worship practice of offering those children as burnt offerings to the false god Molech: (Leviticus 18:21; 20:1-5; Deuteronomy 12:31)
  • all the infant children whose bodies were burned as part of Israel sinfully engaging in the worship of Molech: (1 Kings 11:7; 2 Kings 16:1-3; 17:16-18; 21:1-6; 23:10; Jeremiah 32:34-35; Ezekiel 20:30-32)
  • the bodies of King Saul and his three sons, whose bodies were all burned by the godly men of Jabesh Gilead in a devout effort to hide the fact that the Philistines had desecrated those bodies and displayed them as trophies of war: (1 Samuel 31:8-13)

Second, the Bible provides us with several examples of people burying their deceased with God’s blessing. Here is a list:

  • Abraham buried his wife Sarah. (Genesis 23:1-20)
  • Isaac and Ishmael buried their father Abraham. (Genesis 25:8-10)
  • Jacob buried his wife Rachel. (Genesis 35:16-20)
  • Jacob and Esau buried their father Isaac. (Genesis 35:27-29)
  • Jacob’s twelve sons buried their father Jacob. (Genesis 49:29-33; 50:1-14)
  • Joseph’s descendants ultimately buried him at Shechem in the land of Canaan after his body had been embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt to await Israel’s exodus out of Egypt and into Canaan. (Genesis 50:22-26; Exodus 13:17-19; Joshua 24:32)
  • God Himself buried Moses. (Deuteronomy 34:5-6)
  • Israel’s leaders buried Joshua. (Joshua 24:29-30)
  • Israel’s leaders buried Eleazar, Israel’s High Priest who was the third son of Aaron. (Joshua 24:33)
  • Israel’s leaders buried Samuel. (1 Samuel 25:1)
  • Israel’s leaders (presumably Solomon and the rest of David’s family) buried David. (1 Kings 2:10)
  • John the Baptist’s disciples buried him. (Matthew 14:9-12)
  • Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus buried Jesus. (Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42)
  • Some of the members of the early church buried Ananias and Sapphira. (Acts 5:5-10)
  • Some of the members of the early church buried Stephen. (Acts 8:2)

Of this list, the burial of Joseph is particularly noteworthy. If cremation was ever a simpler option for the disposal of a corpse, surely it was in regards to Joseph’s body. I say that because his body remained in a coffin in Egypt for over 400 years awaiting Israel’s exodus to Canaan. Even when the Israelites finally transported that body with them from Egypt to Canaan, it would have been much easier for them to travel with an urn than a coffin. But cremation simply wasn’t Israel’s custom. Going all the way to Abraham, they buried their dead (Matthew 8:21-22; 27:7; John 19:40).

Someone might say, “Yes, but the fact that the ancient people of Israel did something doesn’t mean that we have to do it today. They also offered up animal sacrifices and practiced capital punishment by way of stoning.” That’s true, but there are three New Testament verses that make it clear that God wants us to learn some valuable lessons from Israel’s examples. Those verses are (all from the N.K.J.V.):

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4)

Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. (1 Corinthians 10:11)

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness… (2 Timothy 3:16)

Third, the Bible teaches that the Christian’s body should be buried as a way of evidencing the Christian’s expectation of the future resurrection and glorification of that body. Consider the following passages (all from the N.K.J.V., added emphasis mine):

  • Romans 8:22-23: For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of the body.
  • 1 Corinthians 15:51-53: Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
  • Philippians 3:20-21: For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
  • 1 John 3:2: Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

You see, Christian, there is a valid reason why Christians have been burying their dead for 2,000 years. Actually, the word “cemetery” comes from coemeteria, the Latin word for Christian gravesites. This word literally means “sleeping places,” “resting places,” or even “bedrooms.” The point is that Christians don’t expect the corpses of their Christian dead to remain in their gravesites forever. They only put those corpses there for a while until Jesus will resurrect the corpses and glorify them, making them suitable for eternity.

It is no coincidence that the further the United States drifts from its Christian moorings, the more the national rate of cremation rises. (Did you know that in the U.S. in 1962 only 5% of funerals were cremations?) Needless to say, any nation that is dominated by either a lack of religion or a religion other than Christianity — i.e., Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Confucianism, Taoism, etc. — probably isn’t going to see the need to bury bodies. Of all the world religions, only Judaism, Islam, and Christianity teach the resurrection of the body. Not surprisingly, these are the three religions that trace their roots back to Abraham.

The Bible’s best passage on the topic of Christian resurrection is 1 Corinthians chapter 15. There, the apostle Paul links up Christ’s resurrection with the promise that all Christians will have their bodies resurrected in similar fashion. In verses 35 through 44 of that chapter, Christian burial is likened to the sowing of a seed in the ground. As any farmer will attest, the harvest that eventually comes up from the ground doesn’t look like the seed that initially went into the ground. However, this should not be taken to mean that Christians are wrong to bury their dead in mausoleums. If you think about it, Jesus’ burial tomb didn’t involve His body being literally planted in the ground, did it?

Of course, God’s basic plan isn’t always possible when it comes to burial. For example, untold numbers of corpses have ended up at the bottoms of oceans by way of shipwrecks, tsunamis, and the flood of Noah. Other corpses lie at the bottoms of caved-in mines. Others have been more or less obliterated by explosions such as bombs being dropped. Others have been incinerated by house fires and car fires.

And then there are all the Christians who have been burned alive as martyrs for their faith. That list includes the likes of Polycarp and many other Christians from Rome’s persecution of the early church. Similarly, the Catholic Church used to employ the practice of burning supposed heretics at the stake. Some of these “heretics” were Christian notables such as John Huss and William Tyndale. The Catholic Church despised John Wycliffe so much that four decades after his burial they dug up his remains and burned them.

Still, whenever possible, the Christian should be buried rather than cremated. Again, the reason has to do with the Christian’s confident expectation of an eventual resurrection. Speaking as a pastor who has served multiple churches that owned cemeteries, I know all too well the problems that can come with that particular realm of church work. No matter how many rules and regulations a church writes up for how its cemetery will be used, it’s almost impossible to cover all the bases. If nothing else, the cost of the upkeep of the cemetery can run into many thousands of dollars for the church. This explains why most church start-ups today have no interest in getting into the cemetery business. For that matter, some churches that have cemeteries are trying to delegate the responsibility for them to outside groups. Is God pleased with this modern-church attitude toward cemeteries? The more I think about it, the more I suspect that He isn’t. If we are serious about our Christian faith, that ought to translate into providing a place for our church members to have their bodies buried in expectation of resurrection.

Finally, let me say a word to anyone reading this who has had a Christian loved one cremated. Perhaps you chose cremation because it was much cheaper than burial. Perhaps you chose it because you honestly had never grasped the fact that a Christian burial is a public object lesson for the promise of resurrection. Perhaps you chose it for some other reason. Whatever your reason was, please know that you cremating your Christian loved one will not prevent God from resurrecting and glorifying that body when the time comes.

In science, there is The Law of Conservation of Matter. That law states that matter, once created, cannot be destroyed in an isolated system. This means that the matter that makes up each human body can never go completely out of existence within the confines of God’s creation. That matter can change forms, such as a human corpse withering down to dust, but it cannot fade into nothingness. The takeaway from this is that the matter from each and every body that God calls into existence will always be somewhere within God’s creation.

Therefore, when God is ready to resurrect that body, He will have no trouble pulling all of that matter back together to reconstitute that body. Whether that matter is lying inside a casket in a grave or whether it long ago became a part of the ocean depths by means of ashes being scattered upon the sea, God will be able to locate it. This doesn’t lessen the Bible’s teaching concerning the importance of burial rather than cremation, but it does at least provide some comfort to the individual who has had a Christian loved one cremated.

Posted in Christ's Resurrection, Cremation, Death, Resurrection | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments