Rightly Understanding Peter’s Answer

Posted on February 16, 2026 by russellmckinney

(Series: “The Early Church of Jerusalem” post #4)

Peter’s Pentecost sermon, which was the first sermon of the church age, caused his listeners to ask, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). His answer was, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38, N.I.V.). However, in my previous post, I explained why we shouldn’t take Peter’s words to mean any of the following in regards to salvation or water baptism:

  • the requirement of repentance cancels out the requirement of belief/faith in Jesus
  • water baptism is essential for salvation
  • we must baptize in the highly specific name of “Jesus Christ”

Okay, so if Peter’s answer didn’t actually mean any of those things, why did he use the wording he did? He did it because God the Holy Spirit, who now dwelt inside him, prompted him to do so, just as that same Holy Spirit had prompted him to preach the sermon that had preceded the answer. But why did God prompt such an answer? Well, there are multiple possible factors that might have come into play, and since these factors are all plausible, any one or even all of them might have applied.

Possible Factor #1: The Greek preposition translated as “for” in the words “for the forgiveness of sins” is eis, and it can mean “on the basis of.” For example, eis is used in Matthew 12:41, where Jesus says, “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at (eis, on the basis of) the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here” (N.K.J.V.). The point is that it’s possible that what Peter actually said was, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ on the basis of the forgiveness of your sins.” You see, this places the salvation (forgiveness of sin) before the baptizing.

Possible Factor #2: In Matthew 16:19, Jesus says to Peter, “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (N.K.J.V.). Catholics interpret these words to mean that Jesus made Peter the first Pope, but that interpretation is preposterous because the New Testament neither names any such office or provides any qualifications for it. The better interpretation is that Jesus giving Peter the “keys” of the kingdom of heaven meant that Peter would be the man who would, in a figurative sense, initially open the doors of the church to the world’s three ethnic groups (Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles) so that any individual who believed in Jesus as Savior could enter.

Under this interpretation, each time Peter used his “keys” to open the doors of the church to a different ethnic group, the grand opening was marked by a special event — either a mass public baptizing, a mass receiving of the indwelling Holy Spirit, or both — involving some members of that group. Consider the following:

  • In Acts 2:38-41, Peter opens the church doors for Jews (Acts 2:5), with the event being marked by a group of Jews being publicly baptized and receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit. This was Peter using his “keys” for the first time.
  • In Acts 8:4-13, Philip preaches the gospel to the Samaritans, who were a mixed race. On the one hand, they were Gentiles because their ancestors had been Gentiles the Assyrians had brought in to repopulate Israel’s northern kingdom after Assyria had conquered that kingdom and carried off its inhabitants. But, on the other hand, those Gentiles had adapted themselves to certain aspects of the Jewish religion and over the ensuing centuries had also intermarried with the Jews. At any rate, regardless of their history, when Philip preached the gospel to the Samaritans many of them believed in Jesus as Savior and submitted to baptism. Interestingly, though, at no point in all that did those believers receive the indwelling Holy Spirit. That didn’t happen until Peter and John traveled from Jerusalem to Samaria and laid hands on them. Only then, with Peter being on the scene, did those Samaritan believers receive the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17). This was Peter using his “keys” for the second time.
  • In Acts 10:24-48, Peter travels to Caesarea and preaches Jesus to a group of Gentiles who are gathered in the home of a Gentile named Cornelius. While Peter was in midst of his sermon, the Holy Spirit fell upon those Gentiles, after which Peter baptized them. This was Peter using his “keys” for the third and final time as each of the world’s three ethnic groups (Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles) had now had Peter open the doors of the church to them.

Possible Factor #3: To be baptized in the name of an individual is to submit to that individual and his message. Because the Jews of Jerusalem had been very public in their rejection of Jesus, they needed to be just as public in their submission to Him. By being baptized publicly in Jesus’ name, they dramatically set themselves apart from the unbelieving Jews whom Peter called “this perverse generation” (Acts 2:40, N.K.J.V.). It is also worth mentioning that while every Jew held God and the Holy Spirit in the highest esteem, every Jew certainly did not hold Jesus in high esteem. In particular, they especially hated the title “Christ” being added to the name Jesus because that title meant “Messiah.” Perhaps, then, this is why the indwelling Holy Spirit led Peter to command those Jews to be baptized in the name of “Jesus Christ.” It was that name, after all, that drew the starkest line of division between a believing Jew and an unbelieving one.

Possible Factor #4: The book of Acts is the record of a highly transitional time in the history of God’s dealings with people. The church age begins. Judaism wanes. Jews who are accustomed to living under the Old Testament law begin to understand what it is to live under grace. Gentiles come front and center in God getting His work done upon the earth. Because of all this major upheaval, it is unwise to build any doctrine exclusively around any passage from Acts. As evidence of this, consider the following:

  • In Acts 2:38, the order of conversion for Jews is listed as: repentance, water baptism, receiving the Holy Spirit.
  • In Acts 8:14-17, the order of conversation for Samaritans is listed as: belief, water baptism, Peter and John praying for them, receiving the Holy Spirit.
  • In Acts 10:44-48, the order of conversation for Gentiles is listed as: hearing the word (followed, presumably, by believing), receiving the Holy Spirit, water baptism.
  • In Acts 19:1-7, the order of conversation for the disciples of John the Baptist is listed as: receiving Paul’s teaching about the difference between John’s ministry and Jesus’ ministry (followed, presumably, by believing), water baptism, Paul laying his hands on them, receiving the Holy Spirit.

Does this mean, then, that there are four different plans of salvation? No. It simply means that at the dawn of the church age, God had different ways for how different groups could express their belief in Jesus and their newfound submission to Him.

Posted in Baptism, Belief, Bible Study, Catholicism, Church, Discernment, Evangelism, Faith, God's Work, Repentance, Salvation, Series: "The Early Church of Jerusalem" | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Peter’s Famous Answer

Posted on February 13, 2026 by russellmckinney

(Series: “The Early Church of Jerusalem” post #3)

To say that Peter’s Pentecost sermon was powerful and impacting would be an understatement. His listeners were so “cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37, N.K.J.V.) that he didn’t even have to give an invitation to evoke a response from them. Instead, they voluntarily asked him and the other apostles, “What shall we do?”

The answer Peter gave has been debated for centuries and has become a cornerstone verse for more than one denomination. That answer was: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38, N.I.V.).

Actually, Peter didn’t stop there. He also told them, “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:39, N.I.V.). Furthermore, he warned them with “many other words” and pleaded with them saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation” (Acts 2:40, N.I.V.). Still, though, it’s that part about repenting and being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins that gets all the attention. Here’s why those words are so debated:

  • In John 3:16, the Bible’s most famous verse, Jesus teaches that salvation (eternal life) comes by way of belief in Him. Okay, so why then didn’t Peter just say, “Believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins”?
  • Why did Peter stress the necessity of repentance?
  • Why did Peter stress the necessity of water baptism?
  • Why did Peter say that the water baptism should be done in the name of “Jesus Christ” when Jesus Himself had said that it should be done in the name of “the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”? (Matthew 28:19)

Now, it’s been said that the best commentary on the Bible is the Bible, and so the correct way to deal with all these questions is to interpret them through the lens of the rest of the Bible. Fortunately, when we do this, we find some real help. So, let’s get to it.

First, there are over 100 passages in which the New Testament uses the words “believe,” “believed,” “believing,” or “believers” in regards to salvation. A handful of examples are: John 3:16; Acts 8:37; Acts 13:39; Romans 1:16-17; and Ephesians 1:13. And then there are approximately 80 New Testament passages that use the word “faith” in relation to salvation. Some examples are: Ephesians 2:8; Colossians 1:4; 2 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 10:38; and 1 Peter 1:9.

In light of all this, we are left to conclude that the New Testament uses the words “belief” and “faith” interchangeably when the subject is salvation. Four excellent proof texts for this conclusion are: Romans 1:16-17; Romans 3:22; Galatians 2:16; and 1 John 5:4-5. Actually, the Greek verb pisteuo (“believe”) and the Greek noun pistis (“faith”) are basically the same word. So, the takeaway is that we shouldn’t trip over the plain teaching of dozens and dozens of verses just so we can make everything about Acts 2:38.

Second, Peter wasn’t the only person who tied repentance in with salvation. Both John the Baptist and Jesus did as well. (For your homework, read passages such as: Matthew 3:1-2; 4:17; Mark 1:15; 6:12; Luke 13:3-5; 16:30; and 17:3-4.) Therefore, it seems that repentance and belief/faith are two sides of the same coin. Let me illustrate. Imagine that Jesus is walking west. Now imagine that a lost sinner is walking east. As Jesus approaches the lost sinner, He says to the sinner, “Follow Me.” Okay, what does the lost sinner have to do to respond to Jesus’ invitation? He has to change his direction. This, you see, is what repentance is. It is a change of direction. This means that if any lost sinner is going to get saved by believing in Jesus, that sinner is automatically going to have to show a degree of repentance (a changing of direction) in order to do that. Jesus and a lost sinner are never going in the same direction.

Third, there are multiple passages that expressly teach that baptism isn’t necessary for salvation. For example, John 4:2 says that Jesus didn’t personally baptize anyone. That’s an odd thing for the Bible to say if baptism is necessary for salvation. Likewise, in 1 Corinthians 1:13-16 the apostle Paul admits that he didn’t do much baptizing. He even says in 1 Corinthians 1:17 that Christ didn’t send him to baptize but to preach the gospel. Remember that this is the same Paul who also said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 1:18, N.K.J.V.).

For that matter, even Peter himself didn’t mention the need for baptism in other teachings he gave on the subject of salvation (Acts 3:12-26; 5:29-32; 10:34-43; 1 Peter 1:3-12; and 2:7-10). And then there is the problem that if baptism is necessary for salvation, it means that God’s plan of salvation for the New Testament age is different than His plan for the Old Testament age. But the 4th chapter of Romans flatly refutes this idea.

Fourth, before we take Peter’s Acts 2:38 answer ultra literally by baptizing specifically in the name of “Jesus Christ,” we’d do well to consult Acts 10:48, where he commands a group of Gentile believers to be baptized in the name of “the Lord” (N.K.J.V., K.J.V.). We also might want to read Acts 19:5, where we’re told that Paul baptized a group of Ephesian believers in the name of the “Lord Jesus.” Do you see what I mean? The New Testament doesn’t provide any consistency in regards to the precise words that should be said during a baptism. This shows us that there are no magic words that have to be spoken verbatim to make a baptism legitimate.

And so, all of this circles us back around to the fundamental question: Why did Peter say, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”? Well, that’s a legitimate question, one that has a legitimate answer, and I’ll provide that answer in my next post from this series. So, until then, I’ll ask you one more time to stay tuned….

Posted in Baptism, Belief, Bible Study, Discernment, Evangelism, Faith, Forgiveness, Repentance, Salvation, Series: "The Early Church of Jerusalem", Speaking in Tongues, The Holy Spirit | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The First Sermon of the Church Age

Posted on February 11, 2026 by russellmckinney

(Series: “The Early Church of Jerusalem” post #2)

The “church age” began in grand style. One Sunday, the Jewish feast day known as Pentecost (Acts 2:1), approximately 120 of Christ’s followers were gathered together in a room in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1). They had been waiting 10 days for the resurrected, glorified, ascended Jesus to fulfill His promise to baptize them with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:5). This baptizing would amount to God the Holy Spirit coming to dwell inside each of them (John 14:17; Romans 8:9), and the Spirit’s indwelling would endow each believer with power for evangelism (Acts 1:8).

And then it happened. Suddenly, without warning, the room in which all those believers were sitting was filled with a noise that sounded like a violent wind blowing (Acts 2:2). Next, just as inexplicably, divided flames of fire shaped in the form of human tongues appeared out of nowhere and a tongue came to rest upon each believer (Acts 2:3). At that point each believer was filled with God the Holy Spirit and strange sounds began to pour out of their mouths (Acts 2:4).

The sounds were the sounds of foreign languages those believers had never learned, and it didn’t take long for all that commotion and noise to create a stir as those believers left their room and made their way into the streets of Jerusalem, speaking those languages as they went. Jerusalem at that time was filled with people, many of them foreign Jews who had traveled to Jerusalem to observe the feast of Pentecost (Acts 2:5). To the amazement of those foreign Jews, they heard those Galilean Jews speaking their various languages (Acts 2:6-8).

The Bible even makes a point of listing all the different languages those Spirit-indwelt believers were speaking (Acts 2:9-11). They were the languages of the visiting Jews from: Parthia, Mede, Elam, Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Rome, Crete, and Arabia. It’s no wonder this whole event set Jerusalem abuzz!

The scoffers who didn’t understand that actual languages were coming from those believers mocked them and accused them of being drunk on new wine (Acts 2:13). But the foreign Jews who were understanding exactly what those believers were saying knew better. They said, “We hear these people speaking in our own languages the wonderful works of God. What does this mean?” (Acts 2:11-12)

What it meant was that a new era had just been birthed. A promised age, the church age, had begun. What was needed now was a powerful sermon. After all, what’s church without a sermon? (Spoken like a preacher, right?) And who will be the man to preach the church age’s opening sermon? It will be Peter, of course. We wouldn’t expect anything less. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut before the Holy Spirit came to dwell inside him!

Peter launched into an impromptu sermon right there in the streets of Jerusalem (Acts 2:14). He explained that he and all those other believers weren’t drunk (Acts 2:15). Instead, what those people in Jerusalem were witnessing was the beginning of the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy from the book of Joel (Acts 2:16). The prophecy concerned the “last days,” a time period that began when Jesus first walked this earth (Hebrews 1:1-2; James 5:1-3) and will end when He returns to walk it again at the close of the seven-year tribulation period this world is scheduled to undergo (Acts 2:17-21). According to Joel’s prophecy, one of the trademark characteristics of the “last days” would be God pouring out His Holy Spirit in a way that would cause believers to supernaturally prophesy, see visions, and dream dreams (Acts 2:17-18). And what would be the engine that would supply all the power for those marvelous works? God the Holy Spirit.

Following that introductory explanation of what those people of Jerusalem were witnessing, Peter then segued into the second section of his sermon, which was all about Jesus. Here are Peter’s sermon points:

  • Jesus’ miracles had proven that He truly had been sent by God (Acts 2:22).
  • Jesus had been crucified by the hands of man, but His death had been in accord with the foreknowledge and purpose of God (Acts 2:23).
  • God had resurrected Him, and that resurrection had fulfilled another Old Testament prophecy, this one from David’s Psalm 16 (Acts 2:24-31).
  • Following His resurrection, Jesus had ascended to take His exalted place at the right hand of God (Acts 2:32-33).
  • Jesus’ exaltation was even more fulfillment of the prophecies of David, specifically the prophecies found in Psalm 68:18 (Acts 2:34) and Psalm 110:1 (Acts 2:35).
  • Once He was at the right hand of God, Jesus had poured out the Holy Spirit upon His followers and in so doing kept the promise He had made to them (Acts 2:33).
  • In the wake of all these events, all of Israel could know for a certainty that God had made the Jesus the Jews had crucified Lord and Christ (Messiah).

Okay, now the ball was firmly in the court of those Jews who had heard Peter’s sermon. How would they respond to what they had just witnessed and Peter’s explanation of it? Well, that will be the subject of my next post. So, until then, stay tuned…..

Posted in Christ's Second Coming, Christ's Death, Christ's Miracles, Christ's Resurrection, Christ's Return, Church, Dreams, Evangelism, Preaching, Prophecy, Series: "The Early Church of Jerusalem", Speaking in Tongues, Spiritual Gifts, The Holy Spirit, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Beginning of the Church Age

Posted on February 9, 2026 by russellmckinney

(Series: “The Early Church of Jerusalem” post #1)

What we call the “church age” began on the Jewish feast day known as Pentecost that is described in Acts chapter 2. It was on that day that God the Holy Spirit began indwelling Christ’s followers. Jesus had said, “I will build My church” (Matthew 16:18), and what happened on that day of Pentecost was the official beginning of that work.

This new ministry of the Holy Spirit fulfilled four promises that Jesus had made:

  • On the last night of His earthly life, He had told His chosen 12 apostles concerning the Holy Spirit, “…for He dwells with (emphasis mine) you and will be in (emphasis mine) you” (John 14:17, N.K.J.V.).
  • Later in that same teaching session, He had told them, “…if I do not go away, the Helper (the Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7, N.K.J.V.).
  • After His resurrection and in the last seconds prior to His ascension back to heaven, He had stood on the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem and commanded a group of approximately 120 of His followers to stay in Jerusalem and wait because, “…you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5, N.K.J.V.).
  • Seconds later as part of those same departing words, He had told that group, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8, N.K.J.V.).

So, that group of approximately 120 stayed in Jerusalem and waited for God the Holy Spirit to “come upon” them, “baptize” them, and grant them “power” even though they didn’t have a clue what all that might look like or feel like. All they knew was that Jesus had promised that it would happen. That was good enough for them.

How long did they wait? 10 days. As for how we arrive at that number, let’s talk about three specific Jewish feasts.

First, the Feast of Passover was a one-night meal that commemorated Israel’s exodus from Egypt in the days of Moses. Jesus’ so-called “last supper,” which was a meal He shared with His chosen 12 the night before He was crucified, was a Passover meal. It is commonly believed that Jesus and His chosen 12 ate the Passover meal on Thursday night of that week and that Jesus was crucified the following day, Friday, breathing His last breath Friday afternoon around 3:00 p.m.

Second, on the first Sunday following the Passover, the Feast of Firstfruits was observed. In regards to the week of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, that Sunday coincided with the day of Christ’s resurrection. The week’s timeline was as follows:

  • Jesus ate the Passover meal on Thursday night
  • He died on Friday afternoon around 3:00 p.m.
  • the weekly Jewish Sabbath day began at sundown on Friday afternoon and lasted until sundown on Saturday afternoon
  • the next day, Sunday, was the Feast of Firstfruits

This means that the Sunday morning upon which Jesus arose from the dead was also the Feast of Firstfruits. In other words, Resurrection Day was Firstfruits Day. This, of course, makes perfect sense in light of the fact that 1 Corinthians 15:20-24 calls Christ’s resurrection “the firstfruits” of all the resurrections of believers that will take place at the moment of the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:50-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

Third, the Feast of Pentecost was celebrated on the 50th day from the Sunday of the Feast of Firstfruits. The Feast of Pentecost was also called the Feast of Weeks because it was celebrated on the 50th day following seven weeks of weeks (49 days) from the Feast of Firstfruits. It was on that 50th day (The Feast of Pentecost/the Feast of Weeks) that Jesus fulfilled His promise to send the Holy Spirit to indwell those 120 or so believers.

Now let’s do the math. Jesus resurrected on a Sunday (the day of the Feast of Firstfruits), and then He spent the next 40 days making periodic appearances to His followers in His resurrected/glorified body (Acts 1:1-3). That left 10 days to be accounted for to get to the 50th day of the Sunday called The Feast of Pentecost/The Feast of Weeks. Consequently, those 120 or so believers waited in Jerusalem for 10 days before they received the Holy Spirit. That number of days also fits with Christ’s promise that those believers would be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from the day of His ascension (Acts 1:5).

As for what lesson we can learn from the beginning of the church age, the obvious one centers around the necessity of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian (the believer in Jesus). Putting it simply, if you haven’t been baptized with the Holy Spirit in this church age, the Holy Spirit does not dwell inside you. This means two things. First, no matter how long you’ve had your name on a church roll, how much Bible you know, or how much morality you showcase in life, you are not an authentic Christian (Romans 8:9). Second, you are like a car that has no motor under the hood in that you have no real power when it comes to living for Jesus and serving Him.

God the Holy Spirit coming to dwell inside the believer is the “born again” experience of which Jesus spoke (John 3:3). In Titus 3:5, this experience is called “the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,” and 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that it makes you “a new creation” for which old things have passed away and all things have become new. If all of that sounds not only eternity-altering but also life-changing, it is!

And unlike those believers who first enjoyed this experience on that day of Pentecost, no one who places saving belief in Jesus today has to wait for it. Now the new believer is baptized with the Holy Spirit the moment that God rates the person’s belief as real and saving. That’s why the apostle Paul could confidently write, “…Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9 N.K.J.V.). It’s also why He could rightly describe the indwelling Holy Spirit as being the believer’s inner guarantee of a heavenly inheritance (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30).

Therefore, in light of all this, I guess the only thing left to ask is, “Does God the Holy Spirit dwell inside you?” Rest assured that if you have placed legitimate saving belief in Jesus Christ, He does. But rest just as assured that if you haven’t placed legitimate saving belief in Jesus Christ, He doesn’t. The difference really isn’t hard to understand.

You see, there are various religions that teach that adherence to their rules can in some way make you either God yourself or very close to Him. Christianity, however, is the only one that teaches that God Himself — in the person of God the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity — will come to you and literally take up residence inside your earthly body. That’s a whole different ballgame, and it’s one in which Jesus wants you to participate.

Posted in Belief, Church, God's Work, Salvation, Series: "The Early Church of Jerusalem", The Holy Spirit | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Make Your Bed

Posted on February 6, 2026 by russellmckinney

Naval Admiral William McRaven served as the ninth commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command from August 8, 2011, to August 28, 2014. On May 17, 2014, he gave the commencement speech at the University of Texas at Austin. His 20-minute speech is now considered one of the best commencement speeches ever given.

McRaven’s speech featured ten life lessons that he gleaned from basic SEAL training. (SEAL is an acronym for Sea, Air, and Land.) It is the first of those ten lessons that I want to mention for this post. That lesson is: Make Your Bed.

McRaven said:

If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and encourage you to do another task. And by the end of the day that one task will encourage you to complete another task and another.

Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, you will never be able to do the big things right. And if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made. A made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.

When I read these words from McRaven, I’m reminded of three Bible passages. Each of the three speaks of the importance of doing the little things well, and each passage has a direct application to the Christian in regards to living all out for Jesus. I offer the passages (all from the N.K.J.V.) as the close to this post. Consider them well, Christian, and be honest about how the activities that fill your day are measuring up to them.

  • Ecclesiastes 9:10: Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
  • 1 Corinthians 10:31: Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
  • Colossians 3:17: And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Posted in Attitude, Character, Commitment, Doing Good, Faithfulness, God's Work, Leadership, Perseverance, Service, Work | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

What Lou Gehrig Can Teach Us About God’s Will

Posted on February 4, 2026 by russellmckinney

…Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. (Psalm 143:8, N.K.J.V.)

Lou Gehrig was one of the most iconic players in the history of baseball. He played for the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1939, when the disease that now bears his name finally forced him to retire. Nicknamed “The Iron Horse” because he played in 2,130 consecutive games, Gehrig’s hall-of-fame career is the stuff of legends. As evidence of this, his Yankee uniform #4 was the first number to ever be retired by a baseball team.

One story from Gehrig’s career places him at bat, with the Yankees trailing by one run. A runner is on first base and another on second, which means that Gehrig has a chance to either tie or win the game. But with the count full at three balls and two strikes, the pitcher winds up and throws a perfect strike right past Gehrig,

Gehrig just stands there, never moving his bat as the umpire yells, “Strike three!” Then the embarrassed slugger heads toward the dugout. Before he leaves the batter’s box, though, Gehrig turns and says something to the umpire. This sends the sportswriters sitting next to the field into a frenzy. Never before have they seen Gehrig argue with an umpire.

Curiosity quickly gets the better of one of the writers, so he yells out, “Hey, ump, tell us what Lou said to you.” The umpire looks at Gehrig and says, “Lou, tell these men what you just said to me.” To that Gehrig smiles somewhat ashamedly and says, “I just said, ‘I’d give ten dollars to have that one back.’”

This world is filled with people who’d give much more than ten dollars to have a decision back. Many a man or woman thinks, “Oh, to be back in time, standing at that same crossroad again!” But we can’t go back, can we? Life gives us just one chance to get it right, and if we make a bad decision, we have to live with the unpleasant harvest. This is why it is so important that we tap into the mind of God when making decisions. The Bible tells us that His way is perfect (Psalm 18:30), His work is perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4), and His will is perfect (Romans 12:2).

So, are you facing a big decision right now? If you are, have you taken the matter to God in prayer and asked Him to show you His will? “Not really,” you say? Then it’s high time you did. And even if you have, then it would still be a good idea for you to ask Him again and make double sure that you heard His answer correctly. What you surely don’t want to do is miss God’s will and consequently have to say what Lou Gehrig once had to say: “I’d give ten dollars to have that one back.”

Posted in Choices, Decisions, Discernment, God's Guidance, God's Will, Prayer, Sports, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Lesson Samuel Didn’t Learn

Posted on February 2, 2026 by russellmckinney

Of all of Israel’s great spiritual leaders, none rises any higher than Samuel. He was a prophet, a priest, and the last of Israel’s Judges. He personally anointed the nation’s first two kings (Saul and David), and two books from the Old Testament bear his name, even though they were originally one book.

But was Samuel perfect? Nope. In particular, there was one lesson that he failed to learn even though God enrolled him in the perfect class in which to learn it.

Samuel began his life as one of the Bible’s classic examples of God opening a barren wife’s womb and allowing her husband to father a child through her. The wife’s name was Hannah and the husband’s name was Elkanah. The promise Hannah made to God was that if He would open her womb and give her a child, that child would be dedicated to the Lord his entire life (1 Samuel 1:8-11). She made that promise while praying at Israel’s Tabernacle, the holy structure where the Ark of the Covenant was kept (1 Samuel 1:7). At that time, the Tabernacle was located in Shiloh (1 Samuel 1:9). The Tabernacle was where Israel’s priests served and offered Israel’s sacrifices to God.

Once Elkanah’s family returned home from Shiloh, it wasn’t long before Hannah became pregnant with Samuel (1 Samuel 1:20). She kept him until he was weaned (typically a two-to-three-year period), and then she and Elkanah took him to the Tabernacle and formally gave him to the priests there to be raised by them (1 Samuel 1:21-28; 2:1-11). Hannah and Elkanah would only visit him at the Tabernacle each year when they brought the sacrifices that were commanded by the law of Moses (1 Samuel 2:18-21).

Israel’s High Priest during those days was Eli, but he was very old (1 Samuel 2:22). Consequently, he delegated the primary responsibilities of the priesthood to his two sons: Hophni and Phinehas. That was a major problem because Hophni and Phinehas weren’t even saved believers (1 Samuel 2:12)! In keeping with their spiritual state, they made a mockery of the holy priesthood by offering sacrifices in ways that violated the Israel’s law but benefited themselves (1 Samuel 1:13-16; Leviticus 7:28-34; Deuteronomy 18:3). The manner in which they performed Israel’s sacrifices was so repugnant to God that He actually abhorred the sacrifices (1 Samuel 2:17).

Furthermore, Hophni and Phinehas were womanizers who had sexual relations with the women who served as menial helpers to the priests at the Tabernacle (1 Samuel 2:22; Exodus 38:8). Such shockingly scandalous behavior was even more than old Eli could ignore, and so when he heard the report, he made an attempt to rebuke his sons (1 Samuel 2:22-25). As could have been predicted, however, they ignored him and continued on with their sinful ways.

Finally, the time came for young Samuel to fulfill his destiny as being God’s true man there at the Tabernacle (1 Samuel 2:26). So, what followed was a sequence of events:

  • First, God sent a “man of God,” who curiously goes unnamed in the storyline, to speak a word of prophetic rebuke to Eli telling him that God was going to take the priesthood from Eli, raise up a new High Priest, and kill Hophni and Phinehas (1 Samuel 2:27-36).
  • Second, God audibly spoke to Samuel during a nightly encounter that served as not only Samuel’s actual salvation experience (1 Samuel 3:7) but also his official call into the ministry (1 Samuel 3:1-21).
  • Third, God allowed the Philistines to win a decisive battle over Israel, a battle during which the Philistines killed 30,000 of Israel’s soldiers and captured the Ark of the Covenant as a trophy of war (1 Samuel 4:1-11). Hophni and Phinehas were killed in that battle as well.
  • Fourth, when the 98-year-old Eli heard the news about the death of his two sons and the loss of the Ark of the Covenant, he fell off his seat backward and died instantly from a broken neck (1 Samuel 4:18).

Okay, now let’s fast forward to a time when Samuel himself has grown old. Even though he has never served as Israel’s High Priest, he has been the nation’s recognized spiritual leader for decades. No one is as respected in the land as he is. And yet there is a problem.

In addition to his spiritual leadership, the elderly Samuel is also still Israel’s Judge in the practical matters that arise between people. This role requires him to annually leave his home in Ramah and travel a designated circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging cases and settling disputes at each site (1 Samuel 7:15-17). But Samuel is now too old to be doing all that, and so he installs his two sons, Joel and Abijah, as Judges to help him with the job (1 Samuel 8:1-2). Herein lies the problem. Joel and Abijah, you see, are wicked men who seek dishonest gain, take bribes, pervert justice, and do not walk in Samuel’s ways (1 Samuel 8:3).

How bad is the situation? It’s bad enough that the elders of Israel gather themselves together, make the trip to visit Samuel at his home in Ramah, and tell him that they will not accept Joel and Abijah as Judges. As the elders see it, it’s time for Israel to have its first king, a ruler who will act as Judge over the people (1 Samuel 8:1-5).

That, ladies and gentlemen, was the beginning of the end of Israel’s era of Judges and the launching pad for its era of kings. And what was the root cause of that history-shaking transition? It was the fact that Samuel hadn’t learned from the parenting mistakes that he’d watched Eli make so many years earlier. Just as Eli had proven himself incapable of raising sons worthy to succeed him in his role as High Priest, Samuel had proven himself just as incapable in raising sons worthy to succeed him in his role as Judge. How sad!

The takeaway from all this for us isn’t hard to discern. We must not let ourselves make the same mistakes we have watched previous generations make. We shouldn’t fulfill that famous saying that tells us, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Even if we make mistakes in raising the next generation — and we will surely make some mistakes — those mistakes should at least be new ones, not the same ones we watched the generation that came before us make. To repeat those mistakes is inexcusable. And that, unfortunately, is a lesson that Samuel didn’t learn.

Posted in Aging, Backsliding, Children, Discernment, Discipline, Elderly, Faithfulness, Family, Fatherhood, God's Holiness, God's Work, Headship, Husbands, Influence, Leadership, Marriage, Ministry, Motherhood, Parenting, Pastors, Sin, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Persistently Praying for Someone Else

Posted on January 30, 2026 by russellmckinney

And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. (Luke 11:9-10, N.L.T.)

An old saying in preaching circles says, “A text taken out of context is a pretext.” The saying simply means that the writers of the Bible didn’t pen down random thoughts in random order. To the contrary, each writer organized the content of his book in a systematic, intentional way that was inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). In most cases, the order stems from the chronology of the events recorded in the book, but in some cases the order is topical rather than chronological.

Okay, so why am I bringing this up? I’m doing it because Luke places our text passage right on the heels of Christ’s story about a man who knocks on the door of his friend’s home at midnight and asks for three loaves of bread. The door-knocker needs the three loaves because another friend of his, one who is in the midst of a journey, has showed up very unexpectedly and very hungry at the door-knocker’s home.

Jesus says, “Even though friendship alone won’t compel the friend who receives the late-night request to get out of bed and give the bread, he’ll do it to end the door-knocker’s persistent midnight knocking.” Following this illustration Christ’s next words in Luke’s gospel are, “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened.” You see, Luke wants the illustration and the promise to walk hand in hand. The illustration segues directly into the promise.

You say, “Well, what’s the big deal about that?” The big deal is that the context for Christ’s promise is one of intercessory prayer as the door-knocker in the illustration is doing nothing less than interceding (making request) for his hungry friend. It’s the friend, not the door-knocker himself, who needs the bread. As for the guy who is asleep in bed, he’s merely the person through whom the door-knocker gets the traveler’s need met.

Now, to be fair, this same promise about asking, seeking, and knocking is also given in Matthew 7:7-8, and in that passage the context has nothing to do with intercessory prayer. So, it’s not right to say that Jesus intended the promise to be used exclusively for intercessory prayer. It is clear, however, that the promise can and should be claimed in this way. (For the record, I’m in the camp of those who believe that Matthew 7:7-8 and Luke 11:9-10 are the record of two separate quotes from Jesus that were spoken in two different settings at two different times.)

The upshot of all this is that if you’ve been praying that God will meet the need of a certain individual, don’t stop praying. Don’t stop asking for that request. Don’t stop seeking that answer. Don’t stop knocking on God’s door. After all, God is the friend of yours who has the bread, and He’s the one who will at some point honor your persistence by granting your request so that the need of that other individual can be met.

Posted in Friendship, God's Timing, God's Provision, God's Word, Intercessory Prayer, Ministry, Needs, Perseverance, Prayer, Prayer Requests, Scripture, The Bible, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Trouble with Power

Posted on January 28, 2026 by russellmckinney

Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.” (Matthew 26:3-4, N.K.J.V.)

Evil can be shameless. Can you imagine the Jewish religious elite sitting around in the palace of the high priest, engaged in open conversation about killing a man? What would have caused them to do such a thing? One thing: power (or more precisely, their potential loss of it.)

Those chief priests, scribes, and elders saw Jesus for exactly what He was: the greatest threat they had ever known to the status quo in Israel. That status quo, of course, was to their overall liking because it allowed them to play the role of big shots. They had the stroke. They had the influence. They were in control of the Jewish way of life. Sure, the Romans held sway over the entire land, but those pagans were content to let Israel’s religious elite manage the commoners.

Some of the nastiest people you will ever meet are those who are feeling threatened by a potential loss of power. Such people don’t like change, are loathe to admit mistakes, and tend to be bullyish and vindictive. They talk a lot about the past and want the future to be nothing more than a grander continuation of it. When threatened they go for the jugular. And if they see someone as a big enough threat to their control, they’ll play as dirty as dirty gets.

This brings us back to those Jewish religious leaders. Not only was Jesus not impressed by them, He dared call them sinners who needed to repent. The nerve of that fanatic! Those men thought, “This man must be stopped.” But clear thinking was required. After all, it was the feast season of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. That meant the streets of Jerusalem would be jammed pack with Jews from up and down the land, and a large percentage of those Jews considered Jesus to be nothing less than the Messiah.

If Jesus was to be killed, the situation had to be handled delicately. Those religious leaders didn’t want a riot on their hands. By the way, egomaniacs drunk on power always want to keep the sheep tranquil. Tranquil sheep never alter the status quo.

Now, just to be clear, let me say that the world does need leaders. The Bible, for example, features scores of characters who were great leaders. But the key to godly leadership is that the leader himself must be fully submitted to Jesus. Really, such leaders don’t even make their own decisions. What they do is allow Jesus to channel His decisions through them. That, needless to say, is a whole other way of operating.

Unfortunately, this style of leadership is all but extinct in our governmental offices, businesses, courts, schools, churches, and homes today. To the contrary, the prevailing attitude of the era can be summed up in the question: “Why should we come together in a palace and have a time of confession, repentance, and seeking God’s will when we can come together in that same palace and seek the demise of those who are causing us problems?” You see, the world still has its chief priests, scribes, and elders. If you are looking for them, look in places where people have the power and control over certain situations. There you’ll find them, and the chances are high that they’ll even be in the process of plotting someone’s demise.

Posted in Business, Character, Church, God's Will, God's Work, Greed, Headship, Leadership, Pastors, Politics, Submission | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The People Had a Mind to Work

Posted on January 26, 2026 by russellmckinney

So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. (Nehemiah 4:6, N.K.J.V.)

The book of Nehemiah tells the story of a Jew named Nehemiah. He served on the royal staff of the Persian ruler Artaxerxes as the king’s cupbearer. However, that is not what made Nehemiah famous. What made him famous was leading an unlikely movement to rebuild the walls surrounding the city of Jerusalem. Those walls had been torn down over a century earlier by the Babylonian army that had conquered Jerusalem and burned the city’s temple in the process.

Thanks to the previous efforts of another Jew, Zerubbabel, a new temple had been erected in Jerusalem, albeit one not as grand the original one (Ezra chapters 1-6). But that new temple, which was now several decades old, stood in constant jeopardy as long as Jerusalem’s protective walls still lay in ruins. This was Nehemiah’s cue to volunteer himself to gather the permission, the resources, and the people to lead the effort to rebuild those walls.

Despite serious opposition instigated by local enemies, Nehemiah and his group of workers managed to completely finish the wall in just 52 days. It was nothing short of one of the most remarkable building achievements in history. The secret to their astounding success is stated in our text verse, Nehemiah 4:6, which reports the group’s progress at the halfway point of the project — when the rebuilt wall stood at half its desired height. The verse simply says: “the people had a mind to work.” Yep, that will get a job done.

It’s sad, downright tragic in fact, that our churches today are not marked by congregations who have a mind to work. Instead, we have congregations that have minds to (take your pick): argue, fuss, fight, obsess over money, play, be entertained, compromise, or be lazy. It’s no wonder that we can’t make a dent in shaping the spiritual, moral fabric of our times. Who wants to follow the example of a bunch of people who get together, claim to be members of the same spiritual family, and proceed to act like kids in a sandbox?

One notable preacher once said, “You can’t build a great church on spare time and pocket change.” How right he was. A great church requires sacrifice, not just the sacrifice of money but also that of time. This, of course, is to say nothing of the sacrifice of work.

Unfortunately, most church-members nowadays pour so much of themselves into doing the work of their secular jobs and their daily chores that they can’t muster up any work at church, too. That’s why they are content to come, sit, soak, and leave. They never really invest themselves into a church, which makes it easy for them to head down the road and find another one anytime things don’t go to their liking.

It is with all this in mind, Christian, that I ask you: How much work are you really putting into church? When it comes to your local church, do you have a mind to work? Do you have what it takes to lose some of your time, your energy, and your resources in helping rebuild a wall? Do you show up at church with rolled-up sleeves rather than a turned-up nose? One out-of-heart pastor said, “My people aren’t born again; they are born against.” That’s not you, is it, Christian? If it is, then you are standing in the way of God’s work rather than joining in with it. And that’s a real shame because, after all, there is always so much of His work that needs to be done.

Posted in Attitude, Church, Church Attendance, Commitment, Complaining, Deacons, God's Work, Ministry, Missions, Money, Pastors, Sacrifice, Service, Sunday School, Work, Worship | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment