Eternal Perspectives (Randy Alcorn's blog)

Summer and Grandkids

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:52:00 +0000

Jake Stump, who'll turn five in August, LOVES the rope swing I put up for him and the other two older grandsons. He shrieks with delight as his feet touch the top of the fence. So fun to be with.

Matt Franklin turns five in November. Loves to hike with us in the "forest" near our house. A math prodigy and a wonderful kid.

Ty Stump, Jake's younger brother. A sheer delight, who loves to play anything involving a ball. Just had a squirt gun fight with him. He won.

Jack Franklin, youngest grandson, loving life. A joy. I look into his big eyes and thank God for the wonders of childhood.

Thank you, Lord for such wonderful blessings. "We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done." (Psalm 78:4)

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
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Question and Answer of the Week: Looking Forward to Heaven?

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:45:00 +0000

With the deaths of several celebrities on the forefront of people's minds, I want to focus this week's question and answer on Heaven. Because the reality is, as human beings, we all have a terminal disease called mortality. The current death rate is 100 percent. Unless Christ returns soon, we’re all going to die. We don’t like to think about death; yet, worldwide, 3 people die every second, 180 every minute, and nearly 11,000 every hour. If the Bible is right about what happens to us after death, it means that more than 250,000 people every day go either to Heaven or Hell.

David said, “Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath” (Psalm 39:4-5). Picture a single breath escaping your mouth on a cold day and dissipating into the air. Such is the brevity of life here. The wise will consider what awaits us on the other side of this life that so quickly ends.

God uses suffering and impending death to unfasten us from this earth and to set our minds on what lies beyond. I’ve lost people close to me. (Actually, I haven’t lost them, because I know where they are—rather, I’ve lost contact with them.) I’ve spent a lot of time talking to people who’ve been diagnosed with terminal diseases. These people, and their loved ones, have a sudden and insatiable interest in the afterlife. Most people live unprepared for death. But those who are wise will go to a reliable source to investigate what’s on the other side. And if they discover that the choices they make during their brief stay in this world will matter in the world to come, they’ll want to adjust those choices accordingly.

Yet you may be wondering, How can I change my perspective so that I truly look forward to Heaven?

Consider these Scriptures:

Luke 6:21 says, "God blesses you who weep now, for in due time you will laugh."

Luke 15:10 says, "There is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents."

Nobody wants to leave a good party early. Christians faced with death often feel they’re leaving the party before it’s over. They have to go home early. They’re disappointed, thinking of all they’ll miss when they leave.

But the truth is, the real party is under way at home—precisely where they’re going! They’re not the ones missing the party; those of us left behind are. (Fortunately, if we know Jesus, we’ll get there eventually to join the party.)

One by one, believers will disappear from the world. Those of us who are left behind will grieve that our loved ones have left home. In reality, however, our believing loved ones aren’t leaving home; they’re going home. They’ll be home before us. We’ll be arriving at the party a little later. Laughter and rejoicing—a party awaits us. Don’t you want to join it? (If you aren’t certain you’ll be at the party, check out How Can We Know That We'll Go to Heaven?)

Yet even that party, in the present Heaven, is a preliminary celebration. To be in resurrected bodies on a resurrected Earth in resurrected friendships, enjoying the resurrected culture with the resurrected Jesus—now that will be the ultimate party! We will all be who God made us to be—and none of us will ever suffer or die again. As a Christian, the day I die will be the best day I’ve ever lived. But it won’t be the best day I ever will live. Resurrection day will be far better. And the first day on the New Earth—that will be one big step for mankind, one giant leap for God’s glory.

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
www.epm.org

Facebook and Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:23:00 +0000

For those who do Facebook and/or Twitter, I'm posting on both most days. Already over 2,000 access Facebook and over 500 follow on Twitter.

On Facebook you can find me at www.facebook.com/randyalcorn. I've enjoyed posting some short devotional thoughts and Scripture references on my wall and seeing the responses from readers. For instance, one day last week I posted this:

We should come to God's Word to examine truth-claims (Acts 17:11). If we're more eager to watch a sitcom, American Idol, a ball game, or the evening news than to read God's Word, inevitably our worldview will be more influenced more by sitcoms and the evening news than by God. How could it be otherwise?

For those of you who use Twitter, and enjoy the shorter, super-succinct updates (140 characters max, including spaces), you can sign up to follow me at www.twitter.com/randyalcorn. The Facebook post above turned into this:

Examine truth-claims by God's Word (Acts 17:11). Reject what doesn’t sync. Don’t let American Idol, CSI, or MySpace forge your worldview.

Some people like to get both, Twitter for the immediacy, Facebook for a little more thought development, videos, and miscellaneous things I won't tweet about. Both Twitter and Facebook will usually provide links to this blog, so you'll know when a new one appears.

In addition, we have both an e-news and a newsletter. (Go to those links and you can click on recent editions of both to see what interests you, then sign-up if you wish.)

And, with both new postings and a rich and ever-expanding repository of articles, book excerpts, audios and videos and much more, as well as a store where you can buy books, go to our main website, www.epm.org.

So if you want to connect with us in any or all of these ways, we warmly welcome you.

Last but not least, we have prayer partners who I share requests with periodically, and for whom I thank God with all my heart. I always credit them, as a group, in the acknowledgments of my books, because I believe that any eternal impact from the books will be partly due to their prayers. On a personal level, nothing touches Nanci and me more than to know people are praying for us. Thank you.

Investing in eternity,

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
http://www.epm.org/

Announcing the Winners of the Fiction Book Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Anderson) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:06:00 +0000

Here are the winners from June’s fiction book giveaway. Each of the three winners will receive one of Randy's fiction books of their choice.

The randomly drawn winners are:

1) Aidan
2) Nan H.
3) Leon Schoonens

It’s our privilege to also choose another winner:

Mr. Cheng Weng

All winners, please e-mail me at stephanie (at) epm.org with your mailing address and which fiction book you’d like to receive.

If you weren’t a winner this time around, check back on July 6 for the next book giveaway. Also, be sure to check out EPM’s shopping cart—all of Randy’s fiction books are on sale through the end of June for 40% off the retail price.

Stephanie Anderson
Promotions Director
Eternal Perspective Ministries
www.epm.org

Counting the Cost of Sexual Immorality

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:49:00 +0000

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford has joined a long line of leaders, both secular and Christian, who have committed adultery.

Someone suggested, in light of this, that I post about fleeing and resisting sexual temptation. First, consider this from God's Word:

Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life. Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. (Proverbs 6:25-29).

Notice that both men and women are held accountable for adultery. It is never an excuse that someone tried to seduce you, but you should always be on your guard against seduction, including the media seduction that lures us toward impurity.

I vividly remember meeting with a man who had been a leader in a Christian organization until he committed immorality. I asked him, "What could have been done to prevent this?" He paused only for a moment, then said with haunting pain and precision, "If only I had really known, really thought through and weighed what it would cost me and my family and my Lord, I honestly believe I would never have done it."

About twenty-five years ago, while pastors at Good Shepherd Community Church, my friend Alan Hlavka and I both developed lists of all the specific consequences we could think of that would result from our immorality as pastors. The lists were devastating, and to us they spoke more powerfully than any sermon or article on the subject.

Periodically, especially when travelling or when in a time of temptation or weakness, we read through our list. In a personal and tangible way it brings home God's inviolate law of choice and consequence. It cuts through the fog of rationalization and fills our hearts with the healthy, motivating fear of God. We find that when we begin to think unclearly, reviewing this list yanks us back to the reality of the law of the harvest and the need both to fear God and the consequences of sin.

An edited version of our combined lists follows. I've included the actual names of my wife and daughters to emphasize the personal nature of this exercise. Where it involves my own lists of specific people's names, I've simply stated "list names" so you can insert the appropriate ones in your own life.

Some of these consequences would be unique to me, just as some of yours would be unique to you. I recommend that you use this as the basis for your own list, then include those other consequences that would be uniquely yours. The idea, of course, is not to focus on sin, but on the consequences of sin, thereby encouraging us to refocus on the Lord and take steps of wisdom and purity that can keep us from falling.

(While God can forgive and bring beauty out of ashes, that's a message to those who have already sinned...not to those who are contemplating sin! On the "front side" of sin we must not give assurances of forgiveness and restoration. We must put the focus where Scripture does—on the love of God and the fear of God, both of which should act in concert to motivate us to holy obedience.)

Personalized List of Anticipated Consequences of Immorality

Grieving my Lord; displeasing the One whose opinion most matters.
Dragging into the mud Christ's sacred reputation.
Loss of reward and commendation from God.
Having to one day look Jesus in the face at the judgment seat and give an account of why I did it. Forcing God to discipline me in various ways.

Following in the footsteps of men I know of whose immorality forfeited their ministry and caused me to shudder. List of these names:

Suffering of innocent people around me who would get hit by my shrapnel (a la Achan).

Untold hurt to Nanci, my best friend and loyal wife.

Loss of Nanci's respect and trust.
Hurt to and loss of credibility with my beloved daughters, Karina and Angela. ("Why listen to a man who betrayed Mom and us?")
If my blindness should continue or my family be unable to forgive, I could lose my wife and my children forever.
Shame to my family. (The cruel comments of others who would invariably find out.)

Shame to my church family.
Shame and hurt to my fellow pastors and elders. List of names:

Shame and hurt to my friends, and especially those I've led to Christ and discipled. List of names:

Guilt awfully hard to shake—even though God would forgive me, would I forgive myself?

Plaguing memories and flashbacks that could taint future intimacy with my wife.

Disqualifying myself after having preached to others.

Surrender of the things I am called to and love to do—teach and preach and write and minister to others. Forfeiting forever certain opportunities to serve God. Years of training and experience in ministry wasted for a long period of time, maybe permanently.

Being haunted by my sin as I look in the eyes of others, and having it all dredged up again wherever I go and whatever I do.

Undermining the hard work and prayers of others by saying to our community "this is a hypocrite—who can take seriously anything he and his church have said and done?"

Laughter, rejoicing and blasphemous smugness by those who disrespect God and the church (2 Samuel 12:14).

Bringing great pleasure to Satan, the Enemy of God.

Heaping judgment and endless problems on the person I would have committed adultery with.

Possible diseases (pain, constant reminder to me and my wife, possible infection of Nanci, or in the case of AIDS, even causing her death, as well as mine.)

Possible pregnancy, with its personal and financial implications.

Loss of self-respect, discrediting my own name, and invoking shame and lifelong embarrassment upon myself.

I’m older now, turned 55 a few days ago. My daughters are grown, with children of their own. But the list of consequences of immorality is larger than ever. I have two sons-in-law and four grandsons. Many people have read my books, so the circle of people I would be letting down has grown. (For resources on this subject, see my book The Purity Principle, and my booklet Sexual Temptation: How Christian Workers Can Win the Battle.)

It would still break my heart to let down my Lord Jesus and my wonderful wife. That’s why I'm more careful than ever to avoid the little compromises and indulgences that could lead to moral disaster.

If we would rehearse in advance the ugly and overwhelming consequences of immorality, we would be far more prone to avoid it.

(Related to this subject, John Piper recently wrote an important article about television and movies that helps explain why so many Christians are more vulnerable to immorality than ever.)

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
www.epm.org

Question and Answer of the Week: How to Live Wisely Financially

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:53:00 +0000

This week's question is another one I answered on the Revive Our Hearts website:

I hear all kinds of financial advice in today's times. I've heard about investing and saving and preparing for the future (for example, saving for our children's education or retirement). What would you say would be the best financial advice for someone who is just starting out with marriage and children and really doesn't know what to do with their finances?

Thanks for this question. If you do just two things, you will have the cornerstones of living wisely financially.

First, commit yourself to regular giving to your local church and above and beyond giving to missions and other ministries. Begin by setting an amount—in my opinion, not less than 10%. Then stick with it, so that you are honoring God with the first fruits as Scripture commands us to do (that command is never rescinded in the New Testament). If you want God to bless your life and your finances, don't place yourself under the curse of disobedience.

Secondly, do all you can to avoid going into debt.

The New American Standard Bible translates Romans 13:8, "Owe nothing to anyone." This would appear to prohibit debt. The New International Version reads, "Let no debt remain outstanding." This translation would allow debt, but insists it be paid off as soon as possible.

Hudson Taylor and Charles Spurgeon believed that Romans 13:8 prohibits debt altogether. However, if going into debt is always sin, it's difficult to understand why Scripture gives guidelines about lending and even encourages lending under certain circumstances. If debt is always sin, then lending is aiding and abetting sin, and God would never encourage it.

Being in a position to lend money to others is a blessing, whereas being the borrower is a curse (see Deuteronomy 28:44-45). Unless there's an overwhelming need to borrow, it's unwise for God's children to put themselves under the curse of indebtedness. At the very least, Romans 13:8 proves that we shouldn't normally borrow, and should always pay off debt as soon as possible. The common practice of borrowing monthly and making partial payments violates this principle.

That "the borrower is servant to the lender" doesn't absolutely forbid debt, but it's certainly a strong warning. God says we're not to be servants of men (see 1 Corinthians 7:23). How can we be fully free to serve God when we're indentured to human creditors?

The choice to live under debt (except in manageable amounts, for example, with a mortgage payment that is modest and reasonable in a house well within your means) is ultimately degrading and deadening to the soul and to a marriage. It is always unwise to live above your income. More marriages are damaged by financial issues than anything else, and more lives are disengaged from a walk with Christ through unwise money decisions.

The effects on children are serious, in that the raised stress level of the home affects them, too (not to mention the bad example of unwise choices). We are raising a generation of young people who, statistics indicate, are not generous givers and who are addicted to the debt mentality. Who are they learning this from? We as parents need to intervene and change the example we are setting for them. Likewise, church leaders can help this by not taking on large indebtedness on the church. When churches go ten million dollars in debt for a new building, what example does that set for the congregation?

I am very pro-church and respectful of church leaders, so I want to be clear that I do not hold to the anti-church mentality that is poisoning many believers today. I love the church, imperfect as it is, but I do believe church leaders need to show the way by being generous in giving away larger and larger amounts to outside ministries, as well as avoiding crippling debt.

(I have chapters on giving, tithing and debt, as well as lifestyles, savings, and teaching children about money, in my book Money, Possessions and Eternity.)

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
www.epm.org

Atheism and Christianity: Two Views on the Value of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:33:00 +0000

Over the years my reading has included several bestselling books by atheists, who relentlessly condemn Christianity. The subtitle to God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens is "How Religion Poisons Everything." That's right: everything. (I guess that would include the life's work of Bach, among others.)

Despite some witch hunts and inquisitions, I'll take Christianity's track record against atheism's any day. (Lenin, Stalin, and Mao come to mind).

The atheists love to talk about how rotten Christianity makes people feel. If only Christianity weren't around, everything would be better.

Let me summarize the secular/atheist and Christian foundations for the value of life, then you tell me whether it's any wonder that many people today are feeling like they, their lives, and the lives of others have so little meaning or worth.

In the secular-atheist account: You are the descendant of a tiny cell of primordial protoplasm that washed up on an ocean beach ten billion years ago. You are the blind and arbitrary product of time, chance, and natural forces. Your closest living relatives swing from trees and eat crackers at the zoo.

You are a mere grab-bag of atomic particles, a conglomeration of genetic substance. You exist on a tiny planet in a minute solar system in an obscure galaxy in a remote and empty corner of a vast, cold, and meaningless universe. You are flying through lifeless space with no purpose, no direction, no control, and no destiny but final destruction.

You are a purely biological entity, different only in degree but not in kind from a microbe, virus or amoeba. You have no essence beyond your body, and at death you will cease to exist entirely.

What little life you do have is confined to a fragile body aimlessly moving through a world plagued by war, famine and disease. The only question is whether the world will manage to blow itself up before your brief and pointless life ends on its own.

In short, you came from nothing, you are going nowhere, and you will end your brief cosmic journey beneath six feet of dirt, where all that you will become is food for bacteria and rot with worms.

Now, why don't you feel good about yourself? And why don't you show more respect for human life?

In the Christian account: From the moment of conception, you and all other human beings are the special creation of a good and all powerful God. You are the climax of His creation, the magnum opus of the greatest artist in the universe.

You are created in His image, with capacities to think, feel, and worship that set you above all other life forms. You differ from the animals not simply in degree, but in kind, in your very essence.

Not only is your kind unique, but you are unique among your kind. God has masterminded the exact combination of DNA and chromosomes that constitute your genetic code, making you as different from all others as every snowflake differs from the rest.

Yes, you are a sinner, and because of sin you do not deserve to go to heaven. But despite your unworthiness, your Creator loved you so much and so intensely desires your companionship that He gave the life of his only Son that you might spend eternity with him. If you are willing to accept the free gift of salvation, you can become a child of God, the King of the universe.

As a Christian, you are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. He has given you special gifts and abilities to serve him in a particular and unique way.

Your heavenly Father is sovereign, and will allow nothing to cross your path that is not Father-filtered. He cares for you so much that He is totally available to you at all times, and listens to every word you say. He cares deeply about your hurts, and has a perfect plan for your life. He has given you the inspired Word of God as a road-map for living. He gives you the truth that sets you free, a life that is abundant and eternal, and a spiritual family that loves and needs you.

Your destiny is to live forever in a magnificent kingdom, to reign with Christ over the universe. You will forever enjoy the wonders of His presence and the marvels of His creation. You will spend eternity in intimate and joyful fellowship with your beloved Lord and your precious spiritual family.

Now... how does that make you feel about yourself? How does that make you feel about the value of human life?

"Whoever finds Me loves life . . . but whoever fails to find Me harms himself; all who hate Me love death." (Proverbs 8:35-36)

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
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A Very Moving Story

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:50:00 +0000

In light of my blog post some time ago with the Christian the lion video, our friend Diane Meyer sent us the following. It’s a somewhat similar story. But please, if you haven’t watched the lion video, do that first. Without it, you will not appreciate why Diane sent this one:

In 1986, Mikele Mebembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air.

The elephant seemed distressed, so Mikele approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Mikele worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot.

The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Mikele stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled.

Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.

Mikele never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

Twenty years later, Mikele was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenage son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mikele and his son Tapu were standing.

The large bull elephant stared at Mikele, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.

Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mikele couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Mikele summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.

The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mikele's legs and slammed him against the railing, breaking his ribs and sending him to the hospital.

Probably wasn't the same elephant.

If you don’t appreciate this story (which I edited slightly to offend fewer people), please blame Diane Meyer. Feel free to file your complaint at Diane's blog.

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www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com

Question and Answer of the Week: When a Spouse Doesn't Want to Give

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:52:00 +0000

As I mentioned a week ago in my blog on giving and debt, I'm going to set aside Wednesday blogs specifically for question and answers. If you have a topic you'd like to see me address in a Q & A, feel free to post that in the comments. Because it is a once a week blog, I won't be able to get to every topic, but I'd enjoy hearing what some of you are wondering about.

This week I'm continuing to address questions about giving that I answered on the Revive Our Hearts website. (Related to giving, check out this blog post from my friend Matt Guerino, about how God used a high schooler and a homeless man to inspire God's people to give generously to His work in Sudan.)

My husband, though an active believer, does not want to participate in tithing or giving. He feels there is not enough money to take care of the family as it is, so giving extra away is not something he chooses to participate in. We have never regularly tithed, even when we were on church staff. As a stay-at-home mom with no income, I have nothing to contribute outside of what he decides for our family to give. I pray, in earnest, for a change of heart. How should I respond?

A good and difficult question. My own mother wrestled with it when she came to faith in Christ after I did, but my father was adamantly against giving anything to the church or missions. He didn't come to Christ until years after she died.

You are certainly right to pray for your husband. That may be your greatest gift to him in this situation.

I will first try to answer the question for the benefit of those without believing husbands (most of which applies also to those with believing husbands), then bring it home at the end to your specific question.

On the one hand, it's not God's desire for a woman to be her husband's moral judge and guide. She is to be submissive to her own husband so that "even if he is disobedient to the word, he may be won without a word by the behavior of his wife as he observes her chaste and respectful behavior...and let her adornment be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit which is precious in the sight of God." 1 Peter 3:1-4

On the other hand, the Christian wife is to be a moral example to her unbelieving husband by seeking to obey God and act on her conscience. In this sense, while she is not her husband's moral judge, she SHOULD be his moral example, as the text indicates in relation to her behavior. She should show him what Christlikeness means.

I believe wives should submit to their husbands except when doing so involves violating God's commands. A wife can't and shouldn't force her husband to give, but she can and should give of her own income, even if he disapproves (she should, of course, graciously communicate her conviction without a critical or judgmental attitude). The 1 Peter 3 passage pertains, as it shows the importance of being a good example and not preaching to her husband.

I think showing him the depth of her conviction through her own giving is part of that example.

I have encouraged women in this situation to go to their husbands, explain their deep conviction about giving, perhaps share one of the passages about how God blesses givers, and tell him she believes God will provide for their family so that the amount she desires to give won't be noticed by him, even if it is substantial. For instance, she has calculated that she spends X number of dollars on clothes, food, etc., and she will reduce those amounts and give from the reduction. Or, she has a health club membership that costs $X per month, and she will drop the membership and give that amount away. Perhaps seeing her sincerity in this, he will agree without these reductions being necessary, or perhaps he will agree to the test to see what happens. I do encourage Christian wives to get creative and find ways to honor God first, and show their husbands both their faith in God and their desire to honor their unbelieving husbands.

Now, in the case of the believing husband the same things above apply, BUT there is one more element. If your husband knows Jesus, he has the indwelling Holy Spirit who can give him insight and empower Him to obedience. Because of his profession of Christ, he is held to a higher standard. It is appropriate to say to him, not in anger but with grace, that perhaps he should trust God to undergo this experiment of giving more. God says in Malachi 3, "test me in this and see." If he is a believer, it is God's job, not yours, to convict his heart and challenge his faith, BUT I think it is your job to graciously let him know that he needs to think through what God says in His Word about giving. Don't nag him, but do let him know that God addresses this issue and that you want him and your family to experience God's blessing.

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
www.epm.org

Prayer: One Story, Six Quotations

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:10:00 +0000

A couple of years ago I had the privilege of speaking at the Desiring God National Conference with John Piper, Jerry Bridges, and John MacArthur. But perhaps the greatest privilege was being with the other speaker, Dr. Helen Roseveare, missionary to the Congo. (Dr. Roseveare's biography is in Noel Piper's book Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God, which you can read online.) I recently ran across this story from Helen:

"A mother at our mission station died after giving birth to a premature baby. We tried to improvise an incubator to keep the infant alive, but the only hot water bottle we had was beyond repair. So we asked the children to pray for the baby and for her sister. One of the girls responded. 'Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won't feel so lonely.' That afternoon a large package arrived from England. The children watched eagerly as we opened it. Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to dig deeper, exclaiming, 'If God sent that, I'm sure He also sent a doll!' And she was right! The heavenly Father knew in advance of that child's sincere requests, and 5 months earlier He had led a ladies' group to include both of those specific articles."

Here are six quotations about prayer I find enlightening:

C.S. Lewis said, "The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in."

John Bunyan said, "He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day."

J. Sidlow Baxter said, "...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons—but they are helpless against our prayers."

Martin Luther said, "Pray as if everything depends on God, then work as if everything depends on you."

Stuart Briscoe said, "When our children were small and we were trying to teach them to pray, we had three kinds of prayer: 'Please prayers,' 'Thank you prayers,' and 'Sorry prayers.'"

Here’s one more quotation, from a Puritan, that offers us a remedy for those we resent, envy or detest:

William Law said, "There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as prayer for him."

Seriously, if you pray for someone long enough, your heart toward him will change. You will gain vested interests in his welfare and will want God to work in his life, and bring blessing to him. If it’s someone who hurt you, you pray for him. If you find yourself resenting your father, mother, husband, wife, employer, or pastor, faithfully pray for them. Over time, watch what happens. Nanci and I have experienced this. You will too.

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
www.epm.org

The Rise of Child Abuse as a Result of Abortion

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:16:00 +0000

Before I get to today's blog, I need to clarify something that causes confusion. Periodically someone runs across something written by "Randy Alcorn" and assumes that could only be me. But there are other Randy Alcorns, and one of them is a columnist for The Daily Sound in Santa Barbara, California. I've read a few of his articles I agree with and others I definitely don't.

Recently "the other Randy Alcorn, writer" produced a column entitled "Abortion is pro-life." The logic is twisted, to say the least. Those who oppose abortion are made out NOT to be prolife; those who support it are the ones who are REALLY prolife. Huh? He appeals to the tired old overpopulation argument on which pro-abortion people attempt to assume the moral high ground. Yeah, tell that to the babies whose bodies are torn apart. How noble of us to do that to helpless children. How prolife of us.

I'm sure the other writing Randy Alcorn must sometimes hate the fact that people will think that he wrote those evangelical Christian books, including a couple that are explicitly prolife! (I mean, how many Randy Alcorns can there be, much less who are professional writers?) Anyway, I wish him the best (and congratulate him for living in Santa Barbara, what a place), but hope he doesn't succeed in convincing people to justify killing children.

Years ago I got a letter from a Randy Alcorn in Virginia, who told me a great story. He went into a bookstore not looking for anything in particular, but asking God to lead him to a specific book to read, and to make it clear to him which one. As he scanned the shelf his eyes fell upon a book by....Randy Alcorn. He thought he was the only one, and God definitely got his attention, so he bought and read the book and said some kind things about it. But to top if off, he told me his wife's name is Nancy (same spelling as my Nanci's legal name).

On to the main blog: my recent post on the killing of abortionist George Tiller got me thinking about a related topic I wanted to address, on the rise of child abuse as a result of abortion. My belief is that when people believe it’s okay to kill a child before he’s born, because an adult has rights over his life, then inevitably it will become more acceptable to beat him up once he's born.

In 1973, when abortion was first legalized, United States child abuse cases were estimated at 167,000 annually. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 903,000 children were victims of abuse during 2001, a number more than five times greater.

The increase in child abuse is even more dramatic, since the 45 million American children killed by surgical abortions (and an unknown number by chemical abortions) aren’t counted as victims of child abuse. Yet abortion is the earliest child abuse, and no other is more deadly. The argument that aborting a child prevents child abuse is true only in the same sense that killing a wife prevents wife abuse. Dead people can no longer be abused... but preventing their abuse by killing them is convoluted logic.

Why have children been abused far more since abortion was legalized? Because abortion has changed the way we think about children.

“Having more unwanted children results in more child abuse,” pro-choicers argue. Studies, however, disagree.

University of Southern California professor Edward Lenoski conducted a landmark study of 674 abused children. He discovered that 91 percent of the parents admitted they wanted the child they had abused. The pro-choice argument that it is unwanted children who are destined for abuse may sound logical, but the best study done to date demonstrates it is false.

“Studies indicate that child abuse is more frequent among mothers who have previously had an abortion.” Dr. Philip Ney’s studies indicate that this is partially due to the guilt and depression caused by abortion, which hinders the mother’s ability to bond with future children. He documents that having an abortion decreases a parent’s natural restraint against feelings of rage toward small children.

Both mother and father override their natural impulse to care for a helpless child when they choose abortion. Having suppressed that preserving instinct, it may become less effective in holding back rage against a newborn’s helplessness, a toddler’s crying, or a preschooler’s defiance.

The attitude that results in abortion is exactly the same attitude that results in child abuse. Furthermore, if she doesn’t abort, the mother can look at her difficult three-year-old and think, “I had the right to abort you.” The child owes her everything; she owes the child nothing. This causes resentment of demands requiring parental sacrifice. Even if subconscious, the logic is inescapable: If it was all right to kill the same child before birth, surely it’s all right to slap him around now.

Of the five thousand American children murdered every year (the figure doesn’t include abortions), 95 percent are killed by one or both of their parents. There’s a pervasive notion that children belong to their parents. Adults think they have the same right to dispose of their children that society assured them they had before the children were born. Once the child-abuse mentality grips a society, it doesn’t restrict itself to only one age group. If preborn children aren’t safe, no children are safe.

Peter Singer says, "There [is a] lack of any clear boundary between the newborn infant, who is clearly not a person in the ethically relevant sense, and the young child who is. In our book, Should the Baby Live?, my colleague Helga Kuhse and I suggested that a period of twenty-eight days after birth might be allowed before an infant is accepted as having the same right to life as others."

Children granted a right to life at twenty-eight days after birth? Why not wait until six months? Or six years? Killing a five-, ten-, or fifteen-year-old child is really just a postnatal abortion, isn’t it? As Singer has demonstrated, once you establish it’s all right to kill a person, logically the door is wide open to killing the same person at a variety of ages, for a variety of reasons.

The solution to battered children outside the womb is not battered children inside the womb.

The solution to child abuse isn’t doing the abusing earlier. It’s not doing it at all.

For more information, check out my books Why Prolife and Prolife Answers to Prochoice Arguments.

http://www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com/
http://www.epm.org/

Question and Answer: Paying Down Debt and Giving

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:35:00 +0000

Two weeks ago I had the privilege of answering some questions about giving on the Revive Our Hearts website. I have the greatest appreciation for Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Revive Our Hearts. If you're not familiar with their ministry, I'd encourage you to check out their website. (Or if you're a guy, encourage the women in your life.) I'm going to begin setting aside Wednesday blogs for questions and answers, so for the next few Wednesdays I'll be posting more of the answers I wrote in response to these questions.

One commenter asked: The question I have is that we are reaping consequences from bad choices. My husband and I have a young family and are still paying down $100,000 of student loans from both of us going to a private university.

We have been counseled in a number of ways on this. One is that you continue giving SO THAT God will meet your need (which is much like the "prosperity gospel" and we believe the motive for giving is not right). Then we were taught that we need to be faithful, even if the budget is tight, to give at least 10%, and that that should be our FIRST check we make out each month (even if we know we won't make our other bills) as evidence of the priority of God and His church in our lives. We've also heard it taught that since we're in debt, our money is not our own so we need to work really hard to pay that back so that our money is freed to give back to God.

I understand what you are saying about the heart of giving, but I was wondering what is the biblical approach in these situations? Another part of this is our strong burden to adopt, but we don't feel we can be in the place to begin that until we are freed from this debt.

I so appreciate your heart. Thanks for your question. I disagree in the strongest possible way with those who argue that since we're in debt we shouldn't give to God until we get out of debt.

I agree 100% with the position that we need to be faithful in our giving, maintaining it in difficult times and increasing it if we haven't been giving much in the past. Often our lack of giving has been a large part of our financial problem. Certainly, it is never a solution to it.

I think we need to follow your example, and take an honest look at past decisions that have put us in financial difficulty. Where in the Bible does it say we should go to an expensive university rather than a community college? Or choose an expensive car rather than a cheaper one? Or go to expensive restaurants or buy nice clothes? Often we mistake our wants for needs.

Through debt sometimes we unconsciously try to maneuver God into a position where he’s obligated to “provide” in the form of our future payments. In a role reversal, we set up the rules of the game and then expect God to play by them. Assuming the role of Master, we demote God to the obedient genie, who exists to underwrite our causes and fulfill our agendas. In such cases debt is not merely unwise, but evil.

God sometimes disciplines us by making us face the consequences of unnecessary debt. I commend you for recognizing that, and the rest of us should do the same. When we go into debt for illegitimate reasons, we go on our own. God isn’t party to our decision, and He isn’t obligated to fulfill our financial commitment, which we made outside the direction of His Word and His Spirit.

Now, here's how this relates to the giving issue. Debt is especially dangerous when we’re tempted to rob our primary creditor (God) to pay our secondary creditors (people).

Some Christians give nothing to God, while others reduce their giving to make monthly payments on conveniences. I’ve heard people say that it would be a “poor witness” not to pay their bills. They suppose that God would have them pay their creditors rather than give Him the first fruits. One Christian financial counselor routinely advises people not to give anything to God unless they are completely out of debt. (Some have received this advice from Consumer Credit Counseling Service, a service I otherwise recommend.)

If we’re faithful in our giving to God, only then can we look to Him for help in finding the resources to pay others. God says when His people give Him tithes and freewill offerings, He will “throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (Malachi 3:10). Isn’t that exactly what people need if they want to get out of debt?

God tells His people that because they spent money on themselves that they should have given to Him, He put holes in their purses (Haggai 1:2-11). Jesus says that with the measure we give to God it will be given back to us (Luke 6:38). The more serious our financial problems, the more critical it is that we do what God says will result in His provision—give! (That is not prosperity theology, which I detest; it is the promise of God's Word.)

A creditor may say, “Nobody should give to their church until they pay me off.” But we owe the first fruits to God, not the last fruits. Those who put God first will pay off their human creditors, while those who put human creditors before the divine Creditor always get into trouble. They are right to make every effort to pay people what they owe them, but they are wrong to do so from the first fruits that God says belong to Him, not to us and not to others. We need God's help to get out of debt. When you're asking for someone's financial help, it's generally not recommended that you steal from them to pay others!

God will not eliminate the consequences of our unwise decisions. He wants us to learn through them and experience character-building and conformity to the image of Christ. If by giving to God we can no longer afford to make payments on a loan, then we need to liquidate our assets, take losses where we must, and cut spending to a minimum to eliminate the debt. Quit going to Starbucks, don't hang out at the mall, stay away from eBay, buy clothes at thrift stores, don't go to restaurants, forget the expensive vacations (camp out in your back yard—you can have a blast).

It's shocking how much money we can come up with when we stop spending indiscriminately (as shocking as it is when we discover how much time we have when we turn off the TV). Give up these non-necessities at least for a season until you get on top of things. But we should never rob God—not for any reason, and certainly not to compensate for past unwise decisions.

To change the direction of our lives we need to prayerfully make wise decisions, and nothing is wiser than giving first to God, cutting back our expenditures wherever we can, and systematically paying off our debts to others, having placed ourselves through our faithful giving under God's blessing instead of His curse. I wish you the best as you experience the adventure of God's faithful provision when you are committed to being His faithful steward.

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
www.epm.org

Giveaway of the Month: Fiction Book of Your Choice

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Anderson) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:58:00 +0000

The June giveaway is now closed. Click here to see if your name was drawn as a winner.

Before I get to this month’s giveaway, I wanted to let you know that you can now sign up to follow Randy Alcorn on both Facebook and Twitter. They're a great way to keep up to date with what Randy is up to, and also to interact with other readers.

On to the giveaway: this time around we’re offering blog readers the chance to win a fiction book of their choice.

Here’s the books you can choose from:

For more information about each of the books, visit the EPM website. (All fiction books are also on sale from EPM during the month of June at a 40% discount.) With summer just around the corner, you’ll want to check out all of Randy’s fiction!

Here’s how to enter:

Leave a comment on this post by Sunday, June 28 indicating which book you would like to win. We'd also love to see in your comment what you like best about Randy's fiction. (If you're reading this post on Amazon or elsewhere, visit http://randyalcorn.blogspot.com/2009/06/giveaway-of-month-fiction-book-of-your.html to leave your comment.)

In order to qualify for the giveaway, you must include your contact information (a blog, e-mail address, or website), otherwise we cannot contact you if your name is drawn. (If you do leave an e-mail address, to avoid having it picked up by spammers, I recommend encoding it, such as: youraddress AT yahoo DOT com) Need help posting a comment? Click here for step-by-step instructions. For further assistance, contact me at stephanie(at)epm.org

The three randomly drawn winners will be announced in a blog post on Monday, June 29, so be sure to check back and see if you won.

If you're a previous winner, rather than entering, we'd encourage you to share this giveaway with friends who are not familiar with Randy's books and Eternal Perspective Ministries.

Happy reading,

Stephanie Anderson
Promotions Director
Eternal Perspective Ministries
www.epm.org

How Would You Introduce Christ to a Room Full of People?

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:47:00 +0000

Though Nanci and I really enjoy Brian Regan, you can’t listen to most stand-up comedians without bad words, immoral references, and disrespect for God and his people.

But here is Steve Harvey, a comedian, addressing a secular audience at the end of his routine. The question is, “How Would You Introduce Christ to a Room Full of People?" I’m not vouching for Steve Harvey in every respect (I’m unfamiliar with him), but I love this.

(Click here if you're unable to view the video.)

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
www.epm.org

Some Thoughts on the Killing of Abortionist George Tiller

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:40:00 +0000

Across the nation, everyone's talking about the killing of George Tiller, the infamous abortionist who ran the late-term abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas. On Sunday May 31, 2009, Tiller was shot to death while serving as an usher at the Sunday morning service at his church. His clinic is one of only three nationwide which provides abortions after the 21st week of pregnancy. He specialized in late term abortions that even most abortionists cannot stomach doing, partly due to the obviously human body parts that must be removed after the abortion.

Certainly my heart goes out to Tiller's family. Regardless of the evil he committed, I’m sure they loved him. I know nothing about his killer or his beliefs, but if he was motivated by revenge, he ignored God's warning, "Do not take revenge . . . Vengeance is Mine; I will repay" (Rom. 12:19).

I don't hate the abortionists I know. I pity them and pray for them. But that doesn't change the ugliness of what they do. President Obama said in response to Tiller's killing, "However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence." But we dare not forget the heinous acts of violence being committed daily in every abortion clinic in the nation.

Many Christians decrying this killing are eagerly distancing themselves even from nonviolent prolife intervention; however, many of the same Christians are doing little or nothing to stop the extremist violent killing of innocent children. Tiller's death is being focused on and condemned by the media; but every day the deaths of countless unborn babies are ignored and justified by the media.

The Chris Fabry Live radio program asked me to come on the show Monday afternoon and comment on Tiller's death. Not an easy task, and I struggled with how to answer, knowing my words would be put under scrutiny. Click the player below to listen, or click on the link to download the mp3.

Click here to listen to the mp3.

Here's some further articles to check out:

Denny Hartford, director of the prolife ministry Vital Signs Ministries, wrote a great blog post on Responding to Violence. Denny and Claire Hartford are Christ-centered, compassionate and truth-telling in their approach and are committed to the sanctity of human life, from the unborn to the elderly.

Here’s an article by Douglas Phillips of Vision Forum, asking who we should be mourning for.

Frank Schaeffer, son of Francis Schaeffer who I’ve blogged about twice recently, wrote a horribly misguided article for the Huffington Post, called "How I (and Other "Pro-Life" Leaders) Contributed to Dr. Tiller's Murder." Incredibly, Frank blames his father for being a prolife champion who convinced people to get involved on behalf of unborn children, saying that he and all prolifers bear responsibility for Tiller’s death.

Finally, here's an article from our EPM newsletter fourteen years ago, that brings an important perspective to the question of whether peaceful pro-life ministries should suffer a loss of credibility due to violent acts against abortionists committed by a few. And whether or not Christians should be intimidated into trying to appease public opinion by cowering in the corner and failing to point out that it is, in fact, morally repugnant to kill children.

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
http://www.epm.org/

A Commencement Address to Live By

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:33:00 +0000

It’s graduation time, and I’d encourage you to be discerning as you hear the message being sent to graduates. Often it is ridiculously overblown and flattering and ego-massaging. Much is said about how great the graduates are; little is said about their need to serve others. Read these words from J. Budziszewski, author of one of my favorite books for high school graduates, How to Stay Christian in College. (This commencement charge was given by the fictional character Professor Theophilus, at an unofficial graduation ceremony held by churches for graduates from "Post-Everything University.")

Honored guests, this ceremony is called a "commencement." I'd like us to think about the word. Graduation is said to mark the end of college, and so it does. But a commencement is an occasion of commencing: Not of ending, but of beginning.

Graduates, everything depends on what it is that you think you're about to commence.

This week I attended the official commencement rites at Post-Everything University. I don't know what the graduates themselves thought they were about to commence, but I know what the speaker thought they were about to commence. He thought they were about to commence BEING IMPORTANT. Most of his talk was an invitation to vanity and pride.

The first of his four pieces of advice was "Never let anyone tell you that you aren't better than other people." You may have been flattered by your teachers, but I hope your churches have taught you better. As Paul wrote to the Romans, "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought." As he demanded of the Corinthians, "What have you that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?"

The speaker's second bit of advice was "Remember that you are joining an elite." It's true that you are attaining a higher status, but you have been taught differently about that, too, haven't you? Once Jesus rebuked His disciples by telling them "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all."

Third, the speaker urged "Be all you can be." If that slogan means "Be as faithful, dedicated, and true as you can be," then it's good advice, but he didn't say anything about faith, dedication, or truth. What he spoke about was getting ahead—being a success as the world measures success. A famous photographic satire on the idea of "being all you can be" shows a man bloated with the corpulence of a thousand excessive meals, diving into swimming pool, all the water parting before him like the Red Sea. The photo is not a warning against the deadly sin of gluttony, but against the deadly sin of pride. The body of the man is a parable of what our souls will be like if we feed on our self-importance.

Finally the speaker urged graduates to say with the author of the poem Invictus, "I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul." No, you are neither masters of your fate nor captains of your soul. Christ is those things already. Your office is not to direct the boat but to be the boat, sailing on His living breath. He purchased you with His blood, and as the seal of His purchase, He has painted a new name on your prow. C.S. Lewis remarked that "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.' All that are in Hell, choose it." Remember that.

Click here to read the rest of the address.

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
www.epm.org

An Unlikely Animal Pair

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:41:00 +0000

People often ask me whether animals will be in Heaven. Their second question is whether they’ll ever see their pets again. To some people, these are merely sentimental questions. To others, they are very important. Children especially want to know the answers. What do we tell them when they ask?

Scripture says a great deal about animals, portraying them as Earth’s second most important inhabitants. God entrusted animals to us, and our relationships with animals are a significant part of our lives.

Isaiah 11:6-9 speaks of a coming glorious era on Earth when “the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

Some interpreters contend that this passage speaks only of the Millennium, but Isaiah anticipates an eternal Kingdom of God on Earth. Isaiah 65:17 and 66:22 specifically speak of the New Earth. Sandwiched between them is a reference very similar to that in Isaiah 11: “ ‘The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. . . . They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,’ says the Lord” (65:25).

This video of an unlikely animal pair is just a foretaste of that peace to come.

(Click here if you are unable view the video.)

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
www.epm.org

A Life of Humility

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Tue, 26 May 2009 20:55:00 +0000

After seeing my recent post about Francis Schaeffer, my friend Doug Nichols, founder and international director emeritus of Action International Ministries, emailed me this story. To me, given my respect for both men, it's priceless. Thanks for sharing it with us, Doug. And thanks for being the same kind of man Francis Schaeffer showed himself to be the night you met him.

Francis Schaeffer slept here
by Doug Nichols

In 1966 I joined Operation Mobilization for a year of ministry in France, but spent two years in India instead. While in London that summer, at the one-month OM orientation, I volunteered to work on a clean-up crew late one night.

Around 12:30am I was sweeping the front steps of the Conference Centre when an older gentleman approached and asked if this was the OM conference. I told him it was, but most everyone was in bed.

He had a small bag with him and was dressed very simply. He said he was attending the conference, so I said, "Let me see if I can find you a place to sleep." Since there were many different age groups at OM, I thought he was an older OM’er.

I took him to the room where I had been sleeping on the floor with about 50 others and, seeing that he had nothing to sleep on, laid some padding and a blanket on the floor and used a towel for a pillow. He said it would be fine and he appreciated it very much.

As he was preparing for bed, I asked him if he had eaten. He had not as he had been travelling all day. I took him to the dining room but it was locked. So after picking the lock I found cornflakes, milk, bread, butter and jam—all of which he appreciated very much.

As he ate, we began to fellowship. I asked where he was from. He said he and his wife had been working in Switzerland for several years in a ministry mainly to hippies and travellers. It was wonderful to talk with him and hear about his work and those who had come to Christ. When he finished eating, we turned in for the night.

However, the next day I was in trouble! The leaders of OM really "got on my case." "Don't you know who that man is on the floor next to you?" they asked. "It is Dr. Francis Schaeffer, the speaker for the conference!"

I did not know they were going to have a speaker, nor did I know who Francis Schaeffer was, nor did I know they had a special room prepared for him!

After Francis Schaeffer became well known because of his books, and I had read more about him, I thought about this occasion many times—this gracious, kind, humble man of God sleeping on the floor with OM recruits! This was the kind of man I wanted to be.

Of course, I will never attain the intellect, knowledge or wisdom of Francis Schaeffer. But I can reach out to younger people and minister to them in Christ's name by living a life of humility. What about you?

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
www.epm.org

Announcing the Winners of the LifeChange Book Gift Set Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie Anderson) — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:54:00 +0000

Here are the winners from May’s LifeChange book gift set giveaway. Each of the three winners will receive a book set that includes The Grace and Truth Paradox, The Purity Principle, and The Treasure Principle.

The randomly drawn winners are:

1) pastoralmusings
2) PMurray (mdmurray23)
3) JDJ (jdj116)

It’s our privilege to also choose another winner:

Lisa (lisa-deadlinedeception.blogspot)

All winners, please e-mail me at stephanie (at) epm.org with your mailing address.

The LifeChange book gift set is also on sale from EPM through the end of May for $18.00, 40% off the retail price of $29.97. It's a great gift for high school or college graduates.

Check back at Randy’s blog on June 8 for the next book giveaway—we’ll be offering blog readers the chance to win a fiction book of their choice.

Blessings,

Stephanie Anderson
Promotions Director
Eternal Perspective Ministries
www.epm.org

Stewarding Your Time

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Thu, 21 May 2009 07:34:00 +0000

In light of my recent post on biblical illiteracy, I wanted to give some practical suggestions for being a better steward of the time God gives us each day, especially for making time for the study of God's Word.

I encourage you to keep track of how you spend your time for one week. You can use this time management sheet (PDF) to keep track of everything you do in a day, but most specifically what you do with your discretionary time.

For example, write down time spent:

Sleeping
Driving
Stores, shopping
Eating (will be easy to keep track of on a day you fast!)
Talking with spouse
Playing with kids
Reading to kids
Working around house
Small talk (phone or together) with friends
Church
Newspaper
Magazines
Reading books (designate which)
Bible reading
Prayer
Exercise
Video games
Internet
Email reading and responding
Radio
Television, and break down time spent in terms of:

- News
- Sports—football, etc. (be specific, which games, etc., and the total time for each so you can add up)
- Regular programming (probably helpful to break it down: e.g. Lost, 1 hour; Rerun of 24, 1 hour; Star Trek reruns, 2 hours, etc.)
- Movies (on TV, or DVD, video), 4 hours; name the movie as a reminder
- Other

Be able to add up your specifics to a total in each category, rather than just estimating a total (because we always underestimate). Of course, you can sometimes do two things at once. For example, listen to the radio (or Scripture audio) while driving, or exercise while reading (I often do this on my stationary bike) or watching TV. In that case, just note you did two things at once and credit the time spent to both of them.

When we keep track of how we spend our time, it makes us better stewards because we become aware of what we otherwise don't really know. For example, people normally watch far more TV than they think. Becoming aware is the first step of stewardship, which puts us in a position to decide, "I want to spend more time reading some great books and God's Word, and talking with my wife and reading to my kids, and to steward this time I can reduce my television watching by 10 hours each week." Again, we won't do this without a clear picture of how we're currently spending our time.

When I was talking to my wife Nanci about this, she reminded me that when she had food allergy issues, she was supposed to write down each and every thing she ate for several weeks. She found this very helpful. As with eating, when it comes to how you spend your time, simply knowing what you're actually doing makes a huge difference in your ability to evaluate and make positive, God-glorifying changes.

I admit sometimes I really do struggle with how quickly time runs out each day. I try to focus on the Lord and His Word and figure out the few things in life He really wants me to do. Every day—including this one—offers me a hundred distractions, not just bad things, but good things. I tell myself that I must say no to the vast majority of good things that I might be able to say yes to those very few things God really has for me. Jesus says to Martha in Luke 10: “Few things are necessary, really only one. Mary has chosen the better portion and it will not be taken from her.”

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
www.epm.org

The JESUS Film: "Show it Again"

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:51:00 +0000

One of my favorite ministries is the JESUS film project, which I have personally witnessed at work in powerful ways in China, Cambodia and Mexico. (More about that later in this blog.)

Every word in the film is from the gospel of Luke, and it includes at the end an invitation to receive Christ. In countries with low literacy, people can't read the Bible even if it's been translated into their language; but all of them can understand the JESUS Film, which is Scripture on a screen, God made visible. I read an amazing story from the JESUS Film about divine intervention in what seemed to be a hopeless situation:

A “JESUS” film team was returning home from showing the film to a village of unreached people. They were tired, but happy for what God had done. It was late at night, as they drove along the isolated road in a rough area…a time when thieves were active. Suddenly on the darkened road, a red light flashed behind them. It was the police.

“Where did you get this equipment? Did you steal it? Show us your receipts, your paperwork. Prove that you are the owners,” the police demanded.

Because the portable projection equipment and generators had been given by partners in America and shipped in a large batch, the team didn’t have individual receipts. Unable to prove they were not thieves, the police took it all, for the moment ending their ministry.

Over the next three weeks, the team leader repeatedly went to the police station. He showed them his ID, correspondence and other documents demonstrating they were the owners, all to no avail. “We don’t believe you. Now reveal what you are really doing. Show us how to use this equipment…present the film—if it is yours.”

The team leader agreed, saying, “My team will come tonight and set up the equipment, demonstrating that we are familiar with the projector, generator and the screen. We will show you the film.” The police gave instructions for the showing to be held in the barracks.

What a shock when the team arrived. They found 3,000 people waiting to see “JESUS.” After the film, the people were so touched that the commander said, “Show it again!” The next night there were about 6,000 people—police and family members attended. And in all, the team estimated that half of those in attendance responded and indicated decisions for Christ! Oh yes, the police returned all the equipment…with their blessings. The team is no longer stopped, and the gospel continues to go out in this area unhindered.
What a testimony of how God protects and uses the teams, and the equipment given by partners like you—so that unreached people might see and understand “JESUS” in their own language!

This is Randy again: The JESUS Film (http://www.jesusfilm.org/) is arguably the single greatest evangelistic tool in history apart from the Word of God itself. I'll never forget years ago crowding into two homes in East Asia where the JESUS video was being shown by Christians to their neighbors. I counted 33 in one home and 37 in the other, eyes glued to the screen, listening in their own language to every word spoken by Jesus, straight from the Word of God. I have seen the work and the workers first-hand in several countries, and I can vouch for the integrity, vision, and biblical foundation of this ministry. I encourage you to consider if God would have you invest in eternity by getting involved in financial or prayer support for this wonderful work of the Lord.

And here's another ministry opportunity that's pretty cool: anyone with a cell phone can now text a Bible to a persecuted Christian. For just $5, Open Doors can print, ship, and deliver a Bible to a believer who does not have God's Word. Simply text the word Bible to 20222 and wait for a confirmation text message. Send the word "Yes" in response to the confirmation text message. That's it. You sent a Bible. I did it myself. A one-time charge of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill for each text message, and you can send up to five per month. For more information, go to the Open Doors website.

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
http://www.epm.org/

Francis Schaeffer: Intellectual and Christ-lover

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Thu, 14 May 2009 19:44:00 +0000

Friday, May 15, is the 25th anniversary of the home-going of Francis Schaeffer, intellectual and Christ-lover. When I was a new believer, I was profoundly influenced by what he wrote; Schaeffer's philosophical and apologetic writings, among them He is There and He is Not Silent, shaped my thinking in the seventies. (For those unfamiliar with Schaeffer, you can find excerpts from nearly all of his books at www.rationalpi.com/theshelter/sitemap.html)

As a young believer, books and bookstores had an enormous influence on my own life. My first youth pastor did me a huge favor—he gave me a key to his office, so I could go in any time and read his books, hundreds of them. I read everything I could get my hands on. There was an elderly couple in our church, who had a Christian book store in their house in Gresham, Oregon, my hometown. I would go there several days a week, for hours at a time. They would point out books for me to read. They introduced me to Lewis, Schaeffer, and Tozer. Ultimately, everything I've ever written has been affected by those three men.

I still have a wonderful hand written letter Francis Schaeffer wrote to me after I wrote to him as a college student, telling him how God had shaped me through his books.

May 11, 1976

Dear Randy:

Thank you for your letter of April 21. I want to thank you for your letter. It was a real encouragement to me. I can't write you a long note. The enclosed slip will tell you why, but I did want you to know that really your letter touched me and it is a letter like yours that gives me the courage to go on. With the busyness of my life it's not been easy to write these books, and the thing which has made it worthwhile is the way the Lord has used them in so many parts of the world and with so many people.

I would ask you if you would pray for this new film and book. The title will be How Should We Then Live? Revell is releasing the book in November. The film will be released at a series of seminars across the United States, Lord willing, early next year. I've worked on this film and book for almost two years and I must say I feel overwhelmingly tired. And even beyond that Satan has done everything he could to see that the film doesn't come out. I would be glad if Nanci and you would pray especially about this.

Thank you, Francis, for your impact on my life. In eternity it will be great for me to meet you face to face, along with other innumerable people who've written books that have shaped me. I anticipate saying "Thank you," then having a great discussion over the best dinner we've ever tasted!

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
www.epm.org

Speak the Truth in Love

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Tue, 12 May 2009 00:27:00 +0000

The most quoted verse these days is not "For God so loved the world," but "Judge not." Unfortunately, we often fail to understand what this means.

In our own church, a Bible believing fellowship, years ago I spoke to a Sunday school class in which one of the couples stood up and shared that their unborn child had a serious disease and would not live long after birth. They said that the doctor had given them their options and they were meeting with him the next day and needed to make their decision about what they were going to do. The red flag was waving—almost certainly, one of the options (often the only one if it's a genetic defect, which it was) was abortion. The "options" are, give birth to a child who will almost certainly die, or take the life of the child before she is born.

After the class I watched as people briefly greeted this couple, nodded to them, likely said they'd be praying and went out the door. People seemed warm and friendly and caring. But no one talked more than a minute, which made it obvious they were not dealing with the question: what kind of options are we talking about?

I went to the couple, and we stayed afterward talking for nearly an hour. It turns out they were leaning toward abortion. In the absence of counsel to the contrary that would likely have been their direction. I explained the difference betweem God being allowed to take their child's life, and them choosing to take the child's life. They ended up having the child, who lived for a month in a family full of love, held by mom and dad and the other children. Proudly they showed us and their class the pictures of this precious child.

I am haunted by the fact that in our pro-life church, not one person in a Sunday School class of 100 took this couple aside. Surely someone realized the "options" probably included abortion. Likely, they didn't want to be judgmental or to make them feel guilty if they'd chosen abortion. But we owe it to people to tell them the truth, saturated with grace and kindness and empathy.

We all know that one of the ways we fail each other in the body of Christ is by our judgmental and self-righteous attitudes. What we don't seem to realize is how often we fail each other by looking the other way and not going to each other to give warning and wisdom and edification. (For example, a pastor who ends up leaving his wife and kids for his secretary, and dozens of church people, including leaders, saying, "I knew they were involved, or headed that way; I could just see it.") Well, it wasn't grace and non-judgmentalism that kept them from speaking up—it was indifference or cowardice or the lie that we are not our brother's keeper, that we don't have a responsibility to each other and to God.

Sometimes we assume people know that they are wrong. We think we're being nonjudgmental and gracious to them by not sitting down with them and kindly sharing what God says about sex and marriage. In fact, we are being neglectful or cowardly. We fall for the lie that sin can be in someone's true best interests. It can't be. It never is. Matthew 7 doesn't tell us not to help remove the splinters from our brother's eye. It tells us to remove the log from our own eye, so we can see more clearly to remove the splinter from our brother's eye.

We owe it to each other to do what Scripture commands: "Speak the truth in love." (Ephesians 4:15)

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
www.epm.org

A Tribute to My Mother

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Fri, 08 May 2009 16:07:00 +0000

In honor of Mother's Day, I want to share a video about my mother, Lucille Alcorn. Feel free in your comments to share something about your own mother.

This year in October it will be twenty eight years since my mom died of cancer. Our Angela was only four months old then, so while Mom held Angie and fawned over her and loved her dearly, Angie wasn't old enough yet to understand what had happened. Sometimes I think how wonderful it will be one day for Angie and her grandmother to get to know each other.

The night Mom died, both Nanci and I wrote letters to our oldest daughter Karina, who was then two-and-a-half and who loved my Mom and connected with her in a way that defies words. (She spent every Monday with Mom at her place, the house I grew up in, and it was the highlight of Karina's week; Mom would read to her and play with her hour after hour, with complete delight.)

Here's what I wrote:

My dearest Karina,

I’ve just read your mother’s letter to you about Grandma Alcorn. It’s now 3:30 a.m., a funny time to be writing you. But I’ve been home from Grandpa’s just a little while.

As soon as I came home, about 3:00, I went right to your bedroom to wake you up. I thought you should know Grandma had died. You were so tired, and your eyes kept rolling back as I sat you up in my lap. Finally I knew you were awake, and I asked you, “Karina, do you know where Grandma Alcorn is right now?”

I was sure the answer would be “no.” Or maybe you’d say “in bed” since Grandma has been on her sickbed several months. But immediately, without any hesitation, you smiled and said, “Yes, Daddy—she’s in heaven.”

A wave of electricity went through me. You knew with absolute certainty. There wasn’t a hesitation or a doubt. Maybe Jesus whispered it to you in your sleep. Perhaps He let Grandma send a special message to you from heaven. But in any case, you knew exactly where Grandma was.

For several minutes I hugged you tight on your bed, and cried very hard. Everything your mom said in her letter about Grandma was true. You always had the most special times when you were with her.

I, too, ache because you had so little time together. Yet I marvel at how close you were in that time. If Grandma sees you as you grow up (I suspect the Lord will let her), she will be so proud. More than anything she would want you to love Jesus with all your heart, and to serve Him always.

Karina, you are God’s gift to me. I love you and your baby sister more than any father has ever loved his daughters. I pray that you and Angela will grow up to be as wonderful as your mom and your grandma.

As I write these things, tears are flowing down my face. How thankful I am to our loving God for giving me such a special family.

I love you, sweetheart.

Daddy

I’ll never forget the smile on Karina’s face at 3:00 a.m. that dark night when I woke her up to give her what you’d think would have been devastating news. But Karina immediately and accurately grasped something few people do—that she had every reason to be happy for her grandmother. She was not smiling because she didn’t understand. She was smiling precisely because she did understand.

She knew her grandmother was with the Person she was made for in the place she was made for. Karina literally believed—not just in her head but in her heart—everything we’d told her about heaven.

Though she would miss her grandmother greatly, she understood that this wasn’t the end of their relationship, but only an interruption. She knew her grandmother was in heaven, and that she would one day join her there.

Thank you for everything, Mom. I can't imagine having had a better Mom than you. I so look forward to seeing you again in that place where our gracious God will wipe away the tears from every eye.

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
http://www.epm.org/

What to Pray for, beyond Physical Healing

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Alcorn) — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:12:00 +0000

My friend Barry Arnold pastors Cornerstone Church here in Gresham, Oregon. Last year he sent an email to his church regarding prayer. It’s worth quoting:

I think our prayers are unbalanced—in the direction of just physical needs. We can and should pray for people with infirmities—but it might be wise to change the emphasis of our prayers from physical healing alone to God accomplishing His purposes in and through afflictions.

Here’s a partial list of things the New Testament tells us to pray for:

Pray for people who give you a hard time (Matthew 5:43-44; Luke 6:28)

Pray for children (Matthew 19:13)

Pray for strength to endure difficult times (Luke 21:36)

Pray you will not fall into temptation (Luke 22:40)

Pray for all Christians (1 Thessalonians 5:25; Hebrews 13:18)

Pray that God's Kingdom will come and His will be done (Matthew 6:10)

Pray God will provide your daily needs (Matthew 6:11)

Pray for God's forgiveness as we forgive others (Matthew 6:12)

Pray we will not be led into temptation, but delivered from evil (Matthew 6:13)

Pray for boldness in proclaiming the gospel and for God to do miracles in people's lives (Acts 4:29-31)

Pray all the time, be alert, pray for fellow believers (Ephesians 6:18)

Pray for fearless teaching of the Word (Ephesians 6:20)

Pray to be filled with the knowledge of His will (Colossians 1:9)

Pray for open doors for the gospel (Colossians 4:3)

Pray that the Word of God may be glorified (2 Thessalonians 3:1)

Pray for deliverance from evil men (2 Thessalonians 3:2)

Pray for everyone, government leaders, peace, quiet, godliness, holiness (1 Timothy 2:1,2)

Pray for sinners to find life in Christ (1 John 5:16)

Ask God for wisdom (James 1:5)

It’s hard to break habits, and we’re very much in the habit of just asking God to cure people. Here’s a suggestion: When you pray for a physical need, also include at least one of the “spiritual needs” listed above.

In doing so we may begin to see physical infirmities the way God does, realizing that sometimes He heals, and many other times, for wise and holy reasons, He doesn’t.

This is Randy again: Thursday, May 7, is the National Day of Prayer, which emphasizes the need for personal repentance and intercession for America's leaders and their families. (For more information, go to www.ndptf.org) What could be more important and more satisfying—than to set aside time to confess, give thanks to the Lord, recognize His greatness, intercede for others, open His Word and seek after God?

God's greatest works, accomplished through prayer, are often invisible to us for now. (What's visible to us, except in rare moments of clarity, are not God's greatest works.) We pray now in faith, believing our prayers are making an eternal difference; we anticipate heaven, where we'll learn God's breathtaking answers to our prayers, including many that seemed unheard and ignored. There is no greater ministry, no higher calling, no better investment than prayer.

www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com
www.epm.org