Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 122

Human Touch Heals and Connects, Even Through Alzheimer’s

My friend Jay Echternach’s story of faithfully loving his wife Debbie, who has early onset dementia, was one of the most read and shared posts on my blog last year. (If you haven’t yet read it, I encourage you to start there so you know more about their journey.)

Jay recently wrote another powerful post about his bride and the connection between them. Many times his words about Debbie have touched me, but these more than ever. Thank you, brother, for being used of God to touch me once more. I love you and love Deb and can’t wait to rejoice with both of you in a far better world where our bodies and minds will be so much better than they ever were here. Debbie and Nanci and you and me and all of us who know Jesus are not past our peaks. That’s the meaning of resurrection and redemption and the New Earth. Our peaks await us, and we will never pass them. All because of the redemptive grace of Jesus. —Randy Alcorn

It just never seemed to be important. Walking the dog, walking around the block, shopping at the mall, heck most anywhere we went: Debbie just liked to hold hands and I didn’t. What a fool I was!

Now, it is the ONLY thing we can share consistently. From the moment I walk in, no words are spoken and she rarely if ever says my name (unless to our daughter Jennifer!). Her eyes finally notice me and she reaches out her good right hand and holds my hand tightly for the next hour. Her fingers don’t stroke, her hand doesn’t twist or turn; just a firm, hard grip that NEVER lets go.

So much is said between us in a relatively simple act. The need or desire to be close and know you are safe. The tactile sense of touch and being ever closer to her and the feeling of shared experience. A physical act that confirms we are still together in body, mind, and spirit. It is a priceless act that words cannot describe.

We shared a moment this past December that I will never forget. She had been experiencing fits of tears and terrible emotion in her face that spoke of pain, fear, or whatever was ailing her, unable to share or speak what was hurting her. I tried for almost 30 minutes to change her mood; laughing, telling stories, feeding her, HOLDING HER HAND—but nothing worked. She cried all the more, searching my eyes for a cure that was not coming.

My heart finally broke and I fell on my knees, gripping both her hands and burying my face in her lap, unable to watch her cry any longer. I sobbed audibly and all I could say was, “I’m sorry, so sorry!” Sorry I can’t help, sorry for anything I had ever done to cause you pain, sorry we are separated by a disease that cannot be healed.

God and His angels must have heard my prayer. Within seconds she let go of my hands and cupped my face with her good hand, pulled it up ever so slightly, looked deeply into my eyes, and said “It’s going to be alright!” Immediately she stopped crying and sat there staring out beyond me without a care in the world.

There was no oxygen in my lungs to breathe. Tears streaming down my face, I pressed my cheek to hers and kissed her softly.

Human touch heals a broken heart and speaks a thousand words without an utterance. It’s a touch we have shared for over 42 years but never like this or more tender.

Alzheimer’s is taking away Debbie’s mind as more and more words and physical acts are leaving her day by day. But it will NEVER take away her heart or her spirit, as God has given that to her for this life and the life to come.

For more on the hope of Heaven, see Our Best Life Yet to Come: The New Earth, Our Eternal Home and Why Is Resurrection So Important?, as well as Randy’s book Heaven. 

Top photo source: Pixabay

The Lord Is on the Move in the Muslim World—Here Are Five Ways Satan Seeks to Undermine That Work

Greg Livingstone, founder of Frontiers, a mission to the Muslim world, has written a great article on Muslim conversions. He is now senior associate for missions advancement of World Outreach for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Thanks to Greg for his permission to use his article, and to Desiring God for originally posting it earlier this month. —Randy Alcorn

Five Ways Satan Undermines Muslim Conversions

Let me give you some encouraging news: despite some unsubstantiated stories and exaggerated statistics, it is true that history has never seen so many Muslims bowing the knee to the Lord Jesus!

The last 27 years of increased harvest among Muslims has been remarkable! As someone who’s given most of his life to understanding Islam and sharing the gospel with Muslims, I think we have every reason to be joyful, grateful, and hopeful. The Lord is on the move. And though the vast majority of Muslims still need to be reached, the King of kings is not wringing his hands over the massive barriers to reaching them.

In the back of the Book, it says Jesus will ransom people from “every tribe and language and people and nation [ethnic group]” (Revelation 5:9). So we have scriptural and observable reasons to believe there will be thousands and thousands more Muslims in that great crowd worshiping the Savior!

But I can also say that it’s too soon to feel triumphal or satisfied with the present response. Ninety-eight percent of the Muslim world — 24 percent of all the men, women, and children on the planet today — are still under the deception of a false prophet. Their souls are in grave danger. Satan still imprisons far too many. We must pray and strategize and work to see more Muslims embrace the gospel and come to Jesus.

Five Schemes of Satan

The apostle Paul wrote, “we are not ignorant of [Satan’s] designs” (2 Corinthians 2:11). I can think of at least five schemes Satan uses to keep Muslims deceived.

Scheme #1: Satan insists Muslims are our enemy.

Satan wants us to forget that he, the Great Deceiver, is our enemy. Instead, he’d have us fear and neglect Muslims. Too many Christians in the West view Muslims as bad guys who deserve God’s judgment (as if we don’t!), and don’t deserve God’s mercy (as if we do!). That’s satanic. Why would we who are commanded to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44) be indifferent when hearing of the deaths and suffering of so many in Libya, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Eritrea, Pakistan, and more?

Scheme #2: Satan spreads exaggerated reports of conversions among Muslims.

One popular book says, “Hundreds of thousands of Muslims are falling in love with Jesus.” Though well-intentioned, it’s a misleading claim.

Too many pass along undocumented stories, often told by national workers who are tempted to make claims that will please their financial supporters. If one would ask nearly any Muslim if he loves Jesus, the answer would likely be, “Of course. Jesus is our #2 prophet. Muslims love Isa Al Masih so much, we correct the false claim that he died on the cross. Allah would never allow that to happen because Allah loves him too.” But admiring Jesus, even as a sinless prophet, does not mean that a Muslim has been reconciled to God.

Most informed Christian observers of the Muslim world agree that more Muslims have become Christians since 1990 than all the previous centuries combined since Mohammed. But most of these conversions have occurred only in a few countries, and usually only among certain ethnic groups in a particular country. For example, the harvest in Algeria is among the indigenous people, the Kabyles, but very little among the Arab majority who conquered the Kabyles in AD 670. And Kabyle Christians are very slow to reach out to the Arab majority, whom they historically resent.

The movements to Christ in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Iran are examples of what we pray will yet occur among other Muslim peoples. Turkey has perhaps only five thousand known believers among 80 million Turks. Libya, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Arabs, the Maldives, Malaysia, and Pakistan have less than one hundred known citizens of Muslim background taking an open stand for Christ.

Scheme #3: Satan tells the lie that Western missionaries to Muslims aren’t needed because national believers are already doing the work cheaper and more efficiently.

Where believers are able and willing to risk their livelihood, and maybe their lives, to make disciples among their own people or nearby Muslims, this may be true. But this is very rare. Most Christians in places like Pakistan, Malaysia, India, China, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and so on are either not able or not willing. Most of the bolder, outspoken former Muslims now reside in the West, not among their own people.

For example, there are wonderful, dynamic large congregations of Chinese and Indian believers in Malaysia, but hardly a dozen believers among them are willing to risk witnessing to the 19 million Malay Muslims. Not even one fellowship with elders of Malay believers exists there!

In Pakistan, the Christians (whose social contact with Muslims is hampered because they are still considered part of a low Hindu caste) face a very real and present danger of being accused of “blasphemy against the Prophet,” which not infrequently leads to being killed on the spot before they can get a trial. Who can blame them for remaining silent for Christ while surrounded by uneducated, often Taliban-oriented Muslims who would prefer to exterminate them?

Scheme #4: Satan creates dissension between missionaries over methodologies.

Satan is working hard to turn missionaries and their supporters against fellow missionaries over methodology. It’s not unlike the controversies that began in the 1960s when Charismatic Christians and non-Charismatic Christians wrote each other off as “unbiblical” or “demonic.”

This is an issue for urgent prayer. Pray that missionaries and their agencies would be delivered from consuming precious time and resources on debates over the “right” methodologies for witnessing to Muslims.

Scheme #5: Satan spreads the lie that it’s wrong to put our families at risk in order to serve on the mission field.

This is understandable from an emotional perspective. But it is not biblical. The witness of Scripture and church history all testifies to the need and the cost of Christians to put their lives, and sometimes the lives of their family members, at risk for the sake of the gospel. We are sent out “as lambs in the midst of wolves” (Luke 10:3). Lambs’ odds against wolves are not good — unless, of course, God is with them.

As John Piper says,

Should a Christian couple take their children into danger as part of their mission to take the gospel to the unreached peoples of the world? Short answer: Yes.

Why? Because the cause is worth the risk, and the children are more likely to become Christ-exalting, comfort-renouncing, misery-lessening exiles and sojourners in this way than by being protected from risk in the safety of this world.

Were early missionaries to Africa irresponsible, knowing that at least half of them would die from Malaria or other diseases? Will we send missionaries today to a country where thousands are dying of Ebola? Or what about a country like Afghanistan where at least forty missionaries have been murdered in recent years? Does being married and having children disqualify us? Where does it say that in the Bible?

Pray for More

It is right to rejoice that we are living in an era when the global harvest is ripening! And we may be on the cusp of a great Muslim movement to Christ. I recently returned from the Vision 5:9 gathering in Thailand, where 840 missionaries, agency leaders, and Muslim background believers (240) responded with determination and faith to the challenge to pray and fast that the Lord of the harvest would draw ten percent of the Muslims across the globe to himself by 2027.

But let us stay alert. We must not be unaware of Satan’s schemes. Satan will resist us, but God will not be mocked by his schemes. Jesus will send workers into the harvest to take the good news where Muslims are perishing in unbelief. All we need to do is ask in faith.

Will you pray? Will you go?

Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash

Senator Ben Sasse on What We All Know Deep Down: The Unborn Are Babies

Sadly, this week the U.S. Senate blocked the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would have protected unborn babies from abortion after 20 weeks, when doctors say they’re able to experience pain. The U.S., along with China and North Korea, is among only seven countries worldwide which allow elective abortion after 20 weeks. (See Explainer: What you should know about the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.)

It’s heartbreaking that this Act was not cleared by the Senate, when the lives of unborn children are at stake. But perhaps one of the benefits of this process was the attention once again given to the unborn and their humanity. Check out this excellent 10-minute speech from Senator Ben Sasse.

For more, see Randy’s books Why ProLife? and ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments. 

Photo by Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

Super Bowl Sunday, Nick Foles, and a Great Half-Time Video You Can Use

In a recent blog, I shared my appreciation for quarterbacks Nick Foles and Case Keenum, two young men who love Jesus and are committed to honoring Him. I said that I wished both Nick and Case could go to the Super Bowl and win it, but of course that’s not how it works!

After starting for the Eagles and leading them to the playoffs in 2013, Nick came back to the Eagles this year a backup to quarterback Carson Wentz (another terrific brother). When Carson was injured in early December, Nick took over, and had several good games. Then in the NFC championship game against the Vikings, he had one of the best playoff games in NFL history (over 352 yards passing, 3 TD passes, 0 interceptions, 141 QB rating).

I know that the Super Bowl is “only a football game,” but it’s also the single biggest platform, with the largest audience, of any event in the U.S. I’m praying for Nick, that he would be in the eye of the hurricane, experiencing the peace of Jesus. Nick turned 29 last week, so this is a lot of pressure on a young man, but he’s humble and grounded, and I know from interactions with him yesterday that God is giving him great peace. Pray that, win or lose, he and the Eagles believers (as well as the Patriots believers) would faithfully represent our Lord.

Personally I’m also fine with praying that Nick will do great and the Eagles will flat out win. :) Of course there are more important things in the world. And I do realize that some Patriot fans will read this, God bless you, but of course you are already accustomed to everyone else wanting you to lose (that’s one of the burdens of normally winning)! :) But seriously, I think God can handle us praying for some things we just want, coming from our different viewpoints, knowing the answer’s up to Him. :)

The Eagles are a big underdog, just as they’ve been ever since Carson was injured. And historically Tom Brady and the Patriots do have a difficult time losing a Super Bowl. Still, knowing firsthand Nick’s character, biblical convictions, and love for Jesus, I am confident he will use this platform for God’s glory. (Knowing both Carson and Case, I’m sure they would have too.)

Seven weeks ago I was asked to speak about Heaven to the Eagles when they came to Seattle. Since they’d had chapel the night before, I was surprised that fifteen showed up, including three coaches. I’d met five of these players through the great ministry of Pro Atheletes Outreach, including Nick, Carson, Trey Burton, and Zach Ertz (Chris Maragos was back in Philly with an injury, but he set it up, and Nick was on the scene to make it happen and introduce me to the Eagles). I was struck by the degree of spiritual thirst I saw in many of these guys.

There are believers on every NFL team, but there is something special about this group of Eagles. I’d be delighted if Nick and the team surprises everyone and wins—but the most important thing is that they be faithful to Jesus, and that’s my first prayer.

I realize this is very close to the Super Bowl, but let me encourage you to check out Football Sunday, which is produced by The Increase, with Pro Athletes Outreach. Each year they offer a free, professional video presentation featuring several athletes telling their stories and sharing about faith in the NFL. Best of all, it includes the gospel message of Jesus. In previous years many people have responded to Christ through this.

Churches can sign up to use it during their services, and individuals can also show it to those gathered in their homes. You can show the whole thing or just choose one segment. One great idea is to use it as a positive alternative to the halftime show on Super Bowl Sunday! (Pastors can check out this page for promotional resources to use.)

Check out this video for more about it.

And here’s last year’s full video, to give you an idea of the quality of the production.

Will Those Who Dislike Cities Find Themselves at Home in the New Jerusalem?

Scripture describes Heaven as both a country (Luke 19:12; Hebrews 11:14-16) and a city (Hebrews 12:22; 13:14; Revelation 21:2). Fifteen times in Revelation 21 and 22 the place God and His people will live together is called a city. The repetition of the word and the detailed description of the architecture, walls, streets, and other features of the city suggest that the term city isn’t merely a figure of speech but a literal geographical location. After all, where do we expect physically resurrected people to live if not in a physical environment?

The city at the center of the future Heaven is called the New Jerusalem. Everyone knows what a city is—a place with buildings, streets, and residences occupied by people and subject to a common government. Cities have inhabitants, visitors, bustling activity, cultural events, and gatherings involving music, the arts, education, religion, entertainment, and athletics. If the capital city of the New Earth doesn’t have these defining characteristics of a city, it would seem misleading for Scripture to repeatedly call it a city.

A City with All the Best, None of the Worst

Over the years, people have told me they can’t get excited about the New Jerusalem because they don’t like cities. But this city will be different—it will have all the advantages we associate with earthly cities but none of the disadvantages. The city will be filled with natural wonders, magnificent architecture, thriving culture—but it will have no crime, pollution, sirens, traffic fatalities, garbage, or homelessness. It will truly be Heaven on Earth.

If you think you hate cities, you’ll quickly change your mind when you see this one. Imagine moving through the city to enjoy the arts, music, and sports without pickpockets, porn shops, drugs, or prostitution. Imagine sitting down to eat and raising glasses to toast the King, who will be glorified in every pleasure we enjoy.

Theologian and novelist Frederick Buechner writes: “Everything is gone that ever made Jerusalem, like all cities, torn apart, dangerous, heartbreaking, seamy. You walk the streets in peace now. Small children play unattended in the parks. No stranger goes by whom you can’t imagine a fast friend. The city has become what those who loved it always dreamed and what in their dreams she always was.” [1]

In this video, an excerpt from Eternity 101, I talk about how we sometimes transfer our negative feelings onto our concept of Heaven:

Different Kinds of Beauty on the New Earth

Still, some people read the Bible’s description of Heaven’s capital city and think they will be uncomfortable in that vast architecture. Tolkien seems to address this in his Lord of the Rings trilogy, where he portrays differing concepts of Elvish beauty and Dwarvish beauty. Elves, people of the woods and waters, celebrate and protect the natural beauty of Middle Earth. Dwarves, in contrast, are miners and builders who dig deep for precious stones and construct vast buildings. The Elves are uncomfortable with Dwarvish architecture, and the Dwarves feel uncomfortable deep in the forest.

Legolas the Elf and Gimli the Dwarf forge a great friendship. They come to appreciate the previously undiscovered beauties of each other’s world. Legolas beholds the underground wonders of Moria, a gigantic and awesome architectural accomplishment, testifying to the ingenuity and beauty of what Dwarves can carve out of stone. Similarly, Gimli comes to appreciate the spectacular natural beauties of Lothlorien and of Galadriel, the Elven queen.

As I read Revelation 21–22, I’m struck with how the Elven paradise reflects the Edenic elements of the New Jerusalem—rivers, trees, fruits, and mountains—while the Dwarves’ view of beauty reflects the vast detailed architecture and precious stones of Heaven’s capital. Which kind of beauty is better? We needn’t choose between them. The New Earth will be filled with both. Whatever God’s people create is also God’s creation, for it is He who shapes and gifts and empowers us to create.

It’s likely that our tastes will differ enough that some of us will prefer to gather in the main streets and auditoriums for the great cultural events, while others will want to withdraw to feed ducks on a lake or to leave the city with their companions to pursue adventures in some undeveloped place. Wherever we go and whatever we do, we’ll never leave the presence of the King. For although He dwells especially in the New Jerusalem, He will yet be fully present in the far reaches of the New Universe—in which every subatomic particle will shout His glory.

For more answers to questions about eternity, see Randy’s book Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Heaven as well as his comprehensive book Heaven and devotional 50 Days of Heaven.  

[1] Frederick Buechner, quoted in A Little Bit of Heaven (Tulsa, Okla.: Honor Books, 1995), 118.

Photo by ANIMESH MANDAL on Unsplash

Come and See: An Invitation to Experience the Goodness and Fullness of Life God Offers

My friend Todd Wagner is pastor of Watermark Church in Texas, a great church where I’ve had the privilege of speaking. He’s also the author of a new book called Come and See: Everything You Ever Wanted in the One Place You Would Never Look.

I love Todd, his family, and Watermark Church. If you want to have hope for Christ’s church, I encourage you to dig into this thoughtful, well-written, and engaging book. Come and see the Jesus who adores His church and can still make her a wonder to behold. “Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf!” (Psalm 66:5).

Here’s more about the book:

Come and See what? LIFE as God intended irresistibly revealed today in a way that is every bit as awe-inspiring and life-changing as when Jesus Himself walked the earth. Todd Wagner invites readers to experience the adventure, goodness, and fullness of life that God has intended for humankind from the beginning of time and especially today through His provision through His people. Weekly meetings of mostly bored adults who regularly attend services have nothing to do with God’s vision for His people. Wagner paints the picture of a perfect Father’s intention to bring His people into an adventurous life full of authentic relationships, powerful transformation, and seemingly impossible significance and meaning.

And here’s an excerpt from Todd’s introduction:

This book exists to remind you that God is alive and well—and still doing the same amazing things you vaguely remember hearing about in long-ago-told, too-good-to-be-true stories. In fact, what if I told you that just within my small circle of friends in the city where I live, more miracles have occurred in the last few months than in all of the long-ago stories from Jesus’s days combined?

Even better, what if I told you that the “miraculous” occurrences often celebrated on obscure TV channels late at night have little to do with what I am talking about? What if you discovered that while miracles are supposed to be awe-inspiring evidences that God is still there and still at work, they were never supposed to be the kind of nonsense being embraced by false teachers who want you to plant a financial “seed of faith” today so you can experience abundant financial blessing tomorrow? (I am intentionally not yet giving full details here, so if you are a skeptic, don’t let me lose you before you let me explain what I mean. And if you are a “God is still in the business of doing first-century miracles” kind of friend, I look forward to being more specific about what I am talking about. I have an entire chapter explaining what Jesus meant when He said “even greater works than these will He do” coming, so stay tuned.)

Would you keep reading if I told you that the mundane rituals that define most people’s religious experience are more a result of us compromising truth instead of living in it? What if I told you the reason you are not experiencing more of God’s kind intention for you and your city is actually something you can do something about? And what if the time we are going to spend together in the pages ahead is a key part of you doing that something? Would you be surprised to learn that the reason the miraculous is still happening today is because Jesus is who He said He is and He actually meant everything He said? What if I told you God’s glory and your good have always been a part of God’s plan … and that His plan for both actually involves both you and the Church?

You would probably roll your eyes.

Not that many years ago, I would have too.

But my reality has changed, and I believe as you read this book and are informed or reminded of the fullness of His truth, yours will be too. In just the last few years, I have personally been a part of a group of friends who have watched bar crawlers, housewives, drug addicts, sex addicts, addicts to self, atheistic philosophers, materialists, driven workaholics, homosexuals, cultural Christians, abortionists, drug dealers, homeless men, impoverished millionaires, promiscuous women, unfaithful husbands, dead religionists, liars, predators, strippers, modern-day Pharisees, pornographers, fallen church leaders, prisoners—and a whole host of others—experience something so completely transformative that they are now living radically different lives full of hope, transparency, boldness, freedom, and joy. (This is not a made-up list. It is a partial one. There are names I know attached to every one of these labels. Even better, I have been an eyewitness to their sustained transformation from societal destruction and self-destruction to life.) What if I told you that you could be—no, should be—a part of something like that?

That, my friend, is the real question.

In the pages ahead, I hope to convince you that you should not only want a life like this but also that you actually can have a life like this. Even more incredibly, I am going to either inform you or remind you that the way you can be a part of such dramatic life change is by fully investing in something that, for most people, seems full of anything but the life you seek. If the words I write do their job, they will provide you with a compelling picture of the means through which these kinds of occurrences are actually intended to happen—and are happening—every day.

Come and see.

Luis Palau and Sons Sharing His Stage 4 Cancer Diagnosis and Continued Trust in Jesus

Luis Palau is an international Christian evangelist and the founder of the Luis Palau Evangelical Association, a wonderful ministry that EPM has supported. He’s husband to Pat and dad to four sons. (The Palau family are also fellow Oregonians!) God has used Luis powerfully over the last several decades to share the good news of great happiness about Jesus across the world.

Joined by his sons Andrew and Kevin, Luis made a video announcing that he’s been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. I listened to it and was struck with the honesty, faith, and warm family feel of this video. Knowing Luis and his sons, I found it very touching.

As Luis shared so honestly, the reality of death can be difficult, even as a Christian. In this video, excerpted from Eternity 101, I talk about how there’s both sorrow and joy in a believer’s death.

Luis’s perspectives remind me of a conversation that Edward Judson, son of missionary Adoniram Judson (1788 –1850), related that he had with his father (which I quote in Eternal Perspectives):

“Lying here on my bed, when I [missionary Adoniram Judson] could not talk, I have had such views of the loving condescension of Christ, and the glories of heaven, as I believe are seldom granted to mortal man. It is not because I shrink from death that I wish to live, neither is it because the ties that bind me here, though some of them are very sweet, bear any comparison with the drawings I at times feel toward heaven; but a few years would not be missed from my eternity of bliss, and I can well afford to spare them, both for your sake and for the sake of the poor Burmans [people he served].

“I am not tired of my work, neither am I tired of the world; yet when Christ calls me home, I shall go with the gladness of a boy bounding away from his school. Perhaps I feel something like the young bride, when she contemplates resigning the pleasant association of her childhood for a yet dearer home—though only a very little like her, for there is no doubt resting on my future.”

“Then death would not take you by surprise,” I [Edward Judson, Adoniram’s son] remarked, “if it should come even before you could get on board ship?”

“O, no,” he said, “death will never take me by surprise—do not be afraid of that—I feel so strong in Christ. He has not led me so tenderly thus far, to forsake me at the very gate of heaven. No, no; I am willing to live a few years longer, if it should be so ordered; and if otherwise, I am willing and glad to die now. I leave myself entirely in the hands of God, to be disposed of according to His will.” [1]

You might also like to check out these past blogs I’ve written related to death:

Why We Don’t Need to Fear the Moment of Our Death

Death: The Last Enemy, and Our Deliverer

Francis Chan on Thinking About Your Death

Why Talking about Mortality with Your Loved Ones Isn’t Morbid, But a Gift

Going to the Party

I’ll close with the verse that Luis finished his video with, one that all of us facing difficult situations can meditate on: “As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him” (2 Samuel 22:31, NIV).

For more on death, eternity, and Heaven, see Randy’s book Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Heaven as well as his comprehensive book Heaven and devotional 50 Days of Heaven.  

[1] Edward Judson, The Life of Adoniram Judson (Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1883), 539–540.

The Beauty of Choosing Life After a Difficult Prenatal Diagnosis

A couple attending a Sunday school class I was teaching years ago at my church had discovered that the child she was carrying was anencephalic. Devastated, they requested prayer of the class because “we’re meeting with the doctor tomorrow to discuss our options.”

Knowing the primary option discussed would be abortion, I waited to see if any of the believers present would offer counsel. A number of sincerely sympathetic people approached them. Yet no one warned them not to follow their physician’s counsel if it was to abort. After everyone else had left, I talked with them and they told me they felt hopeless. Based on what the doctor had advised them already, they had decided it would be better to “end it” by an abortion as soon as possible.

I explained the difference between God being allowed to take their child's life, and them choosing to take the child’s life. I asked them gently, if they were told one of their three older children would die within the next year, would they love that child as long as he lived, or would they “end it” by taking his life? They looked at me with horror. “Of course not!”

They decided to let their baby live. What happened next was not easy, but it became a beautiful experience for their family. The child was born, they named her, and each of their children held her. They prayed over her and loved her, and took family pictures together. After a few weeks, she died.

They had a memorial service and brought their photos to church, and told me how healing it was for them to go through this together. There was no way to make things easy, but to have taken their child’s life would have robbed their family of great richness. The other children will always remember their precious sister, and the parents will always cherish their sweet daughter.

How tragically different it nearly was, and would have been, if they had followed others’ advice, including their physician’s. (And how often do Christians, even in pro-life churches, fail to step forward to help people make the right decisions in light of the sanctity of human life?)

For more, see Randy’s books Why ProLife? and ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments. 

Photo by Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

Nick Foles and Case Keenum, NFL Brothers Who Love Jesus and Are Starting Quarterbacks in Sunday’s NFC Championship

There are many Christ-followers in the NFL, more than most people are aware. Through the ministry of Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO), in the past few years I’ve been able to speak to and meet hundreds of them, and develop personal relationships with several dozen, so we’ve had lots of interactions between PAO conferences.  

Of the many fine young men I’ve gotten to know, quarterbacks Nick Foles and Case Keenum stand out as two of those most serious in their Christian faith, and most diligent in their personal Bible study. Among other things, both use Logos Bible Study software to help them study God’s Word. (I also use Logos, and there’s no better resource for serious Bible students. I highly recommend it!)

I’ve spent personal time with Nick and Case in a small group, where we talked and prayed together, and exchanged verses with them in texts and emails. I’ve had enough personal, phone, and email dialogue with both of them to say with certainty that they love Jesus and are true students of God’s Word.

These brothers are the real deal, and they are personal friends who played together on the same team, one where life wasn’t easy for either of them. (In the picture, that’s Case Keenum on the left and Nick Foles on the right, when they played together for the Rams.) They are true competitors in the right sense, yet in the end they are brothers in Christ who love and respect each other. Please pray for both of them as they are the starting quarterbacks for this Sunday’s NFC championship game. The winner and his team will go to the Super Bowl…needless to say, the other won’t. But regardless of the outcome of this big game, in the ways that matter in God’s sight, both Case and Nick are winners.

I’ve heard a lot this season from people who say the NFL is full of arrogant, overpaid young men who are anti-American. Why? Because a tiny percentage of the players chose to kneel instead of stand for the national anthem before some of the games. My point is not to address this issue and the racial concerns related to it, but simply to say there are many Christ-followers in the NFL, and they should be evaluated on the basis of their own integrity and behavior, not that of their teammates. People are making sweeping judgments against professional football players that are, in my opinion, unfounded.   

Honestly, I wish both Nick Foles and Case Keenum could go to the Super Bowl and win it! But of course, that’s not how it works.  Fortunately, both of them believe in God’s sovereignty as much as I do. Barring injury, one or the other will be a starting quarterback in the Super Bowl. And the other who isn’t will be every bit as important to God and to his wife and family as if he had won. Winning a Super Bowl is an understandable desire, but for the Christ-follower, hearing his Lord say “Well done” is far more important—just as it should be for the rest of us. (That’s Case with his wife Kimberly in the picture.)

Certainly there are far more important things in the world, including many done by people whose names are unknown to the vast majority of us. But both of these young men are Christ-followers who seek to honor Jesus through the platform He’s given them. Please pray for them and celebrate the fact that five months ago no one was predicting the Eagles versus the Vikings for the NFC championship. And even if they were, they weren’t expecting Nick Foles and Case Keenum to be the starting quarterbacks.  Of course, everyone who was expecting them not to be there was wrong.

(I should add that QB Carson Wentz, who started 13 games for the Eagles before being injured, is also one of the finest and most Christ-centered young men I know in the NFL. See his Audience of One Foundation. The same is true of Eagles special teams captain Chris Maragos, a great brother also out with an injury. Chris never fails to encourage me whenever we connect. Read his great testimony here.)

In case you missed it last Sunday, here’s that “Minnesota miracle,” Keenum’s pass to Stefon Diggs, who scored the winning touchdown with no time left on the clock. It was truly one of the most amazing game endings in NFL history.

Here’s Case Keenum giving honor to Christ, in an interview after the game.

And here’s Nick Foles talking about Scripture and how he almost walked away from football, before God made clear He wanted Nick to keep playing.

Here’s Carson Wentz, just after his season-ending injury, talking to fans and saying he was trusting Jesus and His plan.

Finally, check out this article about Trey Burton, Philadelphia Eagles Tight End, who has a heart to share the love of Christ with the city of Philadelphia. (Don’t miss the link in the article to the podcast interview, too.) Trey is another great brother I met through PAO and chatted with after leading a pre-game Bible study in December with fifteen Eagles players and coaches. 

If you want to read about what God’s been doing in the Eagles locker room, check out this great feature article from Bible Study Magazine. Of course I’m not suggesting that the team with the most Christians will always win! I’m just saying that when people in any vocation honor Jesus, it’s something to celebrate. (My apologies for talking more about the Eagles than the Vikings. No doubt, there are a number of Christians on the Vikings, and many avid Vikings fans who will read this; I just don’t know them like I know the Eagles or I would link to them too!)

You might like to check out more articles from Sports Spectrum, a national publication that has been featuring Christian athletes for 15 years. I love their website! In a time where people are increasingly skeptical of young athletes, I’d encourage you to better understand and appreciate the many who are genuine followers of Jesus. Since your kids and grandkids, especially your boys, are likely to admire and listen to famous athletes, why not introduce them to those who know Jesus, giving them good role models instead of bad ones?

I’ll conclude with a story about Nick Foles (pictured here with his wife Tori and daughter Lily). In December, when we were in Seattle to watch the Eagles play the Seahawks, Nick went out of his way to meet with Nanci and me, our daughter Angela, son-in-law Dan Stump, and our grandsons Jake and Ty. As we sat in a coffee shop, Nick, who had met the boys before, warmly challenged them to say no to temptations and follow Jesus with all their hearts. They will never forget it—nor will we. Anybody who speaks into the lives of my grandsons like that has my lasting gratitude.

In a world where athletes have such influence on young people, let’s celebrate and pray for those who follow Christ and seek to be God-honoring role models. No matter who wins and who loses in Sunday’s NFC championship game, I’m confident Nick Foles and Case Keenum will be among those players and coaches who honor Jesus.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do [including playing and watching football and other sports], do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

How Pastors Can Model and Teach What God’s Word Says About Financial Stewardship

How we manage God’s money is a central biblical subject of extreme importance. Hence, financial stewardship should be unapologetically addressed by Christian leaders—we who are called upon to declare “the whole counsel of God” to the people He entrusts to our care (Acts 20:27, ESV).

The sheer enormity of the Bible’s teaching on this subject screams for our attention. Why did Jesus say more about how we are to view and handle money and possessions than about any other topic—including both Heaven and Hell, and prayer and faith? Because God wants us to recognize the powerful relationship between our true spiritual condition and our attitude and actions concerning money and possessions.

In churches, stewardship should not be viewed as just one among many competing “special interests,” occasionally offered as an elective. We need much more than teaching on budgeting and financial planning. We need a Bible-based, Christ-centered theology of money and possessions that tackles critical stewardship issues pertaining to all Christians.

Despite the availability of excellent stewardship study materials, only 10 percent of churches have active programs to teach biblical financial and stewardship principles. Only 15 percent of pastors say they’ve been equipped by their denomination or seminary to teach biblical financial principles. (I encourage pastors to avail themselves of the many excellent resources, such as those available from Crown Financial Ministries, as aids to study what God’s Word says about this vital subject.)

In a society preoccupied with money and possessions, Christians will continually be exposed to wrong thinking and living. Certainly, we cannot expect the Christian community to take Scripture seriously in this vital area of stewardship unless pastors clearly teach and apply it.

Addressing Some of the Hindrances

Believers are often more open even about their sexual struggles than about battling materialism. Some churches do talk about getting out of debt. I applaud that. But you can be debt free and still be stingy and greedy. We don’t need to become smarter materialists; we need to repent of materialism and become smart stewards.

When churches address the subjects of stewardship and giving, a fundamental mistake they often make is tying the teaching to a specific project or need. We preach on giving because the offering is down or to kick off a building fund drive. The result is that people view the instruction merely as a fundraising tool, a means to the end of accomplishing our personal or institutional goals. (Indeed, often that’s just what it is.) I recommend scheduling messages on stewardship when there are no special pleas to give.

I was a pastor for 14 years. I understand that most pastors know this subject is important but feel self-conscious addressing it on their own initiative. Some may be hesitant because they aren’t being good stewards themselves so “How can I preach on something I’m not doing?” It’s also true that some in churches who imagine they “love to hear the Word” are offended when taught what the Word actually says, especially when it threatens their comfortable assumptions and lifestyles. Is the solution to avoid a defensive reaction by avoiding the subject of money? No! We are to follow the example of Paul, who told the Ephesian elders that he “did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable” (Acts 20:20). Pastors and teachers must give attention to this subject of financial stewardship to which Scripture devotes so much time.

Passing on the Basics

Back in 1988, while writing the first version of my book Money, Possessions, and Eternity, I was tempted not to use the word stewardship. It seemed an old and dying word that conjured up images of large red thermometers on church platforms, measuring how far the churches were from paying off the mortgage.

Still, I decided that stewardship was just too good a word, both biblically and historically, to abandon. I’m glad I didn’t abandon it, because in recent years the word has gained new traction, even among unbelievers who frequently talk about “stewardship of the earth.” The foundational meaning of Christian stewardship is found in its biblical roots, especially as seen in what Jesus taught in his stewardship parables.

A steward could simply be defined as “someone an owner entrusts with the management of his assets.” God expects us to use all the resources He gives us to best carry out our responsibilities in furthering His Kingdom. This includes caring for our families, our homes and businesses, our planet, and whatever else He entrusts to us.

The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30) shows that we’re each entrusted by God with different financial assets, gifts, and opportunities, and we’ll be held accountable to Him for how we’ve invested them in this life. We’re to prepare for the Master’s return by enhancing the growth of His Kingdom through wisely investing His assets.

A steward’s primary goal is to be “found faithful” by his master. He proves himself faithful by wisely using the master’s resources to accomplish the tasks delegated to him (1 Corinthians 4:2).

Seen from this perspective, stewardship isn’t a narrow subcategory of the Christian life. On the contrary, stewardship is the Christian life. God’s ownership of not only “our” money and possessions but also “our” time and abilities and everything else should be central in our thinking. I believe there’s no more foundational truth for pastors to pass on to their church bodies than the truth that God owns it all, and we are His stewards. If there’s one game-changing paradigm shift, it’s in the realization—not just saying the words—that “my” money and possessions really do belong to God.

Discovering Joyful Giving

Giving is not the entirety of financial stewardship, but it is an essential and revealing part of it. We desperately need prophetic voices in our churches decrying our self-centered affluence and indifference to global needs and calling us to a joyful generosity that exalts Christ, helps the hurting, and fills our souls to overflowing.

In my book The Treasure Principle, I talk about joyful giving. My approach is to focus not on the traditional ways of motivating giving, which usually come at it as a duty. Rather, when Jesus spoke of the man who found the treasure in the field (Matthew 13:44), He emphasized how “in his joy” the man went and sold all that he had to gain the treasure. We're not supposed to feel sorry for him because it cost him everything. Rather, we're supposed to imitate the man. It cost him, yes, but it filled him with joy! The benefits vastly outweighed the costs. That is how we need to approach giving.

I think pastors should emphasize what Jesus did in Matthew 6:19-21 when He gave people the reasons for laying up treasures in heaven, not on earth. When they start reading this passage, many people think, “Jesus is against laying up treasures for ourselves.” Wrong. He commands us to lay up treasures for ourselves. He simply says, “Stop laying them up in the wrong place, and start laying them up in the right place.”

Christ’s primary argument against amassing material wealth on earth isn’t that it’s morally wrong, but simply that it’s stupid. It's a poor investment. Material things just won’t stand the test of time. Even if they escape moths and rust and thieves, they cannot escape the coming fire of God that will consume the material world (2 Peter 3:4). They will be parted from us or we will be parted from them, but the bottom line is, we can't take it with us.

But Jesus adds this incredibly exciting corollary: “No, you can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead.” That’s the treasure principle. That's what we do when we give.

There are two different ways for pastors to appeal to their people concerning giving: give because it will bring you joy, and give because it will bring you eternal reward. In other words, don’t just do it because it’s right, but because it’s smart, and it will make you happy.

If we store up our treasures on earth, then every day that moves us closer to death moves us further from our treasures. Christ calls us to turn it around—to store up our treasures in Heaven. That way, instead of every day moving away from our treasures, we’re every day moving toward our treasures. Pastors should ask their people: Are you moving toward your treasures or away from them?

Understanding the Power of Example

Pastors should not only teach but also model a biblical pattern of stewardship. Ezra, spiritual leader of his people, “determined to study and obey the Law of the Lord and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people” (Ezra 7:10). Pastors need to be transparent about their own giving journey and what God has taught them along the way. If we fail to teach biblical stewardship and radical generosity in our churches, why should we be surprised that so few Christians appear to be practicing them?

People respond best when they have tangible examples they can follow in their leaders and their peers (Numbers 7:3; 1 Chronicles 29:9; 2 Chronicles 24:10). Fellow Christians ought to disciple each other in financial stewardship. Young believers need to see biblical lifestyle principles embodied. Those who’ve learned about the bondage of debt the hard way need to warn others. Young couples need to hear their elders tell of their joy in giving, and how God has used it in their family. (One step I took as a pastor was to assemble and distribute a booklet of financial testimonies by ten church families.)

To turn the tide of materialism in the Christian community, we desperately need bold models of kingdom-centered living. We should glorify God, not people. But we must see and hear other giving stories or our people will not learn to give. (See Should Giving Always Be Kept Secret?)

We’re to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews10:24). Shouldn’t we be asking, “How can we spur on each other’s giving? How can we help each other excel in giving?”

One way church leaders can inspire giving is by committing the church to give away a higher percentage of its own income. Does 15 percent of the church’s income go to missions? Raise it to 25 percent next year and more the next. Does 5 percent go to helping the poor? Raise it to 15 percent. For the same reason that churches wanting to discourage their people from incurring debt should not incur debt, churches wanting to encourage giving should give. Giving shouldn’t just be something churches talk about, but something they do.

Pastors shouldn’t limit instruction on giving to times when they’re raising funds for building projects. Why not preach on giving for four weeks, and then follow it not with an offering that will benefit the church but with a missions offering that will benefit others? If we want people to stretch themselves in their stewardship of the resources God has entrusted to them, the best way to model this is for the church to stretch itself in its giving.

Imagining a Revival of Strategic Living and Lavish Giving

In the Western Church, affluence has dulled our senses. Although God’s Word calls for our attention, we go right on mindlessly living out of sync with eternity’s musical score.

By God’s grace, pastors can humbly exhort the body of Christ to get serious about learning and living out God’s instructions concerning money and possessions. As they do, Christ’s cause will be furthered and His person exalted. What a joyful and God-honoring call for pastors to answer—both in their personal lifestyle choices and their words.

Paul exhorts the Corinthians to follow the example of the Macedonians: “Excel in this grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:1-7). Then he tells the Corinthians that others will be encouraged to follow their example (2 Corinthians 9:12-14).

Individuals, families, and churches can establish beachheads of strategic lifestyle, disciplined spending, and generous, globally-minded giving. By infectious example, and joyful voluntary distribution of God’s wealth, we can claim more territory for Christ than we ever dreamed possible.

For more on money, stewardship, and giving, see Randy’s books The Treasure Principle, Managing God’s Money, and Money, Possessions, and Eternity.

Pastors can also access resources and request free kits on the subject of stewardship (as well as on other topics Randy has written about).

Photo by Koushik C on Unsplash