Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 123

Open Your Eyes to All the Gifts God Has Given You This Christmas

Sometimes focusing on God’s “big miracles”—like curing cancer and making brain tumors disappear—causes us to overlook His small, daily miracles of providence in which He holds the universe together, keeps our hearts beating, provides us with air to breathe and lungs to breathe it, and gives us food to eat and stomachs to digest it. (Years ago when I became an insulin-dependent diabetic, it dawned on me that I had never once, in the fifteen years I’d known him, thanked God for a pancreas that had worked perfectly until then!)

If we disregard these and thousands of other “ordinary” gifts, we don’t just fail to notice them, we fail to notice God. God’s goodness is always evident if we look in the right place. “He is actually not far from each one of us, for in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:27-28).

G.K. Chesterton wrote, “Here ends another day, during which I have had eyes, ears, hands and the great world around me. Tomorrow begins another day. Why am I allowed two?”

When life is viewed with a spirit of thankfulness, we will see the happiness and reasons for happiness that surround us. So this Christmas, let’s open our eyes to the multitude of daily gifts that God has already given us. We have much to be thankful for!

This great little video made by Forest Hill Church in Charlotte, NC illustrates that point wonderfully.

For more on gratitude and the happiness it brings us, see Randy’s books Happiness and 60 Days of Happiness. 

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

The “Rest of the Stories” That Await Us in Heaven: an Invitation to Partner with Us

Don’t you love to learn both the background and ending of a good, true-life story? God designed us with curiosity to wonder what really happened to people and places we’ve heard about or known. Some readers might recall how years ago, columnist and commentator Paul Harvey made a career of telling “the rest of the story.” That’s exactly what we’ll discover in Heaven again and again—the rest of the story. We’ll be stunned to learn how God orchestrated the events of our lives to influence people we may have forgotten, or never even knew.

Occasionally, we’re given a small taste of what we’ll learn in eternity. Our ministry experiences this when we receive emails, messages, and letters from those who’ve been helped by our resources, like this reader from Scotland:

I lost my lovely wife to cancer and was destroyed with grief. I had lost my mum two weeks before and my brother two weeks after. I searched online and found your books and along with my Bible, I devoured them. Your books Heaven and 90 Days of God’s Goodness gave me such different perspective on our glorious hope ahead. I walked hundreds of miles with you speaking into my soul on my iPhone.

EPM also sends thousands of my books to prisons across the U.S. each year. One former inmate wrote:

Your ministry has got me through a lot of hard times when I was incarcerated, by novels and prayers. I am trying to find study groups around my area and a good church too. I am so excited for God’s love and am very eager to learn more and maybe even go to school for the Word.

And a young woman from Belize who found our videos online wrote this:

I was listening on YouTube and have struggled for many years to know how to really believe that Jesus is enough for me to be saved. I always felt like I had to work, work, work for it and your message helped me realize that I only have to believe. I was searching for truth and saw some messages by Randy Alcorn and decided to listen and it was great.

These letters remind me of the countless great stories that await us in Heaven—many of which we may not hear until we’ve been there a long time.

How many thousands, perhaps millions, of people around the world have been impacted by EPM’s books, blogs, videos, and social media posts? Countless others have been helped by the almost $8 million in book royalties given to other worthy ministries who feed the poor, advocate for the unborn, translate Scripture, and spread the Good News of Jesus. In the vast majority of those cases, we’re not in the position to know what God has done in people’s lives and how their stories end. But one day, we’ll find out.

As 2017 draws to a close, would you prayerfully consider supporting EPM and being a part of this eternity-shaping ministry? As is true for many nonprofits, the donations we receive in December are vital to support our work in the coming year. (I encourage you to give generously this season. It certainly doesn’t have to be to EPM. We’re here to serve everyone without cost. As Jesus put it in Matthew 10:8, “Freely you have received, freely give.”)

Please know that those of you who’ve partnered with our ministry through both giving and prayer play a vital role in our outreach, and it will be credited to your eternal account (Philippians 4:17). We’re deeply grateful for you. Few things excite me more than knowing that together, we’ll find out the “rest of the story”—all to God’s glory and praise.

“He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6–7).

By way of reminder, a tax-deductible online gift in 2017 must be received by 11:59 p.m. PT on December 31. 

Photo by Liana Mikah on Unsplash

One Man’s Story of Faithfully Loving His Wife Through Early Onset Dementia

Six years ago, a neurologist gave Debbie Echternach, then age 56, a diagnosis no one wants to hear: “Your brain has atrophied. You have early onset dementia.” Since that time, her husband Jay, a good friend and an EPM board member, has written eloquently about their experience. Each time he sends an update about Debbie, I’ve deeply appreciated his heartfelt insights, and faithful love for his precious wife.

Nanci and I have known Jay and Debbie many years. They were in a Bible study at our home in 1979, when Jay was in the process of turning toward Jesus. They’ve been part of our home church since not long after we started 40 years ago. The Echternachs have two grown children, Jennifer and Jayson, and four granddaughters.

For three years, Jay was Debbie’s primary caregiver in their home—feeding, dressing, and bathing his wife, and trying to patiently help when her frustration and confusion took over. This was extremely challenging at times. Jay wrote, “I seek solace when she asks me to help find her shoes or help get her hoodie on (85-degree days and sometimes two sweatshirts on with hoods up over her head!) and zipped up and then smiles and says  ‘I could not do it without you!’”  

“I love Debbie and know that she still loves and needs me, she just has lost the ability to say it most days. I have to remind myself it is not really her anymore and even though that placates my fear of the loss of our love, it deepens the fear and angst over losing her; the person. But through some mystical, spiritual, emotional bond that ties us, her rare moments of comfort and signs of affection are the purest form of medicine for my soul.”

Three years after her diagnosis it was clear Debbie could no longer safely stay at home, so Jay and their kids found the right care facility where she could live. “The loss I most regret is our personal relationship,” Jay wrote. “I lean into [God’s] shoulder more than ever these days, asking Him for grace and patience and the ability to still love my wife through these hard days. …I grieve deeply that our twilight years will not be filled with treasured and happy times, but God has maybe given us a better gift: the gift of knowing that in our darkest moments, He is still there and cares and loves us.”

Jay recounted this visit with Debbie shortly after she arrived at the facility: “The nurse walked her down the hallway to me… She heard my voice but her dazed look and stare could not quite capture my face. She reached out with her arms as she got closer and squeezed and hugged me hard and long and kissed my cheek and whispered ‘I love you!’ In the midst of three or four nurses and lost in her embrace, I did not have the air in my lungs to answer her.”

Debbie has increasingly lost more abilities. “Confined to a wheel chair, she cannot walk or get around. As dementia grips her mind ever more, her words are less and less and conversations are almost non-existent,” Jay wrote. “She cannot eat or bath herself as all dignity of a normal life escapes her. My heart breaks each time I go as I track her eyes and wonder if she can actually see or know that I’m there. Then there are the graceful moments God gifts us as she eventually turns her head, eyes locking on mine, and the sweetest smile you have ever seen crosses her face. She reaches her hand out toward me and wraps it around mine and our connection that we’ve shared for over 42 years is complete once again.”

Reflecting on the abilities Debbie has lost, Jay wrote, “We all know life is not fair, distributing both pain and joy in unbalanced measures. It is a mystery at best to understand and appreciate fully. But we all know, it is the ONE life we have been given here on earth, so we have a choice to embrace it or not.”

Recently Jay sat down with Good Shepherd’s new lead pastor, Bob Bryant, and shared some of his and Deb’s story. He’s candid about his regrets and struggles, and I think you’ll really appreciate hearing Jay firsthand.

One of the lines Jay wrote about Debbie that touched me the most was this one:

Even in her diminished reality, the part of her brain responsible for character, kindness, smiling and laughter has not been quelled and she still shines a bright light amongst the most frail and unlovable people you have ever set eyes on.

I forwarded that particular post of Jay’s to my wife Nanci, and our daughters Karina and Angie. I wrote this to them:

This touching update from Jay makes me think of our own family and how much I love and respect all three of you, beyond all words. If the day comes when I, or your mom, are in Debbie’s position or Jay’s, remember that it will be temporary. Our Lord and our true home and the resurrected minds and bodies that will never fail us are eternal. “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

When the day of mental illness or death comes, please remember and remind our beloved grandchildren of this—resurrection and reunion await us, by the grace and nail-scarred hands of Jesus. Because of Him, all will be well—forever.

We really will live happily ever after. This is the blood-bought promise of Jesus.

Jay, my brother, thank you so much for sharing your journey. It’s been so painful, yet so powerful…and ultimately hopeful, for that day is coming when all that is wrong will be made right. Debbie is not past her peak. Like all of us, she will be far stronger physically and more clear-minded than she ever was in this life. May you continue to experience God’s grace and treasure those small moments. Like all your friends, Nanci and I think the world of you and Deb. Thanks for loving your precious bride as Christ loves His.

“Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:15-16).

A Flash Mob with an Original and Beautiful Arrangement

The “flash mob” in this video is distinctive and features an original arrangement of “Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring” and “Joy to the World.” This is doubly special to us because “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” was the processional to which Nanci came up the aisle at our wedding on May 31, 1975. It’s also one of my all-time favorites that we sang in my Barlow high school choir. And “Joy to the World” is our favorite Christmas song, partly because as Nanci pointed out to me years ago, it’s the one that looks forward to Christ’s return and the New Earth. It was written by Isaac Watts, not only a great hymn writer, but also a great Reformed theologian. 

It doesn't get any better than those two songs, and so beautifully rendered. Hope you enjoy this!

Photo: Pixabay

Light Has Dawned: Reflections at Christmastime on the Light of Jesus

One day I got a late start on a bike ride and went too far. By the time I turned around, I found myself miles from home on a trail with absolutely no light. At times I could not see the trail’s edge, and I had no clue what was on either side.

I was in the dark. Alone. Or at least I thought so, until I felt a presence and realized I’d just passed someone within inches. I could easily have run into him or her. I don’t remember being afraid of the dark until that night. I had no light and couldn’t flip a switch or call someone to solve my problem. When I finally made it to the dim lights of civilization, I was flooded with relief...and sheer happiness!

The people Jesus spoke to lived without streetlights. If they didn’t have a lamp and a means to light it, they groped in darkness, vulnerable to assailants. They understood what it meant when Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Jesus didn’t say, “I’ll point you to the light” or “I’ll give you the light.” He said, “I am the light.” The only Light.

John tells us in his Gospel that Jesus is “the true light that gives light to everyone” and the light that “shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:9, 5). I love that phrase from John 1:9, which says that Jesus came as the light that “enlightens every man” (NASB). I think it reflects the fact that all people in history have benefited from the coming of Christ, and His redemptive life and death—even those who reject Him. “The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16).

God is portrayed in Scripture as full of light. He has a bright radiance, seen by Moses and Elijah and Isaiah and the apostle John. During Christ’s transfiguration, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothing “became as bright as a flash of lightning” (Luke 9:29, NIV). He appeared to Paul and blinded him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-9). The apostle John is emphatic: “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).

Scripture says that God Himself will be the light source for the New Jerusalem. Isaiah tells us, “The Lord will be your everlasting light” (60:19), and “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn” (Isaiah 60:3, NIV). But John goes further, saying, “The Lamb is its lamp” (Revelation 21:23, NIV). He saw what Isaiah couldn’t: The God who is the city’s light is the Messiah Himself.

This present world is still cursed with sin and suffering, but these obstacles can’t trump joy or diminish the light that dawned at Christ’s incarnation. He has already come, and with Him came light, hope, and redemption—the down payment of this world’s final transformation, when we'll experience His brightness firsthand.

Photo by George Hiles on Unsplash

Reflections on 40 Years of God’s Faithfulness to My Home Church, and Why the Local Church Matters

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of my home church, Good Shepherd Community Church in Boring, Oregon. When the church started, I was a full-time pastor at the ripe old age of 22!

I’d like to share some memories from the past four decades, tying them together with thoughts about the value and importance of local churches.

Here’s a video made several months ago, not only celebrating our anniversary, but also looking forward to what lies ahead for our church.  I’ll follow it with some reflections.

The Brink of Something Great

I became a Christian as a teenager, and by the time I’d known the Lord two years I knew I wanted to go to Bible college and study God’s Word. At first, I wanted to be a missionary, but God had other plans. I was 22 and Stu Weber, my youth pastor at the church where I came to Christ, was 31 when we were asked to participate in a Bible Study of forty people who met in the basement of Dottie and Norm Norquist’s home in Gresham, Oregon. As I share in the video, that study soon became something much more, and Stu and I were asked to be the pastors of a brand new church. (After all these years we remain good friends!)

A few weeks later we took nominations for the church name, and I typed up the serious ones, weaving in a few others, including First Apostolic Fire-Baptized Church of Gresham, and Boring Bible Church. (Believe it or not—the local ministerial group was once called The Boring Pastors’ Fellowship.)  We voted, and Good Shepherd Community Church won easily. (I recall Cathy Anderson asking, “Is that name too long to fit on a check?”) We hoped “Good Shepherd” would reflect the centrality of Christ, as demonstrated in John 10, as well as the unity of the flock and the fact that all of us—including the pastors, the undershepherds—are sheep.

Garland Gabbert, a godly man who later became one of our first elders, stood up at one of those early meetings and with tears gave an impassioned plea that we wouldn’t be a denominational church, but that we’d just follow the guidelines of Scripture. (I always tried to sit near Garland, hoping his wisdom and humility would rub off on me.)

I remember both tears and laughter from those early days. It wasn’t always easy, because Good Shepherd was born out of difficulty—many of us were leaving another church we dearly loved. But there was also awe and wonder, because we knew we were on the brink of something great, something God was doing.

Our first official service was held on May 1, 1977 at the musty old Orient Grange Hall. Norm Norquist led hymns, I read a written prayer of dedication for this new church, and Stu preached an excellent message on Yahweh, God’s name, tying into Isaiah 6 and God’s holiness.

We had an evening service that day, and I preached on “The Church: Receptacle of God’s Glory,” based on 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, which says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” The distinctive of this passage is that “you yourselves” is plural, while “God’s temple” is singular. This is different than the reference three chapters later which speaks of all individual believers having bodies that are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). So, yes, we are each the dwelling place of God as individuals but in a very beautiful sense, as we assemble together as a church, we are corporately the dwelling place of God’s Spirit.

I talked about how God indwells us, and how if the world is going to see Jesus, we have to show them what He’s like. That’s what we wanted our church to be all about. I asked my friend Steve Duncan to play his guitar and sing John Fischer’s song “We are the Holy of Holies.” Here’s a blast from the past, John Fischer singing that song.

I’ll never forget the feelings of excitement we had that first day as a church. People just didn’t want to go home. It felt like the first spring day after a long winter. (Here’s a video that our new lead pastor Bob Bryant, Stu, and I recently filmed at the Grange Hall, talking about those early days.)

Sorrow, Joy, and Growth

Our first real crisis, and ultimately our first death, came when Marion Smith, a quiet and insightful middle-aged man in our group, got cancer. In our first 25 years of existence, I think there was no single event that had more impact on our church than Marion’s death. It drew us together, and taught us that God’s ways are above our ways. He’s not our follower; we’re His followers. It’s not about us, it’s about Him. We’re not the point, He’s the point. It reminded us that this world, as it is now, is not our home. All of us only have a short time here—so let’s use it well.

Our early mission statement was “Learning together to live like Christ.” Later we added the important phrase “and reaching out in his name.”

Over the years, we saw Good Shepherd grow. Under the pastoral leadership of my close friend Steve Keels, young people by the hundreds, and cumulatively by the thousands, flooded our church, with many coming to Christ at the annual Dunes retreat and other events. Often their parents and siblings started coming, and numerous families were transformed. Many have become true disciples, and over the decades several thousand have gone out in summer missions.

I had the privilege of being on pastoral staff of Good Shepherd Community Church for thirteen years. In 1990, a civil court judgment was brought against a group of pro-lifers—of which I was a part—for our peaceful, nonviolent civil disobedience at an abortion clinic. After that judgment, I needed to resign as a pastor to keep our church from having to pay part of my monthly salary to an abortion clinic. (I have always paid everyone whatever I owe them, but one thing I could not do was voluntarily pay money to people who will use it to kill children.)

That was a very hard time for us, in which Nanci and I asked God what we should do next. We felt His leading to start Eternal Perspective Ministries. (See How Did EPM Begin? for the complete story.) All these years we’ve continued to be part of our church. I’ve now been a regular member of the church, not a pastor or elder, for 27 years, which means I’ve not been a church leader for twice as long as I was one. It’s healthy for former leaders to submit to current leaders. Not every pastor or lay leader has had that opportunity.

Sure, my church, like yours, is flawed. In other words, it’s like all of us! When people with problems assemble together in a church, why would we think there would not be problems? But I see in our people and our leaders a sincere desire to follow Jesus, obey Him, share the gospel, support missions, and help the needy locally and around the world. 

Our church is where we raised our daughters. It’s where they went to Sunday School classes, to the church school, and to youth groups, and where they grew in Jesus and saw friends come to Christ.

Like all churches that have been around forty years, our church family has been through some very hard times. With all our imperfections (I don’t say all “its” imperfections, because we’re part of it), Nanci and I love the body and bride of Christ. Church has sometimes brought us heartaches, yes, but we treasure the many joys of transformed lives in our community and countless thousands who have been reached all over the globe. I thank God for our church, and its people, elders, pastors, and staff.

Just as our church started with many people from other churches, so today many fine churches in our community have wonderful people who were once part of Good Shepherd. A lot of them serve in key roles in their churches, for which I’m deeply grateful. I still feel close to many of these people when I bump into them in our community, at ball games and stores and everywhere else. I love these brothers and sisters and always will.

Don’t Give Up on Christ’s Bride

If you’re disillusioned with church, as many people are, I get it. But Nanci and I encourage you to try getting more deeply involved in your church, serving and praying and giving. Join a small group Bible study. If you need to leave your church, talk to the leaders and explain why, for their sake and the church’s. And then don’t give up until you find a Christ-centered, Bible-teaching, and grace-filled church. It will still be very imperfect, of course, especially once you arrive. :) For some tips on how to leave a church well, see this article. (And if you’re a pastor who feels a need to leave your church, consider this.)

We stuck with our church because it’s our family (of course, forty years ago the church we left was also family, and we still love it too). How have we handled the wrongs done to us? With forgiveness, just as others have handled the wrongs we’ve done to them.

I would encourage you to remind yourself of what I’ve had to say to myself when I’ve been disillusioned with church: “It’s not about me.” It’s about Jesus and His plan, His church, and His Word that tells us we are to be part of a local church fellowship:  “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer” (Hebrews 10:25, GNT).

I talk with people who’ve stopped being involved with church and say they are closer to Jesus now. But in nearly every case, it was in churches that they were first taught God’s Word, learned to serve others, and developed a heart evangelism and discipleship and world missions. It was in churches they first experienced small groups studying God’s Word and cultivating meaningful and supportive relationships. If everyone gave up on the churches, where would future generations look that would replace the very structures that were instrumental in the growth in Christ and the knowledge of God’s Word among those who are now divorcing themselves from the local church?

At times local churches may feel like a duty, or even a burden, but isn’t that true of family also? And isn’t family worth the extra effort it takes to stay together, and to serve others instead of walking away because others haven’t lived up to your expectations in serving you? Being part of a church is a high privilege, and one for which God will richly reward His children.

My prayer is that God’s people won’t say “I’m done with church,” but will do the hard—and rewarding—work of getting involved and seeking to glorify Christ with others who love Him. Nanci and I can testify to the joy of that, and we’re excited to see what God has in store for Good Shepherd in the coming years. And we’re also excited for the great things we see happening in other churches in our community and around the world.

Nanci and I celebrated our fortieth anniversary two years ago. And this year we celebrate the fortieth anniversary of our church. Just as Nanci and I are imperfect but in love, Good Shepherd Community Church is filled with imperfect people and leaders who genuinely love Jesus and want to please Him.

We are blessed, and we are grateful.  

We also want to welcome our new lead pastor and his wife, Bob and Rachel Bryant, who recently moved to Oregon from Michigan with their wonderful daughters, Kezia, Elliana, and Shiloh!

The Courage to Share Jesus

Here are some reflections from NFL running back Matt Forte, about how God has empowered him to share Christ even when it’s uncomfortable.

Randy again:

Jesus did the hard work of redemption. He calls us to do our part: sharing the Good News with those who desperately need Him (which is everyone!).

I’ve shared Jesus with people on sidewalks, planes, and tennis courts. Some friends think I’m a natural-born evangelist. But I’m not! I relate to Matt’s honest confession that evangelism can be uncomfortable, but God doesn’t call us to be comfortable. My biggest challenge is choosing to open my mouth. Once I do, the Lord graciously gives me the words.

Even the Apostle Paul requested that the Ephesian believers “Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (Ephesians 6:19–20, NIV). If Paul needed prayer for boldness, who doesn’t?

Suppose your unbelieving friend has been diagnosed with cancer. He’s on your heart, and you feel God wants you to share Christ with him. Does it take courage to do that? Absolutely. But compare it to the courage of martyrs around the world who are killed for publicly affirming Jesus!

I’ve asked myself while sitting next to someone on a plane, “If I share the gospel with this person, what’s the worst that can happen? That they disapprove of me or think I’m strange? If they do, so what?”

What’s more important: my momentary discomfort or the possibility of their eternal comfort?

When you know you need to share your faith with your friend or family member, ask people to pray for courage for you and a soft heart for Him, then seek an opportunity and actually open your mouth. Once you start speaking the Good News, it gets easier because you’re committed. It’s easier when you remember it’s not about you—it’s about Jesus and the other person’s desperate need to know Him.

To me, there aren’t many joys comparable to leading someone to Christ. It’s thrilling and exhilarating. It’s also great to sow seeds of Good News that may not bear fruit until later. May we say with Paul, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16 ESV). And may we daily ask the Lord to give us opportunities to share His “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10 ESV). Let’s prayerfully share that Good News, and trust God for the results!

Photo by Joshua Ness on Unsplash

Let Us Bless His Name, This Thanksgiving and All Year Round

Charles Spurgeon shared this in his sermon “Knowledge. Worship. Gratitude”:

Let us begin to be very thankful, if we have not been so before. Let us praise God for common mercies, for they prove to be uncommonly precious when they are once taken away. Bless God that you were able to walk here, and are able to walk home again. Bless God for your reason: bless him for your existence. Bless God for the means of grace, for an open Bible, for the throne of grace, for the preaching of the Word.

You that are saved must lead the song. “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” Bless him for his Son. Bless him for his Spirit. Bless him for his Fatherhood. Bless him that you are his child. Bless him for what you have received. Bless him for what he has promised to give. Bless him for the past, the present, and the future. Bless him in every way, for everything, at all times, and in all places. Let all that is within you bless his holy name. Go your way rejoicing. May his Spirit help you so to do!

Happy Thanksgiving to every reader, American and people of all nations. May your heart be filled with praise and thanksgiving to the God of all creation. And thank you, dear Lord, for your grace and kindness to all, which is far greater than anything we deserve.

“O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable...” (Psalm 104:24-25).

Photo of Moorish Idols by Randy Alcorn

The Incredible Museum of the Bible, Now Open in Washington, D.C.

Last month when Nanci and I were in Washington, D.C., we had the opportunity to preview the 430,000 square foot Museum of the Bible, which officially opened to the public this past weekend. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s absolutely incredible. All of us who were there kept looking at each other, shaking our heads in disbelief at how magnificent it was. The most commonly heard word was “Wow!”

This picture was taken from the top floor where you can look out and see a number of the city’s landmarks.

Visitors are welcomed to the eight-floor museum by 40-foot-tall bronze doors depicting the Latin text of Genesis 1, from an early edition of a Gutenberg Bible. Once you’re inside, God’s Word is everywhere, and I’m convinced countless people will come to faith in Christ as a result of visiting. And there’s no admission charge, though contributions are accepted. (Free timed tickets are necessary for museum entry.)

The museum has a number of interactive stations and displays, and many short instructional videos, in various languages, featuring those wearing authentic clothing of particular Bible lands and times. The combination of high tech features and ancient manuscripts and artifacts is striking.

They say it would take 9 days, at 8 hours per day, to read every placard, see every artifact, and experience every activity in the museum. There’s that much to see and do.

The museum is close to the National Mall and within walking distance to the Smithsonian museums and the U.S. Capitol, so tourists will naturally take it in. I took this picture that shows the view of the Capitol Building from the top floor.  

This video shows some of the scope of the building and displays:

What I love is that the displays let the Bible speak for itself. That means the Holy Spirit can do His convicting and regenerating work in countless lives, as they see and hear the actual words of Scripture, including the claims of Jesus. My prayer is that many unbelievers will see the Bible in a new light, and be motivated to go home and actually read and ponder it, perhaps for the first time.

Finally, check out this short film they created, “Experience the Book,” which depicts twelve influential historic events and illustrates the Bible as the common thread that connects history:

(Museum of the Bible’s YouTube channel has lots more great videos on the Bible and its history. You could spend hours enjoying these even if you never make it to the Museum.)

“So my word that comes from my mouth
will not return to me empty,
but it will accomplish what I please
and will prosper in what I send it to do” (Isaiah 55:11, CSB).

Baptism: a Step of Obedience and a Public Profession

Here are some video reflections on baptism from NFL linebacker Demario Davis.

Randy again:

Just before ascending, Jesus commissioned His disciples to go, make disciples, baptize people in the name of the triune God, and teach them to obey all His commands (Matthew 28:18-20). Baptism should be important to us because it’s important to Jesus.

When we are born again, we’re each “baptized” by the Spirit into the Body of Christ, which is the church: “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13). Water baptism is a visible outward symbol of an invisible, inward transformation (Acts 2:38).

My baptism was unforgettable. Two years later I had the privilege of leading my mother to Christ and baptizing her. That was forty-five years ago, but in my mind it was yesterday. How many things do we remember well four decades later?

Baptism is a powerful display symbolizing the believer’s death to sin, burial (beneath the water), and resurrection to new life in Jesus (Romans 6:11; Colossians 2:12). Rising out of the water represents the cleansed new life (Romans 6:4).

Wherever the Good News of Christ is proclaimed, new believers are to be baptized in a joyful ceremony. Philip shared the gospel with an Ethiopian official who, when he saw water, expressed his desire to be baptized (Acts 8:35–36). 

As Demario emphasizes, Christian baptism is a public profession of faith in Christ. A draft pick doesn’t hide his affiliation with his new team; rather, he proudly puts on the jersey for all to see. Likewise, in baptism we say, “I unapologetically affirm my faith in Jesus Christ, who secured my salvation. As His disciple, I unashamedly seek to serve and represent Him.”

In 1519, Cortés and his ships landed in Mexico, at Veracruz. Determined to conquer, Cortés ordered his crew to burn their ships. His not-so-subtle message was: “There’s no turning back.” Christ’s cause is infinitely nobler than that of Cortés, but He too calls us to not turn back (Luke 9:62). When we have struggles and doubts, we can look back at our baptism as a line drawn in the sand that states, “I am a Christ-follower, no matter what.”

Have you placed your faith in Jesus, and by His grace been saved? Have you been baptized? Baptism won’t save you, but it’s a powerful public expression of following Christ. If you love Jesus but haven’t been baptized, go to your church, talk with a pastor, and ask to be baptized in front of the body of Christ. You’ll never regret it!

This blog is excerpted from a five-day devotional I wrote for Sports Spectrum, available on YouVersion. Each day’s entry features video reflections from NFL stars, including Drew Brees, Ryan Tannehill, Matthew Slater, Matt Forte, and Demario Davis. They discuss topics such as the daily refreshment of God’s Word, prayer, salvation, baptism, and the courage to tell others about Jesus. Below each video, I share some additional reflections. 

Photo: Pixabay