Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 140

Five Examples of How Persecution in Iran Has Backfired, and Grown the Church

Today’s guest blog is from David Yeghnazar, the executive director for Elam Ministries. EPM has had the privilege of supporting Elam, which exists to strengthen and expand the church in the Iran region and beyond. With all of the bad news we hear out of the Middle East, it’s easy to overlook how God is at work in this region in incredible ways, drawing people to Himself and growing His church. I think you’ll be encouraged by what David has to share. It’s also a good reminder that as persecution increases in the western world, God can do a great work of grace in us too. —Randy Alcorn

The Bible is full of stories reminding us that, whatever the opposition, God is always victorious.

It’s the story of Joseph before Potiphar’s wife, of Moses before Pharaoh, of Daniel before the lions, of Esther before King Ahasuerus, of Peter and John before the Council. Supremely, it’s the story of the Lord Jesus, who was crucified and rose for our salvation.

It’s also the story of the Iranian church in my lifetime. When I was a child, persecution threatened to wipe it out. Instead, the church in Iran has become the fastest-growing evangelical church in the world today—and it’s affecting the region for Christ. 

Scripture is clear that God often uses his people’s suffering to advance his kingdom. In his providence, the Islamic regime’s strategies to stamp out the Persian-speaking church in Iran have backfired—resulting in further church growth. Here are five examples.

1. Banning the Bible has backfired.

In addition to banning the printing of the Bible in Persian, closing down the Bible society, and burning Bibles, Iranian government officials have warned citizens against reading the Bible. Apparently, this warning has caused many Iranians, already disillusioned with their government, to become all the more eager to obtain a copy of the Bible. And many have put their faith in Christ after finding and reading one.

A few years ago, a government official waved one of the New Testaments printed by our ministry (Elam) on national television and warned the population to avoid it. Demand for the New Testament soared as a result. Many who receive a copy through our street evangelism efforts say they’ve been searching for a copy. Some say they’ve been searching for years.

2. Closing church buildings has backfired.

The Iranian government’s closure of churches over the past few years has forced Christians of Muslim background to meet in underground house churches. These usually grow and multiply as friends, family, and neighbors give their lives to Christ. Though government security agents work hard to crack down on these outlawed house churches, there are so many—and new ones are formed so regularly—that it’s impossible to find them all.

3. Censoring television and blocking websites has backfired.

Christian websites are routinely blocked and TV channels scrambled in Iran. This censorship makes more people curious about what the government doesn’t want them to know. Despite these censorship measures, blocked websites can still be accessed through VPNs (virtual private networks) and scrambled programs through satellite television. 

I know of at least 30 new house churches planted through satellite television and follow-up ministry last year alone.

4. Killing leaders has backfired.

Eight pastors have been martyred in Iran since 1980 because of their ministries. Their deep affection for Christ—and their willingness to suffer for him—has made these leaders compelling examples for the rest of the church to follow. Their martyrdom accounts are well known among Iranian Christians, many of whom desire to imitate their leaders’ deep love and courage for Christ.

Because of their leaders’ example, many Iranian believers are increasingly willing to take risks in order to share the gospel.

5. Imprisoning Christians has backfired.

Persecution is intended to instill fear and paralyze the church. Instead, seeing Christians willing to suffer often draws unbelievers closer to Christ. They ask, Who is this Jesus that people are so willing to suffer for?

One recently baptized man began his journey to Christ when he heard on the news that Iranian Christians had been arrested for their faith. Their willingness to go to prison for their beliefs made him curious, and so he googled “Christianity.” The Lord used that internet search to eventually lead him to surrender his life to King Jesus.

Painful Path, Sovereign Christ

We glorify God for how he is accomplishing his sovereign purposes in Iran. Yet persecution remains deeply painful. Lives have been lost; homes, businesses, and inheritances stolen; families torn apart. Some will carry the physical and emotional scars of suffering for the rest of their lives.

But we won’t shrink back. As the apostle Paul declares, “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3–5).

Suffering has not destroyed the church in Iran. Rather, suffering has deepened its dependence on God, which in turn has increased its endurance, character, and hope.

A few years ago, an interrogator admitted to an imprisoned pastor, “We know we cannot stop the church. We can only try to slow it down.” Two thousand years ago, King Jesus promised to build his church (Mattnew 16:18). He is doing so in Iran today. Nothing can stand against him. With humble confidence, then, we continue to press forward with the work we’ve been given to do. 

Please keep your Iranian brothers and sisters in prayer. Pray for continued openness to the gospel among the Iranian people. Pray for genuineness of faith among professing Christians. Pray for perseverance and for the establishment of faithful churches.

Never before have we seen such opportunity for ministry among Iranians.

This post originally appeared on The Gospel Coalition.

Photo: Unsplash

Why Didn't God Send Jesus Right After Adam and Eve Sinned?

A reader asked me,

Why didn’t God send Jesus to the earth to die right after Adam and Eve sinned? Why did God wait all that time between Adam and Eve and the cross?

This is a good question. I don’t mean to be dismissive, but after having considered who God is, the first answer to this question is “because God didn’t want to.” Though we’ll talk about the possible whys, that’s the place to start. Just trying to understand what God has revealed is difficult enough. It would be presumptive to try to understand what He has not revealed. So I admit I really don’t know why He designed His plan the way He did. But I do know it is perfect.

Having said this, I can suggest some possible reasons that make sense to me as to why God didn’t immediately send Christ. They’re all related to the fact that we learn within time, not simply as individuals, but as a human community. As creatures we are bound to time and space, process is important, and developing events in human history is important.

What God immediately did after Adam and Eve sinned was promise He would save fallen mankind. Genesis 3:15 is the beginning of the gospel announcing that someone (we now know it was Jesus) born of a woman would ultimately triumph over Satan: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Satan thought he crippled (bruised heel) Jesus on the cross, but the resurrection fatally wounded (bruised head) Satan’s power. This is the first of many promises that God made, and every one He has faithfully kept. “So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).

By God waiting to bring both redemption and judgment, we learn more about His faithfulness. Since He always does what He promises, we learn more about His truthfulness. “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19). We learn to exercise faith and perseverance and believe in God’s praiseworthy attributes:  “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

Jesus was the Lamb, a sacrifice, the Passover, Priest, Prophet, King, the fulfillment of the law, the Bread of Life, the Word. Without time to develop these ideas throughout history and through the writings of the Scriptures, we would never have understood the depths of the Godhead.

Of course, God always knew the exact moment He intended to send Christ to the earth. Galatians 4:4-5 is a beautiful statement of this: “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

When the Gospel was manifested in Christ, after thousands of years, God made sure the world had experienced enough of life without the Messiah to appreciate Him and see their desperate need for “the good news of happiness” (Isaiah 52:7). God designed the world in such a way that He knew to send Messiah in just the right time.

God tells Abraham, “In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure” (Genesis 15:16). God had a plan to deliver His people from Egypt at just the right time to position them for conquering the inhabitants of the land that they would occupy as the Promised Land.

In order that we might learn faith, Christ didn’t come earlier than He did. “But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:23-24).

In the same manner, we learn about longsuffering, glory, and mercy because God chose to wait: “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory” (Romans 9:22-23).

An equally valid corollary to the question, “Why didn’t God send Christ to Adam and Eve?” is “Why didn’t God send His wrath immediately on sin?” Peter answers this saying that God’s love will not allow one person, who will believe, to be denied the necessary time: “But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:7-9).

It’s an amazing and wonderful thing to realize that God devised His plan, created us, and is perfectly executing the plan, so that we could enjoy Him. He was infinitely satisfied within Himself, the Godhead, before creation. He didn’t create for Himself; rather, at His pleasure He created for us. Just to have lived is a gift beyond measure. That God would allow some of His creatures to live for eternity in a relationship with Him is beyond comprehension.

I can’t understand everything about God’s plan and His timing, either in human history or my own life. But that doesn’t keep me from believing it. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-7).

You might like to also check out a recent Ask Pastor John Piper episode, “Why Did Jesus Delay So Long Before Entering Human History?”

God Is Still Sovereign, Even When the Diagnosis Is a Birth Defect

In an earlier blog, Stephanie Anderson, on our Eternal Perspective Ministries staff, told the story of her disabled son Isaiah who died before his birth. Here Steph speaks of her beloved sister Tricia, who had a different disability. When she speaks of God’s sovereignty in birth defects, she speaks with an extraordinary amount of experience and insight, not only for a 30 year old, but for anyone of any age. I deeply appreciate Steph, and I am grateful for her words which speak powerfully to me and, I think, to all of us. —Randy Alcorn

There’s a saying we’ve all heard over the years: “Lightning never strikes the same place twice.” Did you know it’s a myth? It’s simply not true. As one storm chaser writes, “Lightning can strike any location more than once.”

If I knew that fact before, I guess I must have forgotten it. Because when I first knew something was very wrong with our baby, and that it was quite possibly a chromosomal defect, I was dumbfounded. How could lightning “strike twice” in my family?

Six years before I was born, my parents had a daughter with Wolf Hirschhorn Syndrome, a very rare chromosomal defect (1 in 50,000 births) resulting in profound disabilities. After testing, they were told it was a de novo occurrence not linked to anything in my parents’ genetic makeup. She lived for 27 years and passed away the January before my husband Dan and I got married.

My mom was a dedicated, loving, and faithful mom to Tricia. But I also saw how very hard her disability was on my parents. Initially not knowing the extent of our child’s issues, I will admit that my fear was, “What if we are looking at raising and loving a severely disabled child long-term?” I had seen firsthand how difficult it could be.

We soon found out from the amniocentesis results that as the doctor suspected, Isaiah did have full Trisomy 18, which affected every cell in his body. And it was another de novo occurrence, not caused by anything in either of our genetic makeups. While Trisomy 18 is one of the most common chromosomal abnormalities, it still only occurs in 1 in 5,000 births. As Dan put it, it’s like we “won” the genetic lottery.

So how could God possibly allow both my mom and me to experience having a child with a chromosomal defect? I never in a million years would have guessed we’d share that in common.

Perhaps the world might say, “This was just random lightning strikes, which happened to land in the same place. Random accidents caused by faulty cells.” I think a Christian perspective says that as difficult as it might be to accept, God has a plan and a purpose behind allowing, and even planning, these children to be born with disabilities.

That is not an easy truth for me, or really for anyone, to swallow. We can be okay with the idea of God just permitting something that Satan planned for our hurt, or with the idea that sin caused something to happen, and God is sad about it, but He would never have chosen it for us. Maybe there’s a sense that we let God “off the hook” in tough situations.

But I’m not certain those perspectives are as comforting as we might think.

Charles Spurgeon put it this way:

It would be a very sharp and trying experience to me to think that I have an affliction which God never sent me, that the bitter cup was never filled by His hand, that my trials were never measured out by him, nor sent to me by His arrangement of their weight and quantity.

I love that. There is comfort in trusting God’s control, His plan, His sovereign purposes—even when they seem impossible to grasp from our perspective. It doesn’t necessarily take away the pain from hard things, but I’m glad to know my life isn’t at the whim of random chance and evil intents.

I know Christ-loving people will land in different places about the doctrine of God permitting, allowing, or planning difficult things. Certainly we can all agree that because of human sin, this world isn’t the way God originally intended.

I do know that Scripture isn’t apologetic about God’s creation of what we humanly see as “imperfections.” Psalm 139 is a beautiful description of God’s personal involvement with crafting a tiny person in utero. Each person He creates is worthy of marvel.

I also know He claims to be behind even what’s seemingly only random: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:33). He even doesn’t shy away from claiming His sovereign purposes in creating people with disabilities. In Exodus 4:11, the Lord tells Moses,

“Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” 

In his book If God Is Good, Randy Alcorn talks about David O’Brien, a brilliant man with severe cerebral palsy, who’s now with the Lord. In a talk he gave years ago, David referenced John 9:1-3. Randy describes the heart of David’s message:

The disciples wanted to attribute a man’s blindness to human sin, either his or his parents’. Jesus corrected them: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned.” Then Jesus stated the disability’s purpose: “This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” The “so that” is critical. David said it rules out haphazardness, demonic control, or bad luck. Rather, Jesus declares a deliberate, divine purpose in that blindness. While God would receive great glory in the man’s healing, surely he had a purpose for the man’s life long before his healing.

I don’t pretend to understand God’s purposes in allowing Isaiah to have Trisomy 18, or my sister to have Wolf Hirschhorn Syndrome. And I’m beginning to realize that in some ways, that is okay. I don’t need to perfectly understand in order to trust. One of my favorite songs puts it this way: “I don’t need to see everything. Just more of You.”

Perhaps one day in His presence, God will make His purposes abundantly clear. For now, His sovereignty is a good place to rest.

We never explain suffering by saying God is helpless or that Satan got the upper hand or that there are mere accidents in the world. We always handle suffering, our suffering by saying, even though we don’t understand all the answers for why this particular suffering came or that particular suffering came at this particular time or this particular intensity—we don’t understand those particulars—nevertheless, we do understand what God has taught us; namely, that he is sovereign, that he is good, and that he always has purposes for our everlasting joy. —John Piper, “How Do We Prepare Our Children for Suffering?”

Choosing Thanksgiving for a Stillborn Child’s Life

Stephanie Anderson is part of our staff at Eternal Perspective Ministries. She is a delightful and godly follower of Jesus, and I deeply respect her. Steph is also a skilled editor who helps me on my books, and blogs. She’s one of the most talented people I’ve ever known. And as you’ll see, she’s an excellent writer too.

Steph’s husband is Dan Anderson, and their daughters Evelynn and Sienna are ages 7 and 2. When Steph recently lost her baby Isaiah, after receiving a prenatal diagnosis of Trisomy 18, Nanci’s and my hearts were deeply touched. We had the privilege of attending Isaiah’s memorial service in the home of their pastor and my long-time  friend Barry Arnold, of Cornerstone Church in Gresham, Oregon.

I asked Steph to share her heart-touching, prolife, and Christ-honoring story. I hope her words speak to you as they do me. I can’t wait to meet Isaiah in a better world. Or to hold a grandchild of Nanci and mine that we haven’t yet had the privilege of meeting—what a glorious day that will be! —Randy Alcorn

Both secular sources and Christians say there’s something powerful about gratitude—something about the act of giving thanks that changes us. Scripture says, “I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD” (Psalm 116:117). Choosing to give thanks is sometimes more of a sacrifice than at other times.

There is still so much I don’t understand about my recent pregnancy and the “whys” of God allowing certain situations, including our son's chromosomal abnormality. Isaiah’s whole life was a surprise to my husband Dan and me, and though we never felt the timing was ideal, we knew we would love this child when he or she arrived, just as much as we love our girls. My pregnancy with our oldest, Evelynn, was a surprise too, but as the months went on and we knew we were expecting a healthy little girl, we found it easy to thank God for the unexpected blessing of her life. I felt strongly that God had a special purpose for creating her and the timing of her life and birth.

I admit it was harder to affirm this time when everything seemed like such a disaster. I struggled to find joy in this pregnancy, and after we received our news, I wondered, Why did God give us this surprise, only to give us a baby boy that has Trisomy 18? But I know there’s value in thanking God for Isaiah’s little life, no matter how short it was and how broken his little body was. I want to keep the practice, even if I don’t always feel like it or see the “why” in the moment.

Though our hearts were heavy, on the day Dan and I went to the hospital to begin the induction process, we could still see evidence of God’s hand. Here are some things we thanked Him for that day:

We had already previously planned for our girls to spend this particular weekend with their Nana. They were safe and would enjoy time with her, and we didn’t need to worry about childcare.
We had a restful night’s sleep, the best both of us had experienced in a long time.
Because I had some forewarning with Isaiah not moving, I had time to prepare my heart for the news, and also time to put some things in order for work and our home.
The doctor’s office was so accommodating, fitting us in to get an ultrasound.
After the ultrasound, our doctor’s office got us scheduled to have a photographer from Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep take keepsake pictures after Isaiah’s birth. That meant the world to me.
The sunshine that Saturday morning was beautiful. After days of gray, dreary Oregon rain, I loved seeing the sun and the fall colors it brought out on the trees.
A few weekends before, our pastor had talked about “adversity friends”, the kind of friends who rally around you in times of difficulty. What a precious gift our friends and family were to us in this time, with their acts of love, words of kindness, and prayers. They have taught us how to love others in their times of adversity.
We knew we favored burial for Isaiah over cremation, but were discouraged about looking into options for burying him because the cost is so excessive. One of our wonderful pastors helped us find a local funeral home that provides a casket at cost for bereaved families of infants, and a cemetery that donates the plot. It meant so much to us to know we will have a place to go to honor and remember him. (We later had a small service to honor Isaiah’s life, and Dan read this letter to him from us.)

When I was driving to Bible Study the week prior to our baby’s home going, I found myself praying two things: that Isaiah would know that he is loved, and that the Lord would take him peacefully into His arms.

I had no idea God would answer those prayers so quickly.

After we received Isaiah’s diagnosis, a sweet friend gave me the gift pictured here. She wrote me later, “You are sharing Isaiah with the angels. Looks like they get to be the ones to teach him how to walk.”

When I opened her gift, it reminded me of a story I read years ago in one of Dr. Walt Larimore’s memoirs, Bryson City Secrets, about the miscarriage he and his wife experienced. (You can listen to Dr. Larimore share his story here, and I highly recommend it.)

After his child’s death, Dr. Larimore was devastated. In his words, “I cursed my Father. I fumed, I wrestled. And He was quiet. He said nothing.” Dr. Larimore sat down in his quiet time chair, and began to search God’s Word. He doesn’t remember what He read, but he walked away with the sense that “God is good, that He is right, that He is righteous, that His love for us knows no bounds. And in all that He does and allows, whether good or bad, if we love Him and are called according to His purpose, He works it for our good.”

Dr. Larimore continues, “I felt arms come around me, and I had the sense that I was sitting in a lap, that I was being comforted by someone who loved me and understood pain.”

Sometime later, Dr. Larimore took care of a little boy who was diagnosed with bone cancer. Little Danny was a child of great faith, who loved Jesus and His Word. His cancer progressed, and eventually he was on hospice, close to death. During his last visit to Danny, Dr. Larimore took his hand and prayed that Danny’s passing would be peaceful. That’s when Danny opened his eyes and said, “It will be, don’t worry – I know I won’t be here much longer, but Dr. Walt, I know where I’m going.”

“Where?” Dr. Larimore asked.

“I am going to Heaven,” Danny replied.

“How do you know?”

Danny was quiet for a moment before replying. “Because Azar told me so.”

“Who is Azar?” Dr. Larimore asked.

“You don’t know Azar? He is my guardian angel, and he comes here and sits with me and we talk about Heaven.”

“What does he look like?”

“He’s big and he’s strong, and he has golden hair, and he carries a big sword. Azar is my angel and my family’s angel. It is Azar who says He will take me to Heaven.”

Danny continued, “You haven’t met him? Are you sure?”

“Not that I remember,” Dr. Larimore said.

“That’s very interesting.”

“Why is that very interesting?”

“Well, because he says he’s your guardian angel too, and your wife’s and Kate’s [Dr. Larimore’s first daughter],” Danny explained.

“Azar was with you the night that you lost your baby, and it was Azar who took your baby to Heaven. It was Azar who held your wife as she wept.”

Dr. Larimore writes in his book what else Danny said:

“Azar told me about it. He said that one day you were very sad, Dr. Larimore. Azar told me that he was with you. And he said that after you had wrestled with him all afternoon, you finally crawled up in his lap, and he held you close while you cried. He told me he cried with you. …Azar took your baby to Heaven, and then he came back and was with you that day. He comforted you.”

…I could not remember telling anyone the story of my afternoon after the loss of our unborn child—not even Barb.

I remember being touched the first time I read this story, and it has new meaning now. I love that Scripture tells of us of God’s tender care for His smallest people:

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10)

How we look forward to meeting our son. Heaven is sweeter with him there. Thank you, Lord, for Isaiah’s life.

J. I. Packer on Having the “Christmas Spirit” and the “Christian Snob”

I appreciate these challenging words from J. I. Packer about what it means to truly have a God-honoring “Christmas Spirit.”

May God one day say of us what He said of King Josiah: “He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” (Jeremiah 22:16)

We talk glibly of the “Christmas spirit,” rarely meaning more by this than sentimental jollity on a family basis. But . . . it ought to mean the reproducing in human lives of the temper of him who for our sakes became poor at the first Christmas. And the Christmas spirit itself ought to be the mark of every Christian all the year round.

It is our shame and disgrace today that so many Christians–I will be more specific: so many of the soundest and most orthodox Christians–go through this world in the spirit of the priest and the Levite in our Lord’s parable, seeing human needs all around them, but (after a pious wish, and perhaps a prayer, that God might meet those needs) averting their eyes and passing by on the other side. That is not the Christmas spirit. Nor is it the spirit of those Christians–alas, they are many–whose ambition in life seems limited to building a nice middle-class Christian home, and making nice middle-class Christian friends, and bringing up their children in nice middle-class Christian ways, and who leave the submiddle-class sections of the community, Christian and non-Christian, to get on by themselves.

The Christmas spirit does not shine out in the Christian snob. For the Christmas spirit is the spirit of those who, like their Master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor–spending and being spent–to enrich their fellow humans, giving time, trouble, care and concern, to do good to others–and not just their own friends–in whatever way there seems need.

There are not as many who show this spirit as there should be. If God in mercy revives us, one of the things he will do will be to work more of this spirit in our hearts and lives. If we desire spiritual quickening for ourselves individually, one step we should take is to seek to cultivate this spirit. “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). “I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart” (Psalm 119:32 KJV).

From Knowing God by J.I. Packer. Copyright (c) Intervarsity Press.

Heaven Could Never Be Boring

Some imagine that in Heaven we’ll be all dressed up with nowhere to go and nothing to do. (Except take an eternal afternoon nap, strum that harp, and polish that gold.) I’ve concluded there’s an unspoken assumption behind this pervasive notion that Heaven will be boring. That assumption is that life without sin would not be interesting. The idea is, “What will we do for entertainment if there’s no sin?”

The fact that such a notion would even occur to us demonstrates the extent to which we’re blinded by the evil one. His most basic strategy, exactly the one he employed with Adam and Eve, is to make us believe sin will bring us fulfillment.

But sin is not what brings us fulfillment—it’s what robs us of fulfillment! Sin isn’t what makes life interesting, it’s what makes life empty. This emptiness inevitably leads to boredom. When there’s fulfillment, when there’s beauty, when we see God as He truly is, boredom becomes an impossibility. In Heaven we will be filled, as Psalm 16:11 describes it, “with joy” and “with eternal pleasures.”

Heaven is God’s home, the dwelling place of the One who is infinite in creativity, goodness, beauty and power. How could the home of someone like that be anything less than thrilling?

I share some related thoughts in this 3-minute video:

Photo: Unsplash

The Uniqueness of Giving to Eternal Perspective Ministries

I’ve been asked over the years, “Why don’t you fund Eternal Perspective Ministries through the book royalties, and not receive donations?” It’s a reasonable question, and there are two main answers.

First, God has blessed the sales and impact of the books, and I believe that’s partly because we determined 27 years ago to give the Lord all the royalties, to help the poor and support strategic mission efforts all over the world. (God uses the books to further His kingdom, but He also uses the funds they generate.)

Second, EPM benefits tremendously from having financial supporters because of their partnership through prayer and accountability. If we used the royalties to fund our ministry, we wouldn’t have to rely on anyone else. That self-reliance would be a great loss to us, and a loss to our ministry partners too.

Jesus said that where we put our treasures is where our hearts will go. None of our supporters would have a heart for our ministry had we been self-supported. When people give they’re much more likely to pray. I can’t convey the depth of my gratitude to those who regularly give to EPM, and the three thousand people who receive our prayer updates! (You can sign up here if you’d like to join our prayer team.)

Paul told his readers that their prayers were a vital part of his ministry and outreach in spreading the Gospel (Romans 15:30-32, 2 Corinthians 1:10-11). Likewise, your prayers for this ministry are an eternal investment. Prayer isn’t the least you can do for us; it’s the most.

Your partnership through prayer, giving, or both, is making a difference:

for prisoners who receive books from our ministry. Many are coming to know Christ, and others are being discipled in their faith. 
for our outreach through social media and our website, as we seek to encourage and educate believers and to share the gospel with unbelievers using our resources (blogs, audios, magazines, and videos). 
for our efforts to get more of our articles and resources translated into other languages. So far, we have resources available in nine different languages (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Cambodian-Khmer, Nepali, Albanian, Tajik, Ukrainian, and Chinese – simplified), and we hope to greatly expand what’s available for each language, as well as translate material into many other languages.
for our staff as they do their work. Each phone conversation and email they answer can be a divine appointment, an opportunity to minister in Christ’s name. Each order of books they mail out can be used to glorify God and spread His good news of happiness.
for me as I continue writing books, and for the staff members who assist me through their editing. I’m profoundly aware of the difference prayer makes in my writing and speaking. To whatever degree God chooses to touch lives through the books, and whatever else I’m involved in, you who pray for me will have played a major role. Nanci and I and our EPM staff are deeply grateful. One day you’ll receive your reward.

For those who have chosen to partner with us in supporting our ministry by giving, I want you to know that we deeply appreciate each gift and seek to be good stewards with what God has provided. When you give to our general fund you’re actually partnering with us in two ways:

1) Supporting our monthly operating expenses, including the wages of our thirteen employees (most of those part-time),

2) allowing us to continue using the royalties to support many worthy Christian ministries. So, in effect, you’re supporting those ministries as well.

If you'd like to make a year-end, tax-deductible donation to EPM, please note that donations postmarked no later than December 31, or received  online  by 11:59 p.m. PT on December 31, will be included on this year’s tax receipts.

With great gratitude to God and personal appreciation of you, and on behalf of the EPM staff and board,

Randy Alcorn

Jon Bloom on How Christians Aren’t—and Are—to Judge Other Christians

Though the election is over, some of the hard feelings between Christians who disagreed with each other are not over. Unfortunately, I expect “I told you so’s” to come up often in the years to come, spoken both by those who supported Donald Trump and those who opposed him, few of whom have yet changed their minds, and some of whom never will.

That makes this article by my friend Jon Bloom as relevant now as when he wrote it shortly before the election. What he said doesn’t just apply to differing politics, but to a variety of beliefs and practices and matters of conscience, which vary widely among God’s people, and for which we are far too quick to judge and condemn each other.

I find myself often contemplating John 17:20-23 (here in the New Century Version), in which Jesus prayed: “I pray for these followers, but I am also praying for all those who will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I pray that they can be one. As you are in me and I am in you, I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. I have given these people the glory that you gave me so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. I will be in them and you will be in me so that they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as much as you loved me.”

Judge Not, That You May Judge Well

Christians are not to judge other Christians. And Christians are to judge other Christians. That’s what the Bible teaches. In fact, the apostle Paul says both things in the same letter just a few paragraphs apart.

Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. (1 Corinthians 4:5)

Don’t judge other Christians.

For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? (1 Corinthians 5:12)

Judge other Christians.

Is Paul contradicting himself? No. Paul is simply instructing us that there are things we must not judge and things we must judge.

Read the rest of Jon’s article.

Photo: Unsplash

Giving Tuesday: An Invitation to Experience the Happiness of Giving

In Paul’s final words to the Ephesian church leaders, he said, “You must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Yeshua himself, ‘There is more happiness in giving than in receiving’” (Acts 20:35, CJB). Eugene Peterson paraphrases this verse in The Message, “Our Master said, ‘You’re far happier giving than getting.’”

Secular studies are emphatic in their claim that giving makes people happier. A survey of thirty thousand American households showed that “people who gave money . . . to all types of religious and secular causes were far happier than non-givers.”[i] Most of the people who conduct these studies don’t realize they’re agreeing with Jesus.

Unfortunately, we’re so easily absorbed, especially at Christmastime, with “getting what’s ours” (or with finding unneeded gifts for our friends and family who already have so much) that we miss what brings the real happiness and joy—giving God what’s His. Giving is doing what we were made for: loving God and our neighbors (Matthew 22:36–40). Giving boldly affirms Christ’s lordship. It is an act that brings great joy.  When we give, everyone but Satan wins. God is happy, those who receive our gifts are happy, and we’re happy. Everybody wins.

This leads me to bring up Giving Tuesday, which is next Tuesday, November 29. It’s the generosity community’s response to the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and it’s designed to provide people with a charitable day to consider giving as they go into the holiday season. (Learn more at www.givingtuesday.org.)

You can give to any ministry you choose. One ministry actively participating in a Giving Tuesday campaign is The JESUS Film. They’re offering the opportunity for people to support church planting efforts in India and bring the gospel to unreached peoples. (Through a challenge grant, gifts given to this outreach will be doubled.) I can’t think of a better gift this Christmas than the gift of knowing you gave to help get the Good News to those who’ve never heard it before!

I would also encourage you to think about giving to one or several of the wonderful ministries that EPM supports, including The Seed Company, Joni and Friends, Prison Fellowship, Elam Ministries, and CareNet. (For a longer list of recommended organizations, see our website.)           

And if the Lord leads, I’d invite you to consider giving to Eternal Perspective Ministries, and specifically to our efforts to get more of our articles and resources translated into other languages. This is a great passion of mine to grow the worldwide outreach of our website. So far, we have resources available in nine different languages (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Cambodian-Khmer, Nepali, Albanian, Tajik, Ukrainian, and Chinese – simplified.), and we hope to greatly expand what’s available for each language. If you’d like to give towards this work, please select the “Translation Fund” on our donation page. 

And of course, if you feel led to give to our general fund, this is how we pay our thirteen EPM employees, and we would be deeply grateful for your support. Or if you prefer to send a check rather than give online, our ministry address is 39085 Pioneer Blvd., Suite 206, Sandy, OR 97055.

Whether or not you participate in “Giving Tuesday,” may this Christmas season focus on the person and work of Christ. Meditate on this: “For we know the grace of Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich yet for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). God’s giving to us is the lightning; our giving to Him is the thunder. We give, because He first gave to us.

[i] Daniel M. Oppenheimer and Christopher Y. Olivola, eds., The Science of Giving (New York: Psychology Press, 2011), 8.

Gratitude Brings Happiness to Everyone

Our thankfulness glorifies God and makes Him happy: “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me” (Psalm 50:23). But God isn’t the only one affected when we give thanks.

Psychologists asked undergraduates to complete a survey that included a happiness scale and measures of thankfulness. Over six weeks, the participants wrote down, once a week, five things they were grateful for. This practice had a dramatic effect on their happiness score. The study concluded, “Students who regularly expressed gratitude showed increases in well-being over the course of the study.”[i]

Secular books on happiness document gratitude’s role in making people happier. But cultivating gratitude proves difficult for people whose worldview leaves them with nobody to thank! Yes, they can thank someone for loaning them a car or for being their teacher. But whom can they thank for sunshine, air to breathe, and the capacity to enjoy pleasure? People who don’t believe that a sovereign God is at work through the kindness of others must thank their “lucky stars,” random circumstances, or—at best—other people. Since people are small when compared to God, the object of their gratitude is small, shrinking their capacity for happiness.

God’s common grace offers unbelievers a degree of happiness that’s greatly enhanced through thankfulness. As Christ-followers, however, we find gratitude multiplied when we return it to God, the ultimate and primary source of all goodness.

When others encourage me, I seek to always thank God for the encouragement. My happiness stems from my gratitude to the God of providence, who orchestrates our encounter. God sends others to humble me, and they, too, are character-building gifts. It may not be as easy to thank God for them, but God calls on me to “give thanks in all circumstances,” not just some (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

The Greek word charis, often translated “grace,” means “that which is given freely and generously—‘gift, gracious gift.’”[ii] God’s grace is His giving to us, at great cost, what we don’t deserve (see 2 Corinthians 8:9). Second Corinthians 8–9 is the longest passage on financial giving in the New Testament; charis (“grace”) appears ten times. The passage ends with these words from Paul: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.”

When we genuinely experience the good news of salvation in Christ, gratitude and happiness inevitably multiply.

May you have a happy, Christ-centered, full-of-gratitude Thanksgiving!

[i] S. Lyubomirsky, K. M. Sheldon, and D. Schkade, “Pursuing Happiness: The Architecture of Sustainable Change,” Review of General Psychology 9, no. 2 (2005): 111–31.

[ii] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene A. Nida, eds., Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996).

Photo: Pixabay