Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 17

The Esimbi People Celebrate Receiving the New Testament in Their Heart Language

In June 2018, our beloved coworker and dear friend Karen Coleman went to be with Jesus. Nanci and I have known many Christlike people, but she’s on the shortlist. This amazing sister has been a dear friend to us, full of grace and truth in the face of hardships, never losing her wit and humor, quietly saying the funniest and wisest things. She is truly one of my heroes.

Prior to working at Eternal Perspective Ministries, Karen and her family spent 23 years as missionaries and Bible translators in Africa. We couldn't think of a better way to remember Karen’s legacy than to give in her honor towards the translation of Scripture.

EPM partnered with The Seed Company to help fund the Esimbi project, bringing God’s Word to 20,000 people who live in isolated areas in Karen’s beloved Cameroon. It's especially appropriate that we chose the Esimbi language project as this is the language group that Karen went to minister to in Cameroon and invested in their Bible translation.

Six years later, the New Testament is complete! I want to extend a big thank you to those donors who partnered with us in giving to finish this project in Karen's honor. What a privilege to participate in getting God’s Word to people. Giving to The Seed Company is truly making an investment in eternity!

Here’s what The Seed Company wrote about the Esimbi translation:

The Esimbi people’s homeland is nestled in the forests of Northwest Cameroon. But since 2017, armed conflict in the region has forced families to flee. Amid this unrest and the added uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Esimbi who once sacrificed to traditional gods and viewed the Lord as a distant “Supreme Being” have placed their trust in Him. For over 10 years, the Cameroon Association of Bible Translation and Literacy (CABTAL) has been working with the Esimbi to translate Scripture into their language.

In 2021, they completed the New Testament—and then waited three more years for physical copies to arrive. On June 22, 2024, a crowd of 200 gathered in Edéa, Cameroon, to dedicate the Esimbi New Testament. This was to be the first of three celebrations held for the diaspora, with a fourth being held in the Esimbi homeland. Among the attendees were four Esimbi chiefs who traveled over 250 miles on dangerous roads to witness this historic moment. In a display of honor, four women carried in the New Testament on a small platform. The ceremony included traditional dances, a presentation of gifts, and a shared meal.

In one of many speeches, a Seed Company representative recognized the numerous trials the Esimbi have endured. “But God has not abandoned you,” he told the crowd, “and you have not abandoned God’s work.” A CABTAL representative proceeded to declare, “It is hence going down in the history of Bible translation that God now speaks Esimbi.” An Esimbi translator urged the people to not only buy the New Testament but to read it. “Because to have the Bible is not the point,” he said. But to open its pages and be transformed—this is the future of the Esimbi people, for they now can hold the Word of God in their hands.

Here's a thank you video they sent to EPM:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWFuXkQPj3w?si=nqPoIVZbVEW9Zp4N

Those of us who know Christ will celebrate the fruits of this ministry throughout the ages to come, when we meet and develop friendships with people of every tribe, nation and language—some of the very people who received the Word of God because of our giving and our prayers. What could be better than that? What could bring greater happiness?

Photo/Video Credit: Jim Monroe; Property of illumiNations

Humbly Admitting We Are Vulnerable to Sexual Temptation Is the First Step to Avoiding a Fall

Someone once asked my thoughts about the idea that a Christian ministering among the needy in the inner city is safer from sexual temptation than someone else ministering to those who live in the more affluent suburbs. The idea seemed to be that God is more pleased by (or does greater work through) those who devote themselves to working in the inner city than those who serve in the suburbs. You may disagree with his premise, but my point to him was if he’s right, then that actually means that Satan has more reason to derail inner-city workers!

Since Satan and demons are finite beings and can only expend limited time and energy in tempting people, then it stands to reason that their higher priority would be to take down someone in the inner city who is doing a work close to God’s heart. (Of course, I absolutely know that ministry to those in the suburbs is also an important part of God’s plan, but I’m just following the questioner’s logic.)

Our Enemy Is on the Prowl

Pride, power, money, and sex are Satan’s major temptation tools, and pride and power often are underneath the temptation to money and sex. The inner-city worker will still be tempted by money, but even if he or she is freer of it than someone ministering in the suburbs (and that’s not necessarily so), consider the issue of sexual temptation. People are still people, and the city is as full of sex as the suburbs—arguably, fuller of sex (at least the open and blatant on-the-streets and in-your-face stuff). And if Satan especially hates what the inner-city Christian is doing, shouldn’t we expect him to bombard that believer with more sexual temptation to destroy God’s work?

Our enemy the devil prowls around looking for someone to devour, and the landscape is littered with people he has destroyed. Obviously, he can do more damage to God’s kingdom by taking on Christians (once set on a path of destruction, drug addicts don’t need as much attention from him), more damage still by taking on Christians of influence and notoriety, and the most damage of all by taking down Christians who are doing strategic work that is close to God’s heart. I believe that’s exactly what Satan and demons do (I developed some of that in my novels Lord Foulgrin’s Letters and The Ishbane Conspiracy). And they will use all weapons at their disposal...including and often especially sexual temptation.

Consider what 1 Peter 5:5-9 says:

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Beware of Pride

Pride is a problem for all of us, but there is an obvious pride in a Christian believing their sexual vulnerability is less because they are “doing God’s work.” (On the contrary, as I’ve argued in my booklet Sexual Temptation, such a Christian will probably be more vulnerable—but certainly at the very least the same, not less.) This applies to believers in every position of ministry and leadership.

For example, if we think we are not vulnerable to being robbed, pretty soon we will leave the car unlocked, and cash laying on the passenger’s seat...greatly increasing our chances of being robbed precisely because we thought we wouldn’t be. This is part of God opposing the proud: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

For a believer to think they have a better chance of standing because of where they minister is a pride issue that makes them more sexually vulnerable. That person, whether a man or woman, needs—as we all do—to humble themselves, not lift themselves up. If they lift themselves up, God will take them down. (Same for all of us.) But if they humble themselves, God will lift them up. Part of humbling themselves is realizing their wrong thinking in this area: “Because I’m this spiritual believer doing God’s work in the inner-city, I’m less vulnerable to sexual temptations that derail my less spiritual brethren out serving in the suburbs with the Fat Cats.” If they don’t humble themselves, they turn the job over to God...who will humble them by allowing them to fall.

Peter says, “Be self-controlled and alert.” A critical part of alertness is recognizing the full extent of the danger that confronts us. A fall is preceded by a lack of alertness to danger and a failure to take the necessary steps to escape danger.

We All Face Temptation

Peter reminds us that our “brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” In context, those sufferings are the attempts of Satan, the roaring lion, to devour them. So the sufferings are primarily all that Satan is behind, which includes both persecution and temptation. This is a good reminder: everyone is experiencing temptation.

A man imprisoned and about to be martyred for his faith can experience sexual temptation. A woman could be in a jail cell with him, and he could fall into adultery. He could struggle with his thought life. He may be the godliest man, in circumstances of adversity and service that make our ministry pale in comparison. But precisely because His service for Christ is so strong and strategic, Satan will use everything at his disposal to bring that man down. In prison, there may not be much money or material things to tempt him. But sex will still be one of the most readily available temptations.

That’s true of all of us, including “brothers throughout the world.” It doesn’t matter where you are and what you’re doing. We still have to be humbly alert in this area, or Satan the roaring lion will take us down, and God will humble us.

God Is Faithful to Help Us

The good news is that God promises in 1 Corinthians 10:13 to always provide a way out. “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

We do not have to succumb to temptation. Now, will we ever give into it? Yes, but in no case do we have to. It is not out of our hands. And it’s not God’s fault or because His grace is lacking. We can call upon the Lord for help and call a friend to talk us down from sin. If that seems like a crutch, so be it. Damaged people sometimes need a crutch to walk.

By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, may we wake up and yield ourselves to Him and take the necessary steps to protect ourselves, our families, our churches, and those God has entrusted to our care.

God, I pray you will convict us, your children, where we are walking in pride. Help us to instead walk in humility as we serve you. Empower us to follow you wholeheartedly and to take seriously what your Word reveals about our responsibility to live righteously by the power of your Holy Spirit. We ask this in the name of Jesus, King of Kings.

Dallas Holm and How Studying Heaven Provides Comfort in Grief

I mentioned in a past blog about my long-time appreciation for Dallas Holm’s praise song “I Will Rise Again,” and how that song’s message hits even deeper now that my Nanci and Dallas’s wife Linda are both with Jesus.

Dallas recorded a podcast episode with his daughter on the subject of my book Heaven. He has an unusually acute understanding of the book—his comments about Christoplatonism display an awareness that is not common, but right on target and very important!

In this excerpt, Dallas shares a brief summary of my approach to Scripture in Heaven. He also talks about his own experience of finding comfort after Linda’s death through learning and thinking about Heaven:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNi5Miu1f5g?si=wT1RkOVnFF5gGbA0

In this excerpt, Dallas talks about how my book deals with the question of, “Will the current earth be destroyed?” He addresses God’s plan for restoring all of creation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0146mvDvUus?si=LTveQMxcvFlLQeG7

The 20th Anniversary edition of Randy's book  Heaven  is now available from EPM.

Our Sovereign King Reigns

I first shared this on my blog after the 2020 election. It’s as true now as it was then.

Whether you are encouraged or distressed by the results (thus far) of the election, there is great comfort in acknowledging and embracing Scripture’s teaching that God is sovereign over human events, including the outcome of elections. In Isaiah 46:10, God says, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” (NIV). Those who believe in a God who knows “the end from the beginning” can relax because even though they don’t know what lies ahead, their sovereign God does.

“For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations” (Psalm 22:28, BSB). Because God has absolute power, no one—including demons and humans who choose to violate His moral will—can thwart His ultimate purpose. “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will” (Proverbs 21:1).

The Lord “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:11, NIV). Our fates do not rest in the hands of fallen humankind: politicians, lawyers, military officers, employers, or even spouses and children. If we believe this, our reaction to current events and to many of the difficulties we face will change. Problems will seem smaller, for although we can’t control them, we know God can—and that everything will work out for His glory and our good.

Charles Spurgeon said, “Cheer up, Christian! Things are not left to chance: no blind fate rules the world. God hath purposes, and those purposes are fulfilled. God hath plans, and those plans are wise, and never can be dislocated.”

Ultimately our hope must be in Jesus, this Sovereign over the nations: “O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you” (2 Chronicles 20:6).

Let these truths about God’s sovereignty, purposes, and trustworthiness bring you perspective and peace:

“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, His sovereignty rules over all.” (Psalm 103:19, NASB)

“He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; ... the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.” (Daniel 2:21; 4:17)

“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.” (Psalm 118:8-9)

“…you are the ruler of everything. Power and might are in your hand, and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all.” (1 Chronicles 29:12, CSB)

“He stands alone, and who can oppose him? He does whatever he pleases.” (Job 23:13, NIV)

“The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.” (Psalms 33:10-11)

“Do not trust in nobles, in a son of man, who cannot save. When his breath leaves him, he returns to the ground; on that day his plans die. Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them. He remains faithful forever…” (Psalm 146:3-6, CSB)

“His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:14, CSB)

The One Who Rules the World Cares for You

Note from Randy: Paul David Tripp’s Everyday Gospel is a wonder. It's brilliantly written, clear, concise, Christ-exalting, true to God’s word, enriching to the mind, encouraging to the heart, and overflowing with gospel grace. Every paragraph has the ring of truth. If you want a daily dose of God’s life-giving wisdom and kindness, this book is for you. Hope you enjoy this excerpt.

Your world is not spinning out of control, careening toward chaos, because we have a King who rules over all the earth.

Does it feel as though your life is out of control? Family drama, violence in the world, the rapid coarsening of the surrounding culture—chaos appears to be all around us. Perhaps you’re dealing with a physical sickness that you can’t seem to get on top of. Maybe you suddenly lost a job or a friendship, or experienced a life-altering accident. Perhaps your daily responsibilities are a burden too heavy to bear. The unexpected, unplanned, and unwanted confront us with how little power and control we actually have. They reveal our delusion of self-sovereignty. When you must face how few things you rule, you either spin off into depression, fear, or panic, or you remember that you can rest, knowing that though your life is out of your control, it is not actually out of control. We have a King who sits on His throne above the earth. He rules with wisdom, holiness, power, and grace. His rule is always right, His plan cannot be thwarted, and His will is done in Heaven and on earth. Nothing escapes His rule. Everything He ordains, He accomplishes. He delivers on every promise He has made. He is King.

Psalm 47 calls us out of our fear and panic and welcomes us to peace and rest of heart:

Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth.
He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.
He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves.    Selah…
God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted! (Ps. 47:1-4, 8-9)

Psalm 47 tells you that you will never be in a situation, location, or relationship that is not ruled by your Lord. You will never wander outside of His rule. Not only does He rule, but He exercises His sovereign rule over all things for the sake of those whom He has chosen to be the objects of His love. Your world is ruled by one who loves you and exercises His infinite power for your eternal good. This does not mean that you will always understand what happens in your life, but, in the failure of your understanding, you can know that your life is in good hands.

Does your life seem out of control? Run again and again to Psalm 47. Remember, rest, and rejoice. The one who rules loves you and is exercising His kingship for your good and His glory.

Taken from Everyday Gospel by Paul David Tripp, Copyright © 2024, pp. 208-209. Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.

Men, Abortion, and Being Pro-Woman

Pro-choice advocates often say that pro-life men are anti-woman, and the pro-life movement is a way for men to deny women’s rights and control their bodies. One pro-choice writer says, “American anti-abortion policy has always been about controlling (white) women and pushing them into their ‘proper’ place: being subservient and making more babies.”

How ironic. Abortion allows and even encourages men to sexually exploit women. If the woman does get pregnant, the man can hand over a few hundred dollars and buy a dead child. (He may feel almost heroic for doing so.) When the man is long gone, with no child to support, the woman is left with the burden of having killed her child. “Abortion rights” bring out not the best, but the worst abusive and controlling behavior in men.

Pro-life men are also told by some pro-choice advocates, “No uterus, no opinion” and “No womb, no say.” But abortion is a human issue, not a gender issue. Facts, logic, reason, and com­passion have no anatomy. Whether they are espoused by men or women is no more relevant than whether they are espoused by black or white people. The point is not the gender of those advancing arguments, but whether or not the arguments are accurate. To believe otherwise is simply sexism. 

If men are disqualified from the abortion issue, they should be disqualified on both sides. The vast majority of doctors who perform abortions are men, as are most pro-choice members of congress. Why do pro-choice advocates embrace the judgment of the all-male Supreme Court that legalized abortion in 1973? And why do pro-choice groups donate sizable campaign funds to male legislators who endorse abortion? If men should be eliminated from the abortion debate, shouldn’t they be eliminated from both sides?

Both men and women can care deeply about women receiving equal opportunities, rights, and protections, yet oppose abortion because it harms children (of whom half are female) and women.

Finally, if pro-life men’s motives are suspect as self-serving, then pro-choice men’s motives should also be suspect. I sometimes wonder this when I see prominent males who are pro-choice spokesmen: have some of them congratulated themselves for being women’s advocates while paying for the abortions of multiple women for whom they are now free to give no emotional support in their darkest hours?

I encourage you to download (without cost) my short book Pro-Choice or Pro-Life: Examining 15 Pro-Choice Claims—What Do Facts & Common Sense Tell Us?  It will equip you in your conversations and also is a great book to share with those who are pro-choice or are on the fence. The book is also available in print from our ministry for an affordable price. 

Walking with Jesus in Grief: My Interview with Sean McDowell

When God created humankind, death didn’t exist. Death is the result of our broken connection with the Giver of life. It is normal in the sense that unless Jesus returns in our lifetime, we will all die. But that doesn’t mean death was God’s ideal. It was and is an aberration, a tragic consequence of the fall. A world with death is like a masterpiece on canvas ruined by vandals that only the Master Artist can restore to His original design. Only He transform the maliciously marred painting into a greater work of art than the original. Only He can take the spoiled remnants of Eden, and by His redemptive work, make them into a greater masterpiece than the original.

For God’s people, death is temporary, not permanent. Knowing that can rob death of its sting, reducing it to temporary separation rather than a permanent end. Since death is our greatest enemy and biggest loss, grieving deeply and well is our best possible response. God made us to live, not die. Through His own suffering and death, only He can lessen and ultimately lift the torment of suffering and the sting of death.  

In the journey of grief, we are not alone—one of the names of Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God with us.” Jesus is my closest and dearest friend. I can’t imagine life without Jesus. But in particular, I can’t imagine life without His friendship and my daily awareness of His presence and love and grace.

I was on Sean McDowell’s podcast, talking about walking with Jesus in grief, and my new booklet Grieving with Hope. Sean is a wonderful interviewer, and asked such great questions about Nanci, our relationship, her illness, and life beyond her homegoing to Heaven:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlUpmyG2V1k?si=Wn_oax09BUHrmZL-

I was deeply touched by these comments left on YouTube by listeners:

“Don't become bitter at God for what He chooses to do. He loves me even more than I love myself and He knows what's best. Trust Him no matter what hard things you go through in your life.” I needed this today. I'm being treated with radiation for a spinal tumor. I have young children and it's hard to trust God and not become bitter that I can’t be the mom I want to be right now. Thanks.

I appreciate so much this video and testimony. My husband went to be with Jesus a year and a half ago. So many things your guest shared describe what I have been going through and learning from the Lord. My husband also was in ministry for many years and in just the same way we were very best friends for 52 years. His faith that he demonstrated all his life inspires me to keep my focus on eternity just as he did. Thank you again, dear brothers.

I really enjoyed hearing about Nanci. Even as a believer (since the age of 13) I’ve not been around many people who love to laugh. What a GIFT! I find myself looking forward to her laugh one day. Hugs to you, Randy!

I love this. It was so beautiful. I fell in love with Nanci.

The Twentieth Anniversary of the Heaven Book

After her four-year battle with cancer, I said goodbye—for now—to my wife and soulmate Nanci. My grief, though deep, is informed by God’s sovereignty and love. I know that Nanci is no longer suffering and is happier than she has ever been.

But the story isn’t over; the best is yet to come. Nanci went ahead to the present Heaven, which is “better by far” than this present world (Philippians 1:23). One day, after the resurrection, God will relocate us to the future Heaven, centered on the New Earth, where “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). So while Nanci lives in a wonderful place without pain, she and all God’s people there are looking forward to the resurrection, and the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Nanci and I talked often about what living as embodied people will be like on a resurrected Earth—a world with trees, rivers, animals, eating and drinking, reunions, old and new friendships, and above all, a place where we will worship God without sin to hinder us! Because we will still be God’s image bearers, reigning over a risen Earth, I believe we will enjoy art, literature, sports, drama, technology, and all other products of God-given creativity and glorified imaginations.

I am eternally grateful for those conversations, which began decades before Nanci was diagnosed with cancer. In her last days here on Earth, I saw her outwardly wasting away, yet because she fixed her eyes on Jesus and her unseen home, I saw her inwardly being renewed (see 2 Corinthians 4:16). Now that she has relocated to Heaven, an eternal perspective has helped me grieve in healthy ways. Nanci’s death was not the end of our relationship; reunion awaits.

God’s Word tells us, “In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). Yet today most Christians haven’t had their imaginations captured by that promise. God never abandoned His original plans and purposes. Not only does He not give up on us, He doesn’t give up on the creation He called “very good” (Genesis 1:31). He will redeem this earth as surely as He redeems His children. Where Adam and Eve failed, Jesus succeeded. Righteous humans will indeed rule a righteous Earth forever!

When Heaven was released in 2004, people said, “How can this be true, since I’ve never heard it before?” I understood—I’d never been taught these ideas in Bible college, seminary, or church. Here’s the irony: in an age when people often twist biblical truth to make it appealing, what Scripture actually says about Heaven is far more attractive than the ghostly, vague view of the afterlife that plagues countless believers.

Big books full of Scripture and theology and quotations from people long dead don’t normally sell well. Yet to my surprise (and the publisher’s), well over a million copies of Heaven have sold (over two million, including related books and a booklet). Innumerable readers, including pastors, have told me it radically changed their view of eternity. Rarely does a day go by when I don’t receive encouraging messages about the book. These are just a few:

“Within a week of losing our 16-year-old son, I ordered Heaven. It has saved my life.”

“I started reading your book, and it’s put everything in perspective. I didn’t even realize that I had wrong beliefs about Heaven. It has renewed my faith.”

“My dad was on hospice for nineteen months. He read Heaven three times before he went there. This book, along with the Bible, was his preparation for Heaven!”

“I gave your book to a friend who was in poor health. Before she died, she told me she had accepted Jesus. I’m so grateful I’ll see her again.”

“I gave Heaven to my son-in-law who was dying. He read through the first seven chapters and gave his life to Jesus. He died a few weeks later.”

“After losing my fourteen-year-old to suicide, I questioned many things, including my faith. Your book Heaven and the Bible are the two things that bring me great comfort each day.”

My prayer is that readers of the book will experience what my precious wife and I did—the heartfelt happiness of knowing Jesus and anticipating eternal life on the glorious redeemed world He is preparing for us!

The 20th Anniversary edition of Randy's book Heaven  is now available from EPM.

Some Biblically-Based Resources for News and Current Events

These days, we’re continually bombarded by “news” (which is sometimes more sensational than informative) that dwells on the sufferings, tragedies, and negatives of life. This unceasing avalanche of bad news, as well as rampant political tribalism, suspicion, and critical opinions, can quickly bury what Scripture calls “the good news of happiness” (Isaiah 52:7) and “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10).

My wife Nanci wrote in her journal, “Please, Lord, whenever my heart leans toward anxiety and dread, bring me back into a Holy Spirit-led season of praise and thanks to You—the giver of all good things!”

Nanci wrote that while facing her cancer, but her wise words can be applied to current events, too. We shouldn’t feed ourselves primarily on news headlines, but on the good news of gospel truth.

Yet I don’t favor living in a cave, blissfully ignorant of the world’s woes and the suffering and difficulties around us. Rather, we’re to focus our thoughts on true eternal realities. Remembering God’s presence, praying, and feeding our minds with good things that honor our King—these practices will increase our joy while starving our anxiety.

That means when we do read the news, it’s important we analyze current events from a biblical perspective, always remembering what Scripture has to say. One source I highly recommend that does that is The Remnant, which is sent out three times a week by email. I think it is a very helpful, biblically-based, discerning, and concise summary of vital things going on in the world.

For example, in response to the recent headline “North Korea and Russia Teaming Up?” they wrote:

Sadly, wars and alliances between evil actors are possible on this side of the Fall (Romans 8:22). Thankfully, this is temporary. They're only possible on this side of the New Heavens and New Earth (Revelation 22:3). There is an expiration date on evil, and only God knows when that date will arrive (Romans 16:20). 

Jesus told us that we would hear of "wars and rumors of wars" in these last days but instructed us not to be alarmed, declaring that "such things must happen, but the end is still to come" (Matthew 24:6).

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God" (Psalm 20:7). An antidote to our worry is to take our eyes off of the happenings in the world and fix our eyes on the Lord. He is in control (Psalm 103:19), and He is good (Psalm 145:9).

God is the one who will ultimately settle disputes between nations (Isaiah 2:4). One day, there won't be any more wars, for the former things will have passed away (Revelation 21:4). Continue to pray for peace and for Christ to come back quickly (Philippians 3:20).

Kathy Norquist, a board member at our ministry, recommends The Pour Over, which is also an email list that sends out Christian responses to news headlines. They describe it as: “The biggest news of the day, summarized in a way you'll actually understand and enjoy, paired with brief Christian perspectives.”

If you enjoy listening instead of reading, The World and Everything In it is a daily podcast from WORLD Newsgroup with headlines, field reporting, interviews, and expert analysis. And Al Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has a podcast called The Briefing, which provides a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.

Photo: Unsplash

Why Does How We View Money Matter?

If the Bible were written today and judged by what it says about money and possessions, it would never be published. If it were published, it would be mercilessly panned by its reviewers and not see a second printing.

When it comes to money and possessions, the Bible is sometimes redundant, often extreme, and occasionally shocking. It turns many readers away, making it a hard sell in today’s marketplace. It interferes with our lives and commits the unpardonable sin—it makes us feel guilty. If we want to avoid guilt feelings, it forces us to invent fancy interpretations to get around its plain meanings.

We come to the Bible for comfort, not financial instruction. If we want to know about money, we’re more apt to read the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Forbes, or Money. Let God talk about love and grace and brotherhood, thank you. Let the rest of us talk about money and possessions—and do whatever we want with them.

How could the Bible’s Author and Editor justify devoting twice as many verses to money (about 2,350 of them) than to faith and prayer combined? How could Jesus say more about money than about both Heaven and Hell? Didn’t He know what was really important?

When I was a pastor, I planned a three-week sermon series on money. I began by compiling a cross section of Bible passages. Every passage led to another and another. I quickly became convinced that God cares a great deal about our money—a great deal more than most of us imagine.

The sheer enormity of Scripture’s teaching on this subject screams for our attention. And the haunting question is, “Why?” Considering everything else He could have told us that we really want to know, why did the Savior of the world spend 15 percent of His recorded words on this one subject? What did He know about money and possessions that we don’t?

Hitting Close to Home

And what are we to think of all the current teaching on money and possessions that emphasizes what does not apply to us? Confident voices assure us that the Old Testament practice of tithing doesn’t apply to us, that the New Testament practice of sacrificial giving by liquidating assets and giving to the poor doesn’t apply to us, that the biblical prohibitions of interest and the restriction of debt don’t apply to us, that the commands not to hoard and stockpile assets don’t apply to us, and so on. It’s time to ask, “What does apply to us?”

Can we put Christ before all, deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Him (Matthew 10:38; Mark 8:34; Luke 14:27), with no apparent effect on what we do with our money and possessions?

Sometimes more can be learned from the passages of Scripture we ignore than those we underline. No wonder C. S. Lewis called God “The Transcendental Interferer.” God has this annoying habit of stepping into our lives even when we’ve pulled in the welcome mat and bolted the door. The more we allow ourselves to grapple with these unsettling passages, the more we are pierced. Jesus wounds us with His words about money. Then, just when we think we’re healed, we run into another sharp passage, and God’s Word pierces us again. Our only options, it seems, are to let Jesus wound us until He accomplishes what He wishes, or to avoid His words and His gaze altogether by staying away from His Word. The latter option is easier in the short run. But no true disciple can be content with it.

You may be thinking, I’d rather not deal with these issues; I’m content with what I’m doing. But are you really content? I, for one, hate to live with that nagging feeling deep inside that when Jesus called people to follow Him He had more in mind than I am experiencing.

The fear of dealing with what God expects me to do with my money is exceeded by the fear of not dealing with it. I don’t want to stand before Him one day and try to give an answer for how I could call myself a disciple without ever coming to grips with money and possessions. Not when even a cursory reading of the New Testament shows this issue to be right at the heart of discipleship.

I must quickly add that for me the process of discovering God’s will about money and possessions has been exciting and liberating. My growth in financial stewardship has closely paralleled my overall spiritual growth. In fact, it has propelled it. I have learned more about faith, trust, grace, commitment, and God’s provision in this area than in any other.

I have also learned why Paul said, “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). I have found that cheerful givers love God and love Him more deeply each time they give. To me, one of the few experiences comparable to the joy of leading someone to Christ is the joy of making wise and generous choices with my money and possessions. Both are supreme acts of worship. Both are exhilarating. Both are what we were made for.

What we do with our money will—and I choose these words deliberately—influence the very course of eternity.

My study of this subject has reinforced the reality that we were made for only one person and one place. Jesus is the person and Heaven is the place. Our purpose should pervade our approach to money. If it does, the door will be unlocked to exhilarating Christian discipleship, where “following Christ” is not merely a comforting but meaningless cliché; instead it is an electrifying, life-changing reality.

I believe that most of the financial matters we typically discuss are on the fringes of what’s important, light years away from the core of the issue. We tend to focus on things that belong at the tail end of stewardship discussions, not the beginning. In effect we’re trying to install the gutters before we’ve laid the foundation and started the framing. We must realize that many of the things our society considers to be at the heart of financial planning (such things as insurance, the stock market, and retirement, for instance) never existed before the modern era and still don’t exist in much of the world. That doesn’t mean they’re wrong—only that they are secondary.

Advice about how to accomplish our financial goals is valuable only if the goals we set are biblically based and Christ-centered. It’s not only important to know how to get the canoe down the river, it’s also essential to know where the river is taking you.

Before we learn the fine art of building a sturdy boat or the skill of staying in the boat as we head down the rapids, we should make certain that our desired destination is really downstream rather than upstream. Because if it’s upstream, we would do better to get off the river altogether, forget the boat, and plot our course by land. It may be a harder trip, but isn’t the whole point to arrive at the correct destination?

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). If we prefer to think as the world thinks about money and possessions, we needn’t change a thing. Conformity is as natural as swimming downstream. But if we’re committed to thinking about money and possessions as God does, it’s a different matter. We need to set aside the bookshelves and magazine racks filled with advice on how to make, spend, and invest our money and blow the dust off our Bibles. The Bible is the only book worthy of the title chosen by a popular financial counselor for his own book: The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need.

For more on this topic, see Managing God’s Money and The Treasure Principle. And for a deeper dive into how God views money, see Money, Possessions, and Eternity.

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