Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 216

A New Year's resolution from Philippians 3: "I want to know Christ"

There isn’t a better New Year’s resolution than what starts in the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:7-8.

He writes, “But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whose sake I have lost all things.”

He goes on to say in verse 8-9, “I consider them rubbish [the word he uses literally means manure] that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own, that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”

Now comes his determined resolution in light of all this: “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (v. 10-11). By faith he is in essence saying, “I want to know Christ and live my life by faith in His finished work.”

Paul is not talking about any virtue found in himself—he is actually setting aside all of his credentials and saying they are worth nothing. They are worthless. But his resolution is, “I want to know Christ more and better.” What is remarkable is that he has known Christ for thirty years, yet he is resolved to know Him better.

That is my New Year’s resolution this year. I’ve known Christ for about forty years now, but my desire is to get to know Him better. I’ve known my wife Nanci for many years (I actually met her a year before I came to faith in Christ), yet I’m still getting to know her better every day. How do I do that? By spending time with her, talking with her, listening to her, and asking her questions.

Likewise, we can get to know Christ by spending time in His Word, going to Him in prayer, meditating upon Him, and asking Him for help. I resolve that I want to know the Lord by being in His Word every day—not just reading the words of Scripture, but meditating upon them, personalizing them, and making them part of my life.  And I want to link arms with those who are part of the body of Christ, who will challenge me to know Christ better, while hopefully I do the same to them.

This resolution is something that shouldn’t just last for the months of January and February, or maybe into the spring before we give up. This is something that should last the whole year round, until the day that God takes us from this world. On that day, our desire to know Christ will be ultimately fulfilled because we will see Him face to face and will be with Him forever. This is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy and the virtue of Jesus Christ and what He’s done on our behalf. It’s one hundred percent Him, zero percent us, and all to His glory.

      

From Eternal Perspective Ministries

Check out The Resolution for Men book, inspired by the Courageous movie. It challenges men of all ages to become bold and intentional about embracing their responsibilities as leaders. (EPM price $8.84, retail $14.99)

You Are Serving the Lord Christ

Congratulations to two Christ followers in the NFL. Drew Brees broke Dan Marino's all-time single season passing record. If you haven’t read Drew’s book, I recommend it.

Earlier this weekend our buddy Jason Hanson, whose Detroit Lions clinched the playoffs, kicked his 50th field goal of 50 yards or more, extending the all-time NFL record he broke three years ago. (Jason also holds the all-time NCAA record for field goals of 50 yards or more.) That same field goal this weekend put him past both George Blanda and Matt Stover on the all-time scoring list. In his twentieth season, with 2009 points, Jason is now the fourth leading scorer in NFL history. Way to go, bro!

I’m a big Tim Tebow fan too, but remember there are other faithful believers in the NFL. They would appreciate your prayers.

God has his people everywhere. Many vocations are more important than football. But regardless of what it is, when God gives His people a platform to stand on, and a voice that can be heard, He expects them to represent Him faithfully. When they achieve something He calls upon them to give Him glory. You may not have as many people watching you as pro athletes, but innumerable angels, saints and the Lord himself are watching. And that raises the question: what are you doing to honor Him, and to give Him credit for your successes, in your own unique sphere of influence?

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

      

Bearded Dragon Plays a Video Game

Ever seen a reptile play a video game on a smart phone? My favorite part is when he looks up as if to say, “I’m doing good, huh? Restart it, would you?”

      

A Christmas greeting, and thoughts about Immanuel: God with us

In this 6-minute video, I share about Matthew 1:23, which tells us about Christmas. It says, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel—which means “God with us.”

God didn’t stay way off in Heaven, but came down to live among us. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

Jesus promised his disciples, “I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3). Incredibly, that’s how much he wants to live with us.

Revelation 21:3 says “God himself will be with his people.” Why does it say God himself?  Because God won’t merely send us a delegate. He won’t just send down the angel Gabriel to represent Him. He himself will actually come down from Heaven to live among us on the New Earth.

Immanuel does not mean “us with God.” It means “God with us.” Where will He be with us? In the eternal home he is preparing for us.

It’s sometimes said, “This world is not our home.” It’s true, but it’s a half truth. We should qualify it to say, “This world—as it now is, under the curse—is not our home.” But we should also say, “This world—as it was originally was our home.” And we should add, “This world—as it one day will be, delivered from the curse—will be our home.” 

When we die and go to live in the Present Heaven, we’ll be with Christ, and we’ll be full of joy. But it won’t be our permanent home. It will be a layover, not our final destination. Those now with the Lord are looking forward to their bodily resurrection and relocation to the New Earth, where Christ will reign forever.

The incarnation of Christmas isn’t temporary; it’s permanent. Christ rose in a glorified human body which he will have forever. It’s not that Jesus became a baby at Christmas, and then 33 years later came the resurrection and ascension and then he suddenly stopped being a man. No, the second member of the triune God will be a human being for all eternity, reigning from a throne on the New Earth. 

Often we think of Heaven as our going up into a disembodied angelic realm to live with God in his place. But the Bible says the ultimate Heaven will be God coming down from Heaven to live with us in our place—the New Earth. That’s the place He’s preparing for us.

We are made for a person and a place. Jesus is the person. Heaven is the place. And the resurrected Jesus will bring Heaven down to the resurrected earth.

One thing I love about Christmas is relaxing and celebrating and laughing with my family. Heaven will be the best of Christmas every day. We’ll be able to relax and laugh and celebrate, with no tensions or arguments. The other shoe will never drop. No skeletons will fall out of our closets.

Christ paid the ultimate price so that we would be forever free from sin—and the fear of sin. All barriers between us and him will be forever gone. He will be our best friend. Jesus will be God with us, forever.

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to walk the earth with Jesus, as the disciples did? Have you ever wished you had that opportunity? You will—on the New Earth.

Jesus promised we would eat and drink with him in his Kingdom. To eat a meal with Jesus will be to eat a meal with God, because he is Immanuel, God with us.

The best part of Christmas is not the presents we receive, but the presence of God with us. Christmas can be a hint, a foretaste of the celebration God’s family will enjoy together. 

Christmas means that God loved us so much he came to live with us, and die for us so that we can live with Him forever.

Christ promises He will wipe away all our tears, and there will be no more death or suffering, no final goodbyes. If you know Jesus, the great reunion awaits you. God will live with you and your spiritual family forever. And that’s the best Christmas present anyone could ever receive.

Merry Christmas to you, and all glory to Immanuel, the God who is with us, and will be with us forever. 

      

The Inspiration behind Managing God's Money

A couple months ago, I read a review written by David Wills about my book Managing God’s Money. David is a great brother, and the president of the National Christian Foundation, the largest Christian grant-making foundation in the world. I really appreciate their emphasis on kingdom-centered giving and their desire to help believers excel in the grace of giving.

I feature David in the dedication of Managing God’s Money, telling a small part of the story he shares about him asking me to write the book, so it was fun to see what he wrote:

In 1992, my friend and colleague Greg Sperry handed me the book Money, Possessions and Eternity, by Randy Alcorn. I read it, and it changed my life. In fact, the truths in that book were so profound that I have dedicated myself to its message for the last 20 years.

There was just one problem. It was an exhaustive treatment of the subject, and I wanted everyone to read my favorite 250 of the 500 pages in the book! I wanted the greatest hits version. I actually would buy them by the case, take them to a mill, have the binder cut off, pick out my favorite sections, clip them together, and give them out to anyone who would take them!

So, almost 20 years ago, I showed Randy my sliced and clipped together version of Money, Possessions and Eternity and asked him to please write a more condensed version. He said he'd think about it. Well, after thinking about it for 20 years, here it is: Managing God's Money. 

Read the rest of the review.

Ever since I wrote the first edition of Money, Possessions, and Eternity in 1989, I’ve wanted to write a smaller book that dealt with the whole realm of Christian stewardship. (My book The Treasure Principle is a smaller book, but is specifically on giving.) Managing God's Money puts the cookies on the lower shelf, so to speak, yet it challenges readers and deals with a great many issues, from insurance and inheritance, to gambling, saving, and debt. It also lays a biblical foundation for us being the managers of God's assets, hence the title Managing God's Money. That theme of stewardship is woven throughout the book.

(When my assistant Kathy was overseeing our book table at a conference where I was speaking, a man ran by in a hurry but happened to notice the Managing God’s Money book. “Manage God’s money?” he said. “I have a hard enough time managing my own!”)

But the title of the book is not just some cute, figurative expression. It’s a precise depiction of what the Bible says I am—God’s money manager. One day, I will stand before God and give an account of how I’ve managed what belongs to him. Have I taken good care of it, using it wisely for purposes he approves of? Or have I misused or wasted it? It’s a revolutionary concept that changed my life and my family’s. If you embrace it, I guarantee it will change your life as well.

For those of you who are pastors, our ministry will send you a free copy of Managing God’s Money. (Or, please let your pastor know that EPM offers the book to them for free.) Click here for more information about the pastors’ kit and for related resources to share with your church.

      

The Christmas Story

This video was produced by Portland Christian School a couple of years ago, but I just saw it after my friend Dale Walker sent it to me. It features preschool children being asked about the Christmas story. It’s heartwarming and delightful. And some of the answers make a good case for children’s need for a Christian education. :)

      

A Human Non-Person?

In his excellent blog, Justin Taylor quotes from J. P. Moreland on the issue of whether someone can be human but not a person, a distinction used by pro-abortion and pro-euthanasia advocates to justify taking human lives.

Can There Be Such a Thing as a Human Non-Person?

In debates about the beginning of life some will concede the scientific reality that at human conception the embryo is a “human being,” but then deny that this is a “person.” The assumption is often that personhood is something that comes in degrees and requires not just certain capacities but actual manifestation of certain properties associated with personhood.

Standardized tests often include questions of the form “A is to B as X is to _____.” This exercise helps to identify relationships of symmetry and can prove illuminating. J. P. Moreland, in a lecture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary on “Naturalism and the Crisis of the Soul,” gives a helpful illustration on this issue:

Being a person is to being human as being a color is to being red. Something can be colored without being red or blue, but something could not be red without being colored.

Someone can be a person without being a human (an angel), but someone can not be a human without being a person.

Being red is one way of being a color, and being a human is one way of being a person.

When we think of it this way, we can make sense out of how there could be colored things that are not red things or persons without being humans (God, angels, Martians). But it does not make any sense to say there could be a human non-person any more than it would make sense to say there could be a red object that was not colored.

For an advanced level discussion on personhood, Thomistic substance dualism, and bioethics, I’d highly recommend Moreland and Rae’s Body & Soul: Human Nature & the Crisis in Ethics (IVP, 2000).

      

How High Should Our Standards Be When it Comes to the U.S. President?

On the one hand, we should be acutely aware that every candidate is imperfect. We will be voting for a president, not a pastor, and certainly not a Messiah. We must hold fully to the biblical standards of leadership when it comes to appointing church leaders. Depending on the candidates, when it comes to politicians, it is possible if not likely that not all of the biblical qualifications will be met. That troubles me, but it is a reality we must face.

On the other hand... This is an article from The New York Times which I think Christians should consider. I don’t mean that I think it would be categorically wrong to support Newt Gingrich, nor am I suggesting an alternative. But I admit that it is profoundly difficult for me to think of supporting someone who made multiple moral choices that dishonor God, and who did so while championing the cause of “family values.” I don’t know all the answers, but I am suggesting these thoughts should be carefully weighed:

The Tempting of the Christian Right

By ROSS DOUTHAT

More than any other Republican constituency, religious conservatives have good reasons to be wary of Newt Gingrich. As the leader of a right-wing insurgency in the early 1990s, he often kept their causes at arm’s length — deliberately excluding issues like abortion and school prayer from the Contract With America, for instance. As Speaker of the House, he undercut their claim to the moral high ground by carrying on an extramarital affair even as his party was impeaching Bill Clinton for lying under oath about adultery.

During his years in the political wilderness, though, Gingrich found religion – both as a convert to the Roman Catholic Church and as a born-again champion of socially conservative causes. He’s spent the last decade producing books and documentaries about America’s Christian heritage. He raised money for a referendum to recall the judges who legalized same-sex marriage in Iowa. His public rhetoric borrows the tropes of the religious right — emphasizing the dangers of secularism, attacking the usurpations of activist judges, and so on. And when he talks about his checkered personal life, it’s always in the language of sin, repentance and redemption.

Now his path to the nomination depends on this conversion paying off. If Gingrich hopes to outlast Mitt Romney, he needs to win over evangelicals wary of Mormonism and social conservatives worried about Romney’s many flip-flops on their issues. He needs the Republican Party’s values voters to forgive his past indiscretions and embrace him as their champion. And his rise in the polls has prompted a lively debate among religious conservatives, both in Iowa and nationally, about whether they should do just that — whether he’s really changed, whether his various conversions are sincere, and whether they can trust him.

Read the rest of the article.

      

 

Let Us Be As Daniel

I appreciated this passage from a sermon by Charles Haddon Spurgeon entitled "Daniel Facing the Lions' Den."

Act on the outset as a Christian should. What if employers should frown, or customers be vexed, or friends fail? Bear it! It will be the best policy in the long run. That is not, however, for you to consider. Do the right thing, whatever happens. Let us be as Daniel. Oh that the young among you would emulate the purpose of heart with which Daniel began life! Oh that the active and vigorous among you would seek with Daniel’s constant prayerfulness for that high gift of wisdom equal to all emergencies with which God so richly endowed him!

And, oh, that the harassed, tempted, and persecuted among you would learn to keep a clean conscience in the midst of impurities, as Daniel did; to preserve, like him, faith and fellowship with the faithful and true God, though living among strangers and foreigners, profane in all their thoughts and habits; and to hold the statutes and commandments of the Lord as more to be desired than wealth or honor — yea, dearer to you, as Daniel accounted them, than even life itself! So shall you honor God, and glorify Christ, and bless and praise his precious name in a way in which nothing else but decision of character can possibly lead you to do. God grant us all to have Christ for a Savior, and to live to his praise. Amen.

By, the way, eChristian is offering a free audio book download of The Christmas Carol, read by Simon Vance, who was the voice of Spurgeon for the We Shall See God audio book. Nanci and I listened to the first portion, and it is excellent. Merry Christmas season to all.

      

Saying Goodbye to Moses

I shared briefly on Facebook what happened a couple of days ago, but wanted to blog about it now and add quite a few other thoughts and links.  

Nanci and I had to put to sleep our almost 15-year-old Dalmatian, Moses. Many of you have been there, as indicated by the 150 comments on Facebook that flooded in after I shared the news.

Animals aren’t humans, but they have personalities and display love and affection, and God creates a great bond between us and them.

Of course, animals aren’t as valuable as people, and losing a pet isn’t the same as losing a child or spouse. But it can certainly feel like losing a dear friend, because in fact a pet is capable of being a close friend (you don’t have to be human to be a friend). It is the very differentness of a pet that’s part of what endears us to each other. They can’t be the same that humans can be, but likewise no human can be what a dog or cat or horse can be.

Adam and Eve’s first job, given by God, was to rule over animals. God entrusts these animals to our care. He loves them, and he approves of us loving them. I’ve been thinking about how often God used Moses and the four previous dogs I’ve had to make me laugh, and bring delight, and show me love in times I really needed that unique unconditional love. Even when you’ve blown it and made a fool of yourself, your dog thinks you’re a hero. Even when you don’t sense much love from people, your dog would follow you to the ends of the earth and die for you in a heartbeat. His is an unconditional love.

Moses has been failing for the last year and a half, and in the last few weeks he’s been unable to control bodily functions or stand long without losing his balance. It became clear that this time he would not recover. Earlier in the week, Moses fell while trying to get up. He immediately looked me in the eyes, and I sensed as clearly as if it were an audible voice, “It’s time now.”

So a few days ago the vet came to our home and explained there would be two injections, the first to anesthetize him completely, and the second to stop his heart. (I’d done this at a clinic 14 years ago with our previous dog, Champ, and decided this time I wanted it to be done at home.)

Once final time I looked into Moey’s eyes during that first injection and saw nothing but utter devotion, absolute love and trust. He knew I would never hurt him, that I would act in his best interests even if it hurt me to do it. I thought, this is exactly the trust and devotion I should have for my Father in Heaven, no matter how tough the circumstances, no matter whether I’m capable of figuring out why.

Looking back on it, Nanci and I have learned many lessons from Moses including how much easier life would be if we weren’t intent on escaping through fences, stealing food or chewing remote controls. :)

The day we had to part with Moses was a day of great sorrow, and yet great sweetness. Who can know that inseparable combination like God’s children? The curse weighs heavily on us and the whole creation. The resurrection assures us that as the whole creation, including animals, fell on our coattails, so the whole creation shall rise on our coattails. Our God of sovereign goodness will reverse the curse, and we and the entire world shall rise to new life. There will be no more pain and suffering. I long for that day. Watching Moses die in my arms made me long for it more.

As I sat with Moses in his last hours, waiting for the vet to arrive, I found myself reading the two chapters on animals in my Heaven book. It was one of those rare times when I sensed God talking to me as though someone else had written it. In fact, while researching Heaven I deepened and broadened my theology of animals.

Humorist Will Rogers said, “If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” This statement was, of course, based on sentiment, not theology. However, it reflects something biblical: a God-given affection for animals. I thank God for Ranger, my black lab, and Spike the mutt, and Champ, my Golden Retriever I grew up with. And for the second Champ, our Springer Spaniel who our daughters grew up with (who was also Nanci’s first dog), and now for Moses, who walked with us through our daughters moving out of the home and starting their own families, and who played with our grandsons. Moses would let those boys wrestle with him, and bump him, and never retaliate.

I’ve written elsewhere about why I’m convinced that there will be animals on the New Earth, where we will live after the resurrection. Besides the two chapters I devote to it in the book Heaven, here’s a brief article and a 5-minute video treatment of animals in Heaven.

Also, I highly recommend this sermon by John Wesley which I quote from in Heaven. It’s a remarkable message about animals spoken by a man who spent thousands of hours with horses.

In her excellent book about Heaven, our friend Joni Eareckson Tada says, “If God brings our pets back to life, it wouldn’t surprise me. It would be just like Him. It would be totally in keeping with His generous character. . . . Exorbitant. Excessive. Extravagant in grace after grace. Of all the dazzling discoveries and ecstatic pleasures heaven will hold for us, the potential of seeing Scrappy would be pure whimsy—utterly, joyfully, surprisingly superfluous. . . . Heaven is going to be a place that will refract and reflect in as many ways as possible the goodness and joy of our great God, who delights in lavishing love on His children.”

In a poem about the world to come, another friend, John Piper, writes,

And as I knelt beside the brook
To drink eternal life, I took
A glance across the golden grass,
And saw my dog, old Blackie, fast
As she could come. She leaped the stream—
Almost—and what a happy gleam
Was in her eye. I knelt to drink,
And knew that I was on the brink
Of endless joy. And everywhere
I turned I saw a wonder there.

MY PRAYER: Thank you, Lord, for what you have taught me through each of my dogs, and through your other creatures, including nine months ago when I spent 90 minutes with Molly the seal.

As I looked into the eyes of Moses in those final minutes together in this world, I sensed unmistakably your presence in your sweet creation. You spoke to my heart through him. I expect it’s likely that by your extravagant grace one day, after the resurrection, Nanci and I will run with those dogs through meadows on your New Earth. Meanwhile, please be with Nanci who has lost a precious and inseparable friend and walking companion.

Thank you for your promise that one day there will be no more pain or sorrow or curse, that You will wipe away the tears from every eye (Revelation 21:4). Thank you that you promise relief not only for human beings, but also for the “whole creation” that now groans in suffering, and is awaiting the deliverance that will come in the resurrection of God’s children (Romans 8:22-24).  

Thank you for paying an unspeakable price to extend that grace to us here and now. Help us to be doing what your Word tells us we should: “Looking forward to a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).

Your grateful and loving son,