Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 26

Christ and His Kingdom, Not Politics, Should Be the Central Fixture of Our Focus

This election year, many of us are already finding the political commentary and news exhausting. Never have God’s people needed the reminder more that the key to influence and change in this world is not, and never has been, politics. It is faithfulness to Jesus.

Of course, we should look over the candidates carefully and prayerfully consider the issues and where they stand, and what kind of character they demonstrate. While we’re voting for a president, not a pastor, there should still be matters of their integrity and worldview we carefully evaluate.

Still, we dare not set our hopes on the Republican or Democratic parties or candidates, or Independents, but upon the only One who can save us—our true Cosmic  President, our true Chief Justice, and our true Lawmaker: “For Yahweh is our judge, Yahweh is our lawgiver, Yahweh is our king; He will save us” (Isaiah 33:22, LSB). 

Ultimately our hope should be in Him, this Sovereign over the nations: “O Yahweh, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations?” (2 Chronicles 20:6, LSB).

Andrew T. Walker wrote an editorial for World News Group titled “Man’s Chief End Is Not Political Obsession.” Here’s an excerpt from it:

Though we cannot stop the media from doing what it will do, it’s our choice whether to make politics the central fixture of our focus.

I’m not saying to give up on politics. Heaven forbid, in fact. I’m saying to approach politics with proper perspective and cool-headedness. In other words, to paraphrase a quote from theologian Oliver O’Donovan, Christians might be at their political best when talking about politics least. That may have a tinge of irony to it, but O’Donovan’s point is that the pronouncement of Jesus’ kingship should produce an anti-fragility and anti-frenetic spirit in how Christians conceive of worldly authority. If Jesus truly is King (and we most certainly believe He is), earthly politics is at best secondary to our lives in this age. What should be more important is your family, your local church, and your relationships.

What an impoverished worldview it must be to let politics—and Donald Trump or Joe Biden—reorder the hierarchy of loves that we are to spend our lives cultivating.

So, why, then, am I devoting a column to the subject of evangelicals and politics? Am I a hypocrite for penning such a column? Evangelical Christians need to be able to conduct their affairs as evangelical Christians without letting the external commentary swallow up the good work that is happening in evangelical churches or the political circus from distracting us from what makes us evangelicals: a fervent belief in the good news of Jesus Christ and His life-transforming power.

Read the rest here.

This year, we can choose where to fix our eyes. Instead of locking them on the short-term things we can see, we are called to turn our gaze, by faith, to what is eternal. Here are some verses to meditate on, about fixing our gaze on God and His kingdom:

“Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest” (Hebrews 3:1, NIV).

“We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

“Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always” (Psalm 105:4).

“My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, LORD, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8).

“I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven” (Psalm 123:1).

“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from Yahweh, Who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2, LSB).  

“But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge” (Psalm 141:8).

“My eyes are continually toward Yahweh, For He will bring my feet out of the net” (Psalm 25:15).

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2, NIV).

“I have set Yahweh continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8).

“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28).

Photo: Unsplash

Because of How God Sovereignly Led Me Through Past Difficulties, I Can Trust Him for the Future

Recently I shared this on Facebook:

In all my hardest times, God has been there. He’s been faithful to me when I had to resign as a pastor, had issues with church leaders, went through lawsuits and public scorn, was restricted to minimum wage, and faced disease and depression and the deaths of close friends and family members, including the death of my beloved wife and best friend, Nanci. I don’t understand why everything has happened, but I have seen a great deal of good come out of much of it. Because of who God is and all He’s done for me, I trust Him to use all the other difficulties in ways I will not understand until I enter His presence.

Several commenters said that they hadn’t heard that part of my story before and looked it up. It was a good reminder that some of those who follow our ministry aren’t aware of the history of how Eternal Perspective Ministries started. As you watch this video, I hope it makes you think about God’s sovereignty and leading in your own life:

Those who believe that God doesn’t know about billions of future choices and the events that flow out of those choices must simply hope for the best. Those who believe in a God who knows “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10), however, can relax because even though they don’t know what lies ahead, their sovereign God does.

In the several years that we found ourselves in the middle of the stressful situation with the lawsuits, Nanci and I would talk with our daughters, assuring them that God remained in control, that He knew everything that would happen, and that we could trust Him to use it for good. And He has!

In the journal she kept during her cancer years, Nanci reflected on those earlier challenges we faced: “Lord, you used the Lovejoy trial and verdict to shape so many lives—especially those of our daughters. Your plan was not to deliver us out of that literal trial. Your plan was to deliver us through that trial and verdict. By allowing such a severe verdict and penalty, you led us onto a path that was marvelous beyond our hopes. So many blessings were piled along that path for us and countless others. We couldn’t have dreamed what you had in store for us.”

Later in her journal, she quoted Charles Spurgeon:

As to the future, all of us are blind and cannot see an hour ahead us. But the Lord will lead us right up to our journey’s end…Happy are those who place their hand in that of the Great Guide, and leave their way and themselves entirely with Him. He will bring them all the way. And when He has brought them home to glory and has opened their eyes to see the way by which He has led them, what a song of gratitude will they sing to their great Benefactor.

Henrietta C. Mears wrote, “I know not the way He leads me, but well do I know my Guide.” Because of God’s grace and sovereignty, we can fully trust Him in whatever is ahead!

Photo: Unsplash

Child Trafficking Is Nothing Like in the Movies, and That’s Good News

Note from Randy: You may have heard of the allegations brought by multiple Mormon women against the central real-life character of the movie The Sound of Freedom, Tim Ballard. Ballard himself is a Mormon, but whether or not these accusations prove true, there are serious concerns about dishonesty and exaggeration about the claims of tactics of Operation Underground Railroad. If Ballard and some of the movie are discredited, we should not throw out the baby with the bathwater. Sex trafficking is a very real and serious problem even if some of the allegations are confirmed to be true, and even if the movie is not reflective of the most common and effective ways to rescue children and adults from sex trafficking.

I am simultaneously thankful for the attention drawn to the terrible crime of sex trafficking and the needs of its victims, and concerned that no unethical people or groups benefit from that attention. Note that months before these allegations emerged, Ministry Watch reported on matters of major concern regarding the small percentage of the money received by Operation Underground Railroad that actually goes to helping free people from sex trafficking.

One of the organizations Eternal Perspective Ministries supports is the biblical, Jesus-centered, and effective ministry of International Justice Mission. As the following article from IJM explains, their real-life work is nothing like what’s shown in the movies. IJM’s founder and CEO, Gary Haugen, has become a friend as I’ve seen and spoken with him periodically at conferences over the years. A few months ago, Gary and I had a long phone conversation. I was impressed and touched by what he shared. One of the things IJM does is teach and train local police in how to enforce laws so they can rescue victims of human trafficking.

If you’re looking for a solid ministry to support, one with a long track record of being used by God to bring freedom and hope to needy people around the world, I recommend you consider IJM.

Child trafficking is nothing like in the movies. Here’s why that’s very good news.

Bullet proof vest. Check. Semi-automatic weapon. Locked and loaded. Side arm. Holstered. A chiseled, rugged looking man equips tactical gear piece by piece with a determined look in his eye. Before he sets off alone on a clandestine international mission to rescue a child who has been trafficked, he clutches a keepsake dangling from his neck and pauses for a moment. “I will find you.”

If this scene sounds familiar, it’s because you’ve probably seen something like it in a movie. Hollywood movies are expertly scripted to paint a devastating picture of child trafficking, often including the story of how one man’s heroics save the day. Movies like these can be an emotionally gripping way to introduce large audiences to the problem of human trafficking. But action movies are not an accurate reflection of reality – even when they are based on true stories.

If you’ve recently learned about the global issue of child trafficking from a movie and have been inspired to help do whatever it takes to end it, you’ve come to the right place. The first step you can take is to learn more about the issue. There are several trusted global organizations to learn from with tons of helpful resources. Most organizations are eager to educate, because the end of child trafficking must begin with an accurate and grounded understanding of the problem. And a good way to start learning is by recognizing the difference between fact and fiction.

International Justice Mission is a global non-profit with 25 years of experience helping rescue children, women, and men from violence. In that time, we’ve witnessed the reality of violence and trafficking millions of people face every day. But we’ve also seen things like rescue, protection, and justice for vulnerable people on a scale once thought to be impossible.

We recently celebrated ten years of work in the Dominican Republic, which resulted in a staggering 78% reduction in child sex trafficking. You can read more about it here.

Here are five examples of how child trafficking has been portrayed in movies, and how they compare to IJM’s real work in the Dominican Republic.

Reel: Children are mostly shown kidnapped on the streets by strangers, stolen from their families in a moment of chaos.
Real: Most children are trafficked by somebody close to them, like a friend, family or relative. While violent force is sometimes used to traffic children, it often isn’t even necessary. For example, families in the Dominican Republic under desperate economic circumstances were typically targeted by traffickers who tricked them with fake job offers and money for school.

Reel: After children are taken, they are sent to other countries in shipping containers to be sold.
Real: While cross-border trafficking does happen, the vast majority of trafficking cases globally are domestic. Often, just moving a child across the equivalent of a state line is enough to separate them from community protection.

Reel: Children are trafficked on the dark web, where buyers and sellers operate with anonymity in the shadows.
Real: Children are trafficked online using the same tools, platforms and technology we use every day. In the early 2000’s before IJM began work in the Dominican Republic, children were bought and sold openly in the streets, in parks and on beaches.

Reel: A lone wolf ex-military officer travels overseas to rescue a child while singlehandedly dismantling all the systemic issues that contribute to child trafficking.
Real: Anti-trafficking organizations like IJM work with local law enforcement, NGOs and authorities for years to help develop their own capacity to rescue children. As a result of IJM’s close work with the Dominican government over ten years, lasting change was measurably achieved. Only local law enforcement has the authority to conduct a rescue. IJM’s role was to help give them the support needed to do that more effectively.

Reel: One man’s brave, daring, cinematic attempt to rescue a child is the story that drives the entire plot. Once the child is rescued, the movie is over and the credits roll.
Real: Rescue is just the beginning of the story. The goal of anti-trafficking work is to help rescue victims in immediate need while addressing the systemic root causes that allow children to be trafficked in the first place.

Over ten years later, child sex trafficking in the DR has decreased measurably and dramatically. And it isn’t a fluke. In fact, IJM has successfully reduced violence against vulnerable people in all nine regions where we’ve concluded program work. This is why we believe it’s possible to rescue millions and protect half a billion people from violence by 2030. We know what works, we know how to get it done, and we know there are people like you who are excited to help make it happen.

Child trafficking is nothing like in the movies. And that’s very good news. Because while the realities of child trafficking are far more harrowing than what you’ll see on screen, the hope that we can end it for good is real.

Photo: Unsplash

Tell Your Children and Grandchildren About Yahweh, That One Day They May Remind You

One of the things I love most about our ministry is that our staff take the time to minister and talk to people who contact us. One of our EPM staff, Amy Schafer, shared about a wonderful conversation she had with a customer who called to order Heaven booklets:

She has one booklet already that she was able to read daily to her mother who had Alzheimer’s, and it was such a comfort and always brought peace to her mom (and her). In her mother’s last days, she couldn’t speak much, but as she listened to her daughter read the Heaven booklet, she managed to ask how she knew she would go to Heaven. Her daughter was able to share her mom’s testimony back to her—as she couldn’t remember. And what a beautiful and peace filled time it was. She wants to have many booklets to give to people, so they too can experience the peace it brought to their lives.

That is so powerful: a woman with dementia, asking how she could know she’s going to Heaven, and her daughter recounting to her mom the mom’s own testimony. It’s like being witnessed to by yourself, based on what you have told your children. The lesson might be: tell your children and grandchildren what God has done for you, and not only will it make a difference for them, one day when your mind is frail, it might come back to you from them, and make a difference for you! 

“Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise Yahweh” (Psalm 102:18). And perhaps one day your children will speak back to you what you have written and spoken and lived. Then a people at the end of their lives who loved God, but do not remember, may praise Yahweh along with those they poured life and love into who DO remember and will testify to what the elderly have forgotten. 

Psalm 71:18 says, “Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me.”  With the added thought from this mother and daughter’s story: “Yahweh, let me proclaim You to them, that one day they may proclaim You to me.”  

Let me finish by quoting a dear friend, Robin, who wrote the following about her mother after reading the story I just shared. This is just beautiful:

With my mother on hospice care, nearing her one hundredth birthday, I can attest to the truth of that. She has five children, and we all often recall to her the story of her salvation, and the difference it made in her life and our lives. We sing her the songs she has loved best over the years, and read scriptures that she loves, and she nods along with us in agreement. 

One of her favorite songs is “He Giveth More Grace.” Another one is “God Leads His Dear Children Along.” 

One day a few months ago, mom said she was feeling discouraged, and when I asked her why, she said she wasn’t doing anything, just taking up space. I asked her if she had ever seen a page in a book with all the words on it. She said, of course. I told her that between every word on the page is a space. It’s not doing anything; it’s just taking up space. But without that, the entire page would make no sense. I said she was here in the world because God knew the world would make more sense with her in it. When He was done with her, He would take her home to glory, but until then, she has a real purpose. That thought just thrilled her.

“Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old” (Proverbs 23:22).

“‘You shall rise up before the gray-haired and honor the aged, and you shall fear your God; I am Yahweh’” (Leviticus 19:32, LSB).

Photo: Unsplash

No Adverse Circumstance Changes the Nature and Worth of an Unborn Child

In addressing the issue of abortion in the case of rape in my prolife books, I pose a series of questions to readers:

What if you found that your spouse or adopted child was fathered by a rapist? Would it change your view of their worth? Would you love them any less? If not, why should we view the innocent unborn child any differently?

Rape is so horrible that we easily transfer our horror to the wrong object. We must not impose the ugliness of rape or incest upon either the innocent woman or the innocent child. The woman is not “spoiled goods”—she is not goods at all, but a precious human being with value and dignity that not even the vilest act can take from her. Likewise, the child is not a cancer to be removed, but a living human being. By all means, let’s punish the rapist. (I favor stricter punishment of the rapist than do the prochoice advocates I know.) But let’s not punish the wrong person by inflicting upon the innocent child our rage against the rapist.

The hard cases are also sometimes called the exceptional cases. But the fundamental question remains, “Is there any exception to the fact that a preborn child is a human being?” 

The point is not how a child was conceived but that he was conceived. He is not a despicable “product of rape.” He is a unique and wonderful creation of God. No adverse circumstance for one human being changes the nature and worth of another human being.

This is a wonderful video about a man, Steventhen Holland, who was adopted at birth, and later discovered the tragic yet beautiful circumstances surrounding his conception and birth:

Photo: Unsplash

This Year, Let’s Look for and Remember What God Has Done

Note from Randy: My thanks to reader Carole Wildes for sharing her great article, full of Scripture and encouragement to remember God’s faithfulness. We need eyes to see His goodness around us: in faithful people, food, dogs and sunsets, sports and the arts, and the very air we breathe. All that’s good comes from God, for He is the source of all good things. Even in the hard times, may we give thanks that He is preparing a place for us of eternal goodness that will unmistakably shout His greatness and kindness for all to see.

As we begin this year, I have a question for you: what do you think about when you think of the past year?

Does your mind go to the good moments? Or straight to the bad ones? Are you glad last year is over, ready for the hope of a new one? Are you thinking maybe this year will be a good one, finally, after these last few rough ones? Or do you know something tough is coming up?

Wherever you find yourself, whether dragging your feet or excited about the months ahead, I’d like to encourage you. God has good planned for you, even in the bad things. 

I’ll say that again, to help it sink in: God has good planned for you, even in the bad things.

The good is easy to see sometimes—sometimes the good looks like what we want it to. Sometimes it matches up with our expectations of “good.” Sometimes it looks like new babies and healthy loved ones and fun vacations and good jobs and loving friends and generally enjoyable moments. 

But sometimes the good doesn’t look so good. Sometimes we can’t even tell where the good is. Sometimes the good is hidden (and hidden really well) among a whole lot of bad. Sometimes the good is camouflaged by loss and pain and sadness and longing and sickness and fear. Sometimes it seems there’s no good to be found at all.

But God.

God is always good, even when things in our lives aren’t. And God is always near to those who call on Him in truth, good to those who wait for Him, and working for the good of those who love Him and belong to Him through faith in Jesus. 

The LORD is near to all who call on Him,
to all who call on Him in truth.

Psalm 145:18

The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
to the soul who seeks Him.

Lamentations 3:25

Even when the circumstances of our lives are not good, we can always find good because God is with us. God is at work. And God has promised to bring good out of ALL the things for those who are His. 

And we know that God causes all things to work together for
good to those who love God, to those who are called according
to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

We often struggle now, but we know that the here and now is not the end. This is not all there is. God has told us what He has in store for us, and it’s wonderful beyond words. No more pain or sorrow or trouble. Just beauty and joy and love and peace.

Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man,
and He will dwell with them.
They will be His people,
and God Himself will be with them as their God.
‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’
and there will be no more death
or mourning or crying or pain,
for the former things have passed away.

Revelation 21:3b-4

So even in the middle of our suffering, we can have hope—a sure hope, based on the trustworthiness of God Himself—hope of goodness to come, both through and after the things we’re enduring now. Such a beautiful comfort to have that hope to carry us through the hard, hard things of this life.

As you look back on the past year, and as you look forward to what’s ahead, make sure you look through the lenses of Truth—the lenses of what we know of God and His goodness and His provision and His care, the lenses of Scripture. 

Good may not always look the way we want it to…but One Day, it will. 
Good may be surrounded by awful, hard, terrible things…but One Day, ALL will be made right.
Good may be hard to find…but it’s always there, because God is always there, and He is trustworthy. His promises are true.

I’ve made a simple one-page calendar to help us notice and mark and remember what God has done in the coming year (and one for last year is below). I hope you’ll download it, print it, tuck it in your Bible, and use it to jot down things God has done and will do in your life and in the lives of your loved ones. It’s so easy for us to forget—to focus on the hard things, to neglect to see God’s provision and strength and truth and goodness and beauty because our attention is on the things we don’t want. But God tells us to fix our eyes, our thoughts, our hearts on the good—and on Him. 

See What God Has Done Calendar 2024

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever
is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything
worthy of praise, think about these things.

Philippians 4:8

Philippians 4:8 gives us instruction on where to focus our attention. The true. The honorable. The just. The pure. The lovely. The commendable. The excellent. The praiseworthy. And note this: when it seems there is no good to fix our eyes on, Jesus Himself fulfills everything in this verse. So we always have something—Someone—good to focus on.

Whether you print out the calendar or not, I encourage you to take some time to think about the past year through the filter of Truth. Here are some questions to help you focus on what God has done:

What joyful blessings did God shower on you?
What difficult things did He bring you through? Or what difficult things is He currently bringing you through?
In what ways did God provide for you?
In what ways do you see God’s nearness and care as you look back?
In what ways did God grow you?
In what ways did God answer your prayers?
What did God teach you? How?

And as we go forward into the months ahead, I encourage us all to set a goal of noticing, writing down, and remembering what God does in our lives—and sharing that encouragement with others. As we practice this, we will be training ourselves and helping others to watch for and lean into God’s goodness, His provision, His care. He is always near, and He is always good.

In the coming year and always, 

The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

And may this calendar help you to regularly declare:

Come and see what God has done,
his awesome deeds for mankind!
Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.

Psalm 66:5, 16

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We Are Called to Persevere and Finish Well, to God’s Glory

Charles Spurgeon said, “By perseverance, the snail reached the ark.” This beautiful art illustrating Spurgeon’s words was created by Eden Kell, 15-year-old daughter of author and pastor Garrett Kell:

I’ve been following Garrett’s updates on Eden on her CaringBridge page. Precious Eden suffered a serious and unexplained seizure in December and has been in the PICU. It has been, and continues to be, a long haul for the Kell family. Please join me in praying for them and for Eden’s recovery. (You might also like to read Garrett’s wonderful testimony in a past blog.)

Reading that Spurgeon quote reminded me of what I shared several years ago about perseverance and endurance at a Desiring God conference:

Paul prayed that Christians might be “strengthened with all power according to [God’s] glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father” (Colossians 1:11–12).

We’re called to a life of endurance empowered by Christ, and accompanied by joyful thanksgiving. Endurance requires patience, because reward for today’s right choices will come, but it may be months or years from now, or not until we leave this world. Those who drum their fingers waiting for the microwave to finish demonstrate that patient endurance doesn’t come naturally.

Paul challenged his disciple, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3). Soldiers expect hardship and are trained to face it. As comrades locking arms in the service of our Commander, Christ’s humble warriors are to live out, on enemy-occupied territory, what Eugene Peterson called “a long obedience in the same direction.”

Today’s roadblocks and distractions make endurance in the Christian life seem unattainable. Our temptations aren’t worse than those in first-century Corinth. But televisions, computers, and cell phones bring into our homes what used to be found only in back alleys. In our technological Corinth, temptations are only a keypad or mouse click or finger press away.

Failure to endure—in marriage, jobs, church, or any part of life—has become normal. A consistent long-term obedience, without periodic diversions into sin and unfruitfulness, seems an impossible dream. Sin has become so common, so expected, that holy believers are either elevated as heroes or dismissed as legalists.

In our disposable society, we use something up, then toss it (whether a paper plate, a spouse, a church, or a career). The stick-to-it philosophy is a relic of another age—something monks once did, but we can’t. And why should we? Who wants to work hard or become bored by staying a course when endless alternatives call to us?

But the essence of the Christian life cannot change with culture. Paul’s words to the Colossians and Timothy are words to us. We should not shrink from hardship. We should endure it with patience and thanksgiving. We are to follow Christ from start to finish, repenting quickly of our sins and moving forward in deeper devotion. Yes, there will be dry times, but overall, the arc of spiritual growth will steadily rise higher, not trail off so our lives end in a wasted whimper.

Endurance is Christ’s call to follow Him, to finish strong for God’s glory. There is no higher calling, no bigger privilege, no greater joy.

Here’s the full video of that message:

Photo: Pexels

Standing Up for the Unborn Is Part of Fulfilling the Great Commission

Over the years I’ve frequently been told that life issues are not what the church of Jesus Christ is to be about. A seminary student at my church once told me something I’ve often heard in one form or another: “Issues like abor­tion are just a distraction from the main thing.”

“What’s the main thing?” I asked.

“The Great Commission,” he said. “Winning  people to Christ. That’s what we’re supposed to do. Everything else is a distraction.”

What that seminary student failed to understand is that nothing opens doors for evangelism like need-meeting ministries. Students who do a speech on abortion have follow-up conversations that can lead to sharing the gospel. Those who work at pregnancy centers have great opportunities to share Christ, as do those who pass out literature at abortion clinics and go on campuses to educate about abortion. People who open their homes to pregnant women demonstrate a love which leads to sharing the gospel. Whenever we meet people’s needs, evangelism becomes both natural and credible. (I develop these thoughts in Life Issues: Distraction from the Great Commission or Part of It?)

This topic was also the subject of a teaching session I recorded for the Global Prolife Congress put on by LIFE International, a wonderful ministry that has equipped over 15,000 international pastors to launch life-affirming ministries in their countries. The goal of this gathering was to advance the gospel and the message of life throughout the world.

A friend of our ministry, who lives in Eastern Europe and attended the conference in Malta, writes, “We met people from 108 countries with 47 more countries participating on-line. …the fellowship and the things we learned, the way God spoke to us as a part of that amazing gathering of His people, is what is most priceless.”

In this clip from my message, I explain that to be pro-life should certainly mean more than being concerned for unborn babies, but it should never mean less than that:

Here’s the full message, about how our efforts to protect the most vulnerable—the unborn—ARE part of fulfilling the Great Commission:

January 21 is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, a time for believers to remember and pray for prolife ministries and victimized mothers and babies. 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. 

Photo: Unsplash

What Does God Think About Money?

If I had any doubts about whether people are genuinely interested in learning about and applying God’s perspective on finances, they ended late in 2001 when my little book The Treasure Principle: Discovering the Secret of Joyful Giving was published. It immediately went through eight printings and sold more than 200,000 copies within ten months. Amazed observers asked, “Are people really that interested in giving?”

The answer is yes.

The Treasure Principle addresses only one aspect of stewardship, but we desperately need to see the full biblical picture to inform and correct our faulty view of the world. The positive response to my book Money, Possessions, and Eternity, which presents a comprehensive treatment of Christian stewardship and was first published in 1989, has also been a great encouragement. I have received countless letters and emails telling me how people have been liberated to a new joy in their Christian lives.

A reader wrote on Facebook, “Read this book years ago! There are a handful of books in our lives that we can say are life changing. For me the Bible is #1…and this book would be #2. Your book Heaven is probably #3. Thank you for your ministry!”

One man told me that the book helped him choose to move from his position as CEO of a major company to work in a missions organization. Another man told me he has given millions of dollars to God’s kingdom as a result of God speaking to him through the book. Pastors have written to say how their lives and their churches have been changed. This is a tribute not to my insight, but to the power of the Scriptures to change our perspective. (And years later, my book Managing God’s Money was released, which is a simplified and abridged version of Money, Possessions, and Eternity)

A Biblical Education on Money Matters

Some churches use one of my books on stewardship for group study. Others use them to train new church members. However, despite the availability of excellent stewardship study materials—including publications from Crown Financial Ministries—only 10 percent of churches have active programs that teach biblical financial and stewardship principles. Only 15 percent of pastors say they have been equipped by their denomination or seminary to teach biblical financial principles. Only 2–4 percent of seminaries offer courses, seminars, or Bible studies to teach stewardship principles, and only 1–2 percent of Christian colleges offer such training.

It’s remarkable that something so central to the teaching of Scripture—money is referenced at least 800 times—is so neglected by schools dedicated to teaching the Scriptures and preparing students to train others. I wrote Money, Possessions, and Eternity for just that reason; to help close the gap between Scripture’s teaching about money and our education about money.

 I’ve learned a great deal more since writing the original edition and its revised and updated version. But what’s most important hasn’t changed at all—God and His Word, which have a power and authority far beyond my own. I cite Scripture often throughout the book, so that even if my opinions are incorrect, readers can draw their own conclusions from the truth itself. I cannot be certain of all my insights, but I am absolutely certain of God’s.

Where Rubber Meets the Road

When I wrote the original edition of Money, Possessions, and Eternity, I was a local church pastor. I knew that this subject matter had gripped me and changed my family’s life–but I had no idea what would happen less than a year after the book came out. Our family’s belief in the truths presented in the book was tested in ways we never could have predicted. Through trials requiring every ounce of faith, we found those truths about God and His provision to be rock-solid.

I pray your heart will be touched and your life forever changed, as mine has been, through studying and applying Scripture’s exciting perspectives on money, possessions, and eternity.

A.W. Tozer wrote, “The man of pseudo faith will fight for his verbal creed but refuse flatly to allow himself to get into a predicament where his future must depend upon that creed being true. He always provides himself with secondary ways of escape so he will have a way out if the roof caves in. What we need very badly these days is a company of Christians who are prepared to trust God as completely now as they know they must do at the last day.”

Books on giving and stewardship trespass on enemy territory. They invade the turf of a powerful adversary, attempting to cross a war zone laced with mines. In writing them I sought to recover strategic territory that rightly belongs to our true King.

Satan is the Lord of Materialism. “Mammon” is but an alias of the Prince of Darkness, who has a vested interest in whether or not we understand and obey Christ’s commands concerning money and possessions. The Enemy will not give ground without a fight.

Our use of money and possessions is a decisive statement of our eternal values. What we do with our money loudly affirms which kingdom we belong to. Whenever we give of our resources to further God’s kingdom, we cast a ballot for Christ and against Satan, for Heaven and against Hell. Whenever we use our resources selfishly and indifferently, we further Satan’s goals.

Don’t Believe the Lie

The key to a right use of money and possessions is a right perspective—an eternal perspective. Each of our lives is positioned like a bow, drawn across the strings of a cosmic violin, producing vibrations that resound for all eternity. The slightest action of the bow produces a sound which is never lost. My choices today have a tremendous bearing on eternity. Indeed, it is the stuff of which eternity is made.

The game becomes only more serious as the stakes are raised—or when we begin to realize how high the stakes already are. Far too many evangelical Christians have succumbed to the heresy that this present life may be lived disobediently without serious effects on their eternal state. Never have so many Christians believed the lie that their money and possessions are theirs to do with as they please. Never have so many thought that as long as they affirm with their lips a certain doctrinal statement, they may live their lives indifferent to human need and divine command, and all will turn out well in the end.

God’s Word is grain; our word is straw. His Word is the fire that consumes and the hammer that breaks (see Jeremiah 23:28-29). Judge what I’ve written, not in the light of prevailing opinion, but in the light of God’s Word. A. W. Tozer said, “Listen to no man who has not listened to God.” To the degree that my words do not match up to Scripture, they are worthless. To the degree that they stand up under the scrutiny of God’s Word, they should be taken seriously.

The best way to check our heart’s attitude regarding material possessions is to allow all the principles of God’s Word to penetrate our innermost being. “The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

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We Need Leaders Calling the Church to Faithfulness out of Love, Not Resentment Disguised as Courage

Note from Randy:  Last year I endorsed Daniel Darling’s book Agents of Grace: How to Bridge Divides and Love as Jesus Loved. He’s a good brother with a good heart and a good mind, and I appreciated these thoughts he recently shared online.

I certainly believe there is a time and place for constructive criticism of the church. Evangelicalism as a sub-culture is riddled with any number of failings. We should welcome and take seriously constructive criticism, and make changes where appropriate. (Twelve years ago, I wrote a blog on Does the Word Evangelical Mean Anything Anymore? And I’ve written on the doctrinal crisis facing the church. I’ve also addressed issues in the church related to abortion, giving, and our views of Heaven.)

However, as Dan points out, there’s much criticism online that is actually rooted in bitterness rather than seeking to build up the church. (People who are critical often fall into referring to church members as “they.” But where is the “we”?)

May Dan’s words remind us to heed 1 Corinthians 16:14 (“Let all that you do be done in love”) and Romans 14:19 (“So then, let us pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another.”)

In the last few years, there have been quite a few polemics published that slam evangelicalism. Some have had good but hard words we need to hear. But most suffer from the same problems which make their attempt at being prophetic fall on deaf ears:

1) Self righteousness. Almost always the writer is convinced of his/her own moral rectitude and the depravity of everyone else. He/She has perfectly nailed the proper approach to, say, politics, while everyone else is wrong. Zero humility.

2) Resentment. This is often barely disguised. There’s an offense that hasn’t been healed from, a hurt that is still festering. And rather than work on forgiveness (always possible) and reconciliation (not always possible), the author chooses to vomit on the page.

3) Sensationalism. There is a tabloid aspect to most anti-evangelical jeremiads that bears little resemblance to actual prophetic words. It’s a desire to destroy rather than build, to titillate rather than edify. When Paul instructed Timothy to rebuke the church he said, “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

4) Lack of Understanding. Almost always, the anti-evangelical screeds fail to empathize with the target’s perspective. This is particularly true with criticism of conservatives and the culture. Often the author shrugs at the massive, destructive shifts on gender and sexuality taking place or shrugs at policies like abortion on demand as if opposing those things is born out of malice. There are biblical and unbiblical ways to engage these issues but often the entire project is seen as frivolous.

5) Chronological snobbery. Almost always these jeremiads suffer from an elitist view that everything our parents did was wrong and that we will be the generation that “finally gets it.” This is just a lack of humility. Some of these books even shame actual parents for their voting patterns or attempt to disciple their children. I find this distasteful. We may differ at times in approach from our parents but it’s wrong to fail to love and appreciate their sacrifices.

6) Little effort at unity. I think we need prophetic words in our day. We need people willing to call the church away from sin. But we should always do it out of love. Out of believing the best of our brothers and sisters. Not for the entertainment of media outlets.

7) Lastly, and this is the least concern, but it is true. Most of these anti-evangelical jeremiads are just formulaic and boilerplate. Same ahistorical arguments I’ve heard my entire adult life. Same resentments. Same cynicism.

To sum this up: we desperately need prophets. We desperately need spirit-filled leaders to call the church to holiness and faithfulness. What we don’t need more of is resentment disguised as courage.

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