Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 80

Be Careful What You Put Your Hope in, Including Politics

Like many of you, I am not looking forward to all the political turmoil, including in the church, that is sure to come as the presidential election gets closer. At the same time, this is an excellent opportunity for God’s people to determine where our hope is placed.

I don’t mean that politics don’t matter and certainly I know that moral positions such as abortion and racial justice matter very much. But the fact remains, when people put their hope in political parties and beliefs, these can become gods. Christians sometimes view political leaders and their platforms with a degree of faith that should be reserved only for God and his Kingdom. And sometimes they display a degree of hatred and scorn that should be reserved for Satan and his demons.

Neither the judicial, legislative, nor executive branch of our government is the ultimate solution to America’s problems. Isaiah 33:22 tells us the solution: “For the LORD is our judge [judicial], the LORD is our lawgiver [legislative], the LORD is our king [executive], it is he who will save us.”

Ravi Zacharias wrote, “Outside of the cross of Jesus Christ, there is no hope in this world. That cross and resurrection at the core of the gospel is the only hope for humanity.”

God is the sovereign King, and He alone is the hope of this nation and every other one. Even if America crumbles (which could happen under any presidential candidate, or be delayed to sometime in the future), God is the only hope of each person and each family. He has been that all along, but perhaps this time it will be just a little more obvious.

Paul David Tripp had some good things to say about hope and politics in his video “Is the Gospel Political?” Below are some parts that I especially appreciated:

Peter, in writing to people who are misunderstood and being persecuted, tells them to pray for their leaders. “Pray for good for your leaders. Pray for wisdom. Pray for moral hearts.” Can I ask you a question? Do you pray for your leaders? In the morning, would you ever think of praying for your senator, praying for your congressman, praying for your mayor, praying for your president? Do you ever pray for these people?

Is it much easier for you to rip them in conversation than pray for them? Have we abandoned the belief in God running the ultimate government, that He can turn the hearts of leaders? The Bible says that God raises up and puts down leaders, that the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water. He can turn it wherever He wills. Pray. Participate in the good of your community. If there’s a community clean-up project, be part of that. If there’s a park that needs refurbishing, how about your church adopting the park? Participate in the citizenry of your community.

The hope of the people of God is never in political power. Let me say that again. Our greatest power is not political and the minute you believe that your greatest power is political, your greatest power is political influence, you will compromise the gospel. It always happens. You see, our power is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ because the gospel of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to do what politics could never, ever do; and that is rescue and transform the heart of a person.

I believe that the church of Jesus Christ is always weakened and its reputation defamed when we identify too strongly with one political party; because what happens is we then, because of the strong identification, we get known by whatever that party is known for, instead of being known for what we actually stand for. Our identity gets absorbed into the identity of that party that we so stand for.

I think what is very, very important is to always remember that you’re a citizen of another kingdom. Jesus says very powerfully, again, getting near the end of the Sermon on the Mount, “Seek my kingdom and seek my righteousness.” So here’s the life that you’re called to live right now. You have a dual citizenship. God’s plan is that you would participate in the kingdom of this world in a place where you can. [In] the kingdom of man, you are a human citizen on earth, living under a government by God’s sovereign choice. He’s called you to be a citizen. He’s called you to pray for your leaders. He’s called you to recognize the important function of government.

So it’s not right for the church to withdraw. It’s not right for us to not participate. We’ve been placed here as active participants, rendering unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar, rendering unto God what belongs to God. You always have that citizenship in the kingdom of man, the kingdom of this world and that is your moral responsibility.

But you’re also a citizen of the greater eternal kingdom of God. You’ve been called, you’ve been chosen to be a citizen in that kingdom and so, your dominant allegiance is to the greater kingdom. And so, because of your allegiance to the greater kingdom, you don’t withdraw from the kingdom of this world, but you associate with the king of this world through the vehicle of your allegiance to the kingdom of God.

In every way as a citizen, in every election, in every community activity, you are aware of your higher citizenship. You’re called to seek and represent the kingdom of God, God’s will, God’s way, God’s plan, God’s glory, God’s truth, God’s morality, God’s values, His call to relationship, all of those kingdom things. So it’s the kingdom of God that is my direction system for how to relate to the kingdom of man. I always have this dual citizenship. It is because of my allegiance to the kingdom of God, knowing that’s where my power is, that I won’t get snookered into thinking that my power is to be found in some kind of identification with a certain political power and the gaining of political power.

Be careful what you put your hope in. Every human being functions by hope. You will attach your identity, your meaning and purpose, your inner security to something. It never works to attach your hope to something horizontal. Lasting hope is only ever found vertically.

Photo by Ales Krivec on Unsplash

Christ’s Multifaceted Character

I’m excited about the release of my new book It’s All About Jesus: A Treasury of Insights on Our Savior, Lord, and Friend. It’s a collection of quotations that is biblical, theological, emotional, personal, worshipful, and insightful. My hope is that readers will behold a full, beautiful, deep, profound, meaningful, and inspirational picture of the true Jesus, seen through the eyes of the biblical writers and hundreds of people throughout history. 

Hope you enjoy this sample from part one of the book, “The Nature and Attributes of Jesus.”

Christ’s Multifaceted Character

In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  Colossians 2:3 CSB

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.  Isaiah 11:2 ESV

Most men are notable for one conspicuous virtue or grace. Moses for meekness, Job for patience, John for love. But in Jesus you find everything.  J. Oswald Sanders

Jesus Christ is tender without being weak, strong without being coarse, lowly without being servile. He has conviction without intolerance, enthusiasm without fanaticism, holiness without Pharisaism, passion without prejudice… His life was life at its Highest.  Thomas Watson

There is in the Lord Jesus a perfect evenness of various perfections. All the elements of perfect character are in lovely balance. His gentleness is never weak. His courage is never harsh.  C.I. Scofield

Jesus is the Lion of Judah (Rev. 5:5) and the Lamb of God (Rev. 5:6)—He was lionhearted and lamblike, strong and meek, tough and tender, aggressive and responsive, bold and brokenhearted.  John Piper

He combined child-like innocence with manly strength, all-absorbing devotion to God with untiring interest in the welfare of man, tender love to the sinner and uncompromising severity against sin, commanding dignity with winning humility, fearless courage with wise caution, unyielding firmness with sweet gentleness.  Philip Schaff 

He never spoke when it would have been wiser to remain silent, never kept silence when He should have spoken. Mercy and judgment blended in all His actions and judgments, yet neither prevailed at the expense of the other.  Oswald Sanders

When we speak about wisdom, we are speaking about Christ. When we speak about virtue, we are speaking about Christ. When we speak about justice, we are speaking about Christ. When we speak about peace, we are speaking about Christ. When we speak about truth and life and redemption, we are speaking about Christ.  Ambrose

He is the fountain of all truth, but He is more—He is truth itself. He is the source and strength of all beauty, but He is more—He is beauty itself. He is the fountain of all wisdom, but He is more—He is wisdom itself. In Him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden away!… He is the fountain of love, but again, He is far more than that—He is love!  A.W. Tozer

We must look at the complete Jesus revealed in Scripture, lest we remake him in our image, with his only attribute love. By seeing him in his holiness and love, his truth and his grace, we’ll learn to see the fullness of his beauty.  Randy Alcorn

If you leave out Christ, you have left the sun out of the day and the moon out of the night. You have left the waters out of the sea and the floods out of the river… you have left joy out of heaven, you have robbed all of its all. There is no gospel worth thinking of, much less worth proclaiming, if Jesus be forgotten.  Charles Spurgeon

Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander the Great, Caesar, Mohammed, and Napoleon; without science and learning, he shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of school, he spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, he set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times.  Philip Schaff

If Jesus is the Bread of Life, loss of Jesus means starving. If Jesus is the Light of the World, loss of Jesus means darkness. If Jesus is the Good Shepherd, loss of Jesus means wandering alone and lost. If Jesus is the resurrection and the life, loss of Jesus is eternal death. And if Jesus is the Lamb of God, sacrificed for our sins, loss of Jesus means paying that price for ourselves.  Rebecca McLaughlin

Only Christ is the whole of man’s happiness; the sun to enlighten him, the physician to heal him, the wall of fire to defend him, the friend to comfort him, the pearl to enrich him, the ark to support him, the rock to sustain him under the heaviest pressures.  Isaac Ambrose

What the sun is to the day, what the moon is to the night…such is Jesus Christ to us. What bread is to the hungry, clothes to the naked…such is Jesus Christ to us. What the husband is to his spouse, what the head is to the body, such is Jesus Christ to us.  Charles Spurgeon

Jesus is the giver of our life and the rock of our hope. He is our safety and our future. He is our righteousness, our sanctification, our inheritance. You find that He is all of this in the instant that you move your heart toward Him in faith.  A.W. Tozer

It’s All About Jesus is available in print from retailers, including EPM’s online store. It’s also available on Kindle.

Photo by Mirushe Xhaferi on Unsplash

Good Police Officers Speak Out; Can We Afford to Lose Them?

Nanci and I were both born in Portland, Oregon. She was raised there, and I grew up in the Portland suburb where we now live. If you’ve seen the news, you know about the nightly riots and looting and protests against the police in downtown Portland, thirty minutes away from our home. There has been a heavy toll on the officers and their families, and the lack of police presence and resources in other areas has also affected people in the city: Portland had 15 homicides in July, the largest number in a single month in over 30 years.

As I write this, there have been protests for more than 90 consecutive nights, frequently involving vandalism. Hundreds have been arrested, but due to limitations placed on police by the city, at times they have been unable to perform their duties effectively.

The disruption is mostly concentrated in small pockets of the city, including two blocks around the courthouse and some police precincts. The national media portrayal of Portland as a city in flames is exaggerated, as most of it is peaceful, but there has been a lot of looting, devastation, and acts of violence.

A fire was set in August at a police union building, a labor union representing members of the Portland Police Bureau. Violent protestors injured three officers and two were taken to a hospital. The federal courthouse in Portland has been the target of nightly violence. U.S. agents were sent to protect these facilities, and thousands of protestors came out. 

I have personally talked to Christian officers who have been pelted with rocks and bags of urine and human feces. Others have been attacked with frozen and hard-boiled eggs and commercial-grade fireworks, trash can lids, and nearly everything you can imagine.

Like I mentioned in Empathize with Good Cops in This Time of Rightly Calling out Bad Ones, I believe what was done to George Floyd was unjust and evil (see also Racial Justice and the Image of God, with thoughts from Dan Franklin). At the same time, it’s tragic and unjust that good cops, and there are many of them, are suffering because of the actions of bad cops. That’s why I think it’s important to give a voice to all good cops, and in the Christian community we should honor the men and women who seek to honor Jesus as they do their very difficult jobs.

Recently, I’ve had a number of interactions by text and email and on the phone with current and former police officer friends here in the Portland area. These are solid Christ-followers, good men and good cops. I reached out to four of them I know well with some specific questions about recent events and how their jobs and lives have been impacted since George Floyd’s tragic death back on May 25. I’ve also had email exchanges with a few other Christian officers who I haven’t personally met, but who reached out to me when I invited them to do so on my blog. (This is another long blog that I found impossible to split into to or three segments. If it interests you, take your time; I highly recommend you check out the links, especially at the very end of the article where you will see and hear cops telling their own stories.)

For obvious reasons, while quoting them accurately I will not share names of the officers I’ve talked with, as they are understandably concerned for the welfare of their families. It’s not easy for cops to fly under the radar, but they are normal people who would like some semblance of a normal life off the job, which has become for some (where we live at least) nearly impossible.

I just got off the phone with a police officer friend on September 1, the day before posting this blog. He needed to fill out reports and found a quiet place backed up against a fence where aggressive behavior from anti-cop citizens would be more unlikely and easier to deal with. He told me that police work has gotten progressively more difficult, the level of disdain and distrust has risen significantly, and cops are uncertain what they can and should do. He said, “The cumulative effect of over three months of this is wearing us out. I know several good cops that are actively looking to change careers. The risk versus reward ratio has gotten way out of proportion.”

A pastor friend just told me a heartbreaking story he heard from a brother who serves as a Portland police officer. (This is a secondhand story so the details may be off, but the gist of it is true.) The cop told him that he and his wife have a favorite Portland restaurant they’ve gone to for years. They are generous tippers and had developed what appeared to be a great friendship with the owner. Recently the owner said, “All this time you’ve been coming here, and I don’t even know what you do for a living!” He replied, “Well, I’m a police officer.” The owner’s response? “Please leave. You’re not welcome here.” At first, he thought it was a joke. It wasn’t.

It should not be controversial to point out that every single vocation in the world has good people and bad ones, people who excel at their jobs and people who perform them inconsistently and poorly. That’s certainly true among pastors, writers, teachers, pro athletes, store owners, investment managers, mechanics, attorneys, plumbers, pastors, and politicians. We should not be any more surprised that cops are capable of making bad decisions than anyone else is. Of course, the consequences of a cop’s sins or even his mistakes (not always the same) can involve life and death and therefore, like surgeons or pilots, an officer must be held to a higher standard.

One officer wrote me echoing what I’ve just said: “I am a Christian and spent over 30 years in a police uniform (and still do part-time). I know that bigotry exists within some police officers, but I would challenge anyone to find a profession that doesn’t have the same problem. Where you have people, there is prejudice in the human heart.”

Unfortunately, people’s distrust of police can result in adversarial behavior that puts everyone at risk. It may put officers, and sometimes the public it’s their job to protect, at greater risk as people become more aggressive toward them, holding them accountable for wrongs committed by other cops.

A minority Portland officer wrote, “…during the peaceful hours, I engaged in conversation with people along the fence line. Whether I engaged them or they engaged me first, the conversations all followed a similar suit. The question would arise, asking if I supported their movement and if I believed Derek Chauvin was wrong, to which my response was ‘yes.’ I always knew that the next question to follow would be some sort of, ‘then why are you a cop or on that side of the fence?’ My answer was always the same: ‘To be in support of a movement to further the better treatment of blacks and to be a police officer, are not mutually exclusive. You can be both and it is paramount that we are.’”

You may not agree with everything these officers say in what follows. Yet I ask you to listen to their perspectives, understanding that daily they and others like them put their lives on the line to protect your family and mine and the families of those in minority communities. For every injustice cops do, some with heartbreaking results, there are countless cases of justice done and lives protected. Let’s be slow to speak, slow to anger, and quick to listen (James 1:19). Let’s show them the same grace and open-mindedness we would want shown to us. Here are their answers to my questions:

How have recent events, starting with the death of George Floyd and the subsequent riots, affected you personally and professionally?

SA: When I first saw the videotape, I felt like I got sucker punched. Policing is an honorable profession, grounded in solid values that we strive to uphold. When the actions of our own officers violate our code of conduct, there is a true sense of betrayal felt within the organization and loss of trust with the community we protect and serve.

…I had a very hard time trying to understand how the officer could possibly believe he was justified in the tactics he displayed. Also, how could he not be mindful that most encounters of this type are being videotaped by members of the public, the media, and even other police officers? …I used to caution officers that if they were about to make a decision that could be detrimental to themselves or the agency, to picture themselves on the front page of the morning newspaper with an article that they never wanted to see.

PT: The result has been second guessing myself, my career, being able to provide for my family. I see the emotions related to this and know there are those who support the police, but wow are they quiet. The vocal people are very vocal, and it is very hard. 

How have these events affected police morale and general well-being?

RT: In an agency in which morale was already low it is sadly low—unprecedented levels of low, and I feel sorry for those men and women. They feel completely unappreciated and are questioning why they do what they do. For agencies that have good morale, as our department does, morale is down for sure, but I don’t think those feelings are as intense as with other agencies. (I talked with someone in that department today and he said, as you would expect with what’s going on in Portland, morale has continued to decline.) 

JS: I read that 600 NYPD officers are considering resigning. I believe a line has been drawn in the sand and police officers see who will and who will not support them. Fuji bikes, who has been a maker of police bicycles, is stopping production of police bikes to draw attention to police brutality. I believe we will see a steady exodus by police officers from law enforcement agencies. 

Do you believe that because the statistics show a higher rate of crime among black men (and sometimes women), that this results in different assumptions or biased treatments of blacks by NO cops, SOME cops, or MOST cops?

JS: I would say “SOME cops.” This could be more or less depending on the city, the demographics, the racial history, the individual officer’s history with other races, and the relationship between the police department and the minority races. Any officer with more than a few years on the job would be negligent if they ignored an “assumption” based on their training and experience that could be a crime in progress.

RT: I think there is some evidence and studies that indicate that this does affect some cops. I think it’s hard to completely separate one’s lived experience from one’s assumptions.  We tend to think things are the way they are because of what we know (or think we know) as well as what we’ve experienced. That being said, in my small part of the world I have NEVER seen an officer treat a black person unfairly or with what I believed was some bias because of his/her race. At its core, our job evaluates and investigates behavior. You really don’t need to see somebody’s race (other than perhaps in an initial description) in order to do that.

SA:  Some cops.

PT: This is a great question. I can’t say NO cops, that’s not feasible in our broken world. So SOME cops. I have not experienced this myself but no doubt it happens.

…I can say with 100% certainty during training my department does not look at skin color when looking for criminals. We look for clues in people (the way they act when they see us, the way they walk, index a concealed weapon, or drugs). 

Being in several different units during my career I have worked with outside agencies a lot. The cops I have worked with are the same. In the narcotics world we look for addicts and follow them to the shadowy place while they meet their dealer, who we follow to the parking lots to meet up with their bigger supplier. The supplier was often Hispanic due to where the drugs come from, but our job was to look for drug suppliers, who happened to be Hispanics. We did NOT simply follow Hispanics.

What good do you see coming out of the national reaction following the George Floyd situation (for the country in general, and specifically for police officers)?

RT: I think there are clearly some agencies that need reform. I think that could come from this. I think officers’ level of empathy and sensitivity may or should increase because of this and that helps in the delivery of our service. 

PT: Re-examining of things that are done well and things that could improve. …Hopefully an honest conversation about race, once the rioting stops and the knee-jerk reactions stop or slow. Legislators have talked about requiring weekly counseling sessions for every officer. Not reality, there aren’t enough counselors to make that remotely possible. Could there be better screening? I suppose, but what does that look like? Who is qualified to do on-going screening for racism?

I know there are calls we should not be called for and I am in favor of having another service respond. We have a mental health team who has a mental health clinician ride with them full time. This is a good thing!

What harm do you see coming out of the national reaction to the George Floyd situation (for the country in general and police in particular)?

RT: So I realize I’m seen as part of the problem or at a minimum, in a system that’s part of the problem, so I don’t feel like this perspective or this question is being considered. But I believe the attempts to reform some areas of policing are good, with noble intentions and needed. I also believe there are some other ideas (defunding police, eliminating qualified immunity, etc.) that have been floating around for quite some time. The difference is that they weren’t taken seriously because, frankly, they aren’t serious ideas. And yet, now these are real conversations. I see this as catastrophically bad for the people it purports to help: the poor and marginalized as they will be victimized even further by predators. 

JS: The number of officers killed and injured in the past months is astounding. Hundreds of NYPD officers were injured in the riots. A young officer in our area was called in to deal with an altercation because the city police force was dealing with the riots. This brother was put in a situation where he had to use deadly force and killed a man. …So sad, one man’s life lost, and another’s changed forever. Who knows what would have happened if the city cops had been able to stay on their regular patrols instead of being called into the city center to deal with nightly riots?

SA: Police agencies are having a difficult time hiring people to fill the current vacancies. Low staffing is a police and community safety issue. This case will have an additional negative impact on police agencies’ ability to fill the vacancies.

Effective policing requires a partnership between the community and police. Community members must be willing witnesses in cases for successful prosecution. This is why gang cases are more difficult to successfully prosecute. Without the cooperation of the public, investigations don’t gather the needed information for court cases, so many grow stale or sit on a shelf. Offenders are not held accountable, many of whom are emboldened by the ineffective justice system, only to perpetuate their criminal lifestyle.

People are calling for change and change is coming. However, when it gets to the point, as it has in some communities, where people are asking the government to disarm their police departments, sound the alarm.

I’m very concerned about our officers becoming targets of revenge.

PT: The continuation of “defund the police” talk. What does that mean? Some think it is not having police; some think it re-directing resources as mentioned above about the mental health team.

Police ambushes. Guys are scared to walk outside in uniform and are on constant alert.

The effects on families. Doxing of wives or family members is happening now. My wife felt she had to delete her Facebook page.

It has been a concern since becoming an officer, but people knowing where I live places my family in danger.

SM: I am a retired police officer. …I belong to a Facebook group of retired law enforcement officers and what I see posted is a general sense of alarm and despair. ….Most of us, however, feel that there is a bigger agenda at play. …As a Christian I know that our enemy, the devil, is the author of confusion and deception. That is what I personally see at play here. Even though I look at the news, talk to those currently on the “line” and not only see, but feel the frustration in the “ranks,” I am comforted in the sovereignty of the Lord. …I’m trusting that this time in our lives and history of our country will be a faith builder for all who call on the name of Jesus.

If you knew people would listen to you, what would you say to them about the issues of racial injustice and unnecessary force by police officers?

RT: From my personal experience, I don’t know of any group to whom black lives matter more than American police officers, at least those I have personally worked with. Despite extreme provocation, anger, resentment that is fueled by an untruthful media, officers sacrifice and risk their lives daily to assist, protect and serve this community. Traditional media and social media do not tell this story. 

JS: The complaints of unnecessary use of force are very rare. The standard of proving that unnecessary force was used is very high. …I have had people screaming as loud as they can, “He is trying to kill me” as I am placing them in handcuffs. I have had people yell at bystanders to please record the arrest when the arrest was going just fine. I have experienced many arrests where the person being arrested was screaming that I was hurting them when there were no pain-compliance holds being used. Then after I put them in my vehicle and their audience was gone they calmed down and acted normal. 

…I have met lovely and kind pro-police black citizens who express their support for law enforcement. I am sad to say that many of my law enforcement contacts with blacks ended up with me being called a racist and many other choice words.

…My call as a Christian police officer was to represent Jesus in my dealings with people. I had success, and I had failure. I really tried to arrest people the way I would want to be arrested. I tried to interview people the way I would want to be interviewed. I tried to care for the hurting, frightened, and vulnerable the same way I would want to be treated if I were in their shoes. I viewed victims as if they were my wife or family members. It changes the way you investigate a crime if you ask yourself, “If this victim was my wife how would I want this crime investigated?” That was a game changer. “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31). 

…I am convinced that the answer to any racial divide in our country is a strong multi-ethnic church that teaches God’s word strongly and worships fully. No government can fix the divide. No social service can mend the fracture. No international aid organization can fix our racial ills. …A multi-ethnic church that lives out the radical teachings of Jesus will change every community around it.

PT: Every death is horrible. Officers don’t want to go to work and shoot someone. It is the last thing they want. We see the media, the impacts on the deceased family and the communities we live in, the side effects on the officer’s psyche, and the list goes on.

There are always things to improve on, and I know every member of my department welcomes those improvements. …A rational conversation needs to take place with Jesus at the center.

SA:  That which divides us, can, and must, bring us together. One by one, each of us must be willing to make a sacrificial commitment to become actively involved in solutions to this complex issue. We must come together with the common goal of paving the way for future generations to live in peace and harmony. Too many times we make mistakes by acting on false assumptions. Most of the time, people who know each other can work through differences of opinion and respect each other’s viewpoints. The gap that exists by not knowing each other is a trap for misunderstanding, mistrust, and emotional distress, leading to a potential crisis. The gap must be filled by creating relationships with common goals and mutual respect. 

Places of worship can play a key role in facilitating relationship building in our communities. Teams representing city and community leaders and members must develop a comprehensive plan that brings people together in long-lasting, positive relationships. As these relationships grow, police officers will better understand the needs of the community and the community will better understand why the police do what they do. 

Whether you are a dedicated police officer or a committed community member, we can work together to create a more peaceful community. I believe it will require each of us to have the courage to look within ourselves, develop a servant’s heart, and be willing to sacrifice for the good of all.

From Randy: I appreciate these men (and the many women who serve alongside them) who I know and trust, and I believe there are many more like them. When I hear their concerns about the safety of their families due to the heightened disrespect for and violence against police, my heart is heavy. When I hear about them looking at other job opportunities where they would not be constantly assumed to be violent or corrupt or racist, that hurts.

I’m told many good cops are retiring early, because their jobs have become impossible. It’s hard enough to go to work knowing every day that you are putting your life at work, but to be “rewarded” for this by people yelling names at you, throwing rocks and bags of urine, is too much to ask. We are already losing good cops. I fear we are going to lose many of our very best police officers, or that many who once considered entering law enforcement will choose a more rewarding and less dangerous profession. According to some, the number of applicants to enter law enforcement is sharply declining. This is truly sad. As much as I hate unnecessary violence against citizens, and as much as I truly believe that sometimes racism is involved, I also believe that most of the cops I know (and many like them) are truly seeking to love God and love people and protect them. I encourage you to lift up good cops of all races in general and Christian cops in particular in prayer and ask God to intervene and keep them out there protecting our children and grandchildren and ourselves. God bless all you good cops, and thank you for the sacrifices you make for all of us.   

P.S. Milwaukee, Wisconsin Sheriff David Clarke has been speaking out for years against the anti-police rhetoric that cultivates disrespect for police and thereby puts more citizens at risk.  Some will dismiss his perspective as a conservativism-driven overstatement that minimizes racial injustice. But given the flood of anti-cop media and social media, I believe Sheriff Clarke’s voice is an important counter-balance. Yes, he opposes the organization Black Lives Matter, but he does so because he believes black lives really do matter and blacks are not being made safer but put in greater danger by BLM’s failure to point out the tireless work of good cops in addition to the wrongdoing of a minority of cops.

Here is a Portland police sergeant on the job listing in four minutes all the ongoing situations that have resulted in calls to the police which they are unable to respond to because most cops have been sent to deal with the  ongoing nightly disturbances. 

Finally, I highly recommend you listen to four Portland police officers who speak up in this article, and also are on video telling what they have been experiencing. Normally they are not permitted to speak with this amount of freedom, but the degree of violence and targeting police has resulted in more attempts to show them as human beings who are struggling against hate.

Photo by Wesley Mc Lachlan on Unsplash

Introducing My New Book, It’s All About Jesus

It’s All About Jesus: A Treasury of Insights on Our Savior, Lord, and Friend releases on September 1. It’s a collection of the very best quotations about Jesus throughout history, carefully gleaned from hundreds of sources. The book is organized by subject matter, including Christ’s humanity, deity, incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, humor, relationships, wisdom, grace, kindness, generosity, and over a hundred other aspects of His person and work.  

Why a book of great thoughts and quotations about Jesus? Well, can you think of anyone in human history whose birth, life, teachings, relationships, death, and promises are more important than those of Jesus? Who would come second? No one else is remotely close!

Even atheists and agnostics recognize that no one has affected life on Earth like Jesus. Every time we write a date, we’re reminded of His impact—history falls into two parts, BC (before Christ) and AD (anno Domini, year of our Lord).

Each month, millions of people type “Who is Jesus?” or “Who is Christ?” into Internet search engines. Here’s the problem: When I searched those questions, the first one yielded nearly 1.2 billion results, and the second, 1.6 billion. And the answers offered are diverse, contradictory, and confusing.

Christianity, the religion that bases itself on Christ, is the largest religion on the planet. One out of every three people worldwide believes in a man named Jesus who lived two thousand years ago! Sadly, however, even many professing Christians don’t know what to believe about Jesus, and often believe things about Him that contradict Scripture. 

True Christ-followers understand that though there are many competing opinions about Him, the only authentic Jesus is the one revealed in God’s Word. Hence, they believe that Jesus was both man and God, was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, performed great miracles, died for their sins, rose from the dead, and ascended to the right hand of God. And that isn’t all. They believe that Jesus has made a way for them to have eternal life, delivering them from eternal Hell and granting them eternal life in Heaven. They believe that Jesus, the God-man, is going to return to Earth to set up His eternal kingdom. 

Many people regularly gather to celebrate the person and work of Jesus Christ and consider Jesus to be their God, Savior, Judge, Example, Counselor, Friend, and Source of joy, even when persecuted or everything seems stacked against them. Some Christians are like my wife, who grew up in a home where her parents believed in Jesus, taught her about Him, and took her every week to a Bible-teaching, Christ-centered church. Others are like me: not raised in a Christian home and ignorant of the gospel until they were teenagers or adults. 

The world is full of people who naively embrace incorrect beliefs about Jesus. False teachers say whatever people want to hear, while demons in the invisible realm whisper lies about Jesus into our ears. This is why I follow every heading in It’s All About Jesus with scripture first. Only secondly do I share what ordinary people—including me—have to say about Jesus. I believe that first by reading the Bible verses and then reading others’ words about Jesus that are in keeping with Scripture, you can actually come to know many great truths about Him through this book. That’s a remarkable claim, but I stand by it. 

I’ve divided the book into four parts.

Part 1 declares who Jesus is—His nature, attributes, and characteristics.

Part 2 speaks of His transforming life, death, resurrection, return, and reign. 

Part 3 explores the many powerful names and titles of Jesus.

Part 4 centers on Jesus in His beautiful relationships with His people.

While inspirational words about Jesus fill It’s All About Jesus, the only ones that are truly inspired—in the sense of coming from God and carrying His full authority—originate from the Bible. I encourage readers that even if they think they’re familiar with it, please don’t skip over Scripture to get to what others say! Our words don’t compare to His. They usually have a short shelf life, while God’s Word is eternal. He promises us this:

As the rain and the snow

            come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

            without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

            so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

            It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

            and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:10-11 NIV).

I am one of countless people whose life Jesus has radically changed. I don’t mean simply that the teachings of Jesus have changed me; I mean that Jesus Himself, the real and living Jesus, came into my life as a teenager and, fifty years later, continues to transform me. I love my wife and children and grandchildren and friends dearly. But I love Jesus even more. And I believe that makes me a better husband, father, grandfather, and friend. 

There are words from and about Jesus in many quotation books, but how many books have you seen where it’s truly all about Jesus? It’s likely this is the first. Compiling these quotes with the much-appreciated assistance of our Eternal Perspective Ministries staff has been a joy. While there are a lot of quotations in the book, I had to cut out two-thirds of what we collected because there simply wasn’t space. It reminded me of the apostle John’s statement at the end of his Gospel: “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25 NIV).

This collection is a drop in the ocean of what has been said about Jesus, which itself is a miniscule portion of all that could be said about Him (and will be said in the ages to come!). But I believe it’s a unique and particularly high-quality collection. 

In Christo solo is Latin for “In Christ alone.” It was one of the five central assertions of the Reformation, and it means that salvation is by faith only in Christ, not by our own efforts. What could possibly be more important than contemplating this Jesus upon whom our entire lives, both present and eternal, depend?

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; to Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18 NASB).

In several upcoming blog posts, I’ll share sample topical excerpts from the book. If you’d like to read a portion and see the table of contents, you can do so  here .

It’s All About Jesus is available in print from retailers, including EPM’s online store, and as an ebook on Kindle.

A Parable of Two Seas

Jesus said, “The one who believes in me...will have streams of living water flow from deep within him” (John 7:38).

There’s an old but excellent analogy I find very helpful as a picture of a healthy Christian life. In northern Israel lies the beautiful Sea of Galilee, where Jesus often sailed with His disciples. Water freely flows from it into the Jordan River. Its water is fresh and life-giving. Like many, we’ve been there and seen and smelled its vitality.

But 88 miles south is a radically different sea. One of the lowest spots on earth, the Dead Sea collects large volumes of water but disperses none. Its salt concentration is so high no fish or vegetation can survive. While it’s fun to float on the Dead Sea—you can’t help but do so—it’s not fun to realize how utterly dead that sulfur-smelling water really is. 

While the Jordan River flows into the Sea of Galilee, it also flows out. The water passes through, allowing it to support fish and plant life. Trapped, with no outlet, the Dead Sea keeps taking water in, but none leaves it but by evaporation.

No outlet means no life. This is a parable. In order to be faithful stewards and love others, we must be not only recipients of God’s provision but also outlets of it. Only then will we experience the abundant life He intends for us. (And we won’t smell like sulfur to everyone either!)

Adapted from Giving Is the Good Life: The Unexpected Path to Purpose and Joy .

Photo by james ballard on Unsplash

The Enslavement and the Genocide of the Uighur People in China

Note from Randy Alcorn: At my request, EPM staff member Stephanie Anderson researched and wrote the following, with which I fully concur. This is a justice issue that should burden all of us. May God use this blog to draw attention to what is surely on His heart.  

I’ve been both heartbroken and angered to read about the enslavement of the minority Uighur people by the Chinese government. Some friends who are former missionaries in China confirmed this is happening and say, “It is indeed horrible.”

Who are the Uighurs (pronounced “Wee-gers”)? This article from The Gospel Coalition provides a helpful and brief history: they are “a Central Asian people group relatively unknown to the Western world. The majority of them live in northwest China, in an area known as the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, which is their ancestral homeland. Xinjiang is home to about 10 million Uighurs. In ethnolinguistic terms, the Uighurs are a Turkic people group.”

Here’s an overview of what’s happening to them, from an international policy council:

Uyghurs, many of whom were CCP [Chinese Communist Party] regulars and members of Xinjiang's intellectual elite, were once tolerated, but now are no longer trusted. Some, like the former President of Xinjiang University Tashpolat Tiyip, have been arrested and accused of being “two faced” betrayers of China. Many Uyghurs have been plucked from their families and forced to work in prison-like factories where they are becoming part of Xinjiang's growing urban manufacturing class, producing items for companies that are suppliers for “international tech giants such as Apple and Lenovo.”

ABC News reports,

Drawing upon open-source Chinese language documentation, satellite imagery, media reporting and academic research, the report entitled Uyghurs for Sale identifies some 83 well-known consumer brands linked to factories where Muslim minorities are thought to be working in forced labour conditions across China.

…More than a million Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other Muslim ethnic minorities are thought to be detained in what the Communist Party calls vocational education centres but which are referred to by the UN as “re-education camps”.

Some have observed it is likely the largest-scale incarceration of people based on religion since the Holocaust.

You can read the report here. It “provides evidence of the exploitation of Uyghur labour and the involvement of foreign and Chinese companies, possibly unknowingly, in human rights abuses.”

The report lists these specific companies:

In all, ASPI’s research has identified 82 foreign and Chinese companies directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uyghur workers outside Xinjiang through potentially abusive labour transfer programs as recently as 2019: Abercrombie & Fitch, Acer, Adidas, Alstom, Amazon, Apple, ASUS, BAIC Motor, BMW, Bombardier, Bosch, BYD, Calvin Klein, Candy, Carter’s, Cerruti 1881, Changan Automobile, Cisco, CRRC, Dell, Electrolux, Fila, Founder Group, GAC Group (automobiles), Gap, Geely Auto, General Motors, Google, Goertek, H&M, Haier, Hart Schaffner Marx, Hisense, Hitachi, HP, HTC, Huawei, iFlyTek, Jack & Jones, Jaguar, Japan Display Inc., L.L.Bean, Lacoste, Land Rover, Lenovo, LG, Li-Ning, Mayor, Meizu, Mercedes-Benz, MG, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Mitsumi, Nike, Nintendo, Nokia, Oculus, Oppo, Panasonic, Polo Ralph Lauren, Puma, Roewe, SAIC Motor, Samsung, SGMW, Sharp, Siemens, Skechers, Sony, TDK, Tommy Hilfiger, Toshiba, Tsinghua Tongfang, Uniqlo, Victoria’s Secret, Vivo, Volkswagen, Xiaomi, Zara, Zegna, ZTE. Some brands are linked with multiple factories.

Earlier this month, BBC reported about a video recorded and sent by Merdan Ghappar, a young Uighur man who has been imprisoned inside China’s detention system. He managed to send the video, along with text messages, to his family, showing his imprisonment:

In addition to deporting and imprisoning people, the Chinese government has worked to drastically reduce Uighur birth rates through forced birth control and abortions. “The state regularly subjects minority women to pregnancy checks, and forces intrauterine devices, sterilization and even abortion on hundreds of thousands, the interviews and data show,” the AP reports.

Birth rates in the mostly Uighur regions of Hotan and Kashgar plunged by more than 60% from 2015 to 2018, the latest year available in government statistics. Across the Xinjiang region, birth rates continue to plummet, falling nearly 24% last year alone — compared to just 4.2% nationwide, statistics show.

…“It’s genocide, full stop. It’s not immediate, shocking, mass-killing on the spot type genocide, but it’s slow, painful, creeping genocide,” said Joanne Smith Finley, who works at Newcastle University in the U.K. “These are direct means of genetically reducing the Uighur population.”

The government has even directed hospitals to kill infants after birth.

So what can we do? In their report “Uyghurs for Sale,” the Australian Strategic Policy Institute makes these recommendations:

Consumers and civil society groups, including NGOs, labour unions and consumer advocacy groups, should:

demand that companies that manufacture in China conduct due diligence and social audits to ensure that they’re not complicit in forced labour practices
advocate for the recognition of continual, multilayered surveillance and monitoring of workers and their digital communications—both in and outside work hours—as an emerging and under-reported indicator of forced labour and an important human rights violation
push brands to be more transparent about the make-up of their supply chains and the preventative measures they have put in place to ensure forced labour does not occur
demand that companies make new public commitments, uphold current commitments, or both, to not use forced and coerced labour in their global supply chains and that they act quickly and publicly when such cases are identified.

If a brand you regularly purchase from is listed in the report, you can write a polite but firm letter to their customer service.

Finally, and most importantly, in addition to giving attention to the plight of the Uighurs, we can pray. Greg Turner writes for The Gospel Coalition, “Pray for the Uighur people. Pray they would be treated with human dignity. Pray, most of all, that the gospel would penetrate all the barriers that surround them and reap a harvest among these precious people whom God loves.”

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute” (Proverbs 31:8).

Image: SFT HQ (Students for a Free Tibet) / CC BY

The Slippery Slope of Euthanasia Continues in the Netherlands

Two and a half decades ago I joined others, including many physicians, in expending a lot of time and effort to oppose Oregon’s move to become the first place in human history (yes, even before the Netherlands) to legalize physician assisted suicide. We warned about the slippery slope of euthanasia, which is simply abortion of the elderly.

The same logic and arguments and appeals to “compassion” and quality of life and financial concerns are used for both abortion and euthanasia. Abortion has desensitized us to physician assisted suicide, which in turn will desensitize us to other measures. Now we are seeing the progression of euthanasia in the Netherlands, where a law is being proposed to extend it to the elderly “who are weary of life.” The specter of legal euthanasia creates frightening scenarios across society.

For a detailed study of euthanasia, see the booklet-sized treatment I wrote on it back in 1986. In its core elements, it’s as relevant now as it was then. I also recommend this great book by Joni Tada: When Is It Right to Die?

Euthanasia barrels forward in the Netherlands

by Leah Hickman

A woman in the U.K. received a terminal diagnosis 15 years ago that left her feeling depressed and suicidal. Alison Davis considered traveling to Switzerland to end her life through that country’s legal assisted suicide program and looked into the cost of the procedure. But she changed her mind thanks to the support of her doctor and family, and she lived on for the better part of a decade.

Before Davis died, she became an advocate against laws that would have made it easier for her to end her life, supporting the U.K.-based Care Not Killing, which opposes euthanasia around the world.

“As she would point out, many people in her position who get a diagnosis are hugely fearful and scared about what is coming,” said Alistair Thompson, a spokesman for the organization. “Rather than giving people the keys to the drugs cabinet, what we should be doing is treating that and supporting them to come through that.”

Lawmakers in the Netherlands are now considering legislation that would further liberalize that country’s already permissive euthanasia laws. The proposed bill would allow healthy patients over the age of 75 to agree to assisted suicide simply because they no longer wish to live. The Netherlands first legalized euthanasia in 2002, ostensibly to provide “relief from suffering to people with terminal conditions,” Thompson noted. The original laws came with nebulous promises saying they would never lead to doctors denying people treatment and would not detract from palliative care.

“The reality is, we are seeing people who have clinically treatable conditions … people who are disabled, who with good support can live normal lives, and yet they are being euthanized,” Thompson said, adding that assisted suicide has weakened the country’s focus on palliative care, an approach that attempts to improve overall wellness and provide relief from pain.

Read the rest.

Photo by Cristian Newman on Unsplash

What Is God Teaching You in This Season? Part 2

In our last blog we shared part one of the responses from our EPM staff and board members to the question Stephanie Anderson asked, “What is God teaching you in this season?” Today’s blog is part two. I think you’ll be greatly encouraged by what they had to share, and especially by the Scripture they included.

Again, I invite you to share what God is teaching you and what Scripture has been most meaningful to you by leaving a comment on my Facebook page!

Doreen Button, editor:

COVID-19 gets a lot of bad press, for good reason. Fortunately, we Jesus-followers are, by His very nature, people of the Good News. His death, burial, and best of all, resurrection is the only sequence of events that truly define us and give us every reason for hope and deep happiness. He is so kind! “The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the decisions you make; for it is to this peace that God has called you together in the one body. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15, GNT). “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10, ESV). “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT). These are verses I turn to over and over as I navigate this dream-like world where everything “out there” seems so confusing and, if I’m completely honest, a little scary.

God has used this time to quiet me. He has stripped away the incessant travel, He's stripped away my “security” and in the process has stripped away the idols I didn’t know I’d set up in His place. Money...I didn’t realize I trusted my bank balance and not God for the provision He’s promised. Food...well, I kind of knew there was an issue, but He showed me that I was using it to feed a hunger that is really for Him (and that He is quite good at filling!). There’s more, but you get the picture. Since I was very young, I've been consistent with reading the Bible. Church has been a huge part of my life. Prayer is a big deal. Yet this prolonged period of quiet was necessary for God to really get my attention. I thought I was totally sold out before, but now I see how far I’ve come, and I’m excited to see how far He’ll take me as I continue to listen. Psalm 131:1-2 depicts how I now feel: “Lord, I have given up my pride and turned away from my arrogance. I am not concerned with great matters or with subjects too difficult for me. Instead, I am content and at peace. As a child lies quietly in its mother’s arms, so my heart is quiet within me” (GNT).

Linda Jeffries, office manager:

I wrote this in my journal on April 12: This year Easter was celebrated in a way far different than any other. Because we were staying home due to this crazy new virus Kerry and I watched many church services online. They all brought great comfort to us. Max Lucado spoke words that moved my heart. We look at Good Friday as “The Beginning” and “Celebration Sunday” as “The end,” but there’s a forgotten day in the middle: “Silent Saturday.” There’s purpose in the Silent Saturday. It’s time of reflection. Silent Saturday was confusing, filled with fear and loneliness, a very difficult time, much like today. However, a Silent Saturday allows us to watch for and appreciate the miracle to come. Lord, I don’t know what you are doing, but I know what you have done in the past and I accept today as it is, even though it’s not the way I want it to be.  I need to say this to myself every day, I think.

Because I was feeling fearful, I looked up verses on the topic of fear.  I searched “How many times is ‘fear’ mentioned in the Bible?” I was excited to find a result that said 365 times. That made me smile. It’s the same number as days in a year. My father knows I need reassurance and comfort daily.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).

“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever’” (Isaiah 55:8-13).

Kathy Norquist, board member:

Two things come to mind: God’s sovereignty and my attitude. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is in the hands of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” This gives me assurance that He is sovereign over all, especially those in governmental authority over us. I may not like what is happening, but I can be confident God is in complete control.

Philippians 2:14 convicts me: “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like starts in the universe ….” Of course, I have an opinion as does everyone. But there is a fine line between having an opinion and grumbling and complaining.

I’ve actually enjoyed somewhat of a slower pace and time in the Word and with the Lord has become more precious. God is good, all the time!

Stephanie Anderson, communications and graphics specialist:

I’m slow to learn, but God has been teaching me new lessons in kindness and patience and graciousness with those who disagree on various issues in this challenging season in our culture. It’s been stretching at times, especially because these issues feel so personal since they affect us all in many ways: physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and for some, financially. For example, I have a close friend who has different opinions than I do about COVID. I’ve had to learn to check my tongue and not feel the need to share my thoughts every time we talk about it. “We can agree to disagree” and still experience close friendship. The verse that has come to mind is: “Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity” (Colossians 3:14). A few weeks ago my friend and I even decided to take a week long break from talking about anything related to COVID news, and it was so refreshing! There is life and much good outside of these issues, but they can feel consuming.

I’m working my way through Tim and Kathy Keller’s God's Wisdom for Navigating Life: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Book of Proverbs and have found Proverbs more timely than ever. Proverbs 26:17 says, “Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.” Does that describe many social media interactions, or what? I’ve also been struck by Proverbs 25:15, which says, “…a gentle tongue can break a bone.” I’ve tried to keep that in mind when I do engage with others on social media, and remember that gentleness isn’t weakness but a reflection of our wise and infinitely strong Savior, and one of the fruits of the Spirit. Tim shares Proverbs 17:27 (“The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered”) and writes: “Jesus never gave way to unrestrained or inflamed speech, even when under the greatest affliction or the greatest provocation. Keep in mind, though, Jesus is not merely an example to live up to. As your Savior, He can send you His Holy Spirit, which gives us an inner love for him and changes us into his likeness.”

Finally, I’m learning to trust that God is at work in everything that is happening in our world and using it in each of His children’s lives to bring eternal good. The message of Romans 8:28 has always been precious to me: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” I’ve clung to its truth through personal trials and suffering over the years, but for some reason it has felt harder to believe in this COVID season, perhaps because there are so many decisions made by people in positions of authority that affect my life and those I love. But I’ve been convicted lately that those decisions in no way negate the truth of this verse.

Even though it’s painful and hard to see sometimes, I can trust that He is using this season to bring eternal good in my life and in the lives of those I love.

Photo by Ana Tavares on Unsplash

What Is God Teaching You in This Season of COVID? Part 1

I recently asked our EPM staff and board members what God has been teaching them in this challenging season. I think you’ll be greatly encouraged by what they had to share, and especially by the Scripture they included. (Today’s blog is part one, with the second to follow.) —Stephanie Anderson

Note from Randy: I thought Steph’s idea was great and I loved reading parts one and two of this blog. Terrific insights from our EPM staff and board. I invite you to share what God is teaching you and what Scripture has been most meaningful to you by leaving a comment on my Facebook page!

Anna Wright, ministry assistant:

I think this season has challenged me to really believe that Jesus is King over all the crazy things happening around the world. I knew it before, but now I feel I’ve experienced what it’s like to trust that. This season has opened my eyes to see how much I need Jesus and His grace in my own life. This world is uncertain, and people are chaotic and broken. But Jesus isn’t, and He is the only solution to all the fear and pain. His truth is greater than any social media post or news article. He isn’t surprised by any of the things that are happening, nor is any of it out of His hand. These couple of verses have really stuck out to me and challenged me during this season: “Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways” (Psalm 119:35-37, ESV).

Amy Woodard, ministry assistant:

Early on when the Coronavirus first appeared in the U.S. and Oregon went into quarantine, I was reading Romans 12, and even typed it up and put it on our refrigerator for our family to read on a daily basis. I did not understand everything that was happening in our world, and the news made it all seem really scary. I had my personal feelings about it and heard a lot of opinions about it all. Over and over again, the Lord just kept reminding me of Romans 12:10—“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

It became a mantra in my head as I listened to the news, scrolled through Facebook, and watched the world going on around me. I have no idea what is happening in the lives of the people I come across; if they’re wearing a mask because their parents are fighting for their lives, or if they’re not wearing a mask because of personal feelings or issues. My job is not to judge the people around me but to honor others above myself.

Sandy is our next-door neighbor and a woman we dearly love. In 2011 she had a heart transplant and therefore needs to keep herself healthy. She’s become like a grandma to my kids and another mom for me, and I began telling my kids, “Part of the reason we’re going to take this seriously and quarantine ourselves is for Sandy. You know she can’t resist hugs!” Our family loves her and wants to honor Sandy above ourselves. If it means saying “no” to certain freedoms for a time so that we can keep germs away from Sandy, then it’s what we’re willing to do. 

Trusting the Lord in the face of uncertainty, questions, distrust (of the media), and fear is another area the Lord has grown me these past five months. I do not have any answers, do not trust all the information we’ve been given, and have struggled with fear in many ways. I have read and memorized so many verses to help keep my mind and heart looking in the right direction.

“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul” (Psalm 94:19).

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing” (Psalm 34:4-5, 8-9). I prayed over this one back in March when (the world, it seemed) was out of toilet paper!

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2).

Brenda Abelein, ministry assistant:

Perspective. In early January, a friend shared this verse with my Bible study group: “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” (Isaiah 43:19 NLT). She felt God prompting her to claim this verse as her attitude toward the new year, watching expectantly for God's direction, and encouraged us to do the same. At that time in early January, COVID-19 was already making people sick on the other side of the world, we just didn't know it yet here in the U.S. Which of us would have chosen a pandemic to be a “something new” from the Lord?! But if we look expectantly for what God might be doing through it (instead of complaining about frustrations), we can see there is good! Families are spending more time together, we have simplified our schedules, we’re taking more walks, we’ve reached out more to those in need, and we’ve learned to communicate more creatively. “And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow...” (1 Thessalonians 3:12 NLT).

Stillness and discernment. I am outgoing and thrive when I can collaborate and interact with others. I like to plan things, help people, do things for others, organize things. I like being busy like Martha. But Jesus told her, “There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it” (Luke 10:42 NLT). In the early weeks of COVID stay at home orders, I really struggled with the quiet of being home alone so much. Then I settled in and found that my new “bonus time” allowed for a lot more quiet time, outdoor walks, Bible study, and a few fun home projects that I’d been wanting to do. At the time I thought it would just be a short season of a few weeks (ha!) and was still looking to the end and return to “normal” life. Then a friend encouraged me to rethink normal and consider making intentional decisions of what to add back into my schedule when the time came. I now feel content saying no to some things to intentionally guard my time in wise ways so I can say yes to the things He wants me to do. “Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those with discernment listen carefully. The paths of the LORD are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them...” (Hosea 14:9 NLT).

Technology. I have been even more thankful for it during this COVID season. Messages, texts, Facetime, and Zoom (to name just a few) have kept all of us connected these last five months when we couldn’t be together in person. Back in the simple times of Jesus’ day, you had to be with someone to communicate, or write a letter that was hand-carried to them, taking days or weeks. Definitely not instant! Recently I spent four days at the hospital with my mother-in-law. Due to COVID restrictions, only one person could be with her, so I felt the weight of needing to communicate clearly with the rest of the family about her care, and decisions that needed to be made. “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone” (Colossians 4:6 NLT). I was SO thankful for technology. We have many creative communication tools available to us today because God has gifted creative minds to invent them. “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10 ESV).

Kress Drew, EPM board member:

He is teaching me about grace: how to receive it, and how to give it to others.

I can still see it in my mind as if it were yesterday, although it’s been quite a few “yesterdays” ago now, back in March. My friend looked at me and said, “People just need more grace right now. Everyone is overwhelmed. Everyone is trying to figure this all out.” His words hit me like a ton of bricks and jarred me back to reality. I’m a high school teacher, and yes, the good work we were doing to transition from in-person to online learning was important, very important, yet people are always more important than systems and processes. As I left with his words ringing in my ears and settling in my heart, I made a choice to give grace to people, students and staff alike, as we all walked this road together.

To be able to sit with a person on the other side of a computer screen and just listen, to explain again and again why the next step in the problem works, to say after answering a question, “and how else can I help you?”, to a myriad of other ways, God is teaching me about grace, His grace. For there is much joy in giving grace and seeing it do its work, as it melts the friction of the moment and tenders the hardness of the heart. No, I have not done it perfectly, and yes, I have needed much grace from our King and from others too on this journey. At the same time, He is at work by His grace, in and through my-ever-in-need-of-grace-heart, and it is such a good thing.

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him Who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:2-3 NASB).

As a math guy, I love how He says multiply and not merely addition, as things can increase a lot more when you multiple versus just adding; and it comes by His power-through knowing Him. Oh, to know Him more.

All Glory to God in the highest, and grace and peace be multiplied to you.

Photo by Bookblock on Unsplash

30 Ways God, in His Grace, Has Used Eternal Perspective Ministries

Note from Randy: This month marks 30 years since Nanci and I started Eternal Perspective Ministries. (You can read the story behind its beginning here.)

When we think about what God has done in the last three decades through this ministry, we’re grateful and humbled. We never could have envisioned its far-reaching impact. The kingdom outreach of the books is far beyond anything we anticipated. Then there’s the royalty money distributed to God’s kingdom as a result of the book sales!

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

God has done “far more abundantly” than we could ever have imagined, and even what we do know about the ministry’s impact is just a glimpse of what we’ll learn once we’re in Christ’s presence. (And, delightfully, the same is true of every faithful believer, family, church, and ministry!)

Please know that those of you who’ve partnered with our ministry through both giving and prayer play a vital role in our outreach. I feel like I can say with Paul, “Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account [in Heaven]” (Philippians 4:17). We’re deeply grateful for you, and rejoice with you too not only for the way God has used you through this ministry, but also for the eternal reward He will give you for your faithful service.

We hope you enjoy reading about 30 ways that God, in His grace, has used EPM and continues to do so. To Him be the glory!

1.  To introduce readers to Christ through both fiction and nonfiction.

We get many comments from readers such as this:

“I became a Christian after reading Deadline, which my boss gave me. I related to Jake very much. Glory to God for using you and her to plant those seeds that ultimately gave me eternal life!!!”

“I gave your book Heaven to my son in law who was dying in Italy. I worried because English was his second language. He read through the first seven chapters and gave his life to Jesus. He died a few weeks later. It was exactly what he needed.”

2.  To feed the poor, plant churches, advocate for the unborn, and spread the Good News of Jesus.

Randy has written fifty-some books (24 of which are also on audio, 13 of those recorded by him). To date, nearly $8.4 million in royalties from his books have been given to Christ-centered ministries around the world, including missions, discipleship, humanitarian relief, prolife work, Bible distribution, and much more. Another $2.8 million has been given away through our nine special funds, which donors designate to and EPM gives through when we have excess money in our general fund.

3.  To encourage those who are suffering.

“My husband and I do a ‘reading time’ every night. He is at a stroke facility, and I am unable to see him in person. I love our nightly calls when I can read him to rest. Our last book was Seeing the Unseen where I would read 5-6 days to him, and we would ruminate in the truth of Scripture. It is a precious time and your words have been a part of it.”

“I just finished your book If God Is Good. I have a son that has suffered from chronic illness and disability for 25 years. He is now 31. This book has helped me see how none of my son’s suffering has been wasted and realize how God has used him to change so many lives as he has not walked away from God.”

4.  To comfort those who are grieving.

“My daughter was abducted and murdered over 22 years ago. Thank you, Mr. Alcorn, for your book Heaven. Hope in her eternal life in Heaven brings me healing every day.”

“I read your big Heaven book after my 4-year-old son went to be with our Heavenly Father. My other children and I also read Heaven for Kids together. I wanted to know more about what our son was experiencing and where he is. It was exciting and comforting to learn about and has been a huge part of our healing, knowing God’s Word and trusting in His promises.”

5.  To help believers know and trust Jesus more deeply.

A reader suffering from a long-term chronic illness wrote, “I’ve fallen more in love with my Savior, and your works have kindled the fires of my spiritual life, thrusting me more into His Word.”

“I have two friends who have no idea of who Jesus is. One is a teenager whose family is atheistic. The other is an old friend who is into re-incarnation. How do I reach them? I looked for a book which would tell succinctly who Jesus is—eternal God and our intermediary to God. The introduction to Face to Face with Jesus does that. The daily readings amplify this truth.”

“I read Heaven and it rocked me. For the first time ever, I was excited about Jesus! I wanted to know Him more and more, because I finally trusted that He had good intentions toward me, He wasn’t just out to ruin my fun. I’m just so head over heels in love with Him now, I can’t stop talking about Him.”

6.  To encourage believers to remember their persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.

“I just finished Safely Home and words are hard to find to aptly describe the emotional and spiritual impact it had on me. …After reading this book, I feel that my missionary efforts should be focused on those who are being persecuted for their faith…I now feel the need and compassion to work with those who are desperate for God and His Word.”

7.  To fund the translation of Scripture into people’s heart languages.

In addition to several hundred thousand dollars of book royalties that have been given to Bible translation groups, EPM is also supporting the Esimbi translation project in honor of our co-worker Karen Coleman, a former missionary to Cameroon who went to be with Jesus two years ago. In partnership with donors, so far over $68,000 has been given towards our $120,000 goal.

8.  To provide quality, Christ-centered resources, including articles and video, for free.

“I wanted to tell you my story and how you changed my life. And how it all literally started with a blackhole! Over a month ago, I was scrolling Google news, and I saw something about black holes. I went to YouTube and entered ‘how is a black hole made’ then ‘what’s inside a black hole’...then ‘how far does space go’ to ‘why do we have planets,’ and then I moved to ‘what happens when we die.’ That’s when I found you on the John Ankerberg Show. From there on you changed my life! You made me see Heaven in a whole new light! You made me excited about Heaven! Most of all, you helped me to not be afraid of death anymore, and you helped me to know with 100% where I’m going when I leave this old world.”

9.  To reach prisoners for Christ and disciple them.

Since 2003, EPM has sent over 104,000 books to prisoners, from those who are serving sentences for drug-related crimes to those who are on death row. The books are often shared with other inmates, so one book may be read by several people. One former inmate wrote us,

“I spent 4 years in prison... While there I was blessed to be able to order, free of charge, many books from you that helped me on my journey as a Christian. ...These books were food for my soul, literally. I craved receiving them and sent them home with my mother when I finished reading them. ...Had it not been for those countless books, from Deadline, Deception, and Dominion, to In Light of Eternity, and Heaven, I cannot say that I would be where I am today. They lit a fire inside of me for the Lord, and I just want you to know that I carry that with me still to this day.”

10.  To encourage believers to fix their eyes on Heaven.

“So appreciate your ministry that continues to put the things of this life into perspective. Thank you for keeping our eyes up, cannot wait to experience Heaven! Living with ALS now but I know who holds my life now and into eternity.”

“Seeing the Unseen really captures the essence of eternity and I love listening to what God has to speak to me while reading this.”

11.  To change hearts and minds about abortion.

“Your book Why ProLife? has changed my entire opinion on abortion, for the better. I am an atheist and have been since I was a young child. Regardless I don’t think anything is God’s decision which is why I’ve been pro-choice and for the idea of abortion most of my life. Fact and evidence is the only way you’ll get people like me to side with the pro-lifers. It’s the obvious choice. I am also a philosophy student at my college, and I care a lot about morally right decisions and stances on issues. This book has most definitely opened my eyes.”

12.  To equip prolifers to graciously and winsomely share about the sanctity of life.

“I’m 19 years old, and just finished reading Randy Alcorn’s book Why ProLife? I now feel more confident about engaging in abortion discussions knowing that I’m armed with informative facts and thought-provoking questions.”

13.  To save unborn lives.

A reader who travels to Kenya, and has taken along many copies of Randy’s book Why ProLife?, shared with us a letter from a friend who operates a clinic, school, and pharmacy in the slums of Nairobi.

Her friend, who gives out copies of the book, wrote about a woman who was expecting her fifth child. Because she and her husband were struggling financially, they planned to abort. After the woman was exposed to the truth in Why ProLife? about her unborn child, she convinced him to talk to the clinic worker.

Initially, the husband was angry and even violent, but he later repented and accepted Jesus. Together, they planned on welcoming their child. The worker writes, “Many young girls come in[to] our small pharmacy and clinic seeking assistance for abortion, but this book is a tool of solution. Many lives have been saved and rescued because of this book.”

14.  To reach children and help readers teach their children about eternal realities.

“Reading Lord Foulgrin’s Letters as a family. My wife and I read it many years ago while dating. Praying that my kids (13, 12, and 8) have their eyes opened to the spiritual warfare happening around us.”

“I wish it were possible to convey what a huge influence EPM and Randy have had been in my life and consequently in the lives of my kids, family and friends.  I have four kids, 17, 16, 13 and 11, who see Heaven differently, and can argue against abortion, etc. because of his influence.”

“Don’t know if Randy Alcorn will see this or not but please tell him that he has helped me in so many ways. I’m a 13 year old boy who lives in a Christian home. I always knew God was out there but I didn’t have a very good relationship with Him. When I read his book Safely Home it really hit deep with me. I always thought that church was boring but now when I hear God’s Word I just want to hear more and more of his words cause he has blessed me far more than I could imagine. I have taken God for granted and I wanted to thank Randy Alcorn for helping me open my eyes and follow God.”

Randy wrote him back, “It was so great to hear from you! When I was 13 I had never heard the gospel, and didn’t until I was 15. Always thank God you were raised in a Christian home. I am really grateful that God used Safely Home in your life! And I’m so happy that you want to learn more and more from God’s Word! Follow Him with all your heart and you will never be sorry! I certainly have never been.”

15.  To open eyes to the need for racial reconciliation, compassion, and unity.

After Randy shared an article by Shai Linne on his blog, a reader wrote:

“I have been praying and fasting from conversation on this topic…waiting for God to give me ears to hear and eyes to see.  This article did it.  I am heartbroken.  …Shai Linne’s humility in sharing helped me see and hear it. I will continue to pray for where I (not being black) can be constructive in my community.”

16.  To inspire readers to reach the nations for Christ.

“I read Safely Home (the first time), and it changed my life...I live in a town with a University that has 200+ Chinese students every year…since reading this book (now many times) I have been burdened to get to know these students and have been privileged to have many in my home to bake, eat and play games (and hear about Jesus). Also I am able to reach a class on Sunday mornings at our church for Chinese students to improve their English and hear about God’s Word. This burden came as a result of this book…and I am so thankful.”

17.  To encourage Christians to pursue purity for Christ’s glory.

A reader from Ivory Coast in West Africa wrote,

“I’m a young Christian, and I gave my life to Jesus in 2013 at 17 years old. I was really blessed by your teaching about sexual purity in your book The Purity Principle (Le choix de la pureté—that’s the title in French, as I’m a French speaker). The devil held me by many things like pornography, sex addiction during seven years that was very difficult for me to give my best to Jesus. Now there is a long time (seven years) I live for Jesus and I serve Him...I testify what God has done for me to young people in order to bring them [the] Gospel.”

18.  To equip pastors.

“Thank you so much for your contribution to the church in so many ways. I recently finished If God Is Good in preparation for a sermon on suffering and was so edified by your thoughtful and pastoral approach to suffering.”

19.  To free believers to experience God-honoring happiness in Jesus.

“Just finished Happiness. Life-changing. I am not prone to hyperbole. I mean it. Thank you for helping me to not feel guilty about being happy.”

20.  To help believers embrace God’s ownership and their stewardship, and in turn inspire and teach other believers to do the same.

“I’m a business science student at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and I’ve often wondered how we, as soon-to-be professionals, are to manage our money faithfully. Managing God's Money has really helped me to see how God expects us to use HIS money.”

The extremely impactful Generous Giving organization was founded by four men who read Money, Possessions, and Eternity and decided to commit their lives to spreading the message of biblical stewardship and radical giving. Randy has had many meetings and phone calls with other young men who are speakers, writers, and ministry leaders in the financial realm, and his books, especially The Treasure Principle, have been used widely at events to raise funds for ministry outreach.

21.  To inspire readers to use their money to further Christ’s kingdom.

“My world has been rocked by reading The Treasure Principle. We manage millions and millions of dollars for our 300 families of clients. Thank you for the impact your work has had on me, and will have, Lord willing, on our clients and our church.”

Randy has gotten calls such as, “I want to give a million dollars to prolife work. Where should I send it?” Once a business leader called Randy to say that as a result of something he said about giving at a conference, the man had given thirty million dollars away he hadn’t planned on. Randy says, “I never imagined being able to speak into the lives of so many wealthy people. I thank God that I see them as just regular people, followers of Jesus who need to grow like I do, so I’m not tempted to tell them what they want to hear, but what I think they need to hear.”

22.  To invite believers to experience the joys of generosity.

“During this COVID-19 thing, we too were expected to receive some government funds, and after seeing Randy’s Facebook challenge to give it away if you don’t really need it, my wife and I discussed it, and decided to give away all of our IRS stimulus money that we had received: 10% to our church and the rest we split up between five different ministries.”

23.  To connect readers with Bible-believing, Christ-centered churches.

In many of his books, Randy invites readers to contact EPM to receive recommendations for churches in their area.

“I called EPM this morning, to thank your ministry and to get a recommendation on finding a church near Vancouver. She gave me this email to write my thanks. In my past I have made a few mistakes and have received a couple books, through your prison ministry. I got the chance to read some of Randy Alcorn’s books that he wrote and they really touched me, especially Edge of Eternity. …I can never explain how you’ve touched me. Please tell Randy his writing is awesome and thank you for helping me locate a church near my house.”

24.  To teach Christians to think biblically about cultural and theological issues.

Randy has taught college and seminary courses on a number of subjects, some of which have been recorded and widely distributed by EPM. (These include Eternity 101, Happiness 101, and Theology of Money.)

“hand in Hand is a thoughtful, unbiased examination of scriptures about sovereignty and free will. No straw man arguments. Calls for unity since Calvinists still preach the gospel and Armenians call on God to save the lost. God is ultimately sovereign over all, yet I was encouraged that my choices and prayers are deeply meaningful-- without diminishing the greatness of God in any way. Randy also deals with the problem of pain with a non-fatalistic approach, full of compassion and encouragement.”

“Every time I read any of your books, or anytime I read your blog, I read truth, and it grows my faith. I am so grateful for your clear thinking and writing. Your blogs on The Shack and Star Wars, etc. reassure me that my thinking on Biblical issues and ethics and Christ Himself is on course.”

25.  To reach and teach readers in languages around the world.

Randy’s books have been translated into over 70 languages, and we offer resources in several languages on our website, including Spanish, Chinese, French, and more.

Readers from Mexico and Germany wrote us:

“Randy, blessings. I thank God and you for the privilege of having read your book Heaven [El Cielo]. My expectations were really met. I long for Heaven. I realize that it is not as I was taught! Now I have met him through this magnificent book, and I look forward to enjoying it. I also realize the importance of talking about it, causing others to yearn for it, and to fulfill the plan that God designed from the beginning.”

“I’m a German woman and I read Post von Graf Moderthal (Lord Foulgrin’s Letters) and Die Akte Jillian (The Ishbane Conspiracy). Your books are fantastic and tell us a lot of the battle between the Lord and Satan. It’s a danger and most people don’t believe it. I hope especially the youth can hear about this!”

26.  To provide encouragement and perspective online through social media and Randy’s blog,  and in print through our magazine.

“Your blog is a great blessing in my spiritual life. Thank you.”

“I enjoy and I’m so blessed when I read your magazine. I save them and read again and again, and pass them on. …I’m 87 years old, so you are helping us seniors. God bless!”

27.  To minister to those who call, email, and message our staff, often with questions related to Randy’s writings.

Randy says, “Nanci and I are profoundly grateful for the amazing team of people EPM has had over the years. When I travel and interact with people they often comment on how personal and helpful our staff has been to them not only when they are seeking resources but also are struggling with personal needs and deep questions. These are all people we would trust with our lives.” 

A reader wrote, “I cannot express how grateful I am for your support and encouragement. …Your words and the scriptures you sent helped me so much.”

28.  To interact with pro athletes and encourage them in their walks with Christ, and in using their platforms and resources for God’s glory.

Six years ago Randy and Nanci both prayed for more opportunities to invest in young adults. Shortly thereafter Randy was asked to speak at a gathering of professional athletes at Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO). At the conference Randy was asked by an NFL quarterback he knew to join his core group (Nanci was also invited to meet with the wives). He met various players who he dialogued with during the conference and who afterward contacted him periodically with questions about scripture, theology, and helpful books and resources.

Randy was asked to start an online group where he has shared weekly posts from scripture for the last four years, related to personal spiritual growth, family life, and biblical truth. Randy and Nanci have continued to attend PAO conferences and build relationships with players and their wives. Randy says, “It’s one of many examples in the history of EPM, including ministry to businessmen and prisoners, that I never envisioned. We’re glad to be spiritual resources for these young men and their wives, and perhaps by enriching their lives we can be a small part of their unique ministries to their circles of influence.”

29.  To encourage men to embrace biblical fatherhood.

“I am a law enforcement officer in a small town. I just got done reading your book Courageous. You moved me to absolute tears and reminded me that God still does miracles. In my job, I get tired of dealing with people sometimes. It is hard. Last night I walked into the room where my two-year-old daughter was sleeping, opened my cell phone so I could see her, and she was okay. The story moved me into absolute tears, and it makes me want to hold my daughter and never let her go. Thank you for bringing this book into my life when you did. God's timing is always right.”

30.  To provide resources for military, hospital, and prison chaplains that can assist them in touching lives for Christ.

“Thank you so much for your many books sent to Baghdad, Iraq. The books were given out to soldiers and I was thanked over and over for the great books—both the novels and theological books.”