Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 80

Sean McDowell Shares Three Lessons for Parents and Church Leaders in the Wake of a Christian Rockstar Losing His Faith

Note from Randy: In May, Jon Steingard, lead singer of the Christian band Hawk Nelson, shared a lengthy Instagram post outlining why he no longer believers in God. It’s heartbreaking to read and expresses so much confusion.

I’m currently reading a book by someone who talks about growing up with a Christian faith that never addressed the big issues, and made him feel it was always telling him to check off the boxes and be right and superior and look down on people. It wasn’t about genuine relationships with Jesus or each other. God help us.

I see this from many who grew up in Christian homes. I did not grow up in a Christian home, so Jesus was brand new and radically life changing, and it never felt like my faith was about performance but the reality of Jesus, who He is, and what He did and said, and how wonderful and happy-making that was. I had many questions about the Bible, sure, but overall, it was a breath of fresh air and had the ring of truth.

So many who no longer believe in Jesus cite reasons that relate to church and Christianity and lack of love and credible answers. I see the failings of the church, of course, but when I compare it all to my utter hopelessness before God revealed Jesus to me in the pages of Scripture, I think of where I would be without Him now and how utterly life-changing and real He has been to me. It makes me weep not just for those who are walking away, but also for the many who aren’t talking about it but lost their faith years ago.

I don’t think we realize how many things we’ve assumed people know and how often their faith is not real. They hear our words but attach to them different meanings or no meanings at all. When I hear someone who grew up in evangelical churches say they never knew about God’s love until they read The Shack I think, Weren’t we always talking about the love of God, and weren’t a lot of us experiencing it every day and praising Him for it and sharing with our kids and others? (See my reflections on the book here.)

In my book If God Is Good, I challenge Christians to raise questions about evil and suffering and consider that every worldview must face that question. We should teach our children it’s okay to ask hard questions! Don’t have your kids wait until they get to a secular high school or off to college to hear them. Bring them up. Say, “Let’s talk about the fact that there’s a lot of evil and suffering in this world. Why do you think God allows all that? God could make that stuff not happen, right? He’s all powerful. Why does He allow these things to happen? Why does He bring some of these things into people’s lives?”

In my opinion, the Christian worldview gives the best answers. But honest inquiry and open conversation should always be welcome among the people of God. Those who don’t share their intellectual struggles with believers will share them with unbelievers and start reading books by atheists such as Bart Ehrman. (See my review of his book Heaven and Hell, and my chapter about him in If God Is Good.)

I love Sean McDowell’s article below related to this, and pray parents and Christian leaders will take his advice to heart.

Christian Rockstar Loses His Faith. 3 Big Lessons for the Church

By Sean McDowell

Starting in the early 2000s, Jon Steingard became a household name in Christian circles as the singer and guitarist for the band Hawk Nelson. Now he says, “I no longer believe in God.” What happened? And what can we learn from his experience?

In a recent 2,200-word post on Instagram, Steingard tells the story of slowly fading from his Christian faith, which he compares to “pulling on the threads of a sweater.” I would encourage people to read his post, but be prepared, because it is heart-wrenching as he describes being in a “very dark place”:

“What do you do when the rug is pulled out from under your feet? When you find yourself no longer believing the thing at the core of how you see yourself and see the world? What do I teach my children? If I’m honest about this, will all my Christian friends abandon me? Will this alienate me from my family? Will this leave me with nothing?”

As someone who grew up with a “celebrity Christian dad,” I understand the kind of pressures he describes in his post. And even though we have never met, my heart goes out to him. I am glad he now feels the freedom to be “transparent and open.” I am heartbroken to hear this has been such a difficult journey for him. And I wish him the best moving forward.

Doing Better Moving Forward

The point of this post is not to criticize him. What would that accomplish anyways? Nor is it to answer the apologetic questions he raises. I have addressed these questions elsewhere. Rather, it is simply to point out lessons for the church moving forward. I hope we can all pause, reflect on his story, and do better as a result.

Here’s three lessons to consider:

First, We Must Make Room for Doubt

Jon describes being “terrified” at expressing his loss of belief and what it would mean for him professionally and personally. If I read his story correctly, he seemed never to feel the freedom to raises doubts about his faith except for in a few private conversations. And when he did, he has experienced “absolute shock that [his doubts] are shared by nearly every close friend [his] age who also grew up in the church.” If this is true, then there may be many more people struggling with doubt in the church. How can we ignore this?

I also went through a period of significant doubt in my life. While I was certainly not a rockstar (my kids can attest to my lack of musical abilities) my father has been one of the most influential apologists over the past half century. When I told him as a 19-year old that I wasn’t sure I believed “this Christian stuff,” he simply encouraged me to seek truth and wanted to be sure I knew his love for me was unconditional. He didn’t freak out. He wasn’t threatened. He simply gave me space to work through my doubts.

In their book Sticky Faith, Kara Powell and Chap Clark show that young people do not often abandon their faith solely because of doubt. Rather, it is unexpressed doubt that is corrosive to faith. Believe it or not, but I still have some doubts today. I am not certain Christianity is true. I am confident, but not certain. My doubts drive me to find answers and also to rest in God’s grace.

As a church, we must make space for people to doubt. In fact, we should invite it.

Second, Help People Develop a Faith Rooted in Truth

Like me, Jon grew up in a Christian home with a father in full-time professional ministry. Yet his church experience was quite different than mine. Church was not something he did but the “life” of his family. He writes:

“When you grow up in a community that holds a shared belief, and that shared belief is so incredibly central to everything, you simply adopt it. Everyone I was close to believed in God, accepted Jesus into their hearts, prayed for signs and wonders, and participated in church, youth groups, conferences, and ministry. So, I did too.”

Yet there were things about Christian culture that made him uncomfortable–and understandably so! His doubts began when he went to a youth conference that encouraged every teen to “sign a pledge that they would ‘date Jesus’ for a year.” It felt manipulative to him, and so he didn’t sign. Good for him. But he pressed on because everyone he knew believed in the Christian God. So, he felt it must be true.

I can remember similar church experiences that rubbed me the wrong way too. But here is one difference in our experience: these experiences never made me question my faith. My faith was not––and is not––in the church. I am a Christian because I believe it is true. My dad once told me that if Christianity were not true, I should give it up (see 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17).

If we socialize people into believing in God through church, without offering bigger reasons for the truth of Christianity, then should we be surprised when they start to doubt at experiencing failures in the church?

Ultimately, I am a Christian because I believe Jesus rose from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus is existentially powerful and historically credible. In contrast, when Jon no longer believed that the Bible was the “perfect Word of God,” he gave up his faith. For the record, I think there are good answers to the challenge of contradictions, but even if there were contradictions in the Bible, I would not abandon my faith. It might make me rethink inspiration, inerrancy, and how the Bible was put together, but it would not cause me to walk away from Jesus. The resurrection is the heart of the Christian faith, and it can be historically demonstrated even with an imperfect Bible (again, for the record, I do think the Bible is both inspired and inerrant).

My point is simply that we need to keep the main thing the main thing. The only good reason someone should be a Christian is if it is true. And we can know it’s true by direct testimony of the Holy Spirit and by examining the historical evidence for the resurrection.

Third, start apologetics training early.

Jon’s journey from faith was professional, personal, and intellectual. He raises some tough questions that troubled him:

“If God is all loving, and all powerful, why is there evil in the world? Can he not do anything about it. Does he choose not to? Is the evil in the world the result of his desire to give us free will? Ok then, what about famine and disease and floods and all the suffering that isn’t caused by humans and our free will? If God is loving, why does he send people to hell?”

He also raises common questions about the God of the Old Testament being vindictive, judgmental, and cruel. These are important questions that should not be brushed under the rug. They demand a thoughtful response by Christians.

But here is a point we must not miss: None of these are new questions. They may have been new to Jon during his period of questioning, but Jews and Christians have been thoughtfully wrestling with these questions for thousands of years. And some of the greatest minds in world history­––people like Saint Augustine in the 4th-5thcentury and philosopher Alvin Plantinga today––have found the answers convincing.

Christianity has a long history of addressing these difficult questions. I am saddened that Jon grew up in a church that did not seem to appreciate the rich Christian tradition of loving God with the mind.

Much more could be said. If Jon happens to read this, I hope he finds that I have been charitable to him. Stories like this break my heart. But they also encourage me to think deeply about how I can do better as a parent, speaker, writer, and professor.

I hope that is your response too.

This article was originally posted on seanmcdowell.org and is used with permission.

See Josh and Sean McDowell's new video series Heroic Truth, which equips parents, pastors, and youth to know why they believe what they believe.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

The Cure for Celebrity Christian Culture: Faithfulness over Fame

In A.D. 400, Jerome warned the church, “Shun, as you would the plague, a cleric who from being poor has become wealthy, or who, from being nobody has become a celebrity.” In the early church, leaders led by a model of sacrifice and generosity, not by privilege and accumulation.

I personally know a number of people who could be called “Christian celebrities” but lead by example and genuinely seek to honor God with the platform He has given them. But unfortunately, the modern evangelical culture—including the publishing and music industries as well as larger churches and speaking circuits—sometimes generates Christian celebrities and lavishes them with wealth and attention they’re not prepared to handle. People who think they are entitled to lots of attention and money also tend to think they’re entitled to sexual immorality and other self-indulgences, and are prone to hypocrisy. Countless fallen Christian leaders have demonstrated that financial indulgences and sexual indulgences tend to go hand in hand.

I have the greatest appreciation for Jackie Hill Perry, who is a poet and hip hop artist, and the author of Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who God Has Always Been (a book I highly recommend). What Jackie said earlier this year on Facebook about the dangers of fame is so great:

I’ve been spending a lot of time processing through all the good and the bad that being “influential” can bring. I truly believe that “Celebrity Christian culture” can be fruitful and indeed it has been but within it is a handful of snares. Ego, greed, hypocrisy, & public leadership without local accountability are a few of the land mines among us and no one is exempt from landing on one, no matter how “Gospel centered” one might assume themselves to be. ⠀
⠀
I came across this quote from a woman named Hannah More who was a popular poet and play[wright] in the 1700s. It’s really helped to reframe how I understand influence, fame, or whatever you want to call it: “For Christian women to look up with a giddy head and a throbbing heart, to honors and remunerations, so little suited to the wants and capacities of an immortal spirit, would be no less ridiculous than if Christian heroes should look back with an envy on the old pagan reward of ovations, oak garlands, parsley crowns, and laurel wreaths. The Christian hope more than reconciles Christian women to these petty privations, by substituting a nobler prize for their ambition, ‘the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.’” ⠀
⠀
In other words, the glory we’ll all share in once Christ takes us home will far exceed whatever praise we might receive on Earth. So one way to guard ourselves and each other from letting a platform rot our souls is to position our hope in Heaven, where God is. His “well done” is truly the only praise that matters. So please, stay near to God Saints. Faithfulness trumps fame any day.

Thanks for those insights, Jackie, I totally agree—faithfulness trumps fame any day! In doing many book signings and media and speaking events over the years, I’ve had a taste of what it’s like to be treated as a celebrity. It’s fine to respect and appreciate someone’s writing, but some people treat me better than I deserve. I do not believe that these people are trying to dishonor God. But I’m as vulnerable as anyone to sliding down the slippery slope of pride, succumbing to flattery, and gradually coming to think that I deserve special attention, recognition, and material indulgences.

That’s the big danger of being in the public eye—you can start to think that you’re above the rules of life. But none of us are. Fame easily becomes detached from character and integrity. And when people admire you, you can believe you’re worthy of admiration, become proud, and let down your moral guard.

The remedy is to stay plugged into Scripture and to remind ourselves we’re no better than anyone else. We’re all under the same rules. God is watching and He cares how we live: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).

It’s a huge mistake to believe what people think about you. One day you’re a hero; the next day you’re a jerk. That’s why we have to set aside people’s opinions of us. We have to know who we are—and who we aren’t—in God’s eyes.

When someone thinks too little of me I always remind myself that there are other people who think too much of me. And the court of public opinion isn’t what matters—what matters is what God thinks. As Jackie reminded us, “His ‘well done’ is truly the only praise that matters.” He’s the Audience of One. No matter who we are, let’s want to hear Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Twenty-five years ago, I spoke at a Green Bay Packers pre-game chapel about “Fame or Character.” The players and coaches there were just like the rest of us, except more famous and wealthy (and somewhat larger!). This is the transcript of the message I shared with them, which I believe is still relevant today.

Also see this great article from Scott Saults, sharing things he’s learned from Tim Keller about God-honoring leadership.

Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash

How Do We Shine the Light of Jesus in a Dark World?

Jesus…said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

The people Jesus spoke to lived without streetlights. If they didn’t have a lamp, they groped in darkness, vulnerable to assailants. They understood what it meant to walk in darkness, desperately needing a light.

Jesus’ claim to be the light would have been startling, especially since it was one of His “I AM” statements asserting His divinity. Notice Jesus didn’t say, “I’ll point you to the light” or “I’ll give you the light.” He said, “I am the light.” The only Light.

John’s Gospel tells us Jesus is the light that “shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). And Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy: “The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16).

Yet Jesus also told His followers, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). If we’re lights, what’s our power source? “The Lord is my light” (Psalm 27:1). “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). “The LORD will be your everlasting light” (Isaiah 60:20).

Consider the brightest “stars” in the sky—four of which are actually the planets Venus,  Jupiter Mars, and Saturn. Unlike the true stars we see, which are far away and therefore dimmer, these planets don’t shine with their own light; they are bright only because they reflect the sun. Likewise, the moon is a beautiful sight, but it doesn’t generate light on its own. It merely reflects it. Merely makes the reflection sound trivial, but this is actually a magnificent phenomenon. The moon was made to glorify the sun, and when it does, it shares in the sun’s glory. (If the moon were able to talk, wouldn’t we think it foolish if we heard it congratulate itself for how brightly it shines?)

As Christ’s followers, we’re not suns; we’re moons. We shine with a reflected light. Christ’s light is the original; ours is derivative. His light is the primary; ours is the secondary. For the moon to reflect the sun, it needs for nothing to come between it and the sun. Our calling is to stay in the light of Jesus, and not let Him be eclipsed in our lives.

In a dark world, our hearts cheer when we see light. Often light is embodied in a Jesus-follower, in whom we see a secondary reflection of Jesus, the Primary Light of the world. The light of Christ, shining through others, can bring us great joy. I once heard Christian counselor David Powlison say that although God alone is the blazing sun, we can be 3-watt night-lights. In darkness even a tiny light can bring hope.

What does it mean to be a light for Jesus in this world of darkness? I share some thoughts in a message I gave early this year to the staff of Joni and Friends, the ministry founded by Joni Eareckson Tada:

“Don't shine so others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see Him.” —C.S. Lewis

For more on finding joy in Jesus, see Randy’s devotional 60 Days of Happiness, as well as his books Happiness and Does God Want Us to Be Happy?

Photo by Some Tale on Unsplash

Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life's Most Elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality

Barnabas Piper has a new book called Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life's Most Elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality. Several months ago he asked me to read it and consider writing the foreword, since happiness in Christ is a topic close to my heart. This foreword I wrote is not only an invitation to read that book but also an invitation to pursue a life of happiness in Jesus.

Spoiler alert: I loved his book.

Barnabas hooked me when he said, “One of the main reasons I wrote this book is because I was tired of wrestling with guilt over having fun and enjoying myself. It seemed strange that God would give so many wonderful gifts only for me to feel guilty for enjoying them.”

I grew up in a home with no knowledge of Jesus or the good news. I was often unhappy, spending night after night listening to music that promised happiness but failed to deliver it. Gazing at the night sky through my telescope, I longed for a connection to the wonders of the universe but couldn’t find it.

When I was in high school, Jesus drew me to Himself. Everyone, first my mom, noticed the change. The most obvious difference? I became much happier.

I loved my first-ever church, but it struck me as strange when the pastor said, “God doesn’t want you happy; He wants you holy.” Well, I was holier than I’d ever been, but I was much happier too. Was something wrong with me?

That wonderful pastor often cited Oswald Chambers’ great book My Utmost for His Highest, which I eagerly read. But at the time I didn’t know enough to disagree when Chambers said, “Joy should not be confused with happiness. In fact, it is an insult to Jesus Christ to use the word happiness in connection with Him.”

I certainly didn’t want to insult Jesus by saying He was happy or He made me happy! And I couldn’t for the life of me figure out the difference between joy and happiness. (In fact, they are synonyms for everyone except Christians who’ve been taught otherwise).

After a steady diet of such teaching, I became wary of happiness. Had I seen this book Hoping for Happiness back then, I’d have thought, We shouldn’t hope for what God doesn’t want us to have. I’d never have believed I’d one day write a book titled Does God Want Us to Be Happy? And I would have assumed the answer must be a resounding no!

Like Barnabas, I felt guilty for being happy. The message seemed to be, “You could impress God if you chose a life of miserable holiness.” It took me decades to realize that wasn’t merely a misguided and thoroughly unbiblical idea; it was a lie from the pit of hell. It undermined the “good news of happiness” (Isaiah 52:7, ESV, NASB).

Barnabas writes, “Everyone, whether they believe in God or not, has a deep internal yearning for eternal significance and happiness.” That’s why it’s counterintuitive and counterproductive to pit happiness and holiness against each other. Jesus Himself, the most holy human there’s ever been, got invited to parties and was the life of them. (His first miracle was rescuing a wedding celebration that ran out of wine). Children loved Him. Had he been stern and unhappy, they wouldn’t have.

Instead of, “Don’t seek happiness,”—a command impossible to obey anyway—why not, “Seek your primary happiness in Jesus, and fully enjoy the derivative happiness in His countless gifts, including family, friends, food, work, and play”?

We love and serve one who reveals Himself as a “happy God” (1 Timothy 1:11; 6:15). We are to put our hope in “God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).  

Barnabas calls on us to see God as “a generous Father, who showers you with good things day by day and invites you to enjoy them freely, daily, for your pleasure. “

The years I devoted to researching and writing various books on happiness were life-changing. I discovered Scripture speaks of exactly what I’d experienced: not a flimsy superficial optimism, but a happiness that’s biblically grounded in the rock of Christ’s blood-bought promises.

Truth is, the good news should leak into every aspect of our lives, even if we’re not consciously talking about God or witnessing to someone. The “good news of happiness” should permeate our lives with, well, happiness. True holiness is happy-making, and all ultimate happiness is holy-making.

Barnabas couldn’t be more right when he says, “A laughing Christian who relishes good things is a compelling, magnetic Christian—the kind who draws people to truth.”

This echoes what J. C. Ryle wrote 150 years ago:

It is a positive misfortune to Christianity when a Christian cannot smile. A merry heart, and a readiness to take part in all innocent mirth, are gifts of inestimable value. They go far to soften prejudices, to take stumbling blocks out of the way, and to make way for Christ and the gospel.

There is no greater draw to the gospel than happy Christians who are full of grace and truth, quick to laugh and quick to weep for and comfort those who suffer.

My wife Nanci and I have been married 43 years. In the last three, as we have faced her cancer together, we have found a deeper happiness in God and each other than ever before. We have known firsthand the “hopeful, grounded realism” Barnabas writes of. Trusting in Jesus has brought us great happiness in Him, even amidst suffering and the threat of death.

In this delightful book, you’ll see that Barnabas loves Jesus, family, sports, food, fun, God’s creation, and life in general. So do I. We don’t pass our peaks in this life. We don’t even begin to reach them. A New Earth awaits us. I envision Christ’s laugh will be the loudest and longest at all those great feasts ahead of us. But why wait? Why not frontload our eternal happiness into our here and now and give ourselves and others a taste of Heaven?

Hoping for Happiness says, “Hang your happiness on the right hooks, hang your hopes on God’s promises, fear him, and obey his commands—and in this you’ll find happiness, now and forever.”

I know how good this book is. I’ve read it. Now it’s your turn!

Here's Barnabas's dad with his book. Love this:

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Does It Matter How We Spend Our Free Time?

We have to look at our lives as a window of opportunity, because none of us has unlimited time. Everyone, no matter who they are, has 168 hours a week, and we’re supposed to spend about a third of it sleeping, and then another large amount of that likely goes to work. But in terms of what we call discretionary time, how much do we actually have? And how are we spending it?

Scripture tells us to redeem the time and make the most of the time we’ve been given by living in light of eternity. We’d be wise to take these verses into account as we choose how to spend our time:

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:15-17).

Be self-controlled and vigilant (1 Peter 5:8, PHILLIPS).

This doesn’t mean that there’s no time for exercise, fun, hanging out with friends and family, barbecues, or watching a good movie. Our leisure time can be used in ways that please God—by studying and meditating on His Word (see 2 Timothy 2:15), by resting in Christ (see Matthew 11:28-30), and by recuperating from life’s busyness, as Christ commanded His disciples (see Mark 6:31).

Scripture also says that God provides us with material things “for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17, NLT). I’m so grateful for that phrase from Scripture, because it allows me to spend reasonable time and money enjoying God’s creation without guilt and doing things like playing tennis and riding my bike. Nanci and I sometimes go out to dinner or watch a movie together, enriching our relationship. These things contribute to my physical health and my mental and emotional refreshment.

So the answer isn’t believing that spending time doing the things we enjoy is automatically wrong. Hobbies and God-honoring entertainment can be an enriching part of an abundant, satisfying, and happy life. But leisure time can also deteriorate into hours and days wasted watching mind-numbing television, endlessly browsing the Internet and social media, or indulging in fantasies, whether through pornography, explicit romance novels, or video games.

If our approach to free time is just the television is always on because we’re watching this or binging on that, then we’re likely neglecting other important things God calls us to do. Are we building relationships with our neighbors and the people God has brought in our lives? Who are we serving or reaching out to? What great books are we reading? How deep are we going in reading and studying God’s Word? All of these things can bring us great refreshment and joy.

I know people who say I don’t have time to do a weekly Bible study, but they’re actually spending the evening at home watching television or scrolling through their phone or playing video games. So we have to ask ourselves, What kind of a person will all these things make me? as opposed to What kind of person will reading God’s Word and great books, meeting with Christ’s body, and serving other people, make me?

One thing I encourage people to do is to keep track of how they spend their time for one week. (You can use a time management sheet like this one). You can keep track of everything, but most specifically your discretionary time.

When we understand how we spend our time, it makes us better stewards because we become aware of what we otherwise don’t really know. Becoming aware is the first step of stewardship, which puts us in a position to decide, “I want to spend more time reading some great books and God’s Word, and talking with my wife and reading to my kids, and to steward this time I can reduce my time on electronics by five or ten hours each week.” Again, we won't do this without a clear picture of how we’re currently spending our time.

When I was talking to my wife Nanci about this, she reminded me that when she had food allergy issues, she was supposed to write down each and every thing she ate for several weeks. She found this very helpful. As with eating, when it comes to how you spend your time, simply knowing what you're actually doing makes a huge difference in your ability to evaluate and make positive, God-glorifying changes.

I admit sometimes I really do struggle with how quickly time runs out each day. I try to focus on the Lord and His Word and figure out the few things in life He really wants me to do. Every day—including this one—offers me a hundred distractions, not just bad things, but good things. I tell myself that I must say no to the vast majority of good things that I might be able to say yes to those very few things God really has for me, including during my free time.

Jesus says to Martha in Luke 10: “Few things are necessary, really only one. Mary has chosen the better portion and it will not be taken from her.” May that be true of us too, and may we redeem the time God has given us, for His glory!

Photo by Jessica Delp on Unsplash

Make God’s Unshakeable Eternal Kingdom Your Source of Security, Focus, and Peace

Whatever our feelings and opinions about the upcoming election, certainly we can all affirm that as Christ followers, our hope should not be in politics, nor should it be our ultimate focus. (I recently shared some helpful reflections from Paul David Tripp on my blog about being careful where we put our hope. Don’t miss what he has to say.)

When I was emailing with a friend recently about the issues surrounding the election, she shared the encouragement she has found in Hebrews 12:25-29:

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from Heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

She wrote, “That’s something I’m not seeing a lot of these days: gratitude, and worship with reverence and awe. People are afraid of what’s going to happen if so-and-so gets elected instead of fearing God who is a consuming fire! The storm is coming on us all, but it will reveal what we stand upon and where our hope is built.”

I too love that passage since America is being shaken and the world is being shaken, but we should “be grateful for receiving a kingdom that will cannot be shaken.” Note that it “cannot” be shaken—not just “will not.” The kingdom’s very nature is rooted in our sovereign God of providence and grace, so it is utterly impossible for anything to ever shake it! For those who follow Jesus, that is a win/win situation and truly an eternal extension of the GOOD NEWS of the gospel of Jesus. Such a perspective takes our eyes up above (which is where they should be in the first place!).

Ray Ortlund writes:        

Here’s a great thing about the morning of November 4th: Nothing essential to my existence will be diminished, or enhanced, or changed at all. So I plan to wake up that morning and rejoice in the Lord. His eternal kingdom is my eternal home. Reason enough to rejoice!

I wholeheartedly agree. If the reasons for our rejoicing are rooted in Christ, not politics or our circumstances, then no matter what happens, we can find peace, hope, and happiness in Him and in focusing on His eternal kingdom.

E. Stanley Jones said about Hebrews 12:

We have an unshakeable kingdom, the kingdom of God. We have an unchanging Person, Jesus Christ. Then we’ve got the gospel. And it’s a total gospel, for man’s total need.

Modern man is empty, and crying to high heaven for something to fill that emptiness. Nothing can fill that emptiness except the unshakeable kingdom, the unchanging Person, and the total gospel.

Heaven is our country of citizenship (Hebrews 11:16; Philippians 3:20). Christ is our King. We are His ambassadors, representing His agenda and His eternal Kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:20). While on our brief stay here, we are aliens, strangers, and pilgrims (Hebrews 11:3). Ambassadors, aliens, and pilgrims identify themselves and plan their lives with a focus on their home country. Should they become too engrossed in the alien country where they temporarily reside, they can easily compromise their allegiances to their true King and true country.

Imagine an ambassador who leaves his country to live in another nation, one hostile to his own. Naturally, he will want to learn the language, see the sights, eat the food, become familiar with the people and culture. But suppose he fails to draw the line. Suppose he becomes so engrossed in this country’s customs and philosophies that he gradually assimilates into it. He becomes sympathetic to its policies, buys into its values, begins to regard it as his true home.

His allegiance wavers. He compromises his position as an ambassador. He becomes increasingly ineffective in representing the best interests of his true country. His loyalties drift. Eventually, he may even defect. At best, he becomes incapable of serving his true country. At worst, he may actually betray it.

His fatal mistake is this—just because he lives somewhere, he comes to think of it as his home. As Christians, we live on earth—but this earth, as it is now, is not our home. Heaven is. We forget that to our peril.

How are you doing as an ambassador for Christ? How are you doing representing your true country, Heaven, as you live in a world that’s not your home? Have you adopted values and customs of this culture that are contrary to those of the culture of Heaven? Have you compromised your allegiance to your true country and your true King?

“Live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear” (1 Peter 1:17). “I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11).

No matter what direction our earthly country may be going, it is our never-ending heavenly country we should faithfully represent. The people of the world don’t need our reassurance that America is unshakable, that democracy will prevail, that any one human leader will save us, that our economy will recover, that death and suffering will not touch them. What they need, while living in the wreckage of this sin-stained Earth, is to realize that the world’s main problem is that it’s inhabited by people like us, sinners in need of redemption. These thirsty people need us to reach out our hands and extend to them, as cold water, Christ’s offer of citizenship in another world, a coming eternal home described this way at the Book’s end:

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life’” (Revelation 21:3-6).

For more on God's coming eternal Kingdom, seen Randy's book Heaven.

Photo by Haley Truong on Unsplash

Our Need for Sound Teaching About Jesus

It was a labor of love finding and arranging some of the most powerful and inspiring words ever said about the Son of God for my book It’s All About Jesus: A Treasury of Insights on Our Savior, Lord, and Friend. God has profoundly used these words in my life over the past two years as I faced very difficult times. I pray God will use these insights just as mightily with you, to encourage you to love and trust and follow Jesus more.

Here’s a sample entry from part four of the book, “Jesus, in and with His Disciples.”

Our Need for Sound Teaching About Jesus

A time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.  2 Timothy 4:3 NLT

The Jesus that men want to see is not the Jesus they really need to see.   G. Campbell Morgan

It is all too easy to believe in a Jesus who is largely a construction of our own imagination—an inoffensive person whom no one would really trouble to crucify.  F.F. Bruce

Much of the history of Christianity has been devoted to domesticating Jesus—to reducing that elusive, enigmatic, paradoxical person to dimensions we can comprehend, understand, and convert to our own purposes. So far it hasn’t worked.  Andrew Greeley

We refuse to present a picture of “gentle Jesus, meek and mild,” a portrait that tugs at your sentiments or pulls at your heartstrings. That’s because we deal with so many people who suffer, and when you’re hurting hard, you’re neither helped nor inspired by a syrupy picture of the Lord, like those sugary, sentimental images many of us grew up with. You know what I mean? Jesus with His hair parted down the middle, surrounded by cherubic children and bluebirds.  Joni Eareckson Tada

The people who hanged Christ never, to do them justice, accused him of being a bore—on the contrary, they thought him too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified him “meek and mild,” and recommended him as a fitting household pet for pale curates and pious old ladies.  Dorothy Sayers

We make Jesus Christ a convenience. We make Him a Lifeboat to get us to shore, a Guide to find us when we are lost. We reduce Him simply to Big Friend to help us when we are in trouble.  A.W. Tozer

Our prayers and expectations for Jesus usually involve making our lives easy. But Jesus isn’t our genie who grants our wishes. While he sometimes doesn’t give us what we want, he always gives us what we need.  Randy Alcorn

Why do we try so hard to make Jesus cool?! He doesn’t need a makeover.  Matt Chandler

One of the greatest distinguishing marks of a false prophet is that he will always tell you what you want to hear, he will never rain on your parade… he will keep you entertained, and he will present a Christianity to you that will make your church look like a six flags over Jesus.  Paul Washer

A cheap Christianity, without a cross, will prove in the end a useless Christianity, without a crown.  J.C. Ryle

God hates the lukewarm gospel of half-truths that is now spreading over the globe. This gospel says, “Just believe in Jesus and you’ll be saved. There’s nothing more to it.” It ignores the whole counsel of God, which speaks of repenting from former sins, of taking up your cross, of being conformed to the image of Christ by the refining work of the Holy Spirit. It is totally silent about the reality of hell and an after-death judgment.  David Wilkerson

Whenever you find a preacher who takes the Bible allegorically and figuratively… that preacher is preaching an allegorical gospel which is no gospel. I thank God for a literal Christ, for a literal salvation. There is literal sorrow, literal death, literal Hell, and, thank God, there is a literal Heaven.  J. Frank Norris

If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ.  Martin Luther

Just so take Christ away, and the whole arch of truth becomes a heap of rubbish.  Robert Murray M’Cheyne

The soul is in danger when knowledge of doctrine outsteps intimate touch with Jesus.  Oswald Chambers

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

Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash

God Redeems the Former Things: A True Story from Author Francine Rivers

Many Christian fiction readers are familiar with Francine Rivers. Her books are exceptionally powerful, well-written, and always Christ-honoring. Redeeming Love is probably her best known, but my own favorite is The Atonement Child. In my opinion, she is one of the finest writers of Christian fiction in the world.

Francine (who her friends know as Frani) and her husband Rick are committed followers of Jesus, and a delight. (Nanci and I stayed in their home some years ago.) When I was working on my book Giving Is the Good Life, I asked Frani to share about Redeeming Love, which she wrote more than twenty-five years ago. She is a humble person and not one to seek attention or make public statements. But with her permission, I’m sharing this encouraging and beautiful story:

Redeeming Love was the first book I wrote as a Christian. I’d been reared in the church, and had head-knowledge, but I didn’t make the decision to turn my will and my life over to Jesus until 1986 when I was in my late 30s.

A wilderness experience quickly followed. Up until then, I had a successful career in the general market writing steamy historical romances, but after becoming a Christian, I couldn’t write anything. It was a monumental struggle for me because writing was the one area of my life where I thought I had “control.” It took three years for me to receive the lesson God was teaching me: writing had become an idol. My relationship with Jesus became the most important thing in my life. Writing didn’t matter anymore.

Rick and I were hosting a home study when God started nudging me about writing again. We were studying the minor prophets, specifically the book of Hosea. I felt all the inner walls coming down and sensed God telling me, “This is the love story I want you to write. MY story.”  Redeeming Love was the result.

…The Lord has blessed this book over the years. It is used in numerous ministries that work with women in crisis, survivors of sex trafficking, outreaches to prostitutes, and even in marriage counseling ministries.

At the same time we were hosting the home group, I was doing other studies on the Christian life. Larry Burkett’s Debt-Free Living changed my way of thinking about money. Every gift is from above. Those gifts don’t belong to me. I’m to be a proper steward. Rick and I discussed it and realized early on that Redeeming Love was my first fruits as a Christian writer. Hence, whatever royalties came from the book belonged to the Lord, not to us.

We set aside the share Uncle Sam required, but the rest went to the Lord's work. It was an act of obedience in the beginning, but very quickly became a joyful offering. We tithe from everything we receive, but Redeeming Love was set aside entirely for God. Rick and I both believe that God gives so that we may give. He gives us the heart to do so and the joy in the giving as well. (We’ve kept this quiet for many years, only telling a few and under specific circumstances—when we felt it would service a purpose or encourage someone.)

…The main point: We try to steer the money to ministries that reach women (and men) like Angel (the primary character of Redeeming Love)—wounded, lost, in desperate need of a Savior and Lord.

…The book has been a bestseller in several foreign countries and continues to sell overseas as well as in the U.S. What I delight in most: it has been translated into Chinese, Russian, and Arabic. The latter makes me smile. A missionary friend said he saw it in a home in Siberia! God can use anything, even a fictional story, to reach into the hearts of His children—no matter where they are. It is amazing that He allows us to be a part of His great work.

…What's the old saying? You can’t out give God! Oh, how true that is.

Randy again: More than one million copies of Redeeming Love have been sold (in fact, just this month it was number two on the Christian fiction bestsellers list!). Not only have many people benefited from reading Francine’s book, but untold numbers have also been helped through its royalties.

This story of Redeeming Love’s impact is one that only God could write! It reminds me that shortly after we committed 100% of the royalties of my books to be given to Christian ministries, several of them started appearing on the bestsellers’ list. That’s not a formula, and it’s not that God always does it that way. But as Francine and I have experienced first-hand, countless others in a wide variety of vocations have discovered that when they dedicate their profits to God, He often blesses them materially. The more they give back to the Lord the more He blesses them. If that’s been your own story, please share it with me and others on my Facebook page.

Being Black Sometimes Means I’m Treated Differently: A Discussion on Race Between Two Friends

In this excerpt from my novel Dominion, the main character Clarence Abernathy, a black journalist, shares about his experiences as a black man with his friend and coworker Jake Woods (the main character of the previous novel Deadline). What Clarence shares echoes what every black man, from poor guys to rich ones, told me when I interviewed many black Americans while researching Dominion. (See also this article I shared from Shai Linne, a firsthand account that encourages understanding and empathy.)

Jake and Clarence headed to their favorite nearby hangout, the Main Street Deli, two blocks down and across the street. They staked out a table and hung their coats over the chairs. Jake was about to get in line at the counter when he caught the expression on Clarence’s face and decided to sit down.

“How are you doing?”

Clarence paused for a moment, looking uncertain whether he should say something. Finally it came out. “Do you ever get tired, Jake? Just tired of life?”

“Sometimes. But...what exactly do you mean?”

“It’s like I told you before. Sometimes I just get tired of being black.”

“But it’s fine to be black. That’s the way God made you.”

“Yeah, I know. And it’s easy to say that...when you’re white. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not ashamed to be black. It’s just that it’s so draining.”

“What do you mean? Tell me—I really want to understand.”

Clarence sighed, weighing how much he should say. Finally, he jumped in. “Growing up, I thought about my skin color every time I saw a white person. Every time I watched Sky King and The Lone Ranger, looked at all the billboards, paged through Life and Look and Saturday Evening Post and Boy’s Life. Everybody was white. Everybody. The politicians, the astronauts, everybody but the janitor, the street sweeper, and some of the athletes. If I was away from home and forgot about my skin color for a few minutes, when it was time to find a restroom I remembered.”

“But it’s different now. Isn’t it?”

“What? Mississippi?” Clarence laughed half-heartedly, running his index finger beneath his right ear. “No more colored restrooms, if that’s what you mean. Racism wears different clothes now. It’s less overt, more subtle, more disguised. But laws change more quickly than hearts do. Thing is, you know how I’ve said I want people to be colorblind? Well, it’s not realistic. They’re not. I’m not. Things constantly remind me of my color. I can’t get away from it. It haunts me, dogs me, forces me to spend so much time and energy.” He sighed. “Anyway, no use talkin’ about it. Doesn’t change anything. Let’s order. There’s already a line.”

They walked up to the line, six people ahead of them. After a minute of silence, Jake said, “Okay, Clarence. I’m not dropping the subject this time. What reminds you of your skin color right now?”

Clarence moaned, pretending he didn’t want to talk about it. He looked around the room. “How many people in this place?”

“I don’t know, three dozen? Maybe forty?”

“How many blacks?”

“Counting you? Three.”

“There’s the first reason. When you’re in the majority, you don’t have to think of your skin color. When you’re in the minority, you do.”

“Okay, but I see what, two or three Latinos? And that guy looks American Indian. And there’s maybe four Asians—Japanese or Korean or Chinese. Are they thinking about their race?”

“Probably. I don’t know. Now the Hispanics, maybe their great-grandfather’s land was stolen by the U.S. Or maybe they just came to America in the last twenty years, and hey, it’s a lot better than Mexico, even if you can’t buy a decent tortilla here. But you don’t have a lot of Latinos who were forced to live in this country at gunpoint. They could cross the border if they wanted to. The Asians, they came to suc­ceed in business. They can get a loan from the bank; they’re considered good credit risks. And above all, they’re here because they want to be.”

“You’re not?”

“I want to be here, Jake. But is that why I’m here? No. I’m here because some of your ancestors decided to put chains on some of my ancestors, kidnap them, throw them on a slave ship, and bring them over here for cheap labor.”

Jake looked startled, wondering if this was the payback for wanting to listen.

Clarence held up his hands. “I’m not as bitter as I sound. And I don’t hold it against you personally, bro. You didn’t put chains on my ancestors, march them to those ships, starve and humiliate and rape them, steal their families and their culture from them, beat them down until they’d submit to white dominion. You didn’t put my ancestors on that ship. And you didn’t preach from a Christian pulpit that black men had no souls. I know that. But it still hurts; it hurts more than I can ever tell you.

“So I’m just saying, the Asians here may be a little self-conscious, but it’s different. The Hispanics are feeling out of place, but it’s different too. The American Indian, well, he may feel the most like I do right now. This whole land used to be his, although as bad as it is to have your land stolen, I think it’s even worse to have your body stolen. But one thing’s for sure. Of the thirty white people in this room, none of them are thinking about being white. They don’t have to.”

“Okay,” Jake said. “That makes sense. And you’re saying always having to think about race wears you out.”

“Well, sure, but that’s not all. You get the looks. People treat you different. Like a couple months ago when we went to the car dealers and those two salesmen came up to you and I got boxed out of the conversation like I didn’t exist. As if black men don’t buy cars, they just steal them.”

“I didn’t realize what was happening until you pointed it out. I’m sorry for that.”

“I know. And I didn’t blame you. I wouldn’t expect you to notice. I mean, it isn’t happening to you. I probably wouldn’t notice either if it was happening to someone else.”

Jake looked at the five people standing in front of them. “Man, this line’s taking forever.”

“The girl who’s taking orders. Recognize her?” Clarence asked.

“She’s been here almost every day since Marcia quit two weeks ago. Don’t really know her yet.”

“How would you describe her? Friendly?”

“Super friendly. Why?”

“Okay, Mr. Veteran Journalist, let’s do a little research here. Watch how she relates to the two guys in front of us.”

“Okay.” Jake watched and listened.

“Will that be all, sir?” she asked. “Thank you. Hope you enjoy it.” The customer said something to her, and she laughed delightfully. The man in front of Clarence and Jake stepped forward.

“Yes, sir? Managing to keep dry today? What can I do for you?” Same enthusiasm. She rang up the order, took his money, and said, “Thank you, sir. Have a great day.”

“Watch closely,” Clarence whispered to Jake as he stepped forward.

The girl looked down as if she were reading something off the register. “Can I help you?” she asked Clarence. Jake noticed the warmth and enthusiasm were gone. So was the “sir.”

Clarence ordered. They didn’t engage in small talk. She handed him his change, saying nothing. Clarence stepped away, and she looked at Jake.

“Afternoon! How can I help you, sir? Can I talk you into our special? Turkey on rye with cream cheese.”

Jake looked stunned.

“Are you all right, sir?”

“No. I don’t think I am. My friend who was in front of me. Why did you talk to him like that?”

“Like what?”

“You were...different with him.”

“Different? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything.” She looked around as if fearing a supervisor would overhear this.

“Drop it, Jake,” Clarence said.

“No, I won’t.” He looked at her. “My friend here—”

“I said drop it.”

Jake set his jaw and ordered the special, even though he hated cream cheese. They got to the table and put down their plastic number.

“Clarence, why did you tell me to drop it?”

“I was just making a point, not trying to solve the world’s problems. She probably doesn’t even know she’s doing it. Just the way she was raised, I guess.”

“But she did treat you different.”

“Of course she did. This is the third time I’ve been here since she started working. It was just like this the other two times.”

“Well, I don’t appreciate how she acted. It isn’t right.”

“Yeah, and most of the world is right, is that what you’re saying? Hey, you’re not going to change this woman,” Clarence said. “No telling what she’s been through. Maybe some blacks beat her up once. Who knows?”

“Well, that doesn’t justify how she treated you.”

“But if I hadn’t told you to pay attention, you wouldn’t have even noticed it. That’s why when you ask whites—my fellow conservatives, anyway—if there’s still racism, they’ll say maybe a little, but not much, and they’ll go on and on about reverse racism. I don’t really blame them. They can only see what happens to them. They can’t see what I see, because they don’t live inside black skin.”

“It bothers me, Clarence. I want to do something about it.” Clarence thought he saw a tear in the corner of Jake’s eye. It surprised him.

“You did the best you could. You saw it. You didn’t tell me I was just oversensitive, that I imagined the whole thing.”

“It was so obvious,” Jake said.

“Only if your eyes are open to it. Same thing happened when we were in here last week. You didn’t notice then. It’s no different than what I get a dozen times a day.”

“Really?”

“Really. Well, maybe not a dozen anymore. But a couple anyway. Remember a few weeks ago when Geneva and I were out to dinner with you and Janet?”

“At Red Robin’s?”

“Right. When the waiter brought the check, do you remember me being a little irritable? Later Geneva told me it showed.”

“Yeah, I do remember. You seemed upset. Janet and I couldn’t figure it out.”

“How many times have we been out to dinner together, the four of us?” “I don’t know,” Jake said. “Over a dozen.”

“Pop quiz. Every single place we’ve been, every single time when the servers come up with the check, what have they done with it?”

“Put it on the table.”

“Well, yes, but who do they put it in front of?”

Jake looked bewildered, then the light turned on. “Me?”

“Every time. No exceptions. Do you know how that makes me feel?”

“No, I guess not.”

“Like the white man has to pick up the tab for the black man. Like black men don’t make money, or if they do they spend it on drugs or fancy cars. I know the dance, Jake.”

“You always want to pick up the tab,” Jake said. “I have to arm wrestle you so I can pay my share.”

“Usually I don’t let it bother me like that. But I’ve just been fed up lately. Geneva says I’m under stress. Anyway, that’s what happened that night. Then we went over to the mall, to Meier & Frank, remember? Well, we hadn’t been there five minutes before the security guard was on me like white on rice. Finally, Geneva and I went and sat on a bench. It just takes the fun out of shopping.”

“I knew something was wrong,” Jake said. “But I had no idea what. Why didn’t you just tell me?”

Clarence shrugged. “Sounds like whining, doesn’t it? Like I’m another over-sensitive black man. Besides, it’s a little embarrassing.”

“Still, I wish you’d told me. It makes sense now, but I was in the dark. Clarence... I didn’t realize stuff like this still happens.”

Clarence shrugged. “Did you hear what happened when I dropped by Hugh’s house a few weeks ago?”

“What?” Jake didn’t know Hugh well, only that he was the ex-all-American sports editor.

“We go into his house and his phone rings. I’m standing right there when he answers, and I can tell he’s uncomfortable. He says, ‘No, everything’s okay. Thanks for calling. No, I understand.’ So I’m standing there trying to get Hugh to tell me who it was.”

“So who was it?”

“The neighbor lady. One of those neighborhood watch communities, you know. She was calling to tell Hugh there was a black man on his porch. When Hugh told me, I busted out laughing.”

“But it really wasn’t funny, was it?”

“No.” He looked deadly serious now. “Sometimes you laugh because you’re tired of getting mad. Sometimes it doesn’t bother me, I’m so used to it. But when I’m at a low ebb, it gets to me. The thing is, at my last two churches in Gresham, I was the only black man. People think they know me, but they don’t. They don’t describe me as the smart guy or the friendly guy or the guy that loves his family. I’m ‘that big black guy.’ I don’t blame them for that. But my skin color doesn’t say anything about what’s inside, good or bad.”

“To be honest,” Jake said, “a few times I’ve thought maybe you were reading in racism when it wasn’t there. But I’m starting to see it differently.”

“I’m sure sometimes I do read it in. But when you know it’s real with some people, it’s hard not to assume it’s there with others. Like when I was working part-time as a chauffeur when I was in college. All the guys would tell what they made in tips every day. And I always made the least, even though I swear I worked harder than any of them. There’s no way I can prove white people wouldn’t give me decent tips because I was black. But I’ll always believe that. Maybe it’s my own fault. I put my expectations too high. Now my dad, he learned not to expect too much, so he’s usually not so disappointed.”

After several seconds of silence, Jake reached across the table and put his hand on Clarence’s shoulder. “Thanks for telling me this, friend.”

“Hey…thanks for listening.”

Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash

Divided Hearts of America: A Powerful and Engaging New Film Hosted by Benjamin Watson

In the last five years Nanci and I have come to know and love Benjamin Watson and his wonderful wife Kirsten. For the last fifteen years Ben was one of the most highly respected players in the National Football League, and now he continues to have a ministry to many inside and outside the NFL.

Ben was the first round pick of the New England Patriots in 2004. He was part of the Superbowl Champion Patriots of 2005. Ben also played for the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, and Baltimore Ravens, returning to the Saints, and finishing again with the Patriots last season.

If you want a glimpse of his athleticism, check out this 2.5 minute video of one of the most unforgettable hustle plays in NFL history.

Ben’s career and the respect he earned from teammates and coaches and fans is a platform God has given him and that he’s already used well, and I pray his voice will be heard for decades to come. After a conference Ben and I attended a year ago February, he was considering retirement from football and we met to talk about possibilities for his next career. I told him that whatever else he might do, it was obvious God had raised him up to be a spokesman for two causes very close to the heart of God that are also two of the most controversial and important issues in American life: pro-life justice and racial justice. 

I know many excellent spokespersons for each of those causes, but often the two issues are separated instead of seen as inseparable strands in the same seamless garment of God’s justice. Too many proponents of pro-life justice ignore racial justice, and too many proponents of racial justice ignore the right to life of unborn children. Ben pulls these great causes together better than anyone I know.

I’ve said before that I’ve read well over fifty books related to racial justice and Ben’s book Under Our Skin is the one I recommend most. And now, his strong and heartfelt pro-life commitment has driven him and Kirsten to make a powerful new film called “Divided Hearts of America.” Ben sent me a link to watch it two days before its release on Thursday, September 17. I found it extremely unique, engaging, and moving, and I believe you will too. There are a wide variety of voices and some different points of view, and it includes a few short clips from a discussion Ben and I had earlier this year. I am convinced God will use this film far and wide!

Here’s a description from the film’s website:

A million-dollar budget isn’t much for Hollywood, but Benjamin Watson is hoping that it’s enough to tell a story and bring empathy to a hot-button topic. Venturing onto a new field, the New England Patriot’s tight end has executive-produced and partially self-financed Divided Hearts of America, a look at the debate around abortion in America.

The film is structured around a series of more than 30 interviews with Americans holding opinions from all over the political and social spectrum. Most notably, the film includes interviews with Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the presidential candidate and neurosurgeon Ben Carson.

When questioned about his motivation for the film, Watson describes his goal as “… to unveil the truth about abortion, the laws, the history and where our country is headed. I believe in the sanctity of life, be it in the womb or on your deathbed. That’s my conviction. But with the film, I’ll engage those who disagree and hear their reasoning. The No. 1 thing I’m looking for is empathy on both sides.”

Here's the trailer:

You can purchase and stream the film at SalemNow.com. I encourage you to consider gathering a group of friends, family, and neighbors and inviting them to watch it with you. Please do all you can to compel others to watch this strategic film!

A good follow up resource for discussion of this issue could be my brand new book Pro-Choice or Pro-Life: Examining 15 Pro-Choice Claims—What Do Facts & Common Sense Tell Us?, which tackles the predominant pro-choice claims head-on but does so in a thoughtful and non-aggressive way in order to reach pro-life and at least some pro-choice readers. Pro-Choice or Pro-Life? is very discussable for one on one, or a small group where a leader could assign one or more chapter per week, and within a few months a group could receive a decent pro-life education. (Consider watching the film to raise the issues in a compelling way, and then using the book to follow up on them.)

The PDF is free, read it online if you wish, and we also offer a free discussion guide. The print version of the book will be available by mid-October from our ministry for an extremely low cost ($1.00 per single copy; 90 cents per copy on orders of 100 or more; 80 cents per copy on orders of 1,000 or more, plus shipping). A single person could purchase enough copies for their entire church, and certainly enough for family and friends and selected neighbors.

Finally, if you want to hear more from Ben Watson, and enjoy his rare combination of pro-life and racial justice passions, here he is:

1) With Focus on the Family, addressing racial justice: 

2) At the National March for Life in Washington DC, in 2017, addressing pro-life justice: 

I can’t say enough about Ben and Kirsten’s character, integrity, and passion for Jesus. Their family is itself a pro-life statement.  Here they are with their seven wonderful children: