Choosing a God-Honoring Lifestyle

Regarding choosing a financial lifestyle that is honoring to God, I received a blog comment from a reader, asking:

Do you believe that everyone should live modestly? (Would that be $30,000 per year, or $50,000, or $100,000, or...?)

How do you measure this? Should everyone have the same amount, or are some called to wealth and others not?

When it comes to our attitude toward wealth, Jesus gave commands. When it comes to our specific possessions and lifestyle, he gave us principles. Jesus did not hand us a precise checklist of what we can and cannot own, and how we can or cannot spend money. Jesus did not say just one thing about money and possessions. He said many things. They were not random clashing noises, but carefully composed melody and harmony to which we must listen as we develop our lifestyles.

On the one hand Christ said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth" (Matt. 6:19). On the other hand Paul gave these instructions to a pastor: "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life" (1 Tim. 6:17-19).

Paul did not say, "Command those who are rich to stop being rich." The implication is that there is a legitimate diversity in the amount of money and possessions owned by Christians. Of course, there is no room for opulence and waste. There is no room for making wealth a source of security, nor for a lack of generosity or hospitality.

Paul left a door open for a Christian to be "rich in this present world"—but only if he carefully follows the accompanying guidelines related to his attitude toward and his use of that wealth. The rich are not told they must take a vow of poverty. But they are told, essentially, to take a vow of generosity. They are to be rich in good deeds, quick to share, quick to part with their assets for kingdom causes—and in doing so they will lay up treasures in heaven.

But who are these "rich," and how rich are they? The answer is that almost everyone who reads this will be rich, both by first-century standards and by global standards today. Statistically, if you have sufficient food, decent clothes, live in a house that keeps the weather out, and own a reasonably reliable means of transportation, you are among the top 15% of the world's wealthy.

If you have any money saved, a hobby that requires some equipment or supplies (fishing, hunting, skiing, astronomy, coin collecting, painting), a variety of clothes in your closet, two cars (in any condition), and live in your own home, you are in the top 5% of the world's wealthy.

Hence, when we speak of the rich we are not talking about "them" but "us." Those we think of as rich today are really the super-rich, the mega-wealthy. But it is we, the rich, to whom Paul is speaking. The allowance of "rich Christians" by 1 Timothy 6:17 immediately follows a sobering warning of what awaits those who desire to get rich (1 Timothy 6:11). If we are rich, and we are, we need not conclude we are necessarily living in sin. But we must carefully adhere to Paul's instructions of what our attitudes and actions are to be.

Nevertheless, the door remains open to legitimate differences in the amount of wealth we own. When Peter pressed Jesus concerning the Lord's plans for John, Christ responded, "What is that to you? You follow me" (John 21:22).

His emphasis was on the word "you." Each of us has a call of God. We should not be preoccupied with God's dealing with others, nor should we make unhealthy comparisons with our own situation. There are some things that no Christian should do, such as hoard, live in opulence, or fail to give generously. But there are other things some Christians can rightly do that others cannot or choose not to, such as own land, a home, a car, a business, or go on a certain vacation.

Just because they have different lifestyles, one kind of disciple is no more spiritual than the other. Mary of Bethany, arguably the most devoted of all Christ’s disciples, lived in a large house with considerable possessions, which she and her family regularly made available to the twelve. Judas Iscariot, on the other hand, “left all” to follow Christ.

How much money and possessions can we safely keep? Enough to care for our basic needs and some basic wants, but not so much that we are distracted from our basic purpose, or that large amounts of money are kept from higher kingdom causes. Not so much that we become proud and independent of the Lord (Deut. 8:13-14), or are distracted from our purpose, or insulated from our sense of need to depend on God to provide (Matt. 6:26-29).

Those who want to get rich set themselves up for spiritual disaster. Those who happen to be rich, simply as a result of circumstances, hard work, or wisdom, have done nothing wrong. They need not feel guilty unless they do not make their riches generously available to the work of God, or their lifestyles are self-centered and excessive.

The complete article "Choosing a God-Honoring Lifestyle" is available on EPM's website.

You can read more on "Handling Our Money and Possessions" in Money, Possessions and Eternity.


www.facebook.com/randyalcorn
www.twitter.com/randyalcorn
www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com

www.epm.org

Where do you stand on the Calvinism and Arminianism debate, and what resources do you recommend?

I've often been asked, Where do you stand on the Calvinism and Arminianism debate, and what resources do you recommend?

I came to Christ in a church that was Arminian, so that was naturally my early leaning. I went to a Bible college and seminary that were both middle of the road where neither hard core Calvinism nor Arminianism often surfaced in class, though on a continuum, some faculty would lean more toward one than the other.

As the years went by, struck by the power of God's sovereignty and grace, I became increasingly closer to what is called a Calvinist rather than an Arminian (though I dislike both labels). As I say in other articles on the EPM website, I believe that Christ died for all, not just the elect, which is the one and only major tenet where I depart from Calvinism (not for logical reasons, but simply because after studying the passages they still seem to me to be saying Christ died for everyone.) So I am what might be called a four point Calvinist, though many 5-point Calvinists hate that term, believing it all stands or fall together. Logically, I see what they mean, it's just my understanding of biblical passages that gives me pause. (It's not because I haven't read extensively and discussed the matter with many people I respectfully disagree with.)

Interesting to reflect back on how my perspective changed over the years. I will never forget the horror I felt when I read Romans 9-10 as a young Christian, and the confusion I felt when reading passages speaking of election and predestination. Ironically, many of the same passages that once plagued me are now my greatest source of comfort. God's sovereign grace is precious to me...as I know it is also to many who see things a bit differently when it comes to election and God's work in our lives.

Though he was an outspoken Calvinist, Charles Spurgeon--a man whose theology I love--was opposed by both Arminians and hyper-Calvinists. He said some things that I think are important in this whole debate, including this: "My love of consistency with my own doctrinal views is not great enough to allow me knowingly to alter a single text of Scripture. I have great respect for orthodoxy, but my reverence for inspiration is far greater. I would sooner a hundred times over appear to be inconsistent with myself than be inconsistent with the word of God." I assembled some of Spurgeon's thoughts that pertain to this at Spurgeon's Theology: Embracing Biblical Paradox.

The one systematic theology I love most and use most is Wayne Grudem's. Wayne is a Calvinist, but I like the fact that be seems always to seek first to be a biblicist. I get the feeling he doesn't take a position because that's what Calvinists are supposed to do, but because he thinks Scripture teaches it. If you are looking on a book that capably explains and defends the five points of Calvinism, here's one option.

Other resources regarding Calvinism and Arminianism, and I am deliberately trying to give you a wide variety here, not just those that reflect my own position:

An interesting book is Norm Geisler's Chosen But Free: A Balanced View of Divine Election. Then, The Potter's Freedom, by James R. White, is mainly a response to Geisler's book, which White views not as balanced but mostly a restatement of the Arminian position and a rejection of the major tenets of Calvinism. The most recent versions of Geisler's book include an appendix with his response to White's critique.

Another interesting book is Beyond Calvinism and Arminianism: An Inductive, Mediate Theology of Salvation, by C. Gordon Olson. Olson also thinks he is taking a balanced view, reconciling the two theologies. Once again, most Calvinists will conclude that he is simply a moderate Arminian, and that there isn't much of a real middle ground between camps. But he raises some interesting points.

An unapologetic and fur-raising rebuke of Calvinism is Dave Hunt's What Love Is This? Calvinism's Misrepresentation of God. I usually disagree with the author, though if points were given for feeling deeply about issues, he'd score high. The publisher of that book invited a Calvinist to take on Dave Hunt in debate form in a subsequent book. The Calvinist is James R. White (who wrote The Potter's Freedom). Dave Hunt and James White's debate is laid out in what I think is a fascinating book entitled Debating Calvinism: Five Points, Two Views.

This is an interesting book in that it is a true written debate, full of sparks and fire. In each chapter one man presents his own position, his opponent responds, the original writer defends, the opponent gives his final remarks, then the original presenter gets the last word. In the first half of the book the Calvinist, James White, is the presenter. Then, in the second half of the book Dave Hunt is the presenter in each chapter of some aspect of the Arminian position, with the same format of response, defense, and final remarks.

The book is insightful and sometimes lively and entertaining, especially when these men start getting under each other's skin (and boy, do they; even though they and their editor kept it in check, you have the feeling that they would like to slap each other sometimes). Though I found myself agreeing with White way more than Hunt, sometimes I disagreed with White and agreed with Hunt. (Okay, not all that often.)

In all fairness to the Arminian position, Dave Hunt is not its finest advocate. He seems often not to answer his opponent and just keeps repeating statements such as "God is love," as if that proves Arminianism. (Of course, some people imagine it also proves universalism, that there is no Hell, etc.) But because of the energy involved in the two men going at each other, the book is as entertaining as any theology book I've read. And though no hard-boiled Calvinist or Arminian will likely change his mind as a result of the book, many Scripture-searchers who are undecided may find it helpful.


www.facebook.com/randyalcorn
www.twitter.com/randyalcorn
www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com

http://www.epm.org/

Announcing the Winners of the Game Plan for Life Giveaway

Here are the winners from October’s Game Plan for Life giveaway. Each of the three winners will receive a copy of Joe Gibbs’s Game Plan for Life book.

The randomly drawn winners are:

1) r3mb (at) cox
2) Matt (matth1977)
3) Jeff Pinkleton

All winners, please e-mail me at sephanie(at)epm.org with your mailing address.

Check back on November 9 for the next blog giveaway—we’ll be giving away three copies of the children’s book on Heaven, Wait Until Then.

Stephanie Anderson
Promotions Director
Eternal Perspective Ministries
www.epm.org

Question and Answer of the Week: How do you enjoy your family and the ministry?

I’m a full-time youth pastor with four beautiful kids and an incredibly supportive wife. It is so hard to juggle ministry and family and do it well. As someone who has reached the other side, and now with grandkids, does it get easier? How did you find the energy and time to really enjoy the kids AND the ministry?

I received this letter and this was my response, in case it might be helpful for others:

It did get easier as the kids got older, and more when they launched out into the world on their own, and most of all, of course, when they got married. Yet even when they were young I found that I had to take radical steps to have time alone with God. Instead of watching a TV show, even a good one, after they were in bed I would need to spend quiet time reading and reflecting OR go to bed early in order to get up before the kids to withdraw the next morning. It is a battle, and I truly sympathize.

I would encourage you to look for more ways at your church to delegate responsibilities to others, including other leaders—as Moses did—so that you are less the go-to guy for so many things. I commend you for putting your family first.

I recommend an article on pastoring I wrote many years ago, Pastor-Teacher or Super Counselor?, part of which is included below.

For me, when I was a pastor, the key to physical, emotional, and spiritual healing was getting some extended time off. My church granted me a two-month sabbatical for my six years of service. It was a good investment.

I spent a week alone, meditating and writing. Then I spent nine days at the Oregon coast with my family. It was the time of our lives. We played, bicycled, ate out, picnicked, and ate a lot of ice cream. It was the first time in years when I was not constantly aware of my ministry responsibilities. I ran on the beach, and walked out on a 500-foot jetty and sang to the Lord as I was drenched by the mist of waves beating against the rocks. I had no idea how much I needed those times, both alone and with my family.

After I was away for four of those nine days (and let me give credit to my wife Nanci for freeing me to leave in light of the need), and knowing I still had plenty of time left, my head began to clear. I was able to see myself and my ministry in perspective, something that had time and time again proven impossible when I was in the thick of things. Often I had identified the problems, but despite my most sincere and diligent efforts, the obstacles to a fulfilling ministry had persisted. At last they seemed to, if not disappear, shrink to a manageable size. I did three further things that began to revitalize my ministry.

1. I recognized I was a sheep first, a shepherd second. My biggest mistake was forgetting that my primary calling is to be a sheep in need of guidance, affection, protection, provision, and peaceful rest in the presence of my Creator. I relearned the lesson through prayer and study.

During the time away I read two helpful books, Tim Hansel's When I Relax I Feel Guilty, and Don Baker and Emery Nester's Depression, in which Pastor Baker recounts his personal struggles and trauma in the midst of a highly successful ministry.

I also studied Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42, and mulled over the implications of their different approach to life and ministry. Martha was first a worker, only secondly a worshiper. This is what I had become—a worker, pure and simple.

As a counselor I had learned a forbidden art—how to keep giving out when my reservoir was dry. Like Martha of Bethany, I excelled at doing rather than being, at labor instead of love. I was a servant but not a saint, a do-er not a pray-er, a giver who had forgotten how to receive. And, ironically, since I had stopped receiving, I had little of quality left to give.

2. I attempted to delegate more. You've probably wondered why I didn't delegate to get the job done without killing myself. I did some. In fact, I taught a nine-month counseling course to sixty committed and capable laymen in our church. I delegated many counseling situations to these people, and it was a terrific investment in every way. But there was one problem I hadn't bargained for. Still seeing myself as super-counselor, I delegated to laymen those that were less serious and less complex. This reserved for myself, of course, the really hard cases.

The problem was that these really hard cases (extreme depression, deep sexual problems, major marital crises, etc.) were abundant. And many of them just couldn't afford to see a Christian psychologist. I was really in a mess. I had managed by delegating to avoid all the mild problems, and now I was filing every hour with the severe ones! I had become a specialist. I was a pastor in psychologist's clothing, who sometimes wasn't doing a good job as either. Not only that, but I couldn't find time to follow up on the lay counselors I had sent people to. I seemed further behind than ever.

I began to miss all those "easy" cases—you know, those dear people who really want to grow in Christ and just need some good biblical input, a time of prayer, a practical assignment and an encouraging pat on the back now and then. These are the people who praise you for working wonders in their lives, when all you've done is listened and shared a little Scripture! They were the kind of folks who convinced me I was gifted in counseling in the first place. Now I saw them only on Sundays. I was surprised to find how much I missed their spiritual contribution to my life.

Delegation didn't really pay off until I got hold of my schedule. I had often tried to change my schedule before, but never with lasting success. Perhaps what made the difference this time was my degree of desperation. I forced myself to start saying no not just sometimes, but most of the time. I realized that just because something would be good to do, it doesn't mean it's the best thing to do. In fact, if I wasn't careful, I could spend the rest of my life doing good things without ever doing the best.

I no longer felt I was saying no, but yes, when I delegated counseling to qualified lay people and professional Christian counselors. And as the fog cleared, I realized I had no right to resent people for their "demands" on my time. After all, my schedule was my responsibility, not theirs.

3. I diversified my ministry. I undertook new ministries that brought me closer to thriving, growing people who not only received from me, but gave to me. I counseled less, and by my request the church provided financial aid to those who needed professional help. (Back when I was super-counselor, I never put funds for this in the counseling budget—after all, wasn't I paid for this?)

Moving into some other areas of ministry did wonders. My relationship with the other staff members was better than ever. I felt a part of the team once more. And I loved to meet new people again. The phone could still be a problem, but I was getting more calls for spiritual guidance—many were asking advice in working with a friend instead of sending the friend to me. Not every call was a crisis, and that made the real crises much easier to deal with. For the first time in years, I felt like I was a pastor first, a counselor second.

Nothing magically fell together. I still experienced pressure, and occasionally it got the best of me. Still, the change was significant and noticeable. I was studying and teaching more, and finding time for some of the people with the "little problems." I was also learning to approach life less like Martha and more like Mary. My family saw a tremendous difference; and life at home was more than leftovers. It was a feast again, and I thanked God for it. I felt I could look forward to many more rewarding years of ministry.


www.facebook.com/randyalcorn
www.twitter.com/randyalcorn
www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com

http://www.epm.org/

Facebook and Twitter: Are They Worth It?

As many of you know, I am on both Facebook and Twitter, where I frequently post short updates and devotional thoughts. Some people may ask if as a Christian, being on Facebook and Twitter and other social networking sites is really worth it, or just a waste of time.

John Piper addressed this in an article called Why and How I Am Tweeting:

I see two kinds of responses to social Internet media like blogging, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and others.

One says: These media tend to shorten attention spans, weaken discursive reasoning, lure people away from Scripture and prayer, disembody relationships, feed the fires of narcissism, cater to the craving for attention, fill the world with drivel, shrink the soul’s capacity for greatness, and make us second-handers who comment on life when we ought to be living it. So boycott them and write books (not blogs) about the problem.

The other response says: Yes, there is truth in all of that, but instead of boycotting, try to fill these media with as much provocative, reasonable, Bible-saturated, prayerful, relational, Christ-exalting, truth-driven, serious, creative pointers to true greatness as you can.

Together with the team at Desiring God, I lean toward response #2. “Lean” is different from “leap.” We are aware that the medium tends to shape the message. This has been true, more or less, with every new medium that has come along—speech, drawing, handwriting, print, books, magazines, newspapers, tracts, 16mm home movies, flannel-graph, Cinerama, movies, Gospel Blimps, TV, radio, cassette tapes, 8-Tracks, blackboards, whiteboards, overhead projection, PowerPoint, skits, drama, banners, CDs, MP3s, sky-writing, video, texting, blogging, tweeting, Mina-Bird-training, etc.

Dangers, dangers everywhere. Yes. But it seems to us that aggressive efforts to saturate a media with the supremacy of God, the truth of Scripture, the glory of Christ, the joy of the gospel, the insanity of sin, and the radical nature of Christian living is a good choice for some Christians.

You can read the rest at the Desiring God website.


www.facebook.com/randyalcorn
www.twitter.com/randyalcorn
www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com

www.epm.org

If God Is Good Q&A Video

If you missed today's Livestream video—which was a Q&A on my book If God Is Good—check out the embedded video in this blog. I enjoyed sharing a little about the book as well as answering the great, thought-provoking questions that viewers had.



(Click here to go to the Livestream video channel if you're unable to see the embedded video.)



ww.facebook.com/randyalcorn
www.twitter.com/randyalcorn
www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com

www.epm.org

A Perspective on Halloween

The following letter, written from the perspective of the demon Ishbane, is from my novel The Ishbane Conspiracy, which I wrote with my daughters, Karina and Angela. In the book's context, one of the characters, Ian, is dabbling in the occult.

Yes, I am well aware this is a controversial issue. In my opinion, it is often either overstated or understated. And yes, on Halloween we do give out candy generously, and we enjoy the kids' costumes. For some Halloween is harmless. But there is another side to be aware of, which sucks in others. If you participate, I suggest choosing costumes carefully, and having appropriate conversations with your kids when they see the "dark side" depicted. I hope the following will be thought provoking, especially for parents of young children.

Dear Foulgrin,

I’m pleased our favorite holiday’s coming up in a few weeks. Halloween! It’s official, Foulgrin—these vermin now spend more money on this holiday than any other except Christmas. For Ian and Daniel it served as a doorway to the occult. Dressing up as little devils. Bloodsucking vampires. The walking dead. Looking and acting as evil as possible. It may be cute to their parents, but in some cases, it’s just the foothold we need. Whether we’re celebrated or mythologized makes no difference...either way furthers our purposes. And since Halloween’s all about children and their impressionable minds, it couldn’t be more strategic.

I was a key figure in the early celebration of Samhain, from which their modern Halloween developed. Pagans believed the spirits couldn’t rest peacefully until given food and drink. This was a payment to the god who ruled the spirit world. Spirits were thought to roam the vicinities of their earthly lives seeking such treasures. On Samhain, the veil between the living and the dead was drawn back. On that night these wandering souls, in search of needed treasures, could visit and harass the living. Spirits would go to houses seeking the goods (“treats”) needed to find final rest. If a spirit wasn’t given a treat, it would “trick” or haunt the residents who refused to appease it. Pagans believed these harassing spirits could be deterred by carving fearful faces into pumpkins or squashes.

Of course, most of the vermin don’t understand this occult origin. And just enough innocence and fun have been infused to make it seem harmless. (And unfortunately to many it doesn't do the harm we wish it did.) But for many Halloween either glo­rifies death or makes light of it. The Enemy neither glorifies death nor makes light of it. Halloween eclipses His portrayal of death and the afterlife.

We’ve mutated this holiday into an effective introduction to the dark side. Razor blades hidden in apples or poison hidden in candy pale in comparison to what we’ve hidden, for many, inside the holiday itself.

Happy Halloween,

Prince Ishbane

www.facebook.com/randyalcorn
www.twitter.com/randyalcorn
www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com

http://www.epm.org/

Meet Minnie Broas, from If God is Good

Before I get to today's blog, I wanted to mention that next Thursday I'll be participating in a Livestream video Q&A session about If God is Good. I'm looking forward to hearing from you and answering your questions live. Please join me on October 15, 11 a.m. PST at www.livestream.com/WaterBrookMultnomah. It should be a fun time, and it would be great to have you participate, or let your friends know about it.

Minnie Broas, whose story was included in my book If God Is Good, would tell you today with absolute clarity that God is indeed good. She knows. She’s with Him.

Jesus calls his followers citizens of Heaven. When we think more about dinner out tomorrow than the banquet on the New Earth with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we lose sight of Heaven and surrender the present joy that comes in anticipating it. Scripture tells us we should see our present sufferings in light of future glory. We must fix our eyes on things that, for the present, remain invisible (see 2 Corinthians 4:18).

Minnie lay dying of cancer; within weeks her decimated body would stop working and she would have to leave behind her husband and son. They gave much thought to eternity, speaking openly of God’s sovereign purposes. Minnie, who had come to know Christ only a couple of years before her diagnosis, wrote online, “We can’t forget this is about His glory and we will see and have seen His glory. He is faithful! We are never without hope. We have a very big God. His plans and purposes are still perfect and will forever be perfect no matter the number of our days. To Him be all glory, honor and praise!”

Minnie’s husband, Danilo, signed off his wife’s blog update with Psalm 30:11–12: “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.”

It’s precisely because they knew they will give thanks to God forever that they could give thanks to God during their suffering.

Six weeks after Minnie posted her letter, she departed to a better world.

This 5-minute video of Minnie was taped by her pastor a few weeks before her death. Her friend Penny Hunter wrote, "Minnie had shared with us last summer that she felt she had the opportunity to fellowship with Jesus in a very intimate way because she had the privilege of fellowshipping in his suffering."



(Click here if you're unable to view the video.)


www.facebook.com/randyalcorn
www.twitter.com/randyalcorn
www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com

www.epm.org

The Story of One Man's Faithful Service to Christ

The nine minute video included in this blog is the powerful story of a man who faithfully served Jesus and shared the gospel, despite never seeing any of the fruit from his efforts for many years.

While we may never seem to see any results from serving the Lord here on Earth, Malachi 3:16-18 is a remarkable passage that tells us God is watching and is documenting the faithful deeds of his children on Earth: “Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. ‘They will be mine,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.’ ”

The king often had scribes record the deeds of his subjects so that he could remember and properly reward his subjects’ good deeds (Esther 6:1-11). There’s no hint that God will destroy any or all of the books and scrolls presently in Heaven. It’s likely that these records of the faithful works of God’s people on Earth will be periodically read throughout the ages.

The books contain detailed historical records of all of our lives on this Earth. Each of us is part of these records. Obscure events, words heard by only a handful of people will be known. Your acts of faithfulness and kindness that no one else knows are well-known by God. He is documenting them in his books. He will reward you for them in Heaven.

How many times have we done small acts of kindness on Earth without realizing the effects? How many times have we shared Christ with people we thought didn’t take it to heart but who years later came to Jesus partly because of the seeds we planted? How many times have we spoken up for unborn children and seen no result, but as a result someone chose not to have an abortion and saved a child’s life? How many dishes have been washed and diapers changed and crying children sung to in the middle of the night, when we couldn’t see the impact of the love we showed? And how many times have we seen no response, but God was still pleased by our efforts?

God is watching. He is keeping track. In Heaven he’ll reward us for our acts of faithfulness to him, right down to every cup of cold water we’ve given to the needy in his name (Mark 9:41). And he’s making a permanent record in Heaven’s books.

May this story of how God used one man's faithful witness encourage you to continue humbly serving and sharing Christ.



(Click here if you're unable to view the video.)


www.facebook.com/randyalcorn
www.twitter.com/randyalcorn
http://www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com/

http://www.epm.org/

October Giveaway of the Month: Game Plan for Life

This month on Randy’s blog we’re giving away three copies of Game Plan for Life with Joe Gibbs. (If you're reading this post on Facebook or Amazon or elsewhere, don't leave your comment here; visit http://randyalcorn.blogspot.com/2009/10/october-giveaway-of-month-game-plan-for.html to leave your comment and enter.)

Randy writes:

I was honored when Coach Joe Gibbs asked if I would write about Heaven for Game Plan for Life. Joe said my Heaven book had meant a lot to him, and I told him I would be glad to contribute a chapter.

Joe is a remarkably faithful guy with a desire for people to know Jesus and to grow in their walk with God, which is very refreshing. You’ll see his heart in Game Plan for Life, and you’ll also hear from the eleven men he asked to write the chapters. I believe God’s hand is on Joe and on this book.

May Game Plan for Life encourage you to follow Jesus with all your heart.

Here’s how to enter:

Leave a comment on this blog post by Sunday, October 25.

In order to qualify for the giveaway, you must include your contact information (a blog, e-mail address, or website), otherwise we cannot contact you if your name is drawn. (If you do leave an e-mail address, to avoid having it picked up by spammers, I recommend encoding it, such as: youraddress AT yahoo DOT com) Need help posting a comment? Click here for step-by-step instructions. For further assistance, contact me at stephanie(at)epm.org

The three randomly drawn winners will be announced in a blog post on Monday, October 26, so be sure to check back and see if you won.

If you're a previous winner, rather than entering, we'd encourage you to share this giveaway with friends who are not familiar with Randy's books and Eternal Perspective Ministries.

Stephanie Anderson
Promotions Director
Eternal Perspective Ministries
http://www.epm.org/

Question and Answer of the Week: the Old Testament Model of Tithing and Christians Today

Does the Old Testament model of tithing still apply to Christians today, since it was part of the old covenant?

I have mixed feelings on tithing. I detest legalism. I certainly don’t want to pour new wine into old wineskins, imposing superseded first covenant restrictions on Christians. However, the fact is that every New Testament example of giving goes beyond the tithe. This means that none falls short of it. The strongest arguments made against tithing today are “law versus grace.” But does being under grace mean we should stop doing all that was done under the law?

I’m a strong believer in the new covenant’s superiority over the old (Romans 7; 2 Corinthians 3; Hebrews 8). On the other hand, I believe there’s ongoing value to certain aspects of the old covenant. The model of paying back to God the firstfruits (tithing) and giving freewill offerings beyond that is among those. Because we are never told that tithing has been superseded, and because Jesus directly affirmed it (Matthew 23:23) and prominent church fathers taught it as a requirement for Christian living, it seems to me the burden of proof falls on those who say tithing is no longer a minimum standard for God’s people. The question is not whether tithing is the whole of Christian giving or even at the center of it. Clearly it is not. Many people associate the command to tithe with the command to keep the Sabbath. New Testament Christians are not obligated to keep the Sabbath with all its legislated rules under the Mosaic covenant (Colossians 2:16). However, a weekly day of rest based on God’s pattern of creation was instituted before the Law (Genesis 2:2-3). It’s a principle never revoked in the New Testament. The special day of observance changed to Sunday, “the Lord’s day,” yet the principle of one special day set aside for worship remained intact.

Christ fulfilled the entire Old Testament, but he didn’t render it irrelevant. Old Testament legislation demonstrated how to love my neighbor. Although the specific regulations don’t all apply, the principles certainly do, and many of the guidelines are still as helpful as ever. Consider the command to build a roof with a parapet to protect people from falling off (Deuteronomy 22:8). When it comes to the Old Testament, we must be careful not to throw out the baby (ongoing principles intended for everyone) with the bathwater (detailed regulations intended only for ancient Israel).

We don’t offer sacrifices anymore, so why should we tithe? Because sacrifices are specifically rescinded in the New Testament. As the book of Hebrews demonstrates, Christ has rendered inoperative the whole sacrificial system. But where in the New Testament does it indicate that tithing is no longer valid? There is no such passage. With a single statement, God could have easily singled out tithing like he did sacrifices and the Sabbath. But he didn’t.

Some argue against tithing by saying, “The New Testament advocates voluntary offerings.” Yes, but as we’ve seen, so does the Old Testament. Voluntary giving is not a new concept. Having a minimum standard of giving has never been incompatible with giving above and beyond that standard. If both mandatory and voluntary giving coexisted under the old covenant, why not the new? It’s not a matter of either tithing or voluntary offering. The two have always been fully compatible.

The disciples gave all that they had because “much grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33). It was obvious from the beginning that being under grace didn’t mean that New Testament Christians would give less than their Old Testament brethren. On the contrary, it meant they would give more.

Being under grace does not mean living by lower standards than the law. Christ systematically addressed such issues as murder, adultery, and the taking of oaths and made it clear that his standards were much higher than those of the Pharisees (Matthew 5:17-48). He never lowered the bar. He always raised it. But he also empowers us by his grace to jump higher than the law demanded.


www.facebook.com/randyalcorn
www.twitter.com/randyalcorn
www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com

www.epm.org