Randy Alcorn

The following was first posted on my blog ten years ago. The grandson of Marden Wickman, my first pastor, recently shared it on Facebook, and it made me think that given all that has happened in the last ten years, and even the last five, the message of this blog is more pertinent than ever.

Para ve mal mülk konusunda Kutsal Kitap bazen sert, bazen de şok edicidir. Kutsal Yazılara teselli bulmak için geliriz, dünya görüşümüze karşı saldırılar için değil, öyle değil mi? Tanrı sevgi ve merhamet hakkında konuşsun. Bizse, para ve mal mülk hakkında konuşalım, sonra da ne istersek onu yapalım.

В отношении денег и имущества Библия иногда категорична, а иногда даже может шокировать. Когда мы обращаемся к Писанию, мы ищем утешения, а не критики в вопросах нашего мировоззрения, правда же? Пусть Бог рассуждает о любви и милости. Спасибо Ему за это. Ну а мы будем говорить о деньгах и имуществе, а затем распоряжаться ими, как посчитаем нужным.

Berkaitan dengan uang dan harta benda, Alkitab kadang ekstrem, kadang mengejutkan. Ketika kita membaca Alkitab, kita mau mencari penghiburan, bukan untuk diserang atas pandangan duniawi kita, ‘kan? “Biarkan Allah berbicara tentang kasih dan kasih karunia, terima kasih. Marilah kita berbicara tentang uang dan harta benda—lalu gunakan sesukat hati kita.”

I was recently rereading portions I had marked in a wonderful book written by the Puritan Isaac Watts (1674–1748). He was best known for his hundreds of great hymns, including Nanci's and my all-time favorite Christmas song, "Joy to the World." 

悪を嫌う神とどのように調和できるかという問題は、歴史上最大の問題です。私たちが天で神の御姿を見られるようになる前に、何かが根本的に変わらなければなりません。それには、誰も考えついたことがないような素晴らしい解決策が必要なのです。

बुराई से घृणा करने वाले परमेश्वर के साथ हमारा मेल-मिलाप कैसे हो सकता है, यह समस्या इतिहास की सबसे बड़ी समस्या है। इससे पहले कि हम स्वर्ग में परमेश्वर को देख पाएँ, कुछ बातों में मौलिक रूप से परिवर्तन होना चाहिये। इसके लिये अब तक खोजे गए सबसे बढ़िया समाधान से कम की आवश्यकता नहीं पड़नी चाहिये।

I am a great fan of G.K. Chesterton, but I don’t recall ever reading this poem of his until last year. Though it is an old-style rhyming poem, it really moved me. Merry Christmas to you and your family. 

In a sermon given on December 24, 1854, Spurgeon portrayed a conversation between a Christian family on Christmas day. This excerpt is drawn (and slightly modified) from part of that conversation, and includes one of my favorite verses (2 Corinthians 8:9).