There's only one requirement for enjoying God's grace: being broke . . . and knowing it. Randy Alcorn More Quotes by Randy Alcorn More Quotes From Randy Alcorn I think we need to not look at sorrow and happiness as opposites that cannot co-exist. They can and do co-exist. I have preached many memorial services where you see the sadness and the tears for those attending, and then you see how quick people are to laugh as they remember funny and happy things about their loved ones. And if the deceased knew Christ, those in attendance are able to rejoice as they anticipate the reunion that will one day come. Randy Alcorn sadnesspeoplethinking We've fallen for the devil's lie. His most basic strategy, the same one he employed with Adam and Eve, is to make us believe that sin brings fulfillment. However, in reality, sin robs us of fulfillment. Sin doesn't make life interesting; it makes life empty. Sin doesn't create adventure; it blunts it. Sin doesn't expand life; it shrinks it. Sin's emptiness inevitably leads to boredom. When there's fulfillment, when there's beauty, when we see God as he truly is-an endless reservoir of fascination-boredom becomes impossible. Randy Alcorn adventurebelievelying In Illinois a pregnant woman who takes an illegal drug can be prosecuted for 'delivering a controlled substance to a minor.' This is an explicit recognition that the unborn is a person with rights of her own. But that same woman who is prosecuted and jailed for endangering her child is perfectly free to abort her child. In America today, it is illegal to harm your preborn child, but it is perfectly legal to kill him. Randy Alcorn rightschildrenamerica Selfishness is when we pursue gain at the expense of others. But God doesn’t have a limited number of treasures to distribute. When you store up treasures for yourself in heaven, it doesn’t reduce the treasures available to others. In fact, it is by serving God and others that we store up heavenly treasures. Everyone gains; no one loses. Randy Alcorn selfishnessnumbersheaven Nothing is wiser than giving first to God, cutting back our expenditures wherever we can, and systematically paying off our debts to others, having placed ourselves through our faithful giving under God's blessing instead of His curse. Randy Alcorn cuttingblessinggiving Christians are God's delivery people, through whom he does his giving to a needy world. We are conduits of God's grace to others. Our eternal investment portfolio should be full of the most strategic kingdom-building projects to which we can disburse God's funds. Randy Alcorn christiangivingpeople Earth is a in-between world touched by both Heaven and Hell. Earth leads directly into Heaven or directly into Hell, affording a choice between the two. The best of life on Earth is a glimpse of Heaven; the worst of life is a glimpse of Hell. Randy Alcorn choicesheaventwo Someday this upside-down world will be turned right side up. Nothing in all eternity will turn it back again. If we are wise, we will use our brief lives on earth positioning ourselves for the turn. Randy Alcorn usewiseworld Jesus' miracles provide us with a sample of the meaning of redemption: a freeing of creation from the shackles of sin and evil and a reinstatement of creaturely living as intended by God. Randy Alcorn miracleeviljesus This is one of the great paradoxes of suffering. Those who don't suffer much think suffering should keep people from God, while many who suffer a great deal turn to God, not from him. Randy Alcorn sufferingpeoplethinking He who lays up treasures in heaven looks forward to eternity Randy Alcorn treasureheavenlooks Are we truly obeying the command to love our neighbor as ourselves if we're storing up money for potential future needs when our neighbor is laboring today under actual present needs? Randy Alcorn neighbortodayneeds Tolstoy said, 'The antagonism between life and conscience may be removed either by a change of life or by a change of conscience.' Many of us have elected to adjust our consciences rather than our lives. Our powers of rationalization are unlimited. They allow us to live in luxury and indifference while others, whom we could help if we chose to, starve and go to hell. Randy Alcorn luxurylife-changingmay Worry is momentary atheism crying out for correction by trust in a good, sovereign God. Suffering breaks self-reliance. Randy Alcorn sufferingselfworry Real gold fears no fire. Randy Alcorn realgoldfire We are all theologians, either good ones or bad ones. I'd rather be a good one. Wouldn't you? Randy Alcorn theologian God gives us abundant material blessing so that we can give it away, and give it generously. Randy Alcorn collaborationblessinggiving The cost of redemption cannot be overstated. The wonders of grace cannot be overemphasized. Christ took the hell He didn't deserve so we could have the heaven we don't deserve. Randy Alcorn costgraceheaven Give worshipfully. Our giving is a reflexive response to God's grace. It doesn't come out of our altruism - it comes out of the transforming work of Christ in us. Randy Alcorn gracegivingchrist God doesn't look at just what we give. He also looks at what we keep. Randy Alcorn christian-inspirationalchristiangiving
