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 I certainly don’t want to pour new wine into old wineskins, imposing superseded first covenant restrictions on Christians.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 ...

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

Question from a reader:

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?

Answer from Randy Alcorn:

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 ...

Question and Answer of the Week: Do you believe in guardian angels?

Scripture suggests there are guardian angels for children. Jesus says of children, "their angels behold the face of my Father," Matt. 18:10. Also, it appears there was one specific angel assigned to the apostle Peter ("his angel," Acts 12:15).

Luke 16:22 has "angels" carrying Lazarus to Paradise, but we don't know if one angel was his guardian on earth, or more than one, or if the angels are those who greet him on the other side of death.

Question and Answer of the Week: Taking Charge of the TV

With summer here, and kids out of school, many Christians, and especially those who are parents, might be wondering: How do I take charge of the television?

The fact is, you and your children will inevitably adopt the morality of the programs, movies, books, magazines, music, Internet sites, and conversations you participate in. GIGO—garbage in, garbage out; godliness in, godliness out. The cognitive is basic to the behavioral—you become what you choose to feed your mind on.

Sow a thought, reap an action;
Sow an action, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character ...

Question and Answer of the Week: Why does God take some people to heaven so young?

Why does God take some people to Heaven prematurely—before it seems He should—and others so late when they are old and in such pain?

Isaiah 55 says God's thoughts are higher than ours. He has purposes we can't comprehend. I have seen marriages healed and siblings become sold-out believers through the death of a child or teenager. When I first answered this question a few years ago, a friend was holding her eighteen-month-old son in her arms, waiting for him to breathe his last. She was praying over him, reading Psalms aloud, trying to comfort and ...

A Mixed Bag of Short Questions and Answers

Today's blog is a combination of several short answers to questions I've responded to lately. Some are questions I've received on my Facebook page. Though I can't possibly respond to every question that comes in, I do read each and every comment and question with interest and appreciation. I just wish I could reply to more of them. Maybe on the New Earth! (If you're interested in reading other questions and answers, the EPM website has many more Q & As, articles, and resources.)

How do I minister to an unsaved friend whose loved one died without a relationship with Christ?

In today’s blog, I’m answering one final question that was asked by a reader:

How would you respond and minister to unsaved friends or family (or even strangers) who have lost a loved one and assume their lost loved one is in Heaven, even though that person clearly did not have a relationship with Jesus Christ?

How can you have assurance of your own salvation?

Another question a reader asked me on my blog was this: Even though I gave my heart to the Lord a long time ago, I always struggle with thoughts that when I die, I will find I am not saved. That produces a lot of fear. I know the Bible says to believe, but how do you know what is really in your heart, since only God can see and know what is in our hearts?

How should Christians respond to UFOs and other unexplainable phenomena?

Another question I was asked by a reader is, How should Christians respond to theories of UFOs and other unexplainable phenomena? People around the world have seen and experienced something. But what is the something? How can a Christian respond to these reports when conversing with others, particularly those who are not Christians?

Why doesn’t the church address the issue of modesty?

Here’s another great question I was asked on my blog:

"My husband and I are glad that the church is finally talking about the problem of pornography   and purity in the Body of Christ, and helping men address this issue. But why do we never hear about purity for women in the way they dress? I’m talking about women who profess to be Christ-followers. They become a stumbling block to their brothers when they dress seductively or dress to be sexy as the world has deemed fashionable. Please address the issue of modestly."