Paul Random

Pastor John MacArthur’s Last Lap

Pastor John MacArthur has long said that he doesn’t believe in retirement.

“You don’t retire from a calling,” said Grace Community Church’s shepherd back in 2022. “You don’t retire from being a pastor. You’re faithful to the end.”

Dr. MacArthur then added, “The end is when you can’t do it anymore.”

The beloved preacher and teacher stopped short of waving the metaphorical white flag last week, but after struggling to recover from heart surgery and an extended seven-week hospital stay, he made it clear the finish line is in sight.

“I realize I’m on the last lap,” he told attendees of the annual Shepherds Conference via video. “That takes on a new meaning when you know you’re on the short end of the candle. I am all thanks and praise to God for everything He’s allowed me to be a part of and everything He’s accomplished by His Word in these years of ministry. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ.”

John MacArthur has been leading his Sun Valley congregation since 1969. “Grace to You,” his national radio preaching ministry, began somewhat by accident in 1977.

The seeds of that broadcast outreach were sown only a few months after Pastor MacArthur arrived at Grace Community Church. A group of men approached one day and suggested the church begin recording his sermons. They proposed a “tape ministry” that would minister to shut-ins and provide a practical way to evangelize those who might never darken the doors of the church. With the explosion of cassette tapes soon after, the minister’s messages were distributed far and wide.

Grace Community received a letter one day from an individual in Baltimore, Maryland thanking Dr. MacArthur for his “radio ministry.” The young pastor was perplexed.

“We don’t have a radio ministry,” he insisted. Only they did. Unbeknownst to MacArthur or the church elders, somebody was sending the cassette tapes of his sermons to a small Christian radio station back east.

“Grace to You” was born.

Today, Dr. MacArthur’s messages are broadcast on over 2,500 radio stations in the United States and in 27 countries around the world.

Like so many effective preachers and teachers, the Lord has compounded his efforts.

“Win somebody else, who in turn will win somebody else,” says Dr. MacArthur. “Now that’s evangelism. Where you lead someone to Christ and then to such an extent are they strengthened that they can lead others to Christ and you in turn reap the benefits – that’s evangelism.”

Octogenarians who are in touch with reality know the curtain can fall on their earthly life at any time.

But quadragenarians (40-49), quinquagenarians (50-59), sexagenarian (60-69) and septuagenarians (70-79) should recognize that nobody is guaranteed tomorrow.

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring,” wrote Solomon (Proverbs 27:1).

Of course, not everyone is afforded the luxury of realizing the “lap” they’re running is the final one. That’s why we shouldn’t slow up or let up until the Lord calls us up. Or, to quote John Madigan, a favorite college professor of mine, “Carry on, until they carry you out!”

Dr. MacArthur told those gathered at the conference last week that the Lord had placed a message on his heart.

“I didn’t want to lose the opportunity to give it to you, so we printed it up in a booklet,” MacArthur told the Shepherds Conference. He then added, “The good news is you don’t have to listen to me. You don’t have to take notes, because you’re going to get the sermon in a booklet form.”

The title?

“On Finishing Well.”

Dr. MacArthur once observed, “God uses those who have the right passion for the right priority with the right personnel taking the right precaution to make the right presentation, and they submissively keep following until they get to the right place.”

John MacArthur has been the right man at the right place at the right time.

Image credit: X

It’s Weak Men Who Try to Compete Against Strong Women

If it’s still inconceivable that 45 senators voted against a bill protecting girls and women from getting pummeled by boys and men on the field, court, track or in the pool, consider yourself in a good place.

It brings to mind an old story about legendary FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. At one point in his career, he was encouraged to better understand the mind of a criminal. As the logic went, if one gets inside the head of a delinquent, they’ll more likely spot both the offense and offender. Only the pugnacious chief law enforcer of the famed bureau would have nothing of it. 

“When I begin to understand the mind of a criminal, that’s when you can begin to worry about me,” he said.

Whether driven by raw partisanship, intense hatred of the president, or a blinded and distorted sense of reality, support for allowing men to compete against women is tantamount to voting for inevitable abuse.

Fortunately, there is some evidence that some longtime support for the “trans” movement is flailing a bit.

California Governor Gavin Newsom broke this week with his liberal friends when he told popular podcaster Charlie Kirk, who strongly opposes men competing against women, “I think it’s an issue of fairness, I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness. It’s deeply unfair.”

Both Newsom and Kirk – along with nearly 80% of Americans – are right. But it’s not only unfair. It’s wicked, deranged, manipulative – and evidence of male bullies looking to cheat, steal and claim credit for trophies and titles that rightfully belong to female athletes.

Scan the stories of men pretending to be women athletes and you’ll find a familiar thread and theme – weak men looking for glory they’d never find if they were competing against other men. In most instances, a man who crushes female competition would be middle of the pack (or lower) if competing against fellow male athletes.

At the risk of stating the obvious, this is because men, on average, are physically stronger than women. From lung function and cardiovascular fitness to jumping, lifting and lean body mass, males have distinct competitive advantages over women. 

Only groups like the ACLU won’t admit it and instead trade in all types of distortions and doublespeak to try and suggest otherwise.

In a piece distributed back in 2020 attempting to “debunk” supposed myths about trans athletes, the group made the following statements:

“Including trans athletes will benefit everyone.” They go on to claim that prohibiting men from competing against women “invites gender policing that could subject any woman to invasive tests or accusations of being ‘too masculine’ or ‘too good’ at their sport to be a ‘real’ woman.”

Not surprisingly, they never quote any female athletes.

The ACLU goes on to claim men don’t have any advantage against women and that men claiming to be women are actually women. They seem to embrace the belief that if you repeat a lie long enough it will somehow eventually come true.

Discerning readers and culture watchers know there is no such thing as a “transwoman” or a “transman.” There are only two genders, male and female (Genesis 1:27).

We pray that despite the legislative setback earlier this week, the tide of popular opinion, aided by President Trump’s executive action, will help to re-normalize and give momentum to a common sense revolution concerning the distinctives between male and female athletes.  

Image from Getty.

The Gut-Wrenching Heartbreak of Parental Estrangement

Each month, Focus on the Family counselors talk with mothers and fathers whose adult children want nothing to do with them anymore.

In most cases, the son or daughter weren’t abused or mistreated. In a great number of cases, it’s the adult child who has cut the ties, often abruptly and with little explanation. The estrangement often carries on for months and even years.

Tragically, this trend is becoming increasingly common. One study found that 27% of adult children have cut off any relationship with their fathers and 7% with their mothers.

Making a bad situation worse is a current movement to destigmatize the intentional alienation. As the logic goes, there’s no reason to expend energy on getting along with someone who frustrates you or who won’t fully endorse and champion whatever cause, lifestyle or belief system you embrace. The ethic at play values either “cancelling” or “curating” relationships with a focus on personal convenience, positivity and inspiration.

Steve, who has dipped in and out of a functional relationship with his parents, cut off all ties with his mother and father after the election of President Donald Trump this past November. Amy stopped responding to her parents’ texts and calls because they advised her to not move in with her boyfriend.

To be sure, though escalating, this dysfunction isn’t an entirely new phenomena. As a boy, I remember my aunt and uncle traveling to Europe to try and reestablish contact with their daughter. She refused to open her apartment door when they knocked on it. My parents were in tears just talking about the cruelty of such a response.

A 33-year-old woman who was raised in a Christian home and who now disagrees with her parents’ faith, is quoted in the January edition of Cosmopolitan magazine that “It’s an extreme privilege to have a great relationship with your adult children.” 

The insinuation is that mothers and fathers shouldn’t expect anything when it comes to their adult children, or in the very least, must earn what the child decides to allow.

The presence of grandchildren adds another layer of heartache to incidents of estrangement. In some cases, the disgruntled adult child might use the child as leverage or a torturous tactic akin to pouring salt in the wound.

Mothers and fathers aren’t perfect, of course, and there can be legitimate reasons for tension and the use of healthy boundaries between parents and adult children. It’s the wise parent that honestly and thoughtfully examines their actions, both past and current, in an effort to determine their responsibility. If there was any offense, they should apologize, ask for forgiveness, and then deliberately plot and plan a better way forward.

If the case involves actual abuse or potential danger, adult children must protect themselves and family members in their care. But in a great number situations, if the adult child refuses to work through the offense, whether perceived or actual, our counselors offer the following guidance. 

Honor the boundaries your child (and, if married, their spouse) have set, no matter how harsh or unreasonable. If they’ve asked you not to call, don’t call. If you dismiss these boundaries, you’ll only end up validating their negative image of you.

Guard your own heart. It would be easy to fall into depression and anxiety or to beat yourself up and blame yourself for matters beyond your control. Don’t fall into that trap. Don’t become bitter, and don’t believe lies about your own dignity as a person. Do whatever it takes to stay emotionally healthy and keep yourself psychologically safe in spite of the circumstances.

If the situation allows for it – you know best if it does – send your child (and spouse) a card with a brief message expressing your love and good-will a couple of times a year, perhaps on birthdays and at Christmas. It’s a small thing, but it will let them know that your hearts are still open toward them. Remember Romans 12:21 – “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.” Look for opportunities to express your love in unobtrusive ways. And remain prayerful.

Focus on the Family has a staff of counselors available to speak with you over the phone. They can refer you to reputable and qualified Christian therapists in your area. They’d also be more than happy to discuss your concerns with you person-to-person. Call our Counseling department for a free consultation.

Additional Resources

Focusonthefamily.com/AbusiveRelationships

Family Estrangement: 6 Ways to Reconcile with Adult Children

Just Annoying, or Truly Unsafe? How to Navigate Get-Togethers With Difficult Family

When Adult Children Don’t Share Your Values

Distance In Relationship With Grown Child

Barber’s Child Literacy Program Aims to Put Kids Cut Above Rest

Pennsylvania barber Jon Escueta says he’s been shaping heads and hearts since 2006.

The 38-year-old émigré from the Philippines owns City Cuts Barbershop in Kutztown, a familiar place filled with all the tools of the haircutting trade along with boys and men – plus books.

That’s because Jon and his team aren’t your typical barbers. For years now, children who agree to read a book out loud when getting their hair trimmed can earn $3.

It’s all thanks to a program called “Books for Kids” that Escueta established to boost or build self-confidence in his young customers. He got the idea while coaching youth basketball.

“My players were afraid to communicate with each other and speak publicly during practice and in games,” he told the site Upworthy.

Jon was all too familiar with the shyness and insecurity. He was 8 years old when he arrived in the United States.

“I didn’t know English and that was a lot,” he says. “I felt like I was being judged. The ones who are timid—I gravitate toward those kids. I know what it feels like and try to make them feel good about themselves.”

Nearly five years removed from the COVID school shutdowns that acerbated a growing problem with student reading, literacy scores continue to plummet. Despite an increase in federal funding, the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress found 4th and 8th grade reading levels falling below the historic lows of 2022.

Clearly, more money won’t solve the problem.

“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture,” warned the late author, Ray Bradbury. “Just get people to stop reading them.”

Critics of school reading programs have expressed concern and frustration over the fact that fewer teachers require students to read entire books anymore. The trend then carries on into adulthood.

Pew Research found that more than half of American adults read four or fewer books a year.

Which is why Jon at City Cuts wants to start encouraging young children to get into the habit of holding a book in their hand.

“Kids can start as young as pointing at picture books of certain cartoon characters, colors, animals or whatever they would like to look at,” he says. “Even just a few words or sentences—it’s the effort of trying and eventually will turn into chapters and louder voices.”

“A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people — it’s a never-failing spring in the desert,” noted the late industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who gave away $60 million to help fund 1,689 public libraries across America.

The late Charlie “Tremendous” Jones was a strong Christian who committed his life to helping others in a variety of ways, but especially by encouraging people to read.

“Leaders are readers,” he liked to say. “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”

Jon Escueta would agree.

Image from: City Cuts Barber Shop

Freedom from Religion Zealots Unwittingly Promote Christianity

It’s ironic but true: the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) is obsessed with religion.

The latest proof can be found in a full-page ad in Tuesday’s New York Times featuring an illustrated drawing of the Statue of Liberty holding high a cross with the word “THEOCRACY” in a wave crashing at its base.

“The State of Separation Between State and Church is Perilous,” the headline reads. “Help stem the Christian Nationalist Tidal Wave.”

Founded in 1976 by a mother and daughter upset their local Wisconsin legislators opened meetings in prayer, the FFRF has made it their mission for nearly fifty years to protest any public expression of faith.

To be sure, the group has gotten it very wrong from the beginning. Consider what they told the lawmakers back in 1976:

“It is not the business of governmental bodies to pray,” said Anne Gaylor. “When board members pray publicly, you inflict pressure, compulsion and embarrassment on those of your members and those of your audience who do not accept or share these private religious views.”

Public prayer does no such thing. The only pressure it seems to elicit stems from antagonists obsessed with eradicating it.

Even the Supreme Court has upheld legislative and other public prayers, and it’s a good thing. Its own marshal opens each session with a litany that ends with the phrase, “God save the United States and this Honorable Court!” Several friezes of Moses holding the Ten Commandments are also featured in and on the historic building.

The so-called “Christian Nationalist Tidal Wave” is a laughable farce, a concocted bogeyman that simply doesn’t exist.

Anytime someone dares mention their faith or acknowledge its impact on America’s founding, FFRF seizes on the reference. Perhaps unknowingly, the group regularly calls more attention to faith with their over-the-top campaigns protesting it than were they to remain silent.

In fact, this tried and tired tactic recalls Joseph’s words in Genesis:

“You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Gen. 50:20).

For years, FFRF has put a cross in Lady Liberty’s right hand to mock Christianity and make a claim that facts fail to back up. Originally named “Liberté éclairant le monde” or “Liberty Enlightening the World,”and designed by Auguste Bartholdi, the grand statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

Mr. Bartholdi was said to choose a woman for the statue because of Europe’s long association of certain virtues (generosity, piety, good faith) with women. He wasn’t the first artist to correlate the idea of liberty with a female, but never had it been depicted on such a grand scale and stage.

The torch in Lady Liberty’s right hand is designed to symbolize enlightenment, along with a commitment to freedom and democracy.

Once more, maybe it’s fitting that FFRF has chosen to swap out the torch with the cross. As Christians, we recognize the empty cross as a symbol of triumph and salvation. It lights the way during dark times. It shows us that sin and sorrow are conquered thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice on it. 

Critics of Christianity have a long and storied history of distorting not only God’s Word, but also the intents and beliefs of His followers. It’s heartbreaking that the folks at FFRF seem to believe so much that just isn’t true. But it’s also heartening that God takes ignorance and foolishness and uses it for good.