and by Pastor Doug Batchelor The Pastor’s Perspective The Pastor’s Perspective The Pastor’s Perspective The Pastor’s Perspective O
n a cold December evening in New York City, a mom and dad with several kids went Christmas shopping. As often happens,
the father wanted to buy a present for the mother without her knowing, and the mother wanted to buy a present for the father without his knowing, so they fi gured they would “divide and conquer.” They split the children between them and parted ways, going different directions up the busy street, with a plan to rendezvous later. What they didn’t realize was
that each one thought the other had taken their youngest, a little three-year-old girl, who was so captivated by all of the beautiful holiday displays in the store windows that she was unaware her parents were gone. The little girl, surrounded by crowds of people,
didn’t sense that she was abandoned. Enthralled by the lights, she continued wandering up the street lost
3 Inside Report | 2Q 2012
in the spectacle. A family on their way to a church program stopped at a traffi c light, and the wife remarked to her husband, “Isn’t that the Miller’s little girl standing in front of that store window?” The husband looked and said, “It certainly does look like her.” The wife asked, “I wonder where
her parents are?” “Don’t worry,” the husband
assured her. “They wouldn’t leave her alone on the street.” Being a little late for the church program, they hurried on. When the Miller family came
together again later that night, they were terrifi ed to realize their
youngest had wandered off. They called the police and began searching frantically through the cold night. Unfortunately, the next morning, the little girl’s body was found, cold and lifeless, under the stairs of a brownstone building. How do you think her parents felt? And how hot
were their tears when they discovered that their friends had seen their little girl out on the street— cold, alone, and lost—yet they drove on to church, never stopping to help? This chilling story describes the condition of many
Christians. We’re so busy with church that we forget the purpose of church, which is to share the mercy of God in a lost and cold world—a world mesmerized by fl ashy bling and materialism but hollow promises. It’s not only the duty of every Christian to share
his or her faith, but a profound privilege and a sure blessing. So get involved! That’s why I love the theme of this issue of Inside
Report. It’s about two cherished qualities of the faithful Christian—eagerly watching for the return of our Savior and convincing others to start watching along with us. We’re not to watch as mere spectators but as fully engaged soldiers. I hope you’ll actively help Amazing Facts share the good news at this vital moment in history—yes, with your gifts and prayers—but also by pointing others to our many books and DVDs and to our many websites.