Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 110

What Are the “High Places” in the Old Testament, and How Does That Apply to Us Today?

Recently someone asked me, “I’m intrigued by a phrase that’s repeated word for word in 2 Kings four times in 12:3, 14:4, 15:4, and 15:35 related to Uzziah and his father, grandfather, and son: ‘The high places, however, were not removed.’ What is this referring to?”

The “high places” is a shorthand term for places of pagan worship, usually (though not always) on hills or mountains to bring them closer to their false gods. They were centers of idolatry. The greatest time of compromise for God’s people in the Old Testament, the Israelites, was when in addition to worshiping Yahweh, the only true God, they worshipped false gods too.

To answer the question more fully I’m going to quote from three excellent sources. Bible Study Magazine has a great article by Adam Couturier about the high places. Here are four paragraphs from it:  

A high place was a localized or regional worship center dedicated to a god. Worship at these local shrines often included making sacrifices, burning incense and holding feasts or festivals (1 Kgs 3:2–3; 12:32). Some of these high places contained altars, graven images and shrines (1 Kgs 13:1–5; 14:23; 2 Kgs 17:29; 18:4; 23:13–14). The Canaanites, Israel’s enemy who worshiped Baal as their chief deity, also used them.

Until a temple to Yahweh was built, the Israelites primarily worshiped Yahweh at a local center of worship—a practice that was not condemned. The prophet Samuel blessed sacrifices that were offered at high places, and Solomon sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings on the altars in Gibeon (1 Sam 9:12–25; 1 Kgs 3:4). In 1 Kings 3:2, we find these high places were intended to serve Israel’s worshiping needs for a season “because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.”

…The temple, built in Jerusalem by Solomon, ushered in a new period of Israelite worship, bringing the 12 tribes together as one people to worship God in one place. Yahweh took up residency in His temple and the need for other centers of worship became obsolete (1 Kgs 9:3). But despite this new temple, God’s people were still found worshiping at high places.

Ironically, we find one of the first references to high places in the narrative of Solomon, the very king who built the temple. He taints the new era of collective worship by building high places for Chemosh, Molech and all of his wives’ foreign gods (1 Kgs 11:8). 

In her book The Son of David: Seeing Jesus in the Historical Books, Nancy Guthrie—one of my favorite writers—also cites 1 Kings 11:5-8, which says Solomon “went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. …Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites…” Nancy then gives us a picture of the horrible practices involved with worship at these high places:

Perhaps this doesn’t shock us because we don’t really understand what it meant for [Solomon] to “go after” these gods. We don’t have any mental pictures. Ashtoreth was the Canaanite goddess of sensual love and fertility. To go after this god meant that Solomon likely went to the high places to have sexual relations out in the open with temple prostitutes. Milcom, the god of the Ammonites, was worshipped through child sacrifice, so we have to assume that perhaps Solomon lowered himself to throwing one of his children into the fire to appease this false god out of desperation to please some Ammonite wife.

Adam Couturier explains this about the kings after Solomon:

Recognizing that high places are not the way Yahweh desired to be worshiped, some kings, like Hezekiah and Josiah, tear them down (2 Kgs 23:8–9). Others, though they are called righteous, never tear them down, like Jehoshaphat (1 Kgs 22:43), Jehoash (2 Kgs 12:3), Azariah (1 Kgs 15:3–4) and Jothan (2 Kgs 15:34–35). Sometimes this was due to ignorance, as was the case with Josiah (23:3–25:27), but in most cases it was flagrant disobedience.

Related specifically to Uzziah and his son Jotham, The New American Commentary, which I recommend, says this:

Like Amaziah and Joash before him, Uzziah does “right in the eyes of the Lord.” He does not remove the high places, however, so he is not an ideal ruler.

…Jotham’s spiritual commitments are similar to those of Uzziah, Amaziah, and Joash. During his sixteen years, ten of which probably are spent as coregent with Uzziah (ca. 750–740), the leprous king (cf. 2 Kgs 15:5), he worships the Lord yet does not use his position of authority to remove the high places. Once more a king does not understand the nature of true worship. Nothing less can save Judah and guarantee the people a reasonably secure future.

So what does this have to do with us today? Deuteronomy 12:1-7 explicitly commands God’s people not just to avoid idolatry but also to demolish, break down, smash, burn, hew down, and blot out the names of those idols. For us, the word idol conjures up images of primitive people offering sacrifices to crude carved images. But an idol is anything we praise, celebrate, fixate on, and look to for help that’s not the true God.

Jesus says we cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24). We’re told that greed is idolatry (Colossians 3:5), like lust is adultery. The New Testament recognizes a figurative sort of high places, where Christ’s people worship false gods instead of the one true God. Like Israel’s kings, we have the responsibility to topple all the idols in our own lives in order to give Jesus full Lordship. The fact that they didn’t use their power and authority to remove the high places and worship God alone should be a sobering reminder to us.

When the apostle John wrote to Christ-followers near the end of the first century, most had nothing to do with carved idols. Still, his final words to them in the letter of 1 John were, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (5:21). The New Living Translation captures the meaning this way: “Keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.”

May God give us His grace to recognize the idols in our lives, and, by turning to Christ alone and exalting Him, throw them to the ground where they belong.

Photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash

Delighting in God and Trusting in Him through Cancer: An Interview with Randy Alcorn

In January 2018, Nanci Alcorn was diagnosed with colon cancer, and has since undergone several months of treatment. In this interview, Randy shares what the Lord has been doing in their lives during this challenging season.

Were the two of you surprised or even bitter when Nanci was diagnosed?

We were definitely not bitter or resentful in any way. Why would we be? We never ask why God would allow this to happen to us. He often allows hard things to happen to His people, so why not us? Job was the most righteous person on the planet, and look what he went through. Both of my parents had cancer, as did my best friend from childhood, Jerry Hardin, and we’ve known many others who've had it.

Were we surprised by the cancer diagnosis? Yes, in the sense that, like most people, we didn’t see it coming—though Nanci had a lot of pain over an eighteen-month period, due to an undiagnosed hiatal hernia, and there were times when she wondered whether she had cancer or something else since there was clearly something wrong with her body. It turned out that the pain had nothing to do with the colon cancer, though cancer was discovered while trying to figure out the cause.

We have never bought into the prosperity theology mentality that says, “Why’s this happening to us? We go to church. We give regularly, and we serve the Lord. Shouldn’t we be exempt from trials like these?” I think of 1 Peter 4:12, which says, “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery ordeal you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.”

So trials are a normal part of life, but when something as serious as this comes on, all of a sudden your life doesn’t seem normal anymore. I appreciate how J. B. Phillips translates James 1:2-4: “When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed.” It’s not easy to welcome difficulties instead of resenting them, but Nanci and I are trusting that God tells the truth when He says they can increase our endurance, expand our ministry, and prepare us for eternal joy.

What lessons has the Lord been teaching you both over the last several months?

Even in the midst of doctor visits and rounds of chemo, Nanci and I have been delighting in God through delighting in His Word, and have been discussing His faithfulness and aspects of His character. This has been an anchor for us. Jesus is the object of our faith and the source of our eternal perspective and present comfort.

One of the books Nanci has been reading is The Joy of Fearing God, by Jerry Bridges. Jerry writes, “We cannot separate trust in God from the fear of God. We will trust Him only to the extent that we genuinely stand in awe of Him.”

Nanci has also loved reading Knowing God by J. I. Packer and Trusting God by Jerry Bridges, along with A. W. Tozer’s The Knowledge of the Holy. Both of us highly recommend these books, because they center us on the person of God which is where we all need to set our minds, whether we’re facing cancer or anything else. Our hearts have been lifted in praise as we contemplate His holiness, grace, justice, mercy, and every facet of His being revealed to us in Scripture.

As much as we appreciate the physicians and the advances of medical science, we are reminded that our ultimate hope is not in them but in God. Trust in our sovereign and gracious and happy God, who alone is sufficient to bear the weight of our trust, allows Nanci and me to laugh and talk and pray together each night with an underlying foundation of happiness.

We are secure in God's love and fully trust Him to do what He determines is best for His glory and for Nanci’s good. Scripture tells us, “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:3).

Nanci has said the Lord has been teaching her about waiting on Him. Can you share more about that?

Just gleaning from what Nanci has written, here are some great perspectives she’s come to:

We all find ourselves in situations at times where we desperately want to do something to fix, change, or even escape our circumstances. We are in fact willing to do anything that God leads us to do, but He seems to be placing us in holding patterns. We want Him to work, but He appears to be waiting to do so.

“Waiting” is an enormous tool that God uses in our hearts and to accomplish His purposes. In the “waiting,” He is working.

Andrew Murray, in Waiting on God, writes:

When you first begin waiting on God, it is with frequent intermission and failure. But, do believe God is watching over you in love and secretly strengthening you in it. There are times when waiting appears like just losing time, but it is not so. Waiting, even in darkness, is unconscious advance, because it is God you have to do with, and He is working in you. ….I hope that you and I might learn one thing: God must, God will work continually. (Read more.)

How has cancer impacted your marriage relationship?

Nanci and I are treasuring our relationship more than ever. We are taking it one day at a time, and though it has affected our routines, we are seeking not to let the cancer define our lives. It is a new season and a new calling with new opportunities and new people to minister to. We are loving God and each other and our family and friends. I’ve had the privilege of being her caregiver for the first extended period in our lives. She’s always been there for me and served me, and I’ve sought to serve her too, but I’ve never had more opportunity than in these last ten months. It’s been a privilege. 

What verses from Scripture have been especially meaningful to you during this time?

One of many verses that has meant a lot to Nanci is Psalm 18:30, “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”

One of the first passages I memorized over forty years ago as a young Christian is more real and more encouraging to me in this trial than it has ever been:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

I have also been finding great joy and comfort in the Psalms: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2). “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you” (Psalm 9:10). “Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting” (Psalm 106:1).

Nanci and I have always loved Romans 8, the whole chapter, and continue to. Romans 8:38-39 is rooted in God’s love and beautifully reassuring:

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (NLT).

In The Joy of Fearing God Jerry Bridges also writes, “We’ve done nothing to earn His love and can do nothing to forfeit it. His love in Christ is eternal and unconditional. Nothing can separate us from His love, as the apostle Paul put it so eloquently. Do we really believe what Paul says to us here?” 

We do! 

What has been the most difficult part of this journey?

It’s been sad for me to see Nanci have a rough time with fatigue and neuropathy and pain after her treatments. Like her, I find myself clinging to and rejoicing in God’s goodness: “Taste and see how good the LORD is! The one who takes refuge in him is truly happy!” (Psalm 34:8, CEB). Not every day is easy for her, but I’m very proud of her for keeping her focus on our Lord and maintaining a sweet, cheerful, and trusting spirit. She is a great example to me, and we are in this together.

Nanci is my beloved soulmate and closest friend, so naturally this is hard for me. Not because I don’t trust God, but because I know that His plans are not always ours (which of course is good, but doesn’t always feel that way).

And while we still pray fervently for Nanci’s healing, we can’t just “claim healing” and get exactly what we want, the way we want it, in the time we want it. Of course we still ask Him freely for all that, and will delight in every answer we see. In fact, God may have healed Nanci last spring when we gathered with our pastors and former pastors and wives and they prayed over her and anointed her with oil. (We were told that tests couldn’t prove anything at that point.) We trust Him and His purposes, and ask Him for strength to honor Him in a spirit of trust and joy. 

What has been the greatest blessing?

We’ve seen God at work in us, helping us to grow closer to Him and each other. Our daughters Angela and Karina have been very involved and helpful with their mom. We have witnessed friends from our church and several others rise up in prayer and service. It’s been my privilege to serve her. For all this we’re deeply thankful.

We talk a lot about the Lord and our family and great memories, and we watch football (therapy for Nanci) and enjoy Maggie, our therapy dog (an unofficial title). We seek to thank God for every blessing, of which there are many.

How has having an eternal perspective helped?

Over the years, Nanci and I have talked a lot about our mortality—not in any morbid way, but just simply recognizing that at some point we’re going to die. Some families don’t even mention that or bring it up, but it’s true whether or not we acknowledge it.

We’re very aware of the fact that we only have so much time in this world, so I think having an eternal perspective really has helped us as we talk about wanting to finish well. We both have a very well developed doctrine of Heaven, the resurrection, and life on the New Earth. On our toughest days, it helps to remember that we have not passed our peaks physically or mentally—the resurrection and eternal health of body and mind awaits us!

Any final thoughts?

Nanci and I want to express again our heartfelt thanks for your prayers. We wish we could personally thank every person for every kind word or action or prayer, but that isn’t possible. The words “thank you” are on our lips more than ever, both to God and to the people through whom He touches us.

We are well aware that many of you reading this are facing difficult challenges, some considerably more difficult than ours. This humbles us, and we thank Him often for your friendship and prayers and hope you too can sense His nearness to you. “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His” (2 Chronicles 16:9). Our Lord is always present and will never abandon His children: “God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, NIV).

Follow Randy’s updates on CaringBridge for the latest on Nanci's health.

Photo by Dave Surber on Unsplash

Four Things That Remain Solidly True No Matter the Mid-Term Election Results

By now you’ve probably read and heard all sorts of commentaries analyzing this week’s midterm election results. Whatever your political leanings, you’ve likely been encouraged by some results and discouraged by others. For example, here in Oregon, Measure 106, which I shared about on my blog and which would have stopped tax dollars from funding elective and late-term abortions, was rejected by over 60% of voters. But in more positive prolife news, in Alabama voters approved an amendment to their constitution that says unborn babies do have a right to life. And in West Virginia, voters said “yes” to a constitutional amendment that says there’s no “right to abortion.”

But no matter the results, here’s a perspective we should always remember: America may or may not unravel in coming decades, but God’s kingdom certainly won’t! Neither the judicial, legislative, nor executive branch of our government is the ultimate solution to America’s problems. Isaiah 33:22 tells us the solution: “For the LORD is our judge (judicial), the LORD is our lawgiver (legislative), the LORD is our king (executive), it is he who will save us” (NIV).

That means we can always have great hope, because our hope is in Someone who is certain, unlike any country and its political leaders: “Do not trust in nobles, in a son of man, who cannot save. …Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them. He remains faithful forever” (Psalm 146:3-6, CSB).

Let’s realize what Philippians 3:20 says: our citizenship is not on Earth. Our citizenship is in Heaven. We are citizens of another country, “and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (CSB). In 2 Corinthians 5:20, we are called ambassadors for Christ. Our job is to represent Him. Jesus–and His kingdom–is our reference point. (Here are some more reflections I wrote after a previous election.)

In this BreakPoint commentary, written just before the election results were in, John Stonestreet reminds us of four things that remain solidly True no matter our feelings about the election, and whatever personal difficulties we may be going through:

…even without knowing the [election] results, I can say four things with a great amount of certainty: Christ is risen, Christ is Lord, Christ will restore all things, and Christ has called us to this cultural moment. Those are four things I say a lot, whenever I speak to groups. Often, I just repeat them to myself.  They are four things every Christian should know, “inwardly digest,” and remember. Otherwise, we will be unable to make any real sense of our current cultural and political moment.

Those four things—again, that Christ is risen, Christ is Lord, Christ will restore all things, and that we are called to this time and place—are True. What I mean by that is that they are true with a capital “T.” They aren’t true for me and not for you. They aren’t true only for those who believe them to be true. They are just True—in the sense that they adequately describe the world in which we live.

Not only are they true in our American context—with all of its political divisions and illusions—they are true in every context. They are even true for our brothers and sisters around the world, who face a cultural moment of persecution, oppression, and even death.

Read the rest of the commentary.

For more on truth and its eternal nature, see Randy’s devotional Truth: A Bigger View of God's Word. For more on Christ’s eternal kingdom, see his Heaven book.

Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash

8 Reminders Before You Comment on Social Media

In today’s social media driven world, there can be immense pressure for all of us to share our opinions publicly on an endless number of topics and current events. Thomas Kidd recently shared these “8 rules of social media wisdom” from Alan Jacobs on The Gospel Coalition’s Evangelical History blog. May we all take them to heart and be “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger” (James 1:19). —Randy Alcorn

Going off half-cocked is now widely perceived as a virtue, and the disinclination to do so as a vice. Moreover, that poorly informed and probably inflammatory statement of Your Incontrovertibly Correct Position must be on the internet . . . or it doesn’t count towards your treasury of merit.

I want to suggest some alternative ways of thinking about these matters, and related ones:

I don’t have to say something just because everyone around me is.
I don’t have to speak about things I know little or nothing about.
I don’t have to speak about issues that will be totally forgotten in a few weeks or months by the people who at this moment are most strenuously demanding a response.
I don’t have to spend my time in environments that press me to speak without knowledge.
If I can bring to an issue heat, but no light, it is probably best that I remain silent.
Private communication can be more valuable than public.
Delayed communication, made when people have had time to think and to calm their emotions, is almost always more valuable than immediate reaction.
Some conversations are  more meaningful and effective in living rooms, or at dinner tables, than in the middle of Main Street.

In short, peer pressure is always terrible, and social media are a megaphone for peer pressure. And when you use that megaphone all the time you tend to forget that it’s possible to speak at a normal volume: thus [the common and] genuinely held view that if you’re not talking to peers on Twitter you can’t possibly be talking to peers at all. —Alan Jacobs

Originally posted on The Gospel Coalition by Thomas Kidd, and used by permission.

Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash

What Role Can Satan and Demons Have in the Life of a Believer?

Someone asked me, I am confused about what role Satan and demons can have in the life of a believer. Can they influence us? If so, how much? Can they oppress us? Can they possess us?

These are important questions to consider. Theologian G. C. Berkouwer said, “There can be no sound theology without a sound demonology.” Some deny the existence of demons, regarding them as mere symbols of man’s inhumanity to man. But even those who believe the Bible tend to develop sloppy demonology. Often our understanding of fallen angels is based more on superstition, tradition, and assumptions than on the Scriptures. (For that reason, when I wrote my book Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, I tried to carefully study what Scripture teaches—and doesn’t teach—about Satan and his angels.)

Masters at Deceit, Waging War Against Us

Demons are fallen angels, a high order of God’s creation. They are spirits, and therefore not subject to the sensory limitations of human bodies. They are stronger and far more intel­ligent than we are. While we live in the fog and darkness of the Shadowlands, they live in the spiritual world where there’s a certain clarity of thought even among the fallen.

Though Scripture doesn’t suggest they can read our minds or know the future, demons are certainly aware of much truth that we aren’t. Scripture puts it this way: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder” (James 2:19). Their modus operandi is to twist, deceive, and mislead, but they are intimately familiar with the truth they twist. In fact, they may even quote Scripture in their attempts to mislead us, as Satan did in his temptation of Christ.

Our adversary is the ultimate con artist. Satan is a liar, and demons are masters at deceit. Jesus called him a “liar, and the father of lies.” He said, “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language” (John 8:44).

I imagine, though, when demons pri­vately discuss the lies they tell us, they openly recognize many of them as just that—lies. Do I mean literally that demons communicate with each other? Of course. They are intelligent beings portrayed in Scripture as rational and communicative. They operate within a hierarchy dependent on issuing, receiving, and carrying out orders. They wage war against God, righteous angels, and us: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world's darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). Intelligence gathering, strategy, deploying troops, communicating battle orders, and reporting on the results of engagement are all basic aspects of warfare.

This is reality, not myth—we are actually being watched, hovered over, and whispered to, not only by God and righteous angels, but also by fallen angels, demons. These beings are likely present in this room as I write, and wherever you are as you read. If God were to open our eyes, we would see angels, both fallen and unfallen, as clearly as you see these words on a screen.

But what about the question of whether a Christian can be possessed? First John 5:18 says, “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.” This would seem to imply Christians are safe from absolute control or possession, but not safe from significant influence. So no, a believer cannot be possessed, but he can certainly be oppressed and heavily influenced by a demon (particularly as he opens up aspects of his life to outside control and addictions).

Paul took a particular course of action “that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11). The degree to which Satan outwits us will correspond directly to how informed—or ignorant—we are of his schemes against us.

Big to Us, Small to God

Augustine called Satan “the ape of God.” Martin Luther believed the devil to be so real that he threw his inkwell at him. But Luther also reminded us “the devil is God’s devil.” He encouraged us to jeer and flout the devil because “he cannot bear scorn.”

We shouldn’t take the devil lightly. But we should also realize this roaring lion is on a leash held by an omnipotent and loving God. We must neither underestimate nor overestimate his power. Speaking of demons, God tells us, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Nothing must be more infuriating to demons than for us to realize that if we’ve repented of our sins and trusted Christ as our Savior, then the same Lord who evicted them from Heaven dwells within us. He’s infinitely more powerful than they. Through Him we can overcome them.

The devil may be big to us, but he is small to God. The greater our God, the smaller our devil.

More Resources

Here are some further resources on the subject of Satan and demons in the life of believers:

Does a Believer Have Authority over Satan?

Tim Keller’s message on spiritual warfare

Tony Evans Speaks on Having Victory in Spiritual Warfare (check out the two-minute video with Tony sharing)

John MacArthur on the degree to which demons can and cannot occupy or influence believers: Can Christians Be Demon-Possessed?

Here is a question I answered several years ago: Can Satan and Demons Read Our Minds?

John Piper on casting out demons in different ways: Do You Believe We Should Cast Out Demons Today?

Here is a great video reminder from John Piper that the main problem is not Satan, but us. He does not minimize Satan and demons, rather he says we must wage war against not only Satan, but first and foremost the desires of our flesh. I think it’s an important balancing statement.

Finally, a message by John Piper many years ago, dealing with resisting Satan as believers: Resist the Devil

For more on the subject of demons and their role in the life of a believer, see Randy's books Lord Foulgrin's Letters and The Ishbane Conspiracy. 

Photo by Eric Ward on Unsplash

Don’t Miss Jen Wilkin’s Podcasts on the Subject of Bible Study

One of the sharpest and most biblically grounded minds among evangelicals is Jen Wilkin. Not long ago she was a guest on Desiring God’s Ask Pastor John podcast, and was interviewed by Tony Reinke on the subject of Bible study. The first session was good, but I thought the last two were terrific. I highly recommend you listen to these. I think they will resonate with you and offer some great perspective. They are just 16 minutes combined but very helpful:

How has social media changed Bible reading?

How Self-Esteem Ruins Bible Study

You can also check out Jen Wilkin’s website. Many people have enjoyed her books as well:

Women of the Word (the one mentioned in the podcasts, on Bible study)

None Like Him: 10 Ways God Is Not Like Us and Why That’s a Good Thing

In His Image: 10 Ways God Expects us to Reflect His Character

Photo by Ben White on Christian Pics

Happiness: A Puritan Prayer (and Some Thoughts on the Puritan Stereotype)

I’ve written in the past about how highly Nanci and I recommend The Valley of Vision, the book of Puritan Prayers. It’s a truly amazing God-exalting, Christ-centered compilation of prayers from the Puritans, including a few who lived after the Puritan era but were Puritans in Heart, notably Charles Spurgeon.

Last night, attached to her portable chemotherapy unit for what we hope is the last time (see her CaringBridge page for updates), Nanci read me this from The Valley of Vision: “I rejoice to think that all things are at thy disposal, and it delights me to leave them there. Then prayer turns wholly into praise, and all I can do is to adore and bless thee...but I can through grace cheerfully surrender soul and body to thee, that thy sole motive in working in me is to will and to do for thy good pleasure.”

We can’t recommend this book highly enough. It has enriched us so much over the years, yet many believers remain unfamiliar with it. We have given it away a number of times, and it’s a wonderful gift. (Here it is on Christianbook.com, and on Amazon.)

Some readers will be scared away by the word “Puritan” because of the image of frowning and Pharisaical religious types without a warm relationship with God. In fact, that stereotype is so wide-spread that a seminary professor told me, “The God of the Puritans was remote and impersonal.” My response was to respectfully disagree and to ask him how many of the Puritans he had actually read.

Here’s something I wrote in my book Happiness: Consider satirist and journalist H. L. Mencken’s (1880–1956) definition of Puritanism: “the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.” [1] On the contrary, Puritans, judging by their writings, were some of the happiest people who have ever lived! Considerably happier, judging by his writings, than H. L. Mencken.

I also wrote, “Let the Puritans serve as a wake-up call as well—they often experienced and spoke of profound happiness in seemingly unbearable circumstances. Like skilled blacksmiths, they forged happiness on Scripture’s anvil, under the severe hammer of life . . . all the while smiling at the bountiful beauties of God’s creation and providence.”

Here’s one of those Puritan prayers, part of which I cited in my book Happiness. It’s also titled “Happiness”:

O LORD,

Help me never to expect any happiness
      from the world, but only in thee.
Let me not think that I shall be more happy
    by living to myself,
  for I can only be happy if employed for thee,
  and if I desire to live in this world
  only to do and suffer what thou dost allot me.
Teach me
  that if I do not live a life that satisfies thee,
    I shall not live a life that will satisfy myself.
Help me to desire the spirit and temper of angels
  who willingly come down to this lower world
    to perform thy will,
  though their desires are heavenly,
  and not set in the least upon earthy things;
    then I shall be of that temper I ought to have.
Help me not to think of living to thee
    in my own strength,
  but always to look to and rely on thee
    for assistance.
Teach me that there is no greater truth than this,
  that I can do nothing of myself.
Lord, this is the life that no unconverted man
    can live,
  yet it is an end that every godly soul
    presses after;
Let it be then my concern to devote myself
    and all to thee.
Make me more fruitful and more spiritual,
  for barrenness is my daily affliction and load.
How precious is time, and how painful to see it fly
  with little done to good purpose!
I need thy help:
O may my soul sensibly depend upon thee
    for all sanctification,
  and every accomplishment of thy purposes
    for me, for the world,
    and for thy kingdom.

[1] H. L. Mencken, A Mencken Chrestomathy (New York: Vintage Books, 1982), 624.

Photo by Amaury Gutierrez on Unsplash

Joni Eareckson Tada on When Is It Right to Die?

Earlier this year I read through Joni Eareckson Tada’s book When Is It Right to Die?: A Comforting and Surprising Look at Death and Dying, which has been revised and updated to examine the current events, trending issues, and the rising acceptance of assisted suicide in this country.

I can’t say enough about When Is It Right to Die? Joni is not a professional ethicist pondering the theoretical; she is a wise and devoted Jesus-follower living out the actual, every day for the past fifty years. She has met and listened to thousands of people whose lives are often seen, sometimes even by themselves, as less than meaningful or worthwhile. She shares many of their stories with compassion and empathy. Joni is both a veteran and an expert on every facet of this issue—in fact, she has advised presidents concerning it. She knows the facts and the complexities, and offers no easy answers, but nonetheless she writes with profound wisdom and eternal perspective. There’s no one I would sooner listen to on this critical question than Joni. Like Jesus Himself, this book overflows with grace and truth. 

Below is an article excerpted from the book:

Do I Have a Right to Die?

By Joni Eareckson Tada

No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main . . . Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. —John Donne

For the moment, forget everything you’ve ever heard about right-to-die or right-to-life positions. Put aside the court rulings. Push out of your mind the tug-at-your-heart stories you’ve seen in the movies or read about online.

Now, with no one reading your thoughts, may I ask, “Do you know when it is right to die? For you? For your family?” Please, I realize this may not be a theoretical question for you. You may be one who could write a real-life tug-at-your-heart story. And you may have already made up your mind about how and when you want to die. Whatever your response, I want you to know that your decision matters.

It matters more than you realize.

Let me explain. Since at one time I served on a national council that drafted major civil rights legislation, my husband, Ken, then a high school government teacher, asked me to speak to his classes on the subject of legalizing euthanasia. This was well before California had legalized medically assisted death, but plenty of initiatives were testing the waters. Ken wanted me to talk to his students about the implications of a right-to-die law. The classroom was crowded with kids standing along the back and leaning against the chalkboards covering the walls.

I was surprised by how interested they were as I divulged my despair of earlier days. I admitted my relief that no right-to-die law existed when I was in the hospital and hooked up to machines. I then underscored how critical it was for every student to become informed and involved in shaping society’s response to the problem. Then I added, “What role do you think society should play in helping people decide when it is right to die?”

A few hands went up. I could tell by their answers that they felt society should take action to help hurting and dying people—some students insisting on life no matter how burdensome the treatment, and a few wanting to help by hurrying along the death process.

One student shared how his mother was getting demoralized by the burden of taking care of his sister with developmental delays. He felt society should, in his words, “do something.”

“Like what?” I playfully challenged.

“Like . . . I’m not sure, but society ought to get more involved in the lives of people like my mother.”

I glanced at Ken. He nodded, as if to give the go-ahead to take a free rein with this young man. “May I ask what you have done to get more involved?”

The student smiled and shrugged.

“How have you helped alleviate the burden? Have you taken your sister on an outing lately? Maybe to the beach?” I teased. “Have you offered to do some shopping for your mother? Maybe your mom wouldn’t be so demoralized, maybe she wouldn’t feel so stressed or burdened, if you rolled up your sleeves a little higher to help.”

A couple of his friends by the chalkboard laughed and threw wads of paper at him. “Okay, okay, I see your point,” he chuckled.

I smiled. “My point is this: Society is not a bunch of people way out there who sit around big tables and think up political trends or cultural drifts; society is you. Your actions, your decisions, matter. What you do or don’t do has a ripple effect on everyone around you. And on a smaller scale, your participation can even make a huge difference in what your family decides to do with your sister.”

The classroom fell silent, and I knew the lesson was being driven home. I paused, scanned the face of each student, and closed by saying, “You, my friends, are society.”

Read the rest.

For more on the topic of euthanasia, here’s a blog I wrote a few years ago after a 29-year-old terminally ill woman chose to end her life under Oregon’s physician assisted suicide law. While we’re talking about past articles, I wrote one on euthanasia in 1986, citing relevant Scripture. If you’re interested, here it is. I talk about the difference between taking a life and permitting a death, and that we need to be careful not to play God. Most of it, I think, remains as relevant now as it was then.

Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer, Now in Theaters

Back in 2013, I wrote a blog about Dr. Kermit Gosnell, the Philadelphia abortionist, during his trial. Since then, the story has been turned into a film by indie producers Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney, who say that Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer was “one of the most successfully crowdfunded films in history. …Almost 30,000 people donated over $2.3m in 45 days. When it ended it was the most successful crowdfunding campaign on the Indiegogo website.” It was released to theaters on October 12.

This is the trailer:

Here’s an article about how despite almost no media coverage, the movie made the list of top 10 movies the weekend that it opened. Life Site News reports that “Most recently, co-producer Phelim McAleer and marketing director John Sullivan have raised concerns about almost 200 theaters dropping the film without explanation, reports of theater staffers actively discouraging and preventing customers from buying tickets, and the New York Times refusing to review or run ads for the film.”

Still, the movie grossed $1,235,800 its opening weekend, and also has a 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This does not mean, of course, that 98% of the critics liked it. You can see at Rotten Tomatoes that various critics dismiss it as “preaching to the choir” while a number of others say it is an important story that needs to be told. (Unfortunately, according to this review on The Gospel Coalition, which is solidly prolife, the film misses the opportunity to reach a wider audience by taking some unnecessary political jabs, a classic case of losing some of the very audience that needs to be reached.)

You can support the film by sharing about it and going to see it. See a list of theaters where it’s showing at gosnellmovie.com/theaters.

By the way, back in 2013, someone asked me: what should our attitude and response be toward Dr. Gosnell and all those involved in his clinic? I personally know and have spoken at length with three people who used to be in the abortion business who came under the Holy Spirit’s conviction, turned to Christ, and walked away forever from their abortion-funded paychecks. One was an abortion clinic owner, another a physician who did abortions, and the other was a full-time counselor and intake person at an abortion clinic. Each of them is a wonderful person. God can and does sometimes lift the veil of blindness as He must do for each of us related to our own sins. So prayer is the right response—prayer of God’s just judgment upon the unrepentant, yes, but prayer first for their repentance.

Let’s also pray that God would use this movie to open many people’s eyes to the true horrors of abortion.

Oregonians, Measure 106 Is Your Opportunity to End Tax-Payer Funded Abortion in Our State

Last year, I shared on my blog about the petition to stop taxpayer funding for elective and late-term abortions in my home state of Oregon. I’m happy to say that volunteers gathered 150,000 signatures to get Measure 106 on the ballot this November. Oregon is the only state in the U.S. without any laws that restrict or limit abortion, and one of only a handful of states that chooses to use taxpayer money to pay for elective abortions. Here’s more information about the measure and how it would change that:

Measure 106 doesn’t stop anyone from choosing an abortion, but it will give Oregon taxpayers freedom from having to pay for other people’s personal choices.

Why vote Yes? Here’s what Oregon voters need to know:

Oregon House Bill 3391, signed into law by Governor Kate Brown in 2017, was a multi-million dollar bill that significantly expanded taxpayer funding for abortion. State lawmakers declared HB 3391 to be an emergency, preventing it from being referred to the public for a vote.
The Oregon Health Authority reports $24.4 million in taxpayer money was spent on more than 57,000 abortions covered under the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) since 2002. That’s about 10 taxpayer-funded abortions every day. (View source.)
Today, anyone covered by OHP can have an unlimited number of free abortions, for any reason and at any stage of pregnancy — even late-term abortions when the baby is perfectly healthy.

Oregon voters, this November you have a voice. Vote YES on Ballot Measure 106 to stop your tax dollars from funding elective and late-term abortions.  It’s your money, and now it’s your choice.

I encourage you to read through the following perspectives from Diane Meyer, a close friend of ours, which she wrote in support of Measure 106. Diane lived with us when our daughters were small and she was a young unwed mother. We had the joy of seeing her come to Christ, and helped her place a baby for adoption.

I can’t express how deeply Nanci and I respect Diane. She’s a courageous and insightful voice who deserves to be heard:

My story: Why I’m voting YES on Measure 106

When I was seventeen, I became pregnant, but I had no desire to become a mother, and quite honestly, I was terrified of labor pain.

Because I was six months pregnant, my abortion took place at a Portland hospital. I was placed on a cot, alongside a dozen other young women, in a basement ward. There, we each received a saline injection in our abdomen to expel our unborn children.

I will never be able to forget the horrific sights and sounds burned into my mind that day. After a few hours of painful labor, we all began losing our babies. I felt a violent lurching sensation as the baby slid from my body and then I saw my child—a small, still huddled form covered in blood laying on the white sheet of my cot.

When I left the hospital, I determined to put this horrible episode behind me, never thinking about it again, never talking about it. I became pregnant again and decided to give my second baby up for adoption. I was in awe when I gave birth to a healthy baby boy, grateful that a childless couple wanted to care for him.  

I wish my story ended there, but filled with shame, I aborted one more time. The Lord has forgiven me, but even after forty years, the weight of loss still feels unbearable at times. I think about who my children might have been, children that I lost to “choice.” The hurt and sadness is so heavy that I still weep for those babies that I never knew.

Mother Teresa once said, “The greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.” In Oregon, we require that taxpayers fund this destruction. We are paying for anguish, sorrow, and deep regret.

Please vote YES on Measure 106 for compassionate care for Oregon’s women.

Three other women share their personal stories and perspectives in this video by Women for 106:

Pro-abortion efforts to oppose Measure 106 are substantial. Jeff Jimerson, director or Oregon Life United PAC, wrote recently, “According to , opponents of Measure 106 have raised more than $2.1 million to try to defeat us. This includes contributions from many out-of-state Planned Parenthood-affiliated organizations such as $150,000 from New York, $100,000 from Virginia, $50,000 from California, and $50,000 from Hawaii. Their largest donor, a Washington D.C.-based organization called Sixteen Thirty Fund, has given $585,000. From a fundraising perspective, this very much feels like a David and Goliath sort of battle.”

I echo what EPM board member Kathy Norquist writes: “Would you pray that God would touch the hearts of the believers in Oregon to vote and to encourage every member of their family to vote for Measure 106? Satan is alive and well and there is much deception surrounding this battle. We need Goliath-size prayers on behalf of the unborn and their moms.”

Oregonians, let’s join together to love our neighbor by protecting these human lives in our state. And whether you live in Oregon or not, we can all pray for the unborn and their mothers, and also pray for divine appointments where God can use us to make a difference in people’s lives.

For more on abortion and the sanctity of life, see Randy’s books Why ProLife? and ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments.