Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 141

The Beyond Suffering Bible: Don’t Miss this Resource!

A remarkable new study Bible is just being released, one that I’m convinced will be immensely helpful to many.

Several months ago, when I was sent links to large portions of this Bible, I was immediately captivated by it. I was walking with friends of ours in the raw grief of their tragedy, and I found myself reading the Beyond Suffering Bible not only through my eyes but also theirs. I can’t say enough about the value of this monumental work. To integrate God’s Word with such sparkling, honest, and Christ-centered insights was brilliant. I don’t know how this Bible could be better or more complete!

Here’s more about it:

This is the first study Bible created specifically for those who suffer and the people who love them. Though struggles can sometimes seem endless, God’s hope is infinite. Crafted by the world-renown experts at Joni and Friends, the Beyond Suffering Bible tackles tough questions about suffering head-on. It is a vital resource for individuals, communities, and churches who want to delve into God’s Word to try to understand suffering and persevere through difficult times.

Each book of the Bible has an introduction, orienting readers to the vital information they need to help them understand the book more fully. But the Beyond Suffering Bible goes beyond a basic book introduction, focusing on key suffering and disability themes that are addressed in each book of the Bible.

My wife Nanci and I deeply love Joni Eareckson Tada. With her warm-hearted exaltation of God’s sovereign love, she has profoundly impacted our own lives and ministry, along with countless others. She’s a living example of the verse she quotes in her introduction: “My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees” (Psalm 119:71).

Though they are also practical, one thing that’s striking is the depth and substance of the comments. This isn’t surprising to those who know Joni. One night in 2006, Nanci and I had dinner with Ken and Joni at their home. I remember looking through her bookshelves and seeing Spurgeon and all her theology books, hearing her speak words of adoration of Jesus our King, seeing her tears of hope and joy, and thinking, Here’s a sister who is gold. Pure gold. (And Ken is terrific too!)

The Beyond Suffering Bible is not only attractive but also highly readable. The additional materials—profiles, devotionals, words from Joni, connection points, study notes, intros, and topical guides—are exceptionally well done. Rather than distracting from God’s Word, they are so in tune with it that they actually lift it up, giving the Word its rightful place.

There are ten different Bible reading plans that deal with everything from a proper view of healing, to extending comfort to the suffering, to the role of the church in regard to suffering and disability. Many of the insights are breathtaking and paradigm-shifting.

While this Bible would be wonderful if only used by those with chronic pain and disability, even world-class athletes and scholars face devastating personal and emotional crises, grief, anxiety, fear, profound disappointments, and depression. The least physically and mentally disabled people still live in a fallen world of suffering where they need to have eyes to see and reach beyond. Indeed, the Curse has disabled all of us, which is why we so desperately need our Savior!

My expectation was that the Beyond Suffering Bible would be great for the disabled, as well as pastors, health professionals, and family and friends who are close to those who are suffering. But in fact, my high expectations were exceeded. After actually going through a good part of it, my conclusion is, this will be great for everyone! It’s hard for me to imagine any person who loves God and loves people not loving this amazing resource. I believe our Savior and King will use it powerfully.

I asked two of our EPM staff members to look over this book and let me know what they thought. I wondered if perhaps my love for it was over-the-top and they might be a little less enthusiastic. Independently, they both told me they were blown away by its features, insights, warmth, and power.

I will personally give the Beyond Suffering Bible to many. (To see some excerpts and to learn more, go to www.beyondsufferingbible.com.) No matter what’s going on in your life, I highly recommend you check it out. I believe our Redeemer will use it powerfully!

Greg Laurie on How You Can Share the Gospel

I’ve had many experiences of sharing Jesus with people at schools, on planes, and on tennis courts. Some friends think I’m a natural-born evangelist. But I’m not! I find the hardest thing is choosing to open my mouth. Once I do, the Lord graciously gives me the words.

To me, there are not many joys comparable to that of leading someone to Christ. It’s thrilling and exhilarating.  May we all continually ask the Lord to give us opportunities to share His “good news of great happiness” (Luke 2:10).

In this article, my friend Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, provides some encouragement for us to experience the happiness of extending Christ’s gospel to those we meet. Greg is a guy who lives consistently with his words. —Randy Alcorn

Let’s imagine you are out for a walk one night around your neighborhood when you suddenly hear people screaming. Startled, you look over your shoulder and see a house with flames leaping from the windows and roof. Someone out front of the house cries out, “There’s someone in there!” Let me ask you, if you were to just keep on walking without giving a passing thought to those in such terrible danger, would that be wrong? At the very least, wouldn’t you pull out your phone and dial 9-1-1? Even more, wouldn’t you try to find a way into that burning house to rescue that person inside? To do nothing would be outright criminal.

In the same way, however, we walk by people—men and women we know or total strangers—who are without Christ and don’t do a thing to help them. We don’t even try to initiate a conversation about our faith. We just keep walking. And to be blunt, a fate even worse than a house fire awaits those who reject the offer of forgiveness through Jesus Christ. It is eternal fire. Eternal separation from God.

The last thing God wants is to send any man or woman—deeply loved by Him and made in His very image—to this place called Hell. That’s why He sent Jesus to live a perfect life, to die a perfect death on the cross for our sins, and then to rise from the dead.

You might protest, “God could never use someone like me!” Actually, He can and He will if you will let Him. It could even happen today—before this day is over. He won’t force you to share your faith, but He may very well prompt you. And when you take that step of faith, He will empower and use you. Yes, you.

I want you to discover the adventure of being used by God, especially in this area of telling others about Jesus. God says that He is looking for people He can “show Himself strong on behalf of” (2 Chronicles 16:9, NKJV). He is searching for someone who will simply say, “Use me, Lord!” Would you be that person? If so, a wonderful adventure awaits you.

I want to let you in on a little surprise: Sharing your faith can be both exciting and—believe it or not—fun! As Psalm 126:6 reminds us, “Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them” (NIV). Jesus told us there is joy in Heaven over every sinner who comes to repentance (see Luke 15:7). So if there is joy in Heaven upon hearing the news of a conversion, there certainly should be joy in having a role in it.

Next to personally knowing Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, the greatest joy I know of is leading others to Christ and watching them grow spiritually. And you can do that, too. It should be a joyful, happy thing to tell others about your relationship with God and explain how they can have one, too. I have found that the happiest Christians are the evangelistic ones.

Yes, there is a happiness we are missing out on if we’re not sharing our faith. The apostle John wrote that his personal joy was made complete by sharing the message of Christ (see 1 John 1:4). The believers I know who make a habit of sharing the Gospel are truly happy people.

There have been so many times when I have felt drained and exhausted, both physically and mentally. I have even felt like my spiritual gas tank was close to empty. But then, when I started to share the Gospel with someone, or stopped thinking about myself and focused on another’s needs and shared some truth from God’s Word, I was replenished in every way. I started on empty and ended on full. Proverbs 11:25 tells us that “those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” (NLT).

So here’s the bottom line: What’s your excuse for not sharing? Clearly, God could reach people without us. He could send angels down every street in the world with megaphones, declaring the Gospel. Instead, however, He has chosen to work through us. In fact, He almost seems to go out of His way to find the most unlikely candidates to accomplish His divine purposes.

You might say, “I’m not qualified. I’m not gifted or talented.” Do you want to know a little secret? You are just the person God is looking for. He delights to use people who aren’t necessarily self-confident. Why? Because when God does something amazing through them, He is the one who gets the glory, as He should. No, you may not feel qualified or “ready.” But God isn’t looking for ability as much as He is availability. God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called!

Photo: Unsplash

Should God’s People Want to Be Both Holy and Happy?

Earlier this year I did an interview with Christianity Today. Among other things, we talked about how happiness and holiness don’t have to be seen as in conflict.

How did you decide to write a book on happiness? Did your book Heaven inspire an interest in the topic?

After writing Heaven, I heard many stories about the losses of loved ones. People were asking, “How can I be happy”—they probably wouldn’t use that word because it sounds so unspiritual—“when my seven-year-old has just died of leukemia?”

I began to think more and more of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, when he describes himself as “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Cor. 6:10). He doesn’t say “rejoicing, yet always sorrowful.” It’s rejoicing that’s the constant, even as this leaves plenty of room for sorrow and struggle.

Something would be terribly wrong if we weren’t grieving for this world and those who suffer. But is it okay to be happy when we live in a world of hurt? And beyond that, is it actually God’s calling? Because if God commands us to rejoice, He must empower us to rejoice. He must want us to be happy. That’s what got me interested in God’s happiness. Is God happy? Can He be happy when He sees so much sin in the world, when He knows what His Son endured on His behalf, when He sees the persecution of His people? Can we?

Clearly, the answer is yes.

Those questions motivated me to go deeper into Scripture and to see what people through the ages have said about happiness, especially the Puritans. The average life span of their children was so short. It wasn’t uncommon for a woman to bear 12 children and see only four of them survive into adulthood. They lived in hardship we can’t imagine. And yet they sincerely affirmed the loving, sovereign hand of God and the ultimate happiness of His people.

You argue that happiness is just as central to the Christian life as holiness. What’s at stake if, as you say, we mistakenly believe that holiness comes at the expense of happiness or vice versa?

Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, the Reformers, and Pascal have said that all people seek happiness all the time. Nobody has ever said that all people seek holiness. If we set happiness and holiness against each other, then we assure that our children, our grandchildren, and the people in our churches and communities choose a version of happiness that is in contrast to holiness. This will put them on the other side of the plan of God and guarantee, ultimately, that they will not only be unholy but also unhappy. To pit these two against each other is like saying, “If you want holiness, you want the church; if you want happiness, you want the world.” The stakes are huge.

Jesus really did say, “Happy are the peacemakers.” He really did say, “Happy are those who are reviled and persecuted for my name’s sake, for great is their reward in heaven.” In other words, we can enjoy a happiness that is based on the eternal pleasures and joys that God has in store for us. The gospel is that good news of happiness and holiness.

A recent book on C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and their fellow “Inklings” described these writers as “guilty of the heresy of the happy ending.” Why are happy endings so culturally suspicious?

Every great novel, every great story, every great drama is a reflection or shadow of the unfolding drama of redemption—God’s great story. That story has an incredibly happy ending. For those who have embraced the redemptive work of Jesus, we really are going to live happily ever after.

And of course that belief is repugnant to some people. Happy endings are suspicious because sometimes they seem devoid of realism and authenticity. But it’s also interesting to note that about 10 years ago, maybe 15, the word “redemptive” turned into a favorable word for reviews in places like The New York Times. Historically, what does the word really mean? Well, you can’t disconnect it from its basis in the Christian worldview.

Whether it’s conscious or unconscious, people are paying a (maybe backhanded) compliment to the gospel. The components of the story they call redemptive reflect the great story of Jesus. That’s why Peter can say that we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth—in which righteousness dwells, in which righteousness is at home (2 Peter 3:13). It changes everything.

You make use of extensive linguistic evidence to recover the proper meaning of words like “happy” and “happiness.” Can American Christians learn to separate happiness from selfish, unholy pleasure?

It is going to be difficult to overcome, for sure. I know these misconceptions are out there: that God is interested in our holiness, not our happiness; that joy is the opposite of happiness; that joy isn’t an emotion. They are a major influence on evangelical belief, and they aren’t based on Scripture on all. So how does one turn that around? My thought was to influence pastors, church leaders and thoughtful lay leaders, who can create a tipping point.

Truthfully, I faced the same challenge when writing Heaven. I knew I was facing the common misconception of Heaven as a disembodied state. What I really wanted to explore in the book was the idea of resurrection, the New Earth, the physicality of our eternal life, eternal life with animals—all of these things, which are solidly scriptural.

We undersell people’s thoughtfulness and their ability to grapple. The parallel between my books on Heaven and happiness is really strong: For both, there are these widely held misconceptions, but there is also a huge bulk of biblical, historical, and linguistic evidence that argues against them. I want to strategically reach some people of influence and help change their thinking. But even for those who aren’t going to speak or write, I hope that they can experience a greater happiness in Christ.

How can a right understanding of happiness influence our approach to evangelism?

There is a chapter in the final section of the book on feasts, festivals, and celebrations. I think these give us opportunities to practically cultivate a sense of the good news of happiness in our Christian communities, churches, and families.

Here’s something I propose in the book: The United Nations voted to declare March 20 the International Day of Happiness. Wouldn’t it be great if Bible-believing, evangelical Christians were the first to put that day on the calendar and declare a day of feasting? Great food, great drink, partying, games for the kids. We could invite the community, wave the flags of various nations, welcome people from all different ethnic and national backgrounds, and just invite everyone to come eat and drink and have fun.

We don’t have to give them all a tract—though of course we can explain the Bible’s good news of happiness, that God sent His Son Jesus into the world. But it isn’t just a means to that end. You could take most of the outreach plans and programs of many evangelical churches and reach more people and give more people a favorable view of the gospel by celebrating a day like this. And then, when our kids are in their college dorms and hearing about all the stuff that can supposedly make them happy (drugs, sex, changing their worldview because Christianity is so negative and intolerant), they might remember amazingly great times of celebration alongside people of every tribe, language, worldview, and faith. That would go a long way toward dissolving the unfortunate notion that church is an unhappy place.

Throughout the book, you encourage readers to form habits of happiness. Aside from more obvious spiritual disciplines (like reading your Bible), what are one or two habits that have been most important for you?

Learning to enjoy creation on a higher, broader, and deeper level is probably the most important. As an example, I like to travel and snorkel and do underwater photography. I remember one of my first experiences snorkeling. I saw this amazing fish and heard a startling noise. I realized after it happened that it wasn’t the fish, but the sound of my own gasping. The snorkel was magnifying the sound. I was literally gasping, but I wasn’t aware because I was so lost in the beauty and the colors.

I love beholding the beauty of sea turtles. I watch them, studying their tranquility and the ease with which they move in the water. I love hearing the sound of whales in the water. Wow. You dive down 10-15 feet, and all you hear is whales. You can’t hear any sound from the surface. They’re singing, and it’s like a concert. I admit that sometimes I have to surface, take off my mask, and wipe tears from my eyes.

I came to Christ as a high school student and read verses like 1 John 2:15, which say we should love not the world. I thought this meant that loving nature would be wrong, that it would be idolatry. But then I eventually came to read people like Jonathan Edwards, who often talked about taking walks and looking at the animals, trees, and flowers. Nature helped him to worship and love God. So that’s been huge for me. And I think this is what Ann Voskamp has captured in her blog and her book, One Thousand Gifts. It’s the simple observation of God’s creation. This has resonated with so many people partly because we don’t typically hear that sort of thing from people who read the Bible.

To learn more, see Randy’s books Happiness and God’s Promise of Happiness.

Photo: Unsplash

The Laments in God’s Inspired Word Teach Us How to Mourn, and Express Our Honest Questions

Laments make up more than one-third of the psalms. The contrast between Israel’s hymnbook and the church’s says a great deal about our failure to acknowledge suffering. If we don’t sing about suffering and struggle, why shouldn’t our people feel surprised when it comes?

Read Psalm 88, arguably the most discouraging portion of the Bible: “My soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave.... You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths. Your wrath lies heavily upon me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.... My eyes are dim with grief.... Why, O LORD, do you reject me and hide your face from me?” Not exactly a sunny day! And listen to how it ends: “You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.”

Yet even then the psalmist cries out to “the God who saves me” (verse 1).

The psalms of lament grant us permission to express to God our honest questions, doubts, griefs and despair. That our heavenly Father chose to include these as inspired Scripture suggests that parents should encourage emotional honesty in their children. They should learn to voice to God and to us their disappointments, fears, and frustrations along with their dreams, happiness, and gratitude. Certainly we should resist whining and self-pity, both in ourselves and our children. But we should also guard against pretense and the silent seeds of disillusionment and bitterness.

The book of Psalms brims with honest questions to God about evil and suffering and asks why God doesn’t intervene:

Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? (10:1, ESV)

I say to God, my rock:
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?” (42:9, ESV)

Awake! Why are you sleeping, O LORD?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!
Why do you hide your face?
Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? (44:23–24, ESV)

By including laments in His inspired Word, God graciously invites our cries, so long as we remain willing to listen to His response.

Musician Michael Card writes,

My experience with lament and with the living God occurred several years ago, when I was diagnosed with a degenerative liver disease. My father had died when I was seventeen, and now faced with the possibility that I might die, leaving behind my seventeen-year-old son and fourteen-year-old daughter, I was overwhelmed with feelings of anger and confusion and pain. When I finally let go and cried out to God, it was in fury and frustration that I unleashed on Him, accusing Him, questioning Him. It did not make any sense to me. How could a loving God allow my children to go through the pain that I had? I had done all that He had asked of me. I had been a faithful servant and made the right choices and sacrifices. Why was He doing this to me? How dare He? I was certain that I had pushed Him too far, that I was now going to experience His wrath and condemnation for my ranting and unbelief. But what I found instead was great mercy and tenderness. I experienced His loving-kindness in a way that I never had before. He had been waiting all along for me to come to the end of myself and fall on my knees before Him. He had been waiting for me to be completely honest with who I was, instead of who I thought I should be. And I realized that it was in my brokenness and weakness that I was truly able to know the tremendous love that my great God has for me. He could take anything that I hurled at Him. He was not going to let me go.[1]

If you’d like to read more related to the subject of evil and suffering, see Randy’s book If God Is Good, as well as the devotional 90 Days of God’s Goodness and book The Goodness of God (a specially focused condensation of If God Is Good, which also includes additional material). Many people have also handed out the If God Is Good booklets.

[1] Michael Card, A Sacred Sorrow (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2005), 9.

Photo: Unsplash

The Beauty of the International Body of Christ: Report from Our Trip to Cuba and Bermuda

Less than a week ago, Nanci and I returned from a two-week ministry trip to Cuba and Bermuda. I asked for prayer for the trip in my blog, so here’s my report.

While in Cuba we were able to travel with a team from ACTION Cuba, a great organization that Eternal Perspective Ministries has supported over the years. It’s amazing what God is doing in this country. (The days without phone and Internet there reminded me of what normal life used to be!) We met many Christ-followers.

I had the privilege of training Cuban pastors and seminary students, speaking to the staff of Action Cuba, and preaching at a large youth rally on sexual purity where I shared the wisdom of purity and the Good News of Jesus. We heard many encouraging responses, and gave away 700 copies of the Cuban edition of my book The Purity Principle. (They publish four of my books in Cuba. I was amazed how many said they had read and reread them because Christian books are still hard to get there.)

We rode around in old cars and saw on the streets many classic pre-1960 cars, before the embargo, still in working condition due to the hard work and ingenuity of the Cuban people. One day we caught a horse-driven taxi to go into the city. Right when we thought no one else could fit on, they kept adding people. It was a fun adventure, and the people were wonderful.

As we were leaving Cuba, before going through customs, an airport employee approached me and asked if I was Randy Alcorn. I said yes, assuming he’d been at one of the meetings I’d spoken at. He said, “I’ve read your books and recognized you from your photos.” He took me over to another airport employee who’d also read my books. He said, smiling broadly, “Good to meet you, brother.”

When I spoke at a training gathering for pastors, during a break I was taken upstairs to meet with the  professors of the Bible college. We were in a room that was also their library, consisting perhaps of a few hundred books. I asked how we could help them get more books, and hopefully that will happen.   

The international body of Christ is beautiful. I haven't been hugged and kissed by so many “strangers” for many years, most of them precious brothers and sisters in Jesus.

After I spoke in the church, the pastor asked me, on behalf of the churches of Cuba, to greet the body of Christ in the U.S.A. I do that now. The churches in Cuba have spiritual strength that has come through adversity. Their lives aren’t easy, and the standard of living in the country isn’t high. It’s a land rich in resources and potential, but that potential hasn’t been reached. Please pray for the people of Cuba, and especially for the churches.

In Bermuda, I had the privilege of speaking at Cornerstone Bible Church, a wonderful fellowship of God’s people. My Saturday seminar on what the Bible says about money and possessions was rescheduled for Tuesday night due to Hurricane Karl hitting the island early Saturday morning. Fortunately it was downgraded to Tropical Storm Karl and wasn’t very eventful. On Sunday I joined the church and was interviewed by their pastor, Gary Simons, on Heaven and the New Earth. We turned to different Scriptures and had a great time worshipping Christ. It’s a vibrant church that meets in a school. If you visit Bermuda, I encourage you to attend.

Cornerstone has something like 36 different flags hanging in the auditorium each Sunday to signify all the nations represented in their church family. At one point in the message I was asked if we would speak different languages in Heaven. I said we would likely speak our heart language from earth, but then maybe speak a trade language. I used the example of Swahili being a trade language of the nation of Kenya, known by many tribes, and mentioned as an example the specific language of one tribe, the Kikuyu people. Suddenly a couple in the church responded audibly. It turns out they were Kikuyu! Yet another man, as I was signing books after the service, came up and said “I am Kikuyu too!” It meant a lot to them that I had called their tribe out by name. I’d never done that in a message before, so I knew the Holy Spirit was behind it.

Finally, not really changing the subject of God’s great work, but looking at a different aspect of it, I went snorkeling in both Cuba and Bermuda. Here are a few of the hundreds of photos I took of God’s fascinating underwater world.

This Cuban frog fish is maybe the weirdest I’ve seen anywhere in the world! The brother snorkeling with me, who also prints my books in Cuba, has spent a lot of time in Cuban waters and says he’s never seen anything like it. I photographed a frog fish on Maui, but it certainly wasn’t as bizarre as this one! Frog fish are notorious for blending in with the reef. This one blends pretty well with the sand on the ocean floor. Seeing it move in the water was surreal. Consider God’s creativity:

Also weird, but more common and considerably cuter, is this puffer or porcupine fish I photographed while it was hiding under a dock.

In Bermuda, this angel fish was one of my favorites. The reef there is breathtakingly beautiful. Below it is a colorful parrotfish, about three feet long, and its companion munching on the coral.

Many thanks for your prayers and partnership in the Gospel!

Randy

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” (Revelation 7:9-12)

Good and Angry: a New Book for Those Dealing with Irritation, Complaining, and Bitterness

Every emotion is powerful and potentially stressful. But nothing so poisons the mind and sours the soul as uncontrolled anger and resentment. Failure to effectively deal with these emotions in a godly way, and failure to forgive others will increase stress and promote bitterness.

Scripture says it all:

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31–32)

EPM has long recommended the excellent ministry of CCEF, the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation. I deeply appreciate their faculty members, including David Powlison, and over the years have recommended his books, including Speaking Truth in Love and Breaking the Addictive Cycle.

David has a new book that I think will benefit many. Good and Angry: Redeeming Anger, Irritation, Complaining, and Bitterness is a remarkably penetrating treatment of a vital but neglected subject. I kept underlining profound statements, including “Anger is not an it…anger does not happen to you…the whole person does anger.” Powlison’s insights on patience, forgiveness, mercy, and grace are invaluable. He unapologetically addresses God’s anger against sin, while helping us look at our own anger, which is often less righteous than we suppose. Still, he validates good anger.

Here’s just one insight from the book:

When anger goes astray, it says something about how we are going astray inside, about who is the center of the universe. When anger runs amok into temper, grousing, or bitterness, you don’t just need a technique to calm yourself down. You don’t just need your circumstances to change. You don’t just need other people to change. Your core motives must change. The god you worship (my will be done, my kingdom come…or else) must be overthrown.

This book reflects a big view of God, never pitting one divine attribute against another. Powlison’s discussion of the weaknesses of the misguided perception about anger toward God being healthy is a breath of fresh air. I personally benefited from this outstanding book, and highly recommend it.

David shares more about why he wrote Good and Angry, and his hopes for readers:

If you or someone in your family struggles with anger…or irritation, complaining, or bitterness, I encourage you to read Good and Angry. I think you’ll find it a great help.

Transgenderism, Outdoor School Policies, and How Christian Families Might Respond

Though it was foreseen for many years, nationwide legalized homosexual marriage was a long time in coming. I think we’re beginning to see that now that it’s here, it has broken down many restraining walls in our society. Consider the speed at which transgenderism and gender identity have grabbed hold of our culture, and even the world of our children and grandchildren.

Christian families in my hometown of Gresham, Oregon are feeling some of those effects after reading Oregon’s new public school policies regarding transgender students. One of the documents pertains to 6th grade outdoor school, which is run by a local school district. The other document serves to provide guidance to educators and schools, including in the areas of Physical Education and Health/Sex Education.

Here are some quotes from the new outdoor school policy (the student leaders mentioned are highschoolers, typically aged 14-18):

2.7   Will my child have a transgender or gender nonconforming Student Leader?

Maybe. Student Leaders are asked to identify as male or female.  If a student leader who is transgender identifies as male, he will lead male student cabin groups and be placed in male cabins. If a student leader who is transgender identifies as female, she will lead female student cabin groups and be placed in female cabins.

2.9   If my child is gender nonconforming or transgender, where will they change clothes and where will they shower?

At Outdoor School we support a student’s right to use a facility corresponding with their gender identity as consistently expressed at school or to have access to a private or single use facility.

2.10   Is it possible that my child will be placed in a cabin with a gender nonconforming or transgender student?

Yes. At Outdoor School we respect the gender identity asserted by the student.  Sixth grade students that identify as male will be placed in male cabins. Student leaders that identify as male will lead male student cabin groups and be placed in male cabins.  Sixth grade students that identify as female will be placed in female cabins. A student who was assigned a male gender at birth, and identifies as female, will be placed in a girl’s cabin.  A student who was assigned a female gender at birth, and identifies as male, will be placed in a male cabin.

2.13   Will the topic of gender diverse youth be discussed at Outdoor School?

Maybe.  The topic of transgender and gender nonconformity is not a class or area of instruction at Outdoor School, however, the topic is prevalent in the community and the news. 

A parent who attended a recent outdoor school meeting for teachers wrote, “Bottom line, ODS can't and won't assure teachers and parents that a sixth grade student will not be in a cabin with a high school student [cabin leader] of the opposite gender.” (Another major concern for many families is that because students attending outdoor school are unable to phone home, if an issue does arise, they won’t be able to contact their parents and express their concerns or discomforts.)

Several families I know have prayerfully and thoughtfully decided to not have their children attend outdoor school this fall. Here’s an example of how parents might graciously and respectfully communicate that choice. It was written by my daughter Angela, who gave me permission to share it. I believe it speaks truth and reflects grace:  

We’re sorry to say that we've decided our son won’t be attending outdoor school this year. We read the new school district policy on transgender counselors and campers and we are aware of several situations that happened last year, and we’re uncomfortable with potentially putting our son in that situation. Just so you know, we’ve had some great conversations with him about being respectful and kind to people who have different beliefs and make different choices than we do, but at this point we’re just not comfortable sending him away for several nights with all of the unknowns created by this policy.

We’re not sure how this will affect his grade, and want to be sure there’s something else he can do to make up for it. Do you know if anything else will be offered on those days? Thanks for understanding, and please let us know if you have any questions, as we’d love to keep an open dialogue with you about this.

If this hasn’t been addressed in your state, and affected your school district, I’m confident it will be in the coming months and years.

Earlier this year, a local news station in my area reported that in a book which claims to be for children “age 10 and up” has been on the state-approved list for use in public schools. As its title It’s Perfectly Normal suggests, it seeks to normalize gender fluidity and other sexual acts and masturbation—along with graphic illustrations of naked teens and adults involved in those activities.[1] 

Here are some other examples. According to Oregon law:

Students at any age can access reproductive care—without parental knowledge or consent (ORS 109.610, 640). A minor age 15 or older can have an abortion without parental consent.
14-year-old students can receive mental health service which could include counsel related to gender transformation—without parental knowledge or consent (ORS 109.675).
15-year-old students can consent to services such as gender transformation treatments, including puberty blockers, counseling, drugs, advocacy and sex change surgery—without parental notification or consent (ORS 109.640).

I have a friend who’s in an authority position, and has received orders that part of his job is to now enforce the right of men to enter women’s restrooms, provided they personally identify as females. (But practically, can he actually confront them on this, and what will be the results of doing so?) He has strong reservations about this policy and sees real dangers, but told me that if he speaks up about it, he’ll almost certainly lose his job.

These are tough issues and they’re not going away. Now more than ever, Christians have to consider how we can communicate with those with whom we disagree, in a spirit of grace and truth.

Writing for the ERLC (Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission), Andrew Walker recommends that parents think through their responses to new policies now rather than later, and establish a tipping point for their families:

What actions taken by your local school will be sufficient for you to re-evaluate public education? Is having a teacher reprimand your child for his or her belief about marriage, sex, and gender acceptable? Will you allow them to be in schools where bathroom policies are based on gender identity rather than biological sex? Are you uncomfortable with a biological male having access to the restroom and locker room that your daughter uses? Not establishing a tipping point could leave your child over-exposed to environments they shouldn’t be in. Not thinking about a tipping point is irresponsible and will communicate carelessness about a child’s education and Christian formation. It is advisable that spouses have a candid conversation and establish a line in the sand.

I read and appreciated Kevin DeYoung’s post “What Does the Bible Say About Transgenderism?” He doesn’t address all the aspects (who possibly can?), but some of what he says is very helpful. There will ultimately be many more comments added, many of them in strong disagreement, I’m sure. You can learn a lot from the comments about the degree of confusion and hostility associated with this.

Earlier Kevin did a post titled “A Transgendered Thought Experiment.” Though this offended a lot of people, both believers and unbelievers (just scan the many comments), I think it’s relevant to any who think that God really still does create people male or female, and that confused or misdirected sexual desires are part of the Fall just as much as physical disabilities.

You might also check out a helpful Q&A that Rosaria Butterfield, a former gay activist, did recently with Revive Our Hearts on these timely issues. For parents needing some pointers for having conversations with their kids, I also recommend Mark Spansel’s article “How to Talk to Your Kids About Gender.”

[1] Sex ed books pulled from library shelves at Rainier elementary school

Photo: Pixabay

It’s Possible to Enjoy Watching Others Win

It’s not always easy to witness the success of others without pangs of envy creeping in. I heard one story of a fortunate woman who won an extreme home makeover but whose neighbors were outraged at the invasion of their space by construction workers and film crews.They spoke critically of their neighbor, saying she probably didn’t know how to take care of a decent home.They called the police because of the disturbance, even though they knew it would be short lived. Jealousy surfaced. Those who didn’t directly benefit from her good fortune didn’t rejoice with her—they resented her.

Suppose you and a friend entered a store and your friend was awarded $100,000 for being the store’s 100,000th customer. Would you be hounded by the wish that it had been you instead? Would you expect your friend to split it with you since you held the door open and otherwise would have won? Or would you have simply rejoiced for her?

I’ve heard people admit that looking at others’ Facebook pages depresses them because they see new houses or fun vacations they’ll never have. Envy undermines the opportunity for shared joy.

The degree to which we can be happy for other people without envying or resenting them determines how happy we’ll truly be. Why? Because if we can only rejoice when positive things happen to us, the number of things that can make us happy is greatly reduced.

I enjoy winning. But by God’s grace, I’ve become a gracious loser, which makes me a happier person. When coaching high school tennis, I was playing against our team’s number one singles player. We’d played a couple of times a week for three years, and he’d never beaten me. But he kept getting better . . . and I didn’t. That day, though I tried my best, he beat me for the first time (and not the last).

Spontaneously, when he won the final point, we both ran to the net and hugged each other, smiling, laughing, and celebrating. I realized, to my surprise, that I was as genuinely happy as he was.

Why was I so happy? I had invested myself in him and developing his skills. His success was my success.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice” (Romans 12:15, NIV) had new meaning for me. I realized that when we pour our lives into others, we truly want them to succeed.

Our happiness will always be small as long as we can only be happy for ourselves. But when we can be genuinely happy for our spouse, children, grandchildren, neighbors, and friends—and those who live thousands of miles away but are benefiting from the prayers we offer and the money we give to help build wells or translate the Bible into their language— there will be no end to our happiness.

Excerpted from Randy’s book Happiness. See also his small book God’s Promise of Happiness.

Photo: Pixabay

Sexual Abuse Is Horrible and Should Be Punished…But Some Accusations of Sexual Abuse Are False

Before I address concern about false accusations, I want to say emphatically: If you or someone you know has been sexually abused PLEASE seek help from friends, family, local authorities, and a trusted pastor. Many victims of sexual abuse don’t speak up due to shame and/or fear of being disbelieved.

What I am saying next is to third parties who jump to conclusions when they hear accusations, not to victims who know first-hand the guilt of the perpetrator.

If I were a judge, there is no sin, no crime on the planet that would prompt me to act with more severe justice than the sexual abuse of children. I would also bring harsh judgment on those who covered up or conspired to cover-up the crime.

BUT if I were that judge, I would need to hear all the evidence from both sides before coming to my conclusion. As difficult courtroom trials often demonstrate, all the opinions in the world of those who have not seen the evidence, or have seen only a part of it, in the end do not prove guilt or innocence. Sometimes the courts are wrong, of course, but far more often people are wrong who form their opinions based on hearsay.

Since I’m not a judge and not capable of carrying out anything close to a full-scale investigation when accusations of sexual abuse come up, I must listen to both sides, or those that have heard from both sides, and then determine, “Well, maybe or probably or probably not, but…there is just no way I can know.” Whether the accused was guilty, I am not qualified to say. So I will sign petitions against abuse and speak against racism in every form, but I cannot normally speak against a particular person who is accused.  

Even the most serious accusation should never lead us to assume guilt where it has not been proven! There have been murder cases where public outrage has resulted in convictions based on superficial evidence. Later, through DNA and other objective means, innocence has been proven and people have been released from jail, like this man who was released 25 years after being falsely accused of murdering his wife.

Murder and abuse are categorically evil. But one can take murder and abuse seriously without assuming that because someone has been accused, and because many people SAY a person must be guilty, that therefore he or she really is guilty.

I’m often asked via emails to speak out against a particular person or group who has been accused of abuse or covering up abuse. People will link me to a website they consider to be proof. But what is on the website are words, not proof. Another website takes the opposite position, offering proof to the contrary. When I say I can’t make a public condemnation, typically I am told I really don’t care about the victims. But I do…I just don’t want to be guilty of making others the victims of my uniformed accusations!

Apart from being on a jury, how can I have enough information to draw an absolute conclusion? Can I base my conclusion on media reports alone? Many years ago I was often in the newspapers related to civil disobedience at abortion clinics on behalf of unborn children. I would read the article and sometimes not just some but most of it was simply false—yet I discovered that people in my own church believed whatever they read. This is one of the reasons I am slow to judgment.

Sometimes it seems 99% likely the person is guilty. But if that’s true, then one out of 100 times the person is innocent. How would you like to be that person or a family member of that person who is innocent, but is condemned by society’s outrage?

Just as there have been many cases when guilt has been proven real even though denied, there are also many documented cases where the accusations have been false, and lives have been ruined. Let me be absolutely clear: all sexual abuse is horrific and detestable, and we should absolutely stand in defense of its victims. But that’s not the same as saying each and every accusation of sexual abuse should be assumed to be true!

We live in a fallen world where there is true sexual abuse, and where there are false accusations. All accusations of sexual abuse should be taken seriously and carefully investigated by qualified authorities. But I am suggesting that we should refrain from listening to only one side of the story and draw no final conclusions unless and until the charges have been proven.  

I personally know a man whose reputation was ruined when a woman who I knew to be unstable (from long-term personal experience) falsely accused him of sexually abusing her daughter. Investigation exonerated him, but he and his wife suffered immensely, and many believed that just because he was accused of it, it HAD to be true.  

I’ve also confronted those accused of child abuse, one of whom ended up in prison (I’m not sure, but it’s possible that my role in the process contributed to his conviction). I believed the evidence to be substantial and directly confronted him and others with it. Though he denied his guilt, later he admitted he’d done it.

I have no second thoughts about what I did, but I believe that justice cuts both ways. We should stand up for those who have been sexually abused, and for the same reasons we should stand up for those who have been falsely accused of sexual abuse.

In some cases innocence can possibly be proven, but unless an alibi is rock solid, it usually can’t. This is one of the reasons I encourage believers to practice wisdom—not only to avoid temptation and sin but also not to put themselves in a position where a false accusation could easily be made. For instance, I recommend youth pastors never meet privately with young girls. When I was a youth pastor I did have such meetings (nearly all of us did back in those days), but if it were today, I would not take the chance. There are qualified females who work with girls. (Of course, same gender crimes and accusations are common too.)

God’s Word says, “Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5, ESV). Yes, where guilt is real there is condemnation, but where people have condemned unfairly, there will also be commendation. 

In some cases we will never know for sure whether there’s guilt or innocence. I pray for them like this: “Father, you are the all-knowing Judge, I am not: If they are innocent, comfort them and help make their innocence known; if they are guilty, bring them to confession, repentance and forgiveness…bring upon them your just judgment in this world, and if not in the world to come.”

Where there is true guilt, God offers forgiveness, but not legal exoneration. Criminals are sinners like the rest of us, and God can forgive and transform them, even if they must spend the rest of their lives in prison. At EPM we correspond with hundreds of prisoners, and God is doing powerful things in many lives.

The next person abused could be you or someone you love. And the next person falsely accused could be you or someone you love. So let’s be quick to speak up for children and innocent people, and to encourage careful investigation of accusations. But let’s also be quick to realize some accusations are indeed false. Jesus said, “Do unto others as you would have them do onto you” (Luke 6:31). As the Contemporary English Version puts it, “Treat others just as you want to be treated.” 

Photo: Pixabay

Will the New Earth Have a Sun and Moon?

People who think the New Earth won’t have a sun and moon generally refer to three passages:

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. (Revelation 21:23)

There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. (Revelation 22:5)

The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess the land forever. (Isaiah 60:19-21)

Notice that none of these verses actually says there will be no more sun or moon. (Reread them carefully.) They say that the New Jerusalem will not need their light, for sun and moon will be outshone by God’s glory. The third passage says that at the time when God’s people will possess the land forever, the sun won’t set and the moon won’t wane, yet neither will dominate the sky because of God’s brighter light.

The emphasis isn’t on the elimination of sun and moon, but on their being overshadowed by the greater light of God. Who needs a reading lamp when standing under the noonday sun? Who needs the sun when the light of God’s presence pervades the city? The sun is local and limited, easily obscured by clouds. God’s light is universal, all pervading; nothing can obstruct it.

God Himself will be the light source for the New Jerusalem, restoring the original pattern that existed in Genesis 1 before the creation of sun and moon. Light preceded the light-holders, sun and moon, and apparently God’s very being provided that light (Genesis 1:3). So it will be again—another example of how the last chapters of the Bible reestablish something from the first chapters.

Isaiah tells us, “The Lord will be your everlasting light” (60:19). But John goes further, saying, “The Lamb is its lamp” (Revelation 21:23). John tells us in his Gospel that Jesus is “the true light that gives light to every man” and the light that “shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it” (John 1:9, 5). He records Christ’s words, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John8:12). And John sees what Isaiah couldn’t: The God who is the city’s light is the Messiah Himself.

Isaiah says to God, “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn” (Isaiah 60:3). The New Jerusalem will be a city illuminated not only by God’s holiness but also by His grace.

Photo: Unsplash