Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 18

One Hundred Years Later, Remembering Olympian Eric Liddell

This is the 100th anniversary of Eric Liddell winning the gold medal in the men’s 400m. He won it on July 11, 1924, but in this year‘s Olympics that event final is scheduled for August 7. And it is in Paris exactly as it was in 1924!

Today’s blog is the repost of one I first shared about Eric in 2018, with the addition of a few paragraphs and some tweaks here and there. If ever we were going to reshare a blog at a particular time, now is the perfect opportunity for this one.

One hundred years later, Eric’s example of wholehearted devotion to Christ is still inspiring countless readers. Even if you read this before, I hope you’ll be touched once again by his story. And I hope you’ll especially enjoy the story of Nanci and my meeting Margaret Holder on a trip to England in 1988, where to our great surprise and delight we discovered she was with Eric Liddell at an internment camp in the final five and a half years of his life, throughout her years as a teenage girl.

One of my favorite movies of all time is the 1981 Chariots of Fire. It’s the only reason many people are familiar with Eric Liddell, the “Flying Scotsman” who shocked the world by refusing to run the one hundred meters in the 1924 Paris Olympics.

Liddell first ran in the Scottish Championships as a 19-year-old in 1921. He won five times in a row in the 100 yards, 200, and 220. Later in 1924 and 1925, he also won the 440 yards, including his Olympic gold medal. At the AAA Championships, Liddell won the 100 and 200 in 1923 and the 440 in 1924. 

His time of 9.7 seconds for 100 yards in 1923 stood as a British record for 35 years. The 100m was his best race, one he was strongly favored to win at the Olympics, but also the one where his heat was scheduled on a Sunday, the Lord’s Day. He declined to run, giving up what was almost a certain gold medal. (As shown in the movie, in the absence of Liddell, Harold Abrahams won that race.) Eric then ran in the 400m instead and shocked the world by winning gold and breaking a world record, since he was a sprinter and that distance was considered too long a race for him. (In the black and white photo, that’s the real Eric Liddell in his gold medal winning 400m final at the Olympics.)

My favorite lines from the movie are when Eric’s character, played by actor Ian Charleson, says, “God…made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure.” Though those lines were actually penned by screenwriter Colin Welland, I think the real Eric would have agreed with the sentiment. Those who knew him testified that his personal and moral convictions weren’t born of a cold, rigid religious piety, but of a warm, happy devotion to his Lord and Savior. Here’s that clip from the movie, with Eric talking to his sister Jenny.

I still remember sitting with Nanci in a large Portland theatre in 1981, smiling and crying through various parts of that unforgettable movie. Chariots of Fire ends with these brief words about Eric’s life after the Olympics: “Eric Liddell, missionary, died in occupied China at the end of World War II. All of Scotland mourned.”

A Tragic Ending?

After the Olympics and his graduation, Eric returned as a missionary to China, where he had been born to missionary parents in 1902. When the Japanese occupation made life dangerous, he sent his pregnant wife, Florence, and their two daughters to Canada. Japanese invaders placed him in a squalid prison camp, without running water or working bathrooms. There, separated from his family, Eric lived several years before dying at age forty-three. 

Upon learning of Eric’s death, it wasn’t just Scotland that mourned. All over the world people who had been inspired by him in the Olympics and in the Christian life joined the mourning.

On the surface, it all seems so tragic. Why did God withhold from this great man of faith a long life, years of fruitful service, the companionship of his wife, and the joy of raising those beloved children? It makes no sense.

And yet…

There is another way to look at the Eric Liddell story. Nanci and I discovered this firsthand when we spent an unforgettable day in England with Phil and Margaret Holder, in May of 1988. We knew almost nothing about the Holders except that Phil was a pastor. Some missionary friends we were visiting in England took us to their home in Reading.

Margaret was born in China to missionary parents with China Inland Mission, founded in 1865 by Hudson Taylor. In 1939, when Japan took control of eastern China, thirteen-year-old Margaret was imprisoned by the Japanese in Weihsien Internment Camp, where many foreigners in Beijing were sent to. There she remained, separated from her parents, for six years. (Can you imagine this not only from a young girl’s perspective but that of her parents, last being with their daughter at age 13 and not seeing her again until she was 19?)

Margaret told stories to Nanci and me about a godly man she called “Uncle Eric.” She said he tutored her and was deeply loved by all the children in the camp. She looked at us and asked, “Do you know who I’m talking about? Uncle Eric’s name was Eric Liddell.”

I recall like it was yesterday how stunned we were (gobsmacked as they say in England where we were with the Holders) because Chariots of Fire told one of our favorite stories of all time. It was released in the fall of 1981 when Karina was two years old and Angie was only four months old. Nanci and I had watched it several times in the seven years since it was released and had countless conversations about it with our closest friends. Now here we were learning firsthand information about one of our heroes!

Uncle Eric’s Influence

Margaret shared with us many great stories that day, one of which illustrated this man’s Christlike character. In the camp, the children played basketball, rounders, and hockey, and Eric Liddell was their ref­eree. Not surprisingly, he refused to referee on Sundays. But in his absence, the children fought. Liddell struggled over this. He believed he shouldn’t stop the children from play­ing because they needed the diversion.

Finally, Liddell decided to referee on Sundays. This made a deep impression on Margaret—she saw that the athlete world famous for sacrificing success for principle was not a legalist. When it came to his own glory, Liddell would surrender it all rather than run on Sunday. But when it came to the good of children in a prison camp, he would referee on Sunday.

Liddell would sacrifice a gold medal for himself (though he ultimately won the gold in a different race) in the name of truth, but would bend over backward for others in the name of grace. 

A Godly Example

Mary Taylor Previte, imprisoned at Weihsein as a child, described Eric as "Jesus in running shoes." Dr. David J. Michell, who was also one of the children at the camp, wrote how besides sports, Eric Liddell taught the children his favorite hymn:

By still, my soul, the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain
Be still, my soul, thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Dr. Michell also wrote:

Eric Liddell often spoke to us on I Corinthians 13 and Matthew 5. These passages from the New Testament clearly portray the secret of his selfless and humble life. Only on rare occasions when requested would he speak of his refusal to run on the Sunday and his Olympic record.

…Not only did Eric Liddell organise sports and recreation, through his time in internment camp he helped many people through teaching and tutoring. He gave special care to the older people, the weak, and the ill, to whom the conditions in camp were very trying. He was always involved in the Christian meetings which were a part of camp life. Despite the squalor of the open cesspools, rats, flies and disease in the crowded camp, life took on a very normal routine, though without the faithful and cheerful support of Eric Liddell, many people would never have been able to manage.

…None of us will ever forget this man who was totally committed to putting God first, a man whose humble life combined muscular Christianity with radiant godliness.

What was his secret? He unreservedly committed his life to Jesus Christ as his Saviour and Lord. That friendship meant everything to him. By the flickering light of a peanut-oil lamp early each morning he and a roommate in the men’s cramped dormitory studied the Bible and talked with God for an hour every day.

Marcy Ditmanson, a Lutheran missionary imprisoned with Eric, shared his recollections:

Eric spoke with a charming Scottish brogue, and more than anyone I had ever known, typified the joyful Christian life. He had a marvelous sense of humor, was full of laughter and practical jokes, but always in good taste. His voice was nothing special, but how he loved to sing, particularly the grand old hymns of the faith. Two of his favorites were “God Who Touches Earth with Beauty” and “There's a Wideness in God's Mercy.” He was no great orator by any means but he had a way of riveting his listeners with those marvelous, clear blue eyes of his. Yes, that's what I remember most about him as he spoke―those wonderful eyes and how they would twinkle.

Full Surrender

Though he had become an “uncle” and father figure to numerous children, Eric Liddell never saw his own wife and daughters in this world again. After writing a letter to Florence from his bed in the infirmary, he said to his friend and colleague “It’s full surrender” and slipped into a coma. Suffering with a brain tumor, he died in 1945. And while all Scotland mourned, all in Heaven who had cheered Eric on as a servant of Jesus gave him a rich welcome.

Through fresh tears that unforgettable day in their living room, Margaret Holder told us, “It was a cold February day when Uncle Eric died.” No one in the world mourned like those in that camp. When five months later the children were rescued by American paratroopers and reunited with their families, many of their stories were about Uncle Eric. Liddell’s imprisonment broke the hearts of his family. But for years—nearly to the war’s end—God used him as a lifeline to hundreds of children, including Margaret Holder.

Viewed from that perspective, the apparent tragedy of Liddell’s presence in that camp makes more sense, doesn’t it? I’m convinced Liddell and his family would tell us—and one day will tell us—that the sufferings of that time are not worthy to be compared with the glory they now know…and will forever know. A glory far greater than the suffering which achieved it.

In an interview with Liddell’s youngest daughter, Maureen, who he never met, she shared this after visiting the granite monument in China dedicated to her father’s memory: “I felt so close to him and, more than ever, I realized what his life had been for. It all made sense. What happened allowed him to touch so many lives as a consequence.”

Her sister Patricia agreed:

The number of people he’s influenced … well, things seem to add up, don’t they? You only appreciate it when you look at each stage of his life and make the connections between them. …I used to ask myself: How would things have turned out if the three of us and our mother had been in the camp with him? Then I understood my father would have spent less time with the other youngsters, which would have deprived them of so much. That didn’t seem fair to them. He was needed there. The stories we heard after his death prove that.

If we can look at Eric and his family’s tragedy, and others’ tragedies, and see some divine purpose in them, it can help us believe that there is purpose in our own tragedies too. It can help us believe the blood-bought promise of God: “all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, CSB).

A Joyful End

Though years ago I had been deeply touched by Liddell’s story watching Chariots of Fire, it was what Margaret Holder told us that day that really made me look forward to meeting in Heaven this man whose Olympic gold medal was nothing compared to his humble service for Christ.

Dr. Norman Cliff, who was imprisoned with Eric, recalled this:

Eric Liddell would say, “When you speak of me, give the glory to my master, Jesus Christ.” He would not want us to think solely of him. He would want us to see the Christ whom he served.

I’m counting on Eric, in his resurrection body on the New Earth, being able to move slowly enough for me, in my resurrection body, to run alongside him. Together, we’ll worship our Lord and Savior, the One to whom all glory and praise is due.

You might enjoy this last clip of Eric racing in Chariots of Fire. He was known for looking face up to breathe deeply, and sometimes flailing his arms. His reckless abandon and face skyward beautifully symbolize how he set his eyes on the risen Christ in Heaven.

If you wish to know more, here’s an article on Eric's life, and here's another I read and loved, about his life after the Olympics. And finally, here’s a great article about Eric from the C. S. Lewis Institute.

To hear a short but heart-touching story about the rescue of Margaret Holder and the other children from that prison camp in China, check out our next blog.

Top photo: Le Miroir des sports, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

 

Let the Love of God Be the Object of Your Contemplation

I’ve been studying the love of Christ, and my heart has been touched first by Scripture, and second by great thoughts from God’s people. Hope you find these truths encouraging! Why not write out a verse or two, and a quotation or two, and post it where you can see it daily?

“For when we were still helpless, Christ died for the wicked at the time that God chose. It is a difficult thing for someone to die for a righteous person. It may even be that someone might dare to die for a good person. But God has shown us how much he loves us– it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us!” (Romans 5:6-8)

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? . . . Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35, 38-39)

“It was now just before the Passover Feast, and Jesus knew that His hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the very end.” (John 13:1)

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” (1 John 3:16a)

Here are some great quotations worth meditating on:

“The only storm that can really destroy—the storm of divine justice and judgment on sin and evil—will never come upon you. Jesus bowed his head into that ultimate storm, willingly, for you. He died, receiving the punishment for sin we deserve, so we can be pardoned when we trust in him. When you see him doing that for you, it certainly does not answer all the questions you have about your suffering. But it proves that, despite it all, he still loves you. Because he was thrown into that storm for you, you can be sure that there’s love at the heart of this storm for you.” –Tim Keller

“When we look into the face of our Lord and he looks back at us with infinite love, we will see in him the fulfillment of everything that we know to be good and right and desirable in the universe. In the face of God we will see the fulfillment of all the longing we have ever had to know perfect love, peace, and joy, and to know truth and justice, holiness and wisdom, goodness and power, and glory and beauty.” —Wayne Grudem

“The love of God, as manifested in Jesus Christ, is what I would wish to be the abiding object of my contemplation; not merely to speculate upon it as a doctrine, but so to feel it, and my own interest in it, as to have my heart filled with its effects, and transformed into its resemblance.” --John Newton

“Don't you need a fountain of love that won’t run dry? You’ll find one on a stone-cropped hill outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus hangs, cross-nailed and thorn-crowned. When you feel unloved, ascend this mount. Meditate long and hard on heaven's love for you.” --Max Lucado

“When you realize that every breath is a gift from God. When you realize how small you are, but how much he loved you. That he, Jesus, would die, the son of God himself on earth, then you...you just weep.” --Angela Bassett

“We cannot understand this readiness of Jesus to love us and help us and bless us—because He does not really need us. One of His attributes is omnipotence—so He doesn’t need us. But the secret is this—He loves us!” --A. W. Tozer

“The love of God, as manifested in Jesus Christ, is what I would wish to be the abiding object of my contemplation; not merely to speculate upon it as a doctrine, but so to feel it, and my own interest in it, as to have my heart filled with its effects, and transformed into its resemblance.” --John Newton

“We please Him most not by frantically trying to make ourselves good, but by throwing ourselves into His arms with all our imperfections, and believing that He understands everything and loves us still.” —A. W. Tozer, The Root of the Righteous

“God does not accept me just as I am; He loves me despite how I am. He loves me just as Jesus is; He loves me enough to devote my life to renewing me in the image of Jesus.” —David Powlison

See Randy's book It’s All About Jesus. It's available from EPM’s online store and also on Kindle.

Photo: Unsplash

Resting in Our Dependence on Jesus

There’s no nearness to God without dependence on God. We all need Jesus, every minute of every hour of every day. Here are some encouraging Scriptures I love, and I hope they speak to you:

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:13-14).

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10, NLT).

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NIV).

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:6, NLT).

God says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, NKJV).

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Photo: Unsplash

We Are Always Being Examined by God, the Audience of One

The only appraisal of your life that will ultimately matter is God’s. One of the greatest things you can ever do is to decide that you’re not going to live for the applause of any particular group—not even well-meaning family members or friends who sometimes could get your eyes off the prize of following Jesus. You need to determine to live out your life before the Audience of One, doing what you believe is right in the eyes of your only true Judge—a Savior who is full of both grace and truth.

There’s a negative side to this, and a positive one. Sooner or later, all sin will be exposed, sexual sin and every other kind. “You may be sure that your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). Solomon said, “The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out” (Proverbs 10:9).

Here’s a thought that should sober all of us: There’s no such thing as a private moment. Jesus warned His disciples: “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs” (Luke 12:2–3).

One of Satan’s oldest tactics is to weave a phony web of secrecy, casting an illusion of privacy over our sinful choices. He tells us, “No one is watching. No one will know.” But he’s lying. Someone is always watching—the Audience of One. He already knows. And in time, many others will know. We'll be exposed.

The good news is, when we do quiet acts of faithfulness no one else notices, God will see us and reward us: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24). “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

 So the bad news is, He sees all so we never get away with anything! And the good news is He sees all so that whatever we do for Him, He will never forget, and He will happily say to us: “Well done!” “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).

The greatest news of all is that the Audience of One who sees all our sins, and who we can never fool, is also the One who went to the cross to pay the price for all our sins and says: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Ask yourself whether you are living for the approval of others, of this culture, of friends or family, or for the approval of Jesus. Then ask yourself, “In the end whose judgment seat will I stand before?” Paul said, “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). We will stand before His judgment seat, no one else’s.

We should long to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” If our goal is to hear others say, “Well done,” we won’t do what we need to do to hear Him say it. Live for the approval of others and you will not live for Christ’s approval, and therefore, you will not persevere in the Christian life.

John Chrysostom, the church father, said, “Men who are in love with applause have their spirits starved not only when they are blamed offhand, but even when they fail to be constantly praised.”

We should remind ourselves of what the Bible says about being fools for Christ (1 Corinthians 1:18–31; 4:8-13). The question is not whether we will be seen as fools—that part is certain—but when and to whom we will be seen as fools. Better to be seen as fools now in the eyes of other people—including other Christians—than to be seen as fools forever in the eyes of the Audience of One.

By the way, I read the phrase “the Audience of One” in an obscure book in the 1980’s, but it grabbed hold of me, and never let me go. Ever since, I’ve used it in multiple novels and nonfiction books and messages. When I was still a pastor thirty years ago, I spoke to our large congregation about something biblical and controversial that I knew many people wouldn’t like. I envisioned just one person sitting there, Jesus, and reminded myself that it didn’t matter what anyone else thought of what I said—it only mattered what HE thought. I have kept that in mind as I write my books and blogs and everything else. If it pleases Him, even if it makes many people angry or upset, then it’s worthwhile. If it pleases everyone else but Him, it’s worthless.

It was said of some religious leaders that “they loved human praise more than praise from God” (John 12:43). Instead, let’s live our lives not for the praise of men, but for the applause of God, the Audience of One. If we live that way, we will not look back at our lives with regret, but with hearts of gratitude to our King.

Photo: Unsplash

Extending Grace to Others

Jesus told of a servant whose debt to his master was 10,000 talents, the equivalent of millions of dollars. The servant begged forgiveness. Though the master had every right to imprison him for the rest of his life, he offered full pardon.

Then this servant went out and found a fellow servant, who owed him a much smaller amount—1/600,000 of what he’d been forgiven.

He demanded full and immediate payment. The debtor fell to his knees and pleaded for mercy. But he showed no mercy, throwing him into prison.

When the Master heard about this, he said, in essence, “Had my forgiveness really touched your heart you would have extended it to your brother.”

The master withdrew forgiveness, since a man who won’t extend grace shows an utter disregard for grace.

This parable teaches:

Our debt to God is infinitely beyond our capacity to pay.
Our debt to God is infinitely greater than any person’s debt to us.
When we truly experience God’s forgiveness for our sins, it will transform us into forgiving people.

“But how can I forgive my father for abusing me, my ex-wife for betraying me, my business partner for cheating me? That would take a miracle.”

Exactly. Grace is that miracle.

“Do you expect me to pretend he didn’t do those terrible things to me?” Not at all. God doesn’t pretend we didn’t do all those terrible things to Him. He doesn’t pretend the nails in His hands didn’t hurt.

He says, “I died to forgive you…and to give you grace to forgive others.”

Extending grace frees us from the terrible burden of resentment and bitterness. Bad as they may be, anyone’s offenses against me are far less than my offenses against God. If He’s forgiven me, by His grace I can forgive them.

God’s grace to us is lightning. Our grace to others is thunder. Lightning comes first; thunder responds. We show grace to others because He first showed grace to us.

For more on grace, see Randy’s book The Grace and Truth Paradox. 

Photo: Unsplash

Yes, God Really Does Desire Your Happiness in Him

Note from Randy: In my books on happiness, I give considerable attention to the biblical teaching that God is happy. Why? Because only when we understand this can we believe that God wants us to be happy in Him. Scripture makes this statement about imitating Jesus: “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:6). If Jesus walked around mostly miserable, we should be miserable too. If He was happy, we should be happy. (If we’re to be Christlike, we’d better learn what Christ is like!)

If God is happy, then this world’s unhappiness is a deviation from God and His original design. Scripture reveals that even our present struggles, which trigger unhappiness, are part of His larger plan to bring greater and everlasting happiness. Even here and now, God’s children have every reason to be the world’s happiest people: “May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!” (Psalm 40:16, NET). “You are the Lord’s people! So celebrate and praise the only God” (Psalm 97:12, CEV).

The article below was sent to me by reader Charlene Nelson, who describes her journey in discovering the happiness God offers His children. Thanks, Charlene, for sharing how Happiness has encouraged you along the way. (Don’t miss the great list of “Ways to be happy in God” she shares at the end! It might inspire you to write your own.)

My first love, much like yours, was happiness. The measure of a day was how happy it made me feel. Tedious tasks like attending class at school had to be accompanied by some kind mischief in order to enjoy it. The hunt for happiness was my slave-driver. As a teen, it often stole my sleep. I was a late (late) driver, so I often walked down the mountain I lived on to get to places, like 7-11 to have taquitos with my friends in the middle of the night. I can recount several mornings, when the sun was rising, hauling my exhausted self uphill to get back home.

To me, happiness looked like fun, as much fun as I could muster. Silence and aloneness were my enemies, because they forced me to think more seriously about my life—something I was desperate to avoid. So much to my parents’ chagrin, I either had my music blaring, or I was out, running around seeking some kind of thrill, no matter how small.

When I became a Christian at age 18, I found happiness. For a long time, I was so filled with joy that I could hardly do my makeup in the morning, since happy tears kept pouring down my face washing it off. I no longer had to lie down in dread and rise in anxiety. At last I could rest, not needing to thrill-seek tirelessly, running my body into the ground trying to avoid my aching conscience.

Perhaps, I thought I killed my pleasure idol, but it was rooted deeper than I knew. It is, as you know, ingrained in all of us.

Early in my marriage, Brent and I drove out of town to see Fantastic Mr. Fox. Our small town didn’t have a large movie theater then, so it was a rare occasion to see a movie on a big screen. I ended up hating that movie, cringing until it was finally over.

I was angry on our drive home. Angry at the people that could make such a stupid movie. Angry that we wasted our drive, our money, and our time. Angry because “I just wanted to have fun” and that movie hadn’t delivered. I was immature, naive, and selfish—let’s get that straight.

It wasn’t the last of my anger. Chronic pain became a constant hindrance to the fun I wanted to have in life and made even simple tasks seem torturous to me. So anger has been my personal sin beast to battle, and working through it, along with my desire for constant happiness, has been a long, tedious work.

Somewhere along the way, I concluded that God Himself did not want me happy. Or if I was to be happy, I must only be meant to find happiness in prayer, worship, Bible reading, and obedience to clear commands, but if I tried to enjoy some other activity for a minute, God would probably be mad and smash me for it. He was the cosmic-killjoy. He was the chain locked box and handcuffs; I was the struggling escape artist.

Along my way, I have had to learn many truths to correct this damaging and offensive thinking. One book I read recently that has been a great help to my mind and soul is Happiness by Randy Alcorn. It is a great complimentary read to the classic Desiring God by John Piper, and I found it helped flesh out the practicalities of finding joy and satisfaction in God. The back cover reads:

Christians are supposed to be happy. In fact, we are supposed to radiate joy, peace, and contentment that is so unmistakable and so attractive that others are naturally drawn to us because they want what we have. And yet, in today’s culture, the vast majority of Christians are perceived as angry, judgmental people who don’t seem to derive any joy from life whatsoever. So why aren’t we happy?

Unfortunately, many Christians are taught early on that God doesn’t want us to be happy (he wants us to be holy). In fact, many Christians are laboring under the false notion that God himself is not happy. But nothing could be further from the truth! God does want us to be happy. The Bible is filled with verses that prove that ours is a happy, joy-filled God who not only loves celebrations but also desperately wants his children to be happy. Why else would He go to the lengths He did to ensure our eternal happiness in His presence? We know that we will experience unimaginable joy and happiness in Heaven, but that doesn’t mean we can’t also experience joy and happiness here on earth.

In Happiness, noted theologian Randy Alcorn dispels centuries of misconceptions about happiness and provides indisputable proof that God not only wants us to be happy, He commands it.

I have heard that exact line so many times (“God wants us holy, not happy”), and I agree that it contributes to untold, unnecessary suffering in the lives of Christians. One of the other common misconceptions Randy helps us with is that there is a fundamental difference between happiness and joy, joy being spiritual and happiness unspiritual, among many other popular fallacies. This book is full of Scripture, from cover to cover, and readers will gain a robust biblical depth of knowledge on the topic of happiness.

It has helped me to recover the truth that God desires my happiness, and that finding joy in the little things in life is part of discovering joy in God, the giver of every good gift. My joy and eagerness to love and serve others has also been increased. Clearly, I cannot recommend this book enough.

I recently read Psalm 34, the psalm that famously says, “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!” (verse 8). It also says in verses 12-14:

“What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.”

The questions “Who desires life? Who wants to love and enjoy a long and good life?” assumes the response is everybody. The Bible knows—God knows—you want to enjoy your days. Even when life is hard, I find I do best to wake up saying “God must have some happiness in mind for me today,” and then to make it my aim to enjoy what He has planned, as far as I am able, with thankfulness in my heart to God. It sure beats pessimism (which I can still be prone to).

After reading Happiness I promptly wrote this list of reminders for my fridge. They make me smile often and serve as a reminder to what I often forget. I hope you read this book, and that it helps you as it has helped me.

This article originally appeared on Charlene Nelson’s blog, Come to Christ .

Photo: Unsplash

Does God Exist? A Summary of Some Arguments for His Existence

A great deal of evidence argues for God’s existence. In my book If God Is Good, I summarize just a few of these arguments.

The cosmological argument cites the world’s existence as evidence of an uncaused, eternal being who created and sustains it. Either something comes from nothing (an unscientific notion), or a first cause or “prime mover” existed prior to everything else. Francis Schaeffer argued in He Is There and He Is Not Silent that a personal first cause, God, could account for both the material and personal elements of life, while a material first cause could only account for the material.

The transcendental argument says that no part of human experience and knowledge has meaning apart from God’s existence. Without God, we have no basis for or explanation of order, logic, reason, intelligence, or rationality. Since Christians and atheists agree there is order and basis for reasoning, this is evidence for God.

The moral argument claims the existence of universal moral values—what humans generally recognize as right and wrong—has no explanation or objectivity without God.

The design argument looks at the universe, noting its clear organizational structures that indicate an intentional complex plan. This argument warrants a broader summary.

How can such high-level design exist without a designer? To claim that chance accounts for the world’s order and extreme complexity is irrational.

While the design argument has ancient roots, modern science has infused it with stunningly persuasive implications. Atheist Richard Dawkins admits in his book The Blind Watchmaker, “There is enough information capacity in a single human cell to store the Encyclopedia Britannica, all 30 volumes of it, three or four times over.”

We now know what Darwin couldn’t imagine, nor could his theory have begun to explain: DNA stores information in the form of a four-character digital code, with strings of precisely sequenced chemicals that transmit detailed assembly instructions. DNA builds protein molecules, the intricate machinery that allows cells to survive.

Consider the most complex software program you’ve ever used. Could it have developed on its own, without an intelligent designer? Of course not. How much more ridiculous is it to suppose that time, chance, and natural forces—on their own—produced the far more complex DNA?

Scientists once likened the components of living cells to simple LEGO blocks. Now they know that “cells have complex circuits, sliding clamps, energy-generating turbines, rotors, stators, O-rings, U-joints, and drive shafts.” None of those tiny engines work unless all parts are present. Hence, they must have coexisted from the beginning. That’s what biochemist Michael Behe calls, in his book Darwin’s Black Box, “irreducible complexity.”

Non-Christian physicist Paul Davies writes, “We now know that the secret of life lies not with the chemical ingredients as such, but with the logical structure and organizational arrangement of the molecules.... Like a supercomputer, life is an information processing system.... It is the software of the living cell that is the real mystery, not the hardware.... How did stupid atoms spontaneously write their own software?... Nobody knows.”

I think there’s a better answer than “Nobody knows”; namely, the atoms didn’t write their own software. God did.

For more, see William Lane Craig’s article Does God Exist?

Sean McDowell, who teaches at Biola/Talbot, has a self-described passion for equipping the church, and in particular young people, to make the case for the Christian faith. Check out the videos on his Youtube channel.

These are some of my favorite books on apologetics:

Mere Christianity  by C.S. Lewis
The Case for Faith  by Lee Strobel
Evidence That Demands a Verdict  (updated 2017), by Josh McDowell
The Reason for God  by Tim Keller
Reasonable Faith  by William Lane Craig

Photo: Unsplash

You Are Always an Inch Away from Eternity

Note from Randy: My friend Greg Stier, from Dare to Share, posted this yesterday on X. It has nothing to do with politics. It’s a sober reminder for all of us, every day, to be prepared to stand before the God who says, “Each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27, NLT). One day will be the day that we die. If we are smart, we will make sure we are prepared for that day.

The shooting yesterday was a shock to so many…including me. We need to be praying for Donald Trump as well as the other victims and their families.

But one truth is often overlooked when tragedies like this happen. It’s this: 

You and I are always an inch away from eternity.

There’s a picture circulating on the internet where you can see the bullet and its trace as it whizzed by Donald Trump’s head. It barely missed penetrating his skull. One inch closer could have been the difference between a flesh wound and a death wound.

In the same way you and I are always an inch away from death, probably not from a bullet, but from a prognosis, a heart attack, a car accident, etc.

Having officiated funerals throughout the last 40 years, including my grandfather’s at the age of 15, I can tell you that many times a person’s death is sudden and unexpected. 

I’ve officiated a funeral for a 16-year-old girl whose skull was crushed by a tree that was cut down by some teenagers goofing off in the mountains. If that tree would have fallen an inch or two in a different direction, she might be still alive today. 

I’ve buried car accident victims who may have lived if the drivers had just turned the steering wheel an inch in a different direction in time.

Death often comes suddenly, tragically and unexpectedly.

It’s during times like this that our mortality awareness index heightens. It’s at times like this that the BIGGEST question of life should bubble to the top of our minds, “What happens after you die?”

Jesus made it clear that one of two things take place after death, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).

Put succinctly, when you die you will either go to Heaven or hell.

So the big question I have for you is this: do you KNOW you are going to Heaven after you die?

I do, and it’s not because I’m a good person. I’m a sinner. If you don’t believe me ask my friends and family. 

But here’s how I know I’m going to Heaven. I’ll share this message in an acrostic form that spells out the GOSPEL message:

God created us to be with him (Genesis 1:27).

Our sins separate us from God (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Ephesians 2:8,9).

Paying the price for sin Jesus died and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3,4).

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life (John 3:16).

Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever (John 10:28).

I encourage you to look those verses up in the Bible and see what God’s Word says for yourself.

If you have never seen yourself as a sinner in need of a Savior, then put your faith in Jesus right now based on his death in your place for your sin.

The moment you transfer your trust to Jesus to save you, you receive the FREE gift of eternal life and you, like me, can be sure that you will go to Heaven when you die (1 John 5:13.)

Why is this crucially important? Because all of us are an inch away from eternity. 

Where will you spend it?

My prayer is that God will use the tragedy that took place yesterday as a spiritual wake up call to millions of Americans as to the brevity of life, surety of death, and urgency of salvation. 

My prayer is that it is a wakeup call for you.

Photo: Pexels

How Can We Set Our Minds on Things Above?

Last fall, I visited Shepherd’s House Bible Church in Arizona and spoke at their college/young adult ministry, The Fold. Though the focus was on young adults, many of the great questions I was asked are applicable to believers of all ages.

I love this church, and this ministry in particular, which has been instrumental in one of my grandson’s lives as he attends college nearby! And this fall, his brother will join him at the same college and plans to also attend Shepherd’s House.

(Many students, even at Christian colleges, drift from church while in school, and many of those never regain a solid commitment to the church. I can’t recommend strongly enough that parents encourage their college-age children to get involved in a Bible-based Jesus-centered church—do your homework, check around, and consider visiting together some solid churches near the college to help them get started.)

One of the questions I was asked at The Fold was, “What are some practical ways to set our minds on things above?” Since we’re commanded to do so in Colossians 3:2, it’s important we consider what it looks like to put this into practice:

Here’s the full interview:

Or if you’d like to jump to some of the other questions I answered, you can click each title to watch the clip:

How Would You Counsel Young People to Steward Their Youth Well?  

How Can a Young Dating Couple Pursue a God-Honoring Relationship? 

What Are Some Practical Tips to Be More Saturated in God’s Word? 

How Do Christians Manage Abundance without Being Influenced by Worldly Priorities? 

What Would You Say to Someone Who Wants to Go to Heaven Just to Be with Their Loved Ones? 

How Do We Help Someone Who Fears a Loved One’s Death?

What Will It Be Like to Walk with Jesus and See His Face? 

What Are Some Practical Ways to Set Our Minds on Things Above? 

What Would You Say to the Person Who Has Not Yet Chosen to Follow Jesus? 

Photo: Unsplash

Are We Careful to Speak Words of Mercy and Grace, Especially When We Disagree?

Proverbs 6:16-19 says there are six things God hates, seven things detestable to the Lord. “Hands that shed innocent blood” would apply to abortion. “A heart that devises wicked schemes and feet that are quick to rush into evil” could apply to both homosexual and heterosexual sin. But let’s not stop there. The passage also includes a “false witness” and one “who stirs up dissension among brothers.”

Wouldn’t we all like to think that WE couldn’t be guilty of any of the seven things God hates? I would. But if we say that, then we have “haughty eyes” and “lying tongues,” which covers the remaining deadly sins. None of us is innocent, are we?

Those who hold to the authority of Scripture typically agree that things such as adultery, pornography, homosexual relations, lying, and stealing are sins. But so is gossip. So is bearing false witness against your brother. So is pride and arrogance and sowing seeds of disunity.

Jesus said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” We’re told, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18). “Strive for peace with everyone” (Hebrews 12:14). Jesus also said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

God has indeed called us to battle “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). This takes boldness and courage. But do not mistake expressions of slander, cruelty, and verbal mob behavior as doing spiritual battle. Humility, grace, and peacemaking are often God’s greatest tools in the battle for righteousness and justice. (It’s all too easy to mistake each other as the enemy!)

Psalm 133:1 says, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” What are we doing to cultivate this kind of unity? Sometimes we must disagree with our brothers and sisters in Christ. But are we going out of our way to assume the best rather than the worst? Do we discipline ourselves to share our opinions as Jesus would, in a spirit of love and grace?

I plead with the Christian community to respond to others with greater grace and humility. While “Judge not lest you be judged” is perhaps the most misused statement from Scripture, it does have its proper application. So does, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall,” and “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

So too does James 2:13, which says “judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!”

Where is the mercy among evangelical Christians? Personally, I’ve seen a lot of it. Over the years, I've also seen a lot of unmerciful condemnation of the sort that Jesus repeatedly denounced.

Now I realize that some know nothing but “mercy” and tolerance, while knowing nothing of truth. I am not advocating this. I am a truth-oriented person. Truth has been very important to me ever since I came to Christ as a teenager. I was brought out of lies to believe the truth, and it is sacred to me.

But Jesus often condemned the Pharisees, those whose doctrine was closest to His own. Why? For their lack of grace. I do not want the truth to be compromised. Our Jesus came “full of grace and truth.” (That’s the heart of my book The Grace and Truth Paradox.)

It’s common (especially online) for us as believers to question the motives of our brothers and sisters in Christ. This troubles me. We’re told in 1 Corinthians 4:5, “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.”

God tells us, essentially, “Don't set up your own judgment seat, because I know the motives of the heart that you don’t.” We lack a few important qualifications for being judges: not only holiness, but also a little thing called omniscience!

These words of our Lord are worth repeating: “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Matthew 12:36).

I have sometimes spoken careless words against my brothers and sisters. I have also repented and asked their forgiveness. I pray that God would give me the grace and humility to speak my words more carefully.

I think Titus 3:2 is a good guideline for us: “slander no one…be peaceable and considerate, and…show true humility toward all men.”

Photo: Unsplash