Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 196

A Terrific New Bible Study Series for Churches and Groups

One of my favorite bloggers is Justin Taylor, a brother who I know and deeply appreciate. Justin is constantly introducing me to great people, material and developments. If you want to keep up daily with a variety of interesting developments and books and resources in theology and the church, I can’t recommend more highly his blog.

Recently, Justin talked about a new Bible study series from Crossway Publishers. First, listen to this excellent 2.5 minute video in which Dane Ortlund describes this exciting project:

Then, read what Justin has to say about these Bible studies below:

Not Your Mother’s Bible Study Guides

I’m excited about Crossway’s new 12-week Bible study guides—for groups, classes, or individuals—called Knowing the Bible. It tries to bring together gospel-centered biblical theological, sound doctrine, and legitimate application in a faithful and accessible way, under the editorship of J. I. Packer.

Read more

      

Related Resources

DVD Set: Eternity 101
Blog: ESV Study Bible
Audio: Handling the Word

Remembering Edith Schaeffer

Edith Schaeffer was a Christ-loving, creative, caring, and classy woman. She entered the presence of Jesus this past weekend, at age 98. (See also this post from Tim Challies, with thoughts from his mom about the time she spent with Edith.)  

I had a wonderful time talking with Edith on an airplane 25 years ago. I told her how her husband Francis Schaeffer had a profound impact on me as a young Christian. I also shared how I had written him a long letter as a college student, and was very touched that he’d taken the time to respond to me.  (I wrote about this in a 2009 blog, Francis Schaeffer: Intellectual and Christ-Lover.)

I read and enjoyed every book written by Francis Schaeffer and I read Edith’s books as well, notably The Hidden Art of Homemaking, What is a Family? and L’Abri.  

Edith, I will never forget you, and our delightful conversation. I am delighted that you are with our Lord and Savior, and that you have been reunited with your beloved husband Francis. God used both of you in my life, and I look forward to seeing you again in the presence of our King.   

      

Related Resources

Book: Tell Me About Heaven
Blog: Francis Schaeffer: Intellectual and Christ-Lover
Video: Who are some of the Christians that have most influenced your life?

Popularity vs. Pleasing God

In this video and the following transcript, I share some thoughts:

In Galatians 1:10 Paul says, “Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Paul makes it clear that God is the One we’re supposed to please. God has made man for Himself, and we are to live lives that are pleasing to Him and that bring Him glory.

If we’re too preoccupied with the world and what people are thinking of us, then we’re liable to compromise the Gospel. That’s what Galatians 1 is talking about—what the Gospel is. If we’re trying to please people through our sharing of the Gospel, then we’re going to end up revising God’s message and taking out the parts about sin and hell. What we’ll be left with is not the Gospel.

At the same time, Paul says in Romans 15 that we should live in such a way as to accept one another as Christ has accepted us. We’re to bear with one another. Then he says, “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up” (v. 2). So we are supposed to please other people for their good—when it actually builds them up spiritually.

So when is it okay to please people, and when is it not okay to please people? We can please people when it’s for their ultimate good, but still is faithful to the Lord and His Word. But we should not try to please people when it means not pleasing God and compromising His truth.

      

Related Resources

Book:  Courageous
Blog: Does the Word "Evangelical" Mean Anything Anymore?
Resource: How do you deal with being told you are judgmental for speaking out against abortion?

Stock photo credit: boogy_man via sxc.hu

Excellence or Faithfulness?

In our book Help for Women Under Stress, Nanci and I share about a friend named “Andrea,” who lamented to us that “Too many people have a piece of me. I can’t give them what I don’t have, and I just don’t have anything left.”

Andrea was experiencing job saturation. She was totally devoted to motherhood, the church, social action, and every good cause imaginable. In her case it stemmed from unrealistic expectations. Andrea was the type of woman who could be told, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and would respond, “That’s because I wasn’t in charge of the project.”

We assured Andrea she didn’t have to try to be what she wasn’t—the fourth member of the trinity or vice-president in charge of the galaxy. She didn’t have to save the whole world because that was Jesus’ job, not hers. Her family would still love her even if she didn’t win a Nobel Prize this year.

Many people say to themselves, “I must do everything well.” For women, the implication of this belief is often that they must be the world’s best mother, a gourmet cook, the perfect hostess, have a spotless home, and be a ravishing beauty queen. Realistically this is just not possible. If you know someone who seems to be all these things, she’s probably going to counseling, saying, “I can’t take it anymore.”

We have a confession to make—we’re sick and tired of hearing so much about the importance of excellence in all things. While we’re all for excellence, and all of us should strive for it in some areas, it is impossible for any of us to be excellent in everything. Pretending we can be or should be just sets us up for the crash—and a whole lot of stress.

I’m not a great biker, and never will be, but that doesn’t mean I have no business biking. I am a poor ice skater, but I still went ice skating with our family and had a blast (the fact that I was so bad was half the fun). Like you, Nanci and I can each do a few things with excellence, but it would lay an unbearable weight on us if we thought we had to be excellent in everything.

Christ has called us not to excellence in all things but to faithfulness in all things. “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). Every man I know would much rather be married to a faithful woman who’s a fair cook, a competent housekeeper, a good mom, and a decent wife than a woman whose devotion to excellence in all things leaves her strung-out, uptight, and intolerant of herself and her family.

So while you’re doing a few excellent things today, relax and do some strictly average ones, maybe even a few below average. In fact, why don’t you find something you do poorly, and do it with gusto. It will do your heart good!

      

Related Resources

Book: Help for Women Under Stress
Blog: Laughter in Heaven
Resource: Can't You See That I'm Busy?

Photo credit: LotusHead via sxc.hu

God Reveals Himself in His Creation

I recently read Steve DeWitt’s Eyes Wide Open: Enjoying God In Everything. I love the title, and I love the book. Here’s one of many things I enjoyed from the book, and we’ve added some photos and video to help you appreciate what he’s talking about.

Iguazu Falls. Itaipu Dam.

Ever hear of them? Probably not, unless you stay updated on the “Wonders of the World” lists. The Iguazu Falls are located on the border between Brazil and Argentina and are on every list of natural wonders of the world. The word iguazu means “big water.” This is a colossal understatement. The Iguazu Falls contain 275 waterfalls along a mile and a half of the Iguazu River. They are stunning. Imagine seeing and hearing 20 Niagara Falls at once. Every second 400,000 gallons of water leap over the edge, sending mist 500 feet into the air. If you stand next to the falls, you feel like you are waterskiing behind a jet. Amazing. The Iguazu Falls provide an overwhelming experience.

Less than a thirty minute drive away from the falls is the Itaipu Dam. It’s not likely on your travel destination hot list, but it ought to be. Itaipu Dam is the largest operational power plant in the world. It holds back the flowing power of the Paraná River on the border of Paraguay and Brazil. Rising sixty-five stories high, the amount of concrete in the dam would build a highway from Brazil to New York City. To see the scope and breadth of the Itaipu Dam is to wholeheartedly agree with its place on many lists of the seven man-made wonders of the world. Wow.

When you stand and look in awe at the size and scale and design of the dam, do you know what you don’t think? Nobody has ever stood there and thought, What a coincidence! Who would have thought that nature would produce a power plant like this? What are the chances? Instead, you think, Who did this? What brilliant minds were behind the creation of this wonder? Who could possibly pull this off?

If you flew the five minutes it would take to get from Itaipu to Iguazu, what would strike you as you stood before the majesty and beauty of the Iguazu Falls? Would you think, What a coincidence! What are the chances that over time such majestic beauty could bring itself into existence?

Here’s a video of Iguazu Falls, which actually consists of a few hundred falls:

      

Related Resources

Book:  The Promise of Heaven
Blog: The Wonders of Our Creator and Savior
Audio: How do I challenge the naturalistic worldview?

Photo credits

Iguazu Falls: duduhp via sxc.hu | Itapu Dam: Angeloleithold 2005 via Wikimedia Commons

What Happened to Hospitality?

What happened to hospitality? We are a young couple who hosts a small group in our home, and many other gatherings of young families. But it seems like no one ever wants other people in their homes these days. Why is that?

In this video and the following transcript, I share some thoughts.

There are a lot of reasons for this. One is that people are very busy. Another reason is that we have an inflated sense of privacy compared to what other people in other cultures feel. Certainly, people are self-conscious. They don’t have time to clean up, or they think everybody else’s house is clean and theirs isn’t. (Of course, that’s a myth. The only reason they think that is because when other people know they’re coming over, they clean up before their guests arrive.)

I think some of it is a failure to understand the value of opening our homes to others. Beyond the service and the feeding of the meal, there’s something wonderful about the conversations that can come out of having people over. Some of the greatest discussions are centered around meals. We were at our neighbor’s house not long ago and had a meal together, which was the excuse for us to get together. It was good food, but it was so much more than that because we were able to talk and laugh and had a great time.

Also, another thing to remember is that hospitality is a ministry. It recently allowed us to spend time with a couple at dinner and talk about one of their family members who had died. If we just walked up to them at church and asked, “How are you doing since your family member died?” it wouldn’t quite work the same. But in the context of the meal and the leisureliness of time spent together, it worked.

Look up the word hospitality in a concordance and you’ll find it is something that is talked about in the New Testament. We’re supposed to be hospitable, because it’s characteristic of Christlikeness. Also, it’s something that church leaders are supposed to model by opening up their homes.

There are always good things associated with hospitality, including getting families together. (I can’t think of any bad things!) I’m all in favor of it.

      

Related Resources

Book: TouchPoints: Heaven
Blog: Who Are You Roped to for the Climb?
Resource: Headed Home

photo credit: gifrancis via photopin cc

The Sentence Against God

In If God Is Good, I share a story that John Stott tells in his book The Cross of Christ about billions of people seated on a great plain before God’s throne. Most shrank back, while some crowded to the front, raising angry voices.

“Can God judge us? How can He know about suffering?” snapped one woman, ripping a sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a Nazi concentration camp. “We endured terror... beatings... torture... death!”

Other sufferers expressed their complaints against God for the evil and suffering he had permitted. What did God know of weeping, hunger, and hatred? God leads a sheltered life in Heaven, they said.

Someone from Hiroshima, people born deformed, others murdered, each sent forward a leader. They concluded that before God could judge them, he should be sentenced to live on Earth as a man to endure the suffering they had endured. Then they pronounced a sentence:

Let him be born a Jew. Let the legitimacy of his birth be doubted. Let his close friends betray him. Let him face false charges. Let a prejudiced jury try him and a cowardly judge convict him. Let him be tortured. Let him be utterly alone. Then, bloody and forsaken, let him die.

The room grew silent after the sentence against God had been pronounced. No one moved, and a weight fell on each face.

For suddenly, all knew that God already had served his sentence.

 Some people can’t believe God would create a world in which people would suffer so much. Isn’t it more remarkable that God would create a world in which no one would suffer more than he?

God’s Son bore no guilt of his own; he bore ours. In his love for us, God self-imposed the sentence of death on our behalf. One thing we must never say about God—that he doesn’t understand what it means to be abandoned utterly, suffer terribly, and die miserably.

That God did this willingly, with ancient premeditation, is all the more remarkable. Jesus said, “I lay down my life for the sheep.... No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:15,

      

Related Resources

Book: If God Is Good
Blog: God's Limitless Love
Video: Why is there suffering in the world today?

Photo credit: Doug1021 via photopin cc

Distractions, Obsessions, and Kingdom Work

In this three-minute video, I answer the question “How can we guard against a hobby becoming an obsession or something that distracts us from pursuing kingdom work?”

I think what we’ve got to do is look at everything in our lives and ask, “Is this under the lordship of Christ?” Christ is to be Lord of my whole life—including my house, car, hobbies, television-watching, and whatever role sports may have in my life.

In 1 Corinthians 10:31 we’re told, “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” So with anything in my life, I have to say, “Can I do this to God’s glory?” and also “Am I actually doing this to God’s glory?”

Whether it’s fantasy football or quilting, whether it’s Facebooking or email or movie-watching—whatever it is—is this thing an instrument or a tool of God in my life that’s bringing about some good things like rest, recreation, and intellectual stimulation? Or is this thing a bad thing that is distracting me from kingdom priorities? Instead of doing this, could I be developing a relationship with my neighbor, helping someone who’s in need, spending time in God’s Word, reading a great book, or talking with my children?

So it’s not about legalism or a hard and fast rule that says, “You must do this or you must do that.” But it is about weighing and evaluating and finding a balance in our lives. We should recognize that all things (or nearly all things) can be used to the glory of God, but we must be willing to ask ourselves, “Is this thing in sufficient balance with everything else that I could and should be doing? Or has it gotten out of balance and become an idol—something that’s consuming my attention in ways that it shouldn’t?”

I think one of the ways to test this is by asking ourselves, “Does my mind go there all the time when it’s free to go where it wants to?” So, for example, if it’s your fantasy football team you’re thinking about all the time and not Jesus, it’s probably a good indication that fantasy football has too much of a role in your life. If fantasy football is in balance in the larger scheme of things, and is not interfering with the lordship of Christ, then by all means it could be something that God is honored and glorified in.

      

Related Resources

Book: We Shall See God
Blog: Living Life or Documenting Insignificance?
Resource: Stewarding Your Time

The Least of These: Abused Women

Violence against women is one of the most widespread of human rights abuses. One out of every three women worldwide will be physically, sexually or otherwise abused during her lifetime. During times of war and conflict, sexual violence is used to terrorize and humiliate women and girls. Survivors often suffer further victimization by family and society. [1]

Perhaps when you read that quote, you think mostly of women in places such as parts of Africa who suffer at the hands of terrorists and guerrillas. And while we can and should intervene and care for them, we must remember that it’s not only women in faraway parts of the world who are affected by abuse, and especially domestic abuse. It’s the woman next door; the woman out jogging; the woman you see at the supermarket, the department store, and even at church.

As the father of two precious grown daughters (who are married to godly men), I can only imagine how I would feel if either of them were to be abused. How does God the Father feel about abuse toward women?

The Lord examines the righteous,
but the wicked, those who love violence,
he hates with a passion. (Psalm 11:5)

O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
 to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. (Psalm 10:17-18)

I know that the term “abuse” is sometimes overused and applied too loosely. But other times it is exactly the right word.

First, my thanks to EPM’s Julia Stager for compiling much of the information in this blog, and also to Stephanie Anderson for help in editing. Second, below is an article based on Catherine Kroeger and Nancy Nason-Clark's book No Place for Abuse: Biblical and Practical Resources to Counteract Domestic Violence.

Give Abused Women the Help They Need

Women from every walk of life are suffering abuse throughout the world today at the hands of men they love—so much so, that domestic violence is a leading cause of death and disability among women.  Often, these hurting women seek help from the people who should care the most about freeing them from their oppression: Christians.  But too many Christians fail to help abused women, letting the evil of abuse continue in many homes where men proclaim faith in Christ yet ignore His commands to truly love the women close to them.

Don't ignore the abuse that women you know—even women at your church—are going through, no matter how uncomfortable it may make you.  Choose to become part of the solution by answering God's call to give abused women the help they need.  Here's how:

Ask God to open your eyes to prevalence and severity of the problem.  Pray for the ability to notice women around you who are suffering from physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse, and to feel compassion for the women and also for the hurting men who are inflicting their pain on the women they abuse.  Seek to understand some of the common reasons why women struggle to break free of abusive relationships, such as fear of what men might do if they leave, hope that the men will change their abusive behavior, and the economic dependence of some women on men.  Realize that domestic violence is a complex and serious problem that affects many couples—including many Christian ones—who desperately need people willing to minister to them with God's love.  Keep in mind that the home is no place for abuse, and the church is no place for silence, so don't turn away whenever you encounter the reality of abuse taking place in the lives of women you know.

Increase awareness in your church.  Use means such as sermon illustrations, information packets, posters, and training materials to inform your congregation about domestic violence and urge them to be alert to it among people in their own community.

Condemn abusive behavior.  Speak out against domestic violence whenever you have an opportunity to do so, making it clear that God does not condone abusive behavior in any circumstances.

Educate people.  Teach people how to deal with their disappointments and frustrations in nonviolent ways when they gather for adult Bible studies or Sunday school classes, or during youth group meetings. When engaged couples go through their premarital counseling at your church, help them learn how to resolve conflicts in healthy ways and understand that authority in the home is meant for loving servant leadership rather than controlling and dominating another person. Train church staff and volunteers how to recognize signs that people may be suffering abuse, as well as how to reach out to those people in practical and effective ways. In sermons, discuss the importance of respecting other people and working to build and maintain peaceful relationships.

Provide safe places for people to talk.  Give the people who attend your church plenty of opportunities to talk honestly with others about the problems they're struggling with—including abusive relationships.  Train people who participate in small groups and prayer events to listen carefully to people without judging them, and to respect people's confidentiality.  Whether your church is ministering to abused women or to the men who abuse them, offer respite from turmoil and the encouragement and support they need to pursue healing.

More Information and Statistics

30% of Americans say they know a woman who has been physically abused by her husband or boyfriend in the past year. [2]
Every 9 seconds in the US a woman is assaulted or beaten. [3]
1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. [4]
Only approximately one-quarter of all physical assaults, one-fifth of all rapes, and one-half of all stalkings perpetuated against females by intimate partners are reported to police. [5]

How to Recognize Abusive Relationships

Signs of Domestic Violence [6]

Physical Abuse
Emotional Abuse
Social Abuse & Isolation
Psychological & Mental abuse
Sexual Abuse
Economic Abuse
Jealousy
Intimidation, Coercion & Threats
Minimizing, Denying & Blaming
Using Children
Unequal Rights &/ Privileges
Spiritual Abuse

Emotional Abuse Tactics

Name Calling
Criticism & Put-downs
Yelling & Swearing
Sulking
Insulting you, your friends/family
Manipulation
Mind-games
Lying
Accusations
Jealousy
Mirroring (counter accusing)

If you think you might be in an abusive relationship, please seek help from a trusted Christian friend and/or pastor, and contact a local church to help you find further resources and trusted organizations in your area.

How Can You Get Involved and Help an Abused Woman?

Understand the complexity of abuse and realize that help and healing is a long journey. You cannot "rescue" her. She has to want to get help.

Help her develop a safety plan.

Find a local support group (Christian, if possible); offer to accompany her.

Locate a safe place for her and her family if she's in a dire situation (when she separates, she's most vulnerable to violence).

Support a group like Hagar's Sisters (www.hagarssisters.org) or any other local group by volunteering or donating.

Recommended Reading

True Grit by Deborah Meroff
Refuge From Abuse, Healing and Hope for Abused Christian Women by Nancy Nason-Clark and Catherine Clark Kroeger
Keeping the Faith: Guidance for Christian Woman Facing Abuse by Marie Fortune
Why Does He Do That? by Lundy Bancroft

The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9)

     

Related Resources

Book: Help for Women Under Stress
Blog: The Least of These: Those without Clean Water
Resource article: Sexual Abuse Can Be an Obstacle to Salvation

Sources

[1] http://www.rescue.org/our-work/gender...

[2] (Allstate Foundation National Poll on Domestic Violence, 2006. Lieberman Research Inc., Tracking Survey conducted for The Advertising Council and the Family Violence Prevention Fund, July – October 1996) http://www.dvrc-or.org/domestic/viole...

[3] http://domesticviolencestatistics.org...

[4] Costs of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States. 2003. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Centers for Injury Prevention and Control. Atlanta, GA

[5] Tjaden, Patricia & Thoennes, Nancy. National Institute of Justice and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, “Extent, Nature and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey,” (2000).[6]http://safe-at-last.hubpages.com/hub/...#

Photo credits

Eye close up: vierdrie via sxc.hu | Woman smiling: evemex via sxc.hu

 

Som Sabadell Flash Mob and the Gift of Music

I love the transcendence of great music. God, the Creator of Music, gifts His image bearers to praise Him, some knowing Him, some not. But my heart is moved to praise as I listen to the music in this video and watch the faces. Thank You, Lord, for one more way you manifest your goodness and happiness in this fallen world.   

      

Related Resources

Book: Heaven
Blog: Creator and Culture, and Anticipating a Redeemed Earth
Audio: How is music a part of your writing process?

Photo credit: porah via sxc.hu