Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 34

Pray for Israel and the Peace of Jerusalem

Our hearts are broken for the people of Israel who have endured such great atrocities inflicted upon women and children and the elderly, slaughtered mercilessly. I also pray for those who seek peace, including believers in Jesus in Gaza, who will inevitably suffer as a result of Israel’s justified actions in defense of its people. (What else can Israel do but retaliate and try to bring justice to the perpetrators of these terrible crimes? What would the U.S. government do in the same circumstances? What would we want them to do?)

It is Hamas that has done this, a terrorist organization, and if there was a way to punish Hamas, and only Hamas for this, it would be ideal. But that would be like saying in World War II one should wage war only against the Nazis, not against the people of Germany, which included many who did not support the Nazi government, though there were, unfortunately, many who tolerated it. 

My heart breaks for innocent Israelis and innocent Palestinians, but for sure any chance of peace in the Middle East, at least in the near future, has been decimated by the horrific actions of Hamas against innocent men, women, and children. Gavin Ortlund writes, “There is some evil in this world, like what Hamas terrorists are doing, that is hard to account for apart from belief in supernatural evil (demons). God, protect the innocent and break the teeth of the wicked (Psalm 58:6).”

I have met genuine believers in Christ in Gaza and in Israel. Let’s pray for those Christians, and their influence on those around them. Pray that in the midst of tragedy—and the further tragedies that are almost certain to follow—hearts would be turned toward Jesus, who is not only King of Kings, but also the Prince of Peace. 

In his article “Rachel weeps for her children: Israel’s fight is our fight as well,” Al Mohler writes,

The cumulative shock, grief, and horror experienced in Israel over the last few days is unspeakable and incalculable. The anger is palpable and justified. The righteous wrath of Israel is now to be unleashed, and difficult days lie ahead. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Among the residents in Gaza are Christian believers, trapped in a war started by Hamas and now prosecuted by Israel. We pray for those Christians even as we pray for Israel. Some of these believers are also victims of Hamas and its ideology.

A brother in the U.K, Gavin Drake, has a written a helpful article on “What’s happening in Israel and Gaza, and how should Christians pray?” He explains some of the history of the Gaza strip, and writes:

There are two evil positions: one is to be so pro-Israeli that you want to see Palestinians crushed, the other is to be so pro-Palestinian that you want to see Israel destroyed. Peace will only come to the Holy Land when Israelis and Palestinians – Jews, Muslims and Christians – feel secure and live in justice.

…In Psalm 122, King David extols us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. That has never been more important.

Many people are thinking about prophecy right now and wondering if these events are a specific fulfillment of any particular biblical prophecies. Biblical scholar Chad Bird addresses, “Is Psalm 83 predicting events in Gaza and Israel?” and reminds us to be responsible with our treatment of the Scriptures.

We know for sure Jesus is going to return, and we long for His return, but we don’t know when it will happen. Sometimes it is obvious when biblical prophecies are being fulfilled, but often there is such out-of-context speculation that the same passages have been cited as being fulfilled dozens and dozens of times by different events. 

This goes back at least to the 70s when as a young Christian, like many others, I was reading Hal Lindsey's The Late Great Planet Earth. He was saying, based on his interpretations of passages, that Scripture was clear that Jesus would have to return by 1980.

Then there was the bestselling book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Happen in 1988. A variety of biblical passages were interpreted in ways which history did not bear out—and obviously, Jesus did not return in 1988. He said we do not know the day or the hour of His return. We need to believe that. The errors of that popular book (and many others have made similar errors since) were dealt with in this article by the Christian Research Institute, and can still be learned from today.

Finally, let’s be careful in how we talk about these subjects with others. No doubt, we will disagree about various aspects of this conflict, the specific actions of Israel’s response, how this particular war does or doesn’t fit into prophecy, and countless other things. I have already heard some sad stories of this issue dividing brothers and sisters in Christ. Remember that Satan is called the accuser of God’s family (Revelation 12:10) and uses every means to undercut our love for each other. Too often we do his work for him. His goal is to divide churches and keep people from believing the gospel.  (See Healing a Pandemic of Disunity, and When Christians Disagree about Beliefs and Actions.)

God’s people can be united in our desire to pray for peace, for His work in the hearts of both Israelis and Palestinians, for the growth of God’s Kingdom, and for His will to be done. We can be gracious with each other and believe the best of others. Let’s “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6), always looking forward to the day when we will experience everlasting peace when Christ reigns from the New Jerusalem.

God promises that He has a great future in store for Jerusalem: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream” (Isaiah 66:12). One day, Scripture’s repeated promises about land, peace, and the centrality of Jerusalem among all cities and nations will be fulfilled:

“I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.” (Isaiah 65:19)

“They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the Yahweh—the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more.” (Jeremiah 31:12)

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” (Revelation 21:1–5)

If you'd like to give to help those suffering, we recommend Samaritan's Purse and World Relief, two reputable organizations that will be providing aid.

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God’s Word Sustains Us When Life Is Hard

Psalm 119:107 says, “I have suffered much; preserve my life, O Yahweh, according to your word.” The God to whom the psalmist prays knows how much and the nature of his suffering. Jesus knows the same about us but invites us to pour out our hearts to Him nevertheless.

God’s Word gives us strength in our weariness, and it comforts and sustains us. When not afflicted, we tend to go astray, but God uses our afflictions to help us obey His Word (Psalm 119:67). Without God’s Word to sustain us, we will perish in our affliction. God has purpose in our affliction, and one purpose is to know Him better through studying His Word. We must not forget God’s Word, for it preserves our lives.

Clearly, if we are to face suffering well, if we are not to waste our suffering, we must let it take us to God’s Word. If we don’t, our loss will be incalculable. If we do, our gain will be abundant and eternal.

Before difficult times come your way, develop habits of studying God’s Word, listening to Christ-centered teaching and music, and reading soul-nourishing literature, both nonfiction and fiction. Daily fill the reservoir from which you can draw when facing difficult times—and helping others face theirs. Great peace comes in meditating on the attributes of our God and His care for us. His Word is a source of delight to us.

In this video, I share about how the Bible helps us face the hardest times of life.

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What Does It Mean That Christ Is a Friend to Sinners?

I love this audio devotional from the excellent book Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund. When I really love a book, I tend to either read it quickly or slowly. In the case of this book, I read it very slowly and spent multiple days reading some of the chapters because I found it so rich and nourishing and worthy of contemplation. Nanci also read it in the last year before she went to live with Jesus. I would highly recommend this book to any follower of Christ. Listen to this excerpt:

Read the Gospels, and it’s evident many sinners loved being around Jesus. They enjoyed His company, sought Him out, invited Him to their homes and parties. Unbelievers tore off the roof to get to Jesus. Why is that? What did Jesus show them? Grace. People sensed that Jesus loved them, even when He spoke difficult words. He was full of grace and truth. He drew them out of the night like a light draws moths.

No, Jesus didn’t minimize the truth of human sin; in fact, through His redemptive work, He paid the price for us because of His desire to be our Father and friend. That Jesus truly is and wants to be our friend is still a revolutionary concept to many Christians. If we believe it, we understand how Jesus’ disciples must have felt when He said, “No longer do I call you servants . . . but I have called you friends” (John 15:15).

Dwight L. Moody said, “A rule I have had for years is: to treat the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal friend. His is not a creed, a mere doctrine, but it is He Himself we have.”

Like Moody, I encourage you to think of Jesus as your mentor and best friend, as well as Savior and Lord. Your relationship with Jesus grows as you spend time with Him—as you talk and listen to Him. He truly is a friend of any sinner who will come near to Him.

See Randy's books  It's All About Jesus  and  Face to Face with Jesus .

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Are You Experiencing Bible Poverty?

One of our staff sent me this video about “If Your Bible Was Your Cell Phone…” I thought this was great:

 
 
 

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It’s funny, but it makes a good point. And it’s a reminder that there are two kinds of Bible poverty in the world: first, the poverty of those who don’t have God’s Word in their own language; and second, the poverty of being surrounded by Bibles, but not reading them.

Scripture confronts sin in our lives, encourages our obedience, and gives us delight in Jesus. It is the source of correction, training, eternal perspective, and joyful rest from weariness and sorrow. Who but the devil and sin itself would distract us from such treasure?

I share some more thoughts in this video about the vital importance of Scripture in our lives:

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Nations on the New Earth, and the Importance of God’s Word for People of Every Nation and Tongue

Most of us are unaccustomed to thinking of nations, rulers, civilizations, and culture in Heaven, but Isaiah 60 is one of many passages that demonstrate that the New Earth will in fact be earthly and full of the Earth’s nations. God’s people will have a glorious future in which the nations and their leaders will participate in and benefit from a renewed and glorious Jerusalem. It won’t be only some nations but all of them: “All assemble and come to you” (verse 4, NIV).

This will be a time of unprecedented rejoicing: “Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy” (verse 5, NIV). On the renewed Earth, the nations will bring their greatest treasures into this glorified city: “The wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come” (verse 5, NIV).

Will we have ethnic and national identities? Yes. Is the risen Jesus Jewish? Certainly. Will we know He’s Jewish? Of course. Our resurrected DNA will be unflawed, but it will preserve our God-designed uniqueness, racial and otherwise. The elders sing to the Lamb: “You are worthy. . . . Your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10, NLT). Who will serve as the New Earth’s kings and priests? Not people who were formerly of every tribe, language, people, and nation. Their distinctions aren’t obliterated—they continue into the present Heaven and then into the eternal Heaven.

Tribe refers to a person’s clan and family lineage. People refers to race. Nation refers to those who share a national identity and culture. Some scholars argue that the image of God has a corporate dimension. Richard Mouw writes in When the Kings Come Marching In: “There is no one human individual or group who can fully bear or manifest all that is involved in the image of God, so that there is a sense in which that image is collectively possessed. The image of God is, as it were, parceled out among the peoples of the Earth. By looking at different individuals and groups we get glimpses of different aspects of the full image of God.”

If this is true, and I believe it may be, then racism is not only an injustice toward people but also a rejection of God’s very nature. On the New Earth we’ll never celebrate sin, but we’ll celebrate diversity in the biblical sense. We’ll never try to keep people out. We’ll welcome them in, exercising hospitality to every traveler. Peace on Earth will be rooted in our common ruler, Christ the King, who alone is the source of peace: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14, NASB).

On the New Earth, “the nations will walk by [Christ’s] light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into [the New Jerusalem]. On no day will its gates ever be shut. . . . The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it” (Revelation 21:24-26, NIV).

Tribes, peoples, and nations will all make their own particular contribution to the enrichment of life in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 5:9; 7:9; 21:24-26). Daniel prophesied that the Messiah would be “given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him” (Daniel 7:14).

Consider what it will be like to worship with Masai, Dinka, Hmong, Athabascan, Tibetan, Waodani, Icelandic, Macedonian, Moldovan, Moroccan, and Peruvian believers. In the sweeping breadth of his redemptive work, I believe that God may resurrect not only modern nations but also ancient ones, including, for instance, Babylon and Rome. Are ancient Assyrians, Sumerians, Phoenicians, Babylonians, and Greeks among God’s redeemed? We know they are, for no nation, past or present, is excluded from “every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9, NIV).

Hundreds of nations, thousands of people groups, untold millions of redeemed individuals will gather to worship Christ. And many national and cultural distinctions, untouched by sin, will continue to the glory of God.

As we anticipate that coming New Earth, could there be anything more important than getting God’s Word to people around the world, so that they may know Jesus and enjoy life with Him forever? Earlier this year I spoke to a gathering of illumiNations partners (Bible translation and resource partners working together to eradicate Bible poverty in this generation). I shared about the gift of generous giving, as well as Revelation 5:9 and the hope of God’s Word reaching people of every tribe and language and nation:

I encourage you to check out the illumiNations site, where you can learn more and donate towards translation efforts.

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God Calls Us to Find Happiness in Him

In my novel Safely Home, I tell the story of two Harvard roommates reunited in China twenty years after graduation. One is American businessman Ben Fielding, an entrepreneur in international high-tech corporate partnerships. The other is Li Quan, a brilliant academic who, when Ben last saw him, was headed home to be a professor at a Chinese university.

When Ben reconnects with Li Quan on a business trip to China, he’s shocked to find his old friend living in poverty, working as a locksmith’s assistant, and involved with a house church often raided by the police. Shortly after the two become reacquainted, Quan is imprisoned. Yet even in prison, to Ben’s astonishment, Quan remains cheerful, trusting God and rejoicing in His goodness despite enduring cruel treatment.

The longer Ben stays in China and the more time he spends with Li Quan and his wife and son, the more he envies his old friend. Even with everything he has going for him and everything working against Quan, Ben realizes he wishes he could trade places with his former roommate. Why? Because Quan has what Ben doesn’t: love and happiness. Li Quan drew his happiness from God, who was with him even in prison. Ben Fielding attempted to find happiness in everything the world had to offer . . . and failed miserably.

Happiness is God’s command—and a pleasant calling— for His people.

C. S. Lewis said, “It is a Christian duty . . . for everyone to be as happy as he can.” Happiness is a privilege. However, since God repeatedly calls upon us to rejoice, delight, and be glad in Him, we have an obligation to actually do so.

This makes sense only if the God we love is happy, if the gospel message we embrace and proclaim is happy, and if Heaven is a happy place. It makes sense if we understand that people long to be happy and won’t turn to Jesus if they believe there’s no happiness in Him. Others will judge whether there’s happiness in Jesus by whether they see happiness in His followers. Hence, our happiness is, indeed, a Christian duty.

But what an incredibly wonderful responsibility it is . . . like being required to eat Mom’s apple pie! We’re accustomed to thinking of duty as drudgery, not happiness. But a person’s duty to love his or her spouse or to care for a son or daughter, and a soldier’s duty to defend his country—when done with the right heart and perspective—all bring satisfaction, contentment, and happiness.

Paul’s words in Philippians 4:4 are often translated “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.” They could also be translated, “Be happy in the Lord always, and again I say be happy.” Commenting on this verse, Spurgeon said, “It is intended that we should be happy. That is the meaning . . . that we should be cheerful.”

This passage commands us twice to be glad in God. A command carries with it the duty to obey, and when it’s repeated, that expectation is intensified. Fortunately, when God commands us to rejoice, His Holy Spirit empowers us to obey.

The fact that “rejoice” is followed by “always” and is repeated (“again I say rejoice”) makes it one of the most emphatic directives in Scripture. If our lives are not characterized by rejoicing, or if we’ve given up on happiness, we’re missing out on what God intends for us. We must go to Him and ask for His help and empowerment to find joy in Him.

Only if we truly want to experience the happiness-driven desires of our hearts will we be drawn to God by verses such as this: “Seek your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desire” (Psalm 37:4, GNT).

Judging by what we hear, we might expect Scripture to say, “Obey God, and say no to your heart’s desire.” Not so!

Jesus says, “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).

The Contemporary English Version and God’s Word Translation both render the final clause in John 16:24 this way: so that we will be “completely happy.”

Can our joy be full if we’re not happy? No.

The CEV, a translation from the original biblical languages (not a paraphrase), says:

Be happy and shout to God who makes us strong! (Psalm 81:1)

Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. (Matthew 5:12)

The Bible clearly commands us to be happy.

You may not be accustomed to thinking that God commands us to be happy. But it’s a fact. And I’m betting it’s a command most of us would like to obey!

Some have an intuitive resistance to the notion that happiness is unbiblical, and so we should. A blogger says, “Happiness isn’t in the Bible? But what about all the commands to rejoice? What about laughter? Please tell me I’m not supposed to always be heavy-hearted, trudging along and begrudging obedience. I want to be a happy Christian!”

Scripture confirms that God wants us happy.

I’ve studied more than 2,700 Scripture passages where words such as joy, happiness, gladness, merriment, pleasure, celebration, cheer, laughter, delight, jubilation, feasting, exultation, and celebration are used. Throw in the words blessed and blessing, which often connote happiness, and the number increases.

God is clear that seeking happiness—or joy, gladness, delight, or pleasure—through sin is wrong and fruitless. But seeking happiness in Him is good and right.

Even Jeremiah, who’s called “the weeping prophet” since he was brokenhearted over the tragic suffering of God’s people, spoke prophecies of happiness. He saw the future—some of it in this world’s Jerusalem and much of it in the New Jerusalem to come—and in it he was given glimpses of God’s promised happiness:

Hear the word of the Lord. . . . [My people] will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord. . . . They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more. Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.  Jeremiah 31:10, 12-13, NIV

That’s a lot of joy for a weeping prophet!

Consider the Psalms, which reflect both great sorrow and great happiness:

I will be happy and rejoice in you! I will sing praises to you, O sovereign One! (Psalm 9:2, NET)

You will fill me with joy when I am with you. You will make me happy forever at your right hand. (Psalm 16:11, NIRV)

God, your love is so precious! . . . [People] eat the rich food in your house, and you let them drink from your river of pleasure. (Psalm 36:7-8, NCV)

I will go to your altar, O God; you are the source of my happiness. I will play my harp and sing praise to you, O God, my God. (Psalm 43:4, GNT)

As Jeremiah and Jesus wept, we, too, will sometimes weep—and so we should. But if we’re not experiencing happiness in God, then we’re not obeying God’s commands and we’re missing out on the abundant life Jesus came to give us (see John 10:10).

For more, see Randy's blogs on happiness, as well as his book Happiness.

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God Takes Our Stinginess or Generosity Personally

To give lavishly is to be rich toward God; to hoard or spend on ourselves without regard for others is to be impoverished toward God. He accepts our gifts to the needy as if they were given directly to Him: “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed” (Proverbs 19:17).

Any lifestyle that doesn’t align with God’s priorities and won’t hold up after death is not a good one—no matter how glamorous or appealing or sensible it seems at the time.

What Makes Someone a Fool?

In Christ’s story of the rich fool a man decides to hoard his fortune then “take life easy; eat, drink and be merry” (see Luke 12:13-21). The word translated “fool” literally means “unthinking one.” Mindless. Senseless. The rich fool was out of touch with eternal realities. Despite death’s inevitability, he failed to prepare for it—and failed to remember that he would give an account to God (Romans 14:12).

The rich fool stored up treasures for himself on Earth as if he were the center of the universe and as if this world was where he’d live forever. The man was a fool to imagine his silver, gold, crops, land, and barns were actually his. He was a fool to ignore God’s claims on him and his possessions:

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. (Psalm 24:1, NIV)

“The silver is mine and the gold is mine,” declares the Lord Almighty. (Haggai 2:8, NIV)

A wise person will regularly ask, “Lord, what do you want me to do with all you have put in my hands?” God’s Word tells us exactly how to prepare now for the afterlife. Though our culture and even some of our Christian friends may encourage us to do so, we don’t have to live like fools!

In the world’s eyes, the rich fool was a great success. Today he would be admired, and he might even be placed on a church or ministry board. But in the end, all his success counted for nothing.

Had the rich fool acknowledged God as his Creator and Redeemer, and as the ultimate owner of everything he possessed, he would have been rich toward God and stored up treasures in Heaven. Instead, he stored up for himself treasures on Earth and  was suddenly and eternally parted from them at death.

The most troubling aspect of this parable is that if we met this man, most of us would commend him for his foresight.

Notice he isn’t called the rich sinner, but the rich fool.

Materialists Are Self-Destructive Keepers

Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson observed this about those who fail to live generous lives:

By holding onto what we possess, we diminish its long-term value to us. In protecting only ourselves against future uncertainties and misfortunes, we become more anxious about uncertainties and vulnerable to future misfortunes. In short, by failing to care well for others, we actually do not properly take care of ourselves.

Christ-followers are self-enriching givers. Why? Because giving inevitably enlarges our hearts, lives, and capacity for joy.

Don’t misunderstand. The true good life doesn’t say no to wealth or pleasures. Rather, it says yes to greater and lasting wealth and pleasures that are found when we cheerfully part with God’s money and possessions for others’ good and God’s glory.

God graciously gives us money and possessions to meet real needs, both our own needs and the needs of others. He wants us to enjoy life, but He doesn’t entrust excess to us so we can indulge excessive wants. Money and possessions are not life-giving. They are utterly incapable of imparting to us the identity, purpose, significance, and security we crave.

I recently heard someone talk about the rampant unhappiness, disease, and disillusionment he and his friends experienced while, he said, they were “living the good life.” Though I put that phrase in quotation marks, this person didn’t use air quotes or note the irony that what he called the “good life” was in fact devastatingly bad. In his case, the “good life” included drugs and sexual immorality, led to the loss of his wife and children, and ultimately left him utterly empty.

Even when this so-called good life brought times of enjoyment, it was only “the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25). Such pleasures don’t even last in this world, and they certainly won’t outlive this life. The rich man in Christ’s story learned the hard way that his prosperity was short lived. It came to a dramatic and eternal end at his death, when God proclaimed, “You fool!”

Our Source of Life

To understand what constitutes the good life, we need to understand what life really is, where it comes from, and where it’s going.

God is the eternal source of life. He gave human beings “the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7), and He designed the first people to experience communion with Himself, the living God. In the presence of Eden’s tree of life (Genesis 2:9), He walked with Adam and Eve as they enjoyed a life-giving and delightful relationship (Genesis 3:8). God warned them, though, that if they ate of the fruit of one particular tree, this beautiful life would tragically end in death (Genesis 2:17).

They disobeyed, and as promised, sin brought death. While Adam and Eve’s physical death came gradually, the end of their life-giving spiritual relationship with God was immediate.

Ever since, people have lived in a state of spiritual death, with dying bodies, decaying relationships, and failed dreams. Death is the new normal. But that’s not the end of the story. The good news of the gospel is that Jesus’ sacrifice conquers sin and death on our behalf.

John’s Gospel tells us that God created the world through Jesus, bringing life and light to His creation (John 1:1-5). He raised Lazarus from the dead to display His power to make dead people alive again (John 11:42-44). Then He, too, rose from the grave, ensuring the ultimate death of sin and the defeat of death itself. His resurrection gives us life (Romans 4:25). His coming back to life is the basis of God’s moving us from death to life (1 Corinthians 15:17).

Jesus calls Himself life in these four passages:

the bread of life (John 6:48)

the light of life (John 8:12)

the resurrection and the life (John 11:25)

the way, and the truth, and the life (John 14:6)

There’s no way to overestimate the importance of life in John’s Gospel. John tells readers his Gospel was written “that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31, NIV).

Jesus is not just a signpost or a compass to life; He is life. He’s not merely a map leading to water or an X that marks the spot where treasure is buried. Rather, He is the wellspring. He is the treasure.

The living God says, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). He offers us true life and, with it, blessing. But He warns us against sin and the curse that always comes with it. Just as He did in the Garden, God offers us the quality of life that comes from obeying Him. God says, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live” (Proverbs 4:4).

The Good Life Is Available to Everyone Who Knows Jesus

After establishing a restaurant chain, two banks, a ranch, a farm, and real estate ventures, Jerry Caven says the real fun started when his career was coming to an end:

At age 59 I was headed into retirement, looking for a nice lake home. Then God changed our plans and led Muriel and me to put our money and time overseas. It’s been exciting. Before, we gave token amounts, now we put substantial money into missions. Our hearts are in another country now. We visit and minister there often.

The Cavens say, “After seeing the way poor Christians in other countries trust him, we’ve asked God if he wants us to give away all of ‘our’ money. He hasn’t led us to do that yet. But we’ve meant it when we asked.”

When we live the good life, people quickly notice. The Cavens added this story: “A non-Christian couple saw us giving, and saw how much it excited and changed us. Then they started giving too, even before knowing Christ. They saw the joy and they wanted in on it!”

The simplest statement made in Scripture about the life that Jesus brings His people is perhaps also the most profound: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

The giving life is not about obligation or guilt or drudgery or merely surviving. It’s about life in abundance.

Adapted from Randy’s book Giving Is the Good Life .

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All Glory to Our King: EPM Staff and Board Members Share Favorite Quotes

Note from Randy: For the last issue of our Eternal Perspectives magazine, we asked several of our staff and board members to share a Christian quote that they've found meaningful, and also why that quote has helped them in their walk with Christ. (Sign up to receive our magazine in the mail for free, or to receive a notification when the latest issue is posted online.)

Doreen Button, editor:

“‘Safe?’ said Mr. Beaver; ‘don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.’” —C. S. Lewis, writing about Aslan in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

God terrifies me sometimes. He’s just SO big, and SO powerful. And yet, when I rest between His two velveted paws, lean back into His comforting warmth, and feel His sweet breath on me, I know that even though He’s not safe in the sense of controllable—or even predictable—He is infinitely good. And there is no place I’d rather be.

Brenda Abelein, (now retired) ministry assistant:

My sweet friend Myrna Alexander is an author and was a missionary for many years in Russia. She shared this at a seminar on prayer she was teaching at Good Shepherd many years ago, and it has been so impactful for me. I have this written on a chalk sign that sits out where I see it every day:

“Pray. Never give up in the process, regardless of what you see or feel. God is always at work!”

When I’m worried or anxious about a situation, my first instinct is usually to try to DO something to fix it. But Myrna’s words remind me that PRAYER is always the best first step, and God is the only one who can fix broken things. He sees far beyond what I can see or feel in the moment and always knows what’s best.

Kathy Norquist, board member:

Do it immediately; do it with prayer;

Do it reliantly, casting all care;

Do it with reverence, tracing Christ’s hand

Who placed it before you with earnest command,

Stayed on His omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,

Leave all resultings. DO THE NEXT THING.

The quote “Do the next thing” (originally from an old English poem) was shared by Elisabeth Elliot and has served me well over the years. At times I’ve felt a bit rattled and out of sync with my day, wondering how to move forward. Then I remember this quote and simply take the next step! It has also helped me to discipline myself in keeping a daily routine and doing the important things first.

“Life is a process, not an event.”

I first heard this quote from Jackie Viss, who was such a blessing in my life as a spiritual mentor for many years, and it also was attributed to Elisabeth Elliot. It has helped me to have patience and trust in the Lord’s timing and wisdom in dealing with me through the various trials and issues in my life.

Christy Amadio, shipping room manager/ministry assistant:

“To rest is to acknowledge that we humans are limited by design. We are created for rest just as surely as we are created for labor. An inability or unwillingness to cease from our labors is a confession of unbelief, an admission that we view ourselves as creator and sustainer of our own universes… This wrong thinking renders us not free, but enslaved to our ambition and enslaving of those we employ to achieve it.” —Jen Wilkin, Ten Words to Live By

Recently I have been thinking about what it really means to keep the Sabbath. And I realize at the heart of it is acknowledging that the work God calls us to is HIS work. In Exodus, God gives Moses and the Israelites the work of building the tabernacle and all the accessories for worship. But the section ends in chapters 29 and 30 with Him explaining that the men He called to do the work He equipped with the skill and knowledge, by His Spirit, to do it. He had provided the material needed when they plundered Egypt in the exile. Then He calls them to not forsake the Sabbath—a reminder that in the midst of the work, its completion doesn’t rely on them! It is His work, and He provides all that is needed to complete it. “They sought God eagerly, and He was found by them. So Yahweh gave them rest on every side” (2 Chronicles 15:15b).

Amy Woodard, Randy’s personal assistant:

“Faith is…believing that in the midst of suffering and need that God will be enough, that He will enable me to make it through.” —Pamela Reeve, Faith Is…

I purchased this book in my early 20s and identified with so many of the encouraging thoughts and lessons on each page. I read this one at a particularly difficult time and felt like the Lord was telling me right then, “I’m with you, I’m enough for you, and I will help you get through this.” I memorized that sweet promise, and it has encouraged me so many times in the last 20+ years to trust God in the difficult moments and believe that by trusting and leaning into Him, He will be the One to enable me to make it through hard things in life.

Heidi McLaughlin, ministry assistant:

Think through me, thoughts of God,

And let my own thoughts be

Lost like the sand-pools on the shore

Of the eternal sea.

—Amy Carmichael

After growing up as an anxious child, I remember coming across this quote as a young fledgling adult recently out of the nest of my parents. Anxious thoughts ruled my mind. “Think through me, thoughts of God” resonated and settled in and gave me a phrase to add to my prayers. Think through me Jesus. Whatever is pure and lovely, honorable and true, think these thoughts through me. On my own, my thoughts are just anxiety after anxiety. This translated to my prayers later as I realized more and more that apart from Christ, I could do very little in my own strength. Love people through me, parent my children through me. Jesus, I can’t do it; do it through me. It helped me recognize myself as the vessel that Christ does His work through and that it was not by my own efforts but by the work of His Holy Spirit in me that I could obey and overcome a deeply rooted and habitually anxious thought life.

Robin Green, board member:

“Remember Whose you are and Whom you serve. Provoke yourself by recollection, and your affection for God will increase tenfold; your imagination will not be starved any longer, but will be quick and enthusiastic, and your hope will be inexpressibly bright.” —Oswald Chambers

I appreciate this quote because it reminds me of my identity. I belong to God, and I serve God. Jesus came as a servant, and He served! He went about doing good, helping people, meeting needs as the Father showed Him. Recollecting that I belong to Him and that I’m here to serve Him does increase my affection for Him. It ignites my imagination, and brightens my hope. What joy that brings!

Stephanie Anderson, communications and graphics specialist:

“God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.” —Charles Spurgeon

One of the greatest blessings of being part of this ministry has been the wonderful, godly people I have worked with over the years. Kathy Norquist, then Randy’s assistant and now one of our board members, shared a variation of this quote with me years ago, when I was facing challenging circumstances: “When you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart.” How delightful to realize this saying originated with the wise wordsmith and preacher Charles Spurgeon.

There have been many times in my life when I have not understood what God is doing. Some reasons for some circumstances have become clear over time, but others remain a complete mystery, and likely will until I’m face to face with Jesus. It’s not always easy, but there is great peace in knowing that even when understanding is elusive, I can trust my good and faithful Savior to do what is best for me and brings Him glory. This reminds me of another favorite quote:

“Occasionally, weep deeply over the life you hoped would be. Grieve the losses. Then wash your face. Trust God. And embrace the life you have.” —John Piper

Kress Drew, board member:

“…were I asked to focus the New Testament message in three words, my proposal would be adoption through propitiation, and I do not expect ever to meet a richer or more pregnant summary of the gospel than that.” —J. I. Packer, Knowing God

Packer’s three-word summary of the New Testament rightly instructs my thinking each time I repeat it in thought and in prayer, lifting my gaze from self and performance, to grace and the Godhead. For I am His adopted son only through the wrath-bearing sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. It is finished. He is risen. I am forgiven. All glory to our King!

For more quotes, see Randy's book  It's All About Jesus: A Treasury of Insights on Our Savior, Lord, and Friend .

Photo: Unsplash

The Joy of Imagining Heaven

When Marco Polo returned to Italy from the court of Kublai Khan, he described a world his audience had never seen—one that could not be understood without the eyes of imagination. Not that China was an imaginary realm, but it was very different from Italy. Yet as two locations on planet Earth inhabited by human beings, they had much in common. The reference points of Italy allowed a basis for understanding China, and the differences could be spelled out from there.

The writers of Scripture present Heaven in many ways, including as a garden, a city, and a kingdom. Because gardens, cities, and kingdoms are familiar to us, they afford us a bridge to understanding Heaven. Scripture makes it clear that Jesus is preparing a place for us, and God’s Kingdom will come to Earth, and a physical resurrection awaits us; there is no reason to spiritualize or allegorize all earthly descriptions of Heaven. Indeed, some of them may be simple, factual statements. Too often we’ve been taught that Heaven is a non-physical realm, so we fail to take seriously what Scripture tells us about Heaven as a familiar, physical, tangible place.

The Importance of Using Our Imagination

We cannot anticipate or desire what we cannot imagine. That’s why, I believe, God has given us glimpses of Heaven in the Bible—to fire up our imagination and kindle a desire for Heaven in our hearts. And that’s why Satan will always discourage our imagination—or misdirect it to ethereal notions that violate Scripture. As long as the resurrected universe remains either undesirable or unimaginable, he succeeds in sabotaging our love for Heaven.

If God didn’t want us to imagine what Heaven will be like, He wouldn’t have told us as much about it as He has.

Alister McGrath writes, “To speak of ‘imagining heaven’ does not imply or entail that heaven is a fictional notion, constructed by deliberately disregarding the harsher realities of the everyday world....We are able to inhabit the mental images we create, and thence anticipate the delight of finally entering the greater reality to which they correspond.”

I believe we should fuel our imagination with Scripture, allowing it to step through the doors that Scripture opens. As a young Christian, and even as a young pastor, I viewed Heaven in the same stereotypical ways I now reject. It was only through years of study, meditation, and research that I came to the view of Heaven I now embrace.

Picturing Heaven

You don’t need to look up at the clouds; you simply need to look around you and imagine what this world would be like without sin and death and suffering and corruption.

So look out a window. Take a walk. Talk with your friend. Use your God-given skills to paint or draw or build a shed or write a book. But imagine it—all of it—in its original condition. The happy dog with the wagging tail, not the snarling beast, beaten and starved. The flowers unwilted, the grass undying, the blue sky without pollution. People smiling and joyful, not angry, depressed, and empty. If you’re not in a particularly beautiful place, close your eyes and envision the most beautiful place you’ve ever been—complete with palm trees, raging rivers, jagged mountains, waterfalls, or snow drifts.

Think of friends or family members who loved Jesus and are with Him now. Picture them with you, walking together in this place. All of you have powerful bodies, stronger than those of an Olympic decathlete. You are laughing, playing, talking, and reminiscing. You reach up to a tree to pick an apple or orange. You take a bite. It’s so sweet that it’s startling. You’ve never tasted anything so good. Now you see someone coming toward you. It’s Jesus, with a big smile on His face. You fall to your knees in worship. He pulls you up and embraces you.

I have a biblical basis for all of these scenarios, and many more. After examining what Scripture says, I hope that next time you hear someone say, “We can’t begin to imagine what Heaven will be like,” you’ll be able to tell them, “I can.”

If “No Eye Has Seen,” How Can We Know?

After reading a few dozen books about Heaven, I came to instinctively cringe whenever I saw 1 Corinthians 2:9-10:

However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” —the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

It’s a wonderful verse; it’s just that it’s nearly always misused. 1 Corinthians 2:9 isn’t talking about Heaven. In its context, it refers to the salvation-related hidden wisdom of God. Some would argue that God’s hidden wisdom broadly includes wisdom about Heaven, but even if the verse did refer to Heaven, it says the opposite of what it is typically cited to prove, because verse 10 indicates that God has revealed these hidden truths through His Spirit. This means that God has explained to us what Heaven is like. Not exhaustively, but accurately.

Other verses are likewise pulled out to derail discussions about Heaven. For example, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God” (Deuteronomy 29:29). Heaven is regarded as a “secret thing.” But the rest of the verse—again, rarely quoted—completes the thought: “But the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever.” And it’s critically important that we study and understand them. That is precisely why God revealed them to us!

Another “silencer” is 2 Corinthians 12:2-4. Paul says that fourteen years earlier he was “caught up to paradise,” where he “heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.” Some people use this verse to say we should not discuss what Heaven will be like. But all it says is that God didn’t permit Paul to talk about his visit to Heaven. In contrast, God commanded the apostle John to talk about his prolonged visit to Heaven, which he did in detail in the book of Revelation. Likewise, Isaiah and Ezekiel wrote about what they saw in Heaven.

If God didn’t intend for us to understand what He’s shared about Heaven, why would He bother telling us about it? (When was the last time you wrote someone a letter using words you didn’t expect them to comprehend?)

We’re Commanded to Think about Heaven

“Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). This is a direct command! And to make sure we don’t miss the importance of a Heaven-centered life, the next verse says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

To long for Christ is to long for Heaven, for that is where we will be with Him. The Greek word translated “set your hearts on” is zeteo, which the Gospel writer used to describe how “the Son of Man came to seek . . . what was lost” (Luke 19:10, emphasis added). It’s also used for how a shepherd looks for his lost sheep (Matthew 18:12), a woman searches for a lost coin (Luke 15:8), and a merchant searches for a fine pearl (Matthew 13:45). It is a diligent, active, single-minded investigation. So we can understand Paul’s admonition in Colossians 3:1 as follows: “Diligently, actively, single-mindedly pursue the things above”—in a word, Heaven.

The verb zeteo is in the present tense, suggesting an ongoing process. “Keep seeking Heaven.” Don’t just have a conversation, read a book, or listen to a sermon and feel as if you’ve fulfilled the command. Since you’ll spend the next lifetime living in Heaven, why not spend this lifetime seeking Heaven, so you can eagerly anticipate and prepare for it?

Fueling Our Imagination

We must begin by reasoning from God’s revealed truth. But that reasoning will call upon us to use our Scripture-enhanced imagination. As a nonfiction writer and Bible teacher, I begin by seeing what Scripture actually says. As a novelist, I take that revelation and add to it the vital ingredient of imagination.

If you’re a Christian suffering with great pains and losses, Jesus says, “Be of good cheer” (John 16:33, NKJV). The new house is nearly ready for you. Moving day is coming. The dark winter is about to be magically transformed into spring. One day soon you will be home—for the first time. Until then, I encourage you to meditate on the Bible’s truths about Heaven. May your imagination soar and your heart rejoice.

Picturing Heaven , 40 Hope-filled devotions and coloring pages, and  The Promise of the New Earth  are both excellent resources for engaging your imagination about Heaven. This article is adapted from Randy’s book Heaven.

Photo: Unsplash

How Should the Church Respond to Gender Confusion?

Note from Randy: This is the seventh and final guest blog in our series on gender and sexuality. Though this article is written for pastors, it has practical applications for all believers. Author Jesse Johnson, who leads The Master’s Seminary Washington DC location, lays out a compelling case for why he believes the LGBQT movement is another religion, and explains how the church can respond with grace and truth.

Early in the summer, a friend sent me this photo of the word PRIDE prominently displayed outside a church. Wow, this is scary. Pride is the root of all sins, but historically most people have been ashamed of their sins, not proud of them. And that gives the hope of repentance and turning to Christ for forgiveness. But to commit or endorse sin (including greed, gossip, gluttony, and self-righteousness, as well as sexual sins) and then publicly declare pride in it, is not only sad, but frightening, in light of the prospect of God’s judgment. It is picking a fight with Almighty God, who has never lost a fight, and never will. We don’t need a pride month. We need a humility month in which we align ourselves as with God, not against Him. "…be clothed with humility, for 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time" (1 Peter 5:5-6).

Every false worldview is a death-giving alternative to the life-giving gospel of God’s kingdom. God’s charge to the Apostle Paul was to go to the Gentiles, “to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me’” (Acts 26:18). May we pray for God to do the same in the lives of so many today who desperately need to turn from darkness to light, from hopelessness to the eternal hope Jesus offers.

Pastoral Response to Gender Confusion: Caring for Those Caught in the LGBTQ Religion

By Jesse Johnson

As US embassies around the world wave the Pride flag, there is no denying that LGBTQ has become the American culture’s center of gravity. Twenty years ago, the main American religion was prosperity. Now it is the LGBTQ movement. 

How do pastors respond to the LGBTQ worldview? Or, more particularly, how do pastors shepherd their people to think rightly about the issues this movement raises? Here are five practical ways pastors can help their congregations navigate the LGBTQ culture:

1. Treat It Like Another Religion

Twenty years ago, the LGBTQ movement was about individual autonomy. They trumpeted individual rights (such as visiting a partner in the hospital, sharing insurance plans, etc.). I fear that too many Christians—especially those who have been in ministry for a few decades—still perceive the LGBTQ world as being concerned with those issues. It isn’t. 

Today the LGBTQ movement has grown from concerns over individual rights to a full-on attack on Christianity. It is a rival religion. It has its own god (self-identity), its own language (that of critical theory and intersectionality), and its own priests (schoolteachers and university professors). There is a conversion rite (coming out), confirmation, and the taking on of a new identity. There is even penance for previous sins. The only thing missing is forgiveness. 

Pastor, ask yourself: How do I preach about other religions? Whatever your answer is, apply it to this issue.

Look, we make doctrinal distinctions in our preaching all the time. We often separate Catholicism from Christianity by highlighting justification by faith. We challenge the Mormons’ and Jehovah’s Witnesses' views of Christ. We contrast the Trinity with Islam. These are likely normal practices in our preaching. 

The truth is, LGBTQ is more prominent in our culture and worldview than those other religions. It occupies more cultural space.  But the LGBTQ religion is less about justification. Thus, contrasting faith and works doesn’t adequately address this movement.

I encourage pastors in their preaching to draw attention to texts that highlight the nature of mankind and describe who we are and why we are here. Then contrast today’s identity culture with what the Bible says about identity. 

Of course, part of this new religion is sexual ethics. Pastors should be very clear about what the Bible says about sexual ethics, homosexuality, and gender. But the heart issue the LGBTQ worldview presents is that of identity—the question it raises is who makes man? Draw attention to that. 

2. Be Familiar with the Worldview This Religion Presents

Pastors can sometimes shy away from understanding the LGBTQ world because of how dark and sinful it is. Distance from its practices is a good and holy desire. 

But ignorance of the dominant worldview in our culture is not sustainable. A good place to go is Carl Trueman’s The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. Trueman’s book sheds light on the worldview behind the LGBTQ movement, helpfully showing its history and tracing how it came to occupy center stage in our world.

And here a point of contrast is in order. I watched a recent Christian evangelistic video from a ministry I love and saw how it critiqued the LGBTQ worldview. It treated it like it was a form of relativism or post-modernism. It went after it for its claim that “what is true for you is true for you, and what is true for me is true for me.” In fairness, that was the dominant approach in non-Christian culture… 20 years ago! The transgender movement used to say, “I’m a boy to me, so you have to respect my reality.” Of course, that is logically absurd, and relativism is not sustainable as a worldview. 

Which is why it is no longer the dominant worldview in the LGBTQ movement. They’ve moved beyond claiming, “2+2=5 for me” and are now in a place where they declare, “Math is evil, but not as evil as Christianity.” They assert their worldview as morally superior and our worldview as morally evil. That is the opposite of relativism. 

3. Understand That They Are after the Students

The target audience of the LGBTQ movement is the kids in our congregation. The proponents of this religion are not operating in a “live and let live” environment but are seeking to expand their territory into every square inch of culture, particularly the schools. 

It is the norm for public elementary schools to celebrate Pride Month. Students are taught in elementary schools to question gender in general, and their gender in particular. In high school, the reach of the LGBTQ movement is dominant. Five years ago, it would have been unusual for a girls’ sports team to encounter a boy presenting himself as a girl. Now that is typical.  And by the time they get to college, students are often LGBTQ themselves, “LGBTQ allies,” or evil. 

Now, for pastors, many parents in your congregation are unaware of this. They are operating like it’s still 2012. They just don’t understand the pressure their kids are under at home, at the pool, or at soccer. But if the kids are in church, it helps to have clear age-appropriate teaching on this from the pulpit and from youth pastors. Lay down the markers for your students. Help them understand that they are pawns in somebody else’s war. Give them a grid for good and evil because they are not going to get it at school. 

4. Defend Genesis 5:1–2

Every false religion is an attack on God and His word. The LGBTQ religion is no different. Some religions are hostile to Jesus (Judaism), some to the cross (Islam), and some to justification by faith (Catholicism). Other worldviews reject creation (evolution) or revelation (liberalism).

At the heart of the LGBTQ religion is a rejection of Genesis 5:1–2. That text declares at least two truths that are anathema to their worldview: that God created mankind, and that he made them male and female. Each of those is radically incompatible with the LGBTQ vision for the world. 

In fact, I’d argue that these are the main truths that are behind specifically the transgender movement. That movement attacks the idea that God determines gender.

Obviously, the transgender movement is logically defunct. They reject gender as binary, but then a person claims they feel like they have the wrong body to match their gender. But logical integrity is not their goal: their goal is to erase the fingerprints of God on their life. 

Pastors need to defend the truths of Genesis 5:1–2. Return to them, preach them, and teach them. I’m not saying every sermon needs gender distinctions in it. If a pastor has a hobby horse they ride all the time, the horse gets tired and people get bored. I’ve encountered pastors who say things like, “Now, I never talk about politics from the pulpit, but…” and proceed to talk about politics every week. I’m not suggesting that with gender. But I do think strategic sermons, key illustrations, and practical applications on the LGTBQ worldview will help equip your congregation to understand what’s at stake. It’s no longer about whether or not gay people can have their partner visit them in the hospital. It is about defending God’s word. 

5. Be Clear, Bold, and Persuasive

There is a tendency on this issue to choose our words so carefully that we end up being confusing. We can make so many caveats to simple pastoral questions that people are left honestly confused by what we mean. “Should I call a transgender person by their preferred pronouns?” can’t be answered with a mealy-mouthed answer. This issue demands clarity. 

But it also needs persuasion. It is true that no matter how small your congregation is, if you have college or high school students you are going to have someone questioning their beliefs on this issue. Meet them where they are at. Invite them to compare the two religions. The God of the Bible loves them, but the god of gender identity hates them. The God of the Bible made their body, while the god of gender wants to cut up their body. The God of the Bible sacrificed himself for their sins, but the god of gender wants them to sacrifice themselves for “gender.” The God of the Bible offers a path to happiness and flourishing, while the god of gender offers them a life of self-loathing and pain. Most importantly, the God of the Bible wants to forgive them, whereas the god of gender wants to harm them. 

That’s the kind of truth that can save a person from the clutches of false religion. 

This article originally appeared on The Master’s Seminary blog and is used with permission.

Photo: Unsplash