Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 57

Jesus Is Victor and Lord: A Powerful Story of God’s Deliverance

Earlier this year I shared on my blog about a group EPM supports, MedSend, that funds qualified healthcare professionals who address the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world. They  sent us this powerful story from a physician assistant who has served in Southeast Asia for seven years:

I recently read a newsletter we sent out nearly 7 years ago and was struck by the fact that very little has changed. Yes, we’ve learned the language and we feel at home in our South Asian travels and spicy food tolerance, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is that the highs are really high, and the lows are really low. Here is a high.

In our experience, any time a series of ridiculously difficult things happen back to back, it’s because there is an unseen battle also going on. Through tears we prayed that we wouldn’t be discouraged and asked God to show us what work we were being distracted from. We were reminded of the trainings that we had started in December and made phone calls to schedule the next meeting. After that meeting, Rama and I left our place to go pray for her family and share more stories of Jesus. (Rama was our COVID house helper who became a follower of Jesus in 2020.) I had never had such a clear opportunity to share with them. They asked great questions and murmured aloud to each other, “Could Jesus really be the one true God?”

Two nights later, I received a call from Rama asking me to come and pray for her mom who had an evil spirit, “I wasn’t sure if I should call you or not, but my mom had been unresponsive for a couple of hours. I shook her hard and told her that I was going to call you to pray for her and she sat up and screamed, ‘Do NOT call Jen!’ So that’s when I decided to call you.”

When we arrived, everyone was nervously standing by. Rama’s mom was muttering unintelligible words. Different family members began to ask her questions, but she only responded with, “I don’t belong here. Bring me back to the village.” This sweet lady who had welcomed me in her home more than a dozen times looked at me with disinterest and said, “I don't know you. Why should I talk to you?” After some discussion among the family, someone suggested that the spirit had come with Rama’s brother-in-law from the village. His brother (only 40 years old) recently woke in the night coughing. He coughed for 2 hours and suddenly died.

Obviously, my understanding of death and village spirits is...limited, so I just suggested that we start praying for her in Jesus’s name. As I reached my hand out and began to pray for her, she began to cough, which thoroughly scared the rest of the family. My teammate and I prayed with faith that Jesus would heal her and after a few minutes, she passed out on the bed. There wasn’t a single sound, though there were 12 of us packed into the small room. After a couple more minutes, Rama’s mother sat up, looked at me and said, “Jen! When did you get here!? And why hasn’t anyone served you and your friend chai?” Just then, Rama’s brother-in-law jumped up with his hands raised in the air and yelled, “Jesus is the victor! Jesus is Lord!” Everyone began clapping. 

Rama’s father asked, “What now?” So, we encouraged them again to follow Jesus only. That night, every single person in the family prayed in the name of Jesus, several of them prayed in Jesus’s name for the first time ever. The next day was the first day in Rama’s memory that she hadn’t seen her father wake up and do morning worship to their former gods. Over the next week, Rama’s mother asked for a Bible in her language and her father asked if we could meet weekly to pray and study the Word, “because the more we learn about Jesus, I believe that He will take His rightful place at the top and all the other gods that we’ve worshipped since we were children will fade away.”

Amen. May it be so.

(Names have been changed to protect identities.)

Photo by René DeAnda on Unsplash

Six Steps Toward Spiritual Maturity

From Randy: This article by Bobby Jamieson about growing in godliness is helpful whether you’re a new believer or you’ve known Jesus for years. Though it’s addressed to men, Bobby writes, “Much of what I’ll say also applies to women, but the next-to-last section zeroes in on a uniquely male calling.”

At the end of his article, I also share some book recommendations.

The Man of God You Could Become: Six Steps Toward Spiritual Maturity

By Bobby Jamieson

Do you want to grow as a man of God?

Maybe you’re a new believer. Your character drastically differs from just a couple years ago, but you know you have a long way to go. Or maybe you’ve been a believer for a long time, but you’ve sensed yourself spiritually stagnating. You’d be hard pressed to point out a way you’ve made evident spiritual progress in the last year.

If either of those profiles fit you, this article, and its two goals, are for you. The first is to give you a new ambition, namely, becoming a man of God. The second is to give you some directions for the journey.

The “man” in “man of God” is deliberate; I’m speaking particularly to men. Much of what I’ll say also applies to women, but the next-to-last section zeroes in on a uniquely male calling.

First, here’s the new ambition. I want you, from now till the day you die, to make it your ambition to become a man of God. And I want that for you because God does. As Paul writes to Timothy, “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7–8).

Godliness is “of value in every way.” It is more valuable than physical strength or financial success. It is worth more than the thickest resume or the most coveted property. Godliness will, in the long run, make you happier than the satisfaction of any earthly desire.

So how can you get it? Here are six pieces of counsel.

Mind the Gap

First, mind the gap — that is, the gap between your character and God’s. And “gap” doesn’t even begin to cover it. More like “infinite chasm.” But God commands you to cross it: “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2; cf. 1 Peter 1:15–16).

Learn to see and evaluate your character in light of God’s. Hold Scripture before your eyes as a mirror to reveal what’s lacking in you but present in him, and what’s present in you but lacking in him. “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). What darkness is present in you? What light is missing? If you want specific benchmarks to measure yourself against, study the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23), and the qualifications for elders (1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9).

One good way to become more mindful of this gap is to seek out and study godly men. Who do you know who radiates more of God’s holiness and joy and love than you do? Get to know him. Get close to him. Find out how he has made the progress he has, and do what he does (more on models below). The gap between your character and his can help you see the infinitely greater gap between your character and God’s. But not only that: learning how a more godly man got more godly can power-assist your progress in godliness.

Mine New Motives

Real change comes from the heart. This requires (though is by no means limited to) a new set of motives for you to mine. In order to make any lasting progress in godliness, your chief motive must be to glorify God: “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Train your heart to love God’s glory more than your own, to love praising God more than receiving praise. Make it your ambition to please God in all you do (2 Corinthians 5:9).

In our theme verse, Paul promises that godliness is of value in every way. What is the value-added of godliness? What should motivate you to pursue it? Godliness gives you power greater than any physical prowess, technological reach, or military strength: “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32). Godliness gives you a freedom that runs deeper than any other: freedom from tyranny of self and slavery to sin. As Jesus promises, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32). Godliness gives you contentment, which is greater gain than any stockpile of earthly treasure. “Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world” (1 Timothy 6:6–7).

Do you want power or freedom or lasting, secure gain? You’ll find the best, and the only reliable, form of all of those goods in godliness. So, work to continually recalibrate your motives.

Form Transforming Habits

In order to do this, you need to form transforming habits, especially Scripture study, meditation, and prayer in private and with others. Donald Whitney’s book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life is a practical, challenging guide to these, as is David Mathis’s Habits of Grace.

If you’re not in the habit of regularly communing with Jesus through time in his word and prayer, here’s how I’d encourage you to start. Whatever your morning schedule looks like, get up a little earlier, even just twenty or thirty minutes. Read something in Scripture — could be a Psalm or a chapter of Proverbs, could be the passage your pastor is going to preach the next Sunday — and find something to turn into prayer.

What in the passage can you praise God for? What sins in your life does the passage reveal? What reason does the passage give you to thank God? What does it teach you to ask God for? Turn Scripture reading into prayer and even a short time with Christ can become a regularly refueling engine of daily transformation into his character.

Get New Models

Everyone has models. Even if you don’t consciously admit it, styling yourself as an intrepid individualist, chances are there are men you strive to be like. Whether in matters personal or professional, superficial or substantive, there are men you know, or at least know of, that you want to be like. And if you haven’t been self-consciously striving for godliness for the past several years, then chances are, you need new models.

So find the godliest men you can, get as close to them as you can, and learn as much from them as you can. That’s what the apostle Paul told the whole Philippian church to do: “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us” (Philippians 3:17). And again, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9).

Find Ways to Father

One nearly universal definition of manhood is to produce more than you consume (see, for instance Roy Baumeister, Is There Anything Good About Men?, 195). It’s easy to see how that works in an economic, material sense: to provide for a family, you need to earn more than you use. You must be a generator of surpluses. And working hard so as to provide for others is a basic biblical imperative that especially lands on men’s shoulders (1 Timothy 5:8).

But this shorthand definition of manhood — that you produce more than you consume — doesn’t just apply to bringing home bacon. It has deep spiritual relevance as well. We all have burdens, and we need help bearing them (Galatians 6:2). We all have limited wisdom, and so we all need counselors (Proverbs 24:6). But a spiritually productive man is one who is a net burden-bearer, and a net wisdom-dispenser, a net exporter to others of spiritual good and gain. So strive to be a spiritual producer. Strive to have your desires so under control, your heart so aligned with God’s will, and your mind so transformed by his word, that you store up a surplus of spiritual help that you can regularly share out with others.

Another way to say this is, find ways to father. If you’re the father of children, train them in all God’s ways (Ephesians 6:4). If you’re unmarried and desire to be married, pursue the kind of holiness, competence, leadership ability, and maturity that will make you not only attractive husband material but ready and eager to be a father. Fatherhood, both natural and spiritual, is the distinctive shape of masculine maturity. A father provides and protects. What kind of man do you need to become in order to faithfully provide for and protect others in both material and spiritual ways?

Make Membership Matter

Finally, make membership matter — meaning church membership. The New Testament assumes that all Christians will belong to local gatherings of Christians that assemble regularly and are mutually, self-consciously committed to each other (for example, 1 Corinthians 5:1–13). I’m putting this last, but in some ways it really goes first.

Church membership is the crucial, formative context for these other five items that have come before. Finding, committing to, and throwing yourself into a gospel-preaching church is the best way to regularly expose yourself to the character of God, reminders of gospel motives for godliness, help in forming spiritually fruitful habits, godly models to follow, and opportunities to bear others’ burdens and build them up in love.

These six points are just a start, hopefully a jump-start, for the long, often difficult journey of growing more godly. But the good news about church membership is that, when you regularly gather with a body of believers who are committed to Christ and each other, every single Sunday is a fresh start. And fellowship with other godly men who are striving in the same direction can continually refresh your heart in your quest to be more like Christ.

This article originally appeared on Desiring God and is used with permission of the author.

Books Randy Recommends to Help You Grow in Your Faith

Some of these I’ve read, some I’ve seen recommended by others:

New Believer's Guide to Effective Christian Living by Greg Laurie

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney (Love this one, it’s been years since I’ve read it, and it might be too much for some but is great for others.)

Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines by David Mathis

Abide: Understanding the Secrets of Living for Jesus by Warren Wiersbe

In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado

The Ways of God by Henry Blackaby

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan

Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund

Epic by John Eldredge

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Heaven for Kids: Reaching Kids, Parents, and Even Grandparents with a Biblical Theology of Heaven

Though it’s been several years, I still think about what a blast I had writing my book Heaven for Kids and recording the audio book. I loved including more material from The Chronicles of Narnia than I used in the big Heaven book.

And by the way, if my big Heaven book seems too heavy for you, or if 50 Days of Heaven is too devotional, consider this: over the years we’ve heard from churches and adults who’ve read and studied Heaven for Kids! It’s also a great resource for parents and grandparents to help answer their children’s questions about Heaven.

I share more about the book in this video:

Though the audiobook is no longer available on CDs from our ministry (this is 2022, after all), you can download it through Audible or Christianaudio.com. Several families have told us that they enjoyed listening to it during a road trip. You can read an excerpt from the book here, or listen to these sections from the audiobook:

Will we play in Heaven?

Will we have new identities in Heaven?

Will we hang out only with Jesus in Heaven?

Will we laugh in Heaven?

Will we travel through time?

Will we see our pets again in Heaven?

Will there be sports in Heaven?

Will we be able to fly in Heaven?

Readers and listeners by the dozens continue to share their enjoyment of Heaven for Kids:

When we found out my father-in-law was dying of pancreatic cancer, one of our main concerns was how to deal with it with our kids. This book was a great resource, especially for our introspective 11 year old. She was able to read it on her own and ponder the chapters. It gave her great comfort to know that because of Grandpa’s faith in Christ, he has a promise of eternity in Heaven—free from any more pain or suffering. She also likes to read that Heaven is going to be exciting and active—not a bunch of cloud-sitting and harp playing. In fact, she said, “Now that I've learned more about what heaven will be like, I’m a little jealous that Grandpa gets to go so soon.” I highly recommend for any family in a similar situation.

I just turned 40, and for some reason I began to struggle with feelings of “Heaven will be boring.” I felt the Spirit of God reassure me of its real ness and greatness. I recommend this book!

I absolutely love this book! I have a progressive disease and worry about my young child growing up without his mom. I read this book first and found great comfort in what it has to say about Heaven. I appreciate all the references to scripture so you can look things up for yourself if you choose. I will now begin reading this to my son so he will have a better understanding of what Heaven is all about.

…Having grown up in the church, I've heard about Heaven so many times and that's "where" we get to spend eternity "praising God" and such. And that was all fine for me ... until my dad was killed suddenly in a boating accident. Then, just knowing I was "going to Heaven" was just not enough for me. And, the more I searched the Scriptures, the more confused I became. I was hopeless and had resigned myself to believing (well, I had been misled by the Evil One) that we would have no idea who people were and heaven was this sort of intangible, mystical place that I was *supposed* to be excited about. I wasn't. In my heart, I was fatherless and I could have cared less about Heaven if that's all that it was. …I bought this book for my kids since dealing with death had hit them at such an early age, they always have questions and always felt so incapable of answering their questions...until this book! Thank you, Mr. Alcorn, for giving hope to this hopeless mom!

My family has been studying both the original Heaven and Heaven for Kids since our littlest died in February. Knowing the truth and joys of Heaven and the New Earth which are waiting for those who profess Christ, is the BIGGEST source of comfort for me as a bereaved mother. ...This is the BEST book for learning about Heaven and creating an excellent stage from which to imagine the beauty of eternity with the Lord.

My youngest son passed away last June at the tender age of 5. My other son has not talked about his death much, so I bought this book. I think my son thought that talking about my other son’s death and Heaven would make me sadder… This book opened up discussions between us that never would have happened otherwise. He is almost 10, and I think this book described Heaven perfectly for his age.

I bought 2 books for my 4 grandchildren…Their grandpa, my husband, passed away 7 months ago. The sons can't seem to talk about their grief and don't have a strong church background although they all started attending regularly a year ago. So, the sons don't know much about heaven. They are at least able to share cheery stories about their dad when we're together. When I gave the books to the girls, they dove into it right away. It helped open the door to conversation about where Grandpa is...in Heaven.

My kids and I have read this several times. AMAZING for kids and adults!! This book will leave you EXCITED about Heaven!!

Though I'm far from being a kid, I enjoyed listening to this book and gaining insight about Heaven. I bought the print copy for my 8-year-old nephew because he had a lot of questions about Heaven. The book answered his questions and calmed his fears. I recommend it to anyone seeking Bible-based answers to questions about heaven.

I wanted my children to not fall into the same misunderstandings I had. I read this aloud to my 3rd grader and Kindergartner. My 8 year old especially was eager to have his questions answered, and now we all look forward to Heaven together since we understand it better.

My 9-year-old grandson had questions about Heaven and this book has been a wonderful resource in answering his questions using the Bible verses and explanations that he can understand… I find this time with him talking about this topic and God as a blessing and something I will cherish.

From Eternal Perspective Ministries: Get an Additional 10% Off

Through April, we are offering 10% off our already-discounted prices on Randy’s books and products, including Heaven for Kids! Simply enter code TAKE10 at checkout. 

Coupon code expires Saturday, April 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT. 

The Weakness of Suffering Is a Workroom for God’s Grace

We come into this world needy, and we leave it the same way. Without suffering we would forget our neediness. If suffering seems too high a price for faith, it’s because we underestimate faith’s value.

In the West, with our conspicuous prosperity and ease, Christianity’s popularity continues to shrink. In Africa, Asia, and South America, with much greater adversity and suffering, Christianity continues to grow. Josef Tson, nearly martyred in Ceauşescu’s Romania, told me that 95 percent of Christians pass the test of adver­sity, while 95 percent fail the test of prosperity.

J. B. Phillips translates James 1:2–4, “When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realise that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character, men of integrity with no weak spots.”

How can we possibly obey this command to welcome difficulties instead of resenting them? By trusting that God tells the truth when He says these make us better people, increase our endurance, expand our ministry, and prepare us for eternal joy. If learning to trust God is good for us and God loves us enough to act for our good, why are we surprised when difficulties come?

My father, a Great Depression survivor, was a physically powerful and fiercely independent man. As he got older his strength faded. This opened his life to help from others—first from me, later from God. I took him shopping and helped him in ways he’d never have accepted before. Age, weakness, and incapacity humbled this proud man—and his eternity will be dramatically better because of it.

C. S. Lewis said in The Problem of Pain, “The human spirit will not even begin to try to surrender self-will as long as all seems to be well with it.” Our self-will deceives us; in loss, tragedy, and suffering we may finally come to terms with our need for help.

Why do God’s children undergo pressures, suffering, and deadly peril? Paul answers clearly: “that we might not rely on ourselves but on God” (2 Corinthians 1:11). God uses our weakness and inadequacy not only to build our character, but also to manifest His strength and grace to us and through us.

On this subject, a few weeks ago Nanci and I watched an excellent video from Paul David Tripp together. (I’ve mentioned before how much we love Paul’s book New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional. We highly recommend it.)

Paul says, “Suffering exposes our theology. …Suffering will deepen your faith or it will weaken it. …Your suffering is not a failure of God’s plan. …In suffering, God reveals us, and reveals Himself. …The weakness of suffering is a workroom for grace.”

For more related to the subject of suffering, see Randy’s book  If God Is Good , as well as the devotional  90 Days of God’s Goodness  and book  The Goodness of God . 

Photo by Austin Ramsey on Unsplash

Finding Happiness Even in Hard Times: My Interview with Brain Surgeon Dr. Lee Warren

A few weeks ago I had a delightful conversation with Dr. Lee Warren for his podcast about my book Happiness. We talked about what true happiness is, and how to find delight even in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Dr. Warren is a brain surgeon, inventor, Iraq War veteran, and author of I've Seen the End of You: A Neurosurgeon's Look at Faith, Doubt, and the Things We Think We Know. He honestly was one of the most thoughtful interviewers I’ve ever interacted with. (And we shared a love for dogs!) He graciously told me that Happiness has deeply impacted him personally and theologically.

Now may seem like a strange time to be talking about happiness, especially with so much heartbreak and sadness in our broken world. Please don’t misunderstand: nothing in this interview minimizes the reality of suffering. My beloved Nanci is now in hospice care after four years of battling cancer. She and I, along with our daughters, family, and friends are navigating the pain that knowledge of our impending separation, though temporary, causes. And Dr. Warren is also no stranger to suffering, having experienced the death of his child. (He shares the story here.)

So no, we won’t constantly “bubble over” with gleeful happiness every moment of every day. In a world under the curse of evil and suffering, something would be very wrong if we did!

I say this in Happiness:

If we constantly focus on all that’s wrong with the world, then sorrow or anger will be our default. But the apostle Paul, writing from prison in Rome, calls on us to rejoice in the Lord not periodically, but always.

It’s not insensitive, unkind, or wrong to be happy. By being happy in Christ, we lay claim to the fact that God is bigger than the Fall and affirm that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will reverse the Curse and reign over a new universe. Our happiness shouts that our God is present with us and at work in the world every minute of every hour of every day.

If we focus on the Lord and His abundant grace, we will experience a deep and solid happiness in Jesus, even when times are very hard. Paul said, “His glorious power will make you patient and strong enough to endure anything, and you will be truly happy” (Colossians 1:11, CEV).

You can listen to our interview, or watch the whole thing here:

Finally, if you need a laugh (and don’t we all), check out this video. Hearing that I’d been interviewed by a brain surgeon, one of our staff passed it on. We all got a kick out of it. I doubt brain surgeons are mentioned a lot in comedy routines, but they made the cut in this one. :)

Dr. Warren then shared his favorite two brain surgery comedy bits, here and here. (He wrote, “This is why I rarely get invited to parties.”)

“Happy are the people whose God is Yahweh!” (Psalm 144:15).

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Ukraine Update from a Ministry We Recommend, and an Opportunity to Give

ACTION International, based in the Seattle area, is one of my favorite ministries. It flies under the radar because its people devote so little effort to fundraising, and so much effort to hands-on ministry. They are faithful and Bible-based. Spend some time on their website, and you’ll see their heart.

Brian Stewart, ACTION USA’s Executive Director, writes, “The suffering of the Ukrainian people has greatly increased, but so have the opportunities to share the Gospel and minister to urgent needs. Our two focal points for ministry are Ternopil, in the safer, western part of the country, and Kherson, which is now under the control of the Russian army. Please join us in praying for our dear colleagues in both areas who are working in the most difficult of conditions to help families who are being displaced by the invasion.”

Ternopil

By God’s grace, Paul Hughes, Director of ACTION UK, and his close colleagues in Ukraine began planning over two months ago for the possibility of needing to minister to thousands of displaced families. Tragically, their preparations were indeed necessary. The team had the foresight to establish five church-based shelters in an area of the country that is both far removed from the invasion points, and relatively close to the Polish border.

Each shelter is hosting two or three times more people than had been planned. This week over 1,500 people came through the shelters every day. Many have had to avoid soldiers as they fled their homes. However, as Paul writes, “Most are open to praying with pastors and volunteers. The issues of evil, sin, God, and rescue are natural conversations in these circumstances.” Most families who arrive in Ternopil are eager to leave the country, so they stay only one day.

“The children arrive looking exhausted,” Paul reports after speaking to many of the volunteers, “yet at least they have slept some, in their mothers’ arms. The moms, however, have been carrying their kids and the suitcases, and have been constantly walking or standing in long lines at stations and crossings. All have traveled at least two days, many three or four days, without sleep.”

These dear people are fed, housed (at the shelter or in the homes of church members), counseled, and witnessed to. Some are wounded but are more eager to get to the border than a hospital, so most of the families leave for Poland after staying one night. Pastors, elders, and deacons help them make that 4-hour trip in buses that each shelter has.

At the Polish border, the volunteers are able to pick up canned food, bottled water, bandages, and medicine. In great part that is what your donations have been spent on, as well as gasoline, kitchen equipment, and mattresses.

Not only is the Gospel being shared with these hurting families, but local political leaders, police, and security services are also hearing of God’s love, and seeing it in action in their city.

Kherson

The Russian army has occupied the city, and the population is being ruled by fear. Soldiers fire their weapons indiscriminately to instill panic. Movement is severely restricted, and food is gone from the store shelves. Some have shared with Paul their concerns that the invaders are using starvation tactics.

Many of Paul’s contacts in this area run homes for children from trauma backgrounds, and this week has been especially hard for these little ones. He writes, “These are children who jump at the sound of a chair moving, or a pen dropping to the floor. Imagine their fear as they hear gunfire and mortars outside.”

In spite of the danger, children’s ministers continue to host Bible clubs, where kids can come discuss what is happening, be prayed for, play games, and have a small snack.

Paul writes, “In the midst of the brutal bloodshed in Kherson, faithful believers still meet to break bread, remember Christ, and pray for their families, churches, and their city.”

You can give through ACTION’s website. Or if you would like to donate through EPM, select “Relief Fund,” and through March 31, everything you give will fund ministries working in Ukraine, including ACTION.

An Update on My Precious Wife Nanci

Last Thursday, after six days of increasingly poor health, Nanci was admitted to the hospital Emergency Room. She has since come home from the hospital, and a hospital bed has been moved into our room with a recliner next to it for me or others.

Things have radically changed since Thursday. Nanci has been in an altered state mentally. We don’t know if that’s temporary or permanent.  

My daughters Karina and Angela and I were up most of Sunday night with her. (No surprise, the girls are a wonderful care team, just amazing.) Part of it was very precious and beautiful, as Nanci was raising her hands up to the Lord, singing and sweetly asking Him to take her to be with him. Part of it was tough. She is struggling to find the right words and wants to get out of bed, but we can’t let her because she is so physically unstable.  

We met with the hospice director Monday morning and then a hospice social worker. Nanci is officially now in hospice care, so that means her death is expected within six months. It could be a lot less than that or it could be more, of course no one knows. 

Nanci and I have had end-of-present-life conversations going back years and again in recent months. She is ready to meet Jesus. After what I have seen in the last several days—which has been so hard on her—I feel ready to let her go, even though in another sense of course I can’t be ready. Thanks for your prayers. 

Lamentations 3:19-26 is on my heart:

I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.

I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

For more updates, see Nanci’s Caring Bridge site.

Photo by Jasmin Ne on Unsplash

How Should We Live Today in Light of Heaven?

We’re told that we are aliens and strangers in this world, and should be longing for a better country (Hebrews 11:13-16). However, that better country isn’t up in the clouds—it’s down on the New Earth.

Scripture says, “in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13). Yet very few Christians I’ve spoken with really are looking forward to the New Earth God promises us. We have denied ourselves and our children a major doctrine of Scripture, spoken of repeatedly in the Old Testament prophets. We have somehow overlooked the promise of Romans 8 that Christ's redemption extends not merely to human souls, but to the whole creation that groans for redemption, having fallen on our coattails, and waiting to rise in our resurrection. Revelation 21-22 promises God will come down from Heaven and dwell with us on the New Earth, which will have nations and rulers and cultures and dwelling places, where people will do exactly what God commanded the first man and woman to do on a perfect earth—rule it to God’s glory.

The next verse says, “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this [the new universe], make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him” (2 Peter 3:14). Anticipating a coming world in which all right choices will be rewarded by God inevitably changes the way I live today.

Once I grasp what the New Earth means, I can’t help but look forward to it, and this creates a fundamental paradigm shift. For instance, I can look at the beauty of a waterfall, forest, flowers, rivers, animals and people and manmade wonders and not say, “But I shouldn't love these things, because this world is not my home.” No, I should say, “God has revealed Himself to me in these things. While the world as it now is—under sin and curse—is not my home, the New Earth filled with beauties such as these—no longer under sin and curse—will be my home forever! I will not be reunited with disembodied loved ones floating in clouds, I will walk the earth again—or for the first time with those who died young or were handicapped—with those I've loved who know Jesus.”

This will bring an indescribable hope and joy and vitality to our lives.

For more on the New Earth, see Randy’s book  Heaven . You can also browse our additional resources on Heaven.

Photo by Beth Tate on Unsplash

Honest Faith

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?

Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.

O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer;

And by night, but I have no rest.

Yet You are holy,

O You who are enthroned upon the praises ofIsrael.

In You our fathers trusted;

They trusted and You delivered them.

To You they cried out and were delivered;

In You they trusted and were not disappointed.

—Psalm 22:1–5, NASB

What an honest cry to God for help: “Why, God? Why does it seem like you’re not answering my prayers?” As he wrestles with this, David turns to Scripture, where God’s deliverance of His people is documented. David reflects on their trust in God. In the end, God’s faithfulness toIsrael inspires David to believe that God will prove faithful to him as well.

God’s Word contains countless expressions of concern and anguish about the hard times people experience and the fact that they sometimes don’t feel God’s closeness. In this fallen world, “Why?” is a common question.

Jackie Hill Perry writes, “While reading the Psalms, I’m struck by how often God is questioned. Why He’s allowing this. Why He’s forsaken that. Suffering makes you curious and to me, it seems, being inquisitive is in fact a healthy part of prayer. Even Jesus, in His dying hour, asked God a question.”

Randy Butler, a pastor, told me about his teenage son’s death. “For twenty years, God gave me a perfect life, family, and ministry. Then Kevin died, and nearly every morning, for three or four months, I screamed questions at God. I asked, ‘What were you thinking?’ And, ‘Is this the best you can do for me?’ And finally, ‘Do you really expect me to show up every Sunday and tell everyone how great you are?’ In the silence I began to hear the voice of God…then, without any announcement, when I became silent, God spoke to my soul. He had an answer for each of my three questions.”

Had Randy not been unreservedly honest with God, he couldn’t have completely grasped how the God he spoke to had watched His own Son die long before Randy had. God the Father had endured the horrible death of Jesus, His only Son. So, better than anyone in the universe, God empathized with Randy’s pain.

A lot of bad theology inevitably surfaces when we face suffering. When people lose their faith because of suffering, it suggests a weak or nominal faith that didn’t account for or prepare them for evil and suffering. Any faith not based on the truth needs to be lost—the sooner, the better.

Suffering and evil exert a force that either pushes us away from God or pulls us toward Him. But if personal suffering gives sufficient evidence that God doesn’t exist, then surely I shouldn’t wait until I suffer to conclude He’s a myth. If my suffering would one day justify denying God, then I should deny Him now in light of other people’s suffering.

Believing that God exists is not the same as trusting the God who exists. A nominal Christian often discovers in suffering that his faith has been in his church, family, career, or social network, but not Christ. As he faces evil and suffering, he may find his beliefs shaken or even destroyed. But genuine faith—trusting God even when we don’t understand—will be made stronger and purer.

If your faith is based on lack of affliction, it’s on the brink of extinction and is only a frightening diagnosis or a shattering phone call away from collapse. Token faith will not survive suffering. Nor should it.

Thank you, Lord, for welcoming the honest cries of our hearts. Thank you for allowing us to ask, “Why?” It’s a gift to us that your prophets and King David asked, “Why,” and even your Son, Jesus, asked, “Why?” as He hung on a cross. But give us the grace and wisdom, Lord, to ask our questions while looking to your Word and to your Holy Spirit for answers.

Excerpted from Randy's book 90 Days of God's Goodness .

Photo by Warren Wong on Unsplash

Don’t Fall for Our Society’s Incessant Either/Or Mentality

Abigail Dodds is the author of (A)Typical Woman: Free, Whole, and Called in Christ and a regular contributor at Desiring God. She also blogs at Hope and Stay. I love her insights, and want to share what she posted on Facebook last year.

Abigail is making a series of balanced points that remind us we shouldn’t buy into the myth that when we have one belief we must dismiss as evil or stupid every belief of those who disagree. Read slowly and carefully and see if you can understand what she’s saying and whether or not she’s right:

It’s possible to believe that voter fraud really happened and that the results of the election were likely legitimate, or at least that claiming to know otherwise is unprovable.

It’s possible to believe that the widespread stealing, burning, violent rioting all summer was damnable and that the violent storming of the capitol was likewise damnable. It’s possible to believe there were innocent protesters caught in both.

It’s possible to believe that COVID is real and especially dangerous for some and also that the panic the media incited is unhelpful at best and harmful to millions at worst. It’s possible to submit to government and hold they are using improper authority.

It’s possible to believe that ethnic partiality is sin to be repented of while also believing that the cultural narrative of pervasive mistreatment of anyone who isn’t “white” is a lie used for political/social capital. It's possible to be guilty of some things and not all things.

It’s possible to believe that the merging of Christian symbols with the storming of the Capitol and culty conspiracies is wicked while also believing that Critical Theory is a clear danger to the authority of the Scriptures and the purity of the church.

And, it’s possible to believe that some threats are bigger than others while not equivocating. Weighing and distinguishing between these problems is called wisdom. And it’s possible, because of Christ, to be discerning while also being humble. It’s possible, because of Christ, to live and act with grace and with truth. It’s possible that the biggest threat to your spiritual life is the one you, in the honest assessment of your heart, have the most sympathy for.

If you’ve resonated with this, it’s possible you’re feeling like an outsider in this world. But I also want to remind you that you are likely not standing as alone as you might think. Despite the sickly tribes, I believe there are a lot of Christian folks who are thinking similarly. Don’t succumb to the false dichotomies. Keep hold all truth as best you can in light of the Word. Change your mind when you ought. Don’t indulge showy repentance or “own” things that, before God, aren’t yours. Act in good faith and march on!

Randy again: of course, when it comes to whether or not Jesus is God or whether or not you can be saved without the work of Jesus, moderation and middle-ground “balance” will obscure the truth. 

Even on the subject of abortion, which is as black-and-white to me as moral issues get, I have found much common ground in discussions with those who are “pro-choice.” In fact, some of them have been swayed by the evidence I’ve presented—I think largely because I don’t assume they are horrible people and that they are foolish and all they believe is wrong. I tell them I think they are very right in wanting to help pregnant young women who don’t want their children, but they are very wrong in the ways they go about it. Instead of dismissing them as those who delight in killing children and hurting women, I can tell them, “I very much agree with you when you say this, but I very much disagree when you say that.” This means we have some common ground and can have some meaningful dialogue. 

Evangelical Christians who are moral conservatives (as I am) sometimes do a terrible job of obeying God when He says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:18, NIV). Instead we are slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to become angry. We are good at believing this passage is inspired, and bad at actually living out what it says!

When we only have conversations with people who think like us, it’s an echo chamber where we all say the same thing and it all sounds right to us, and we can’t understand how anyone could ever disagree with us unless they are evil or stupid. But all of us would benefit from taking the time to seriously listen to those who hold other positions. When I do that, I find that my mind isn’t changed on my primary beliefs, but it is often changed or modified on secondary or tertiary beliefs where I used to assume people were completely rather than partially wrong. 

“The first to speak in court sounds right—until the cross-examination begins” (Proverbs 18:17, NLT). This is a biblical argument for not drawing conclusions that the first person you hear on any issue is right. Often you are listening to him first precisely because he shares your beliefs. But that doesn’t mean you and he are always right! You will never be able to change your mind if you don’t seriously listen to alternative viewpoints, instead of categorizing and dismissing them.

Whenever we give people the impression we believe they are wrong about everything, we absolutely close the doors to meaningful dialogue. This is why so much social media amounts to dialogues of the deaf. In fact, they are not dialogues at all, just an endless stream of contrary proclamations. Extremists on both sides of every argument regard attempts to find common ground as moral compromise. Biblically grounded people have the ability to affirm that there is truth in some of what our opponents say. Most heresies, for instance, contain a good deal of truth. In fact, they may be 90% true, but the 10% that is false completely misleads people. This is why when I talk with Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, I make clear that I believe they are right when they say Jesus was a human being and a great prophet,  but wrong when they say Jesus was not God. So we share some common ground, enough to allow me to explain why I believe in Christ’s deity. 

Usually nuanced thinking that sees some truth behind opposing positions is wise and helpful. It also increases the possibility that people might actually listen to our arguments, which they won’t if we insist they are wrong about everything they believe. 

Taking to heart Abigail’s statements, even if you disagree with some of them, may help you moderate how you express your own positions enough to enable you speak the truth in love, instead of immediately dismissing and refusing to listen to those who disagree with anything you believe. That approach will result in no one listening to the truth you’re speaking except those who already believe it. You may get a lot of applause from those already in your camp, but you will be doing nothing to draw in people who think differently and need to hear the truth spoken to them in love.

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

Photo by Ian Taylor on Unsplash