Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 63

Does “Breath of Life” in Scripture Mean an Unborn Child Isn’t Human Until They’re Born and Breathing?

I read someone’s argument on social media that “Human life occurs at the moment God breathes into [naphach] the biological life the breath of life [neshamat chayyim, ‘soul life’]. This happens at birth.”

When several other commenters pointed this person to what Scripture has to say about God forming the unborn, they responded,

Job 31:15 & Psalm 139:13 refer to God’s involvement in the “mediate” creation of biological life, which began after God created Adam & Eve through “immediate” creation. Biological life is created from existing material, whereas soul life is created after a pattern (God’s) at birth.

…The bible clearly teaches soul life is imputed at birth. The pattern of creation is: 1) biological life is completely formed 2) God breathes soul life into the completed biological life 3) Human life is created.

…Scripture is clear about human life beginning at birth. Even Christ elucidated that BIRTH is the beginning of human life, just as being BORN AGAIN is the beginning of our spiritual life. He didn't say we must be “conceived again.”

Likewise, some prochoice religious groups argue that as Adam’s life began when God breathed into him, so each human life begins when the baby is born and takes his first breath. This demonstrates a misunderstanding of the nature of the unborn’s respiration. John Davis writes in his book Abortion and the Christian:

While breathing in the usual sense does not begin until birth, the process of respiration in the more technical biological sense of the transfer of oxygen from the environment of the living organism occurs from the time of conception...it is the mode but not the fact of this oxygen transfer which changes at birth.

The creation of Adam was historically unique, never again to be duplicated, and has no parallel to the birth of a child. As Harold O. J. Brown put it in his book Death Before Birth:

If God took inanimate matter and made a man from it, as Genesis 2:7 seems to be saying, then obviously what he created was not a human being until it was given life. But the fetus is not “inanimate matter.” It is already alive. And it is already human....to apply Genesis 2:7 to human beings who were carried for nine months in a mother’s womb before birth is clearly ridiculous. This argument is seldom used by people who take Scripture seriously.

Since Scripture clearly refers to the unborn as living beings—as it does to Jacob and Esau and David conceived a sinner, and hence a human being, in Psalm 51—before they took their first breath outside their mother’s body, it refutes the contention that Scripture teaches life begins with the first breath. (See Biblical Perspectives on Unborn Children.) What more would you want these passages to say if they were suggesting that life begins long before a child is breathing on his own?

The breath of life is from God, not a technical reference to a person’s ability to breathe. Since science clearly shows us that the unborn takes in oxygen from his mother, why does this not qualify as breathing? If someone has one lung removed due to cancer, are they now half a human being? If a patient is capable of breathing only 40% of the oxygen he needs, is he now only 40% human, and 60% nonhuman? A legalistic association of breathing and humanness is not only unbiblical, it’s ultimately bizarre.

Sadly, everyone I’ve interacted with who’s taken this position has admitted that they are using it to justify abortion. In my study of Scripture, I believe it’s nothing more than a distortion of God’s Word.

By the way, I would personally love to believe that life doesn’t begin until birth. It would take away mourning over miscarriages, grief for millions of children killed annually, great inconvenience and financial costs of helping save lives, and minimize any sense of guilt for apathy about dying children. (It would also make it easy to always immediately pull the ventilator plug from an older person or accident victim—“They’re dead already, so no big deal.”)

But the reality is that the logic of “no human life until birth” simply doesn’t hold up biblically OR scientifically.

Browse more prolife articles and resources, as well as see Randy’s books  Pro-Choice or Pro-Life: Examining 15 Pro-Choice Claims ,  Why ProLife?  and  ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments .

Photo by Pavel Danilyuk from Pexels

Local Churches Are an Essential Part of God’s Plan to Reach the World through Missions

I became a Christian as a teenager, and by the time I’d known the Lord two years I wanted to go to Bible college and study God’s Word. At first, I wanted to be a missionary and felt a strong pull to go overseas, but God had other plans. I was 22 and Stu Weber, my youth pastor at the church where I came to Christ, was 31 when we were asked to participate in a Bible Study of forty people in the spring of 1977. That study soon became something much more, and Stu and I were asked to be the pastors of a brand-new church, Good Shepherd Community Church. 

I loved ministering to people, even if it wasn’t overseas. Eventually, that thirst for missions came back to me, though, and as the church grew and more people came on staff, I was able to serve as our first missions pastor.

In 1988, when our daughters were seven and nine, Nanci and I and the girls took a two-month trip in which we visited our church missionaries in Egypt, Kenya, Greece, Austria, and England (with a few days in Germany and Hungary). It’s been more than thirty years, but we still talk about that eye-opening trip and how it has impacted our family.

I am still part of that same church a small group of us started forty-four years ago! Since the church began, several thousand people have gone out in summer missions. Consequently, our congregation is filled with world Christians who know our missionaries personally, pray for them regularly, and give to missions more generously. The eternal dividends far outweigh the short-term costs.

When I spoke at a John Piper pastors’ conference years ago, I challenged the pastors to make sure they put the poor and missions above buildings (which I do not think are wrong but should be kept in balance). Giving money to evangelism is no substitute for evangelizing, but it’s an excellent supplement to it. There’s no greater way to invest our money in eternity than in the cause of world missions. All of us should be giving regularly to our local churches, and we should encourage our leaders in turn to invest an even larger share of their church budgets in world missions. Beyond that most of us can invest substantially in the cause of world evangelization through many fine mission organizations.

In this 15-minute video recorded for Good Shepherd’s Global Outreach Weekend, I share some reflections about missions that I think will also be pertinent for others as well:

For more on giving and missions, see Randy’s book Money, Possessions, and Eternity .

Photo by Amy Humphries on Unsplash

The Resurrection Means We Will Never Pass Our Physical Peaks

In our society many people look to cosmetic surgeries, implants, and other methods to remodel and renovate our crumbling bodies. We hold to youthfulness with a white-knuckled grip. Ultimately, it’s all in vain. But the gospel promises us eternal youthfulness, health, beauty, and happiness in the presence of our God and our spiritual family. It’s not ours now—but it will be, in the resurrection of the dead.

The following diagram illustrates the biblical view of the future for those who know Christ. The part of the graph below that depicts life on the present Earth is the only one that takes a dip, representing the physical and mental decline of old age that so many experience under the Curse. But at the point of death, it’s followed by a dramatic upward movement in which the believer goes immediately to be with Christ in the present Heaven. However, even though that’s a vast improvement, it’s not the believer’s peak. We’ll be resurrected, eventually living on a resurrected Earth. Our knowledge and life experiences, certainly, and probably our skills and strength, will continue to develop. In other words, we will never pass our peak.

I share more in this video, excerpted from my message “No More Curse”:

On the subject of Heaven, I recently did a podcast with Jordan Raynor to talk about the difference between Heaven and the New Earth, and what it means for our work. Also, how the certain hope of the Gospel is empowering my wife Nanci in her struggles with cancer. Listen to the podcast here.

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

Photo by Paul Green on Unsplash

Prioritize Your Local Church: Don’t Just Be a Highly Online Christian

From Randy: Brett McCracken, senior editor for The Gospel Coalition, wisely writes, “If you have two hours on a Sunday morning to spend somewhere, don’t spend it browsing TGC.org or any website (however helpful it might be). Go to church.” Likewise, here at EPM we have always said that our ministry does not replace church ministries, but complements, strengthens, and facilitates them. Reading articles or watching videos on our website is no substitute for being part of your local church.

EPM will exist only as long as God wants it to. If it becomes evident that His purpose for EPM is finished, we will close our doors. The sun does not rise or set on this ministry. It is simply a tool at God’s disposal (2 Timothy 2:21), for Him to use how and as long as He chooses.  

On the other hand, the local church is a key component of God’s eternal plan. Jesus calls the church His bride. He died for her and says that ultimately the gates of hell won’t prevail against her (Matthew 16:18). Yes, local churches can close their doors, and in some cases, God leads them to. They can fail to honor Jesus. But knowing that full well, Jesus made churches a major part of His plan. But I believe that more than ever, God’s people must prioritize being part of a local church, even though the best one they can find will be imperfect, and once they join it, they will be part of its imperfection.

(No one is more aware than we are that in some cases there are unfortunate but legitimate reasons for needing to “access” church services online. We are in that position because of Nanci’s impaired breathing due to 30% of her lungs being removed and her extreme vulnerability to COVID and other diseases. But we do the best we can to participate with our church even when we are singing and hearing God’s Word and taking communion in our home.)

There’s lots of Christ-centered content to be found on the internet, and it certainly can complement our efforts to grow in our faith. But ultimately, we need more than online messages, worship,  comments, and articles. We need each other—as part of the body of Christ. I think Greek scholar and translator J.B. Phillips captured well Hebrews 10:23-25:

In this confidence let us hold on to the hope that we profess without the slightest hesitation—for he is utterly dependable—and let us think of one another and how we can encourage each other to love and do good deeds. And let us not hold aloof from our church meetings, as some do. Let us do all we can to help one another’s faith, and this the more earnestly as we see the final day drawing ever nearer.

TGC’s Manifesto: Prioritize Your Church!
Or the Dangers of Being a Highly Online Christian (HOC)

By Brett McCracken

Every week we make hundreds of choices about how to spend our time and where to give our attention. We’re overwhelmed with choices when we open our phones or computers: watch this clip, click on this ad, read this article, listen to this podcast, scroll through this story, swipe through this app.

The Gospel Coalition exists in this world—one of many voices inviting you each day to watch, read, or listen. We hope our content is spiritually enriching to you, especially because of the internet’s general lack of enrichment. But honestly, there’s an action we’d invite you to take that’s more vital to your spiritual health than almost anything you could click on (including here). What’s the action I’m talking about?

Be committed to a church.

TGC exists to support the church, never to replace it. If you have two hours on a Sunday morning to spend somewhere, don’t spend it browsing TGC.org or any website (however helpful it might be). Go to church.

We plead: do not neglect the church (Heb. 10:25). Prioritize it. Commit to it. Invest there. Serve there. Grow alongside real, flesh-and-blood people. Embrace its unavoidably uncomfortable aspects.

The deeper all of us step into the internet age, the more we at TGC—an internet-based ministry—are convinced: a Christian is strongest when embedded within a healthy local church and driven by a love of and commitment to that church.

Formation Happens in Church

We are spiritually formed wherever we spend our time, for better or worse. If we’re spending most of our time reading Scripture and investing in the life of a church, we’ll be spiritually formed in one direction. If mostly on TikTok, Twitter, and Netflix, we’ll be formed in another direction.

Excess time online largely forms Christians for the worse. The more time we spend in bias-confirming online bubbles, on curated feeds full of voices that radicalize us in various directions, the more our desires are shaped by what our online tribe loves (more than what God loves). Highly Online Christians (HOCs) naturally start to grow less interested in things—such as Scripture and church—that don’t perfectly fit the narratives they ingest online. But in shunning the very things that can recenter them on solid ground, HOCs become further entrenched in a self-deception spiral of their own digital making.

Sadly, this is happening all over the world, simply because we’re spending more time online and less time in church communities. The natural result? Many churches are losing the battle to form Christians.

This is why the “rediscover church” plea is so urgent. The division and angst in our world—including the Christian world—is rapidly reaching a tipping point. But healing won’t come online. Progress might be made, though, if we all recommitted to the church. The church is God’s unique gift for his people’s flourishing. It’s the place where Christ-followers learn how to follow Christ. It’s where we learn and apply God’s Word, and participate in his mission. It’s the best place for ordering our loves toward God, tuning our hearts to sing his praise.

The church is where it all happens.

No YouTube video or Wikipedia entry can train us in virtue like the church can.
No Twitch stream or subreddit can create sustainable, edifying community like the church can.
No Twitter debate can help us love our enemies like the church can.
No activist hashtag can channel our righteous anger and longing to do justice—and love mercy—like the church can.
No Spotify worship playlist can replicate the glory of embodied, congregational singing.
No celebrity preacher’s blog or podcast can replicate the gift of a pastor you can sit across from, known and loved, even in your darkest moments.
No confessional “vulnerability” on social media—however many likes it receives—is as satisfying as intimate confession with members of your church family.

Are there lots of things online that are good and helpful for the Christian life? Absolutely. But none of it beats the church.

Yes, It’s Hard

But this is idealistic, you might think. My church is not a place where I feel safe or known. It’s not the primary place where I grow.

Fair enough. But even if the above statements don’t match your current church experience, they still describe the church as it can be. Committed membership in a church, while imperfect, is still your best shot to live a faithful Christian life.

Find the healthiest church you can, but never assume it will be perfect. It won’t be. It’ll be uncomfortable. If you go to the hospital for dehydration and the doctor puts an IV drip into your arm, that’s uncomfortable. But it’s also your lifeline. The discomfort gives way to renewal.

So it is with church. We’re dying on the vine in the digital age. Going to church isn’t the most comfortable thing, but it’s what we need to become healthy again:

Amid the disorienting chaos of the digital age, church helps orient us.
Amid the partisan tribalism, church—a diverse and global family—breaks down walls.
Amid the disembodied surrealism or virtual life, embodied church reconnects us to reality.
Amid the ephemeral, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it speed of life online, church connects us to history and situates us in a much bigger story—an eternal story.

Church Outlives Everything

Spend an hour on the internet (or five minutes on Twitter), and it can feel like the world is falling apart. Everything is framed with emotional urgency and “breaking news” gravitas. Ominous headlines describe another COVID-19 surge, another horrific act of violence, another insipid conspiracy theory shared on Facebook.

And if Twitter is your main reference point, you might think the church is falling apart too. But in my experience, spending less time online, and more time with my church, almost always tempers my sense of gloom and doom. Why? Because when I’m at church, I’m part of the one institution in this world that won’t eventually collapse.

I’m looking around at people—of every color and background—who will be my tribe eternally. I’m doing the thing—worshiping God—I’ll be doing forever. Church takes me out of the hazy fog of this fleeting life and brings me into the clear, oxygen-rich air of eternity. As my hands lift in praise and my lips touch the bread and the juice, it’s like the “memories of her future” that Amy Adams’s character experiences in Arrival. In church we have glimpses of heavenly life.

When the world’s foundations are crumbling, run to the church, whose one foundation is Jesus Christ, our Lord. Will the church disappoint you? Yes. You will have wounds and scars. We all do. This side of heaven the bride of Christ will always be blemished. Yet Christ is sanctifying her, and one day she will be spotless and radiant (Eph. 5:27).

Never forget, Christian, that “the church will outlive the universe,” as C. S. Lewis puts it.

There will come a time when every culture, every institution, every nation, the human race, all biological life, is extinct and every one of us [in the church] is still alive. Immortality is promised to us, not to these generalities. It was not for societies or states that Christ died, but for men.

Never forget, Christian, the promise Jesus made to Peter, that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church (Matt. 16:18). Jesus never promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against that one Seattle megachurch, or one international apologetics ministry, or one gospel-centered coalition. Those things will come and go. The church will remain. The church is the only institution Jesus founded and the only one that will end in success. All other institutions, parachurch ministries, charities, and businesses will eventually end. The church will not.

Will TGC be around in 20 years? We hope so! But if not, that’s OK. In as many years as we are able, we want to help Christ’s church thrive in this complicated, challenging stretch of history.

We are not a church replacement. We are a church cheerleader and a church equipper. We want to help churches in the daunting task of digital discipleship. If pastors and church leaders are on the front lines of the battle to form Christians in the digital age, TGC is like a supply line attempting to help those in the battle-weary trenches as they fight for souls and ward off relentless attacks from various directions.

And it is a battle. Whatever platform or device you’re reading this on, it’s a spiritual battleground. Christians are being picked off right and left online.

Don’t let that be you. Shore up your defenses, breathe in replenishing oxygen, feed on the nourishment of God’s Word, and be built up by the body of Christ.

In other words: submit your life to a church.

This article originally appeared on The Gospel Coalition and is used with permission of the author.

Photo by Luis Quintero from Pexels

God’s Sovereignty Brings a Special Joy to Our Giving

One time I was driving with Luis, a thirteen-year-old boy I was mentoring. I took a road I hadn’t been on for a few years and found myself stuck at a long red light in a left-turn lane. A twentysomething woman called to me from the sidewalk, “Got change for a dollar?”

The lane between our car and the woman had no traffic, so I beckoned her over, gave her some money, and then handed her my little book Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Heaven, which includes the gospel message.

She said, “Cool,” thanked me, and returned to the sidewalk.

Afterward I pointed out to Luis, “Had I driven a different street, or had that light turned yellow two seconds later, we wouldn’t have been here. Had that woman come to the crosswalk thirty seconds earlier or later, she wouldn’t have called to me.”

I could have added that had I not felt moved the day before to replenish my supply of books in the car, I wouldn’t have had any copies to give her. And to top it off, had it happened another time, Luis and I wouldn’t have had the fun of together seeing God at work.

But Luis and I didn’t sense only God’s sovereignty in that moment; we also sensed His happiness. What a delight it was to have this unexpected encounter that I could never have orchestrated.

I don’t know who that young woman was—whether she read the book or responded to the gospel, or whether the book ended up in the hands of someone else whose life might have been changed by it. But if it did, one day I’ll see her again or meet the person God touched through it.

In His sovereignty, God orchestrates unique opportunities for us to be generous. He delights in those moments of divine connection, and so should we.

Excerpted from Randy's book Giving Is the Good Life .

Photo by Maxwell Ridgeway on Unsplash

Psalm 23: A Song about Our Good Shepherd

Note from Randy: Jesus of Nazareth is the self-proclaimed “Good Shepherd.” The psalmist said, because of his Shepherd, “I lack nothing.” Even in the darkest valley he would “fear no evil”—his Shepherd was with him (Psalm 23). Jesus says that His sheep may find total security in Him.

But incredibly, Isaiah 53 relates the Messiah not to a shepherd but to a sheep. It’s a magnificent truth that the Creator, Owner, and Shepherd of the flock became a lowly sheep in order to surrender His life for the other sheep. When you are suffering and feel God’s silence, look at Christ, the lamb who is silent before the shearers. He shouts to us without opening His mouth: “Don’t you see the blood and bruises? Never doubt that I care for you.”

Tim Challies, one of my favorite writers, recently wrote some reflections about Psalm 23. He and his family have walked through a dark valley after the sudden death of their 20-year-old son Nick last year. Like many before him, he has found deep comfort in this psalm. (Three years ago, early in her cancer journey, Nanci wrote a prayer based on Psalm 23. After you read Tim’s article, I recommend you read it. Her words spoke to me, and I hope they speak to you too.)

The Song I Sing in the Darkness

By Tim Challies

No work of art is more beautiful, more valuable, more irreplaceable, than the twenty-third psalm. It has stood through the ages as a work of art more exquisite than The Night Watch, more faultless than Mona Lisa, more thought-provoking than Starry Night. The lines of the greatest poets cannot match its imagery, the words of the greatest theologians its profundity. Credentialed academics may wrestle with it, yet young children can understand it. It is read over cradles and cribs, over coffins and crypts, at births and deaths, at weddings and funerals. It is prayed in closets, sung in churches, and chanted in cathedrals.

This psalm dries more crying eyes, raises more drooping hands, and strengthens more weakened knees than any man or angel. It tends to every kind of wound and ministers to every kind of sorrow. To trade it for all the wealth of all the worlds would be the worst of bargains. I’d have rather penned the twenty-third psalm than written Hamlet, than painted Sunflowers, than sculpted The Thinker, for when Shakespeare’s play has been forgotten, when Van Gogh’s painting has faded, when Rodin’s sculpture has been destroyed, David’s song will remain. We impoverish ourselves if we do not read it, do not meditate upon it, and do not treasure it. We weaken ourselves if we do not drink deeply of it in our deepest sorrows.

David’s great psalm employs the simplest of images—that of a shepherd and his sheep—and assures of the greatest of truths—that God is forever present with His people. “The LORD is my shepherd” he says so simply, “I shall not want.” Because the LORD is his shepherd, this sheep can have confidence that he will never lack for any necessity, for the shepherd loves His flock and will faithfully attend to their every need. When they are tired He will make them lie down in green pastures, when they are thirsty He will lead them beside still waters, when they are downtrodden He will restore them, when they are lost or uncertain He will lead them in the right paths. The sheep can rest in peace under the shepherd’s watchful eye, they can be assured of every comfort under His tender care.

But sometimes fields go barren and springs run dry. And in such times the good shepherd knows just what to do, He knows He must lead His sheep to fresh pastures and to cool, still waters. Yet He also knows the way will be difficult, for these pastures and waters lie on the far side of a dark valley. So He calls His sheep to Himself and begins to lead them into the darkness, to lead them along an unfamiliar path.

And here, on the edge of uncertainty, sheep says to shepherd, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Though the shepherd must lead His sheep into the darkness, lead them through an unknown valley, they will go, for He is with them. Their fears are soothed by His strength, their uncertainty by His presence. When enemies approach He will ward them off with His rod, when sheep stumble He will lift them with His staff. The shepherd who leads them in will lead them through and lead them out. And soon enough sheep and shepherd will emerge into the light on the far side of their darkness. And there again they will settle together for rest and refreshment. There again they will dwell in sweet peace.

What comfort there is in the knowledge that the shepherd who tends His sheep by still waters is the very same shepherd who tends them in the valley of darkness. The sheep do not foolishly blunder into that valley, they are not led there by wily wolves or chased there by hungry bears. They are led there by their loving shepherd, they enter there only according to His good plan and perfect purpose. They enter the valley only because it is for their benefit, only because the shepherd is leading them to something better beyond. They are never for a moment alone, for they are always following Him.

My shepherd has called me to walk a difficult path—a path of sorrow, a path of grief, a path stained by tears. The way is uncharted to me but familiar to Him, for He sees the end from the beginning, He has known from ancient times the things still undone. He speaks to the darkness and declares, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” I can have in him all the confidence of a sheep in His shepherd. I can follow Him, knowing that “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

And I will follow Him, singing this song in the darkness, meditating upon its truths with every step. I’d rather face my trial with David’s psalm in my heart than with Aaron’s staff in my hand, with Joshua’s army at my side, with Solomon’s gold in my pocket. I’d rather know the words to this one song than of all the great hymns of the Christian faith. I’d rather lose everything with my shepherd beside me than gain the whole world alone. Yes, I can bear the loss of my son as long as I know the presence of my shepherd. I can walk this path, I can pass through this dark valley, if only my shepherd guides me, if only He leads the way.

This article originally appeared on Challies.com and is used with the author’s permission.

Photo by Taylor Brandon on Unsplash

Courageous, 10 Years Later: Encouraging Men to Be Godly Fathers

This Friday, September 24, the Courageous movie will be released in select theaters in honor of the 10th anniversary of its original release. Some of you may know that I wrote a novel by the same title that was based on the screenplay of the movie. Both the movie and the book center on police officers and fatherhood and, not surprisingly, COURAGE for men in their homes and personal lives.

Of course, no movie and no novel are sufficient to change a life for the long haul. That requires a work of God’s Holy Spirit that continues over time. It also requires a change of life priorities and habits. Men (and women) need to turn off the television, look away from screens and read God’s Word, read great books, talk with their children, join Bible studies, and become accountable to others to grow in their walk with God, their marriage, and their parenting.  

So although a movie isn’t enough to change people, it can be one more instrument used by God to get their attention and challenge them to take the next step. The key to long-term growth and turning around hearts and families is churches and families and individuals meeting with God and each other day after day, calling upon Him to transform us, by the grace and truth of Jesus Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit.  

After the book first came I out, I did a 30-minute interview on the subject of being a courageous father. Much of it is still relevant for this current day—and perhaps even more so than 10 years ago:

You might also like to check out the nonfiction book The Resolution for Men, written by Stephen and Alex Kendrick and myself, which explores a set of commitments made by five men in the movie. Here’s an excerpt from my portion of that book:

Second Timothy was Paul’s last letter, written from prison shortly before his execution. In this letter he left final instructions to Timothy, whom he had mentored.

Timothy grew up without a believing father. That encourages men like me. I have a close friend, also raised in a nonchristian home. We often talk about the challenges and privileges of being first generation believers. By God’s grace, we’ve established Christian homes with our wives, and have seen God raise up our children to love Jesus. 

Paul tells Timothy, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice” (2 Timothy 1:5). This passage should encourage every single mom that their task is not hopeless. God is “a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows” (Psalm 68:5).

In the absence of a father, Timothy’s mother and grandmother did what God calls fathers to do. They passed on their faith in a way that made Timothy want to take ownership of it. How? In 3:15 Paul says, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Hearing God’s Word cultivates saving faith (Romans 10:17). God used his Word to bring Timothy to faith, apparently at a very early age.

The word for “childhood” here is often translated “infancy.” Parents are called to read Scripture to their children at very early ages. Some of our daughters’ earliest spoken sentences were verses, and both Karina and Angela came to Christ very young. There is no set age at which children can come to faith, but there does need to be some understanding of right and wrong, and of the fact that Jesus died so that we might be forgiven and live with him in Heaven.

In the following verses Paul addresses the nature of these Scriptures Timothy had learned from infancy: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:15-16). “All Scripture” means there is no Scripture that is not inspired. The fact that we may not understand a passage, or may have trouble believing it is not a sign of our deficiency, not Scripture’s.

The best source of wisdom any man can bring to his family is God’s Word. If a book, music, or video brings us back to Scripture, it can be a powerful source of learning in the home.

In an earlier letter Paul warned Timothy, “Watch your life and doctrine closely” (1 Timothy 4:16). A father’s job is to believe what is true and to live out that truth in front of his children. His life demonstrates the validity of his belief in the truth, and this will draw his children toward faith in God.

What Won’t Be in Heaven… and What Will Forever Be There

Meditate on these profound words from Scripture: “There shall no longer be any curse” (Revelation 22:3). The hope, the promise, the anticipation of this verse is inexpressible— it is weighty, thick with promise and joy.

In preparation for a message I shared at my  home church this summer, titled, “No More Curse,” I wrote out a list with two parts: what we will forever more experience on the New Earth, and what will we NOT experience on the New Earth because of “No more Curse.”

Here's a clip from the message, where I talk about this:

You can read the full list here.

What are you most looking forward to on the New Earth? What are you grateful won’t be there? Remember, we’ll have the good that’s the opposite of all the bad—the blessings that correspond to the absence of the curses.

I can’t wait.

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

Photo by J. Balla Photography on Unsplash

Clinging to Scripture Sustains Us Through Suffering

In times of crisis we try to make sense of life. We crave perspective for our minds and relief for our hearts. We need our worldview realigned by God’s inspired Word: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). God promises that His Word “will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).

A woman self-consciously told one of our pastors that before going to sleep each night she reads her Bible, then hugs it as she falls asleep. “Is that weird?” she asked. While it may be unusual, it’s not weird. This woman has known suffering, and as she clings to His promises, she clings to God. Any father would be moved to hear that his daughter falls asleep with his written words held close to her. Surely God treasures such an act of childlike love.

In a time of dark suffering and dread, David affirmed, “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?... Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.... Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.... I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27:1, 3, 10, 13–14).

Notice how David talks to himself about God’s faithfulness and goodness, encouraging himself to wait on God. It’s worth listening to self-talk if it involves speaking God’s Word.

Years ago I turned off talk radio when I drive, to listen to the Bible instead. Scripture on audio accompanies me as I travel. I never regret investing my time this way—why listen to one more human voice when you can listen to God’s? It prepares me to face whatever lies ahead. “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:3).

In this 2-minute video, from a 2019 interview, I talk about the importance of God's Word in hard times:

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 . Also, the booklet If God Is Good, Why Do We Hurt? deals with the question and shares the gospel so that both unbelievers and believers can benefit.

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Hope That Anchors Our Waiting Hearts

From Randy: One of our pastors at Good Shepherd Community Church, Jerayl DeVelvis, quoted from the following article, by Courtney Doctor, in an outstanding sermon this past weekend. It so resonated with both of us that I looked it up and Nanci and I read the whole article. It captured our own thoughts and feelings more than nearly anything we’ve read. 

This is being posted on a day when Nanci is going in for yet another major procedure, this time to deal with a presumably malignant tumor blocking her airway and making her breathing difficult. (Updates are posted on Nanci’s CaringBridge.)

“But don’t you pray for healing?” I’ve been asked. Of course. We have prayed daily and earnestly for complete healing for Nanci for over three and a half years. That continues to be our prayer, and countless others have prayed the same for her. 

We haven’t given up, but we do realize that GOD IS GOD AND WE ARE NOT! He is all-loving, all-good and all-wise. We ASK Him to heal Nanci, we don’t TELL Him to do so, because He is the Master, and we are His servants as well as His children.

Our faith is not in our faith. Our faith is in our God. We answer to Him, He does not answer to us. Please join us in asking—not demanding—that our gracious God would heal Nanci. And that today He would guide the procedure and help her to breathe better and recover well. We love Him and we entrust ourselves to His sovereign loving care, without reservation.

Hope for Waiting Hearts

By Courtney Doctor

I had a horse named Carson who was practically perfect in every way—as long as she was moving. The minute she had to stand still and wait, she would pace back and forth, stomp her feet, and throw her head. I would run back and forth to the tack room to hurry and saddle her because she would create such a restless ruckus. As long as she was moving, she was calm, obedient, and a joy. But when she had to wait, she was a night“mare.”

Honestly, I empathized with her. I’m not good at waiting either. I would much rather be moving forward. Somewhere. Anywhere. But sitting quietly and waiting is hard for me. So can you guess what God has me doing right now? Waiting. My husband and I are in a season of waiting for God to show us what’s next—where we should go and what we should do.

But we’re not the only ones. I have a friend waiting for the lab results from her husband’s biopsy. Another friend is waiting for a reprieve from an emotionally devastating situation. Yet another continues to wait and hope for a child. These are not light things to wait for. Psalm 37:7 tells us to “be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.” Unlike Carson, I want to learn how to do this—to be still as I wait.

I recently heard a pastor say, “The waiting may be hard, but it never leads to disappointment.” The truth of that statement rests entirely on what we think we are waiting for. In other words, the question isn’t simply what am I waiting for, but what am I hoping in? I’m learning that waiting and hope are intimately tied together.

Waiting, by definition, has something hoped for at the end of the wait. We are waiting/hoping for the right job. My friends are waiting/hoping for a good report, relief, and a baby. But what if those things aren’t given? God never promises that our seasons of waiting will end by receiving exactly what we want. Not all infertility ends with a baby. Not all cancer ends with a cure. Not all singleness ends with a spouse. Which means that our hope can’t be anchored in the thing we’re waiting for. Our hope has to be anchored in something far greater—the promises and character of God.

Hope in His Promises

I passed a billboard on my way to the airport this morning that proclaimed, “Jesus heals cancer. You don’t have to die.” Where in the world do we see that in Scripture? They’re claiming a promise God never made—and giving a hope that’s not ours to hold. The psalmist said, “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope” (Ps. 130:5). Our hope has to be anchored in the promises God has given us in Scripture. Here are just a few:

I will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5).
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28).
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26).
Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us (Rom. 8:34).
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also (John 14:2–3).

These are anchors for your soul. When you’re in a season of waiting and feel yourself becoming anxious, run to these and remind yourself of the hope that is yours.

Hope in His Character

Hope also has to be anchored in the character of our God—the unwavering goodness, faithfulness, and sovereignty of the One making the promises. Psalm 46 reminds us to “be still, and know that I am God” (i.e., know who I am!). Knowing the nature and character of God is to know rest, even in the midst of turmoil. Why? Because what God does flows out of who God is—which means that if He is good, then His ways are good. And if His ways are good, then His answers are good—even when they’re hard.

Unfortunately, we don’t always view life that way, do we? It’s far too easy to view God’s character through the lens of our situation, instead of the other way around. If we’re going through a hard time, then God must be harsh. Or, if we are going through a trial, then God must be angry. Or if we aren’t getting what we want, then God must be unjust or unkind.

But that is using a backwards lens. Flip it around and view your circumstances through the lens of God’s character. If he is for us (Ps. 56:9), then He is working for us in this trial. If He is our refuge, our strength, and our salvation (Ps. 18:2; Isa. 12:2), then we are safe. If He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love (Ex. 34:6), then we can rest in the fact that He will be merciful, gracious, and loving to us. If He is great and awesome (Neh. 1:5), then He is able to work mightily in the midst of our waiting. The list could go on and on. The point is that we need to remember who our God is—and then view our circumstances through the lens of his character. We need to be still and know that He is God.

What Are You Waiting For?

As the Israelites waited for God to return them to their land, Isaiah reminded them that “they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isa. 40:31). And the same is true for us. If you’re waiting on something, remember that, ultimately, it’s the Lord you’re waiting on.

If your hope is set on getting what you want, then you stand the chance of being deeply disappointed, even disillusioned. But if we hope in the One who is utterly good, completely for us, whose Word is sure, and whose ways are perfect, then that hope will never disappoint. So when the trials come and you are called to wait and be patient, wait well by anchoring your hope in the One whose promises are sure and whose character never fails.

This article originally appeared on The Gospel Coalition and is used with the author’s permission. Learn more about Courtney on her website.

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