Randy Alcorn's Blog, page 91

Immanuel, God with Us, Is Eternity’s Sonnet

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

“Immanuel, God with us.” It is hell’s terror. Satan trembles at the sound of it. . . . Let him come to you suddenly, and do you but whisper that word, ‘God with us,’ back he falls, confounded and confused. . . . “God with us” is the laborer’s strength. How could he preach the gospel, how could he bend his knees in prayer, how could the missionary go into foreign lands, how could the martyr stand at the stake, how could the confessor own his Master, how could men labor if that one word were taken away? . . . “God with us” is eternity’s sonnet, heaven’s hallelujah, the shout of the glorified, the song of the redeemed, the chorus of the angels, the everlasting oratorio of the great orchestra of the sky. . . .

Feast, Christians, feast; you have a right to feast. . . . But in your feasting, think of the Man in Bethlehem. Let him have a place in your hearts, give him the glory, think of the virgin who conceived him, but think most of all of the Man born, the Child given.

I finish by again saying, A happy Christmas to you all! —Charles Spurgeon

Christ, by highest heaven adored. Christ, the everlasting Lord, Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of a virgin’s womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity! Pleased as Man with men to dwell; Jesus, our Immanuel! —Charles Wesley

The implications of the name Immanuel are both comforting and unsettling. Comforting, because He has come to share the danger as well as the drudgery of our everyday lives. He desires to weep with us and to wipe away our tears. And what seems most bizarre, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, longs to share in and to be the source of the laughter and the joy we all too rarely know.

The implications are unsettling. It is one thing to claim that God looks down upon us, from a safe distance, and speaks to us (via long distance, we hope). But to say that He is right here, is to put ourselves and Him in a totally new situation. He is no longer the calm and benevolent observer in the sky, the kindly old caricature with the beard. His image becomes that of Jesus, who wept and laughed, who fasted and feasted, and who, above all, was fully present to those He loved. He was there with them. He is here with us. —Michael Card

When Jesus Christ came to Earth, one of the names given to him was Immanuel, which means “God with us.” The Incarnation means that God came down to live with us. And when Jesus ascended to Heaven in his resurrected body, he demonstrated that the Incarnation wasn’t temporary. The New Earth will be Heaven incarnate, just as Jesus Christ is forever God incarnate. —Randy Alcorn

Merry Christmas to you, and all glory to Immanuel, the God who is with us, and will be with us forever!

Photo by David Beale on Unsplash

Thoughts to Help You Ponder the Wonder of Christmas

The Christmas season is Nanci’s and my favorite, even in a year—no, especially—in a year that has brought significant trials, including in the last three weeks the bad news about the spread of Nanci’s cancer and the death of our best friends’ thirty year old son.  

What better time to celebrate the good news than when you’re dealing with bad news?! Especially when you know the good news will one day and forever triumph over the bad news, so that in the end that has no end no bad news will dull or eclipse the eternal good news! “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us” (CSB, Romans 8:18).

What follows are some great thoughts from Scripture and others about the meaning of Christ’s birth, the first Christmas. Hope this helps you ponder the wonder of Christmas.

To us ca child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ―Isaiah 9:6

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” ―Matthew 1:18-20

She gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. ―Luke 2:7, NRSV

When the shepherds had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. ―Luke 2:17-20

But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. ―Galatians 4:4-5

A God who was only holy would not have come down to us in Jesus Christ. He would have simply demanded that we pull ourselves together, that we be moral and holy enough to merit a relationship with him. A deity that was an “all‐accepting God of love” would not have needed to come to Earth either. This God of the modern imagination would have just overlooked sin and evil and embraced us. Neither the God of moralism nor the God of relativism would have bothered with Christmas. ―Timothy Keller

Often a work of God comes with two edges, great joy and great pain, and in that matter-of-fact response Mary embraced both. She was the first person to accept Jesus on His own terms, regardless of the personal cost. ―Philip Yancey

God sent Jesus at the perfect time for Israel. The hand of Rome was heavy on the Jewish people, and life under an emperor who claimed to be god was particularly oppressive. The people were equally burdened by stern requirements placed on them by religious leaders. Many Pharisees were obsessed with the law and emphasized self-righteous works over God’s grace. This was the weary and hopeless world into which God brought “good news that will cause great joy” (Luke 2:10). ―Randy Alcorn

Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus! ―Neal A. Maxwell

She looks into the face of the baby. Her son. Her Lord. His Majesty. At this point in history, the human being who best understands who God is and what he is doing is a teenage girl in a smelly stable. She can’t take her eyes off him. Somehow Mary knows she is holding God. So this is he. She remembers the words of the angel. “His kingdom will never end.”

He looks like anything but a king. His face is prunish and red. His cry, though strong and healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. And he is absolutely dependent upon Mary for his well-being.

Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager and in the presence of a carpenter. ―Max Lucado   

The baby born in Bethlehem was Creator of the universe. He pitched his tent on the humble camping ground of our little planet. God’s glory now dwelt in Christ. He was the Holy of Holies. People had only to look at Jesus to see God. ―Randy Alcorn

With barely a ripple of notice, God stepped into the warm lake of humanity. Without protocol and without pretension. Where you would have expected angels, there were only flies. Where you would have expected heads of state there were only donkeys, a few haltered cows, a nervous ball of sheep, a tethered camel, and a furtive scurry of curious barn mice.

Except for Joseph, there was no one to share Mary’s pain. Or her joy. Yes, there were angels announcing the Savior’s arrival—but only to a band of blue-collar shepherds. And yes, a magnificent star shone in the sky to mark his birthplace—but only three foreigners bothered to look up and follow it.

Thus, in the little town of Bethlehem … that one silent night … the royal birth of God’s Son tiptoed quietly by … as the world slept. ―Ken Gire

Come to earth to taste our sadness, he whose glories knew no end; by his life he brings us gladness, our Redeemer, Shepherd, Friend. Leaving riches without number, born within a cattle stall; this the everlasting wonder, Christ was born the Lord of all. ―Charles Wesley

No other God have I but Thee; born in a manger, died on a tree. —Martin Luther

So God throws open the door of this world—and enters as a baby. As the most vulnerable imaginable. Because He wants unimaginable intimacy with you. What religion ever had a god that wanted such intimacy with us that He came with such vulnerability to us? What God ever came so tender we could touch Him? So fragile that we could break Him? So vulnerable that His bare, beating heart could be hurt? Only the One who loves you to death. ―Ann Voskamp

If Jesus were born one thousand times in Bethlehem and not in me, then I would still be lost. ―Corrie ten Boom

Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world. ―C.S. Lewis

Long before silver bells jingled, Christmas lights twinkled, and horse-drawn sleighs went dashing through the snow, God reached down from heaven with the best gift of all. Love, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Hope, nestled in a manger. ―Liz Curtis Higgs

Jesus knew what it was like to have no vacancy in the inn that first Christmas. Human logic says the King of kings should have been born in a palace, surrounded by luxury. Instead, the only door open to the humble Savior was a dirty stable. Amazingly, and revealingly, this was all by God’s design.

Why is this good news for us? Because the Savior offered himself on our behalf, we won’t find “No Vacancy” signs in Heaven. If we’ve made our reservations by accepting God’s gift in Christ, then Heaven is wide open with plenty of room for all of us. ―Randy Alcorn

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

How Should We React When American Culture Doesn’t Acknowledge the Meaning of the Christmas Season?

Some readers will remember that several years ago some Christians were very offended that Starbucks used plain red cups at Christmas time, instead of saying “Merry Christmas” on them and using a more festive design. It was even called by some the “Starbucks War on Christmas,” leading some people to call for a boycott. (I like how Ed Stetzer responded: “It’s not Starbucks’ job to share the love of Jesus. It’s your job.”)

This “controversy” is long past now, but it seems that every year at Christmas time, we hear about believers who are upset that many in our culture prefer “Happy Holidays” over “Merry Christmas.” In some cases, we’re rightfully sad to see the true meaning of the season stripped away. I love to say and hear “Merry Christmas.” But should I be offended and angry when I don’t? As Christians, what should our reaction be when our culture doesn’t affirm a Christian worldview and recognize the importance of Jesus Christ?

I believe this points to a deeper problem I see in American Christianity today, and it comes down to expectations. As believers sometimes we expect the world to go along with what we believe, which includes the inerrancy and sufficiency of Scripture, the revelation of who Jesus is, and the truth of the gospel (that by grace we can be saved through faith). But we have to recognize that the world, by biblical definition (Romans 12:2; 1 John 2:2), simply does not accept and embrace God’s truth. 

It’s odd to me when we as Christians expect our culture to be faithful to Scripture. Of course it isn’t! Why would we be surprised by that? Think of the early church in the midst of the Roman culture, which had been heavily influenced by Greek culture. The Roman worldview and approach to human sexuality, life, and wealth were massively skewed. The culture the early church found themselves in was certainly not biblically based and Christ centered! 

I think sometimes as Americans we’ve told ourselves, “Yes, but that’s different because America is a Christian nation.” Well, America has not been a Christian nation for a long time. I’m not saying it never was—though it never was completely, of course, because there were many people all along who were not believers. But certainly there were plenty of Americans, including some of those in positions of leadership, who were genuine followers of Jesus and believed the Bible. Think about all the monuments in Washington D.C. that have Scripture on them. So yes, that’s part of our heritage. Christian principles influenced our laws and many people throughout our history shared some level of common morality.

But when Christians are trying to reclaim America as a Christian nation,  they need to stop and realize the reality of where our culture is at. While there are still secular people who might have general Christian morals, that number is fewer and fewer. I think people who live in the Bible Belt sometimes  get this idea that America is religious everywhere across the nation. But when you live in the Pacific Northwest like I do, in Oregon, you are under no illusion whatsoever that you are part of anything close to a Christian culture!

There are countries in Africa, Asia, and South America that are today far more Christian than America. America as a whole is largely post-Christian, though we still have a significant percentage of people who are serious about following Jesus. But those people’s beliefs and values about many issues, including gay marriage and gender identity and sexual morality, are no longer determinative in social discourse or our legal system. 

I remember a conversation I had with a brother from Africa who first came over to live in the Dallas, Texas area, and later relocated to Oregon. He said when he lived in Dallas and asked people what church they went to, no one ever looked at him like he was strange because the great majority at least have a church affiliation, even if they don’t regularly attend. They may not be Christians, but church is typically part of the lives of many people they know.

So this African brother said, “When I moved to Portland I started asking people the same question: ‘What church do you go to?’” He was amazed that people were perplexed and even offended at the question. They said, “What makes you think I go to a church?”

My observation has been that what we have long seen in Portland is the clear trend of the country. Yet many Christians in our country have been slow to accept the extent to which Bible-believing Christ-followers have become not just the minority, but often socially unacceptable. This shouldn’t make us hopeless—indeed, if our hope has been in America instead of in Jesus, it is past time to put our hope in the Son of God who alone can bear the weight of our trust. America, like all other nations, is not worthy of our ultimate faith and absolute loyalty; only God is. We are citizens of another country, a heavenly one, pilgrims and aliens and strangers in this world. We are Christ’s ambassadors in a foreign land, here to bring the message of the reconciliation He offers (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Albert Mohler recently said something on his Daily Briefing about  Chick-fil-A announcing it will no longer donate to the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Christian organizations that affirm Biblical marriage and sexuality rather than embracing homosexual marriage. Mohler comments,  

The reality is that this puts to the lie the confidence of so many conservative Christians in the United States that we are witnessing some kind of revolution that can be rather quickly reversed. That is simply not the case. The fundamentals of the society are changing around us, and when fundamentals change at this basic level, they do not change back quickly. As a matter of fact, there is really no historical precedent for that change to a previous position to be expected at all. Instead, what this announces to those who hold to Christian convictions on these issues is that, increasingly, we are going to experience… marginalization… So Christians, pay attention to the direction of the culture, but also pay attention to how the culture is being directed, and for that matter, who’s doing the directing.

Of course I wish Chick-fil-A had stayed completely true to the Christian values of its founder Truett Cathy. (This WORLD article gives some helpful clarifications on Chick-fil-A’s giving.) But having seen Christian values erode to the extent that they have, having gone to jail thirty years ago for trying to save the lives of unborn children, I don’t live with the illusion that my culture, or even many segments of the church, will agree with me.

As Christians, we should no longer believe the false idea that the world and our culture is going to go along with the Christian faith if only we stage the right boycotts and yell loud enough in social media. Historically, in almost every part of the world throughout history, the culture has been antagonistic toward true followers of Jesus. In fact, many of our brothers and sisters around the world are facing persecution right now for following Christ. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” (John 15:18, NIV). Peter said we should be firm in our faith, “knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world” (1 Peter 5:9).

Cultures ultimately can’t be Christian. Only individuals can be Christians, and those Christians can affect culture. I am not giving up on my country, and I certainly believe Christians should be involved in influencing our culture and doing what they can to make a difference. I’m grateful for those Christians who are called to be legislators, judges, and otherwise involved in the political arena. I am also in favor of people protesting true injustice. But often what we do instead of really affecting culture is just complain about it. Then ironically, we marginalize ourselves when it comes to declaring the gospel. Nobody is drawn to what we believe because we’re offended about or focused on things that ultimately just don’t matter (like, for example, Starbucks holiday cups).  

Instead of being upset that our culture is increasingly marginalizing Christian morals (and during this season, the meaning of Christmas), let’s continue to joyfully share the Good News about Jesus and the hope He has brought to our sin-stricken world. Our culture may in many ways be getting bleaker, but let’s remember and rejoice that God is at work in America and in every part of the world. God is changing hearts and lives and is growing His church. And ultimately, we look forward to the New Earth, a world where the culture will always recognize and celebrate Jesus as the King of Kings: “for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9).

Photo by Emin B on Unsplash

Glimpses into What God Is Doing Through EPM’s Eternity-Impacting Ministry

I don’t talk about our ministry on my blog much. But God is doing remarkable things through Eternal Perspective Ministries, and every once in a while, I believe there’s value in sharing with others the glimpses that God has graciously given us of His work through EPM.

I often tell people who support EPM that they have had a direct hand in helping us fund missions, sponsor prolife causes, and feed the hungry. That’s because those who give to our ministry’s general fund free us up to continue giving away the royalties from my books to many worthy Christian ministries. So, in effect, they’re supporting those ministries as well. (90% of the royalties are given away to other worthy ministries, and only 10% go to EPM to help offset the costs related to writing and editing the books. To date, EPM has given over $8.3 million in royalties.)

But there’s more. Supporting our ministry also:

Enables us to continue providing quality, Christ-centered content through my blog, our website, and social media.
Helps fund the writing of my books, and the EPM staff’s work as they assist me. 
Supports our staff in reaching out in Jesus’ name to all those we come in contact with through phone calls, emails, and social media. 
Provides for our ministry to prisoners and allows us to continue sending thousands of books to inmates in facilities across the United States.

Rather than tell you more about how the support of our donors has allowed us to continue impacting eternity, I’ll let the words of some of those we’ve heard from over the last year speak for themselves. Thanks to Stephanie Anderson and other EPM staff who received and passed on these notes to include below.

A chaplain wrote us this:

Your ministry has had a great impact on what I have been doing in the Juvenile Detention Facility. I began last year in July as the chaplain to the youth. It was a very difficult start, challenges with administration, staff and the youth themselves not wanting ministry. Good News has a bible study program where the inmates can do written studies on their own. We have great success with the adults, and I wanted to implement these studies with the youth. Your comic book series [Eternity and The Apostle] was a powerful tool in having the youth do these studies. I made the offer that if they do the Bible studies, they could have the comic books. It spread like wildfire! The very same boys that refused ministry [are] now requesting to see me, do the studies and they [are] reading your books. Most importantly, they are reading the Bible!

A prisoner who received books from us wrote this:

My roommate has a copy of your Picturing Heaven devotional book. I draw and color pictures for my children (9, 8, 8, and 4) every week.

We heard from many readers after I wrote a blog about suicide, including these ones:

I lost my husband in June. As a new survivor of suicide, thank you for this. My husband loved Jesus and so do I, but this is a journey I would have never dreamt I would ever be on, and cannot put into words the pain and guilt associated. I wept when reading this, & believe God lead me to seeing this article tonight. Thank you for this.

I want you to know that your article couldn’t have been timed better for my family. My cousin killed himself this last weekend and when your article just “happened” to show up on my feed (not everything you post does) I shared it. Then my aunt (who found her son’s body) shared it because it was a comfort to her. He was a combat veteran who had been suffering from PTSD for quite a few years but he was also a believer in Jesus who even brought several of his brothers in arms to the Lord. Thank you! God is using you to build up His people.

These readers wrote us on social media:

I want to personally thank you for your books on Heaven. It's been 19 months since my 31-year-old son went to Heaven in an airplane accident. …After his death I found myself wanting to know more about Heaven. ...I bought about every book you wrote and I’m so thankful for them as they helped in my grief get a better picture of Heaven and it made me thankful he was there.

I've been finishing some talks I will be giving at our church’s ladies’ fall retreat (Lord willing!), and the studying I have done has been such a blessing to my ❤️. The topic is “How to Be Happy.” Happiness is one of my favorite topics, and I have made it a point of study for several years now. I became intrigued by the topic when I got ahold of Randy Alcorn’s  book, Happiness years ago. His book was truly life-changing for me (BTW, as a lover of books, I read a lot of great books, but very few make it into the category of “life-changing”.)

Thank you so much for your contribution to the church in so many ways. I recently finished If God Is Good in preparation for a sermon on suffering and was so edified by your thoughtful and pastoral approach to suffering.

I read Safely Home (the first time) and it changed my life...I live in a town with a university that has 200+ Chinese students every year. …since reading this book (now many times) I have been burdened to get to know these students and have been privileged to have many in my home to bake, eat, and play games (and hear about Jesus).

The last book my husband read before passing of a sudden heart attack in June was your book Heaven. All he could talk about was your book. It gave me comfort that he was so excited to meet Jesus.

As always, I’m humbled and amazed at the ways God is using Eternal Perspective Ministries! John Piper says, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.” The same is true of EPM. We get glimpses into what God is doing, but we anticipate eternity, where we’ll learn countless more stories. As you serve Jesus in your life, the same will be true of you!

That brings me to the next year. If you have found our books, articles, social media posts, and/or magazine to be helpful in 2019, would you prayerfully consider supporting EPM and being a part of this eternity-shaping ministry in 2020? As is true for many nonprofits, the donations we receive in December are vital to support our work in the coming year. (I encourage you to give generously this season. It certainly doesn’t have to be to EPM. We’re here to serve everyone without cost. As Jesus put it in Matthew 10:8, “Freely you have received, freely give.”)

Please know that those of you who’ve partnered with our ministry through both giving and prayer play a vital role in our outreach. We’re deeply grateful for you. 

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” (Isaiah 52:7)

Finding Happiness in the Grace of Jesus,

Randy Alcorn

Please note that a tax-deductible  online gift  in 2019 must be received by 11:59 p.m. PT on December 31.

Hope That Doesn’t Disappoint Us This Holiday Season

Some time ago Greg Laurie asked me to speak in November at his Harvest Fellowship churches in Riverside and Orange, in Southern California. Before I left, I was thinking it was bad timing because my wife Nanci was going to the hospital the following Tuesday for a major surgery to deal with cancer that has moved to her lung. But Nanci still wanted me to go speak since she was fine watching football with our dog Maggie. :)

As I was preparing my message, I realized that part of God’s plan for that weekend wasn’t about what I was going speak to others but what He wanted to speak to me. Greg asked to interview me about Heaven, Happiness, and Hope. I’ve written multiple books on the first two subjects so I put my focus on HOPE. And God really did encourage me and renew my hope even as Nanci and I face another challenging episode in her cancer journey. (Prayers are so appreciated. See her CaringBridge page for the latest updates.) Part of God’s purpose in me being there was that Greg kindly prayed for Nanci in all three of the services at both campuses. At the book signings many people said they would be praying for Nanci.

Below I’ll share some more thoughts about hope. But some of you may wish to see the video. We talk some about Thanksgiving, but also about Christmas and the holiday season, so it’s still timely. (Greg and I focus on hope around the 30-minute mark.)

Here’s more on the theme of hope: “Hope” as we use the word often has an element of wishful thinking to it, with little likelihood of success. For example, “I hope I become president someday” or “I hope I win the big lottery” or “I hope I become an NFL quarterback.”

The Bible views hope differently. To put our hope in God is to know Him as our source of life, significance, and security. He is all powerful, and He loves us too much to ever fail us. That means hope placed in Him isn’t merely a wish but a rock-solid certainty.

Our hope is actually built on historical facts that happened on earth in space and time. J. I. Packer says, “There is hope for a ruined humanity—hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory—because at the Father’s will Jesus Christ became poor and was born in a stable so that thirty years later he might hang on a cross.”

Scripture talks about our struggle against the curse of sin, disease and death but says that is not the end of the story: “Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay” (Romans 8:20-21, NLT).

The whole creation that fell on our coattails when humanity sinned will rise on our coattails when God raises us from the dead! This is the grounds for our hope—not wishful thinking but the blood-bought promises of Jesus!

The hope of Heaven is the light at the end of life’s tunnel. It not only makes the tunnel endurable; it fills our hearts with anticipation of the world into which we will one day emerge. Not just a better world, but a new and perfect world. A world alive, fresh, beautiful. A world devoid of pain, suffering, and war. A world without earthquakes, without tsunamis, without tragedy. A world where all who love Jesus will be forever reunited with each other as well as with Him. A world ruled by the only One worthy of ruling.

If we build our lives on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ’s eternity-shaping redemptive work, we can be optimists. Why? Because even our most painful experience is but a temporary setback. Our pain and suffering may or may not be relieved in this life, but will certainly be relieved in the next. That is Christ’s promise—no more death, crying or pain; He will wipe away all our tears (Revelation 21:4). Indeed, any other foundation is sand, not rock. It will inevitably disappoint us.

May God graciously remind us that the power of Christ’s resurrection is enough not only to remake us, but also the universe. Nanci and I love the holidays, and her favorite hymn and mine is Joy to the World by Isaac Watts. It’s more about the second coming of Jesus than the first, and it’s theologically on target:

No more let sins and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.

How far does Christ’s redemptive work extend? Far as the curse is found. If redemption failed to reach the farthest boundaries of the curse, it would be incomplete. God won’t be satisfied until every sin, sorrow, and thorn is reckoned with. So let’s rejoice and be filled with hope as we anticipate the height, depth, length, and breadth of our Savior’s redemptive work!

Finally, here are some other great quotes on hope:

“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1)

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

“Mankind intuitively places their hopes and allegiance in a perceived great one. We want someone we can look up to, believe in, and identify with. Image-bearers need a hero. More specifically, fallen humanity needs a Savior. All the beauty longings of our heart scream for just one beauty that restores, fulfills, and endures. Christianity heralds just such a beautiful one: Jesus Christ.” —Steve DeWitt

“What is your hope? Only this—His relentless grace, boundless love, patient forgiveness and unending faithfulness.” —Paul Tripp

These thoughts are a great encouragement to me right now, and I hope they are to you too.

Photo by Ron Smith on Unsplash

Ten Ways Materialism Brings Us to Ruin

God created us to love people and use things, but materialists love things and use people. Materialism drives not just the “bad apples” of society; it drives “the best and the brightest,” those from the finest homes and schools, those who become government and business leaders, physicians, and attorneys.

Materialism begins with our beliefs. Not merely what we say we believe—not our doctrinal statement—but the philosophy of life by which we actually live. So even though true Christians would deny belief in the philosophical underpinnings of materialism (they couldn’t be Christians if they didn’t), they may nonetheless be preoccupied with material things. Materialism is first and foremost a matter of the heart.

What does materialism actually do to us? Here are ten answers to that question.

1. Materialism prevents or destroys our spiritual life.

Jesus rebuked the Laodicean Christians because although they were materially wealthy, they were desperately poor in the things of God (Revelation3:17-18). Materialism blinds us to our own spiritual poverty. It is a fruitless attempt to find meaning outside of God. When we try to find ultimate fulfillment in a thing or a person other than Christ or a place other than Heaven, we become idolaters. According to Scripture, materialism is not only evil; it is tragic and pathetic (Jeremiah 2:11-13).

Every attempt to find life in anyone or anything but God is vain. Materialism is a dead-end street. It is not only wrong—it is utterly self-destructive.

2. Materialism blinds us to the curses of wealth.

John Steinbeck wrote a letter to Adlai Stevenson, which was recorded in the January 28, 1960edition of the Washington Post. Steinbeck says, “If I wanted to destroy a nation, I would give it too much, and I would have it on its knees, miserable, greedy, sick.”

Scripture suggests that the possession of riches is almost always a spiritual liability (Mark10:23-25). If Jesus was serious when He said how hard it is for a rich man to enter God’s kingdom, and if being part of the kingdom of Heaven is the highest blessing a person can receive, then how can we imagine that having riches is always a blessing from God? Material prosperity can begin as God’s blessing, but when we treat it as a substitute for God, it becomes a curse.

3. Materialism brings us unhappiness and anxiety.

The risk of financial resources is well illustrated by the suicides and emotional breakdowns that commonly occur during significant drops in the stock market. It’s also demonstrated in the epidemic levels of high blood pressure and hypertension among today’s “successful” professionals.

Materialism is the mother of anxiety. No wonder Christ’s discourse on earthly and heavenly treasures is immediately followed by His admonitions not to worry about material things (Matthew6:25-34).

Paul says that the rich should not “put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but . . . in God, who richly provides” (1 Timothy6:17). To set our heart on earthly riches not only deprives God of glory, others of help, and ourselves of reward, it also destines us to perpetual insecurity. In contrast, the one whose hope is in God will be devastated only if God fails—and He never does.

4. Materialism ends in ultimate futility.

The book of Ecclesiastes is the most powerful exposé of materialism ever written. Solomon recounts his attempts to find meaning in pleasure, laughter, alcohol, folly, building projects, and the pursuit of personal interests, as well as in amassing slaves, gold and silver, singers, and a huge harem to fulfill his sexual desires (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11). He lived by this philosophy: “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure” (Ecclesiastes 2:10).

After his years as the world’s richest man, Solomon says, “When I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:11). Most people chase their mirages with money, but they run out of money before they run out of mirages. So they still believe the lie that “if only I had more money, then I’d be happy.” But Solomon had it all. He had more money than he could possibly spend. He ran out of mirages before he ran out of money.

Consider this statement, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). The repeated word never is emphatic—there are no exceptions.

5. Materialism obscures many of the best things in life, which are free—including the gift of salvation.

Some of life’s greatest blessings are just as available to the poor as to the rich, and often they are far more appreciated by the poor, whose lives are less cluttered and distracted by material wealth. The greatest blessing that God offers is available to all: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost” (Isaiah 55:1). The same invitation is repeated in the final chapter of the Bible: “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation22:17).

The only thing worth buying cannot be bought with money. God’s Son bought us our salvation, and He freely gives Himself to all who seek Him. Money cannot buy salvation, and it cannot buy rescue from judgment. “Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath” (Proverbs 11:4).

6. Materialism spawns independence and self-sufficiency, which are deadly to faith.

Why have faith in God when you have faith in yourself? Why trust God when you have all your bases covered? Why pray when you have everything under control? Why ask for your daily bread when you own the bakery? Self-sufficiency is the great enemy of faith and prayer, which are the heartbeat of the Christian life. We pride ourselves on our “financial independence,” but where would we be without God, from whom our every breath is a gift?

7. Materialism leads to pride and elitism.

The Bible is full of references proving that our tendency in prosperity is to believe we deserve the credit for what we have and to grow proud and thankless (Deuteronomy 6:1-15; 31:20; 32:15-18; 2 Chronicles 26:6-16; Psalm 49:5-6; 52:7; Proverbs 30:8-9; Hosea 13:4-6). Paul asks the prideful Christians of Corinth, “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). Paul tells Timothy, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant” (1 Timothy6:17). After all, God is the one who has given us our intellect (Daniel2:21), our abilities (Romans 12:6), and our capacity to earn money (Deuteronomy8:18).

Jesus came to die for every person of every social and economic level. Paul reminds the proud Corinthians that the Church is made up of the dregs of this world (1 Corinthians1:26-31). Elitism boosts our egos by making us think we are somehow more worthy than others. Few things are more repugnant to the Lord than the rich despising the poor (Job 12:5). Yet our clubs and social circles, sometimes even our churches, foster this very attitude.

8. Materialism promotes injustice and exploitation.

James condemned the rich, virtually assuming that anyone who is rich practices injustice to the poor and will come under God’s judgment as a result (James 5:1-6). The Old Testament prophets spoke out so consistently against the oppression of the poor by the rich that they left the distinct impression that a righteous rich man is rare (Isaiah 10:1-3; Jeremiah 5:27-28; 15:13; Hosea 12:8; Amos 5:11, 24; Micah 6:12).

The rich man will usually be materialistic. The materialistic man will always be unjust. The wealthier the man, the greater his opportunity for injustice. Of course, the wealthy man is no more inherently sinful than the poor—he simply has more means and opportunity to subsidize and impose his sins upon others.

9. Materialism fosters immorality and the deterioration of the family.

Those who enjoy prosperity, power, and privilege also commonly indulge in sexual immorality. Solomon had seen his father’s bad example. Prosperous King David, spoiled by getting everything he wanted, did not deny himself one more possession—another man’s wife (2 Samuel 11).

For years studies have shown a connection between marital infidelity and an increase in income. Of course, the point is not the income itself, but the lifestyle it underwrites. A Christian can make a million dollars a year, give generously, live modestly, and avoid much of the added temptation to immorality. It’s not how much we make that matters. It’s how much we keep.

A consequence of adultery is often divorce, and the consequences of divorce in the lives of children are inestimable. Even when adultery doesn’t result in divorce, it destroys the fabric of marriage and prevents the home from being a moral sanctuary from the corruption of the world. Anything that contributes to an increase in immorality, as materialism clearly does, directly contributes to the breakdown of families and the deterioration of society.

10. Materialism distracts us from our central purpose.

When Jesus describes the various kinds of people who respond to the gospel, He states that some seed “fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants” (Matthew 13:7). He later explains to the disciples, “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). Notice the clear relationship between wealth and worry.

Like the circus plate spinner who runs frantically from one plate to the next, quickly spinning each one again before it can fall and crash, many of us center our lives around possessions, concerns, and activities that demand our constant attention and thereby draw attention away from what God has called us to be and do.

Let’s Not Fail to Prepare for the Life Ahead

After striking a large deposit of gold, two miners in the Klondike gold rush were so excited about unearthing more and more gold each day that they neglected to store up provisions for the winter. Then came the first blizzard. Nearly frozen, one of the miners scribbled a note explaining their foolishness. Then he lay down to die, having come to his senses too late. Months later, a prospecting party discovered the note and the miners’ frozen bodies lying on top of a huge pile of gold.

Obsessed with their treasure, these men hadn’t taken into account that the fair weather wouldn’t last and winter was coming. Hypnotized by their wealth, they failed to prepare for the imminent future. The gold that seemed such a blessing proved to be a deadly curse.

Dazzled by riches and the prospect of having more, materialists live out their life on earth as if this were all there is. They fail to prepare for the long life ahead. One day, sooner than expected, materialists will find out they were wrong. They will discover the truth that all the wealth in the world can do nothing for them. If they don’t make that discovery until they die, it will be too late to go back and change the way they lived.

The good news is, God gave us His Word so we don’t have to wait until we die to discover how we should have lived. That’s why in order to break free from the tyranny of materialism, we desperately need to read the Scriptures, to grapple with these issues, bring them to God in prayer, discuss them with our brothers and sisters, and look for and learn from those rare models of nonmaterialistic living in our Christian communities.

Excerpted from Randy’s book Money, Possessions, and Eternity. See also his books The Treasure Principle, Managing God's Money, and Giving Is the Good Life. 

Photo by Émile Perron on Unsplash

Three Things to Remember When Giving Comfort to Grieving People

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15). We tend to do better at rejoicing. Because we don’t like to feel pain, we tend to ignore others’ pain. But they need us to become the arms of Christ to them.

Here are three things to remember when we’re called upon to comfort those who are grieving, especially during this holiday season:

1. To ignore someone’s pain is to add to that pain.

Instead of fearing we’ll say the wrong thing, we should reach out to hurting people. Many times it’s better just to put our arms around someone and cry with them; people almost always appreciate it when you acknowledge their loss. Yet so long as your heart is right, saying something is nearly always better than saying nothing.

People need to feel loved. A hurting child needs to feel his father’s arms around him. When the father is away, he may leave written words of love, as God has in His Word. But he may also call on the child’s older brothers and sisters to express his love to his child.

2. There is a time for silence, to just sit and listen and weep with those who weep.

We often condemn Job’s friends, but we should remember that they started well. When they saw his misery, they wept aloud. And then for seven days and nights they sat with him, in silence, wordlessly expressing their concern for him (see Job 2:11–13).

If we don’t know what to say to a friend in crisis, remember that so long as Job’s friends remained quiet, they helped him bear his grief. Later, when they began giving unsolicited advice and rebuke, Job not only had to deal with his suffering, but with his friends’ smug responses, which added to his suffering.

When someone in pain expresses raw emotions, we shouldn’t scold them. Friends let friends share honest feelings. When the premature and misguided correction of Job’s friends hurt Job, they didn’t have sense enough to say, “I’m sorry,” and then shut up. They went right on hurting him. So Job said to them, “Miserable comforters are you all!” (16:2).

Darrell Scott told me that after his daughter Rachel was murdered at Columbine, people often quoted Romans 8:28 to him. He wasn’t ready to hear it. How sad that such a powerful verse, cited carelessly or prematurely, becomes a source of pain when it should offer great comfort. Think of God’s truths like tools. Don’t use a hammer when you need a wrench. And don’t use either when you need to give someone a hug, a blanket, or a meal—or just weep with them.

On the other hand, Nancy Guthrie says sufferers should extend grace to the insensitive comforters who hurt them. The last thing a grieving person needs is to take on the burden of resentment. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

3. Don’t disappear or avoid your friend who needs you now more than ever.

My mother died in 1981, when I was a young pastor. Ten years earlier, not long after I’d become a Christian, I had the joy of leading Mom to Christ. We grew together, reading and discussing Scripture and great books, praying and laughing together, and later fussing over my children, her granddaughters, Karina and Angela. When she died, I mourned my loss, my wife’s, and above all my children’s. I felt like part of me had been taken away.

As I walked into church that first Sunday after Mom’s death, I felt as though my presence parted the Red Sea. Instead of greeting me warmly in their usual way, people stepped aside. I knew they did it because they didn’t know what to say, yet it magnified my loneliness.

Most of us have seen friends disappear when we most needed them—and without meaning to, we’ve done the same to others. If you find yourself not wanting to make a phone call when you hear about someone’s crisis, remind yourself that any expression of concern is better than none. When people lose a loved one, they don’t want to “move on” as if the person never existed. Even if doing so makes them cry, usually they want and need to talk about them.

Here are some recommended books for those who are grieving (and those who are ministering to them):

Children and Grief: Helping Your Child Understand Death by Joey O’Connor: resource to help children deal with death, loss and grief.

Experiencing Grief by Norman Wright: a classic book on grief that leads readers through five essential stages of grief.

Five Cries of Grief: One Family’s Journey to Healing by Merton and Irene Strommen: written from a grieving parent’s perspective, provides strength, insight, and renewal for those who are grieving.

Good Grief by Granger E. Westberg: booklet that guides readers through the ten stages of grief.

A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss by Jerry Sittser: shows that it’s how we respond to painful circumstances that allows us to experience growth in the midst of grief.

Holding on to Hope: A Pathway Through Suffering to the Heart of God by Nancy Guthrie: excellent book that is biblical, theologically sound, compassionate, and caring.

Journeying through Grief: a set of four short books to share with grieving people throughout the first year after their loss. (Available from stephenministries.org.)

Letter to a Grieving Heart: Comfort and Hope for Those Who Hurt by Billy Sprague: shares words of comfort that carried the author through grief to a place of strength.

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go: Facing Death with Courageous Confidence in God by various authors (contributors include John Piper, R.C. Sproul, and Randy Alcorn): A collection of writings encouraging believers to face death with a firm and confident belief in the character and promises of God.

Reflections of a Grieving Spouse: The Unexpected Journey from Loss to Renewed Hope by Norman Wright: help for those who have lost a spouse.

Tear Soup by Chuck DeKlyen, Taylor Bills, and Pat Schwiebert: a story picture book, beneficial for both children and adults.

When Life is Changed Forever By the Death of Someone by Rick Taylor: speaks to wounded hearts and offers a hope that life can be lived fully again.

When Your Family’s Lost a Loved One: Finding Hope Together by Dave and Nancy Guthrie: guides readers through the challenges of keeping their family together and strong.

Some readers have also found my books on Heaven and suffering to be helpful.

Photo by Ryan Crotty on Unsplash

History’s Greatest Plot Twist: God’s Son Became a Baby

God is the Great Storyteller. With grand artistry, He brings forth a beautiful world in a spectacular universe. As the culmination of His creativity, He fashions Adam and Eve. He could have shielded them from Satan’s temptations, warding off evil, suffering and humanity’s curse. But He didn’t. So the man and woman rebel against God, and evil enters the world.

Thousands of years go by as humanity’s struggle intensifies. God promises a Redeemer, and with eagerness His people look for one to come forth triumphantly, overthrowing their enemies and set­ting up His kingdom. But the centuries pass without the Redeemer’s appearance.

In a fantastic plot twist, God’s son becomes a baby. He grows up to be a humble carpen­ter, heals the sick, raises the dead, and allows His enemies to kill Him, all to redeem the people He loves. He rises from the dead, commands and empowers His followers to serve Him, then leaves but promises to return. With the force of His resurrection to back it up, He reiterates the promise: one day He’ll make all things right and will come to live forever with His people.

God wrote the script of this drama of redemption long before Satan, demons, Adam and Eve—and you and I—took the stage. And from the beginning, He knew that the utterly spectacular ending would make the dark middle worth it. Paul writes, “This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time” (2 Timothy 1:9). How could God give us grace before our lives began, even before the universe existed? Only because God knew and determined in advance the work of Christ on the Cross.

Eden’s greatest attraction was God’s presence. Sin’s greatest tragedy was that God no longer dwelt with His people. But this all changed and John 1:1 sets it up: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And then comes this verse that bursts forth like fireworks: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

The God who lives in unapproachable light became approachable in the person of Jesus! People could look at Jesus and see God. He is Immanuel, “God with us.” And He is not only all about truth, He is all about grace—a grace that delivers us from the Hell we deserve and grants us the Heaven we don’t deserve!

Even before Christ’s incarnation, God came to the Garden to walk with Adam and Eve. But Christ’s incarnation and resurrection took it much further—one member of the transcendent triune God became permanently immanent. Jesus is in physical form, a human resurrection body, for all eternity.

The miracle of the Cross was made possible by the miracle of the Incarnation. The angels must have been stunned to see the second member of the triune God descend to Earth and become a human being. The baby born in that Bethlehem barn was God, and He was born to die. His death delivers us from Hell at our death, and therefore delivers us from the fear of death. His suffering on the cross atoned for our sins, but His suffering, tests, and temptations allowed Him to understand, empathize and help us.

God’s love comes to us soaked in divine blood. One look at Jesus—His incarnation and redemption He provided—should silence the argument that God has withdrawn to some far corner of the universe where He keeps His hands clean, maintaining His distance from human suffering. God doesn’t merely empathize with our sufferings. He actually suffers. Jesus is God. What Jesus suffered, God suffered. Christ’s incarnation and atonement provide the ultimate demonstration of love.

David says, “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4). David was preoccupied with God’s person and God’s place. He longed to be where God was and to gaze on His beauty. To see God’s face is to behold His beauty.

Because of the incarnation we get to be with Jesus today, but we’ll also be with Him in a fuller sense on the New Heavens and New Earth. When Jesus returns, conquers sin and death, makes all things right, and sets up His Kingdom here on earth, we’ll get to be in His presence forever. This is emphatically promised in Revelation 21:4.

God has His hands on the earth. He won’t let go—even when it required that His hands be pierced by nails. Both His incarnation and those nails secured Him to Earth and its eternal future.

In a redemptive work far greater than most imagine, Christ bought and paid for our future and the earth’s—an unending future where we will dwell with the Word who became flesh.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Want to Find Out How to Live the Good Life? Discover the Beautiful, Hope-Giving Answer from Scripture

“What’s the good life?” The world attempts to answer that question in many different ways, but they all lead to dead ends. The biblical answer is that the good life is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. When you live that kind of life, among other things, it’s happy-making. Jesus said, “It is more happy-making to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). The Greek word translated “blessed,” makarios, means happiness or happy or happy-making. So the good life is a happy life!

The problem is that we look for the good life, and happiness, in the wrong places. That’s why I wrote my book Giving Is the Good Life—I wanted to clarify what Scripture actually says about how we can experience the abundant life Jesus came to give us. And the answer from God’s Word is so beautiful and hope-giving! The good life is definitely not what the world claims it is. It’s what Jesus claimed it is. 

Earlier this year, I was interviewed at Compassion International’s Chapel in Colorado Springs about Giving Is the Good Life. (Learn more about the connection between the book and Compassion here.) Stacey Foster did a great job asking me questions and leading our conversation. I think you’ll enjoy this 33-minute discussion and, and I hope, will find it beneficial:

Giving Is the Good Life on Sale, Plus Free Shipping 

Giving Is the Good Life is on sale from EPM for $9.99 (44% off retail $17.99), plus get FREE USPS Media-Mail shipping on any order when you use the code FREESHIP at checkout. 

Both offers end on Thursday, December 12 at 12 p.m. PT (noon). Free shipping is valid for U.S. continental orders only. 

Photo by Alex Grodkiewicz on Unsplash

When Your Wife Is Dubbed a Female Chuck Norris

My wife Nanci was featured in a column Monday by Chuck Norris, our friend and brother in Christ. Chuck writes, “I know Nanci, and I know she's not happy with me placing this much focus on her, right Nanci?” He’s right. Both of us feel a bit awkward with the high praise for the two of us, but I’m nonetheless touched and grateful for Chuck sharing about Nanci’s cancer journey, and we deeply appreciate all the prayers on her behalf. Thanks, Chuck and Gena, for your friendship, love, and support. And thanks to everyone who has written words of encouragement to us and prayed for us! —Randy Alcorn

She's a female Chuck Norris

By Chuck Norris

Like with many of you, the Thanksgiving and Christmas season is our favorite time of year. It's a special time when we all get together with family and friends. It is a time of celebration, but it can also be a time of trial, especially if you're enduring hardships, like some close friends of ours – one of whom I'm calling "a female Chuck Norris."

I admire many of the amazing women and heroines who were a part of history, especially the American Revolution, some known and some not-so-known: those like Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Lucy ("Lady") Knox, Sybil Ludington, Catherin Barry, Esther Reed, Margaret Corbin and Nancy Hart. All these women were incredible patriots and warriors.

My wife, Gena, and I also have many modern women we admire, too: like former first ladies Barbara and Laura Bush,Texas first ladies Anita Perry and Cecilia Abbott, Dr. Alveda King, Lili Baehr, Elizabeth Ridenour, Tania Beck, to name a few. In addition to these, we also know and respect many great women who have served our military and local law enforcement and first responder agencies. We also are grateful and blessed to know many women of charitable influence, those that serve as instructors and managers in our KickStart Kids Foundation and the many great women in our families. We love and respect them all for the different and giving qualities they embody and shine to us and others.

However, and I agree that I might be a bit biased, there are very few women I would put on par with Gena and my mom, but Nanci Alcorn is someone who makes the cut.

Gena and I have many special friends around the country and world. Among them are those who have had a great spiritual impact and influence on us. A couple at the top of that heap are Randy and Nanci Alcorn.

You undoubtedly have heard of Randy as he is one of the top-10 Christian authors in the U.S. and world. He is a New York Times best-selling author, who has written 58 books, including "Courageous," "Heaven," "Happiness," "The Treasure Principle," the Gold Medallion winner "Safely Home" and his most recent, "Giving is the Good Life." His books have been translated into over 70 languages and have sold over 11 million copies. He is also the founder of Eternal Perspectives Ministries (epm.org).

But behind all of Randy's success and service is his best friend and faithful wife for decades. If it's true that behind every great man is a great woman – and I believe it is – Nanci is that great female behind Randy. From their youth, she has stood by her man. I can say with certainty, when it comes to wives, Randy and I definitely "married up"! Right, Randy? [Note from Randy: “Definitely right!”]

Randy, Nanci and their beloved dog Maggie.

 

Randy and Nanci with their daughters, Angela and Karina, when they together wrote  "The Ishbane Conspiracy."

 

The Alcorns, Gena and I having a little fun together.

The Alcorns have been good friends of ours for roughly two decades, and we've spent some choice times together from Texas to California. They've both been gigantic encouragers and Christian models and mentors to us. We love and thank them for their friendship, devotion and even patience with our often-ultra-busy lives.

In the beginning of 2018, it was difficult for us to hear when Nanci was diagnosed with colon cancer. We joined countless others in praying for her, Randy and the rest of their family, who are all precious souls, too. Nanci's healing would be found through a long year of surgery with a combination of radiation and chemotherapy treatments. And through it all, of course, they kept their faith in God, though they struggled as we all would.

Randy, who also wrote the must-read book, "If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil," shared some insights on his blog about how they made it through 2018:

Even in the midst of doctor visits and rounds of chemo, Nanci and I have been delighting in God through delighting in His Word, and have been discussing His faithfulness and aspects of His character. This has been an anchor for us. Jesus is the object of our faith and the source of our eternal perspective and present comfort.

One of the books Nanci has been reading is  "The Joy of Fearing God,"  by Jerry Bridges. Jerry writes, "We cannot separate trust in God from the fear of God. We will trust Him only to the extent that we genuinely stand in awe of Him."

Nanci has also loved reading  "Knowing God"  by J. I. Packer and  "Trusting God"  by Jerry Bridges, along with A. W. Tozer's  "The Knowledge of the Holy."  Both of us highly recommend these books, because they center us on the person of God, which is where we all need to set our minds, whether we're facing cancer or anything else. Our hearts have been lifted in praise as we contemplate His holiness, grace, justice, mercy, and every facet of His being revealed to us in Scripture.

As much as we appreciate the physicians and the advances of medical science, we are reminded that our ultimate hope is not in them but in God. Trust in our sovereign and gracious and happy God, who alone is sufficient to bear the weight of our trust, allows Nanci and me to laugh and talk and pray together each night with an underlying foundation of happiness.

We are secure in God's love and fully trust Him to do what He determines is best for His glory and for Nanci's good. Scripture tells us, "Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases" (Psalm 115:3).

At the end of 2018, when all was medically said and done, the Alcorns received great news as scans showed "no detectable cancer"! They celebrated – we all celebrated, and they spent the last year regrouping and resting. They deserved it. They needed it.

Unfortunately, in the last few months of 2019, through her routine checkups, the Alcorns received the disheartening news that Nanci's cancer was clear from its original area but had sometime previously spread to her lungs.

Last week, just two days before Thanksgiving, Nanci underwent another surgery to remove the cancerous nodules from her lungs.

Their daughter Angela described the good-news-bad-news outcome on Nanci's CaringBridge page:

Her surgeon was able to remove 2 of the suspicious nodules WITHOUT removing an entire lobe of her lung! [That's great news!]. For those of you who are medically inclined – he did a wedge resection not a lobectomy. This means that her recovery (that was expected to be 6-8 weeks) is now potentially only going to be 3-4 weeks instead.

Unfortunately, the surgeon said that he is 95% certain these nodules are malignant. We were definitely aware this was likely the case, but the biopsy results will tell us for certain in about 7 days.

Most likely chemo will be the next course of action after she fully recovers from surgery, but we'll have to wait to hear from her oncologist and the surgeon managing her original colon cancer.

We deeply appreciate all your prayers. We'll continue to update you as she recovers.

We encourage you to pray for our friends, Nanci and Randy, and their family. We'd even encourage you to join her CaringBridge page to read the latest in her progress. And please join Randy's Facebook page for further updates on Nanci as well as his spiritual encouragements to help you if you, too, are enduring tough times this holiday season.

Now, I know Nanci, and I know she's not happy with me placing this much focus on her, right Nanci? Or that I might share with millions of people from sea to shining sea that her birthday was on Saturday. And that one of the best ways people can bless her (and Randy) is to purchase a copy of her super-helpful book for women that would also make a great Christmas gift: "Help for Women under Stress: Preserving Your Sanity."

So, let me lift my personal concern for the Alcorns to add an encouragement that we also pray this Christmas for the cancer patients we know – especially the children, the medical teams who treat them, and that medical science continues to make advances and breakthroughs to overcome this dreaded disease. You might even consider making one of your Christmas donations to the American Cancer Society, which helps in myriad ways.

Alcorns, dear friends, we are so sorry for what you are enduring again, but we are honored to stand in the gap and help raise up God's great army across this country and around the world to pray and believe for Nanci's healing, too, and all of the Alcorn family's Christmas peace and joy, which is true "Happiness," as Randy teaches.

If you struggle knowing how to pray, then join Nanci in her passionate and empowering prayer this Christmas season, especially if you're facing your own hardships. Nanci gave us a glimpse into her faithful heart through a prayer she wrote based upon the inspiring and timeless words in Psalm 23. It's titled, "A Prayer to the Shepherd of My Life":

Please, Shepherd of my life,

Cause me to want nothing more – not even good health – than to have you as my Shepherd.
Reveal to me that the pastures and waters to which you lead me are green and still – because you are there!
Engage my heart to receive the restoration of my soul by your Holy Spirit.
Renew my conviction that, for your name's sake, righteousness is the direction of each path you have for me.
May your Holy Spirit – the Comforter – banish all my fears of evil (being out of control, letting pride inflate me, weakness, pain, loss of plans) as I walk through this valley – because you are with me!
Open my eyes and my ears to the protection and comfort of your rod and staff. Don't let me miss those things and people which you have provided me for this purpose.
Help me experience the table you have prepared for me in the presence of this cancer.
Don't let me overlook – or fail to ask for – your every healing drop of oil on my head.
Keep my perspective on my daily overflowing cup of your goodness and mercy.
Direct my longing toward my place in your house, forever!

Now, do you see why I call Nanci "a female Chuck Norris"?