I wrote this article years ago, but I’m sharing it again on my blog as it’s still timely, especially as we enter the holiday season. From mid-November to early January, our lives change, bringing many things that are delightful, but which increase our pressure and fatigue! May this article remind you to focus on what’s truly most important in this season, and to take time to sit at Jesus’ feet. —Randy Alcorn There was work to be done. After all,... Read more
“‘Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!’ You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” (Psalms 30:10-12). Here’s my 90-second response to a question from Greg Laurie about whether we can be happy when going through suffering and hard times: In my understanding... Read more
November 3, was the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. But there are still plenty of opportunities this month to highlight the plight of our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world and spend time interceding for them. (Open Doors USA offers some free resources.) Supporting organizations that work with persecuted believers has always been a focus of EPM. Those who are familiar with my books know that I wrote my novel Safely Home to open readers’ eyes to the persecution... Read more
Have you been sitting at the feet of Jesus, as Mary of Bethany did (see Luke 10:38–42)? Have you been turning your back on a thousand distractions to enjoy the presence of your Bridegroom, the Carpenter from Nazareth, the One who said He was going to prepare a place for you and is coming back to get you so you can be with Him forever (see John 14:2–3)? Time with God is the fountain from which holiness flows, along with joy and... Read more
Sometimes I meet Christians who seem utterly bored with their lives. There is a great cure for boredom, although it’s one people don’t typically consider: giving more time, money, and energy to God’s Kingdom work, and inviting God to open our eyes to the needs surrounding us. One hot summer day I stopped at a store for a Diet Mountain Dew, but when I saw the price, I changed my mind. However, as I often do, I prayed that God... Read more
In the late 1990s, Martin Seligman, the president of the American Psychological Association, noted psychology’s emphasis on the negative side of life, including depression and anxiety, while ignoring the positive, including happiness and well-being. His observation spurred new research and hundreds of articles on happiness. One of the central topics addressed in these studies is this simple question: Can people become happier? The resounding answer is yes—to a degree. Researchers say there are limits on human happiness, some genetic and... Read more
Periodically I write an unusually long blog because the issues are so far-reaching that I think they demand extra attention. I don’t like to break such blogs into multiple parts, so if you have the time to work this through with me, here we go. Many have reacted, both negatively and positively, to comments that John MacArthur made recently about Beth Moore. This happened at the Truth Matters Conference, held at MacArthur’s Grace Community Church in California. At that event, those... Read more
For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men. To crush underfoot all prisoners in the land, to deny a man his rights before the Most High, to deprive a man of justice— would not the Lord see such things? Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has... Read more
Many thanks to those who have prayed for and left comments for Nanci and me after I shared about her then upcoming CT scan, which was done two weeks ago. At the follow up appointments, we received some challenging news about the results. Two different surgeons believe Nanci’s cancer, which they saw no more sign of until recently, has spread to her lungs. (The suspicious spots can’t be easily biopsied because they are too deep, and will need to be removed... Read more
A common Old Testament word expressing truth, emeth, speaks of a dependable reality that’s solid and binding. Truth is the bedrock of human relationships (Exodus 20:16), involving an integrity of thoughts, speech, or actions. Over half the New Testament uses of truth, the Greek word aletheia, are in John’s Gospel. Truth is reality. What seems to be and what really is are often not the same. As I develop in my novel Deception, “Things are not as they appear.” To know the truth is... Read more
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