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Some people suppose happiness is uniquely human, unrelated to God’s nature: as He gave us a body and hunger, which He doesn’t have, He gave us a capacity for happiness, which He also doesn’t have. I believe something radically different—that God wants us happy because He’s happy!

Living with a chronic neurochemical issue successfully is exhausting, as you well know. You asked why God allows this, and it’s an honest question which everyone who’s ever struggled with the effects of Adam’s choice asks. 

Francis Schaeffer wrote, “We must remember throughout our lives that in God’s sight there are no little people and no little places. Only one thing is important: to be consecrated persons in God’s place for us, at each moment.”

The article you shared repeats the same tired platitudes about joy vs. happiness that Randy addresses in his books. It all sounds spiritual… but writing such as this is based on very little other than frequently repeated half-truths in the Christian world!

Our hearts go out to the people of western North Carolina and in other communities who’ve suffered so much from the effects of Hurricane Helene. One of the ministries EPM recommends is Samaritan’s Purse, which is based in Boone, North Carolina. It’s amazing that their organization, which is always responding to disasters around the world, is directly impacted by the disaster in this case.

In a culture that so often switches the price tags so what’s valuable looks worthless and what’s cheap demands a high price, we must regularly withdraw to Scripture and ask God’s Spirit to train our minds and consciences to recognize what’s truly good and what’s truly evil.

My best friend and I had a divine appointment not long ago—through a series of unusual circumstances. I told the person we met, “This is no accident that we are here talking with you. God had this planned. He does things like that. This is what we call a divine appointment.”

There are many reasons to obey what God commands us in Scripture. Here are five of them I’ve reminded myself of over the years.

My book It’s All About Jesus includes this great quote from Glen Scrivener, a British minister and evangelist: “Christians believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. Materialists believe in the virgin birth of the cosmos. Choose your miracle.”

We commend your and your husband’s desire to fully participate in the life of the church you are attending. While we can’t provide definitive answers to your questions, we can provide some follow-up questions for you both to reflect and pray through.

This is a great answer from Doreen Button, part of our EPM staff. Like many of you, I do not enjoy the political turmoil, including in the church, that will only get worse as the presidential election gets closer. However, we should be trusting God no matter what happens. As Psalm 25:15 says, “My eyes are continually toward Yahweh.” 

It seems like there is so little understanding of what goes on in the brain of someone with dementia. We know that once we're on the New Earth, our resurrected bodies won't suffer from any of the diseases and ailments we experience here on Earth.

The church's false and unbiblical distinctions between happiness and holiness, and between happiness and joy, contradict the “good news of happiness” we’re promised in the Messiah (see Isaiah 52:7, ESV and NASB, two of the most literal translations)!

We do want to be very careful to keep the focus on Jesus, and remember that He is the only Mediator we need. (Seeking contact with the dead is clearly forbidden in Scripture.)