In a world of hype, we may buy into the idea that, through Jesus, we’ll be healthier and wealthier as well as wiser. So what happens when we become ill, or depressed, or bankrupt? Did we do something wrong? Has God abandoned us? As a child, Michael Horton would run up the down escalator, trying to beat it to the top. As Christians, he notes, we sometimes seek God the same way, believing we can climb to him under our own steam. We can’t, which is why we are blessed that Jesus descends to us, especially during times of trial. In A Place for Weakness, formerly titled Too Good to Be True, Horton exposes the pop culture that sells Jesus like a product for health and happiness and reminds us that our lives often lead us on difficult routes we must follow by faith. This book offers a series of powerful readings that demonstrate how, through every type of earthly difficulty, our Father keeps his promises from Scripture and works all things together for our good. In a world of hype, we may buy into the idea that, through Jesus, we'll be healthier and wealthier as well as wiser. So what happens when we become ill, or depressed, or bankrupt? Did we do something wrong? Has God abandoned us? As a child, Michael Horton would run up the down escalator, trying to beat it to the top. As Christians, he notes, we sometimes seek God the same way, believing we can climb to him under our own steam. We can't, which is why we are blessed that Jesus descends to us, especially during times of trial. In A Place for Weakness, formerly titled Too Good to Be True, Horton exposes the pop culture that sells Jesus like a product for health and happiness and reminds us that our lives often lead us on difficult routes we must follow by faith. This book offers a series of powerful readings that demonstrate how, through every type of earthly difficulty, our Father keeps his promises from Scripture and works all things together for our good. Michael S. Horton (PhD) is the J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California, founder and editor-in-chief of Sola Media, and host of the White Horse Inn, a weekly roundtable podcast on theology and culture. He is the author of more than thirty books, including Justification: Volumes 1 and 2 in Zondervan Academic’s New Studies in Dogmatics and The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way . Too Good To Be TrueCopyright 2006 by Michael HortonRequests for information should be addressed to:Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataHorton, Michael Scott.Too good to be true : finding hope in a world of hype / Michael Horton.p. cm.Includes bibliographical references.ISBN-10: 0-310-26745-5ISBN-13: 978-0-310-26745-41. Suffering --- Religious aspects --- Christianity.2. Consolation.3. Hope --- Religious aspects --- Christianity.4. Jesus Christ --- Crucifixion.5. Jesus Christ --- Resurrection. I. Title.BV4909.H67 2006248.8'6 --- dc222005031943This edition printed on acid-free paper.All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English StandardVersion. Copyright 2000; 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.Used by permission. All rights reserved.Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version. NIV.Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan.All rights reserved.Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from The New King James Bible Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from New Revised Standard Version of the Bible,copyright 1989 by the Division of ChristianEducation of the National Council of Churches ofChrist in the United States of America, and are used by permission. All rights reserved.Scripture quotations marked TNIV are taken from the Holy Bible, Today's New InternationalVersion. TNIV. Copyright 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society. Used by permission ofZondervan. All rights reserved.Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Usedby permission.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,or transmitted in any form or by any means --- electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, orany other --- except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of thepublisher.Interior design by Michelle EspinozaPrinted in the United States of America06 07 08 09 10 11 12 * 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1I felt as if I were a willful teenager again, with my father shakingme by the shoulders to bring me to my senses. Only now,he could not grab me. He could not even speak to me, althoughhe desperately mumbled strange sounds. All that was left of theman were his eyes, pounding