Though all of us, if asked, might say that we don’t have any more right to a perfect and pain-free life than the next person, in our own hearts and minds, we tend to believe that we do. So, when forced to suffer, even mature believers can feel driven to question God’s motives, or perhaps even His existence! We imagine that if we are faithful and obedient to God, He will reward us with an easy life. However, God doesn’t promise pain-free... Read more
At times all of us are lonely, but to be chronically lonely is to live with almost unbearable stress. Loneliness may begin with a sense of disconnection from others. You may feel you don’t deserve attention, or feel that no one would want to spend time with someone like you. If you know Christ, you need to embrace a biblical view of yourself that goes beyond the fact that you are a sinner and unworthy of God’s grace. That’s true... Read more
The primary passage of Scripture that talks about storing up treasures in Heaven is Matthew 6:19-21, where Jesus tells us to transfer our wealth from one place to another: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will... Read more
I met and talked with author and psychologist David Powlison only once, but I will never forget the sweetness of his spirit, and how I saw Jesus in him. His insights were penetrating and gospel-centered. My thanks to Justin Taylor for posting this excerpt from David’s booklet God’s Love: Better than Unconditional: When you look closely, God’s love is very different from “unconditional positive regard,” the seedbed of contemporary notions of unconditional love. God does not accept me just as I am; He... Read more
Tomorrow, May 31, is Nanci’s and my 50th wedding anniversary. I thank God for His faithfulness and the time we had together. I’m so grateful for how Nanci put up with me for all those years, and for being not only my wife, but also my best friend and my closest sister in Christ. I keep thanking God for her partnership and companionship in the gospel. I first heard the gospel from Nanci, and we discussed messages I was hearing... Read more
One of my great heroes is William Wilberforce. He is credited as the primary human agent to bring about the end of slavery in England. Wilberforce wrote, The gospel freely admitted makes a man happy. It gives him peace with God, and makes him happy in God. It gives to industry a noble, contented look which selfish drudgery never wore; and from the moment that a man begins to do his work for his Saviour’s sake, he feels that the most ordinary... Read more
Jesus says, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:1). The illustrations that follow include prayer and fasting, but begin with giving. When you give to the needy, He says, don’t announce it, as do the hypocrites, who want to be honored by men. Instead, give quietly, not telling anyone, “so that your giving may be in... Read more
A radio preacher, speaking about a Christian woman whose Christian husband had died, said, “Little did she know that when she hugged her husband that morning, she would never hug him again.” Though the preacher’s words were well intentioned, they were not true. He could have said, “She’d never again hug her husband in this life,” or better, “She would not be able to hug her husband again until the next world.” Because of the coming resurrection of the dead,... Read more
God created Adam and Eve to be king and queen over the earth. Their job was to rule the earth to the glory of God. They failed. Jesus Christ is the second and last Adam, and the church is His bride, the second Eve. Christ is King, the church is His queen. He will exercise dominion over all nations of the earth: “He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. . . . All... Read more
The “new heaven” in Revelation 21:1 apparently refers to exactly the same atmospheric and celestial heavens as “heavens” does in Genesis 1:1. Do I seriously believe the new heavens will include new galaxies, planets, moons, white dwarf stars, neutron stars, black holes, and quasars? Yes. The fact that they are part of the first universe and that God called them “very good,” at least in their original forms, means they will be part of the resurrected universe. When I look at the Horsehead Nebula and... Read more
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