Grieving a loved one’s death is a long, often lonely, always painful process. Four key players stand out in my continued healing journey through grief. First is my firm belief in the promises of Jesus about our eternal future. They are blood-bought, meaning our resurrection is guaranteed. Nanci and I spent so much time talking about the world to come, and she would walk me through her afterlife bucket list. We would talk of adventures together on God’s New Earth... Read more
Early in February, I visited First Baptist Church in Leesburg, Florida, where I spoke on the subject of my book The Treasure Principle. As I mentioned when I shared the Q&A I also did there, I absolutely loved being there at this church. I spent a lot of time with Pastor Cliff and his wife Suzy—such wonderful people, as are so many others I met. Years ago, I often spoke about giving and making eternal investments, but it’s been a while since I... Read more
In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11, ESV). In writing my book Heaven, I collected and read 150 books on the subject, and I’ve read many more since—nearly every book about Heaven I have ever been able to locate. I underlined particularly significant portions of many of these, but only a small amount of the most interesting material made it into that or my other books on the subject, including In Light... Read more
Less than six months after holding the hand of my beloved wife, Nanci, as she left this world, I read Robert Wolgemuth’s Finish Line manuscript, which included his account of his last moments with his wife Bobbie. Robert writes with an eternal perspective and a fatherly tenderness and understanding, reaching out his hand to you, the reader. I believe you will be touched and encouraged by this warm and insightful book. Here’s more about it: Facing your ultimate death can be scary,... Read more
A year ago on March 28, 2022, I said goodbye—for now—to my wife, Nanci, who was also my partner, soulmate, and best friend. The pilgrimage of grief, though full of learning and enrichment, is one I would gladly exchange to have my wife with me again. And yet…not really, because I recognize God’s sovereignty and love, and His perfect plan, and the fact that my wife is now happier than she has ever been. Nanci experienced firsthand the closeness of... Read more
Tuesday March 28 marked a year since my wife Nanci relocated to Heaven. She finished so well—she flourished and leaned into the finish line. Her family and friends all saw God’s work in her, and I had the front row seat to watch 2 Corinthians 4:17 be lived out in her life: “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” And I’ll never be the same because of it. I never... Read more
At 2:30 a.m., on November 19, 2002, I stood on our deck gazing up at the night sky. Above me was the Leonid meteor shower, the finest display of celestial fireworks until the year 2096. For someone who has enjoyed meteor showers since he was a kid, this was the celestial event of a lifetime. There was only one problem: clouds covered the Oregon sky. Of the hundreds of streaking meteors above me, I couldn’t see a single one. I... Read more
“What is the meaning of it, Watson?” said Holmes solemnly as he laid down the paper. “What object is served by this circle of misery and violence and fear? It must tend to some end, or else our universe is ruled by chance, which is unthinkable. But what end? There is the great standing perennial problem to which human reason is as far from an answer as ever.” (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Cardboard Box”) Sherlock Holmes... Read more
Several years ago I shared on my blog about Christopher Yuan’s story of God’s grace, and his deliverance from homosexual sin. I got to meet him, and his parents Leon and Angelia Yuan, when we were both speaking in 2017 at an apologetics conference, and greatly enjoyed having breakfast with Christopher and hearing his testimony. Here’s a brief synopsis of his story: Christopher once lived as an openly gay young man. But after being sentenced for drug dealing and finding he had... Read more
When I taught a theology of Heaven class, I was asked, “How accessible will Jesus be to us on the New Earth?” Here’s the video of my answer, and below is an edited transcript, with some added thoughts: If indeed Jesus is the eternally incarnate son of God and still has His resurrection body, doesn’t that mean He can only be at one place at one time on Earth? When Jesus was in Caesarea Philippi, He was not also in Jerusalem healing the... Read more
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