I love The Valley of Vision, which is a collection of brief and profound Puritan prayers compiled by Arthur Bennett. I find these prayers uniquely powerful and penetrating. So did Nanci, and she often read them in her last few years of going deep in the things of God before Jesus took her home. It’s hard for me to imagine any single book that could prepare you more to be with Jesus than this one. What follows below is just the... Read more
(You can also listen to my thoughts related to this question.) The answer is possibly yes—at least sometimes. Consider the evidence. Christ, the God-man, is in Heaven, at the right hand of God, interceding for people on Earth (Romans 8:34), which tells us there is at least one person who has died and gone to Heaven and is now praying for those on Earth. Then in Revelation 6:10 we see martyrs in Heaven praying to God, asking Him to take specific action... Read more
In Eyes Wide Open, Steve DeWitt says, “Christians who properly place God as the source and goal of the things they enjoy will find themselves enjoying those things even more. In truth, the way we as believers relish created beauties ought to outstrip that of unbelievers, since we neither find our identity in them nor hold on to them as ultimate.” Secondary happiness, which is found in something or someone God has created, ultimately leads back to Him. Have you ever... Read more
In order to understand God’s love in our current culture, it’s necessary to distinguish what love doesn’t mean and to see it in relationship to God’s other attributes. Yes, God is love, but it is not His only attribute, nor is it always His defining attribute. More and more we hear that God’s love overshadows all His other attributes, as if the rest have only secondary importance. Gregory Boyd writes, “God is unsurpassable love. The foundational difference between the true... Read more
Back in 2019, I was asked to join Kirk Cousins (quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, and former QB of the Washington Redskins) in doing a fundraiser for Holland Christian Schools, where he interviewed me about various topics close to both my heart and his. One great question he asked was, “How do you keep a loose grip on earthly possessions?” The idea that our money and possessions belong to us, not God, is a dangerous misconception. Many of our problems begin when we forget that... Read more
Last month I had a conversation over Zoom with Steve Silver of Men’s Golf Fellowship. Steve is a great brother who founded a ministry that uses golf to help men grow in their relationship with Jesus. Steve’s wife Sandy went to be with Jesus last December, just three months before Nanci died. We can both understand each other’s pain of loss, but also the intense anticipation for and comfort of Heaven now that our wives reside there. Because of the unique way... Read more
Several years ago, when Nanci and I answered questions at the young moms’ gathering at our home church, one of the moms asked, “How do busy people set aside time to rest, reflect, and recharge?” Here are some thoughts about the importance of setting priorities, and saying no even to good things in order to do what’s most important: In the video, I mentioned my article I wrote years ago: Planned Neglect: Saying No to Good Things So We Can Say Yes to... Read more
Nanci and I spoke at our church’s young moms group a number of times, and she was always great. One of the questions we answered when we spoke in 2014 was, “How can I escape the cycle of discontentment? What are some practical ways to stop this cycle?” Nanci gave some ideas and encouragement, and shared some Scripture: Nanci talked about perspective, and what we choose to dwell on, rather than our circumstances: “Who you are and where God has placed... Read more
We long for a return to Paradise—a perfect world, without the corruption of sin, where God walks with us and talks with us in the cool of the day. Because we’re human beings, we desire something tangible and physical, something that will not fade away. And that is exactly what God promises us—a home that will not be destroyed, a kingdom that will not fade, a city with unshakable foundations, an incorruptible inheritance. God has encouraged me with memories of... Read more
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When “Blessed” Means “Happy”
Growing up in an unbelieving home, I never heard the word blessed as a child. After I came to Christ, I heard it often. I didn’t know what it meant; I just knew it sounded holy and spiritual. It was “white noise”—one of many undefined church words whose meanings are masked due to frequent use. Years later, I heard someone say that in passages such as Psalm 1 and the Beatitudes of Matthew 5 and Luke 6, blessed actually means “happy.” If blessed meant “happy,” I... Read more