Rejoicing always in the Lord (see Philippians 4:4) may seem unrealistic at times. But we must remember that this rejoicing is centered not in a passing circumstance but in a constant reality—God Himself, and his Son, Jesus, who died for us and rose again. On the one hand, we might suppose that Scripture doesn’t command us to rejoice in our nation’s condition, our culture’s trajectory, our spouse’s attitude, our child’s struggle, our church’s conflicts, our job loss, or our poor... Read more
This is a wonderful video from Generous Giving. I love the warmth and family element to it, and also the realistic honesty that says life, child raising, and giving are sometimes quite hard, but always very rewarding: Here’s something I wrote in my book Giving Is the Good Life: Giving is more than a noble and compassionate act. It’s a giant lever positioned on the fulcrum of this world, allowing us to move mountains in the next world. When we die, we will see... Read more
Last month I spoke at the services of my home church, Good Shepherd Community Church. The subject was what God has been teaching me about loss and grief since Nanci went to be with Jesus March 28. Pastor Steve Keels did a great job asking me questions. Normally I don’t talk about the interviewer, but in this case I think I should. Other than Nanci, Steve’s been my closest friend for many years. In our 46 years of friendship Steve... Read more
When Kirk Cousins, starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, interviewed me, one of the great questions he asked was, “Will we have regret in Heaven when we finally see with an eternal perspective?” I really appreciated Kirk’s question because of his Bible-based recognition of a truth many Christians don’t often contemplate, that “each of us will give an account of ourselves to God” (Romans 14:12). While many Bible verses teach this, most of us fail to live daily with the eternal perspective... Read more
Jesus, in Matthew 10:42, makes a startlingly significant promise about a seemingly small act of service: “And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” In that verse, Jesus is referring to His apostles as “these little ones.” And later, in Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus broadens His statement about “I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink”... Read more
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
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