When God created humankind, death didn’t exist. Death is the result of our broken connection with the Giver of life. It is normal in the sense that unless Jesus returns in our lifetime, we will all die. But that doesn’t mean death was God’s ideal. It was and is an aberration, a tragic consequence of the fall. A world with death is like a masterpiece on canvas ruined by vandals that only the Master Artist can restore to His original... Read more
After her four-year battle with cancer, I said goodbye—for now—to my wife and soulmate Nanci. My grief, though deep, is informed by God’s sovereignty and love. I know that Nanci is no longer suffering and is happier than she has ever been. But the story isn’t over; the best is yet to come. Nanci went ahead to the present Heaven, which is “better by far” than this present world (Philippians 1:23). One day, after the resurrection, God will relocate us... Read more
These days, we’re continually bombarded by “news” (which is sometimes more sensational than informative) that dwells on the sufferings, tragedies, and negatives of life. This unceasing avalanche of bad news, as well as rampant political tribalism, suspicion, and critical opinions, can quickly bury what Scripture calls “the good news of happiness” (Isaiah 52:7) and “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10). My wife Nanci wrote in her journal, “Please, Lord, whenever my heart leans toward anxiety and dread, bring me... Read more
If the Bible were written today and judged by what it says about money and possessions, it would never be published. If it were published, it would be mercilessly panned by its reviewers and not see a second printing. When it comes to money and possessions, the Bible is sometimes redundant, often extreme, and occasionally shocking. It turns many readers away, making it a hard sell in today’s marketplace. It interferes with our lives and commits the unpardonable sin—it makes... Read more
A reader sent me this message related to my book The Purity Principle: Dearest Randy, I am one of the thousands who have extremely benefitted from this book. Ever since I became a Christian (almost 4 decades ago), I have been struggling with sexual lust. And it has been a wearisome battle. Over the years, I have been devouring books just to take hold of a particular principle that can help when I go through those terrible episodes of temptations. From... Read more
My daughter Angela and I were able to attend a Steven Curtis Chapman concert with some friends last month. Steven had asked to meet with me before the show to talk about how the Heaven book and Safely Home ministered to their family after their daughter Maria’s tragic death 16 years ago. We prayed for him, and I encouraged him (and myself) to finish well. I saw strong indications of Steven’s spiritual depth—you often get that depth through turning to God in suffering and... Read more
Some people suppose happiness is uniquely human, unrelated to God’s nature: as He gave us a body and hunger, which He doesn’t have, He gave us a capacity for happiness, which He also doesn’t have. I believe something radically different—that God wants us happy because He’s happy! He treasures His happiness and treasures us, and therefore He treasures our happiness! Old Testament professor Brent Strawn writes, “In the Bible, God is happy, and God’s happiness affects and infects the rest... Read more
Denny Hartford, the founder and director of Vital Signs Ministries, and his wife Claire truly live to the glory of King Jesus. I was touched by this story he shared in a ministry update: Early in March, I was talking to a fellow at the coffee shop, and I mentioned that Claire and I were heading down to Wichita later in the morning to visit my little sister Sherry for a couple of days. My little sister is dealing with an... Read more
It’s bad enough to do evil and abstain from good. But God condemns the moral sleight of hand by which we confuse good and evil: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20). Paul built on this when he wrote, “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). Passages like Amos 5:14–15; Romans 16:19; 1... Read more
There are many reasons to obey what God commands us in Scripture. Here are five of them I’ve reminded myself of over the years: 1) God said it. 2) God knows better than I do. 3) God is in charge, and I am not. 4) Whenever I have obeyed God, I and my family have ultimately benefited. 5) Whenever I have done it my way instead of God’s, with all my rationalizations and excuses that I’ve considered sound reasoning,... Read more
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