In this video, I read several quotes from the section of my book It’s All About Jesus about Christ’s birth. I hope these reflections will help you meditate on our Savior, because doing so will truly bring you great joy. Have a Merry and Christ-centered Christmas! For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah... Read more
“And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth’” (Revelation 5:9–10). This passage lauds Christ as the ultimate hero for two reasons: first for the suffering and death... Read more
If you’re told you’re going to meet someone important whom your friends know, you naturally ask them, “Who is he? What’s he like? Where did he come from? What does he do? Is he the real deal? Does he live up to expectations?” Because no other historical figure is as widely known, multitudes live with the illusion that they really know Jesus, when in reality they simply have various impressions about Him. Impressions are not knowledge. They are a random collection of data picked... Read more
COVID-19 has brought many challenges to all of us, but the challenges have been amplified for those in prison. WORLD News did a recent feature on this: It’s been a long eight months for inmates since the coronavirus pandemic began—months without visitors, ministries, educational programs, addiction recovery meetings, or even chaplains in some cases. Some prisons had big COVID-19 outbreaks, while others fared better than the outside world. Now as a second wave of COVID-19 infections hits prisons, some that... Read more
In his book Abundant Living, E. Stanley Jones observed, “The early Christians did not say in dismay, ‘look what the world has come to,’ but in delight, ‘look what has come into the world.’” What has come is Jesus Christ. Through the miracle of His incarnation, He made God visible to us: “No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him” (John 1:18, CSB). Yet God’s Son... Read more
During this global pandemic, depression and suicidal thoughts are on the rise. That makes the release of the short book Encouragement for the Depressed, with a sermon from Charles Spurgeon, timely. The book description says, “Having battled depression and discouragement himself for most of his years in ministry, Spurgeon encourages the downtrodden to hold fast to the promises of God, for he is steadfast and will comfort his children as they walk faithfully with him.” I share in my book Happiness how as a teenager,... Read more
Last December, in that pretty normal year called 2019, our daughter Karina Franklin and her family flew up from California to join Nanci and me along with our daughter Angela Stump and her family. Because of this weird season of COVID that began less than three months later, that was the last time our whole family was together. Nanci and I were thrilled to have everyone in the same place and to eat and talk and laugh and have fun... Read more
For several months, international organizations have been sounding the alarm about how the cascading effects of COVID-19 will impact the vulnerable and poor around the world. The Western Journal reports: A new report from the United Nations published in the medical journal The Lancet estimates well over 100,000 children will starve to death in 2020 due to the economic fallout from the economic restrictions of the U.S. and other Western nations. …Back in April, World Food Program Executive Director David... Read more
As it has been for many of you, 2020 has been a difficult year for Nanci and me for many reasons. But the more difficult the year, the more we need to take time to focus on giving thanks and praising our God of grace. Proverbs 19:21 declares, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” We should thank God no matter what, trusting in His wisdom,... Read more
A reader wrote me this note with a question: “I loved reading Heaven. It has really opened my eyes up so much to what we can expect from the New Earth and it has really encouraged me to see all of God’s (uncorrupted) Creation as ‘very good’ and not all ‘worldly.’ I do have one question. What are your thoughts on more ‘leisurely’ activities (like our hobbies, cooking, stargazing, reading, etc.) and how our works will be judged at the Judgment... Read more
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