Soon after the death of George Floyd, Kelsey Brown, a woman I know and deeply respect, who lives here in Oregon, shared the following words on Facebook. (Kelsey’s husband Vergil, founding pastor of Gresham Bible Church, is now pastor of church planting at Hinson Baptist Church. The Browns are in the process of planting Redemption Church in North Portland, which Vergil will pastor and in which Kelsey will play a major role.) It was very hard for me to sleep last night. I... Read more
I’ve received messages over the years from believers who say something along the lines of this: “I struggle with forgiving myself for a past sin. I’ve asked Christ’s forgiveness for it many times but can’t seem to resolve my feelings of guilt and accept God’s forgiveness.” Talk Back to the Devil If you can relate to the sentiment of this message, here’s what I encourage you to do: ask yourself, “Have I accepted Christ’s sacrifice on my behalf, and also... Read more
Though I write mostly nonfiction, I’ve written nine works of fiction, seven of them full-length novels. Like many fiction writers, I’ve spent considerable time developing the craft of storytelling. What makes a good story? Interesting characters, significant conflict, the thwarting of desires, and a satisfying (if not triumphant) resolution. It must avoid predictability and its characters have to continuously develop—and the higher the stakes, the better the story. Now, consider God as the great Storyteller. With grand artistry, He writes... Read more
In this excerpt from my book Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, a high-ranking demon instructs his subordinate how to deceive and destroy Jordan Fletcher and his family—in this case, when it comes to their choosing a college for their daughter Jillian. With many families preparing to send their kids off to college this fall, this might be timely and thought-provoking. Keep in mind as you read that this is written from a demon’s perspective, so while Satan is our enemy, in the post... Read more
Flight crews routinely announce, “If you’re traveling with a child or someone who requires assistance, in the case of an emergency, secure your own oxygen mask first before helping the other person.” Those instructions may sound selfish, just as it sounds selfish to say that one of our main duties in life is to find happiness, satisfaction, peace, and rest in God. But only when we’re delighting in our Lord do we have far more to offer everyone else—especially in times... Read more
I was recently listening to Chris Tomlin’s version of “Is He Worthy?” (written by Andrew Peterson), and that prompted me to share some thoughts related to two favorite passages of mine, Revelation 5 and Daniel 7. But before I do so, please take a few minutes to watch this video of a precious little girl singing “Is He Worthy?” with her mom, and her dad playing the piano: In this video I share more thoughts about the biblical grounds for the song: If you’d like... Read more
I grew up in a non-christian home and learned love reading through comic books: Archie and the Marvel comics among them, especially the Fantastic Four. But mainly I was a DC fan, my favorites being The Justice League of America (Green Lantern was my hero) and The Legion of Super Heroes (go, Lightning Lad). From there I dove into science fiction and fantasy, spending my nights looking through my telescope, then coming to bed freezing and reading science fiction by flashlight under my covers, so Mom wouldn’t see the... Read more
Over the years, God has been faithful in what I call “the low tides” of life. In those times, I’ve seen Him in ways not always visible during high tides—periods of relative ease and comfort. As the wonders of underwater tide pools are only seen at low tide, so the wonders of God and depths of our need for Him can become visible to us in our own low tides. Perhaps you, like me, have also experienced the truth of... Read more
I have sometimes envisioned what it will mean for every tribe, nation, and language to gather together and sing the praises of Jesus, as is depicted in Revelation 5:9 and 7:9. I’m sure we’ll learn a lot of great new hymns and songs once we’re with Jesus, most of which we’ve never heard. But I feel nearly certain that one of those songs we’ll sing forever from this life is “Amazing Grace.” It is one of those hymns that is cross-cultural and is... Read more
The widely stated notion “all sin is alike to God” is not grounded in Scripture. Yes, all sin is bad, separates us from God, and is deserving of God’s wrath. All sin crucified Jesus, and He freely offers His grace because no sin is beyond the reach of God’s grace. But it’s a myth that every sin is exactly the same to God. Think of what 1 Corinthians 6:18 says: “Flee sexual immorality! Every other sin a person commits is outside the... Read more
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