I believe that nothing is more often misdiagnosed than our homesickness for Heaven. We think that what we want is sex, drugs, alcohol, a new job, a raise, a doctorate, a spouse, a large-screen television, a new car, a cabin in the woods, a condo in Hawaii. What we really want is the person we were made for, Jesus, and the place we were made for, Heaven. Nothing less can satisfy us. Mark Buchanan puts it well in his book Things Unseen: Homesickness—this... Read more
In my book If God Is God, I write about how telling ourselves these truths that God has revealed in His Word about suffering can help us deal with it: Suffering is limited. It could be far worse. God sets a limit on evil and suffering in your life. In Job’s life, Satan could do only so much for so long. God determined the limits. And since life continues after death, your suffering can last only the tiniest fraction of your true... Read more
For decades I have spent long and fruitful hours dialoguing with prolife advocates as well as proponents of racial justice. Both causes are close to God’s heart, and I have often regretted that those who see clearly one of these causes are often blind to the other. I don’t know anyone more insightful and articulate on these issues than my friends Ben and Kirsten Watson, who beautifully model a kind and thoughtful commitment to both prolife justice and racial justice. For fifteen... Read more
A dear friend sent me this video. If you don’t have time to read the article below, just listen to the wonderful song on YouTube, which this little boy makes come alive. What a powerful reminder that God is the Greatest Good and the source of all lesser goods: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father” (James 1:17). Wayne Grudem says in Systematic Theology, “The goodness of God means that God is the final standard of... Read more
Money is more than just metal disks or colored paper. It is a tool that simplifies trade. A farmer needs lumber more than beef, milk, and eggs. He has plenty of those. A lumberman needs beef, milk, and eggs more than his many stacks of boards. By trading their goods, both get what they want. Money is a tool that can expedite such a trade and widen its circle to include others. Rather than trading two pigs for a plow... Read more
This wonderful message our ministry received from an 83-year-old reader made my day. I listened to it twice. What a sweet and vibrant voice, and I love her transparency. She may not remember book titles well, but she remembers the books and the message of the books! (She references We Shall See God, Heaven, and Safely Home.) I was struck by the fact that as this woman ages, and honestly faces the reality of death, she is choosing to read books that will prepare... Read more
Referencing the coming resurrection, Paul wrote, “For in this hope [of the redemption of our bodies] we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Romans 8:24–25). To many of us, “hope” sounds wishful and tentative, but biblical hope means to anticipate with trust. We expect a sure thing, purchased on the cross,... Read more
Chances are, you want “the good life.” And even if you’re not quite sure how to define the good life, you know you’d like to experience it. After all, who wants to live “the bad life”? Google “the good life.” There we’re told, “Make lots of money, spend it on yourself, and you’ll be happy. Then you’ll be living the good life!” That’s a lie. Yes, we all need food, clothes, and shelter. But once our basic needs are met,... Read more
A reader responded to a blog post we shared several years ago by one of our EPM staff members, who encouraged readers to look for opportunities to love and serve people from other cultures. This person’s comments touched on the image of God, race, and the future of nations and ethnicities in eternity. I’m sharing my thoughts in response, as I think they may have a wider application to other readers. “The image of God is not a corporate reality, but... Read more
In his early twenties, Jonathan Edwards composed a set of life resolutions. One read, “Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can.” Some may think it odd and inappropriate that Edwards was so committed to pursuing happiness for himself in Heaven. But Pascal was right when he said, “All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end.” And if we... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In