Most readers of this blog are followers of Jesus. But what do we really believe about the Jesus we follow? Is the Jesus we claim to know the real Jesus, or a Jesus of our own invention, who doesn’t match up with the biblical and historical realities? There are a lot of people, friends, coworkers and extended family members who say they “believe in Jesus.” But what’s more important is what they actually believe about the Jesus they say they worship and follow. For... Read more
I’ve been greatly encouraged by the responses to the little 60-page Heaven booklet, which contains a sampling of the questions and answers found in my Heaven book. Heaven has reached over one million copies sold, and this small, affordable booklet has sold over 1,500,000. I never would have guessed it of either! (Here’s a short excerpt from the booklet.) The Heaven booklet has been widely distributed at memorial services. Some churches, including my own, make it available at every memorial service. Sometimes it’s handed out at the door; sometimes it’s... Read more
In my novel Dominion, I picture one of the characters, Dani, who is in Heaven, learning about the history of the black church. It’s a rich history, one that I think we all should celebrate. It was fascinating to study these things as I spent a few years researching that novel. I hope you find this interesting: Zeke and Torel left Dani alone to observe through the time portal a great ancient civilization in northern Africa, near modern Sudan. She viewed... Read more
There’s an old story of a slave who travels with his master to Baghdad. Early one morning, milling through the marketplace, the slave sees Death in human form. Death gives him a threatening look, and the slave recoils in terror, convinced Death intends to take him that day. The slave runs to his master and says, “Help me! I’ve seen Death, and his threatening look tells me he intends to take my life this very day. I must escape him.... Read more
I really appreciated this 20-minute interview about chronic pain with Dave Furman, a church planting pastor/missionary in Dubai and the author of Kiss the Wave: Embracing God in Your Trials. I met Dave at a Gospel Coalition conference I was speaking at a few years ago, but at the time had no clue about his chronic pain. What he shares in this podcast was very touching to me, and perhaps it could encourage you as you face your own suffering, and... Read more
Over the years, I’ve been asked why I would quote from someone in my books or on Facebook or Twitter when I don’t agree with them in every area. My response is that when I quote someone in a context of agreement, the only thing I’m saying is I agree with that statement, not all their other statements. Nor is my quoting someone a blanket endorsement of their lifestyle and choices in every area. Otherwise there is no one I or anyone could quote from! For example, there are any... Read more
One of my great joys is to see my books translated into languages around the world. To date, there have been translations in over seventy languages (see the full list). It’s always interesting to see the different covers that the publishers choose, some of which are wildly different—and also sometimes better—than the original English version. Years ago I blogged about some of these covers, including the Korean Heaven for Kids, which portrays me, as the author, as an old man with a cane speaking... Read more
Colossians 3:1-4 tells us that as believers, in a sense, we’re already in Heaven with Christ: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (emphasis added). Our... Read more
Since writing my book Happiness, one of the questions I’ve been asked is, “Am I sinning if I’m not happy as a Christian?” In answering this question, I’m assuming two things of readers: You are familiar with what I’ve written about how happiness and joy are synonyms, and how Scripture uses a number of related words to express gladness in God. You understand the importance of walking in God’s revealed will in Scripture, and not seeking so-called “happiness” through sin and “whatever... Read more
Listen Audio version of this article Jesus says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Luke 16:10). He implies that all of us are being continually tested in little things. If a child can’t be trusted to spend his father’s money and return the change, neither can he be trusted to stay overnight alone at a friend’s house. But if he... Read more
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