In If God Is Good, I share a story that John Stott tells in his book The Cross of Christ about billions of people seated on a great plain before God’s throne. Most shrank back, while some crowded to the front, raising angry voices.
“Can God judge us? How can He know about suffering?” snapped one woman.
December 8 is the anniversary of John Lennon’s death. He died 32 years ago. I’m going to end by linking you to a fascinating new video that talks about John Lennon and much more. But first, some thoughts about him.
When I was seventeen years old and had known Christ for less than two years, I experienced what I believe was a miracle. Driving at fifty miles an hour, I was about to crash. All I could see in front of me, top to bottom and side to side, was the yellow of a school bus, which pulled in front of me from a side road, but which I didn’t see until a split second before impact.
A sad news story that powerfully illustrates “you can’t take it with you.” Think of how the treasure could have been used to make a short-term and long-term difference in people’s lives.
None of us knows how much time we have left in this world, but in terms of eternity, the time for all of us is very short. No matter what our age, we can all benefit from this perspective. As missionary C. T. Studd put it, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”
I rarely just repost what someone else has written, but in this case I think Piper says it so well it’s pointless for me to take a shot at it. (I also recommend checking out Andy Naselli's blog post "Don Carson on Osama bin Laden.")
Here's Piper:
God’s emotions are complex—like yours, only a million times more. Right now, your emotions about bin Laden are not simple, i.e. not single.
I appreciated this thought from Samuel Davies, an evangelical pastor and educator from the 1700's, especially as we seek to remember and celebrate Christ's death and resurrection in the coming days.
In today’s blog, I’m answering one final question that was asked by a reader:
How would you respond and minister to unsaved friends or family (or even strangers) who have lost a loved one and assume their lost loved one is in Heaven, even though that person clearly did not have a relationship with Jesus Christ?
Last night, on Independence Day, our dear friend Sono Harris went home to be with Jesus. She is a precious and faithful sister, one of a kind, and all the more precious now as her faith has become sight.
The fireworks crackling all around us last night, even as I talked on the phone with some of the Harris family, spoke of a great event. Sono's entrance to the presence of her Savior was a truly great event for her, though hard on those left behind. Please pray for husband Gregg and children Josh, Joel, Alex, Brett, Sarah, Isaac, and James.
Sunday morning, March 7, I was with Greg Laurie and Harvest Fellowship in Riverside, California. Greg interviewed me about Heaven, and evil and suffering, and we opened the Word together. We did something similar last Thursday night in Orange County. (And in the meantime Nanci and I got to go to Disneyland, a nice little bonus!) To facilitate the interview, someone at the church built a Larry King-style interview desk. They did a beautiful job.
As background, Greg called me last year to tell me that my book Heaven had been a real encouragement to him in the wake of ...
I'm the author of over 40 books and the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries. I love Jesus, my wife Nanci, and our daughters, sons and five grandsons!
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