A Breath of Fresh Air, God’s Common Grace

If you haven’t seen this video, it’ll make your day. I just watched it again as I took a brief break from final revisions on my book.

Think of it as God’s common grace at work in this world. In the midst of mundane pressures and cares, including yours and mine and those of commuters in Antwerp, Belgium, comes sheer delight. A gift. And all gifts are ultimately from Him, the Creator behind all that is creative, the Delight behind the delightful, the Good behind all goodness.

Let it remind you of God’s gifts, large and ...

Stephen King, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and Angelina Jolie: What unbelievers are discovering about giving

Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

A few years ago, my wife Nanci showed me an article she had found in her Family Circle magazine. The article was titled "What You Pass On." It was written by author Stephen King. He's not a writer known for his theological insights, but what he wrote echoes the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 5:15 in his assessment of the futility of materialism. Buffet, Gates and Jolie will weigh in afterward. Here's what King has to say:

Laughter in Heaven (plus Brian Regan video)

Before getting back to serious blogs, let me talk about laughter. (With a Brian Regan video at the end I think you'll enjoy.)

Christ said, "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven" (Luke 6:23).

Just as Jesus promises satisfaction as a reward in Heaven, he also promises laughter as a reward. Anticipating the laughter to come, Jesus says we should leap for joy now. Can you imagine someone leaping for joy in utter silence, without laughter? Take any group of rejoicing people, and what do you hear? Laughter. If God ...

Creator and Culture, and Anticipating a Redeemed Earth

A Christian I met in passing once told me it troubled him that he really didn’t long for Heaven. Instead, he yearned for an Earth that was like God meant it to be.

Longing for Joy in C. S. Lewis, Part 2

In Part 1 of Lewis and Longing, a few blogs ago, I quoted from his great sermon, later published as an essay, “The Weight of Glory: And Other Addresses.” There’s more in that essay I want to share.

Longing for Joy, in C. S. Lewis, Part 1

No writer has had greater impact on me than C. S. Lewis. I find both his fiction and nonfiction to be penetrating and life-shaping.

And when it comes to the subject of the longings of our heart, no one said it better than Lewis.

Longing for Happiness, in Blaise Pascal

The infinite abyss in our hearts, which might be called a vacuum, can only be filled by the infinite God Himself. We still have a trace of an ancient happiness that was in the hearts of Adam and Eve, a happiness which preceded sin and was ruined by it. But it was not utterly destroyed. Its mark is still upon us, and one day, when redemption is fully realized, God will fan it into flames again, never to be quenched.

Longing for Joy

This week I want to talk about our Longing for Joy, something that isn’t selfish in the bad sense, but something God made us for. In fact, some great theologians said in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, written nearly 400 years ago, “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” There is biblical support for that bold declaration.

Longings of the Heart

Most days, by God’s grace, I am happy and content, even joyful.

But not today. And no, it’s not because of the playoffs this weekend. (Not that they helped, but the groaning and crying out of Romans 8 is a lot bigger than the NFL.)