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G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) has been widely credited with saying, “Jesus promised His disciples three things—that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble.” It might be argued that most Western Christians aren’t any of these three—least of all “absurdly happy.”

Many people distrust organized religion but love animals and the natural world. They don’t know God, yet they cherish what He created. They catch glimpses of Him in nature (Romans 1:19-21). Their love for animals flows from being God’s image-bearers and can be a bridge to the gospel.

The climax of Revelation 21:4, when God wipes away all tears from every eye, could not happen without the billions of tears shed because of the evil and suffering we’ve endured (and inflicted). It could not happen had Jesus not borne it on the cross for us.

Over the years, I’ve learned not simply to think less of myself but to think about myself less. When I’m thinking most about Jesus, not me, I’m most happy.

God gave us our imaginations, and when He says, “we are looking forward to a new heavens and a new earth” (2 Peter 3:13), He indicates this should be normal for believers. It is impossible to look forward to something if you do not envision it.

Jesus made bold claims about His identity, which religious leaders of His day considered blasphemy. He claimed to be God’s only Son, one with the Father, descended from Heaven and destined to rule the universe as King.

I had a great two-part conversation with Dennis Rainey for his podcast “Inspiring Courageous Faith.” In part two, we talked about faith, Heaven, and the realities that shape courageous living.

I’ve long appreciated Dennis Rainey, a great brother. Dennis has a new podcast called “Inspiring Courageous Faith.” He and I had a great conversation, and in part one we talked about my wife Nanci’s cancer, my grief since she went to be with Jesus, and God’s sovereignty.

I read these words from one of Charles Spurgeon’s sermons, and found them both timeless and encouraging.

The true biblical doctrine of Heaven is far more attractive than the dull, inhuman view of the afterlife that has long prevailed in evangelicalism. That off-putting perspective still imprisons many believers. Based on countless interactions I’ve had with readers of my book and others over the past sixteen years, here are eight persistent misconceptions about Heaven.

It’s hard to put it in words, but sometimes I sense a definite prompting from God—call it the still small voice or whatever. Often, I’m prompted to pray for someone, speak to someone about the Lord, or to give them a book.

If I were to say, “It’s bright outside. It’s a sunny day. The sky is blue. There's not a cloud in the sky,” have I said four different things? No, I've said one thing in four different ways. The same thing is true with the Hebrew and Greek words for happiness and joy and gladness used in Scripture.

If you encountered a web with its geometric artistry without knowing spiders existed, you would marvel, wondering what human made them, and how. Whether we or spiders themselves appreciate their work, surely their Creator does.

Raul Reyes is the president and founder of Life Equip Global, which seeks to equip churches with resources to respond to the Global Abortion Holocaust. He recently shared a touching note, which involves embryonic adoption.