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God intends us to love our animals—of course, not more than we love people—but still, that love is God-given. The pain of letting our pets go is great because God made them to be precious to us.

One of the most arresting statements in Scripture is this one: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV). The context of this passage shows that in the midst of a world that groans under suffering and evil, God’s main concern is conforming His children to the image of Christ.

Leaders should never use God’s flock to build their kingdoms and reputations in order to further themselves. Rather, they should set the example of humble service. We need more humble leaders, not self-promoting celebrities who know nothing of the servant-leader model exemplified by Christ.

What thrilled these expectant believers in Hebrews 11 was not that God would rule in Heaven—He already did. They dreamed of the time that He would rule here on Earth, removing sin, death, suffering, poverty, and heartache. They trusted that the Messiah would come and bring Heaven with Him.

Life will only be lived well by those who look for the rewards of a life well lived. No one grows close to God unless that person believes that drawing close to God has a payoff: “Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

I’ve been collecting quotations about Jesus for years. Here are some on His deity, beginning with the inspired words of John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

This parable serves as a warning to all of us. Jesus applies the rich fool’s experience to that of others: “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21).

Scripture gives us this command: “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). “All” includes exercise—so I ride my bike to God’s glory, and worship Him while joyfully playing tennis and snorkeling. My thanks to David Mathis, author of A Little Theology of Exercise: Enjoying Christ in Body and Soul, for giving us five helpful reminders in this new year about how to glorify God through our exercise.

The Heaven that now exists, called the present Heaven, is where God dwells with His people and angels and the living creatures. It is where His throne is located, and hence, it is the location from which He governs the universe. The present Heaven is a place free from the curse, without sin, death, and suffering.

How many of us Christians hope God will guard us from calamity and misery, while every day we make small, seemingly inconsequential immoral choices that inch us toward bigger immoralities?

One of the greatest books I’ve ever read is J. I. Packer’s Knowing God. Knowing God came out in 1973, when Nanci and I were in our first year at Bible college. We read it right away.  It was an instant classic. (Nanci reread it when she had cancer and got even more out of it then.)

Almost three years ago, I did a blog on Robert Wolgemuth’s insightful book Finish Line: Dispelling Fear, Finding Peace, and Preparing for the End of Your Life. Now Robert has lived out what he wrote about, having entered the presence of Jesus on January 10.

Thousands of people around the world die for Christ each year, and God knows the story of each one. We are to “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body” (Hebrews 13:3).

I find that any day I haven’t contemplated Scripture and worshiped my Lord, my happiness invariably diminishes. I tend to be impatient, critical, self-centered, and unhappy. Something’s wrong—and that something is the lack of God’s fresh infusion of grace through His Word.