Christians, Past and Present

When I was writing my book Giving Is the Good Life, there were some people of times past I wished I could have interviewed. One of them was Stanley Tam, whom I’d read about years earlier. I contacted a friend who’d known Stanley to find out more about his life. I was shocked by his response: “Want to talk to Stanley on the phone this Saturday?” So to my delight, I spoke with then-102-year-old Stanley Tam. 

My friend Josh Howeth is pastor of Gresham Bible Church, a wonderful fellowship near us, which our daughter Angela and her family are part of.  Josh recently sent these words to his church. I share his deep appreciation for Amy Carmichael, so I asked him if I could pass them on to you.

Last Friday, J. I. Packer, one of my favorite writers and favorite people, went to be with Jesus just five days short of his 94th birthday. I will always love that man. He had a huge impact on me, particularly through his books Knowing God and The Quest for Godliness.

Author, speaker, and apologist Ravi Zacharias went home to be with Jesus last week. There have been several excellent tributes to Ravi, including an article by Sam Allberry sharing three lessons he learned from working with and observing him. May these be true of us, too, as we share about the good news of Jesus with others.

When I became a Christian at age fifteen one of the first stories I read was about the five missionary martyrs. As it did hundreds of thousands of others, this story inspired me and taught me that there is often a price to pay in order to spread the good news of salvation in Christ. Little did I know that many years later I would connect with the family members of three of those men, as well as one of their killers, now beautifully transformed.

I really appreciated this video and article from Joel Beeke about seven things we can learn from the Puritans. Like them, may we be people of depth and substance, shaped by Scripture, focused on eternity and both humble and happy in Jesus.

Last Friday, author and psychologist David Powlison went to be with Jesus. I love this brother. I met and talked with him only once, but I will never forget the sweetness of his spirit, and how I saw Jesus in him.

I love the apostle Paul, I love his God-breathed words in Scripture, and I love what he understood and said about suffering. And I love John Piper too—so it was a no brainer to feature this excellent article.

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.