Is death reason to doubt God?

This morning I read this sentence from J. I. Packer: “It has become conventional to think as if we are all going to live in this world forever and to view every case of bereavement as a reason for doubting the goodness of God.” And then I read this sentence from Jesus (John 11:14-15): “Lazarus […]

Grab bag

Some helpful articles from the couple of weeks: Greg Lucas offers “Seven Lessons from the Disability Community:” God is both sovereign and good. You have been brought into this community for a purpose. Disability magnifies our vision for joy in the smallest things. Community brings much needed perspective Outspoken men are often minorities. When marriage […]

Christopher Hitchens vs. Douglas Wilson

One final post about Christopher Hitchens. A couple of years ago, he and Douglas Wilson had a series of debates about the goodness of God and Christianity. This film was produced about those debates. HT: Justin Taylor.

How to think about the death of an unbeliever

The death of Christopher Hitchens this week has prompted much discussion among Christians. Justin Taylor reflects on Hitchens’ life through a remembrance of his own “crisis of faith” while in college. Taylor ultimately moved towards Christ while Hitchens was adamant of his rejection of Christ: Hitchens suspected there would be rumors of a deathbed conversion—but […]

A reflection on Christopher Hitchens’ death

Christopher Hitchens, considered a leader in the “New Atheism” movement, has died. Pastor and theologian Douglas Wilson, who had a long-standing relationship that grew out of a series of debates with Hitchens (he commented one time, “if Christopher and I were not careful, we were in danger of becoming friends”), has written a compelling reflection […]

How God used cancer in a 14-year-old

The story of Victor Watters is a story of God’s grace in using cancer for His glory and the good of the cancer-ridden: Undoubtedly, Victor was on a mission to share the gospel with unbelievers — to spread the fragrance of Jesus everywhere. He did so with articulation and wisdom beyond his years. With his […]

“It Is Well with My Soul”

The hymn “It is Well with My Soul,” has been well-loved and sung for many generations, not only for its words, but also for the story behind the song. Here is that story, and more of the story than you perhaps already know, and a photo of the original manuscript of the song: HT: Justin […]

Grace in suffering

It is rare to think of pain and suffering as a gift of God’s grace. Instead, most of the time, we argue with God about our plight, we complain and become angry about the “unfairness” of our suffering, and we assume that our circumstances are inherently bad. As a contrast, consider the testimony of Joni […]

‘Til death do us part?

A few days ago, Pat Robertson asserted that it was acceptable for one to divorce a spouse with Alzheimer’s since “Alzheimer’s is a form of death.” He continued, “I know it sounds cruel, but if he’s going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial […]

Heaven’s gain

When a believer dies, it is not unusual to hear a response something like, “Our loss is heaven’s gain.” I have always taken such a sentiment to subtly suggest that in some manner, heaven has been deficient until this person has arrived, and that now because of their inherent abilities and worth, heaven has “gotten […]

John Stott on glory

It is good to contemplate the glories of heaven. What lies ahead? What will it be like to be in the presence of and see the Savior? What joy might our newly redeemed from sin bodies be like (can you imagine no impulse to sin ever again)? What glories and grace will be revealed to […]

John Stott tribute

This morning, John R. W. Stott was taken into the presence of the Lord. I have repeatedly used and been helped by his work, The Cross of Christ. I did not always agree with his conclusions (I am puzzled by his belief in annihilationism, for instance), but I repeatedly found him to be an insightful […]

The uncertainty of the continuance of life

Just because I have life this moment does not mean that I am guaranteed life in any future moment. For the believer, this is a comforting statement because he can be happy with life here and he is happy with life in eternity (which is Paul’s point in Phil. 1). For the unbeliever, this is […]

Grab bag

There has been much discussion lately in the Christian blogosphere about Hell and its duration (more comments coming at a later date). As Desiring God noted this morning, this is not a new discussion. And it predates DG’s conference in 1990 by many centuries as well! Paul Tripp continues his thoughts about the grace of […]

It is Not Death to Die

Chip Stam, who continues to battle cancer, wrote this week: “Truth be told: My health situation is worsening. The LORD has put it on my heart to prepare for death, whether it be days from now or years from now. I am comfortable and content and confident in the arms of the Savior.” Reflecting on […]