This week I’ve been sharing some thoughts about heaven—that it will be better than anything we can experience in this life, and also that it is a place of INCREDIBLE joy. With that in mind, I also want to debunk a popular misconception: that the main thing Jesus taught about was going to heaven after … Continue reading What Jesus didn’t teach about most
inspiration
Everything good in life multiplied times God
I’ve been talking about heaven; it will be anything but boring. It will be far better than anything we can experience on this earth. That can give us great hope through whatever we’re dealing with because the best is always yet to come. Here’s something else about heaven. Psalm 16:11 (ESV) says that in God’s … Continue reading Everything good in life multiplied times God
The best is yet to come
People have a tonne of misconceptions about heaven. One is that it’s going to be boring. This sentiment is captured in a Far Side comic where some dude sits on a cloud, bored out of his skull, saying “wish I’d brought a magazine.” But in Philippians 1:23, the apostle Paul says: “My desire is to depart … Continue reading The best is yet to come
The power of “God be with you”
The presence and power of God are always around us—sometimes we just need the reminder. Let me give an example. Many of us say “goodbye” to someone when we part. A few years ago I learned that “goodbye” is from an old word “godbwye.” It’s a short form of “God be with you.” People used … Continue reading The power of “God be with you”
the good news about your weakness
One of the mistakes we often make is to pretend we have it all together when we don’t. It happens innocently enough. A lot of us are doing our prayerful best to grow and become more like Jesus. But we can exaggerate or embellish our progress! Take me for example. I often don’t have answers to … Continue reading the good news about your weakness
Walk tall
In 2013, a book came out by Robert Galbraith called The Cuckoo’s Calling. It was a crime fiction novel. The reviews were fantastic, but it didn’t sell very well—just 1500 print copies and a few thousand online. But the Sunday Times learned that “Robert Galbraith” was a pseudonym—a pen name. The real author was none … Continue reading Walk tall
How do you spell love?
I once heard someone ask, “How do you spell love?” Seems simple, doesn’t it? L-O-V-E. “No,” they said. “You spell it T-I-M-E.” Technically you don’t spell love like that. But they were obviously making a point: One way you can give someone your love is to give them your time. It’s a powerful message in … Continue reading How do you spell love?
Did Jesus trust the Scriptures?
Last week I highlighted how some people struggle to understand the Bible. Because of that I encouraged you to (a) get a translation in modern English, and (b) buy a good study Bible. But if we’re honest, I think one of the reasons we stall in our reading is because we aren’t really convinced it’s … Continue reading Did Jesus trust the Scriptures?
Struggle to understand the Bible?
A new year is upon us. And more than one of you have set some kind of Bible-reading goal. And even if you haven’t, hopefully you know the importance of being continually rooted in the Scriptures. An inspiring verse about the importance of God’s word is found in Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp … Continue reading Struggle to understand the Bible?
As you stride into 2019
After a short break, the Up! devotional is back for 2019! (It's great to see you.) Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? However you respond, a lot of us are thinking about how to strengthen our faith in 2019. But when it comes to that word “faith,” we can easily miss something important. A lot … Continue reading As you stride into 2019
