"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him..." (Psalm 103:11, ESV) Unfathomable love. How high are the heavens above the earth? It's hard to say. We cannot yet reach, with even our latest instruments, the farthest parts of the universe. Incomprehensible love. Interestingly, "the heavens" even … [Read more...] about Heaven-High Love
Literal Metaphors
One of my favorite poems is "Birches" by Robert Frost: "When I see birches bend to left and rightAcross the lines of straighter darker trees,I like to think some boy’s been swinging them.But swinging doesn’t bend them down to stayAs ice-storms do…"1 Frost imagines the weeping birches as the result of some boy's play. But he knows better. Fun-loving boys, swinging on … [Read more...] about Literal Metaphors
What Heaven Means
When we say "heaven," what do we mean? J.I. Packer, in Growing in Christ, writes: "Heaven" in the Bible means three things: (1)The endless, self-sustaining life of God. In this sense, God always dwelt "in heaven," even when there was no earth. (2) The state of angels or men as they share the life of God, whether in foretaste now or in fullness hereafter. In this sense, … [Read more...] about What Heaven Means
Audio Bibles
I want to commend audio bibles to you. We live in a time of podcasts and audiobooks. Why not also listen to the Bible? We have always been first aural. We learn language through hearing, not reading. Indeed, the ability to listen is nearly universal. And listening overcomes illiteracy, low literacy, and dyslexia. For centuries, the public, audible reading of … [Read more...] about Audio Bibles
Only the Childlike
"Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3, ESV). Only the childlike... An adult believes he knows best. An adult would like to see the schedule first. An adult would like the discounted version. An adult is wary of commitments. An adult doesn’t want surprises. An adult prefers … [Read more...] about Only the Childlike