Author: Jon Gauger

Are you more intrigued with earth than heaven? Let me rephrase the question: How fascinated are you with heaven? The temptation is to answer this question with what we know to be the correct Sunday School answer: "Well, of course, I'm looking forward to heaven." But there’s a foolproof way to know the truth. Your praying (and mine) tells the real story. Attend your church's prayer meeting, and what are most of the requests you hear? We pray for physical healing, well-being, jobs, houses—that sort of thing. Most of it is temporary in nature. But look at all the prayers…

As the war drags on and the death toll goes up, the media is making a predictable turn. Their sympathy is shifting from Israel toward the Palestinians. Increasingly, we'll be shown tragic images of Palestinian children and women injured or killed. The not-so-subtle message will be, "If only those mean Israelis would stop attacking innocent people, stop occupying others' land, and start living in peace." Every death, every tear, every life matters—on both sides. But what you will probably not see online or on television is a clear presentation of the facts. With the kind permission of Middle East expert…

Question: Do you keep your valuables in a safe? If so, how safe is your safe? An old story offers a fresh perspective. The man was not just rich—he was extremely rich. And he had a question for Jesus: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus simply replied, "You know the commandments,"—and He listed several. Undaunted, the rich ruler replied, "All these I have kept from my youth." Amazingly, Jesus did not disagree with the man. “One thing you still lack,” offered the Teacher from Nazareth. At this point, the rich guy leaned forward, not wanting to miss…

They were on a mission: seize a large stash of weapons. On April 19, 1775, British soldiers marched inland toward Concord, Massachusetts, hungry to eliminate the colonists' firepower. But the secrecy of the British mission had been exposed by Paul Revere, who rode in advance to warn the colonists of the approaching British. The colonists' forces consisted of two groups. Militia men formed a part-time army and typically trained six days each year. By contrast, Minutemen trained twice weekly—on top of their regular jobs. All adult males were required to take militia training. But being a Minuteman was voluntary. They…

Sadie is seven and thinking about heaven. And to focus on heaven is to fuel your curiosity–regardless of age. Recently, Sadie peppered her mom with questions about the end times. Turns out Sadie wanted to know the exact date Jesus will return. When her mom confessed she did not know, Sadie was flummoxed. Her response: “Welp. I guess you aren’t as smart as you look. Grownups do NOT know it all!” Sadie is right, of course. Grownups do not know it all. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus said, "But about that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels…

I saw an advertisement at the airport that rattled me. The headline read, Save Them All. Immediately, I thought, what a great way to encourage believers to reach out to their unsaved friends. Instead, this slogan was for an organization trying to shut down puppy mills. Now, I'm all for treating animals humanely—that's decidedly biblical. But I found myself asking, why aren't we Christians at least as bold in rescuing souls as animal lovers are in rescuing dogs? If others can get worked up over puppies (I love them, too), shouldn't believers get much more excited about the eternal destinies…

At first glance, it cracked me up. Cruising the streets of Brookline, Massachusetts, we encountered a store named Restorers Without Borders. For a price, they take in furniture of all kinds and rebuild or refinish it. Cracked wood, missing table legs, scratched tabletops—they handle it all. And when they return that heirloom to you, it looks like new (or old, if you prefer). Not to be missed—their slogan. It's splashed on not one but two windows: "You'll adore what we restore." At first, I smiled. Then it struck me—isn’t that a perfect description of Jesus? The woman with the issue…

Adrenaline rushed. My heart rate surged. I'd been walking alone on a country road, enjoying the early morning. And then I wasn't alone. A dog resembling a Doberman Pinscher turned the corner and headed right for me. With a cornfield on one side and a yard on the other, there was no place to go—and no stick to grab for self-defense. I was entirely exposed. Seconds later, the dog's owner rounded that same corner. "Nick!" She called out to her dog. But Nick blew her off and kept coming. "Nick, get over here!" This time, he paused, looked back at…

At Junkanoo Beach in the Bahamas, the turquoise ocean hue is so intense, you swear it’s been Photoshopped, and so clear you can see down at least 30 feet. What fun to zip my iPhone into a waterproof pouch and slip beneath the waves to capture images of underwater life. After years of watching Discovery Channel shows, it was intoxicating to experience it personally. Needing to come up for air, I wondered about shooting some different camera angles. What if I put that iPhone on the sand and clicked the shutter just as the waves collided? I scrunched my body…

Are you bold when you pray? I'd not given the question much thought until recently. We were out at the camper—Saturday morning. It's breakfast time, which means six-year-old Ava is on one of my knees, and four-year-old Emma is on the other (our standard practice). I say a prayer of thanks for the meal that goes something like this: Dear Lord, Thank you for our food. You are so good to us. Thank you for letting us be together out here at the camper. It’s like a giant present. Before I can say Amen, Ava blurts out loudly, “And please…