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As we enter the Advent season, there’s no more worthy subject to set our minds on than Jesus Himself. He is “the Alpha and the Omega…the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13), the One this Christmas season is all about. (And the One the rest of the year should be about too!)

Happy people celebrate their conversion not just once, but over and over. They are profoundly grateful for what God has done for them.

In 2019, Randy Alcorn was interviewed about his book Giving Is the Good Life on the MoneyWise radio show. 

In this video, Randy Alcorn and Pastor Greg Laurie discuss Heaven, happiness and the holiday season at Harvest Christian Church in Riverside, CA.

The happiness described in Scripture is all the richer because it doesn’t involve denial or pretense and can be experienced amid severe difficulty. Christ-followers don’t preach the flimsy kind of happiness that’s built on wishful thinking. Instead, our basis for happiness remains true—and sometimes becomes clearer—in suffering.

There’s still a lot of pushback on the idea of sharing about our giving, but not as much is there was 30 years ago when the first edition of my book Money, Possessions, and Eternity came out. I think people are realizing giving isn’t the only thing people are tempted to be proud of, and in Matthew 6 it’s inseparable from prayer and fasting.

We should seek to please our Lord, to meet the needs of the poor and needy, to be an encouragement to others, etc. But if we “believe that He is a rewarder” (Hebrews 11:6), then it is right, not wrong, to also want to get God’s blessing and reward.

From mid-November to early January, our lives change, bringing many things that are delightful, but which increase our pressure and fatigue! May this article remind you to focus on what’s truly most important in this season, and to take time to sit at Jesus’ feet.

Reminding yourself of God’s unchanging character and love and faithfulness is critical to being able to rise above the adversity of circumstances that seem to change like the weather.

Because Adam and Eve were naked without being embarrassed before they disobeyed God, some people say we won’t need to wear clothes in Heaven. Before you freak out, there’s good news. Even prior to the final resurrection, people are already described as wearing clothes.

A reader writes, "Ever since childhood I’ve been afraid of the concept of eternity. I know I'm going to spend it in Heaven with Jesus, but I still get a full-blown panic attack when I realize Heaven will last forever and won't end."

A reader asks, "I was sprinkled as an infant and still have my certificate. What is your understanding of baptism? Is a sprinkling at that young age as significant as full immersion? I’m puzzled."

A reader asked me, “I often hear the saying ‘I want to be ready to meet my Lord.’ Can you explain what exactly you mean by this, please?” First of all, and most importantly, being ready to meet the Lord means you’ve made sure of your relationship with Jesus Christ, and are trusting only Him to save you.

Throughout the ages, Heaven has played a dominant role in the thoughts and lives of God’s people. Heaven is the North Star by which countless Christians have navigated their lives. But have you noticed? Heaven today has largely fallen off our radar screens.