My theme is that these are increasingly challenging times for Christians. Not only is there an international conflict with radical Islamists, but there is a spiritual war for the soul of our nation. To survive, Christians need to stand firm for what we believe in, rather than allow everything we stand for to be progressively eroded. And to do this we need to be quite sure of what we believe, and quite sure that we really believe it and are willing to apply it in our own lives. In particular, I stress the importance of growing to Christian maturity.

I have tried to emphasize the things that unite us and that I hope most, if not all, committed Christians can believe. The book is in part a personal testimony, but it is primarily a discussion of Scriptures that have meant a lot to me. I make no claim to have said anything new. Rather, my purpose has been to stir people up by putting us in remembrance of what we should already know. (See 2 Peter 1:12-13.) Although written in a fairly low key style, I think there is quite a bit of passion in the book.

One reason for some of the passion is that, for the past two years, I have been dealing with advanced cancer — colon cancer that has spread to the liver and lungs. The medical prognosis is not very good. I’ve been on chemotherapy, and the cancer has not spread much, but it is still there. I know that God can heal me completely, and I am praying that he will heal me. This has put us in a situation where it has become vividly clear that our trust, in all things, has to be in God. There are words I have said in the past, but they have acquired a new reality for me. And it has been good. There’s been a considerable change in priorities, and quite a few things that used to be head knowledge have become heart knowledge. Perhaps all this has happened to test and strengthen our faith. (See 1 Peter 1:7.)

My wife, Frances, and I feel that this has been one of the best years of our lives. We have found a deeper love for each other, and a new peace and joy that are quite wonderful. We lead a quiet life, but we have a good deal of fun together, and at times we get downright silly and laugh a lot.

Whatever God does will be for the best. (See Romans 8:28.) If I die soon, I’ll go to be with God, and that’s a good place to be. If I live for some time longer, I’ll have more time to write other things and to serve him, and that’s a good place to be. At any rate, my faith in him and commitment to him depend on who he is and not on what he does for me.