“And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send
him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn
them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said,
‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said,
‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they
will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the
Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the
dead.’”(Luke 16:27-31 ESV)

Stories describing a person's a journey into the beauties of heaven and their subsequent return to earth are nothing new. Whether it be simply a "light" or an extravagant description of the pearly gates, many have spoken of dying just long enough to taste the splendor of heaven but then were brought back to life, left to share with others the wonder of their experience. Over the past few years this kind of storytelling has seen incredible commercial success and due to that popularity, not surprisingly, more and more books were marketed about personal experiences with heaven. Perhaps the most famous of these is the story of Colton, a 4 year old who apparently visited heaven while on the operating table with a burst appendix. The book was written by Colton's father, pastor Todd Burpo, some six or seven years after the operating table phenomenon. It recounts how Colton, in bits and pieces, explained to his parents how he visited heaven as a 4 year old.

Of all the thousands upon thousands of positive, edifying, important books Christians should be reading, "Heaven Is For Real" and their counterparts fall to the bottom part of the list. It isn't because their message is in conflict with the Church or that we might find ourselves in danger of embracing a faulty worldview. Nevertheless, these kinds of books just simply have nothing to offer, and most of them present their nothingness in a rather shoddy fashion, making their success say more about the ones purchasing the books than the ones writing them.

Let me admit from the outset that critiquing a book like "Heaven Is For Real" inherently comes with a certain kind of difficulty. That difficulty is best expressed by the concept of, "who are you to dismiss someone's experience?" I understand the sensitivity of such a task and I write this article, I hope, with a gracious hand, not intending to demean the ones who have shared their experiences but determined to think biblically about their story. So to that end, let me describe a couple of areas that concern me.

First is the philosophy that a person's experience with God is out of reach for other Christians to discern and evaluate. Yes, we must be careful as we all know that God works and speaks individually with His children. He is God, He can do whatever He wants. However, what God will never do is something that falls outside His own revelation about Himself in Scripture. This is true throught many issues in church life. I find it fascinating that the main argument for women serving in pastoral roles is that God called them to do it. And if God called them, who am I to question that? Fine. God called me to shoot a man because he looked at me funny. We instantly dismiss such an outrageous suggestion. But why? At the end of day, you are making a judgment call on my personal experience with God based on the content of my experience. Following the "who are you to question my experience with God" to its logical conclusion is simply untenable and we all know it. It's just when the subject matter is more sensitive that we feel like we don't have the right to discern a person's experience through the lens of Scripture. So, before a person can tell me that God "called" them or "placed" them somewhere, whether it be pastoring a church or experiencing a glimpse of heaven, that person should first be able to support their experience in Scripture. (for what it's worth, I have respect for women who make a rational, intelligent, Scriptural defense for their pastorate and do not lean on the "I was called" argument alone. Up to this point I am not persuaded by their arguments and I believe they are misinterpreting Scripture, but I am nevertheless grateful for their turning to the Bible to support their position).

The Bible tells of very few people who were graced with a vision of heaven; the apostles Paul and John are the two biggies (you could also say Isaiah and Stephen). In Paul's experience, he was forbidden to tell of what he had seen (2 Corinthians 12:4). In John's experience, his vision was concluded by the warning that anything in addition to his words would be met with plagues from God (Revelation 22:18). These experiences of Paul and John's vision of heaven should not be considered normative. What the Bible affirms is that every person is appointed to die once. . .and after that is judgment (Hebrews 9:27). When folks "die" on the operating table or elsewhere, and we all know people who "flatlined" and returned, they do not experience a second death, etc. That was not their appointed time to die and from God's perspective, they have not died. Remember when Jesus tells the people around Jairus' daughter that she was only sleeping and not dead? (Mark 5:38-39). Her time to die from God's perspective had not yet come. The Bible teaches that when death comes, so does judgement. So, not only is Scripture empty of support for a "coming and going" from heaven scenario, it denies the possibility.

Second, and perhaps even more troubling, is the motivation of the authors writing these book and the reaction of Christian folks reading them. People are buying these kinds of books, primarily Christian people, so that they can be confident of their hope of heaven. I actually read a review from one reader that said, "I always had doubts, but after reading this story I knew heaven was real." At this point I have to give a nod to my Moderate leaning colleagues who decry the battle for the Bible's inerrancy. Make no mistake, it is a battle I am willing and determined to fight, but if we go to war for the Bible's inerrancy in its teaching but do not follow through with the sufficiency of what it teaches, then inerrancy is pointless, and I think this is what drives Moderates crazy. In the Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist", Holmes sends Watson to check into the story of one of the clients, hoping to discover more clues for his case. Unfortunately, and in a rather humorous portion of the story, Holmes chides Watson for his inability to uncover anything helpful to the solution of the crime. Holmes says, "What have we gained by your expedition? The knowledge that the girl's story is true. I never doubted it." And amen. If Christians are needing to read the testimony of a 4 year old in order to believe the truths proclaimed in Scripture, then whatever "relief" they find within the pages of such a book will be short-lived and ultimately harmful (read Luke 16 at the top of this article again). There will always be a consistent nagging for the next "something" to fill the void left by their unwillingness to trust Christ in His Word, the sufficiency of Scripture.

Thus, the only compelling reason I can come up with to read "Heaven Is For Real" and the sort is for curiosity's sake alone. Just be careful. Curiosity left unguarded can lead down paths of thought we never thought possible. Only Scripture can and must shape how we think of heaven, our future dwelling place.   

I can give you a list of 200 books you should read before "Heaven Is For Real." Email me before you spend your money.

A question was raised in our Facebook Bible Daily Reading Group concerning Jacob's wrestling encounter with God as described in Genesis 32. Was this a literal, physical wrestling match and if so, why?

Yes, Jacob's interaction with God in Genesis 32 was a literal, physical encounter. There is no reason to read the text any differently and Jacob's lifetime physical impairment, that being a limp, is evidence of the physicality of the narrative. However, the physical nature of this remarkable experience does not negate the text's obvious spiritual underpinnings. The wrestling between Jacob and God was a physical encounter mandated by spiritual unrest.

I believe the "man" Jacob wrestled against was more then just an angel, but was the "Angel of the Lord", a phrase sometimes used to denote the very presence of God, such as when Moses encountered God at the burning bush (Exodus 3:2). Even more so, I typically believe the Angel of the Lord as described in Genesis is the pre-incarnate Christ, so that Jacob is wrestling with none other than Jesus Christ in Genesis 32.

Jacob had reached a place where his lifelong striving with others had left him spiritually and emotionally bankrupt. Even from inside the womb, Jacob was "grabbing" at Esau's heel in order to become the firstborn and claim the benefits thereof. He was a man of deception and lies. He was a man on the run. He was a man with a tremendous promise from God and yet was struggling with the nature and timing of that promise.

So God mercifully makes himself available for a struggle. And Jacob was right to engage. Because no matter the course of events our life has taken, it is ultimately God with whom we must do business. We do well to remember that God creates both the light and the dark (Isaiah 45:7) and that all trials to our faith in Christ Jesus ultimately flow through His providential care. And so God makes himself available to us, available for us to wrestle with and grapple with, and all the while he is fighting alongside us and for us, even while being the one with whom we are wrestling. It is a delicious truth of our faith that only God could muster up.

What happens as God was fighting for Jacob and against Jacob is that He finally wounds Jacob's hip. Notice carefully the text at Genesis 32:6 - Jacob says he "will not let go." He has moved from wrestling with God to clinging onto God. And so it is with God's mercy, that so often He wounds us because He is for us. Clinging to God is key for faith and it frequently requires our wounding. Our human flesh is just too prone for boasting if it came through any other means.

For what it's worth, I believe the encounter with God lasted until morning so that Jacob or anyone else would not have accused him of having a dream. His name change and limp were lifelong reminders of God's mercy and Jacob's change of heart. He moved from striving to clinging.

And so may we all.    

One of the great blessings from our Facebook Bible Reading Group is the arrival of  wonderful questions from members who are trying to not only read through their daily passage, but also read with understanding. If you are not yet a member of our group, I encourage you to join us today.

In Genesis 6, the Bible speaks of "sons of God" taking the "daughters of man" as their wives. Scripture goes on in verse 4 to speak of the "Nephilim", those mighty "men of renown." These have been some of the more confusing passages in Scripture and several attempts have been made to explain what is happening here. I will outline the more common and probable explanations.

1. The "sons of God" could be the rise of harsh, ungodly, tyrannical kings or rulers who sweep through their land with no cause or concern for anyone or anything but themselves. They possibly could have been demon possessed.

2. Another possibility is that the "sons of God" are followers of God who became overtaken with sexual desire and lust which resulted in marriages that were not God honoring.

3. The third and more radical idea is that the "sons of God" were fallen angels (Job 1:6).

What I believe is the most critical aspect of this text is not so much figuring out who the "sons of God" were, but instead noticing the pattern presented in Chapter 6. The sons of God "saw" the women were "attractive" and "took" them for their wives. Does that pattern sound familiar? "saw" "good" "took". This is of course the pattern of the original sin, Eve saw the fruit, it was good to the eyes, and she took it. Genesis 6 provides a reminder to us that Satan continues to tempt and deceive throughout the course of human history in much the same way he did in the garden.

I personally hold more closely to the first or second explanation of the "sons of God" as presented above, although fallen angels is not out of the question.

Concerning the "Nephilim", some read the Greek translation of this Hebrew word as "giants", especially from the Numbers 13 account of the spies in Canaan, back into the Genesis 6 text and suppose these "men of renown" might be giants. Could be. However, I don't believe verse 4 necessarily links the offspring of the "sons of God" to the Nephilim, but more likely places the Nephilim in the historical context of when the sons of God were marrying. Chances are this is another example of the greed and lust that was prevalent on the earth, making necessary the ensuing flood from God.

". . .encourage one another and build one another up. . ."  1 Thessalonians 5:11

One of life's simple truths that can be not-so-simple to learn is that accountability is an essential aspect of maturity in faith.  In fact, in virtually every area of life, whether it be a need to break an unhealthy habit or to embrace a positive change, we need friends who can walk alongside us. 

We also need a plan.  I love the line from the 1990 action movie "Dick Tracy" that says, "A man without a plan is not a man." (the line is attributed to Nietzsche in the movie, although I have no idea if it really comes from him).  Without making plans to do something, we just won't do it.  Things don't happen by magic. 

So, I have decided to find a few people who are willing to embrace both of these things - 1) to hold each other accountable and 2) to have a plan.

Reading the Bible is one of those areas where we desperately need both accountability and a plan.  I need help and you need help.  Thus, I am looking for a few folks to join me in reading through a simple, easy Bible plan for 2012.  The plan incorporates readings from the Old and New Testament in a very manageable format.  I have created a Facebook Group page to help us connect with each other and encourage each other, as well as write insights the Lord has spoken to us while we read.  As we get started on January 1st, I suggest the following:

1.  Do not get frustrated if you fall behind.  Simply pick up the reading on the day you get back to it; do not feel pressure to read everything you have missed or feel like your involvement has failed. 

2.  Print the reading plan and check off the days as you go, perhaps on your refrigerator.  You can also have the daily readings sent to your mobile phone or email.

3.  You can view and print the plan we are using by clicking here.  If you prefer the email or phone route, let me know and I can get that to you.

4.  Are you ready to join me?  Click on the Facebook Group Page link and then click "Ask to Join Group" on the top right hand side of the page.  I will accept you and we will be on the journey together to read through Scripture.  I know the Lord will bless our efforts.         

John Calvin was one of the principal reformers during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century.  He understood the reality of Christian persecution which caused him to flee France in the direction of Geneva.  A few years later, one of Calvin's friends brought Calvin some news which he thought would cheer Calvin up; one of the more ruthless persecutors in France had died.  Calvin's associate said something along the lines of "finally, that Godless man is getting what he deserves in hell."  Calvin immediately reprimanded his friend.  Who knows, Calvin asserted, how the human heart might cry out in the last moments of one's life?  If this Christian persecutor pleaded for Jesus to save him in his last minutes, then he is with the other saints at this very moment.  It is one of my favorite stories of Calvin.

Don't misinterpret Calvin.  He is not suggesting that we are clueless to the terms of eternity.  Nor is he suggesting that eternity is not final.  What Scripture teaches is clear; there is no salvation apart from faith in Jesus Christ.  Indeed, if someone leaves this earth denying Christ, they will face separation from God in hell for eternity.  On this we can stand with certainty.  What we as humans are not able to discern is if someone asks for forgiveness minutes or even seconds before they pass.  Dr. Russell Moore, dean of the school of theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, recently reminded readers that most of the thief's friends on the cross would have assumed he would wake up in hell.  We are privy to the story; we know he is with Jesus.

Thus, if Christopher Hitchens went to his grave grasping the worldview he espoused during his lifetime, then the horror and dread of separation from God is his for eternity.  But if the light was shone in his heart just moments before death and Christopher Hitchens believed, then he is with Christ today.  The lesson for all of us who remain is not to judge Hitchen's final destination, only God can do that.  Our lesson is to be motivated to share Jesus with more and more folks.  And to know that hell is real, heaven is real, and people are precious.  Jesus saves.  It's never too late.