Chip Ingram and Lance Witt. The Real Heaven: What the Bible Actually Says. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2016. 192 pp. $12.99.
Heaven is a popular topic, and it has been for a while now. With books and movies depicting journeys beyond and back again as well as depictions of angels, it is no wonder that people are fascinated by the topic.
Of course, far more important is the fact that God created humans for eternity. We need to know what happens to us and our loved ones after death.
The Real Heaven is a new, accessible work that helps to put the importance of knowing about eternity in its proper place. The authors work to help answer important questions about what happens after we die, what heaven will be like, and how can we be sure we are going there.
On the positive side, this book is a helpful reminder of the fact that we exist for eternity. God has created us for far more than this earthly life. The authors also point out the significant truth that heaven is not some sort of cloudy, harp-playing existence that nobody really wants to experience. Instead, they accurately show that heaven, the final heaven, will be God with us on a recreated earth. I applaud the clarity of the authors in declaring that we only go to heaven when forgiven by God by grace through faith in Christ.
By means of a caution, the authors of this book clearly write from one point of view regarding end times events and their order. This book presents a very standard, dispensational, pre-tribulational view of how the end times will work out. For some readers who have a differing eschatological view regarding the tribulation or the millennium, the lack of any acknowledgement of an alternative view in this work could be off-putting.
My recommendation of this work is cautious. I certainly believe that this book has much to recommend it regarding our need to think eternally and to actually look forward to and long for heaven. At the same time, the lack of mention of alternative views to some frequently debated positions such as dispensationalism and predestination leave me unimpressed. Obviously, a person who holds positions in agreement with the authors will likely enjoy this work. Those who disagree with the authors will struggle.
In general, I recommend Heaven by Randy Alcorn as a more thorough look at the afterlife. However, in fairness, Alcorn’s book is twice as long as Ingram and Witt’s, and thus it may not be an apples to apples comparison.
I received a free audio copy of this book from ChristianAudio.com as part of their reviewers program. As always, the audio quality of the product is excellent.
Daily Reading Note – 4/12/2016
Psalm 49:7-9 (ESV)
7 Truly no man can ransom another,
or give to God the price of his life,
8 for the ransom of their life is costly
and can never suffice,
9 that he should live on forever
and never see the pit.
No ordinary man has the ability to ransom the life of another man. Why? The cost is too high. The need is too great. We lack both the value and the perfection.
This passage is a good look at the gospel mystery, hidden but present, in the Old Testament. The psalmist understood that our lives are in need of rescue. We all have earned death. The death that we have earned is because of the sin of humanity in general and our own in in particular. And none of us can say to God that we will give our lives in order to purchase the pardon of another.
Imagine two death-row inmates. Both are guilty of murder. One says to the judge, “Take me. Execute me. Let him live!” What would you expect the judge to say. If both men are guilty, if both are headed for execution, it makes no sense. The judge would have both executed, because that was the destiny and just punishment for both.
Or, how about another scenario? Two heads of state have warred. One captures the other and sentences him to death for his war crimes. Now, the guilty one says, “Instead of punishing me, here is a private in my military. He will stand in my stead.” The victorious leader would reject this offer, as the private is not nearly of a rank to purchase the pardon of a president or king.
What could serve as a sacrificial substitute? Only one who is of equal or greater value and only one who was innocent could serve as a sacrificial substitute. We see that in this psalm, and it points us to Jesus.
This helps me to consider better how to present the gospel, and I look forward to trying to share it with others.
Lord, thank you for Jesus and his perfect sacrifice. I ask that you will help me to live in gratitude for you and what you have done. I also ask that you give me the opportunity, quite soon, to share this with others.
Daily Bible Reading Notes – 4/11/2016
Mark2:28
“So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
Jesus is here making a pretty big claim. As the religious teachers were scolding his disciples for snacking on some grain on the Sabbath day—an act which was perfectly legal—Jesus begins to talk about the Sabbath. He first points out that David did something far more questionable when he ate day-old show bread. Jesus then pointed out to the religious leaders that the Sabbath was actually put in place for the good of man, man was not created to serve the Sabbath.
Here, Jesus was not attempting to say that the laws of God do not matter. Neither did he allow his disciples to break any of God’s actual laws. Though, for certain, Jesus did not require his disciples to submit to man-made, extra regulations.
At the end, however, is the amazing statement. Jesus, referring to himself as the Son of Man, claims to be lord of the Sabbath. That is a huge claim. As we read this Sunday in church, Genesis 2:1-3 describes God’s resting on the seventh day and his setting that day apart for man to rest. God is lord of the Sabbath. No man could claim this lordship. However, Jesus does. Yet again, Jesus claims equality with God. Logically, to claim equality with God is to claim to be God.
The application here is simple. We worship Jesus. He is God. He is lord over all the law, because he is the originator and giver of the law. He knows exactly what the law is for and to what the law applies. And, by his life, death, and resurrection, he perfectly fulfilled the law of God on behalf of those who come to him for grace.
Jesus, I worship you. I believe you to be God in flesh. I believe that you are lord over all rules and all law. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I pray that you will help me to live to follow you faithfully, under your grace, for your glory.
Daily Reading Extra Notes – 4/10/2016
Deuteronomy 14:21
“You shall not eat anything that has died naturally. You may give it to the sojourner who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a people holy to the Lord your God.”
This was an interesting one today. As God gave commands about how Israel could live, we get the verse above. Israelites were not allowed to eat any meat that died of natural causes. I’m not totally sure what that would say about road-kill deer, but that is a good way in the future from when the verse was penned.
OK, here is what I found interesting. God did not forbid the Israelites from giving that meat to those who were living among them but who were not Israelites. And God explains that the Israelites are to be holy to the Lord.
This is a really helpful verse as we consider some of the laws of the Old Testament about being clean or unclean. God was not saying that it was morally wrong to eat the meat of an animal that had died naturally. Nor was God declaring it to be dangerous or harmful. If he were, it would be sinful for the people to give such meat to their sojourning neighbors, as it would be cruel to allow them to give others something that is actually sinful or harmful.
Instead, note what God says is his reasoning. He forbids this stuff from Israel because he wants them to be holy, which means set apart or different. This is not about right or wrong. It is about different. It is about doing what God says, not because there is a big moral mandate about everything, but simply because God says so.
The application is pretty simple. The Lord is God. He has the right to make commands. We do not have to justify those commands. He is God. He has the right to tell us what to do. No matter how logical an alternative position to God’s commands may seem, if God has made the commands, they are right and perfect. He has the right to command that those who follow him look and act differently from others.
Lord, I thank you for your word here, even in a passage that sounds strange to me from this age. You have shown that you want your people to be different. You have every right to make such a command. I also thank you that you have chosen to call believers to follow you, but you have also declared all foods to be clean. You have chosen a new way for us to look different. Help me, I pray, to be set apart for your glory as you wish. Forgive me for the times when I have looked like the rest of the world. I pray that you will be glorified in my life and the lives of my family.
Daily Reading Notes 4/7/2016
Mark 1:40-42
40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
In this early section of Mark’s gospel, Jesus is demonstrating his identity and his compassion. We have seen him healing the sick and driving out demons. He is doing miracles that show his authority over both the physical and the spiritual hardships of this world.
This healing is singled out. A leper comes to Jesus and humbly asks for healing. Jesus most certainly could have commanded the disease to be healed. But, the way that Jesus does this has my attention.
First, we see that Jesus is moved with compassion. He cares about this man’s hurts. Second, Jesus actually reaches out and touches this man, something that nobody in their right mind would do in that day. But Jesus did it, because Jesus was defeating the darkness and bringing healing and restoration in the man’s brokenness.
It is good for me to see this part of my Savior. He is powerful. He is also kind. He heals, which is great. That he is moved with compassion, that he touches the untouchable, that is more than great. He is far more kind that me. He is far more willing to get dirty in order to make the world into what God designed it to be. He is worthy of not only our worship but also our admiration, our awe, our love.
Lord Jesus, thank you for healing this leper in this way. Thank you for showing us that you are not only powerful, but you are also kind. Help me to remember this tenderness that you display. Help me to display such tenderness to others.
Daily Reading Notes for 04/06/2016
Deuteronomy 6:20-25 (ESV)
20 “When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ 21 then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. 23 And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. 24 And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. 25 And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.’
Here we see Moses instructing the Israelites about how to explain the purpose of the law and the ceremonies to their children who did not witness the Exodus. In this little passage two things stand out to me.
First, in verse 22, Moses highlights the powerful and deadly things the Lord did to the Egyptians, saying, “And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household.” God used his might to lead the people out of Egypt. He sent a series of plagues upon Egypt, plagues resulting in death and destruction. The Lord also swallowed up Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea, drowning soldiers and horses alike.
The reason that this stands out to me is that it is so far from being culturally acceptable today. The truth is, though many people generally say that they are OK with the idea of God, they are not, not at all. It seems to me that most Americans I know do not like God any more. They do not want to allow for the possibility that God is exactly who he claims to be or that he has done what he has claimed to do. Most people I hear want to sit in judgment over God, allowing him to be or do the things they approve of, but rejecting the notion that God might be or do things that do not fit modern, American views of morality, tolerance, or gentleness.
But, we must recognize that God is far greater than us. His ways are perfect. His holiness is as far from our ability to capture as the heavens are above the earth. God is not like sinful man. Nor is God subject to our present version of morality.
This week, I have been reading other ancient creation stories. In both the Greek and Babylonian creation accounts, the elements are all separate beings, forces which often oppose one another in a battle for supremacy. In both instances, one deity rises above the other through violent conquest in order to become supreme. But, in all of those other stories, the deity is subject to external standards of what might be called justice, rightness, etc.
But our God is not like the mini-deities in the creation stories of other religions. He is not one among many. He is not subject to external sources of morality. What makes right actually right is that it comes from the character of God. God’s character is not measured against another standard, because God’s character is the standard for what is perfect. Thus, when God forgives graciously or when God destroys justly, he is right, because he is, by definition, the measure of righteousness.
Also, in verse 25, Moses said, “And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.” The call to the Israelites was to remember and to obey. I wonder how far obedience has been removed from modern Christian teaching in the 21st century. I’m a big opponent of legalism. I hate the idea of making up rules God did not make or thinking that certain behaviors are what earn our favor with God. Yet, I also understand that the word of God does call the people of God to obey the commands of God. We are not told to simply sit around, be forgiven, and wait for Jesus. We are told by God to grow, to know his word, and to do what he commands. We do not obey to earn righteousness, but because of the grace of Christ already given to us.
Lord, this morning I ask that you would help me to remember first that you are who you are, perfect, holy, and righteous. I do not have any right to look at your actions and judge them. Your actions are right because they are your actions. You are the standard of righteousness. You are not subject to my opinion or to the opinions of all of humanity combined. You are the Holy One, and I submit to your rule.
I also ask that you would help me this day to remember the call to obedience. Please, Lord, help me not to take your grace for granted. Yes, you have granted grace to me as a gift. Yet, you also have commanded me to follow you. So, help me to obey your commands for your glory and for my joy.
Daily Bible Reading Notes for April 5, 2016
Deuteronomy 5:24- (ESV)
24 And you said, ‘Behold, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. This day we have seen God speak with man, and man still live. 25 Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, we shall die. 26 For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire as we have, and has still lived? 27 Go near and hear all that the Lord our God will say and speak to us all that the Lord our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.’
28 “And the Lord heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the Lord said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. 29 Oh that they had such a mind as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!’”
Just after reminding the people of the Ten Commandments, the terms of God’s covenant relationship with the nation of Israel, Moses reminds the people of their response to hearing the voice of God. The nation was terrified by the incredible experience of hearing God’s voice speaking out of the fire atop the mountain. So, the people begged that God not speak where they could hear him. They asked that God use Moses to speak to them instead.
God, for his part, commended the people for their fear. He saw it to be good that the people would realize that his voice and his holiness are actually scary. He said that it would be good if future generations would grasp the fact that we do not naturally have the right to hear the voice of God and treat him and his word with proper respect.
What grabbed my attention here is the way in which God is pleased with the fear of God among the Israelites. I think of that in comparison to how I and others often speak of being in God’s presence. And, this all causes me to be of two trains of thought.
First, I recognize that it is good to fear the Lord. Modern people do not often fear God. This is true of the lost and the saved alike. Far too many people among the saved do not consider the presence of God to be a frightening place. Far too many of us have given into the softened modern notion of God as a simple grandfather whose lap we hop into. We do not see him as the one whose throne is full of lightnings, thunders, and earthquakes as is seen in Revelation4.
It would be wise, very wise, for us to realize that any communication with the Lord is communication with the Holy One. It would b wise to remember that we are sinners, and we do not naturally have the right to approach him. In fact, should we approach him sinfully, without his protection, he would rightfully destroy us.
On the other hand, I also recognize that God has given us the right to approach him in a way that is far greater and far closer than he gave the Israelites. He has given us his Son. He has given us his Holy Spirit. And now he allows us to approach him freely and confidently as we see in Ephesians 3:12. God is our loving Father. He welcomes us.
I’m not totally sure how to build the proper balance. God welcomes us. God loves us. Yet, God is the consuming fire and Holy One. He is worthy of our respect, our fear, and our aw. At the same time, he has given us his love and his welcome. To borrow from the idea of C. S. Lewis, he is not tame, perhaps not even safe, but he is good.
Lord, you are holy. I have no right, in myself, to approach you. I pray, therefore, that you will remind me of your greatness, your majesty, and your holiness. You are King, and I am your subject. Help me not to approach you in any form of irreverence. At the same time, you have also welcomed me into your family in Christ. So, I also ask that you help me to understand your love and your welcome. Lord, help me to worship you and approach you rightly, in the way that will best glorify your name.
Daily Reading Notes 4/4/2016
Acts 26:16-18
16 “But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
Above is Paul’s description of what the Lord Jesus said to him upon his conversion. Paul had a mission given to him from the moment of his salvation, one clearly prepared for him from long beforehand. Though Paul had been an active persecutor of the church, God was going to use Paul in ministry.
Paul’s job would be to be “”a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you.” Jesus has revealed himself to Paul. Later, Jesus would teach Paul the truth of God. And Paul’s job would be to serve God in that truth and to tell others the truth that God had shown him.
Jesus would send Paul to the gentiles. Paul’s sharing of the gospel would have an amazing result in their lives, “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me [Christ].”
The reason that this all stood out to me today is that Christians have so much of the same mission. We are to be servants and witnesses to the word of God. We are to obey God’s word. And we are to share God’s word with a world that vehemently opposes it.
What will happen when we share the truth of God with the world? Well, of course we know that not everybody will believe. But, some will. Some will turn from darkness to light. Some will turn from the rule of the devil to the family of God. Some will find salvation through faith in Christ.
This all reminds me that my job is to love God, love his word, and tell the truth. That is all of our calling. And I need the help of God to do this well.
Lord, I thank you for salvation in Christ. I thank you for your word. I thank you that you have chosen to let me know how it is that I might obey and serve you. I pray, Lord, that you will grant me the courage, wisdom, and opportunity to share your truth with others. Help me to be honest and genuine with others. Help me to see others move from darkness to light. I ask that you would use me to help people to become part of your family and to follow your word faithfully. I cannot do this on my own. I lack the power and the wisdom if you do not give it to me through your Holy Spirit. Let me be a witness to you and a faithful servant of your word.
What is Good Friday?
Today we celebrate Good Friday. What happened?
In the early hours of the morning, just after midnight, Jesus and his disciples would have been in the garden where the Lord went to pray. There Jesus was arrested by a group of soldiers and temple police led by the treacherous Judas Iscariot. Over the next several hours, Jesus went through no fewer than six trials, all of which were illegal, none of which produced any actual evidence of wrong doing. Three times, Jesus would be pronounced innocent by Pilate before the Roman governor gave in to mob mentality and sentenced Jesus to death.
Yet, what was most important happened mid-morning. After being abused by soldiers, Jesus was led out to a hill where he was crucified. So many of us are tempted to dwell on the physical details of this brutal form of execution, but these are not the focus of this day. The central focus of this day is the drama going on in the spiritual realm.
As Jesus was dying on the Roman cross, God the Father and Jesus, God the Son, were involved in the most important exchange in history. The Father looked at his Son, and he counted Jesus guilty of all of the sins that he would ever forgive. Then over the period of those six hours one Friday nearly two thousand years ago, the Father punished Jesus with his full and just wrath for the sins of all of his children.
As Jesus died, he declared, “It is finished.” In that declaration, the Lord told all who would hear those words that the price for sin had been fully paid. The Father’s wrath had been fully satisfied. Jesus’ mission of living a perfect life and dying a sacrificial death was accomplished. And then, the Savior died, willingly giving up his spirit in order to complete the transaction.
When Jesus died, the curtain in the temple in Jerusalem was torn in two from top to bottom. God was clearly telling the world that no longer would the sacrificial system be the way that people would approach him for forgiveness. Afterward, Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb, and many wondered what had happened.
How does all of this work? God is perfect, infinitely so. Our rebellion against God is, therefore, an infinite offense. The just punishment for the crime of offending the God of the universe is rightly one of infinite consequence. Jesus, the infinitely perfect Son of God, willingly took upon himself the judgment of God for all of the sins that God would ever forgive. This means that, in the end, all sins will be justly punished by God. Those of us who find ourselves under God’s grace because of faith in Christ have our sins paid for because the Father poured out the judgment that we deserve on Jesus. Those who refuse this offer of God’s grace will personally face the right wrath of God for their sins.
Why is today Good? It is Good Friday because, in the most loving act of human history, the Son of God suffered the wrath of God that we deserved in order that we might be forgiven. None of us could survive the punishment we deserve. Jesus took that punishment for all who will come to him, reject their sin, and embrace him as Savior and Lord.
Personal Testimony and Evangelism
Can I use my personal testimony as a way to share the gospel with others? This is a difficult question, because it totally depends on what kind of testimony you give. There are some testimonies that only focus on the person and their experience. Other testimonies interweave my story with the biblical truth claims of the gospel. Only those which make clear the truth claims of Scripture—the universal need of all people to repent and turn to Jesus—are truly evangelistic testimonies.
Consider the following 2 paragraphs from Mark Dever, 9 Marks of a Healthy Church (Wheaton: Crossway, 2004), 133:
Some think of a personal testimony as evangelism. Certainly a testimony of what God has done in our lives may include the Good News, but it also may not include it. In telling other people how much Jesus means to you, you may not have told them the Gospel at all. Have you explained what Christ did by dying on the Cross? It is good to share your own testimony of what God has done in your life, but in your testimony, you may not actually make clear what Christ’s claims are on other people.
Testimony is, of course, very popular in our postmodern, “that’s good-for-you” age. Who would object to your thinking you’ve gotten something good from Christ? But wait and see what happens when you try to move the conversation from what Jesus has done for you to the facts of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ and how that all applies to your nonbelieving friend. That’s when you discover that testimony is not necessarily evangelism.
Simply put, if all I do is tell a person that trusting Jesus made my life better, all I have done is made an experiential claim with no demands on the life or beliefs of another. It is little different than telling someone that, since I began taking a certain kind of vitamin, I have a great deal more energy. My conversation partner is likely to say to me that they are glad that my experiment with religion worked for me, even though they have no intention of trying that. They may walk away from that conversation assuming that they are free to try their own way and it be just as valid as my experience.
How then do you use your testimony and actually include enough Scripture to follow it up with a call for another person to respond? I would recommend using Ephesians 2:1-10 as a base text that you can pattern your testimony around. If you have a Bible available, you can actually use the text to help a person see your testimony and their condition before God. If you use Ephesians 2:1-10, you can share your testimony in 4 steps:
1. Who I was (v1-3) – Begin your testimony with what God says about all of us before our salvation. We were dead in sins and trespasses (v1). WE all followed our own desires, the pattern of the world around us, and the tricks of Satan himself (v2-3). Because of your sin, you were under the curse of God’s wrath, and rightfully so (v3). Had nothing changed, hell would have been your ultimate destination, as it is the ultimate destination for all who are not forgiven by God.
2. what God did to make you alive. God, the perfectly holy Creator, sent his Son to earth to pay the price for our sins. Jesus died and then rose from the grave to grant forgiveness to all who will come to him. For all who become God’s child, God will grant eternal life and forever kindness.
3. How you responded (v8-9) – Jesus did all the work, but he requires us all to respond to him in faith. We are saved by God’s grace through trusting in Jesus Christ. You did not do anything good to be saved. God graciously allowed you to place your trust for your eternity in the finished work of Jesus. This is how any will be saved.
4. What is different (v10) – God not only forgave your sin if you are a Christian, he also changed your life. Now you live to do the good works for which God created you. These works do not contribute to your salvation at all. Instead, the good things that you do now give you joy as you give glory to your God.
It would be wise to construct your testimony, your true story, around the points above and Ephesians 2:1-10. Don’t spend a great deal of time dwelling on the gory details of your sinful past—this tends to glorify your sin rather than God. Instead, get to the cross and help them to know how you trusted Christ, received forgiveness, and now have joy in following him. Don’t make yourself look perfect; be honest. Simply tell the truth and use the Scripture as your authority for the truth of the change in your life.
Then, as you wrap up your testimony, point out to your friend that Ephesians 2:1-3 says that all of us are in need of God’s grace. Verses 4-7 tell us that Jesus has done the work for all who will trust him to be forgiven. Then let them know that, if they wish to become God’s child and be forgiven of their sin, they too must come by God’s grace through faith in Jesus as verses 8-9 say. If they will come, they will be able to live out their ultimate purpose that God planned for them from before the dawn of time as we read in verse 10.
Pastor Travis Peterson 