All Things New by John Eldredge

What we feel about the future impacts how we feel now. Eldredge wants readers to have hope, “the confident expectation of goodness coming to us.” (9) Jesus promised the renewal of all things in Matt. 19:28. Restoration of all things is coming, not annihilation.

After building a case for our need for hope, Eldredge unpacks what the renewal of all things means to us. “The renewal of all things simply means that the earth you love – all your special places and treasured memories – is restored and renewed and given back to you. Forever.” (35) He awakens our imagination to what earth would be like, restored to its full glory. The animal kingdom will be restored. We will be too, our bodies, our characters, all will be healed and restored. There will be a settling of accounts. Apologies will be made and received. (121) Wrongs will be avenged. (148)

This all sounds wonderful but I was left with a few questions. Eldredge reminds us that some will not be a part of this renewal. (191) He failed to address how believers will feel when close friends or family members are not part of the renewal. “Nothing is lost, not for the friends of God,” Eldredge declares. (187) Will that be the case for a parent when an unsaved child is not part of the renewal?

Eldredge encourages readers to know that “everything will be restored to you and then some...” (200) He is an outdoors person and wrote of bow hunting moose in the wilds of the Yukon – a “dream come true.” (202) For believers who love hunting and fishing, will that be restored and then some in the renewal?

Eldredge recently discovered this truth of the future renewal. For Christians who are unaware of this aspect of the future, this book is a good introduction to the topic. To astute Bible readers familiar with Revelation 21 and similar passages, there may not be much new in this book. You will be able to read many portions of novels quoted at length, however.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

John Eldredge is an author, a counselor, and a teacher. He is also president of Ransomed Heart, a ministry devoted to helping people discover the heart of God, recovering their own hearts in God's love, and learning to live in God's kingdom. He and his wife life near Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Nelson Books, 256 pages.

I received a complimentary galley of this book through Icon Media. My comments are an independent and honest review.

A Place Called Heaven by Robert Jeffress

Why read another book on heaven? Jeffress writes, “...the more we think about the next world the more effective we become in this world.” (17) Thinking about heaven reminds us of the brevity of life and the certainty of future judgment. It motivates us to live God pleasing lives and it places suffering in perspective.

There were some aspects of this book that make it a good one to read. Jeffress writes about the present heaven where God resides now and where Christians go when they die. He also writes about the future heaven that Jesus is constructing for us and John described in Revelation. Jeffress says the topic confuses many Christians but he explains it well. I had not thought of these two heavens and I am glad he clarified it for me.

He also writes about the “I went to heaven” experiences. He reminds us that Scripture is our measuring rod for those who make such claims. I really like that he suggests such books might make us think that the Bible does not tell us all we need to know about heaven. Jeffress includes many criteria for evaluation so that we are not taken in by such accounts.

I found his section on what we will be doing in heaven interesting too. For example, he writes about Christians ruling and reigning with Christ. Jeffress writes, “Those who will rule and reign with Christ in the new world will be those who have the desire and ability to rule.” (111) If leadership responsibilities terrify us, we can relax. Chances are we will be working with our hands rather than directing people. (111) Jeffress adds this about leading in heaven, “The single greatest determiner of leadership responsibilities in the next life will be faithfulness to God in this life.” (112) I am still thinking about that.

Jeffress writes about hell too. He is a firm believer in its existence and that it is the destiny of many.

That gives potential readers an idea of what the book is like. Even though I have read many books on heaven, I still found new insights in this one. It is a good book for those who have not read much about heaven too. Many questions about it are answered, based on what the Bible says.

You can find out more about the book and watch a video here. You can read an excerpt here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Dr. Robert Jeffress is the senior pastor of the 13,000 member First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, a Fox News contributor, and a member of the executive committee of the White House Faith Initiative. His daily radio program, Pathway to Victory, is heard on more than 930 stations nationwide, and his weekly television program is seen in the U.S. and nearly 200 countries around the world. He has been interviewed on more than 2,000 radio and television programs.

Baker Books, 256 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Icon Media. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Home by Elyse Fitzpatrick

This book is different from any other I've read on our eternal home. Rather than giving descriptions of what it will be like, Fitzpatrick desires that we have a deeper understanding of and a deeper desire for our eternal home.

She asks us to recognize our homesickness. She shares her own disrupting experiences of life being turned on end, causing her to focus on heaven. She clarifies misunderstandings about heaven. She explores the resurrection of Jesus and what that tells us. She relates the characteristics of the Garden of Eden to our final home (such as animals). She imagines what the New Jerusalem will mean to us. She reminds us that the sight of His face will wipe out our bucket list. She also writes about the possible role of the congregated church in being a “thin place.”

I really like Fitzpatrick's emphasis on what heaven will mean to us. That makes us long for it more than mere descriptions would. I also like her writing about what we can do now to prepare for our future home. Nothing we do here is in vain, she writes. We can even hasten His day by living godly lives (2 Peter 3:11-14). And I like that she reminds us that our future home is ours by grace alone.

There were a few surprising ideas in this book. Fitzpatrick relates a hiking experience and then thinks of hiking the New Earth, never getting tired or sick. That the New Earth would have mountains and canyons is not something I've thought about. Another thought provoking idea was about worship. We find no command to Adam and Eve to worship. Fitzpatrick concludes that before sin, everything Adam and Eve did was worship. She proposes that all we do on the New Earth will be worship, such as hiking.

Fitzpatrick says she has written this book to make us thirst for heaven like never before and prepare us for living our life here, always keeping our life there in view. She has certainly convinced me of how deeply satisfying our future home will be.

If, with every passing day, you long for heaven more and more, this book will stir up that desire in you. Perhaps you don't long very much for heaven. Perhaps you have been trying to numb your desire to live somewhere other than in this sinful world. I highly recommend this book as it will reveal to you the believer's deeply satisfying future home.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Elyse Fitzpatrick is a nationally sought after speaker and author. She has a certificate in Biblical Counseling from CCEF and an MA in Biblical Counseling from Trinity Theological Seminary. She and her husband of over forty years have three adult children, six grandchildren, and live in the San Diego area. You can find out more at www.elysefitzpatrick.com.

Bethany House, 240 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

Chasing Heaven by Crystal McVea with Alex Tresniowski

Have you ever wondered what happened to people after they died, experienced heaven, and returned? Did the event really change their life?

McVea told her story of what she experienced on December 10, 2009, when her heart stopped for nine minutes, in Waking Up in Heaven. (You can read my review of that book here.) Now she shares how her life has been different from that time. Having realized how much God loves her, she loves others.

We learn how she has come to be ministering to homeless and to women working in strip clubs. She, along with others, show them love. They don't judge. They just love. They move toward people in the time of their greatest darkness, not away from them.

She emphasizes that God's love calls us to action. That's why she named her book the way she did. She is not sitting around waiting for heaven. She is actively chasing heaven. She is learning how to extend the love she experiences from God to others.

After her heaven experience, McVea wanted to be closer to God, to experience Him more here on earth. She got active in church, read her Bible and prayed. She did all those things she thought she was supposed to do. While those things are good, they left her frustrated. It was not until she asked God what He wanted her to do and actively began showing God's love to others that she felt she was on the journey God wanted.

McVea's book is a good challenge to each of us to find how God wants us to put our faith into action. It is also a reminder that we experience God's grace every moment. We are meant to have meaningful lives, she writes. Lives with purpose and passion for Christ. She reminds us we can have that right now, in our own circumstances. She also reminds us that we don't have to do it all ourselves. She shares great stories of just getting the ball rolling, so to speak.

I am impressed with this book. McVea has included inspiring stories from her own life and the lives of others. I have seen how her life has changed and am encouraged by her boldness in showing God's love to others. This book is an inspiration and I recommend it.

McVea retells in this book much of her life story that is contained in her first book. Even if you have not read that first book, you can easily read this one, know her whole story, and have your godly passions stirred.

Food for thought: “By dying, I learned how to live.”

You can read or listen to an excerpt from the book here.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Crystal McVea is the author of Waking Up in Heaven. She is a schoolteacher and lives in Oklahoma with her husband and their four children. You can find out more at http://www.crystalmcvea.com/.

Alex Tresniowski is a former writer at People and the bestselling author of several books.

Howard Books, 304 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

50 Things You Need to Know About Heaven by John Hart

There is so much about heaven in the media these days it is hard to know what is biblical. “This book is designed to be your guide to what the Bible says about heaven,” Hart writes.

He starts off making sure his readers understand who will be in heaven. He clarifies the one condition to get to heaven: “to believe in Jesus as the One who can forgive your rebellion against God and take you to heaven when you die.”

He answers 50 questions. Some are clear and his answer is no surprise. Other questions have been recently debated, such as whether people get a second chance to believe in Jesus after they die. He gives all the relevant Scripture passages on every question.

He covers issues such as what we will be doing in heaven, where heaven is, whether there will be animals in heaven or marriage, heaven's physical nature, time in heaven, the nature of human bodies in heaven, whether we'll eat in heaven, what other religions say about heaven,and much more.

His answers are based on Scripture but there is some speculation as well. I am not so sure on a few of his answers. “Everyone's body will be fully developed but youthful and ageless.” (Q. 30) That includes children of faith who have died before reaching adulthood as well as those who have died in old age. He uses the example of Adam and Eve to argue such a youthful body is God's archetype so that's how we'll be in heaven. Another answer surprised me, perhaps because I'd never thought about it. Writing about eating in heaven, he says the food and drink will be entirely absorbed. “There will be no need for any elimination of liquids or solids.” (Q. 32)

This is not an exhaustive book about heaven by any means. It would be a good introduction for someone who is puzzled by all the current talk about it.

John Hart is Professor of Bible at the Moody Bible Institute. He received his ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary and his ThD from Grace Theological Seminary.

Bethany House Publishers, 144 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

Waking Up in Heaven by Crystal McVae

This is not your typical “I've been to heaven” story. If you pick up this book just to find out what heaven is like, you will be disappointed.

Crystal's time in heaven is very little of the story. Crystal tells her life story at length – the abuse, the wrong choices. I got a little tired of hearing Crystal tell of yet another experience with a man that did not end well. But, in a sense, that is Crystal's story: no matter what you've done or has been done to you, God is still right there waiting to have a relationship with you.

I was a little nervous too in that Crystal talked about “God” most of the time. But, before the end of the book, Jesus and the gospel message comes through.

With Crystal's background, people ask her, “Why you? Why did God pick you to go to heaven?” Crystal has no answer. Crystal was not a Christian at the time. In fact, she had a troubled relationship with God for years after her experience. It took her a long time to come to a relationship where she trusted God and His leading.

I am very critical of stories of being in heaven. This one seems like it is an honest story. Crystal didn't want to tell all of her horrible history but God told her to tell the whole story. People having trouble believing in God or that God loves them would benefit from this book, not because of the heaven experience, but because of all Crystal went through and finding a relationship with Jesus in the end.

I listened to this book on audio and it was inspiring to hear Crystal read her own story.

AfterLife by Hank Hanegraaff

“All of us will spend eternity somewhere. It stands to reason, therefore, that we know precisely what that entails.” (9) But how do we know? There has been much written by people who died and returned to tell about it. Hank argues that we must get our information from the bible.

He writes about the three phases of life: life now, the transitional state (immaterial soul), and heaven and hell (when the soul and body are reunited).

He spends quite some time on the transitional state, something new to me. It is important to note, I think, that Hank takes the parable of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16) as an actual description of this transitional state.

Hank has an excellent section on the “near death experiences” and their divergent accounts. He also has a good section on the reality of hell.

Other issues Hank addresses include animals in heaven, ghosts, soul sleep, reincarnation, cremation, people who commit suicide, proof of the resurrection, the secret rapture (not biblical), the millennium (none), salvation, spiritual growth, sacraments, and much more.

There are a couple of areas where I think Hank does not do a good job in answering the question. One is the meaning of 1 Peter 3:19, Jesus speaking to the “spirits in prison.” The other is Matt. 24:30,34 where Jesus says “this generation” will see the “Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.”

It was interesting to me to read that Hank appealed to the “plain and literal sense” of a passage (176) but then disagreed with an author for taking a “woodenly literalistic interpretation” of a passage (171). We like a literal interpretation when it serves us.

And something else to be aware of when reading this book. Hank uses phrases like, “The New Testament unambiguously communicates” (80), and “as is obvious from the account of Stephen” (81), and of Matt. 24:30, Jesus “was obviously not speaking of his second coming” (173), and “It seems obvious that” (173). Just be aware that some authors use phrases like those to intimidate the reader. If an interpretation is “obvious” and I don't agree with it, what does that say about me? In each of the above cases, Hank's interpretations were anything but “obvious” since the issues have been debated by people for years.

Hanks steps on lots of toes. He is certainly not a fan of those who write about their trips to heaven while dead, Christians included. And he is not a fan of the pretribulation rapture and all that dispensational teaching entails.

A glossary is included at the end of the book as well as suggested reading for further study.

Hank Hanegraaff serves as president and chairman of the board of the Christian Research Institute. He is also the host of the nationally syndicated Bible Answer Man radio broadcast. He is the author of more than twenty books and has won several book awards. He is a regular contributor to the award-winning Christian Research Journal and is a widely sought after speaker. Find out more about Hank and his ministry at www.equip.org.

Worthy Publishing, 256 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Off Target by John Noe

Noe believes that Christianity has been tamed, that culture has triumphed. “The vast majority of we Christians today have been led astray, dumbed down, and pulled off target by our own leaders.” (238) Our current form of Christianity is far from that of the early church. He addresses 18 areas he believes the church is “off target.”

In a blog of this length, I'll only go through a few of the 18 issues, noting Noe's position as well as some of my own thoughts.

He notes that the kingdom of God is no longer taught when it should be central in our worldview. It follows that the gospel preached today is just partial. What should be preached is a “kingdom-oriented-salvation-coupled gospel such as Jesus was presenting...” (59)

Next, Noe reports what the Bible really says about hell: nothing. (66) Gehenna is not hell, he claims. (68) He writes, “Given the paucity, if not total non-existence, of scriptural support for the orthodox, traditional, and modern-day doctrine and understanding of 'hell,' we must reconsider this mainstay of Christianity as not being part of God's plan of afterlife punishment and/or redemption.” (75) He does note that God's justice and wrath are real but questions if they are retributive or restorative. While he does not make a final conclusion on hell, elsewhere he says of heaven, “...a hierarchical heaven is where some, many, most, or all will spend eternity.” (206)

He tackles the “last days.” “These 'last days' and end times, “ he writes, “were not a 19-centuries-and-counting extended period. Without exception, they literally refer to that 1st-century time frame in which the New Testament writers were living, there and then.” (78) “According to the Bible itself and prior to A. D. 70, the gospel was preached to all nations and to the world.” (85) The “last days” were not the last days of earth or human history. They were the last days of biblical Judaism and the first days of the church.

Parallel to this, Noe advocates a worldview of a world that never ends. He says there are three different entities in the Bible called “heaven and earth.” “One 'heaven and earth' would never pass away. Another had already passed away. A third would soon pass away and be made new.” (26) “The 'heaven and earth' that would never pass away is the physical creation (Gen. 1:1). The one that had already passed away was Babylon in the 6^th century B. C. (Isa. 13:1,13; Hag. 2:6-7). The third one that would soon pass away and be made new was Old Covenant biblical Judaism (Deut. 32:1; Isa. 1:2-3; 51:13-16; Heb. 12:26-27).” (26)

I have to admit, that is where Noe lost me. And this was only page 26 of a 239 page book! I looked up those verses and, yes, heaven or heavens and earth are mentioned in those verses. Other than the Genesis passage, to say these references indicate Babylon and Judaism are called “heaven and earth” are such a stretch, even I cannot reach that far!

About the “second coming”: “The Bible says nothing about a 'second coming' or a 'return' of Jesus Christ. Nor do the historic creeds of the church.” (91)

Interestingly enough, I am also reading a book I'll blog a review of tomorrow. In it the author writes, “Jesus will return because the Bible says so.” (40 Questions About the End Times, p. 247) Reference is made to Acts 1:11 (“This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.”). Doesn't “come back” have the same meaning as “return”? There is also reference to John 21:22,23 where Jesus Himself says he will “come back,” twice. Noe does not address these two passages in his book. And the historic creeds? Noe says they say nothing about the “return” of Jesus. Yet the Apostles Creed (referenced to in a letter dated A.D. 390), the Nicene Creed (A. D. 325), and the Athanasian Creed (used by churches since the sixth century), all speak of Jesus ascending to heaven and affirm that He will come again.

Noe says Jesus came in judgment, “on the clouds,” around A. D. 70. But that wasn't the so called “second coming.” Noe writes, “The biblical and historical facts are, Jesus is not coming back ever because He never left – as He said (Matt. 28:20b).” (93) Jesus is now present, Noe claims. There have been and will be many “comings” of Jesus – the manifestation of Jesus into the life of an individual, group, or nation. (95)

Jesus never left earth? Noe does not address Scripture that says Jesus is in heaven, such as 1 Thess. 4:16 (“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven...”). Noe himself writes elsewhere, “...we must also recognize that the divinely determined mission of Jesus – his leaving heaven, coming to earth, and going back to heaven - ...” (122) But he also writes, “Yet Scripture declares He never left, is here with us right now in our midst...” (126)

On evil: “Shockingly for some, Scripture, clearly and plainly, presents evil as part of God's plan for this world. Moreover, it also teaches that God is the origin of evil.” (206) “But evil and sin are two different things. And God is not the origin of sin. Big Difference.” (207)

On heaven: Heaven is a gift. “But how we spend eternity there will be determined by our good works on this earth during this life. … Hence, how we live this life determines our next life – our status, privileges, provisions, levels of reward...” (226,7)

Noe writes, “My primary goals in this book is to encourage both believers and nonbelievers, alike, to take a serious new look at Jesus Christ in his unveiled and revealed contemporary form. I believe this higher and greater perspective will ring true and stir you on to higher and greater heights of faith, worship, and obedience.” (120)

That was not the case with me. I found Noe's book very confusing. I didn't like the format of the book, with bullets and so many very short sections. I didn't think he did a good job proving his points. He conveniently left out Scripture passages that opposed his views. If one is going to write a work that goes against orthodox, evangelical Christianity, then one's scholarship must be impeccable. That is certainly not true of this book.

I do enjoy reading books that challenge my thinking. But I like a well presented argument, well supported by Scripture. I don't enjoy reading books that leave me unsure of what the author was trying to communicate, as was frequently the case in this book.

You can find out more about John and his ministry: www.prophecyrefi.org and www.east2westpress.org.

You can buy this book through Amazon. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for the purpose of this review.

Letters to Heaven by Calvin Miller

Miller's book is “about seeing heaven as a place for wrapping up the unfinished business of earth.” (xiv) There, all the loose threads are tied up.

This is not a book about pearly gates. It is a book about people, starting with Jesus. This is a book about mentors, loved ones, friends.

Some of his letters are full of thanks. With beautifully crafted words, Miller sends a letter to his mother, telling her how much her support meant to him.

Some of his letters are rather blunt. He writes to a fellow he is not so sure is in heaven, telling of the last time he stopped by, giving one more opportunity to accept Christ. But his friend had been defiant to the end.

He writes to heroes, the individuals to whom so many of us are indebted. He writes to individuals who impacted him greatly, such as the woman professor teaching Bible at college.

Not all of his letters are to people he knows are in heaven. Some of his letters are just loose ends that need to be tied up, such as his letter to the famous movie star, Farrah Fawcett, with whom he shared Thanksgiving dinner in 1969.

Some of his letters bare his heart. He writes to a child, gone from this earth too soon, for those left behind. Miller officiated the funeral. “The service was over. We gathered at your tiny grave, that obscene hole in the earth that seemed too small to suck in all the question marks.” (54)

He writes to his older brother who drowned when Miller was three. His brother was ten. “If only you hadn't gone swimming.” (131)

Sometimes Miller is sentimental, not wanting the classmate who died in a fire to be in hell. He is sure God could not do that to such a sweet girl because Miller could not have done it himself.

He writes to a winsome man whose wife was a sourpuss (sure they are reunited in heaven). He writes to Jim Elliott, a martyr whom he had never met. He writes to Paul Little, whose books helped him so much.

Sometimes the recipient is really a surprise, such as Oscar Wilde (third in line of earthly influence on Miller).

Miller has such a way with words, when he writes of the recipient's experiences, I almost feel like I'm watching a life, seeing the person, getting to know him.

Miller recently suffered a heart attack and he knows he will be heading to heaven one of these days. (62) He asks a biographer of C. S. Lewis , Did heaven surprise you? Is it like Narnia? Miller, within the letters, lets us know a little more each time what heaven is like. We get a sense of what a comfort it will be to those who have had a hard life on earth. We can feel his ache to be there, to be with Jesus.

Not only is Miller expressing his thoughts to the letter's recipient, he's teaching us too. He's teaching us that death can come in a moment, as it did for the fellow next to him in that small airplane. He's teaching us to express our love and gratitude now. As he wrote to Harold Shaw, “...I wish I had told you this back then. But since I didn't, I am counting on this letter to heaven to get it through to you now.” (181)

Miller's book is an encouragement to those who long for heaven. It is also an encouragement for those of us still here on earth to tie up our loose ends now. Express your gratitude and your love now.

Worthy Publishing, 210 pages.  

Go to Worthy Publishing to read the first chapter.

I received an egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

Proof of the Afterlife by Br. Gary Joseph

It was 1:15 in the morning, September 27, 2005 and Gary Joseph could not sleep. He had a vision of God. “He communicated not in linear thoughts, but by instant absorption, transmitting millions of messages that flooded my soul in a brief moment.” (12) “...[A] cascade of spiritual meetings began to take place...” (15) He began keeping a journal.

Joseph has written this book so that others can share in the dialogue “with the other side.” (15) He thinks each of us has “the ability to hear the voice of God speaking in our lives today.” (15)

For me, an evangelical Christian, Protestant, many of his visions and visitations are problematic. He says, “...[C]onversation does indeed continue with loved ones, dead or alive.” (25) He had a visitation from his brother, after he had died. (37) God was preparing his brother for heaven. When his brother went to heaven, God revealed that it was “because there was one time in his life he was merciful to someone.” (39) This was after twenty years of Purgatory.

He had a visit to his father in Purgatory. There was darkness and isolation. (57) His father spent only five years in Purgatory before going to heaven.

He has a chapter honoring Mary, receiving the knowledge that she was to be called “Consultant of Grace.” (135) “I take this to mean that Mary is the person for each of us to go to, who like a doctor, to ask for her advice about how to prepare ourselves to live holy lives and to receive special graces from God to make that happen.” (135, sic)

Other people appeared to him, One was a friend of his mother's, a woman who had been dead nine years yet was “a wandering soul, still drifting without an eternal home.” (143) She said the angels would not let her into heaven unless she gave her life to Jesus. He convinced her to do so. (144)

Gary Joseph ends his book with a prayer that is said to release 1,000 from Purgatory each time it is said. (185)

Again, as an evangelical Protestant, I have a great deal of difficulty with most of his visions and visitations. Gary Joseph is Catholic and many of his visions concur with Catholic teaching but not with what is revealed in the Bible.

Also, the title of the book is a bit presumptive. I am not sure many would accept one person's accounts of interaction with those in the afterlife as “proof” that there is in fact, an afterlife.

This is a self-published book and certainly shows the lack of editing.

Br. Gary Joseph is involved in ministry to the homeless in the Los Angeles area. You can visit www.ServantsoftheFather.org for more information and for copies of the book.

I received a copy of the book from the author for the purpose of this review.

When Lightning Strikes by Kay and Bobby Brunson

The odds of being struck by lightning are one in 750,000. (44) It happened to Bobby.
With writing from Bobby and his wife Kay, we relive the event. The paramedics had given up as there had been twenty eight minutes of no heartbeat and no pulse. But when the monitor sounded, they scrambled back inside the ambulance and resumed work on Bobby.
He was taken to the nearest hospital. His body did not look well and had to be restored from its lengthy shutdown. Some told Kay there was no hope. Even if he did recover, the brain damage... He developed double pneumonia as he continued to physically deteriorate.
Finally, on the tenth day, came the first positive event. Bobby became responsive and cooperative. He began to talk about what he had seen.
When he was able to go home, the reality of having to live on this imperfect earth hit him. It was overwhelming. Heaven was where he wanted to be. He became emotionally distance. He was still recovering physically and could not work. There was financial strain as they went a year without a regular paycheck.
Eventually word got around and requests started to come in for Bobby to tell his story. A liveliness returned to him as he encouraged others with the reality of his experience. He understood God had sent him back for a purpose.

Heaven is perfect, Bobby says. The colors are in their purest forms. “Water is in its purest, perfect state as it gently moves along the shore.” (25)

He did not miss his family. Bobby says that whatever that emotional attachment is that causes us to miss an absent family member doesn't exist in heaven. “I didn't forget them; I just didn't miss them.” (27) “There is no concept of time passing or of missing anything.” (28) “In heaven you don't have to try to be Christ-like; you are Christ-like.” (28) There is a peace that goes to the deepest core of who you are.
The people he saw in heaven were all active. “Everyone was lively and full of purpose,” (39) He met and talked to Jesus whose perfection he cannot describe. When Bobby inquired, Jesus said, “I'm coming back soon – sooner than you think.” (38)

The Brunsons say of their book, “This book [is] meant to show you the love and character of God and the truth of the eternal place we have with him.” (95)

It does, in only 98 pages.

You can order this book from Amazon or at www.createspace.com/3428668.

I received a copy of this book from the authors for the purpose of this review.

The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven By Kevin & Alex Malarkey

What if there was a person who had been to heaven and stayed long enough to learn about it?
In November of 2004 William Alexander Malarkey and his father were in an auto accident. Alex, six at the time, was not expected to live. He was in a coma for two months. He was in heaven during that time.
The narrative of the accident alternates between Kevin and Alex (with periodic additions by others). Kevin struggled with guilt, knowing that he was responsible for the accident (there had been an oncoming car in a blind spot at an intersection). Alex had had his first and second vertebra separated. They were at a forty five degree angle. He had suffered an internal decapitation. Only skin, muscle and ligaments were holding his head on his body.
He was not expected to live, and, if he did, was expected to be severely brain damaged. He was being kept alive by machines.
A Christian paramedic had prayed for Alex. He encouraged Beth to believe Alex would live and be restored. She had to keep faith.
Kevin notes the large number of those visiting Alex. A prayer vigil was organized for his room. On the third day the medical staff was convinced Alex would survive. A web site was created for people praying with updates and feedback opportunities. The pressure put a strain on their marriage.
While people were praying for Alex to survive, he was in the presence of God. He had a body like a human body but a lot bigger. Alex could only see up to His neck because no one could see His face or they would die. He didn't see any people, only God, Jesus, and angels. He was inside the gate. (Alex suggests that when people say they have been to heaven and seen people they know, they are outside the gate, an “outer” heaven. There is a hole in the outer heaven that goes to hell.)
Everything is more intense in the “inner” heaven, where Alex was. It is the place God has prepared for us. When asked about other things in the inner heaven, Alex said he was not allowed to talk about some of it - God said.
“Perfect” is Alex's favorite word to describe heaven. Even the most beautiful thing we see here is warped compared to heaven.
Angels are neither boys or girls. They are white and have wings. Some are as tall as adults while others were as short as children. And the devil, well, you'll just have to read the book for his unusual description.
In the midst of this trial, an ice storm struck the area. Many trees fell on their property, including one on their home. They had to sleep at Beth's sister's house for a week.
Kevin shares his thoughts on trials in general. He takes the reader through Alex's operations, the unexpected healings, eye movement after almost two months, then a smile, the move to a rehab center, the possibility of no further recovery, his slow but sure progress, then a spoken word, then more and finally Alex began to talk about his experience.
No, Alex has not been completely healed. He is in a motorized wheel chair and uses his mouth to control a mouse for computer work. As Kevin writes, “Alex's body is not where we wish it were, but his spirit is far beyond where we could have ever imagined when we prayed, at his birth, that our son would walk closely with God.”
Even without Alex's experiences of heaven, this is an encouraging book. It is encouraging to read about the many people who helped, who prayed, who supported the family in so many ways. It is also encouraging to read about the angelic visitors (independent people verifying). Kevin is honest about the pressure that was put on their marriage and their daily lives. He knows it was not his own strength that carried them through the ordeal.
To see current information, go to: http://www.prayforalex.com/home.php

Tyndale House Publishers, 248 pages.

I received an egalley from the publishers for the purpose of this review.

Love Wins by Rob Bell

Bell wonders who will go to be with God when they die. Traditionally Christians say “people go to be with God if they have said or done or believed the 'right' things.” (4) Bell says this raises a number of questions – and he raises them all.
Talking about heaven, Bell says much of the confusion about heaven, “...comes from the idea that in the blink of an eye we will automatically become totally different people... But our heart, our character, our desires, our longings – those things take time.” (51) We are to be growing, progressing, “...so that as these take over our lives we are taking part more and more and more in life in the age to come, now.” (51) “According to Jesus, then, heaven is as far away as that day when heaven and earth become one again and as close as a few hours.” (55) Heaven is present as well as the age to come.” (58-59)
It is almost like Bell is deliberately vague when he writes. For example, on pages 154-155, Bell first speaks to the exclusivity of Jesus, “Jesus is the only way.” “Then, there is inclusivity.” Bell concludes, I think (it is hard to tell if this is a conclusion or not, the way he writes),
“What Jesus does is declare that he,
and he alone,
is saving everybody.
And then he leaves the door way, way open. Creating all sorts of possibilities. He is as narrow as himself and as wide as the universe.”
Bell admits Jesus is the only way but then adds that Jesus is big and wide. (156)
Bell notes, “People come to Jesus in all sorts of ways.” (158)
“Sometimes people use his name;
other times they don't.” (159)
On heaven and hell, Bell uses the story of the prodigal son. He concludes that, rather than thinking of heaven and hell as separate places, he says of this story,
“It's not an image of separation,
but one of integration.
In this story, heaven and hell are within each other, intertwined, interwoven, bumping up against each other.” (170)
Bell says,
“There is hell now,
and there is hell later,
and Jesus teaches us to take both seriously.” (79)
The word hell, Bell says, is a very good word “to describe the very real consequences we experience when we reject the good and true and beautiful life God has for us. ...[T]he massive, society-wide collapse and chaos that comes when we fail to live in God's world God's way.” (93)
He defines hell, “Hell is refusing to trust God's retelling of our story.” (170) (We are to believe God's version of our story.) Elsewhere he says rejecting and resisting the love God has for us “...creates what we call hell.” (177)
Bell notes that God wants all to be saved (1 Tim. 2) and asks, “Does God get what God wants?” He says the "writers of the scriptures consistently affirm that we're all part of the same family.” (99) “The insistence that God will be united and reconciled with all people is a theme the writers and prophets return to again and again.” (100) Bell says, “There is a long tradition of Christians who believe that God will ultimately restore everything and everybody...” (107) The idea is, “Restoration brings God glory; eternal torment doesn't.” (108)
“At the center of the Christian tradition since the first church have been a number who insist that history is not tragic, hell is not forever, and love, in the end, wins and all will be reconciled to God.” (109)
That loving, fatherly God would “punish people forever in a conscious torment in hell,” means that God “would, in the blink of an eye, become a cruel, mean, vicious tormenter...” (173) That's why so many Christians do not love God, Bell says. “That kind of God is simply devastating.” (176)

After reading Bell's book, I am really confused as to what he is actually advocating. Sometimes he sounds so orthodox. Then his next statement is so unorthodox. And his writing style is so confusing. He makes a statement and then his next statement is practically the opposite. (I think much is tongue in cheek or sarcastic. It's hard to tell in print, however.)
And then there are all the questions. (There are 91 questions in the first chapter of 19 pages.) He does something like, Could a loving God do this? Is that kind of God the God we could believe in? On and on and pretty soon he's made his point by asking questions. No, he didn't actually make a statement, as such. He can always say, hey, I was just asking questions! But he has cleverly drawn the reader to make a conclusion, nonetheless.
And then there is this strange behavior of giving the biblical book and chapter only when quoting a verse, not the verse number. What is with this? Why give the book and chapter but not the verse?

So, does Bell believe that all will be saved? Does Bell teach that hell is only for a limited time and those temporarily in hell eventually are overwhelmed by God's love for them? Does Bell declare that heaven and hell are now? Is Bell convinced that we create our own hell? Does Bell believe that a loving God could not possibly eternally punish anyone?

Welcome to the writing style and non-theology of Rob Bell.

HarperOne, 198 pages.

Heaven Revealed by Paul Enns

Paul's wife, his best friend, died when she was only sixty-five. That prompted him to investigate heaven.

Heaven is the dwelling place of God and is from where He governs. It is Paradise. It is lavish and endless rapture and satisfaction. The joy there will be intense and unending.
He poses that believers do not receive their resurrection bodies until Jesus returns, so there in an “intermediate state.” Believers will have bodies in this state but will not receive their resurrection bodies until the rapture. (22) “...[I]n the intermediate heaven believers think, know, and remember the former life, and wear clothing.” (23)
“Upon Jesus' return, however, we receive a body like Christ's resurrection body.” (75) The resurrection body “will be heightened spiritually.” (81) We will not have the physical and spiritual limitations we do now. Our health and senses will be perfect. “In eternity, we will have bodies that are eternally youthful and beautiful.” (132) We will have our distinctive personalities (without the negative aspects). We will remember past events. We will eat in abundance (even meat, although the issue of killing animals in heaven is addressed, then skirted).
“We can expect to continue to serve God in heaven with our same personality, with our same giftedness that we did on this earth.” (142) We will worship while we do everything. “There will be a continuity with the knowledge, abilities, and progress from the old earth – whatever honors the Lord.” (152) “We will catch fish...if we want to.” (156) There will be no sea, but there will be a river. (156) (Will we have to throw them back?)
“The new heaven and the new earth are the final destiny for believers.” (23) Heaven is our true home and is what we long for. “We will excitedly greet one another at that glorious reunion with our believing loved ones. … Scripture is also clear that there will be recognizable reunion with family members immediately at death.” (43) “...[W]e too, in heaven, will remember both the people in our lives and the details of our life on earth.” (162) (Isa. 65:17 not withstanding.) “And we will know each other better than we know each other on earth.” (162) The love husbands and wives have will be better (but he does not really address the marriage concept).
Unlike what many think, Enns says, “Scripture indicates that heaven is not distant but rather heaven is near. Heaven is in another realm.” (49) “Scripture is replete with examples of God opening heaven for people to momentarily peer into heaven's glories.” (58)
 Enns investigates the relationship of the millennium to the final state. “...[T]here is a continuity between the millennial kingdom and the new heaven and new earth...” (157) “...[T]he glorious millennial kingdom [will] give rise to the eternal state of the new heaven and the new earth.” (169) “After that thousand years we will live forever on the new earth.” (107) The earth restoration will be to its pre-fall condition – a perfect environment. People will be building homes and planting vineyards. There will be a fulfilling of God's original purpose for man.

What do I think of Enns' book? He says people will continue their professions - carpenters will continue to build. Some of our building now is based on the decay of the old. But this will not happen in heaven. How many new houses can be built before no more are needed? What about repair people, as nothing will break? He notes that there will be no police cruisers (150) so what will believers in law enforcement here do there?

Enns takes Jesus' story of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:27-28) as an actual description of a future state (any Bible scholars warn about doing so, saying it is a parable only). Enns also makes much of the phrase “gathered to his people” (Gen. 35:29, Gen. 49:33) to mean that the dead join family members in heaven (when many scholars say it just the fellow died – joined his relatives in death, so to speak).

Because Enns believes the millennial state moves right into the “heaven” state, he has taken descriptions of the millennium to apply to heaven as well. I am not so sure that is the proper way to interpret those Scriptures.

I would be cautious about much of Enns' book. He has interpreted some of Scripture in the light of wanting to be reunited with his wife.

This book was provided for this review as an Advanced Reading Copy in egalley form by the publisher, Moody Press.   The book releases March 1, 2011.