Heaven and Hell

The afterlife is quite popular these days, judging from the popularity of books relating “near death” experiences. But what does the Bible actually say about heaven and hell? This is the subject of Edward Donnelly’s book Biblical Teaching On The Doctrines Of Heaven And Hell, and I’m finding it an excellent read. Donnelly points out that of course we don’t like to think or talk about hell; but we don’t hear much preaching or read much writing on the subject of heaven, either. His book is devoted to a Biblical exposition of both. And while it may sound quite abstract and theoretical, I’m finding it comforting, awakening, and pastorally helpful.

Here, for example, is one quote that clarifies what heaven is, and isn’t:

• It is interesting that the New Testament nowhere speaks of believers going “to heaven” when they die. Instead, they go to be “with Christ”. Paul writes from prison to the Christians in Philippi, explaining how eager he is for the life to come, “having a desire to depart” from his present existence. But what, or who, is the attraction in that future realm? Not so much, apparently, heaven itself. The apostle’s great desire is “to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Phil. 1:23)….For Paul, heaven means Jesus, so much so that the place and the Person are almost equated. Just as heaven is often synonymous with the glory of God, so is it inextricably identified with the Son of God, in whom his glory is revealed.

Tim Challies has reviewed the book and says this about it:

• Though only a short book, weighing in at just 127 pages, Biblical Teaching on the Doctrines of Heaven and Hell still seems to be thorough. This is, I believe, because though the subjects of heaven and hell are mentioned often in the Bible, we do not receive a great deal of detail about them. They are so far beyond our experience that God can only give us glimpses of what they will be like by drawing comparisons to what we know and experience in this life. This is a book that dedicates equal time to both subjects, first allowing the heart and spirit to recoil at the though of hell but then comforting it with the knowledge of heaven. Throughout the book Donnelly is pastoral, often challenging the reader and continually returning to the gospel, ensuring the reader knows that the promises of heaven are given only to those who know the Lord and that the horrors of hell can be avoided by those who will turn to Him. For those interested in doing some reading on the subject matter, this book is a worthwhile investment in both time and money. I recommend it.

So do I. It just might make a good Christmas gift for someone who wonders what the “true meaning of Christmas” really is.

Tim Keller on White Horse Inn

You know if you’ve been reading this blog, I’ve been reading Tim Keller’s book The Reason For God and found it quite clear and helpful. Keller’s forte is discussing the Christian faith with “cultured despisers” of Manhattan. I just downloaded a recent radio program on White Horse Inn where Keller discusses his book with Michael Horton and the other program hosts – well worth listening to. You can go directly to the WHI site, or download the program here. Or, you can see a quick video of Keller discussing this book here.

Stepford God

I’ve been reading Tim Keller’s book, The Reason For God, and found it quite engaging. Keller is a pastor in Manhattan, whose church is growing despite being surrounded by secular skeptics. One of the reasons for that is Keller has a way of engaging the non-believing mind with respect, understanding, and challenge. The book is an apologetic for the faith, but it demonstrates Keller’s way of understanding those who disagree with him.

In the first part of Keller’s book he deals with the most common objections or reservations to Christianity that he’s heard over the years. One chapter is entitled “You Can’t Take The Bible Literally” – the concluding paragraphs, headed “A Trustworthy Bible or a Stepford God?” are what caught my attention last night – to wit:

“If you don’t trust the Bible enough to let it challenge and correct your thinking, how could you ever have a personal relationship with God? In any truly personal relationship, the other person has to be able to contradict you….Remember the (two!) movies “The Stepford Wives”? The husbands of Stepford, Connecticut, decide to have their wives turned into robots who never cross the wills of their husbands. A Stepford Wife was wonderfully compliant and beautiful, but no one would describe such a marriage as intimate or personal.

Now, what happens if you eliminate anything from the Bible that offends your sensibility and crosses your will? If you pick and choose what you want to believe and reject the rest, how will you ever have a God who can contradict you? You won’t! You’ll have a Stepford God! A God, essentially, if your own making, and not a God with whom you can have a relationship and genuine interaction. Only if your God can say things that outrage you and make you struggle (as in a real friendship or marriage!) will you know that you have gotten hold of a real God and not a figment of your imagination. So an authoritative Bible is not the enemy of a personal relationship with God. It is the precondition for it.”

I never saw the Stepford Wives, but remember that beautiful, empty headed, compliant look. On the one hand, every guy’s dream. On the other hand, every guy knows there’s something better out there than a Stepford God.

You can order the book here, if you’re interested. I haven’t finished it yet, but so far I’d recommend it highly.

Photo licenses may drive Hutterites out of Alberta (Reuters)

I’m not sure exactly what to make of this. There are strict Hutterites (I thought they went out with the Jebusites…) in Canada who will not have their picture taken – it’s literally against their religion. But the province of Alberta requires photos on all drivers’ licenses (so, it’s ok to drive a car but not have your picture taken I guess). The Hutterites say they’ll leave Alberta rather than comply with what they see as an unjust or immoral law. Click on the link below for the whole story.

I dunno. I can’t get real fired up about the sin of having my picture taken. Reminds me of some primitive pagan taboos I ran into in Haiti. OTOH, I admire these folks’ adherence to their faith to the point of resisting secular authorities.  I also admire the fact that instead of bitching, whining, and going to court, they’re getting ready to move out of the province.

Reuters – Up to 10 colonies of the strict Christian Hutterite sect say they face religious persecution from the Canadian province of Alberta’s plan to force them to have their photos on driver’s licenses and may leave Alberta rather than comply.

Photo licenses may drive Hutterites out of Alberta (Reuters)
Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:26:37 GMT

Think You Have Trouble Getting Your Kids To Church?

 

AP – Police in Utah say a 7-year-old boy led officers on a car chase in an effort to avoid going to church.

Holy car! Utah boy goes for spin to avoid church (AP)
Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:43:07 GMT

Michael, Farrah and Ed

I received the following in an email from a friend, and would like your help in checking its veracity:

Ed McMahon died this week. He was a great entertainer, but prior to his stage accomplishments he was a distinguished Marine Corps fighter pilot in WWII earning six Air Medals and attaining the rank of Colonel. He was discharged in 1946 and was later promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in the CA Air National Guard.

Farrah Fawcett died this week after a long career in Hollywood as an actress. After she was diagnosed with cancer, she became an activist for cancer treatment and devoted her last remaining years encouraging people to seek treatment. She documented her plight on film and used it to  encourage others to stay positive and upbeat despite their diagnosis and suffering.

Michael Jackson died this week. He was perhaps one of the greatest singers of modern time. He will also be remembered for his eccentric lifestyle that included sleeping with a chimpanzee, living in a carnival-like atmosphere at Neverland, his fascination with Peter Pan, and his numerous masks and costumes. He also admitted to finding pleasure sleeping with young boys and paying out millions of dollars in settlements to the families of these boys despite being acquitted by a court on one allegation of sexual molestation.

QUESTION
Which of the above did the House of Representatives declare a moment of silence for today? (Hint – It wasn’t the first two.)
QUESTION
Which of the above’s family received a personal note of condolence from President Obama?  (Hint – It wasn’t the first two.)

Again, I could use some help checking the veracity of the above. I did find verification that Congress paused for a moment of silence for MJ (click here). But what about Ed McMahon? Didn’t he do significant charity work? Any links you can send to verify the above would be much appreciated.

IF the above is true, it’s another sign of something I already believe – we worship entertainment in this country.

In God We Trust

That’s what it says on our money, but there’s nothing like financial hardship to demonstrate whether or not we really do trust in God.

This morning I read Jon Bloom’s entry on the Desiring God blog below, and it struck me when he points out that in times like these our trust in God – or in whatever it is we do trust – becomes apparent.  Our actions, not our words, will demonstrate who we love, trust and obey.

If anyone’s interested in discussing this booklet, let me know and I’ll order several copies to discuss on a Thursday night.

(Author: Jon Bloom)

This morning I read a booklet by Michael Haykin of Southern Seminary titled, In God We Trust: What Is God Saying In The Midst Of This Financial Crisis. He provides a brief survey of historical financial crises, beginning with Paul’s collection for the Jerusalem saints up through the Great Depression and highlights the spiritual fruit that came from them. A

I love how he exhorts us Christians to be radically generous in the face of financial uncertainty since it is precisely during these times when our trust in God can be most clearly seen. Here’s a quote:

In such times as these, it would be so easy and so natural to keep to ourselves what financial resources we have left. While provision needs to be made for our own families, times like these call for open hands and generosity on the part of those who call Christ, Lord. The words of… the Apostle Paul, are as germane as ever: "as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone."

The booklet can be read in 15-30 minutes and would be a helpful resource for families, congregations, Sunday schools, and small groups.

In God We Trust
Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:50:19 GMT

For Those Who Fear Their Faith Is Not Enough

In his book Why Johnny Can’t Preach, T. David Gordon recounts an incident in the life of renowned 19th century theologian Robert Lewis Dabney. In his old age, Dabney became blind and weak, very aware that his death was near. He wrote to a friend, Clement Vaughn, wondering whether he would have faith strong enough to face his impending death. Vaughn wrote back to Dabney and asked what a traveler would do if he came to a chasm over which a bridge was spanned:

“What does he do to breed confidence in the bridge? He looks at the bridge; he gets down and examines it. He don’t [sic] stand at the bridge-head and turn his thoughts curiously in on his own mind to see if he has confidence in the bridge. If his examination of the bridge gives him a certain amount of confidence, and yet he wants more, how does he make his faith grow? Why, in the same way; he still continues to examine the bridge. Now, my dear old man, let your faith take care of itself for awhile, and you just think of what you are allowed to trust in. Think of the Master’s power, think of his love; think how he is interested in the soul that searches for him, and will not be comforted until he finds him. Think of what he has done, his work. That blood of his is mightier than all the sins of all the sinners that ever lived. Don’t you think it will master yours?….May God give you grace, not to lay too much stress on your faith, but to grasp the great ground of confidence, Christ, and all his work and all his personal fitness to be a sinner’s refuge. Faith is only an eye to see him. I have been praying that God would quiet your pains as you advance, and enable you to see the gladness of the gospel at every step. Good bye. God be with you as he will. Think of the Bridge!”

It’s not a bad thing to examine our faith to keep us from deluding ourselves about our belief. But in this self-absorbed, individualistic age it’s so easy focus on our selves rather than on our God. When there’s doubt, when there’s fear or anxiety that my faith is not strong enough, good enough, genuine enough – it’s an extraordinary release to turn away from my self and “flee to Christ”, to focus on him, to recount his works and the richness of his person. And so I encourage you, when fear or doubt assails you – Think of the Bridge!

Can You Be Safe, And Be A Christian?

I read and commend Touchstone magazine (see below for its self-description), and was struck this morning by an article by Anthony Esolen entitled The Unquiet Men. Its thesis is that you can’t play it safe and follow Jesus. That has lots of implications in this society which seems to me to be moving farther and farther onto the Safety Reservation, and losing more and more of its soul. Here are a couple of paragraphs that caught my attention:

“Imagine the churches themselves turning away from the net and its great haul of fish on the stormy Sea of Galilee. Imagine them turning to another net, a so-called safety net, stitched up big enough to catch everyone in it meshes, but letting the essence of charity slip through. Think of the committees, the bureaucratic language of modern prayer….Is it possible, I am wondering, that the paltry safety of modern life is itself to blame for our insensitivity to the holy? Or rather, whether our almost obsessive desire to insulate ourselves from risk (with even our debauches made “safe” by barriers or pills) also insulate us from the most dangerous of enemies, that is, the love of God? John Ford, I believe, looked upon the weakling world we have made for ourselves, and he spat. Someone else did that too, if I remember, in the Book of Revelation.”

Touchstone is a Christian journal, conservative in doctrine and eclectic in content, with editors and readers from each of the three great divisions of Christendom – Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox. It provides a place where Christians of various backgrounds can speak on the basis of shared belief in the fundamental doctrines of the faith as revealed in Holy Scripture and summarized in the ancient creeds of the Church.

You can see the magazine online here.

No Anti-Gay Miss USA

“I do not fault her for her beliefs. I fault her for complete lack of social grace, and that’s a quality I want my Miss USA to possess. “

–Miss USA pageant judge Alicia Jacobs, on the claims of a Christian contestant, Miss California Carrie Prejean, that she was denied the crown because she told judges that gay couples should not be allowed to marry. Jacobs was quoted by The Associated Press.

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Questionable Universe

Christianity is true. This being so, you would expect to see evidence of its truth staring you in the face everywhere you turn. So why do so many people miss it? Part of the secret is learning to ask the right questions. For example:

If God isn’t there, then why is the world there? If the universe is just matter and energy evolving by chance, why has it bothered to evolve at all? Why hasn’t it already run down into a pool of useless energy? Why does it behave so consistently? If things just happen by chance, why are all the natural laws the same today as they were yesterday?

Why do we want things to make sense? Where did the notion of sense come from? If intelligence and order were not put into the universe from the outside, how did they get there? If matter is such neat stuff that it has the tendency to evolve intelligence all by itself, why has it evolved a life form whose intelligence only serves to keep it from feeling at home in the cosmos that gave rise to it? Why does that life form have aspirations for love, meaning, purpose, and immortality, all of which are unfulfillable, indeed meaningless, in a universe in which matter and energy are the ultimate reference point?

Why does the  universe make sense only up to a point? Why does that fact bother us?

None of these questions is answerable from outside the biblical worldview. The postmodern generation is suspicious of people with answers. So maybe, first, we should just be people with questions. Hey, it works on Jeopardy!

Donald T. Williams

Touchstone Magazine, May 2009, p. 5

Catholic Scholar Converts To Evangelical Faith

This is from “The Heidelblog“, I thought it cute and appropriate here as I’m still observing Calvin’s 500th birthday by reading (or doing my best to read) his Institutes this year. Enjoy.

Dateline Paris, 1534.
© Paris News Service
By Guy LaFontaine

Jean Calvin, 25, of Noyon, a leading scholar of the classics and law student in the University of Paris, has reportedly converted to the evangelical cause. A classicist with a bright future before him, Calvin published a promising work on Seneca’s On Clemency just two years ago.

That future has become considerably cloudier of late. Sources tell us that it was likely young Calvin who wrote the provocative sermon given by Nicholas Cop, rector of the University. Since the so-called Affair of the Placards (during which one of the Protestant radicals actually posted a placard on the chamber door of his Majesty!) the authorities are cracking down on the movement and the evangelicals have scattered. Calvin may be living under an assumed name. There are some unconfirmed reports that he has left Paris and may be heading to Basle, a known haven for the Protestant rebels. When contacted, some of the other so-called “humanistas,” led by the Dutch scholar Erasmus and Jacques LeFevre d’Etaples, are reported to have rejected the new movement as too radical. Erasmus expressed the strongest measure of disappointment saying, “It seems that another son of the church has been persuaded by Luther’s De servo (On the Bondage of the Will). I had hoped to moderate that movement but I guess it isn’t happening.” LeFevre was less critical saying only, “Calvin is a bright young man. I have high hopes for him.”

Calvin has apparently joined the so-called Protestant movement begun about 13 years ago at Worms by the German monk Luther. Most of the theology faculty in the University reckon that this movement will be short-lived. Said one of the theologians, “We’ll crush these people just as we did the Cathars. Why do you think we have an inquisition?” The press office of the Holy See said that they were aware of a disturbance in Paris but had little information about Calvin.

Students in the University, however, are said to be excited by the news. Said one of them, “He could be a pain. We call him ‘The Accusative Case’ because he always has his nose in a book. He’s always so serious, but If you need help with a translation, he’s definitely the ‘go-to’ guy. He was really wound up about the new theology. I saw him talking to several groups of students about Luther. I hate to see him go. He’s a little uptight, but he’s a good guy.”

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WWI Poetry

I heard this poem recently, quoted by D.A. Carson.  It was written shortly after World War I, the most bloody and futile war of our time. One result of that war was a flowering of poetry – the fruit of blood soaked conflict. It recalls Thomas seeing Jesus’ scars; and I think it’s appropriate for Lent.

Jesus of the Scars

If we have never sought, we seek Thee now;
Thine eyes burn through the dark, our only stars;
We must have sight of thorn-pricks on Thy brow;
We must have Thee, O Jesus of the Scars.

The heavens frighten us; they are too calm;
In all the universe we have no place.
Our wounds are hurting us; where is the balm?
Lord Jesus, by Thy Scars we claim Thy grace.

If when the doors are shut, Thou drawest near,
Only reveal those hands, that side of Thine;
We know today what wounds are; have no fear;
Show us Thy Scars; we know the countersign.

The other gods were strong, but Thou wast weak;
They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;
But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,
And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.

Edward Shillito

For Times of Doubt

Many of us, including myself, go through some pretty dark times spiritually. This can be very troubling. I’ve been greatly helped by reading the Psalms, where I see that many a Follower has been in the valley of the shadow of Death.

It’s also helpful to read and here more contemporary witnesses. Here’s one from J. Gresham Machen:

The question is not merely whether we can rest in our faith, but whether we can rest in the doubt that is the necessary alternative of faith. We pass sometimes through periods of very low spiritual vitality. The wonderful gospel which formerly seemed to be so glorious comes to seem almost like an idle tale. Hosts of objections arise in our minds; the whole unseen world recedes in the dim distance, and we think for the moment that we have relinquished the Christian hope….

My mother [spoke to me] in those dark hours when the lamp burned dim, when I thought that faith was gone and shipwreck had been made of my soul. “Christ,” she used to say, “keeps firmer hold on us than we keep on him.”

My mother’s word meant…that salvation by faith does not mean that we are saved because we keep ourselves at every moment in an ideally perfect attitude of confidence in Christ. No, we are saved because having once been united to Christ by faith, we are his forever. Calvinism is a very comforting doctrine indeed. Without its comfort, I think I should have perished long ago in the castle of Giant Despair. (J. Gresham Machen: Selected Shorter Writings, 561)

Who I’m Listening To

Mike Horton, with Westminster Theological Seminary (CA) is one of the guys I’ve been listening to on his radio program, White Horse Inn. Here he is giving a talk, actually an introduction to his new book, Christless Christianity. Worth the time (about 5 minutes) to see how a young, winsome reformed kinda guy sees our world.

Great Site For Classic Reformation Theology

If you’re interested in Calvinism, Reformed thought, wanna hear good reformed preaching, etc etc this site is IT:

Monergism.com :: Classic Articles and Resources of the Historic Christian Faith.

A Nice, Low View of Sin

From David Head’s He Sent Leanness, this satirized re-writing of the Prayer of General Confession from the Old Book of Common Prayer:

“Benevolent and easy-going Father: we have occasionally been guilty of errors of judgment. We have lived under the deprivations of heredity and the disadvantages of environment. We have sometimes failed to act in accordance with common sense. We have done the best we could in the circumstances, and have been careful not to ignore the common standards of decency; and we are glad to think that we are fairly normal. Do thou, O Lord, deal lightly with our infrequent lapses. Be thy own sweet Self with those who admit they are not perfect; according to the unlimited tolerances which we have a right to expect from thee. And grant us as an indulgent Parent that we may hereafter continue to live a harmless and happy life and keep our self-respect.”

I know we don’t say it, but I’m pretty dern sure we think it…

Calvin Knew About Marx

From the Institutes, Book 1, ch. 3, section 2 – “Therefore it is utterly vain for some men to say that religion was invented by the subtlety and craft of a few to hold the simple folk in thrall by this device and that those very persons who originated the worship of God for others did not in the least believe that any God existed. I confess, indeed, that in order to hold men’s minds in greater subjection, clever men have devised very many things in religion by which to inspire the common folk with reverence and to strike them with terror. But they would never have achieved this if men’s minds had not already been imbued with a firm conviction about God, from which the inclination toward relgion springs as from a seed.”

It was Karl Marx who said that religion, and Christianity in particular, is the “opiate of the people”, designed to keep them in subjection to the economic powers that be. 300 years before Marx, Calvin recognized that objection! His response is that you can’t dupe people into believing there is a God, unless they already in some way are aware that there is a God.

OK, Calvin didn’t know Marx himself. But he knew the ideas – put into different words and in different contexts, but the same ideas. This fortifies my sense that there are very, very few new questions  – rather there are the same questions that come up again and again in very age. Who are we? How did we get here? What are we supposed to do? And yes, who is this God that every age and every culture is aware of, however dimly.

Reading The Institutes

I’ve embarked on the project of reading through the entire Institutes of the Christian Religion this year, in honor of John Calvin’s 500th birthday. It’s thicker reading than I’m used to! But I think just reading it, and not just bits and bites of it, will expand my mind.

I’ll be making comments and observations about the daily readings in this section of my blog. You’re more than welcome to chime in! And if you’d care to join me in reading, you can get the schedule of daily readings here (it’s a PDF file you can download and print out) – and there’s a blog here from Princeton Theological Seminary that invites conversation about the daily readings.

Bon appetit!

Gospel and Opposition

“Here is, as it were, a certain characteristic of the divine Word, that it never comes forth while Satan is at rest and sleeping. This is the surest and most trustworthy mark to distinguish it from lying doctrines, which readily present themselves, are received with attentive ears by all, and are listened to by an applauding world.” – John Calvin, Institutes, Prefatory Address

Calvin is saying that the divine Word elicits opposition, therefore when our teachings or words are applauded by all, that’s a pretty good sign they’re NOT the divine Word. Seems to me this is 180 degrees from where our culture is – it’s GOOD to be popular, in demand. Seems to me this is 180 degrees from the type of evangelism that identifies people’s needs, then strives to meet those needs in order to be in demand. Pop music in church is in demand? We should provide it. Apostle’s Creed too hard to memorize? We should print it out, or drop it out. We call it being “user friendly” but I think that translates into “received with attentive ears by all, and lsiten to by an applauding world.”

The gospel is not “user friendly” – just the term “user” is wrong for the gospel (we don’t use it like a tool to reach our own goals), but even granting the use of the term “user”, the gospel is “user transformative” . The aim is not to reach our goals and meet the needs we think we have; it’s to reach God’s goal and meet the need we deny we have.