Is Heaven For Real? Really?

Is Heaven For Real……. Really?          (A Christian Book Review)

A very popular book these days is based on the recollections of a 4 year old boy who was under general anesthesia for a surgery.  The young lad was the son of a Nebraska pastor.  While unconscious, the boy reportedly saw Heaven.  He met his miscarried sister, about whom he had never been told and his great grandfather, who had died 30 years before he was born.  He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride and how really big God is.  In one book reviewer’s words, the “disarmingly simple message is that heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children and be ready… there is a coming, last battle.  …..Really?

How very reassuring!  I was beginning to think that the Bible is not enough reassurance for me.  I mean, if a 4 year old boy tells me, it must be so.  Who needs the words of assurance from an omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (everywhere present at once in the entire universe) God?  Do I sound just a trifle sarcastic here, folks?  If you have stuck with me thus far, please forbear a little, be patient with me and I will explain.

First of all, my sympathy is with a 4 year old and his family who had to endure the life saving and probably frightening surgery.  As far as I know, this part of the story is real.  Hospitals and surgery are very common in many people’s lives today.  I’ve been there myself.  I would never begrudge the comfort that anybody finds in these medical surroundings.

Secondly, I believe in Heaven.  I believe that Heaven is a real place.  I believe that Jesus really loves children and I am so glad that He also makes allowances for adults, because I have long since passed my childhood.  I believe that there is going to be a coming last battle and as a matter of fact that at some point, Jesus will appear riding a great, white horse.  Now all of these elements together present a very simplistic picture; there is more to the story, but so far, so good.

What I am amazed by is that we must reach these conclusions in the pages of a popular book, rather than from a more authoritative source.  In fact, I often wonder whether or not we as American Christians are being deluded by the Prince of Lies.  We who have received so much truth and have access to so much truth are still only capable of drinking milk and see no need to graduate to strong meat, that will make us stronger and spiritually more capable.

Heaven is real.  Really!  The Bible tells me that it is and as charming as it is to be reassured by a four year’s story, I find it ever so much more meaningful that I know because the Bible tells me so!  You see, death is final and someday when I approach it, I want my faith to be standing on the Bible and nothing else.  Because if I am mistaken, or wrong, I will find out too late that I have made an awful mistake.  Nothing but the Word of God will do for my authority.  In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells His disciples that, “in my Father’s house, there are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you.”  In Revelation, I find a description of my future home, in Heaven, where it states in chapter 21, “Look, God’s home is now among His people!  He will live with them, and they will be His people.  God Himself will be with them.”  In chapters  21 and 22 we read some of the most hoped for words in all of human existence and a rather complete, if somehow hard to imagine description of Heaven.

For those who want a better foundation for their belief in Heaven, I recommend the Bible.  Myself included, shamefully, we have become largely ignorant of It’s words in modern day America.  We have so many, and we continue to buy more, but we take so little time to read it!  Whether you purchase one today from www.InHisHonor.org, or you pick up one you have already at home, resolve today to begin to spend time daily in It’s pages.  Only by knowledge of the real will you be able to detect the counterfeit when you encounter it.  And only by knowledge of the real will you have to stamina to stand on the day when real troubles come.  “The Word of God is living and powerful sharper than any two edged sword, dividing asunder between the soul and the spirit.”  “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true…”

One last note, you will find many choices of Bibles for purchase at www.InHisHonor.org.  This will be the subject of a future post.  There are of course, Bibles in print and audio Bibles, in several formats.  There are even Bibles in other languages, such as Spanish, and …..Sorry, see you next time.  J  And remember, Christian Books…… and bibles!!! Change Lives!