“Heaven is for Real” - the Movie

Not having read the book, “Heaven is for Real,” I was quite curious to see the movie; I had lots of questions, wondering why it was generating so much interest. Author, and father of Colton, Todd Burpo said he is very satisfied that the movie portrays his book accurately and honestly. In fact, Todd claims that God is telling the story. Why, I wondered? Is the Bible incomplete? Or will Colton's story turn non-believers into believers? And then I remembered the story of Dives who, from his place in Hades, asked Abraham to send someone to warn His brothers: “If someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.” To which Abraham replied, “They won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:30-31).

While the Bible gives few details of Heaven as a ‘place,’ it gives us a few amazing sights of the king of Heaven. Isaiah says, “I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Is. 6:1). Ezekiel saw Jesus: “high above on a throne was a figure like that of a man, glowing, as if full of fire, and brilliant light surrounded him.” (Ezekiel 1:26-27). The Apostle John saw “someone like a son of man, his eyes were like blazing fire, and his face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance, and the throne He sat on was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian.” (Rev. 1:13-17; 4:3). Upon seeing Jesus in His glory, John and Ezekiel fell down like dead men. Isaiah felt his sinfulness: “I am a man of unclean lips” (6:5).

In contrast, the 4-year old Colton’s view of Jesus is that of a white man with blue-green eyes, curly brown hair (John tells us Jesus' hair was white, like wool), dressed in a plain white robe. And that's a problem: Colton's “Heaven” is too earthy. And believers in his heavenly visit are more taken up with natural details and knowing which of their relatives he saw in Heaven than they are about the enthroned Jesus.

One reviewer said, “'Heaven Is for Real' gently shares biblical truths in an accessible and non-preachy way—offering hope, encouragement and a strengthening of faith for both Christians and non-believers alike.” Non-preachy or otherwise, it is doubtful there is enough truth in the movie to bring a non-believer to Christ or, for that matter, to lift a believer higher because of its underlying message of "universalism." In answering who can go to Heaven, the film ends with a cross-less, Christ-less message of universal love.

The Middle East Mess

These days, all eyes are glued to the volatility in the Middle East. The Arab Spring destabilized regimes in Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Egypt. Syria and Iraq have become awash with competing insurgencies. In Turkey, the Muslim Brotherhood is gaining popular support. Saudi Arabia and Iran are saber-rattling for regional dominance. And throughout the region, irreconcilable differences between Sunnis and Shiites cloud every issue. (Not to mention the futility of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.)

 

As Iran moves relentlessly toward production of its first atomic bomb, it is anyone's guess how close the Middle East is to nuclear battle.  Many think it is only a matter of time before Israel strikes Iran preemptively. And as the clock runs out, the world fearfully awaits the fireworks!  But we, who know that the Middle East is center stage for prophetic fulfillment, are not afraid. These volatile regional events are precursors to the return of Christ when this knotty “Middle East Mess” will be unraveled—forever!

And that's No Exaggeration!

Hyperbole is extreme exaggeration to make a point or to create a strong effect. For example, I might say to my wife, “Your purse weighs a ton,” or to my friend, “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse.”

“Hyperbole” derives from the Greek word translated “excess.” Paul used it more excessively than any other New Testament writer, speaking of Christ’s ‘exceeding’ greatness, or the ‘exceeding’ riches of grace, or His ‘exceeding’ power. He told the Corinthians that even though their suffering seemed ‘excessive,’ it was producing an ‘exceeding’ weight of glory (Eph. 1:9; 2:7; 2 Cor. 4:7;4:17).

Paul could not speak spiritual truth without sounding hyperbolic. How else could he emphasize the superlative worth of Christ. Listen to the excessive language of John: “[Even] if every one of the things Jesus did were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25). In other words, you just can't say enough about Jesus. And that's no exaggeration!

Don’t Choke

“You are a stumbling block to me; you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's” (Matt. 16:23).  Those are questionably the most severe words Jesus ever spoke to one of the Disciples. It certainly makes me wonder if I take this warning against earthly interests seriously enough. The difficulty, of course, is that earthly interests don’t seem sinful. On another occasion, Jesus called them the “pleasures of life,” warning that they choke out the Word of God so it cannot bear fruit in your life (Luke 8:14).

In his book “A Hunger for God,” John Piper says the greatest obstacle to our hunger for God is “not a poison apple; it’s apple pie.” It’s true. We tend to dismiss the peril of pleasures. I think one of the main impediments to taking care of our heart may be the time we spend taking care of our body, house, yard, and car. But it is only when these simple pleasures of life replace our love, time, devotion, and appetite for God that they put us at risk of setting our mind on man's interests.  John Piper describes these pleasures of life as an “idolatry that is scarcely recognizable.” Harsh words!

Pease don’t think that I am suggesting we stop enjoying life and take vows of poverty. But I am going to be taking a close look at my pleasures to see if there might be any that are silently "choking" me to death!

She is Not the Antichrist

Yesterday, I spoke NOT of THE antichrist, but of the SPIRIT of antichrist in the world today. I am sure you can all think of examples of those who embody the spirit of antichrist.  But in my opinion, there is no one who does so more than Oprah Winfrey. Alarmingly, USA Today has called her a “spiritual leader for the new millennium, a moral voice of authority for the nation, one of the world's most influential spiritual leaders.”

In 2008, she began a radio program, “Oprah & Friends,” offering a year-long Course in Miracles, a spiritual journey that says: there are many paths to whatever-you-call God; all religions are equally false and equally true; God is in everything we see; each of us is the light of the world; and our salvation comes from us.  Hers is a religion of affirmation, toleration, and no absolutes (and of course, no cross).

Is Oprah an instrument of Satan to bring in a new religion that fits the new world order?  When Oprah visited Joel Osteen's church last year, he praised her: "We're honored to have you here; we celebrate you for what God is doing in your life." I'm sure he meant her humanitarian projects. Yes, she does great things. But these dare not be attributed to God ("for Satan disguises himself as an angel of light") because "every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ is God is the spirit of antichrist." (2 Cor 11:14; 1 Jn 4:3)

What is "MY" Cross?

I wonder how many followers of Jesus have never truly picked up their cross because they didn’t know what it was.  They have not understood that picking up your cross is DYING TO SELF.

DYING TO SELF is when you are forgotten, or neglected, or purposely provoked, and you don't sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight. But instead your heart is content, knowing your Father in Heaven understands you, just like Jesus  did. 

DYING TO SELF is when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself. But instead you take it all loving silence just like Jesus did.

DYING TO SELF is when you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any annoyance, any disruption, when you are content with any food, any offering, any climate, any people, when you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can submit inwardly as well as outwardly, washing the feet of those who reject you,  just like Jesus did.  DYING TO SELF is your cross.

Whatever Happened to Hope?

A few weeks ago I read this amusing remark/joke: “Ten years ago, Steve Jobs, Bob Hope, and Jonny Cash were all still alive. And now in 2011, we find ourselves without jobs, hope or cash.”

With good intentions, Barak Obama ran for president on a promise of restoring hope. How disappointed he must be at the hopelessness he found. Last week, with the announcement of a 2.4% growth in the 4th quarter economy, hope appeared on the horizon—the stock market soared. But then yesterday, the European debt crisis negotiations started to fall apart; hope began to vanish.

Let’s be honest. Ever since Adam forfeited his dominion to Satan, the world has continued on its path of hopelessness—even to the point of self-destruction (think of the two World Wars last century). Indeed Satan is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4) and the author or hopelessness and despair. Even Jesus called him the prince of this world (John 12:31, 14:30; 16:11).

Though Jesus has already redeemed fallen mankind from the power of Satan, the earth will not be restored until His 2nd coming. (Rom. 8:19-22) In the mean time, we mustn’t allow the spirit of despair and hopeless to infect us. Jesus said we would have trouble in this world, adding, “But take heart [courage and hope], for I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). And by faith in Jesus’ victory, so will we “because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 5:4-5).

Nuns Find Peace in their Yoga Class

There are so many strange and unprecedented things happening in the world today. As Spirit-filled believers, we should be able to discern the signs of the times, and not as the Pharisees whom Jesus chided for being able to interpret the weather, but not the signs of the times (Matt. 16:3).

The title of this post, taken from an article this morning in the Contra Costa Times, and the cute picture of elderly nuns doing yoga, caught my attention as one of these signs. "This is where I find the most peace," said one Sister, after a recent class. You may argue there is nothing wrong with practicing yoga as a physical exercise. But the fact is that yoga is a spiritual discipline by which the adherent is trained to use the body as a vehicle for achieving consciousness of the divine.

Albert Mohler recently wrote about this: When Christians practice yoga, they must either deny the reality of what yoga represents or fail to see the contradictions between their Christian commitments and their embrace of yoga. The contradictions are not few, nor are they peripheral. Christians are called to look to Christ for all that we need and to obey Christ through obeying his Word. We are not called to escape the consciousness of this world by achieving an elevated state of consciousness, but to follow Christ in the way of faithfulness. Stefanie Syman, author of “The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America” wrote, The embrace of yoga is a symptom of our postmodern spiritual confusion that reaches into the church. And so, the seemingly innocent story of nuns practicing yoga is not so cute after all. It's a sign of the times.

Let's Make it Personal

We hired some painters last month to do our living room and kitchen. One of them was Luis. I discerned that he was sensitive in spirit. I asked him if he was a Christian and he said “I am Catholic.” To which I responded “it doesn’t matter if you are a Catholic; what matters is that you love Jesus.” To which he responded, ‘yes, I do.’ To make a long story short, on the last day he was at our house, I explained to him that being born again meant having a personal relationship with Jesus. Luis is now a born-again Christian. Luis knew about Jesus. But Luis did not know that Jesus was personal.

Have you noticed that in all the talk about faith today (from Oprah to Glenn Beck or Presidents Bush and Obama) the discussions are always in the abstract—never about the Person of Jesus? For example, as I mentioned last week, an article in USA Today about the future of faith in America did not once mention the name of Jesus. Don’t let people suck you into the abstract discussions. Talk about Jesus! When the Pharisees tried to talk about religion and morality in the abstract, Jesus made it personal by asking “who do you say I am?” (Mark 8:29)

On Easter Sunday at Joel’s Church, It was All About YOU!

Anyone who knows about Joel Osteen knows his constant message is all about “YOU,” well established by his book titles: Become a Better YOU: Seven Keys to Improving YOUR Life, YOUR Best Life Now, and It’s YOUR Time. Last week (March 30 post) I warned “as Easter nears, I am afraid that many well-intentioned pastors’ sermons will make Jesus’ death more about us than about Him.” This is what Joel Osteen did.

Joel’s message to his audience of 50,000 in Houston and countless thousands around the world (his TV program is now seen in 100 countries) focused entirely on the benefits of Jesus’ resurrection for YOU; so now YOU can accomplish YOUR goals and realizeYOUR dreams. What I found most offensive, however, was Joel’s comparison of our trials to Jesus death on the cross. Specifically, Joel said “you may be experiencing your ‘Friday’ (the day of despair) but I promise you your resurrection day is just around the corner.” The notion of comparing Jesus’ torture and death by Roman executioners (as He took on the sins of the world and was forsaken by His Father) to your disappointments is so self-centered, it is absurd (as though Jesus was just having a bad day!).

Joel made no attempt to teach the meaning of the cross for mankind—remission of sins, the defeat of Satan, and the promise of victory over sin: a resurrection message without any mention of Christ's atonement. Jesus said “If I be lifted up I will draw all men to myself.” Jesus was not lifted up in Houston this last Sunday morning but YOU were.

Change You Can Believe In

The first decade of the 21st century has produced some incredible changes. Ten years ago there was no Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter. The internet highway was largely untraveled, and two start-up companies called Google and Yahoo seemed like jokes. Ten years ago, no one could have imagined the need for a law prohibiting texting while driving. And many more such technologies have changed our lives—for better or worse!

Many of the changes of the last decade have been driven by fear. The “world as we knew it” was forever changed by 9-11: unbelievable changes in airport security; the advent of two wars in pursuit of an invisible enemy. Some are calling it the “decade of fear”—fear of terrorism, global warming, swine flu, recession, losing your home or job. Consequently, new laws were implemented, forever altering our our life styles.

How ought a follower of Christ live in an ever-changing world? What can protect us from unexpected, anxiety-producing changes? The answer is clear: by fixing ourselves on an unchanging God. The change that should occupy our attention is the change that is going on inside of us, as the Holy Spirit is changing (transforming) us into the image of Jesus. We should live as those who have been crucified to this world (Galatians 6:14), its influence of minimal importance. After all, we are not of this world, are we? (John 8:23) And we live in this changing world with the hope that someday “we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed (1 Cor. 15:51-52).

Now that’s change you can believe in.

What Kind of Friend Are You?

Not a week goes by that I don’t get a request to be someone’s Facebook friend. What’s surprising is that I don’t know who they are! I think social networking is redefining friendship. I do realize there are all ‘types’ of friendships: the “hi, how are you,” the “stay-in-touch,” “let’s do lunch,” “chat-after-church.” And then there the friends you share your heart with.

Toward the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus promoted the disciples from servants to friends, describing a friend as one who shares his thoughts and plans—the secrets of his heart (John 15:14-15). This is reminiscent of God’s relationship with Abraham: “shall I hide [my plans] from Abraham” (Genesis 18:17). Up to that point, Abraham’s relationship with God was that of a loyal servant. But on that day, Abraham was promoted—from servant to friend. Accordingly, as a friend, he feels free to question God about His plans—Abraham shares his concerns and in return wants to understand God’s heart. I think Abraham’s questions must have pleased God.

Jesus said to the disciples “if you are my friends, you will keep my commandments.” At first blush that sounds more like servanthood than friendship. But Jesus is saying something like this: “before you obeyed me as a servant does his master, but now I want you to obey me because you love me and want to please me.” They were promoted from ‘workers for’ to ‘partners with.’

By the way, the story of Mary and Martha sheds light on this subject. While Martha was serving Jesus in the kitchen, Mary was sitting with Jesus in the parlor. So what kind of friend are you? Do you spend more time in the kitchen or the parlor? Maybe this is your promotion day!

How Can They Be So Blind?

After seeing a TV interview with the Dalai Lama last week, I saw a news article about his newest book “The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World.” Reading the article, I realized how little I knew about him. He is much more influential than I imagined. His first book was translated into 50 languages, sold millions of copies, and sat on the NY Times best-seller list for two years. In 2007, President Bush lauded him as a great religious leader, awarding him the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. And recently Nancy Pelosi presented him the Lantos Human Rights Prize, bowing to and addressing him as “your holiness.”

It is not hard to understand the world’s attraction to the Dalai Lama’s message of peace in a troubled world. But, sadly, at the same time his brand of Buddhism is being acclaimed in high places, the gospel message of Jesus is being mocked and rejected. How can they be so BLIND? Can’t they SEE that Jesus’ offer of everlasting peace and eternal life far surpasses the Dalai’s tender of temporal happiness!?” The answer is: they are blind! “Satan…has BLINDED the minds of those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them. They don't understand the message we preach about the glory of Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:4, NLT)

After Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened by sin, they and all who were born of them were blind. Jesus came to restore sight to the blind. And the same charge has now been given to us. As children of light we are to ...open the eyes of the blind… to let our light shine before men that they will see our good deeds and praise our Heavenly Father… He has appointed us to be the light of the world. (Eph. 5:8; Mat. 5:16, 14; Is. 42:6, abbreviated, paraphrased, NIV, NLT) Are we faithfully carrying out our charge to light up the world?

There's No Place for 'Settlers' in God's Kingdom

I was reading an aticle about Jewish settlements in Israel's West Bank; and I was suddenly struck by the double meaning of the word “settle”: 1) to establish and maintain a residence, or 2) to be satisfied with less. Then I recalled the American pioneers who traveled cross country to California, many of whom grew weary and “settled” communities along the way but fell short of their final destination. You could say these “settlers” “settled” for less. A further reflection on these words provides two relevant applications!

First, we are not to be settled in this world. Despite King David's progress in settling more of the Promised Land during his reign than any other time in Israel's history, David remained strangely ‘unsettled’: “I am a traveler passing through life, as my fathers were before me” (Ps. 39:12). Jesus depicted his disciples as “not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14). Paul spoke of “our citizenship in heaven” (Phil. 3:20) and warned of being “conformed” [settled in] to this world” (Ro. 12:2). Peter used the term “aliens and strangers” (1 Pet. 2:11) to describe believers.

Second, we should never settle for less than God’s best for us. Paul's commitment to excellence is expressed by these words: “I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus… [and] one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phi. 3:12-14).

Paul was neither a settler nor a settler! If you have become a little too settled on earth (in your job, your church, your circumstances), be careful that you are not settling for less than God's best.