Book Review: Erasing Hell, by Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle

There's been a big stir lately about heaven and hell. Between people trying to guess the day of Christ's return, and books causing some people to steam, it seems like a lot of unpopular topics are starting to get people talking.

I don't want to add to the controversy that has taken place or provoke people on either side to become angry, but I do want to know what the Bible says about topics like eternal judgement. There are a lot of books out there with people's opinions and "what ifs" and "maybes"... but why not take an honest look at what God has to say about it. After all, isn't He the one who knows the answer anyway?

A great book has come out that helps us do exactly this. It's called "Erasing Hell" and was written by Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle. Francis, many of you will know as the "Crazy Love" guy. He's a great teacher and wonderful pastor. Preston is less known, but serves as an elder at Corner Stone Church (formerly pastored by Francis) and is a professor at their affiliated Bible college. He is an incredibly intelligent and informed man, earning a PhD in New Testament. Who better to walk us through what the Bible says?

The book is great. At first, I was concerned that it would be an attack against a particular pastor who's been shaking people up lately. But Chan and Sprinkle, with wonderful grace, approach this topic with humility. They genuinely seem to be seeking God's views on the topic and instead of trying to prove themselves "right" or somebody else "wrong". They just want to know what the truth is.

This view point was so refreshing. A lot of books out there try to come at a topic from an angle. The author has their own opinion, as we all do, and tries to pick and choose Bible verses to support their claims. Such books seem like they're trying to "sell" a particular doctrine. But not Chan and Sprinkle. They line up their own beliefs against the Word of God, and in some cases are forced into an uncomfortable corner. On more than one occasion, Chan admits that what he wants to be true, isn't. In order words, the teachings he would love to preach and write about just aren't found in scripture, and thus he was forced to change his mind on some difficult topics.

Probably the most encouraging theme throughout this book is the humility. Chan and Sprinkle constantly remind us that we do not define morality, God does. They talk about certain things in scripture that people have a hard time wrapping their head around, and some people are tempting to say "if I were God, I wouldn't do that". But that's kind of the point: we are not God! Chan points to Isaiah 55, where God says "Your thoughts are not my thoughts, and your ways are not my ways".

God does things that we would never think to do, that's what makes Him God. Would I offer my one and only son (if I had one) for sinful people? No, I wouldn't. But God did! And praise His Name for that! Why did He do it though? What logic was going through His mind? We don't know, and we can't know... because His "thoughts are not [our] thoughts".

I would highly recommend this book, both from a purely informational point of view and as a reminder of the sovereignty and grace of our Lord.

Erasing Hell: What God Said About Eternity, and the Things We've Made Up By Francis Chan & Preston Sprinkle In Erasing Hell, Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle take on the topic of hell and our eternal destiny, with a sense of humility and a deep respect for the inspired Word of God. They will address questions such as "Will everyone be saved?" and "Does God Get What He Wants in the End?" as well as reviewing in depth, everything Jesus said about Hell. Chan and Sprinkle lay all the evidence on the table and present all the facts from Scripture, so that people can decide what to believe for themselves.

RE: Fanny Crosby

I was reading a brief biography about a very inspirational woman of God, Fanny Crosby. She is the writer behind many of today's popular hymns. What I hadn't realized before is that she had been totally blind since childhood. In a unique God-given perspective, she was joyful for her blindness and praised God for what many considered a disability. At just the age of 8-years old, she wrote this poem, which has totally humbled me:

Oh, what a happy child I am,
Although I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be.

How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don't!
So weep or sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot, or I won't!

It's amazing that a child can be so wise. At my age, there are a lot of things I complain about. Many of which are infinitely more insignificant than blindness. My prayer for this week is to share in Fanny's thoughts, that regardless of what is going on, I will find my joy in God and resolve that "in this world contented I will be".

Approaching the Line

I was reading Mark 10 today and was humbled to see how similar to the pharisees I am.

At the beginning of the chapter, the pharisees are trying to trap Jesus again with their words. They ask Him about divorce, but they concerned with what is lawful, not what is peasing to God.

[...] “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
(Mark 10:2 ESV)

Sometimes there is a distinction between "lawful" and "moral". Something may be permitted by the law, but it isn't God's ideal situation or desire for one's life.

We always hear stories and urban legends of the burglar who breaks into someone's house, and trips on the stairs while robbing the family. The burglar then sues the family for the injuries.  Or the protest group that goes way too far, venting anger and hatred towards innocent people, yet the group is protected by "freedom of speech". Sometimes the law permits things that most agree aren't moral.

In this situation, the pharisees never considered God. They were only concerned with how much they can get away with before they cross a line set by the law. That all-too-dangerous thought of "how far is too far?" Essentially the pharisees, and myself sometimes, are asking "how much bad stuff can we do before it's considered sin?"

But in Mark 10:6, Jesus points them back to God's intention and desire.

But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
(Mark 10:6-9 ESV)

There's something beautiful about the way the ESV phrases that a man will "hold fast to his wife". It paints the picture of a relationship that he treasures and a person that is precious to him. It implies that he is willing to work and struggle through whatever happens, that he values his wife so much that he is looking for opportunities to strengthen their marriage, not opportunities to end it. This is the picture of marriage that God intended from the beginning.

While the pharisees are right that Moses made it lawful for divorce to happen, Jesus immediately turns their attention to God's heart and intention for marriage. If the pharisees are as close to God as they claim to be, why are they looking for loopholes to justify going against His will. If I love God as much as I say I do, why would I split hairs in hopes of finding an opportunity to break His heart?

Now the question is, "Do you want to please God, or do you want to push to the limit of the law?"
Instead of asking "what can we get away with?" or "how far is too far?" we should be asking "what is God's heart and how can we please Him?"

God, turn my heart towards you!

Quieting Excuses

The story of Moses is filled with excuses. Right from the moment God called Moses to lead Israel, Moses was hard at work trying to talk God out of His decisions. However, one of the most dramatic excuses in the books of Moses didn't come from the prophet himself.

In Numbers 13, we see the story of a group of Israelite scouts checking out the land that God had promised them. It's important to note that long before Israel came close to the promised land, God told them a few things about it. We hear a lot about how fruitful the land is, flowing with milk and honey. But in Genesis 15, God clearly mentions that the land is already occupied. The presence of nations in the promised land didn't catch God off guard, so it would be ridiculous to think that God didn't already have a plan in place for dealing with these people. In fact, God let's His people in on that plan:

I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you.
(Exodus 23:27-28 ESV)

Despite all this, when the scouts come back to report on what they saw, they make all kinds of excuses. They acknowledge the fruitfulness of the land, saying "It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit (Numbers 13:27 ESV)", confirming what God had already told them about the land. However, this is the only thing they say about the land. One little sentence. They then follow it up with a rambling string of excuses, describing in exaggerated detail how frightening the nations are. They say that these people are strong, they say that their cities are fortified, they mention how large the cities are, they talk about how they occupy the hill country and are spread along the ocean as well. Essentially, they're saying "yes, the land is good... but we don't stand a chance. Let's go somewhere else."

Then Caleb, one of the spies, start speaking some truth.

But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.”
(Numbers 13:30 ESV)

Caleb remembered the promise of God. He knew that if God promised it, God would deliver it. So what if there are some obstacles standing in the way? Was the Red Sea an obstacle when Israel was fleeing Egypt? Was the lack of food and water in the desert an obstacle? Sure, they might be. But God made a promise and He will always keep that promise. So He parted the Red Sea, and He provided bread from heaven and water from a stone. He overcame those obstacles in the past, so in Caleb's mind, it only makes sense to assume that God will overcome this obstacle as well.

There is no doubt in Caleb's words. He is very confident. He says things like "let us go up at once." He doesn't want to wait. He doesn't see any benefit is sitting around and talking it over, trying to decide whether or not this is a good idea. God has already promised to give them the land, what more is there to talk about or debate? Let's go!

He also says that they are "well able" to defeat their enemies. He doesn't expect a nail biter. Caleb knows that God is with them, it's not even going to be a close fight.

What promises has God spoken into your life that you're afraid to take hold of? Be encouraged that no matter what obstacles you perceive, God has taken them into consideration and He will overcome them. His promises are true. 

A Bod for God

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I am an avid runner. I enjoy the competition of races and the accomplished feeling I get after powering through a grueling multi-hour run. On top of all that, running is incredibly healthy. There had been countless textbooks written on the health benefits of running, so I won't bog you down by writing about that.

Today I was reading over some verses and it got me thinking about God and our bodies. The Bible talks a lot about our bodies and usually ties it to the glory of God.

[...] The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
(1 Corinthians 6:13-14 ESV)

I find it really interesting that Paul encourages us to avoid sexual immorality and then immediately starts talking about the resurrection of Christ and the power of God. This shows just how much importance God places on our bodies.

What I mean is that it was through Jesus' physical body and His resurrection that God gave undeniable proof that He was working. Through that, He was glorified. It was by witnessing this act of resurrection that the cowardly apostles were transformed into bold preachers of the word of God, thus glorifying the Lord. God also desires to be glorified in our bodies, displaying His power to the world through us.

By taking care of our body, we give God the best canvass possibly on which to glorify Himself through us. When we remain sexually pure, eat well, exercise regularly, read books instead of watching TV, and take good care of ourselves, God is able to better use us.

Just to clarify, I'm not saying that you have to be a supermodel or a health nut in order to glorify God. I'm just talking about taking good care of yourself. Make an effort and prayerfully try to be the best version of you that you can be. The result might look different for different people, but God sees the heart and He will bless your efforts.

"Sin Salvation & Shadowmancer" Review

It's been a while since I've reviewed a book. Recently, I finished "Sin, Salvation & Shadowmancer". It's really different from what I normally read. It's the testimony / biography of Graham Taylor, better known as G. P. Taylor, the guy who wrote Shadowmancer. For a guy who wrote a fantasy series that rivaled Harry Potter in the UK, I figured he must have a pretty cool story to tell. Turns out, he does.

The book is incredibly well written. Despite covering many decades of his life—from his childhood experimentation with the occult, up to when he became an Anglican priest and Christian novelist—it all flows very well and ties each season of his life nicely into the next.

It's not all biography, though. There is some insightful commentary from Graham, looking back on certain events in his life and realizing now, years later, how God had used that seemingly unfortunate circumstance for His glory. It's very comforting to be reminded of God's sovereignty, even over the parts of our lives we'd wish never happened.

The book has some humorous parts. I usually don't laugh at books, but this one make me laugh more than once. There's a great incident involving a whole squad of police officers helping Graham chase a rampaging kangaroo throughout a small English village.

Probably my favorite part of the book is how honest Graham is. It's shockingly honest, in fact. Some of his feelings he expresses towards God would likely be considered inappropriate to say in church. But I was inspired by the prayers (more like protests) he makes to God during times he felt God let him down or abandoned him. It was real and raw and you could tell that this guy was seriously steamed at God. But I think God is okay with that. God knows that we get frustrated and knows that it's difficult to go through life without seeing the whole picture. In a strange way it was comforting to see Graham get angry, confused, and sometimes even lose hope. It reminded me that even priests or famous Christian authors don't have all the answers, but God still works in their lives.

I strongly recommend this book, both as a biography and for learning about the grace and sovereignty if God.

G.P. Taylor: Sin, Salvation & Shadowmancer By G.P. Taylor & Bob Smietana Laced with humor and filled with incredible twists and turns, Taylor's life story is not unlike the plots of his best-selling novels. From rebellious student and punk rock roadie to police officer and Anglican priest, he shares how he became "hotter than Potter" on both sides of the Atlantic.

Imprisoning God

I stumbled upon something incredible yesterday. It was a book that I'd never heard of it or seen it before in my house. Somehow it got lost in between the hundreds of books on the bookshelves.

I started flipping through the pages and discovered it was filled with amazing poetry, observations, and testimony of the glory of God. It is such a treasure, and I'll probably be posting several short quotes from it in the days to come.

Here's an excerpt that really caught my eye:

In your search for Me you read my word
You find me on every page,
But in your joy you imprison me
Like a bird within a cage.

The only way to keep your joy
To keep your joy in Me,
Is to share it today and everyday,
Share what I have given thee.

It's so simple yet profound. We don't have to be bold preachers or gifted musicians in order to spread the joy of God. Sharing the love of God is not reserved for only a few. Use what God has given you, whatever that is. A talent, a resource, or even a nugget of truth from His Word. Share it with somebody and keep your joy.