Note from Brent:

Books about people visiting Heaven or Hell, or communicating with someone there have been all the rage for the past few years. Although each of these – from Baxter’s “Divine Revelation” to a child’s testimony in”Heaven is for Real” –  have been repeatedly (and easily) shown to be EXTRA-Biblical at best and unScriptural and metaphysical at worst, the undiscriminating embrace of such accounts continues with no less enthusiasm.

Just as the Bible predicts about the lukewarm Church of the last days, the craving for ear tickling sensationalism and the elevation of experience over doctrine primes Western Christians to gulp down and savor pretty much any story that the book sellers eagerly promote (I say “western” because I can’t speak for other cultures). Unlike the Biblical admonition, few Christians “search the Scriptures to see if it is so” (Acts 17:11) and because anecdote-filled books are more interesting to read than the Bible (another sign of spiritual immaturity and a lack of discernment), there are masses of Believers who simply read and accept… without discernment.  If a Christian publisher prints it, it must be true, right?

Whether it’s “‘The Shack’ changed my life and my view of God” or “‘Heaven is for Real’ made me really understand, long for and see Heaven”, alarming numbers of Christians now readily accept extra-Biblical accounts, “visions”, “visits”, “revelations” and analogies as a  better (or at least supplementary) source of God’s knowledge than the Bible itself (which is what all Christian teaching is… the problem is, Christian books and teaching must AGREE with the Bible, not add to it, or contradict it).

It doesn’t seem to cross anyone’s mind that Satan doesn’t care when or whom he deceives: he will deceive a child just ask quickly as he will deceive grieving parents, or an author of a book. In fact, it is more shrewd for Satan to use the “innocent” to deceive us.  In our naivete, we don’t want to consider that small child is being led astray by the demonic influence. In our understandable sympathy, we shudder to think that Satan would appear as an angel of light to grieving parents who just lost their son and wish desperately to communicate with the boy.  To think for one second Satan won’t do these things, and worse, is to sorely and dangerously underestimate the lengths the Father of Lies will go to in order to deceive Believers, distract them from the Bible and spread false teaching.

What follows below is a question and answer about one of the newest fad books sweeping Christianity and in myopinion one of the more dangerous because it indirectly but undeniably encourages communication with the dead (forbidden by God) and opens up incredible potential for Christians to be supernaturally deceived (after all, who wants to believe that the vision or visit they just had with their deceased loved one is really a demon in disguise?).  If God allows the parents of a dead son open and ongoing visitation and communication, why won’t God let me speak to my dead uncle, or you with your dead mother, or anyone with a passed away best friend?

Where does it end?  The book in question below (maybe unintentionally by the authors but definetely NOT unintentionally by Satan) opens up a whole new trend in Christianity that evidently God allows, blesses and facilitates open communication between us and those who are already in Heaven.  There is only one result of accepting this “truth” based on experiential proof: rampant and destructive spiritual deception.

Here’s the Q&A from www.thebereancall.org. Be sure to read it so that when this book makes it’s way to your Church or family, you can be the voice of discernment that is so sorely needed today:

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Question: In a previous TBC newsletter, you wrote about a book titled Heaven Is For Real. You introduced the article as an “exercise in discernment.” I was recently sent a book that rather shocked me. Its title is Have Heart: Bridging the Gulf Between Heaven and Earth. It seems to do what you objected to in Heaven Is For Real–that is, supply information about heaven that is not taught in Scripture. Actually, it goes well beyond that problem by seeming to promote things prohibited in God’s Word. The most disturbing aspect of the book for me, however, was that two of the endorsers are men for whom I have great respect: Greg Laurie and Chuck Missler. What is your discernment regarding Have Heart?

Response: Have Heart was written by Steve and Sarah Berger, a couple who suffered the tragic loss of their 19-year-old son, Josiah. Their stated objective is to use what God showed them through their experience surrounding his auto accident in 2009 and beyond that event to comfort and help  others who have had a similar loss of a loved one.

 

My wife and I (T. A.) recently experienced the loss of her mom, who lived with us for the last three years. Yet, as difficult as that was, I can’t imagine such a heartrending event as losing one of our five children. For those who have had such an experience, the first part of the Bergers’ book fulfills much of their goal: they do give wonderful comfort and some sound biblical counsel. For example, they write, “From the beginning of our pain, we asked the Lord for only His truth. We didn’t want to be comforted by a lie or counterfeit sympathies. We wanted God and His truth….The Holy Spirit also convicts believers of what is true and what is not. He is the ultimate Teacher and Comforter. In His comforting, He brings not only the truth, but He also proves God’s Word time and time again in our hearts….We need to be rooted and grounded in this truth so that no matter how hard the wind [of brokenheartedness] blows, we’ll stand….Our words need to match biblical truth” (pp. 32-33, 36, 60). This concern for God’s truth is repeated throughout the book.

 

Sadly, however, midway through Take Heart, the Bergers take leave of their statements regarding the objective Word of God and begin introducing their subjective experiences involving their deceased son, Josiah. Dreams become a vehicle of communication between Josiah and his family and friends: “And then one night, Josiah showed up in a dream” (p. 69). In that episode, Josiah cryptically communicated that he was “pickled,” i.e., his term for his life being preserved in heaven. “He [God] used a dream in my life to further unfold the greatness of Heaven, to reinforce the supernatural preservation of my son…” (p. 71).

 

Communication through dreams featuring a deceased loved one quickly led to direct communication: “Only two weeks after Josiah went to Heaven, I (Sarah) made it a habit to talk to Josiah…I would then be in instant conversation with Jesus and Siah [Josiah]” (p. 82).

 

Sarah declared to her son that she needed “to be involved with your life even now…and I want to be involved in what you are doing” (p. 82). She then pleads with God to allow that to take place. Supposedly, God answered Sarah through the dream of an unbeliever, a Muslim friend of the family. Others supplied details of Josiah’s “job” in heaven through their own dreams.

 

The authors introduce many things that are allegedly taking place in heaven that are not specifically taught in the Bible. “Are our loved ones in Heaven able to occasionally see things that are happening on earth?…Do the saints intercede for people who are going through hard times? Yes–they know what is happening, as much as God allows, and they are praying for us!” (p. 76). Although the authors intend to comfort people with their insights, they don’t seem to be thinking the process through. Knowing what loved ones are doing on earth–perhaps in rebellion and sin–would certainly bring grief to those in heaven, a place of consummate joy. They seem to recognize that problem yet address it with another extra-biblical assessment: “It’s not all the time; they don’t get to see everything. But every once in a while the Lord grants them permission to look on this earth, and based on what they see, they intercede on our behalf.” Where is that found in Scripture?

 

The authors note the biblical prohibition of contacting the dead in Deuteronomy 18:10-12 but then issue a qualification presumably for believers: “We need to understand that God has the power to temporarily lift the veil between Heaven and earth at any time according to His good pleasure” (p. 95) They offer support for the legitimacy of their view experientially by adding that “Several people in our family and inner circle of friends have experienced similar meetings with Josiah…” including their pastor. The latter declares, “The next thing I knew, Josiah came into [the church] sanctuary…and he got down on one knee and bent to speak into my ear….I stood up and went over to my wife and told her, ‘Josiah was just here'” (pp. 99-100). The gist of Josiah’s communication was an encouragement regarding what his pastor had gone through during Josiah’s hospital stay.

 

The Bergers claim that such events surrounding their deceased son are proofs of biblical truths: “This visit proves that our loved ones in Heaven are spiritually active and that they care–they are aware of the times that we need special encouragement….God granted Josiah permission to make an appearance…it serves as proof that our son is not dead and gone, but merely moved to a different place to do other things for God. It shows he is happy there, and it demonstrates his continued presence in not only our lives but in the lives of his friends as well” (p. 100; italics added).

 

Although perhaps well meaning in their attempt to uphold the faith by “proofs,” the Bergers are nevertheless undermining biblical faith. Jesus gave the example of Abraham speaking to the rich man who wanted Lazarus to appear to his five brothers, saying that if they hear not Moses and the prophets, i.e., the Scriptures, they wouldn’t believe someone returning from the dead. Furthermore, Jesus chided Thomas for not believing that He had resurrected from the dead without physical proof, adding, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

 

Experiences never trump faith that is based upon the Word of God. Peter had an incredible experience on the Mount of Transfiguration when he saw Jesus glorified and in the presence of Moses and Elijah. Yet Peter declares that even better than that, we have “a more sure word of prophecy” and exhorts believers to “take heed” to the written Word (2 Pt 1:19).

 

In further attempting to legitimize their experiences (in view of Scriptural prohibitions), they appeal to the “spontaneity” of the “visitations” as the difference between that which is “condemned by God” and that which is “orchestrated by God” (p. 102). This is wishful thinking on their part, not Scripture’s truth.

 

In fact, much of what the Bergers hold for their hope in heaven is not stated in the Bible. They say that loved ones in heaven are “enjoying some pretty rockin’ new bodies,” whereas Scripture indicates that a deceased believer will receive his immortal body not right after death but when Christ returns for His church at the Rapture (1 Cor 15:52). They transfer things they love about their temporal life into the eternal realm, particularly their family relationships, and they see that relationship continuing with their deceased son: “We want all of us to continue to have relationship with Siah right up until the day that we are face-to-face in Heaven with him” (p. 103).

 

Just because someone wants it doesn’t make it so. We know that our relationships with unbelieving family members will not continue in heaven. How joyful, then, would a family unit be there with perhaps multiple missing members? Will there be family relationships in heaven? No matter what our rationale, Scripture simply does not tell us. We do know that there is neither marrying nor those given in marriage in heaven (Mt 22:30). Furthermore, all that the Bergers describe seems to lose sight of, even diminish, the extraordinary relationship every believer will have with Jesus Christ.

 

One of the dangers of this book for a person who doesn’t study the Word of God for himself (which is epidemic today) is that he is disarmed by the multiple claims of biblical veracity, which give way to human speculations–which are then accepted as biblical truth. With no scriptural support, the Bergers write, “We know that [Josiah] can see us, hear us, and even be involved, not only in our lives but also in the lives of his friends. We are continually hearing of Siah coming to friends in dreams….The dreams are incredibly profound and always prove God’s Word, point to the glory of God, and compel us to get closer to Jesus” (p. 104). They add, “We mean no disrespect to the prophets, but the idea of Siah being able to observe the choices we make here on earth is way more motivating as we seek to live for God moment-by-moment. The cloud of witnesses [of “Christian loved ones in Heaven”] is personal, and we believe it is part of their work in the spiritual realm to cheer on their loved ones still on earth…” (p. 107; italics added).

 

In their attempt to comfort those who have also lost loved ones to death, the Bergers fail to give the biblical warnings of spiritual deception, especially since their grieving state may make them terribly vulnerable to Satan’s ploys, such as transforming himself “into an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14-15).

 

In our day, when biblical discernment is practically nonexistent among most who call themselves Christians, to emphasize the experiential, as the Bergers do throughout their book, is playing right into the hands of the Adversary. Tragically, they call such supernatural experiences with their deceased son “God Nods” and encourage their readers to seek their own: “Be on the lookout for God Nods in your own life”
(p. 104). They give examples of Josiah kissing his sister after his death (p. 115), and his dad crying out to God for a sign: “I was begging God for a sign, a sign…out of the ordinary…that my Josiah was all right…. I was asking God to give me something I could behold with my physical eyes” (p. 118). Scripture, however, warns that “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign” (Mt 12:39).

 

In contradiction to the biblical counsel the authors give at the beginning of their book, in the end they not only capitulate to a view that disagrees with the Bible but they promote it enthusiastically: “Our loved ones may show up in dreams or visits or other ways (who can limit God’s imagination?), but the fact is that we’re connected….There is a thin veil, and we’re connected to them, forever, in Christ” (p. 110). They conclude, “You don’t father or mother a child for nineteen years and then hear God say, ‘Oh, now you can’t talk to him. You no longer have a relationship with him until you see him face to face in Heaven….’ We still talk to Josiah, and it’s going to be so great when we’re together again” (p. 125).

 

In our view, Have Heart is an example of how a tragic event in the lives of believers can lead many into an even more tragic misunderstanding of God’s Word.

A reader asks:

Please explain 1John 5:16-17. What is a “sin that leads to death?” I thought all sin led to death. Can you explain?

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All sin does lead to death. That’s clear from Genesis through Revelation. So what is this passage talking about? What is a sin that “does not lead to death?” Let’s take a look….

To start, you need to back up a couple of verses. In verses 14-15, we find John telling us about the certainty of answered prayer IF we ask according to His will. We know His will by learning it from the Bible and being led by the Holy Spirit.  We are told in no uncertain terms that IF we pray according to God’s will, then He WILL hear us and WILL grant us what we ask.

We know that this is not a blanket “purchase order” for Christians, because we all know from reality that God does not give us everything we pray for… in fact, most Christians would argue God RARELY gives us what we ask for (which should be a clear indication of some needed introspection).

What could be the obvious reason for not getting what we ask for from God? Answer: we aren’t praying according to His will. For some reason, we either don’t know it, have it wrong, or don’t understand it, but one thing is certain – it isn’t God’s will, or He would give it. That is a clear promise.

Given that background, we move to verses 16-17:

• 1 John 5:16-17 – If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. (NKJV)

Remember, you can’t jerk verses off the page and treat them as “stand alone” (known as “prooftexting”). You have to take them in context.

In context, we move from hearing about the certainty of answered prayer – conditional on asking according to God’s will – to a specific example of praying according to God’s will – in this case concerning “a sin leading to death” – and NOT getting your request. That leads us to need to find out “WHY?”

It concerns one specific type of prayer request relating to prayer for someone who has committed “a sin leading to death.”

What kind of sin is that? We aren’t specifically told, but the context and the way it is written make it apparent the passage is talking literally about a sin that will lead to physical death in this life.  Sometimes we “spiritualize” Scripture and miss the plain meaning. We think of “leading to death” more of a symbolic way of saying “a sin that keeps you from being saved.” In this verse and context, the more obvious interpretation is that physical death is the meaning.

It is not referring to one specific sin or a certain list of sins but rather the types of premeditated, willful, unconfessed sin that causes God to finally decide to take that person’s life. It is a sin that finally reaches the end of God’s tolerance for reasons known only to God. There are some verses that touch on this:

• 1 Corinthians 5:4-5 (the sin of sexual immorality in the church) – In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (NKJV)
• 1 Corinthians 11:30 (irreverence concerning the Lord’s Supper) – For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. (NKJV)
• Acts 5:5 (lying to God) – Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. (NKJV)

Verses 16 & 17 seem to be saying – keeping verses 14-15 in mind – that “God will give you whatever you ask according to His will but not if you are praying for a sinner whom God has already determined will lose his life because of some sin that has been committed.”

In this case, the intercessory prayer – which is promised to be granted in verses 14-15 – will not be answered… and God is telling us why it won’t be answered so that His promise is not untruthful in verses 14-15. Once God has decided that physical death is inevitable, for reasons only He knows, then prayer on that person’s behalf is no longer effective.

John shows the obvious by contrasting the opposites: there IS a sin leading to death, and there IS NOT a sin leading to death. Since we know all sin leads to spiritual death, and can only be atoned for by the blood of Christ, it becomes obvious that physical death is the meaning in these verses.

We are also indirectly comforted knowing that not all sin (and obviously not most) leads to God’s decision to take away someone’s life. God is patient and merciful. It seems obvious that you really have to push God to get Him to decide that your physical life has been forfeited.

However, we should not ignore or neglect the opposite truth: sometimes a person can sin in such a way that God may choose to end their physical life because of it. Very sobering.

This appears to be true for Christians as well as the unsaved. In 1 Corinthians, Paul is addressing a worldly, struggling church, but still addresses them as true Christians. In 1Cor 11:30 he points out that some of them had died because of taking the Lord’s supper in an “unworthy manner.”

Can we categorically say that they must not have been truly saved? That would be pretty presumptuous – just as presumptuous as assuming the warning and consequences in those verses don’t apply to us today. Something to think about next time you partake of Communion.

In summary, this verse is stating that God will not grant a prayer request when it concerns someone whom God has already judged worthy of physical death because of a particular sin – but this does not invalidate God’s promise to grant us our requests when they are made “according to His will.”

As a secondary lesson, use this lesson as a demonstration of how to interpret the Bible IN CONTEXT. Far too often, Christians attempt to USE and INTERPRET verses as if those verses existed in a vacuum all by themselves. It is the sole reason we have so much confusion and error in Christianity.

What are your questions about sin, Christian living or the Bible?

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