[cmnahrwold]

I wrote the Heaven is for Real Ministires about whether people have come to Christ because of reading this book. I certainly think that the Holy Spirit can use any means that He wants to quicken the heart of an unbeliever. Here is the letter:


Mr. Nahrwold,
Thank you for your encouraging e-mail to Heaven is For Real Ministries. We give God all the glory for all he has done in our lives and in this ministry. It's always great to hear from readers who have been blessed through the book. As Todd and Sonja often share, the response to this book has been so unexpected. But, it is clear God is using this story to touch people all over the world.

You asked, "Do you know of anyone that has eventually come to Christ because they had first read your book about your son's awesome testimony?" Yes, we have received many testimonies from people through letters, email, Facebook and at events that share about the book’s influence in their personal decision to put their faith in Christ. It’s been incredibly humbling and awesome, all at the same time, to think that the story of our struggles and God’s faithfulness would have this impact.

It is their prayer that this book will point people to Jesus and we pray that Colton’s testimony will help people find hope and peace. Todd puts it this way—“In John 16:33 Jesus taught his disciples, in this world you will have trouble, and to that we all say, ‘Amen,’ because this world has plenty of it. But may the hope of heaven and the peace that only Jesus can give, be poured into your lives. But praise God, heaven is real, and don’t ever lose sight of that!”
Blessings,

Belinda Selfridge
Correspondence Director

[SERay]

Nice letter to be sure, but Real Ministries can't in truth say rather people are being saved, they can only report what people are saying. Many are they who think they are saved, but are not. The book promotes a "fire escape" version of the gospel. Burpo paints a flowery picture of heaven, therefore threshold seekers will indeed embrace the message as a Mormon or Muslim embraces the lavish promises of their paradise. A motivation prompted by self-preservation, which is not the saving gospel.

Being a genuine Christian involves quite a bit more (or less) than the picture the book paints. While the book's content is marginally true by depiction of reward, salvation involves death. Dying to self, personal ambitions and the world. Self appealing ministries like Joel Osteen, John Hagee, Rick Warren... all under another gospel, equally report of thousands saved, but cannot understand why the converts are falling out the back as fast as they enter the front. Because those souls received another gospel, one that does not carry the promise that Christ spoke of, that not one given to me by the Father shall be lost. That promise is only good for those truly in the one Christ under the one Spirit in the power of the one gospel, e.g., come to the Savior and die so that you may live.

In summation, a few might be genuinely saved "by any means" as Paul said. But I would not want to use a crooked tool or worldly method to promote pseudo-truths as the above mentioned popular leaders are doing. I would not want to use a rusty knife to surgically assist a wounded person. Nor would I offer a drink concoction laced with poisons to a sick person... but much of what we find today touted as "of God" is nothing less than this. My opinion, from a mature faith, and I believe I have God's Spirit.

[Watchman]

Those that share their experiance's can be basically put in 3 catergories.

1. They are telling the truth.
2. They share unaware they are decieved.
3. They are deceivers.

The Scripture states that we are to:1Th 5:21 "prove all things; hold fast that which is good." Our faith should be in the power of God yet in the Scriptures we see an unbeliever called Simon who was called the Power of God.

1Co 2:5 - "that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."

Act 8:10 - "to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is that power of God which is called Great."

All the way through the Bible a counterfeit is revealed.

We are warned about the false apostle's (2Co 11:13), false brothers (Gal 2:4), false teachers (2Pe 2:1), false prophets (Mat 7:15 ), false Christ's (Mar 13:22), we also have the couterfeit doctrines of man (Mat 15:9), and the counterfeit doctrines of demons ( 1Ti 4:1 ).

These counterfeits are prevalent in the Church today. God warns us through the Scriptures for our own safety. If we refuse to test all things then we open ourselves to being decieved. We must test not to worldly standard's but to the standards set out in the Scriptures. The modern Church has a long history of embracing anything claiming to be from or of God.

How many times have we seen a ''POWERFUL'' ministry being exposed as fraudulent.
Have we forgotten all the Christian books written about the Y2K, and that all their warnings of destruction that have come to nothing. Just because some one claims their Ministry is producing blessings and Salvations does not make it true.

The past Church scandels have proved that lying and deceit ( The action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth. A dishonest act or statement ) are more common that we are willing to admit.

If we want to be Christ-like then we must observe the command to test all things.

[cmnahrwold]

Ok, I am confused by your comments. In our prior discussion about faith you imply that man does nothing at the time of our conversion, it all has to do with the Holy Spirit.

Now in this current discussion you imply that the Gospel has to be presented in a certain format for our conversion to be a true conversion.

So which is it?

Is it not true that the Holy Spirit can transcend all personal preferences and denominational differences to open up the heart of the unbeliever?

Thanks for the discussion.

Chris

[SERay]

Chris, I don't think my rehashing what has been addressed repeatedly and in detail will have value, but I will try keep it simple (right) for lack of time.

In the discussion on "faith" no where do I state that man does nothing at time of conversion. In multiple ways, I tried to impress what Scripture is abundantly clear on, that it is God who draws us to him through the seed of faith deposited in us, not our intellect. It is up to us to respond or reject that seed, our choice to come with a broken or resistant will. Intellect has little to do with salvation. A mentally disabled person, or a brilliant statesman can equally receive Christ regardless of intellect. A backwoods tribesman who can't do more than grunt can receive the gospel and be saved in the Spirit, as a large number of the South African Zulu tribe did during the 1900's revival spearheaded by John Graham Lake. Our intellect is no more important in salvation than our six senses can increase our faith. It is essentially as simple as that. Scripture is rife with the clarity of these statements.

In regard to any book or method of teaching goes, it must align with the gospel of Christ or it is another gospel. It is never about format, it is wholly about genuine truth aligned with Christ's revealed Spirit and words. Scripture is adamant that there are as many false gospels are there are many anti-Christ spirits. The anti-Christ himself will seem abundantly moral, bringing different faiths together, and have the supernatural power to usher in world peace. Even deceiving most the church (elect) to follow him, as Scriptures surmises. That same power is working freely IN the church today, through deceiving spirits resident in men, as it did in the Jewish synagogue amidst the Pharisees and Sadducees. As it did in the Catholic church during the inquisition. As it has throughout all time in every soul and every type of sanctuary. Therefore, it should be no marvel to observe error at every turn in our epic of time, even amidst the most innocent of endeavors that "seem" moral and good, but actually are not of God.

The champions of the scriptures: martyrs, apologists, and theologians such as Origen, Tertullian of Carthage and Clement, all strived again false teachings. Irenaeus's great work entitled "Against Heresies" specifically pointed out in detail every heresy and deviation of sound doctrine. When reading it, it describes much of what the modern church touts today as “acceptable” for having little or no spiritual discernment.

I would not go as far as to say that the Burpo book is Godless, but it is pretentious in creating a flowery picture of heaven based on a highly aggrandized toddler's imagination, influenced by bedtime stories and his parents. Most of what the toddler expresses is fantasy, and at times completely unbiblical, but this is already detailed in my first review. Along with links to other leaders and pastors who see the same error that the vast number of gullible do not. If those without discernment wish to follow the wide path of anything and everything, that is not for me to judge. The Emergent Church (compromised, watered down gospel) is already full of these wandering souls.

As Johanna urged me to say, I have been deceived in my distant past by false teachers, unto near perdition. Therefore I am highly sensitive to false gospels and seeds that lead away from truth. It only takes a seed to bring us to Christ, and only a seed of another spirit to lead us away, if Christ is not rooted in us.

Yes, it is "true that the Holy Spirit can transcend all personal preferences and denominational differences to open up the heart of the unbeliever." What that has to do with the faith discussion or the book is not clear to me. The statement becomes another topic on its own. Thanks for the inquiry!