Consider This...
Theological Thoughts to Encourage the Heart & Stir the Mind ___________________________________________________
Volume I March 2011 Issue 13
As believers in Christ, we are inundated with media of every sort. From movies and video games to make believe computer identities, there are novels beyond number. It is sad to say, however, while we can discern reality from make believe in these famous past times, we are not so wise when it comes to false spiritual media that is introduced to those in the Christian walk.
From television broadcasts that have false teachers spouting out lies from the devil and the flesh to books that only send a surge of emotional feelings that cannot be trusted, many people who consider themselves Christians easily fall into what has been written and said. They fail to line up these subjects with the written Word of God.
For instance, several years ago I was introduced to a book, “A Divine Revelation of Hell,” by a family member. After reading a paragraph or two of this propaganda of foolishness, I knew it was not of God! I asked my relative how they could buy into this falsehood. But as I look back now, I can see that because he went to a church that majored on emotionalism and preaching that had little to do with exegetical and expository teaching, it was easy to believe anything just because Jesus’ name was in the title or was the subject. For example, in this book, the writer Mary Baxter states she went with Jesus Christ into hell for a period of 30 nights.1 During those nights, she was taken into the heart, belly, and legs (yes, legs) of hell. The author writes, “I saw things in hell that are too horrible to tell,”2 yet she wrote 208 pages of what she saw in hell. She describes to the reader that Satan and his demons are in hell tormenting departed spirits, using every imaginable method of torture.3
This totally goes against the Word of God. In the book of Job, when the sons of God present themselves to the LORD, he asks Satan, “where have you been?” To which Satan replies, “from going to and fro in the earth” (Job 1:7b). Satan roams around as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5). He isn’t interested in those already being tormented in hell.
In Matthew Chapter 8, when Christ confronted the demoniac at Gergesenes, the demons cried, “art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” (Matt. 8:29). These demons knew hell was their ultimate destination. They did not want to go there sooner than they had to. From Satan to demons, the last place they would want to be found or have a desire to be in is hell. Jesus himself said hell is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is experienced by all who enter that realm, from demons (2 Peter 2:4) to the sinner who dies without Christ (Luke 16:23). It is not a playground for Satan.
The author of this book also claims to have gone to heaven with Jesus for ten days. This brings up another side of what I believe is false media—people who claim to have gone to heaven and tell of what they saw.
In 2010, a book was published by Thomas Nelson entitled, “Heaven is for real.” This book gives testimony of a young boy who went to heaven while in surgery.
When this young boy describes seeing his great grandfather in heaven, he says, “Pop has really big wings. My wings were really little, but Pop’s were big.”4 I do not see anywhere in Scripture where saints get wings once they enter heaven. He also says Jesus has a rainbow horse. Why isn’t that the horse Christ comes back on in Revelation 19:11? Even the saints who return with him ride white horses!
I sat with my son while researching these books and asked him to tell me about heaven and what it is like. He too gave me biblical answers...and some non biblical answers.
I must ask for forgiveness on my sarcasm, yet it is ridiculous to think that Jesus is always on some magical, mystical journey, spinning a wheel of chance to see who he can give a tour of heaven or hell to next.
The Scriptures I read in the Bible show my Lord at the center of the throne of God receiving praise ( Revelation 5:6). He is there interceding for every born again believer, as Romans 8:27 and 34 declare. He is also in the heart of every believer (Col. 1:27). The spiritual wisdom he gives from there (the heart) is directly from the Scripture. The complete canon of Scripture. Nothing more will be added to it, as these teachers and authors of false media declare.
The final aspect of false media is presented by men and women who would say things to glamorize and make their “ministry” so much more fascinating.
With this I bring up televangelist Benny Hinn. This man has declared, “the Lord is physically appearing in the Muslim world. I’m telling you, I am hearing it more and more. Since preachers cannot go there, Jesus is just going there himself.”5
Benny Hinn also has claimed, “Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is about to appear physically in some churches, and some meetings, and to many of his people, for one reason-to tell you he is about to show up.”6
Does not the Word of God tell us Christ is about to return? Why would Christ need to show up physically to tell us this? This form of teaching reminds me of the beliefs of Mormonism. For they teach when Jesus ascended to heaven after leaving the Apostles, he made a U-turn to America and physically presented himself to that group of people (3rd Nephi 10:18. Book of Mormon). There is no proof these people ever existed and, of course, this event never happened.
These events never happened or will happen because Scripture states the next time Christ returns physically to earth every eye will see
him (Rev. 1:7).
So I would encourage all believers who find pleasure in reading novels and other books of interest to beware! You never know. There may be a book of a Christian vampire. There may be a book that represents God as a woman cooking in a “shack”. If the book or video is loaded with false doctrine and unbiblical ideas, run from it.
In conclusion, regarding the comfort that a book on heaven can bring, the blurb on the back of “Heaven is Real” states, “It (the book) encourages those recovering from serious injuries and those dealing with the loss of a loved one.”7 Wait a minute, I thought the Bible was and is the only thing that could do that!
—Ed Delgado
1Mary K. Baxter. A Divine Revelation of Hell.(Whitaker House,1983) pg. 13
2Ibid.pg. 99
3Ibid pg. 101
4 Todd Burpo. Heaven is real.(Thomas Nelson Publishing,2010), pg. 87
5http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/benny-hinn-1.way
6Ibid
7 Ibid.
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