NowTHINK!AboutIt

Avoiding Hackneyed...Making Sense

Jonathan Edwards Talked Hell, Promised No Heaven

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If people are condemned to hell without recourse, why torment them before they go.

When Edwards Described Hell
You Felt The Flames

I’m not sure what you would call it but the congregation’s response to Jonathan Edward’s famous sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, was not a revival.

He wasn’t speaking to heretics, hecklers or blasphemers. In fact, his hearers weren’t even skeptical. They were regular congregants and they were anything but slack. They endured long, dry, complicated, and often irrelevant or condemning discussions on Bible topics every week.

Deadening, yes, but showing up every week was a sign of determined commitment. They weren’t indifferent.

The services were probably lifeless – the effect had to be numbing – but we can’t blame the attenders for that and there is no reason to accuse them of being spiritually casual.

Mr. Edwards was clearly a very intelligent man with a remarkable ability to articulate his thoughts. But in spite of these abilities those who heard him found his theology difficult to assimilate. [Read more…] about Jonathan Edwards Talked Hell, Promised No Heaven

Eye Witnesses To Heaven – Are They Genuine?

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Heaven Is For Real

There are two categories of people that refuse to believe eye witness reports of heaven.

One is the atheist-type who rejects any idea of an afterlife that includes heaven and God.

But, since atheists have very few standard beliefs and they suggest so many different afterlife possibilities it would take too long to consider their ideas.

We will save them and their concepts for another post.

The other category of individual who refuses to accept any eye witness reports of heaven is the conservative Christian. A few passages in the Bible seem to stand in the way so they approach the topic incredulously, intending to discredit the idea.

There are, of course, all kinds of so called death experience tales being pushed, many of which are strange and unusual to say the least but there are also reasons to expect temporary glimpses of heaven on the odd occasion.

Heaven is never given geographic coordinates but we know it isn’t far away. Paul said to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, so our last breath on earth is the doorway to heaven and the transition is instantaneous.

The after-life is so close we shouldn’t be surprised visions of heaven or hell overlap our last minuets in this world.

Rather than ignore the subject and leave it open for shady suggestions we should explore the topic thoroughly from a biblical perspective. A fair look at the key passages may clarify the issue. [Read more…] about Eye Witnesses To Heaven – Are They Genuine?