Like A Good Neighbor (But Like The Bad Ones Too)...

"...The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." - Matthew 9:37b,38

We'll continue the Francis Chan review later, but for now I want to share some of what God's been laying on my heart. Without getting too intense - I've been praying a lot for Hollywood. I couldn't say specifically for what, but I'm nearly overwhelmed with how trapped a lot of those folks are. Some actors/actresses/artists/others are living a life of filth and loving it, but I'm becoming more and more sensitive that some aren't as into it - they're just slaves to their own image.

As much as I may be in debt for rent or credit cards or bills, I'm nowhere close to being in the kind of debt those people are. Multi-million dollar homes? You can't just walk away from that sort of financial commitment and it's not like you'll find that kind of money doing much else if you could. I haven't been keeping up with what's going on with the American debt because, well, who really can - we're in it and we're in it deep. I wonder, though, if the top ten paid actors and athletes donated 90% of their year's salary in exchange for being declared national heroes, wouldn't that bring us much closer than whatever pitiful amount they're arguing about in Washington? My point is Romans 6:16 includes monetary debt as well as anything else, and Hollywood is cranking out slaves as fast as any of the other bad guys out there.

So who's reaching them? I know Kirk Cameron and his ilk probably do their best, but are there really any other true Christians able to have a one-on-one with Eminem, or Miley Cyrus, or Martina McBride? Oh there's superficial Christianity - usually just called "Faith" or "Spirituality" all over the place but I don't buy that charade for one second. Christ says the harvest is ready but there aren't many willing workers, and we're not guiltless of sharing the Gospel with "superstars" less than anyone else. He also says to watch out for false teachers, and I'm sure there's plenty in Hollywood.

And so that's where my heart is. God has given me, it seems, a tremendous sense of vision and a heart to match but I'm not so good at using it yet. Could I just look up an address for Britney Spears and go and read some scripture with her - do people do that? Of course it's easy to think "No, Will, they'd stop you before you even got in the driveway!" But what if they didn't? What if when Christ said "Go ye into all the world..." He meant "Go ye into all the world..."? California is part of the world too, so maybe we need to start heading in that direction as well as overseas. Imagine, then, embarking on this sort of trip and getting there and actually getting in and actually meeting that person - how awesome! I think I'd have to start with something like: "Well, God must really want to talk with you because I'm pretty sure I didn't expect to make it this far!" Sort of a real-life Blues Brothers, but with cleaner language.

Anyway, that's what God's been up to lately. I don't know what His plans are (He often doesn't tell me those sorts of details), but I wouldn't be surprised if I had to go on a road trip at some point in the near future. God is good, and He's everyone's God whether they realize it or not, and He wants all people to come to Him because He made us all and He loves us all and He died for us all but He can't stand it when we say we love Him but really we just squeeze our devotions in during commercial breaks and write off whole portions of humanity as unreachable. He's God: He's everywhere you could possibly go!

~~JBH

Erasing Hell, Chapter Three

Erasing Hell, Chapter Three

"Surely Jesus backed away from these terrifying images and emphasized the love of God when talking about the judgement day. Right?"

Chapter three gets closer to the core issues of the conversation, and Chan is certainly taking his time to build up some solid foundation. I'm beginning to wonder if he'll ever get to the point though - this chapter is essentially chapter two but instead of His contemporaries, Chan lays out what Jesus Himself said about Hell. Frankly, there's not much to review since it's mostly just verses and clarification. I like how he ends the chapter though, and it hints at the possibility of some big guns on the horizon: "Don't get so lost in deciphering that you forget to tremble." Now that's what I'm talking about - let's tremble!

Well... I read ahead. I couldn't help myself really, I'm just not used to reading only a chapter a day of any book. When I'm on a roll I want to keep rolling, so I'm currently somewhere in chapter 5. We're getting there, and I'll post up a review tomorrow of chapter 4, though if I had read ahead I would have probably reviewed the first 4 chapters together, since they are all so similar. I don't think a person should ever get bored reading about Hell.

~~JBH

Erasing Hell, Chapter Two

Erasing Hell, Chapter Two

"Through the years, many ideas of hell have been proposed - some attractive, some not. But if the truth is what we're after, we need to stick to what Jesus actually said."

On to the second chapter. There are some things I like and some things I like less, but overall Chan continues setting the stage to talk about Hell. He spends most of the chapter laying out the context of first-century Judaism and tackles a few different viewpoints on what has been misunderstood in some present-day teachings. He mentions Rob Bell a couple times and cites numerous sources, content to merely refer to the source by the century it was written in, later explaining in the notes at the end of the chapter in detail where the quote or idea comes from. Most often these are apocryphal passages from the book of Enoch or Baruch if they aren't quotes from Bell, C.S. Lewis or other notable humans.

I'm purposefully pacing myself in reading the book and perhaps this taints my experience, but I'm getting bored already. I want to dig in and talk about the big stuff. I'm less interested in what Rob Bell has to say about Hell because, well, I don't think even he understands what he says most of the time. He's quite post-modern in that respect. Don't get me wrong, Chan is laying some necessary foundation and he's doing a great job - but I'm on page 71 of 198 and we still haven't concluded much at all. I'm interested to see how he presents Hell, since he seems to be systematically removing the softer presentations. Chapter Three is titled "What Jesus Actually Said About Hell", so maybe we're getting somewhere. I could also be a little spoiled, since the last two books I've read were C.S. Lewis and you can pretty much quote random sentences from his work and sound profound.

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As an aside, Jaffrey Bible House is gearing up for Riverfest on July 30th. Some things are changing this year, and the result is going to mean more people on the Jaffrey Commons (our front yard) and for longer (the BBQ is going to be held there, if all goes as planned). This is a huge opportunity to be recognized and bless folks! Our prayer is that God would work through us during that time to become further acquainted with the community and grow as a business - so we can serve more! All store inventory will be at least 10% off, and all pre-paid special orders placed that day will be 15% off - this is awesome! Even if only to visit for a few minutes, please stop by and see what God is up to, you'll be blown away!

~~JBH

Erasing Hell, Chapter One

Erasing Hell, Chapter One

"In other words, because there are things we don't want to believe about God, we therefore decide that we can't believe them."

Continuing our review of Francis Chan's latest title, "Erasing Hell", we move on to the first chapter. I would divide it into two parts: the first half he explains Universalism and articulates some general points about it, what verses in the Bible are typically used to back that view and how those verses are being understood incorrectly. Of course there's a ton, and Chan only tackles three or four big ones, but I think he handles it well and with a proper attitude of respect. The second half of the chapter is passages of scripture that refute Universalist claims altogether, illustrating a stark contrast between the eternal destination of believers and non-believers. He ends with a section addressing the idea of a "second chance" which I was particularly pleased to read.

In my experience I haven't found any other faith that doesn't allow for a second, or infinite, opportunities to escape eternal damnation (if there even is such a thing included in that belief system at all). I don't know much about Orthodox Judaism or Islam (though one may argue that martyrdom, being a sort of "instant-in", would count as a kind of second chance - but maybe I'm showing my ignorance here) and I'll have to read up on it. I'm always interested to learn about those two religions since they are so intimately connected with Biblical Christianity and I think it's to our detriment that we aren't trying to reach out to them more (though again, perhaps my ignorance is showing). I do know a bit about the teachings of both the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witnesses and they each offer a kind of safety net for people who don't choose their respective salvations before death, only some of the things I'd never have learned if I shut my door the moment folks showed up to talk about their Jesus.

Finally I must say how easy it is to read Chan's writing. I read the beginning of "Crazy Love" but didn't have the chance to finish it before I sold it and it doesn't surprise me how so many people raved about it. I think he's dealing with heavier issues here perhaps, but he's doing so with respect and skill (and lots of footnotes) but still the same prosaic style that makes it seem more of a conversation and less of a teaching lesson or study session. Of course, like any good book, it ends up as all three.

~~JBH

Erasing Hell, Introduction

I recently watched a video on YouTube of Francis Chan (author of Crazy Love) talking about his upcoming book: Erasing Hell. He was asking for prayers of discernment and clarity so that he wouldn't mess things up, biblically speaking, on writing about Hell. I was intrigued and since the book came out a couple weeks ago, I've acquired a copy for myself. I'll be reading through it and posting my review here. At present I only have the one copy, but if any of you out there in ReaderLand want a copy, or want to do a group study, drop us a line at the Jaffrey Bible House and we can get things going. On to the review...

Erasing Hell, Introduction

"If you are excited to read this book, you have issues."

That's the very first line and already I feel qualified to be reading it. I have issues, Francis. The author (which is actually a co-authorship but writing under Chan's name) goes on to layout the reason for his writing the book and his reluctance to believe, despite biblical truth, in a place of eternal torment. I understand what he's saying since I recently went through the Way of the Master study series at church and have been impressed with the burden of sharing salvation. Actually, "sharing" isn't really the right word, it should be "screaming". If I believe the Bible to be God's Word, 100% true, then I should be screaming salvation to anyone I can find. After about a page and a half I realize Francis isn't capitalizing the word Hell. Should he be? There's Hell and there's hell. Hmmm. I'm not sure what the rules are here, but I sort of feel like capitalization is called for. It's not a big deal, and I don't think it's worth mentioning more than once, but If Heaven gets a big "H" (it does, doesn't it?) so does Hell - at least in this blog. The introduction closes with a sample of the prayerful attitude Chan urges all of us to be in while reading the book and an admonition to take scripture as Holy and all else as not. Pretty good start and I'm pumped to move on, but I'll try to pace myself so I can give a decent review. Who knows, maybe it'll be a feature of this blog!

Before continuing with the review I think it's appropriate to state my own thoughts/views on Hell. Can I skip verse references? I'll do a future post with where this is all coming from for sure, but let's be informal for now. I believe Hell is a real place. I believe only sinners go there. I believe all have sinned and as such, all people are headed there by default. I believe this is because atonement is required by a holy God who cannot abide sin in His presence. I believe He provided this atonement in Jesus Christ and all can claim it for themselves, but the change is total, permanent, and fundamentally incomprehensible to those without it. I believe faith is an essential part of recognizing that need and I believe that faith is not something that has its origin is man but is a free gift of God. I believe predetermination and free will are not mutually exclusive anymore than someone can be fully God and fully man. I believe that part of being under this new covenant means spreading this Gospel of salvation to as many as will hear it, and that not all will accept it - hence not all people will escape the eternal torment of Hell. I do not believe Hell is now, or that it is Earth, or a human condition, or that it is the absence of God. I believe God is ever-present and just as those in Heaven and, ultimately, on the New Earth will experience His unending love and the inexpressible joy of His presence, I believe those in Hell will experience His never-ending wrath and justice - and that He is very present there as well. I believe in a God of equally boundless mercy and justice, love and wrath, and I believe that He is fully justified in doing whatever He wants and that to seek an easier life is to take away the value of life as it was meant to be by its Author and Perfecter.

I think that just about covers it, apologies if I missed something. There'll be plenty of time to refine those statements I'm sure. I'll likely be done with chapter one in about twenty minutes, but I'll post my review in the next day or two. Until then, enjoy your day!

~~JBH

Audience Approval...

As I prepare to write my next post I must pause and state the following: I'm really pumped when I look at the blog stats and see that folks were checking the page on Saturday to see if I had a post up. I oftentimes get the impression that no one really cares about this blog (or, really, any blog) and that it's all just one-sided. Thanks for the encouragement - and I'll try to be more frequent. It should be interesting for a while, considering the post that will be up in the next few minutes...

~~JBH

Egg Toss...

I (Will) came across this gem today whilst reading some C.S. Lewis. The book is fantastic, and like anything he writes it often requires re-reading to fully grasp the picture. It relates to the Jaffrey Bible House only in that I own both the book and the store, but I felt it was worth sharing. Enjoy!

"But entropy by its very character assures us that though it may be the universal rule in the Nature we know, it cannot be universal absolutely. If a man says 'Humpty Dumpty is falling,' you see at once that this is not a complete story. The bit you have been told implies both a later chapter in which Humpty Dumpty will have reached the ground, and an earlier chapter in which he was still seated on the wall. A Nature which is 'running down' cannot be the whole story. A clock can't run down unless it has been wound up. Humpty Dumpty can't fall off a wall which never existed. If a Nature which disintegrates order were the whole of reality, where would she find any order to disintegrate? Thus on any view there must have been a time when processes the reverse of those we now see were going on: a time of winding up. The Christian claim is that those days are not gone forever. Humpty Dumpty is going to be replaced on the wall - at least in the sense that what has died is going to recover life, probably in the sense that the inorganic universe is going to be reordered. Either Humpty Dumpty will never reach the ground (being caught in mid-fall by the everlasting arms) or else when he reaches it he will be put together again and replaced on a new and better wall. Admittedly, science discerns no 'kings horses and men' who can 'put Humpty Dumpty together again'. But you would not expect her to. She is based on observation: and all our observations are observations of Humpty Dumpty in mid-air. They do not reach either the wall above or the ground below - much less the King with his horses and men hastening towards the spot." - Chapter 16, Miracles, CS Lewis


~~JBH

Animal, Vegetable, Or Me?

"And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Able, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is the countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." - Genesis 4:3-7

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." - Romans 12:1

As I read that passage in Genesis this morning my thoughts dwelt on Cain's attitude, both before and after his offering. There's a lot that gets said about why Abel's sacrifice was accepted and Cain's wasn't (though Hebrews 11:4 seems to explain it sufficiently) and how this whole drama plays out. What was impressed upon me this morning, however, was that once again I was missing the point. I don't think it matters what kind of vegetables (or "fruits of the ground") Cain sacrificed to God if he wasn't willing to put himself up there too. It was a moment of conviction to be sure, because I like to give things to God when I should be giving Him me instead.

It's so easy to forget, or ignore, that living a life in Christ actually starts with death. We have to die to self and to the world and its passions. When Jesus took up His cross He intended to die on it, so when we take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23) what else should we be expecting to do? He doesn't want our sheep or our vegetables, He wants us. I can always find more things to give up, to sacrifice to God, but there's only one Will Hunter and I really hate to let him go sometimes. Maybe I'll even give God a part of Will Hunter, like my words or my emotions or something - but just not the whole Will. I like Will after all, he's a cool guy. But God wanted him first I think, and so he has to go. Will Hunter just has to get over it and crawl right up there and say "Okay Lord, here I am. Burn me up!"

And He does. And it hurts. What else should we expect from One who baptizes with fire, and sets mountains ablaze, and has flames for eyes? Ah, but He's not like a forest fire or burning barn you see, rather He's like a metalworker at a forge: He takes that Will Hunter and heats him up until he's red-hot and shapes him into something He can use. Our God does not eat vegetables or sheep friends, He forges weapons with which He advances His Kingdom.

And that's really awesome.

~~JBH

Pretty Feet...

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" - Isaiah 52:7


So there's a marathon coming up, and Jaffrey Bible House is proud to be one of the sponsors! If you're into running, or walking, or cheering, check out this site: Monadnock Half Marathon. We'll be open all day setup as a water/cheering station, so whether you stop by wearing running shorts or not we'll be glad to see you!

~~JBH