10 things that will not be in Heaven

TEN THINGS THAT WILL NOT BE IN HEAVEN:

1. No sea. (Revelation 21:1)
2. No tears. (Revelation 21:4)
3. No cemeteries. (Revelation 21:4 - no death)
4. No hospitals. (Revelation 21:4 - no pain)
5. No temple. (Revelation 21:22 -not needed because God is there on His throne).
6. No sun. (Revelation 21:23- God is the light.)
7. No night. (Revelation 21:25; 22:5 - and thus no evil or fear.)
8. No locks. (Revelation 21:25)
9. No sin. (Revelation 21:8; 22:15)
10. No unbelievers. (Revelation 21:27 - no admission unless their name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, written in the grace-soaked blood of Jesus.)

90 Minutes in Heaven

I just finished reading 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper. I have already read 23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese. The two books have similar titles and both books discuss experiences in the opposite extremes of eternity, but that is where the similarities end. 90 Minutes in Heaven is a much better book that rings much more true and encouraging, because it deals so realistically with pain, death and suffering.

I'm not saying that Bill Wiese didn't have a real experience with Hell. I believe that he did experience something, and his book is faithful to the Bible on the subject. But Don Piper's experience in and the way that it is told makes it much more than a book on Heaven.

Piper tells about being "killed" in a car wreck, and how a pastor at the scene prays for him and sings hymns, even though the sheet has covered Piper's body, and 90 minutes later the pastor hears Don singing with him. Don shares how during those 90 minutes he experienced an incredible peace and joy at the gates of Heaven, as a welcoming party of all of his deceased loved ones and Christian friends met him. But then Don came back to earth.

The rest of the book describes the bitterly painful experience of a long, slow and wrenching recovery, and how even to this day Don is in constant pain. Despite his pain, he has found his purpose in encouraging other people who endure serious injuries and people who face death, because he has experienced their pain and he has experienced the certainty of Heaven.

This is the perfect book to give to any person who is dying or is enduring a long illness or slow recovery from an injury. It is raw and honest about suffering, yet wonderfully encouraging about eternal life through faith in Christ. No wonder it is a best seller.

How can a loving God send somebody to Hell?

The problem of Hell is one of the most emotional issues for Christians sharing their faith.
This is a very unpleasant thing that many people do not want to hear, but sometimes the most loving thing is to tell a person something unpleasant so that they can avoid it. It is unpleasant for a physician to tell his patient that he has cancer; but it is the most loving thing to be honest and tell the patient that he has cancer, so that his cancer can be treated and possibly cured. Likewise, a person may not want to hear about Hell, but the most loving thing is not to avoid the subject but to honestly answer it.
Several times I have seen Larry King interview Christians, and ask them, “Do you believe that a person who doesn’t believe in Jesus Christ is going to Hell?” Being asked that question almost feels like being asked, “Have you stopped beating your wife?” Any simple answer will make you sound bad, and many ministers have squirmed under that question. Joel Osteen answered it very poorly.
Here is a portion of the transcript interview between Larry King and Joel Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church, Houston, Texas, which aired June 20, 2005, on CNN...

[Read the rest of this sermon in the first comment below:]