Are stories of Heaven for Real?
By TIMOTHY LAMB
I went to the movie “Heaven is for Real”, the story of the four year
old who sees heaven in a vision or dream or what have you…or did he?
They say he didn’t die. While on the operating table he never lost
his pulse and never stopped breathing. However, unless this is a
concocted story; a fabrication to get fame and money; something
happened during his appendix surgery to change the life of Colton Burpo.
These stories have come along from time to time ever since I can
remember. They don’t change the world, they give us nothing tangible
for all the fuss and they seem to create more questions than they
answer. I think the big question is this: What is the purpose of all
these “near death” experiences or visions of heaven? If God is
involved there must be a purpose, but nothing really changes that
trusting in the Word of God and a little faith wouldn’t
accomplish…There IS a heaven, so what? Now what do you do to get
there. These stories never address that.
These are “feel - good” stories that tell us something we want to
hear. Everyone wants there to be a heaven and everyone wants to go
there; they just don’t want the God of the Bible to be there when they
get there – this God who demands our obedience and our worship. And
therein lies the How-to question of going to heaven. Believing God is
worthy of our obedience and worship. Sitting on Jesus lap and seeing
that Jesus has a horsy and meeting great-great grandpa and the sister
who died in momma’s belly…how cool is that for a four year old? Now
match that vision up with what Isaiah saw and what the Apostle John
saw; hardly seems like the same place, in fact, I’m certain it’s not.
Isaiah and John saw visions that centered on the glory of God –
breath-taking – barely describable. Grown men fall to their knees and
tremble at what they were shown. Four year old Colton Burpo mentions
it casually in conversation and has to have it coaxed out of him with
carefully worded questions. John saw twenty-four saints lay their
crowns and the feet of Jesus. Colton sat in the presence of the
trinity with the Holy Spirit by his side and prayed for dad. The
scriptures speak of winged creatures with eyes covering their bodies
and Colton saw Jesus’ horse. The Angel Gabriel told Zacharias he
stands in the presence of God. Colton says Gabriel sits at the
Fathers left hand opposite Jesus who is on the right. Quite a lofty
perch for a messenger.
At the very least the story of Colton Burpo is “extra-biblical”. In
this day and age of so many cults and beliefs what do we have to
verify facts with except the Bible? If it doesn’t match with Biblical
truth we must dismiss it. Spiritual activity which isn’t of God can
only come from one source. For those who think it’s too nice a story
to be Satanic I pose this question: How close to the real thing would
Satan get to deceive you? Once he gets you hooked on visions and such
he can take you anywhere.
I am insinuating something is wrong, but not saying this is Satanic.
All I’m saying for sure is it can’t be supported biblically and it
doesn’t lead people to salvation. God has used it to make for good
conversation and dialogue but all that shows is God can take anything
and use it for His glory.
So the Burpo’s got their medical bills paid and a little bit of fame.
We got to see a movie that had a pleasant message. But there is no
theology involved here nor any promises. Trust the Word of God,
Heaven is real and it’s SO much more than what Colton Burpo saw.
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