Heaven Revealed Review and Giveaway

In this book Bible teacher Paul Enns explores the questions that people frequently ask regarding heaven and the eternal states. Having recently lost his beloved wife, these questions are very dear to him, and he asnswers questions in great detail, offering a glimpse into what is yet to come.

When I was first offered this book to review, I almost turned it down. So often books about heaven end up being highly speculative and unbiblical. Coming from a publisher that usually offers very solid books, I thought this one might be different.

In many ways, it wasn't. Enns frequently cites the existing books about heaven, most often "Heaven" by Randy Alcorn - a book which was not very grounded in Scripture. Though Enns uses a lot of Scripture, he doesn't often directly quote it, leaving the reader to have to check his Scripture references on their own. When checking a few of them, I found that when viewed in context they were not about heaven or the eternal states, which leads me to question his handling of Scripture.
My other concern with the book is that Enns seems to ignore passages that are clearly in opposition to what he claims. Let me give you an example.
In Mark 12 the Sadducees approached Jesus and asked about marriage after the resurrection:

"Teacher, Moses wrote for us that IF A MAN'S BROTHER DIES and leaves behind a wife AND LEAVES NO CHILD, HIS BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO HIS BROTHER.


20"There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children.

21"The second one married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise;

22and so all seven left no children. Last of all the woman died also.

23"In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one's wife will she be? For all seven had married her."

24Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God?
25"For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

Yet Enns continuously indicates that our relationship with our spouses will continue, without offering any explanation of this apparent contradiction.

While it was entertaining to imagine what might be, overall I felt that the author did not do an adequate job of exegeting Scripture to defend his claims.

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The giveaway will close on June 19 at 7PM.

An Anchor for the Soul

This short book by Ray Pritchard is an excellent evangelistic tool. It is a short book that covers the key elements of the Christian faith that is doctrinally sound, yet easy to read. The author does a great job of presenting the material without using Christian terms that might not be familiar to those who didn’t grow up in church. He clearly explains who Jesus is, what He did, and why we need Him. It’s page after page of the Gospel, which is so refreshing. I’m glad to say that Pritchard also understands that the good news in only good in light of the bad news. He uses the Law to show the reader their sinfulness before presenting the Gospel of Grace. His gospel presentation is powerful and thorough, yet easily understandable. It’s not the watered-down, seeker-sensitive, come to Jesus for a better life message that so many preach today – it is the true Biblical gospel.

The book is very compelling and easy to read. Each chapter ends with a truth to remember and a section for going deeper.

If you have a friend or loved one who it seems that God is drawing to Himself, I would highly recommend giving them a copy of this book.

A complimentary review copy of this book, along with a copy to give away, was provided to me by C. Grant & Company on behalf of Moody publishing for review purposes, but that in no way influenced my opinion of it.

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You can enter the giveaway for this book here.
Giveaway closes 4/17/11 at 8PM.



Always True by James MacDonald

Subtitle: God's 5 promises when life is hard.

Enter to win a copy of this book HERE. Giveaway ends 2/17/11 at 10PM.

In this encouraging book, Pastor James MacDonald opens the Bible and explores five of the great promises God has made to His people. These are promises that are true in every generation, and God is by nature a promise-keeper.


This book was written following some of the darkest times of the author’s life. This is not a preachy “here’s how you should feel” type book. This is an honest, heartfelt look at the hope that God has given us and the promises that He has made to help carry us through the trials of life.

This book is laid out in such a way that it is very easy to study and apply these promises to your life. Each promise is preceded by a section called “The Theology of a Promise,” where Pastor James opens God’s Word to help us better understand God and His nature. He then explores a promise of God. The promise chapters each end with a section called “Take to Heart” which summarizes the definition of the promise and offers practical ways to apply it in our life. There is also a memory verse to go along with each promise, allowing the reader to hide God’s Word in their heart and be able to bring it to mind when troubles come. This layout makes it an outstanding resource for preparing believers to face difficulties.

I was very moved by this book. I’ve been going through a very difficult time in my life, and this book was exactly what I needed to read. This book was written after Pastor James went through the darkest period of his life, and his personal perspective makes it very relatable and comforting to read.

These promises are real. It is so humbling and awe-inspiring to contemplate these promises. God, the Author and Creator of the universe, has made promises to us and we can know that He will always keep them.

A complimentary review copy of this book was provided to me by C. Grant & Company, but that in no way influenced my opinion of it.