Almost four years ago, a book began making huge waves, especially among Christian readers.  The book:  “Heaven Is For Real: A Little Boy’s Astouding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back”.  This book followed on another book that made nearly as large as another book of its “ilk” – “The Shack”.  And much like that predecessor, it swept the “Christian” book sales charts.  And now, a Hollywood production of Heaven Is For Real is set for theatrical release this year.  This presents us with a new urgency for discernment (Hebrews 5:14; 1 Corinthians 2:14).

Heaven Is For Real, the main title of the book is where the reality and truth ends.  What is most sad about this, is that these books garner such a huge following from professed Christians because they have indeed not practiced discernment.  Discernment begins with the Word of God.

Heaven Is For Real flies in the face of scripture over and over.  Whether it be the clear picture in the Bible that the Apostles were the last to see Jesus in His resurrected form, or Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians regarding the one who is swept up into Heaven who heard (and saw) things that cannot be told, such a story of a young child getting to see, and ultimately return to essentially give “new revelation” is an assault on all things Biblical.

This book and those like it are all about appeal to the fleshly need for “signs and wonders”.  We cannot just rely on faith, as the Bible clearly says we are to do – waiting until our faith becomes sight.  WE walk from experience to experience – living vicariously through the writings and uttering of those who supposedly have “been there, seen that”.  It is a sad statement to the condition of many people’s “faith”.  Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God – not signs and wonders..

Particularly troubling are those who say that this book “changed their life”.  If your life change came about from a work of the imagination of a well-coached 4 year-old instead of the Word of God and the working of the Holy Spirit, then you haven’t seen real, eternal life, change.

I will not rehash a comprehensive list of blatant contradictions with scripture contained in this book (and assumedly in the coming film by the same name), but just a brief highlight:

• Jesus’ horse is rainbow colored? Compare to Revelation 19:11
• The child says the Holy Spirit “shoots down power from Heaven”.  Compare to Acts 1:8 – the Holy Spirit Who is present WITH us.
• Everyone in Heaven has wings (except Jesus)