Greenview Church Bookclub

I really enjoy Greenview’s bookclub, which meets once a month on a Saturday morning in the local Sainsbury’s cafe. We plan to meet for just one hour, but it inevitably runs over time as we enthusiastically get caught up in our discussions. We have just finished John Wenham’s book ‘The Easter Enigma’, which brought new light into the story of Jesus’ resurrection as the author seeks to carefully harmonise the four accounts of the resurrection contained in the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Today we started a new book entitled ‘Heaven’ by Randy Alcorn, which purports to be a good read. This morning we just looked at the introduction and the first four chapters. Before we get into the subject of heaven itself, the author wants to set out the choice that everyone has to make.

Here is an excerpt:

Jesus and Heaven are offered to us at no cost because he already paid the price for us. God invites you to come. The Church invites you to come. As a follower of Jesus I invite you to come. Why would you not come? What reason could be good enough to turn away from Jesus and from eternal life in the New Heaven and Earth?

In the words of C.S.Lewis “All your life an unattainable ecstasy has hovered just beyond the grasp of your consciousness. The day is coming when you will wake to find, beyond all hope, that you have attained it, or else, that it was within your reach and you have lost it forever.”

You are made for a person and a place. Jesus is the person. Heaven is the place. They are a package – you cannot get heaven without Jesus, or Jesus without heaven. (end excerpt)

Sobering words, but the author is keen to show at the beginning of the book that we all have a choice, eternal bliss with God or eternal regret without God. In the final analysis God always gives us what we choose.

The book is available on Amazon in hard copy or on ‘Kindle’. Even if you can’t come on a Saturday morning you might want to read the book, and if you wanted to comment here, I would be happy to introduce your thoughts at the bookclub.