Dear RLJ and Doves,

I agree with your point regarding the accuracy of what you saw in your visions of Heaven and Hell. The point being that although specific details regarding descriptions of Heaven or Hell may not be in the Bible - that still doesn't make them untrue. The Bible isn't meant to be an exhaustive treatise on what Hell and Heaven are like. Rather it's focus is to show us the path that leads to salvation or Heaven, which is the revelation of Christ. So I don't judge a testimony based on it presenting imagery that I may not have formed in my own mind. Rather I prefer to focus on the Biblical principle espoused, if any.

Thank you for sharing how you felt after reading Heaven is so Real! I lost my peace regarding the authenticity of the encounter after reading about the valley. I do definitely believe that an individual can make a conscious decision to reject the faith even after accepting it. I do think that the decision to reject salvation after believing is a process whereby we drift from the Holy Spirit's leading over time through rebellion and idolatry. I don't believe that one instance of sinning removes us from the covering of grace. Repeated willful sinning, arising in the midst of the Holy Spirit's promptings to the contrary eventually can lead to this. At what point this happens only God knows the condition of the heart.

In the book Angels on Assignment Pastor Buck recounts a visitation from the angel Gabriel in which the subject of atonement is expanded on. Buck writes that: "In the center of the diagram (Gabriel showed him how to draw the diagram.) is an arch, similar to a rainbow. This arch over us is the atonement, the covering, the blood of Christ. Above the atonement arch is God and the way He sees us. Below it is man and the way he sees us. Man sees us with sin, fault, and failure; but God looks through the covering , this atonement , and sees holiness instead of sin because He has already taken care of sin. Instead of fault, God sees blamelessness. Instead of failures, He sees us unreproveable, He sees nothing with which we can be reproved, rebuked or even chided for . We see below the atonement arch the way we are viewed in the eyes of man."

Col 1:22
But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—

Pastor Buck goes on to say that God illustrated this principle in the Levitical ritual. The high priest Aaron entered the Most Holy Place only after applying the blood of the sacrificed calf on himself AND placing incense on hot coals located in front of the ark. The beaten powder or incense representing the scourging of Christ. The cloud billowing up from the incense covered the mercy seat. "When God looked down, he saw Aaron through the cloud which represented Jesus Christ and His suffering." By this Aaron's life (and that of the Jewish nation) were spared and given one more year of reprieve.

He goes further to say that "God explained to me that" what takes an individual or the nation of Israel out from under that covering is rebellion and idolatry. "It is not that God removes the covering, it is not that God goes down and looks under it, but man removes himself." Lastly Pastor Buck writes "as Christians we can be completely relaxed in the glorious knowledge that He is taking excellent care of all things in His kingdom, and that believers do not need to feel weighted down once they realize their position in God."

Ephesians 1:4
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

Titus 3:6-8

6whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
 

Now this is the Gospel that produces hope!
 

In Christ,

Sandy

email: sandy.curtis@tx.rr.com