In reply to Russ Mains.

Hi Russ,
Dr. Gibbs from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis wrote a review of the book several years ago and it probably would help you see the Lutheran point of view more clearly. It's at http://www.concordiatheology.org/2011/05/heaven-is-for-real/#respond. He emphasizes three main points. !. Colton's story isn't verifiable. 2.' Holy Scripture's authority comes to be less important than the testimony of Colton Burpo'. This quote is taken directly from Prof. Gibbs' review. 3. 'This book wrongly assumes throughout that God's purpose in sending His Son into the world to serve, suffer, die and rise from the dead was so that when we die, we can "go to heaven." To be sure, there is sufficient testimony in Scripture to say that when a believer dies, his soul goes to rest with Christ. But as every writing in the New Testament shows, Scripture reveals very little of what "heaven" is like, and (more importantly), "heaven" is not the great hope and promise of the Christian message at all! Rather, the return of Christ in glory is the time when God's good work, begun in us, will come to completion (Phil 1:6), and the creation itself will be set free from decay into the glorious freedom bestowed on God's children (Romans8).'-Dr. Gibb's review.

Also Issues,etc. had Rev. Tom Baker on this past Friday reviewing the book. Excellent stuff.

In Christ,
Diane