Better Country - New Book

It is in heaven that our lives actually begin, and after spending a great deal of time studying and reflecting upon heaven, my own life will never be the same. As Dwight L. Moody said, “Earth recedes, Heaven opens up.” 

What is the book going to be called? 
The title is: A Better Country: Preparing for Heaven

When is it coming out?
It is tentatively scheduled for a March, 2008 release. It will be published by Discovery House Publishers. 

What is the book about?
There is a restless yearning in our hearts that moments of pleasure cannot long quench and sorrow only intensifies. It’s a desire planted in us by God Himself, the universal “longing for a better country—a heavenly one.” (Hebrews 11:16 NIV)
In these pages you will discover the thing you’ve always wanted; the world you’ve longed for; the life you were meant to live; the goal you were meant to pursue. God never meant Heaven to be a vague hope, but the passion and purpose of your present life. He wants to prepare you for the Better Country! Isn’t it about time you let Him?

A section from the Book:

I wasn’t always honestly excited about the subject of heaven. This may sound like a strange confession for a pastor to make, but for many years I didn’t seek, think about, or even desire heaven very much. For a long while I think it was because I didn’t know quite what to think about it. My main instruction about heaven was that it existed, that it was surely a great place, and that little more could be known about it this side of life, so why bother speculating? 

As a young boy, when I would hear things like, “heaven is a wonderful place,” and “everyone wants to go to heaven,” from my Sunday school teachers, I’m embarrassed to say I wasn’t one of them. Don’t misunderstand, I believed in Jesus and certainly didn’t want to go to hell—but, like many, I figured heaven was probably like Sunday school—which wasn’t a ringing endorsement. 

I didn’t hate Sunday school, but it hardly compared with my excitement for other places and activities. As a young boy I used to run through the gently rolling, tree laden hills of Santa Rosa, California, pretending to be an explorer, or a cowboy, or a great hunter. Living out in the country I would discover places that I was sure no one had ever been before. I would startle herds of deer, and spend hours climbing trees, catching lizards and field mice, and wondering what was over the next hill. Since I would much rather do that than go to Sunday school, I wasn’t too keen on heaven, or at least on arriving any earlier than necessary. 

Then, years later, when as a pastor I began to speak to people about heaven, I found I had very little to add to my Sunday school instruction. Strangely, in the Bible Institute and seminary I attended, we didn’t talk much about heaven. We talked an awful lot about how one gets there, but very little about what “there” was like. Only now, in retrospect, does that seem strange. While I desperately wanted to be rid of my sin nature and be with Christ, I had little other itinerary for heaven. What would I find in heaven that would excite me—forever? That’s both a tall order and an intimidating prospect. Forever is a very, very long time to live anywhere. What if I got bored after the first million years? Though it may sound slightly sacrilegious to say that, it’s a serious consideration. 

Earth is familiar. Earth is home. Earth we love. 

Then, quite accidentally, I stumbled upon some passages in Revelation that provided me a glimpse into heaven that both surprised and delighted me. My interest in heaven was suddenly piqued because I began to realize it was not what I had expected. I began to wonder how much about heaven I could learn from the Biblical evidence we have. As I studied and began to realize more of what heaven was going to be like, and what God’s purpose for me here and forever was; I began slowly shifting my priorities. I no longer live for this life alone. 

I think if the truth was known, many Christians are at best ambivalent, or at worst, afraid of heaven—or at least of the vision of it they have in their minds. There used to be an old game show where you had to pick the prize behind door number one, door number two, or door number three. Behind only one of those doors was there something valuable and desirable. Behind two of them was something worthless. Many people, sadly even many Christians, are afraid of what might be behind the door they open into eternity. We’re far more attached to earth than we think. This may partly explain why it can be so hard to get Christians to think beyond this earthly life to greater spiritual realities, and to sacrifice too many of this world’s good for the sake of the eternal kingdom. 

Wrong thoughts of Heaven can make us homesick for earth

The idea that heaven is somewhere and something other than earthly tends to make us nostalgic for earth even as we talk about heaven. While a part of us is certainly excited about the idea of being with Jesus, having our sin nature removed, and living with Him forever, if we’re honest, a part of us is also already homesick for earth--and we feel guilty even thinking that. The idea that one day we won’t see a sunset over the ocean, or gaze on a forest of ancient redwoods, or see the leaves turn in New England, or cuddle a puppy or sit by a cozy fireplace on a rainy night with loved ones seems terribly sad. 

Thoughts of heaven might even prompt regret about what we’ll never be able to do. I myself have realized that I might never get to Ireland or Scotland or Switzerland or England as I had hoped one day. I might never gaze across the vast Canadian Tundra, or watch Grizzly bears catching salmon along an Alaskan river. I’ve gazed at the Milky Way and seen the desert sky filled with stars, but I’ve always wanted to see the Aurora Borealis. It might not happen. I’ve raised three children, but I might not get to see my grandchildren, or their children. I’ll miss fly fishing on the Merced River in Yosemite and riding my bike with my wife in our beautiful Santa Ynez Valley wine country. I’ll miss Oak trees and deer grazing in the meadows and hawks soaring overhead and the brilliant sunset as night falls. 

We comfort ourselves with the thought that in heaven we’ll feel no loss or regrets—but it doesn’t remove the sad nostalgia we feel now. Our desire for heaven is not based on our revulsion for earth, but for the curse of sin which has afflicted our life on earth. If the truth be told, we’d be perfectly happy if God decided to stick with earth and just get rid of the curse of sin that makes living here so painful and dangerous. Most of us would vote to have Eden restored on earth rather than spend eternity in some unknown celestial city in the sky. If you’ve ever felt that way, I’ve got some good news for you--that is precisely what God has been planning to do all along. 

To learn more about the book, click on to Dan's Blog (on the home page) and read "Thoughts on Heaven."