Who'll Be in Heaven & Who Won't?

This book, available only as an e-book, was written by a layperson who has no training in theology. By training, Dwight Carlson is an Internist, Psychiatrist and Author. This book begins with a forward by Dr. John A. Huffman that tells us what the book will be about and sets the tone for it. Three people, Dr. Paul E. Pierson, Rev. Dr. Herbert Hoefer and Rev. Joe Handley, have added endorsements of the author which are each paragraph-length. This book contains eleven chapters. The author quotes often from sources, documenting his findings. This book concludes with an Afterward. The author includes acknowledgements and ends with Endnotes for all his documenting sources.

I was not sure what to expect in this book. If I had not gotten informed about how God is revealing Himself and working in closed lands and hostile areas, the material in the first chapters would have been disconcerting, to say the least. I think the author seems to have read some of the materials I have, along with others. He provides quotes and documentation about how God has revealed Himself to those who have not heard the Gospel, through means like dreams and visions, miracles, and answered prayers. I read quickly through this book, as it has subheadings and is not a long book. It did not take even a week for me to read this book. I was rather surprised but pleased at a quote he included from a Mormon who professes trust in Jesus only for salvation. I applaud the author's efforts to try to avoid universalism about the disturbing teaching about Hell. I liked it that he tried to keep following Jesus separate from any culture, including from Western culture or non-Western cultures. Yet I think he cited sources more from modern testimonies than from Scriptures to make his points. But this author has done his research. I see little wrong with his doctrine and he does affirm the teaching of Hell. In fact, he states that anyone who professes to follow Jesus, if he is genuine, will prove it by a radically changed life and a drastically changed heart. I found myself wanting to know how "radically" my life had to be changed and how "drastically" my heart had to be transformed to be Heaven-bound, according to this author. I wanted him to expand more on that. I think that this author, when he wrote the book, deliberately wanted to make it abundantly clear that there will be shocks in Heaven when finding who made it as well as those who did not make it. I'm glad that he did not go into graphic detail about what Hell will be like and, actually, I think that his view on it is a bit less disturbing, concerning the teaching of total annihilation. If the author wanted to avoid giving offense to people of minority faiths, I think he has done a good job. I felt that this book needed more backing up from Scripture itself about the way of salvation, especially from the Gospel of John or from the Epistle of Romans.

Though I want to, I feel a bit uncomfortable recommending this book to those who are non-Christians, because I think the author needed to offer clarification concerning the reach and scope of the lengths God will go to draw people to Jesus. He does admit that "job-like" believers (those who seemed to have had real faith in God without hearing about Jesus) seem to be a small minority. But he needed to include that disclaimer in the first chapter of the book, not the final chapter. But I would recommend it to those who need Jesus, thought the Warning at the beginning of the book seems to be for followers of Jesus. I recommend this book for every Pastor, as it will not only remind them to preach on Heaven and Hell and how to be fit for the one and avoid the other, but so that they know that God cannot be put in a box. I recommend this book for every Western Christian who is interested in world missions, is planning on going to minister outside the West, supports Western missionaries or Western mission agencies. This book will educate them on the difference between leading people to the Person of Jesus Himself and "Westernizing" and "Christianizing" them.

I received this e-book free of charge through Booklook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to give this book a positive review.

If you were to not see the title of this book "Who'll Be in Heaven & Who Won't" you would feel inclined to think you are picking up another book that tells you Buddhist and Muslims and all good people go to Heaven. Perhaps another book along the lines of one of Rob Bell's reads..... But then, glancing at the Title you will surely realize he isn't saying ALL go to Heaven. The title clearly suggests it will enlighten you as to who goes to Heaven and who does not, which obviously and clearly eliminates some. But what is the Author saying when he is saying Muslims might be there?

When I began reading it I could not easily put it down.

His points are very good. What Dwight Carlson communicates is that belief in God and honoring God is first, next, Jesus Christ as Savior and Redeemer and thirdly....LOVE...having love, kindness....goodness... a good heart. Being a joyful, kind hearted person. And he makes very good points that a person will be responsible for the information they have. He points out that he believe a person who has not heard of Christ nor had opportunity will not be punished to eternity of Hell like lets say Hitler ....that God is just, He is fair. He shows how the name Christians or Christianity has been damaged extensively in many countries and even our own Western World and that the point is not to push the religion of Christianity but preach and show Jesus Christ.

He points out its important to allow a person to have their culture. To not try and westernize.

Bottom line - Believe in the One True God, follow Jesus (if you have not been told about Jesus yet seek truth, seek to know God and ultimate truth and have kindness towards life you will encounter fairness and a Just God) and have Love, this is the way to Heaven.

Thanks to Dr. Carlson for wrestling honestly with issues that voice what some of us ponder, namely, how can a loving God exclude those who honestly seek Him from an eternity spent with Him. While I have always fundamentally held to(and continue to hold to)Jesus' assertion that "no man comes to the Father but by me," Dr. Carlson's writing has also prompted me to reconsider the words of Jesus in light of the phrase "but by me" ... for example, could that mean that without his death, no one could be reconciled to God (as opposed to the act of believing of his death and resurrection as atonement for our sin)? Still, God will be God, and will deem whomever He chooses "worthy" of spending eternity with Him. Thanks, Dr. Carlson, for nudging us to consider more perspectives than perhaps we've always been taught!

"Who'll be in heaven and who won't" is an excellent and well written book. Dr. Carlson is one of the few people I know who is willing to think outside the box and as a result his analysis makes sense. I especially like his suggestions concerning the arab countries and the use of the term "Christian" there compared to "follower of Jesus".