Love Opened Heaven’S Door: Source of a Spiritual Walk in the Open Air

By Bill Hoffman

There is a relatively safe and
sane spiritual walk for the Christian,
and Gods love is the source.

This book brings good teaching from a variety of teachers/writers, and an outpouring of love, sense and sensitivity, forgiveness and acceptance in the Christian walk. God the Father, in methods past, has revealed His personality in all its fullness in His Son. The life of Christ is the source for a spiritual walk in the open air without surrender to mystery. Our Christian philosophy should be consistent with reality, make sense, and be practical. Dr. Alva J. McClain has written this clearly, and his statements are a part of this book.

Disillusionment feeds on the word allow, because it implies that God is the cause or authority behind all events. Pastor-author Rick Warren makes a powerful statement quoted in this book about evil and its real cause. What are some of the causes of good and bad things?

Does God allow
accidents, sickness,
and evil?

Christianity does not begin with walking: it begins with sitting, wrote Watchman Nee. This book starts with the sitting-place in the Christians permanent home with Christ.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 13, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449775278

Bill Hoffman

Bill Hoffman (UCLA, BA; four years USN, AT2) served Alpha Gamma Omega, an evangelical Christian fraternity as national president for twenty-six years. Bill and Shirley served as directors of Children’s Church, COD Los Angeles, for eight years, and have also taught Bible classes. They live in Southern California.

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Copyright © 2012 William E. Hoffman

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-7527-8 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-7528-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-7529-2 (hc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012921300

WestBow Press rev. date: 12/11/2012

Contents

EPIGRAPH

FORWARD

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE

HEARTH AND HOME

CHAPTER TWO

ROCKS IN THE LANE CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY AND ROCKS IN THE LANE.

SECULAR DETERMINISM

MISUNDERSTOOD THEISTIC DETERMINISM

FREEDOM OF CHOICE

NATURAL LAW, HUMAN CHOICE AND GOD’S WILL

EVIL AND GOD’S WILL

SALVATION DRAMA: THE CROSS CENTRAL FOR ALL TIME?

CHAPTER THREE

ROCKS IN THE LANE CHRISTIAN PRACTICE AND ROCKS IN THE LANE

ACCIDENTS

SICKNESS

MIRACLES

PRAYER

AN OBSESSION WITH CONFESSION

MODERN SCIENCE, MISINFORMED OR MISUNDERSTOOD

CHAPTER FOUR

I AM THE WAY

CONCLUSION

ENDNOTES

APPENDIX A

ARE WE MORALLY RESPONSIBLE?

APPENDIX B

ACTUAL TESTIMONY FROM THE LIFE OF SHELDON AND JEAN VANAUKEN

HISTORICAL NOVEL

A LOOK AT THE MOMENT OF SALVATION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

To our daughters Cindy Ellen Hoisington

and

Cheryl Ann Hoffman

EPIGRAPH

Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem. . . How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

Jesus

Matthew 23:37

FORWARD

"I am eternally grateful for your fine influence Bill, and work for the Master. I miss you. I do not reach as many sailors since you went away. I am so glad to know the light which goes out from Bellevue through the men who worshipped here

May the Lord continue to use you for his glory and the reclaiming of men. I remember you with much gratitude for the fellowship hours I had with you.

Yours earnestly

Your one-time pastor

Your all-time friend

Robert G. Lee

Pastor Emeritus

Bellevue Baptist Church

Memphis

PREFACE

The purpose of this book is to bring clarity to our Christian faith and show the love and grace behind a spiritual walk that is in the open air: fresh air! This is necessary because of the high percentage of those reared in the church that will become disengaged.

This high percentage begins with young men and women who wrestle with theological issues, secular education, sin and an obsession with confession. All these become rocks of stumbling in the Christian’s path. The twelve rocks of stumbling are explored in chapters 2 and 3.

Youth leaders and pastors leave too many Biblical theological rocks and dust on the spiritual walkway of life. In addition there are scientific rocks and dust on the Christian’s path of life. Dinesh D’Sousa, President of The King’s College, expressed his concern on C-SPAN over Christian college graduates, youth leaders and pastors who are graduating from Divinity schools with little training in how to integrate current science and Biblical truth. A great asset for this training is the work of Hugh Ross, www.reasons.org. He offers valuable lectures, study programs and books to meet the need of reasons to believe. For general church members and leaders already graduated, President D’Sousa suggests a structure for science in the church program.

An article titled Leavers in Christianity Today, Nov. 2010, reported recent findings from several research groups that 80% of those reared in the church will become disengaged, however, some do return. Ken Ham reports in this same article that a recent survey indicates children who faithfully attend Bible classes in their church over the years actually are more likely to question the authority of Scripture, and leave the church. This is why this book is written.

In chapter 2, G. K. Chesterton, with clarity, uses just 4 words to deal with the issue of free choice. In another look at free choice, Julie Ackerman has written, God made the most loving choice of all in giving us the freedom to reject Him, which when we do, opens the door for evil. Leaders too often dismiss the hard concepts with a shrug of the shoulder by saying, It is just a mystery

Prayerfully this book will be helpful and why it is written.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book comes from the blessings of many years of ministry by many gifted Bible teachers like Drs. R. G. Lee, J. Vernon McGee, Alva J. McClain and evangelists like Billy Graham and many books. See the Endnotes and Bibliography.

Also there have been 65 years of relationships with people in youth programs, four years in the Navy which included one year as an instructor in Naval Aviation Electronics School. During almost two years of my Navy experience near Memphis, I had a precious friendship with Bill and Faye Lanham. They owned and operated a large 7,000 hen egg ranch outside the Navy base and offered me the privilege of inviting fellow sailors into their Christ-centered home. An important support at this time was the Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee: and the ministry and personal friendship of Dr. R. G. Lee who met many of these young men who came to believe and accept the Lord Jesus into their lives.

With the marriage of my wife Shirley, together we enjoyed many years of leadership and teaching in the local church. We were members of Dr. J. Vernon McGee’s church in Los Angeles, CA for 10 years. Bill was the Director of Children’s Church and Shirley was Director of the first through third grades.

During this time I served 50 years on the National Council of a Christian Fraternity including 26 years as National President. To learn more about this fraternity, you may Google Alpha Gamma Omega or go to ago.org. I am currently the First Herald of the Legion of Honor of this fraternity, and have been for 22 years. I review the minutes from 10 chapters. This keeps me abreast of current spiritual issues and concerns in the local chapters.

All the above has led to this book, Love Opened Heaven’s Door, Source for a Spiritual Walk in the Open Air. Shirley has been a constant friend, companion and editor.

INTRODUCTION