Heaven & Hell? / Christians Are Stupid (?) / Seminario Nacional de Enseñanza 2025 / Financial Needs

Good morning from Nairobi, Kenya!

Today I’d like to feature two fantastic new books by a friend of mine. They challenge the traditional understanding of heaven and hell. (They also align with my own view of our eternal destiny.) Next you’ll find an interesting item from Stand to Reason, then info / links for the recent Mexican National Teaching Seminar, and finally current financial needs—for those in a position to support our ministry.

Heaven & Hell—Two New Books by Rubel Shelly

Rubel Shelly is a brilliant brother in Christ—during the course of his life, a philosopher, theologian, apologist, college president, and popular speaker. In recent years he has also become a trusted friend, and through his teaching and writing, a blessing to this ministry.

Heaven: why it may not be what you have always heard

What happens when you die? What is Paradise? Where is Heaven?

In a profoundly personal and theologically rich exploration, Rubel Shelly invites readers into a deeply human conversation about eternity. In a book written at his dying wife’s request, he shares some of their conversations as he and Myra tried to visualize what she was about to experience.

A biblical view of Heaven strengthens faith, makes hope more genuine, and embraces God’s love for us. Combining scholarship, pastoral experience, personal grief over Myra’s death, and confident hope in God’s promises, you are invited to become a conversation partner with them about what lies ahead.

This book challenges you to see Heaven not as escape, but as renewal. Not as some ethereal place “beyond the azure blue,” but as the fulfillment of God’s original purpose for this planet and our mission as people in his image.

“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them” (Rev 21:3). — from Amazon

ORDER HEAVEN

Hell: why it may not be what you have always heard

What awaits the unrepentant? Eternal conscious suffering? A second death?

With biblical clarity and personal grace, Rubel Shelly explores what the Bible says about Hell. Reasoning that its symbolism and apocalyptic language are properly read in light of Scripture’s narrative language—rather than the reverse—he explains the textual evidence and logic that combine to require rethinking the views of Augustine, Jonathan Edwards, and many contemporary evangelists.

The God of Holy Scripture is holy and just, and the judgment of sin must not be compromised. That same God is also love and grace, and his just wrath is not the merciless torture of bloodthirsty pagan deities—the image of eternal conscious torment that drives people away from the Christian gospel. How, then, should we understand what the Bible says about Hell?

God honors human choice and allows each of us to decide. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23). — from Amazon

ORDER HELL

For those who may be interested in my own position paper on hell (summer 1991), consider reading my article “Terminal Punishment.” What we believe about hell profoundly affects how we view God, Scripture, and our mission. READ MY ARTICLE

Christians Are Stupid—Really?
Greg Koukl

With his usual wit and acumen, Greg Koukl teaches us how to think, and how to share our faith—and reasons for faith.

Events in the last few months have thrust Christianity into view in the public square in a way I haven’t witnessed in a long time. Spiritual curiosity is on the rise everywhere, it seems. KEEP READING

Seminario Nacional de Enseñanza 2025
Arturo Elizarrarás

Saludos a todos. Agradecemos mucho su asistencia al Seminario Nacional de Enseñanza 2025 que la División de Eventos Especiales de la Fundación Proyecto Esdras, A.C., llevó a cabo viernes 07 y sábado 08 de noviembre 2025.

Como les prometimos, aquí tienen los enlaces a los videos de las clases del sábado 08 de noviembre (no pudimos grabar la del viernes, una disculpa por eso). Tienen contraseña. Igualmente les dejamos el enlace YouTube al video de la graduación de la Maestría en Estudios Bíblicos en Español del Seminario Teológico de la Montaña (es de acceso libre). Y también un enlace Dropbox con los archivos .pdf de las presentaciones utilizados por los maestros tanto del viernes como del sábado, y algunos otros documentos relativos al evento.

Solo den click al enlace y descarguen el material lo más pronto posible, lo dejaremos activo todo el mes de diciembre y después lo borraremos.

Videos de las Clases del Sábado 08 de noviembre 2025 (contraseña: Seminario 2025):

1. Clase del Dr. Douglas Jacoby
2. Clase del Dr. Robert Carrillo
3. Ceremonia de Graduación Maestría en Estudios Bíblicos
4. Enlace Dropbox con los archivos de las notas de las presentaciones utilizadas y otros documentos

Esperamos que haya sido de su agrado nuestro evento y sobre todo que les haya sido útil para su vida espiritual. Gracias nuevamente por su preferencia para nuestros programas de enseñanza y esperamos vernos la próxima ocasión.

Q4 ENGAGEMENTS

Oct: Science & Faith at Mongolia International University (Ulaanbaatar)
Oct: Mongolia and Asia iFaith trip
Nov: Mexico City: Seminario Nacional de Enseñanza and Mountain Theological Seminary graduation (Spanish division)
Nov: Viewpoint interview (Save America, with Chuck Crismier)
Nov: God Links Podcast, with Lauren Bowers
Nov: Los Angeles, CA (Santa Clarita)
Nov: Boston, MA: Evangelical Theological Society, Society of Biblical Literature, Institute for Biblical Research, Evangelical Philosophical Society, and Tutku Educational Travel
Dec: Nairobi, Kenya
Dec: Bujumbura, Burundi

DONATE

We are roughly 60% of the way to reaching our financial goals for 2026. When IBTM began (2004), giving was spaced more or less evenly throughout the year. But now, increasingly, the lion’s share of donations comes in in the final weeks of the year. (This is a common pattern with non-profits.) Please consider donating so that we may finish strong.

Biblical teaching targets:
$834—iFaith Asia—$733 to go
$1172—Mongolia—$296 to go
$1241—Vietnam—$211 to go
$2810—Indonesia—$1810 to go
$365—Soweto, South Africa—$340 to go
$73—Mexico—$73 to go
$5736—Nepal Asha School—$2945 to go
$2000—Kenya—$1104 given, $1000-$2000 to go (as needs are assessed on the ground today).

Other cost center targets:
$120,000 Training cost center—$71,335 to go
$120,000 Teaching cost center (general fund)—$52,691 to go

If you’d like to make a donation, click HERE. You can indicate where you want your donation to be allocated through the drop-down menu and the memo line. Otherwise donations go into the general fund.

Thanks so much for your support!