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GRACE BLOGS COLLECTION

Happy Birthday to us, and a free book for you!

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Today is Escape to Reality’s 9th birthday, and to celebrate I’m giving away free PDF copies of my most misjudged book, AD70 and the End of the World: Finding Good News in Christ’s Prophecies and Parables of Judgment.

I say misjudged, because people who haven’t read it have claimed that I’m a preterist (I’m not) or that I don’t believe in either the rapture (I do) or the final return of the Lord (I am very much looking forward to it!).

Anyway, you can read the book for yourself and make up your own mind. Not interested in the end times? The book also covers the treasures found in Christ’s parables of judgment. Something for everyone!

This giveaway is for all E2R subscribers only and the offer is good until Thursday, Feb 7, 2019. Download instructions are below.

How to get your free book:

  1. Got to the AD70 website
  2. Click the big button that says “I want this”
  3. Enter your email address
  4. Enter the following discount code (without any spaces): 9yearsofgrace
  5. After the price drops to $0, click “Get”

If you can’t find your download link, check your spam folder.

If you feel like thanking me, there’s no better way than by posting a customer review on Amazon.

Enjoy your new book, and thanks for sharing the journey these past nine years. And special thanks to my patrons, whose generosity makes these giveaways possible.

Paul

What does it mean to keep his deeds?

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If you were to make a list of big topics discussed by Jesus and the New Testament writers, the subject of deeds or works would have to be on that list. They all spoke about it, and no one more than Jesus. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for not doing the works of Abraham (John 8:39-40), and said we would be judged for what we have done (John 5:28-29). This frightens some people. They think we have to get busy for the Lord and that he will judge us on our performance. “Am I doing enough? Will I make the grade?” Others are confused. “I thought Jesus wanted to give me rest (Matt. 11:28). Why did he say “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62)? What does he want from me – rest or hard work? All confusion and dead works would end if we only understood the Biblical meaning of work, which is this: Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you… The work of God is this: to [...]

What deeds does Jesus know?

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“I know your deeds,” says Jesus to the churches. He exhorts the Ephesians to do the deeds they did at first (Rev. 2:5), he rebukes the Sardisians for having incomplete deeds (Rev. 3:2), and he promises to reward the Thyatirans according to their deeds (Rev. 2:23). Clearly our deeds or works matter to Jesus. But what sort of deeds is Jesus referring to? The preacher of law says, “Jesus is referring to our law-keeping performance. We must keep the commands to please the Lord.” A similar interpretation is offered by the preacher of works. “Jesus is saying we need to work out our salvation, do the deeds that prove our repentance, and pursue the spiritual disciplines.” Yet both interpretations raise uncomfortable questions: How many deeds are needed to qualify? What if I neglect to keep all the commands? Worse, both interpretations do nothing but promote dead works and pride. What are dead works? We can distinguish dead works from faith works. Dead works of the flesh lead to death, while faith works release abundant life. The former relies on self; the latter leans on the Spirit. Living under any form of law is a dead work because the law is [...]

Will Jesus return in 2019?

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And so another year kicks off with a certain Christian magazines/websites making gloomy predictions about these last days. (I was going to provide some links here but it was depressing reading and I don’t wish to promote newspaper eschatology. If you’re interested, this stuff is not hard to find.) What do all these articles have in common? I mean, apart from peddling fear and anxiety about current events? Answer: they all believe Jesus is coming back soon. In other words, they don’t believe what the Bible says about the timing of Christ’s return. (TL:DR; The scriptures are emphatically and deliberately silent on the date of the Lord’s return.) “But the Lord’s return has to be soon, right? I mean, all the signs are there!” If by signs you mean earthquakes, famines, wars, lawlessness, and false messiahs, these are signs that Jesus listed in connection with the fall of Jerusalem. There is not one scripture that links these signs with the Lord’s final return to earth. “But there are other signs mentioned in scripture, like the rise of the antichrist, false prophets, the man of lawlessness, animal extinctions, new diseases, a rebuilt Jerusalem, a third temple …” These so-called signs have [...]

Is Jesus Returning Soon?

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Me: “I am coming to your house soon.” You: “Great! When?” Me: “I have no idea. I don’t even what day.” You: “Um, okay.” Me: “You’ll have to wait a really long time.” You: “But you said you’d be here soon.” Me: “Soon, sure! But it could be centuries.” If I delivered mixed messages like this, you would think I’m unreliable. Untrustworthy, even. “Paul doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I wouldn’t believe anything he says.” Yet apparently this is how Jesus talks. According to some, Jesus is confused and unreliable. Let me ask you a serious question: Is Jesus coming soon? Yes or no? The Bible offers a straight answer to this question, and it may not be what you think: “I am coming soon.” (Rev 22:20, NIV) There you go. Case settled. Jesus is coming soon. He said so. But wait a sec… Didn’t Jesus also say he did not know the hour or day of his return (Matt 24:36)? And didn’t Jesus also tell parables about servants having to wait a long time for their masters’ return? See the problem? Jesus seems to say he’s coming soon and not soon. He’ll be here in a jiffy, but [...]

Merry Christmas from the White House

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I will not be sad to see the end of 2018. I don’t know about you, but this has been a year of low-level stress for us. Nothing major. Just a lot of rotten wood and asbestos in our house that had to go. And a roof, several walls, a few floors, and all the windows. We’ve had months of dust and disruption and we’re still living under a big, white wrap. At least it’ll be a white Christmas. Anyway, rant over. We are blessed to have a home, the kids are healthy, my wife loves me, and God is good. What more could a man want? A verse that has resonated with me this year, is this one: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. (Psa 23:5a) Our enemies, whatever they may be, seek to distract and disrupt us, but the Lord’s response is to get us to sit and feast in front of them. It takes a measure of faith to to do that when there is a struggle going on. We are inclined to worry and wrestle, but the Good Shepherd wants us to “sit, eat.” He’s got this. One of my [...]

You’ve got mail: Letters from Jesus, out today!

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Last Friday I picked up a book containing the most important letters ever written. The letters had been penned by all sorts of historical figures. Yet the book contained no letters from Jesus. Not one. I can’t say I was surprised. Most people don’t know that Jesus sent letters.

Do you know that the Son of God sent letters from heaven?

The letters from Jesus may be the most important letters you ever read. How strange then, that many don’t know they exist, and those who do are afraid of them. Which is a shame, because the letters from Jesus are spectacular!

My new book, Letters from Jesus: Finding Good News in Christ’s Letters to the Churches, comes out today.

Why did I write it? I wrote so that you may know that God is good and he loves you far more than you can possibly imagine. Whether you’re a saint or a sinner, a success or a loser, his love for you is unfathomable. The hypergrace gospel that was revealed in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ is brilliantly displayed in his letters.

“But Paul, his letters are full of scary language.” So is the Bible, yet you read that and are encouraged by it. Just as we need to rightly divide scripture, there is a right way and a wrong way to read the letters from Jesus. In my book I explain the difference.

“But Jesus is terrifying in his letters. He’s got fiery eyes and swords.” Then allow me to show you how the seven portraits of Jesus found in his letters are glorious pictures of a King who loves you. And they are unique, for they are found nowhere else in scripture.

“But his letters were sent to other people. They are not for me.” You could say the same thing about the letters from Paul, Peter, and John. If you have been blessed by the letters to the Romans and Philippians, you can expect to be blessed by the letters to the Ephesians and Laodiceans. They are full of treasures.

My mission, this Christmas, is to deliver the mail. I want to see that you get what’s coming to you, which is Very Good News straight from the heavenly throne of grace.

It’s Good News such as the world barely knows.

It’s Good News that brings great joy to those who receive it.

You can find Letters from Jesus on the Kindle store. You can also get it in other ebook formats (PDF, ePub, and Mobi) here. (The paperback comes out next Easter.)

Grab a copy of Letters for yourself and gift one to your pastor, your mom, your Sunday School teacher, and anyone else who needs some Good News this Christmas.

Happy Christmas, and Happy Reading!

Paul

 

Who is an Overcomer?

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The following is an extract from my book, Letters from Jesus, which is available for pre-order now on Kindle. — To him who overcomes… (Rev. 2:7b) Jesus makes a promise connected with overcoming at the end of each of his letters. This promise leads us to wonder, how do I overcome? And what happens if I don’t? Is Jesus saying I can lose my salvation if I fail the overcoming test? Some define overcoming as a list of things you must do. You have to prevail in life’s trials, disarm spiritual enemies, and conquer every sin. You have to resist temptation, walk in daily victory, and defeat the devil. Do these things to your dying breath and you will earn the right to eat from the Tree of Life, but drop the ball and you’ll be toast. This sort of thinking leads to stressed-out, overworked Christianity such as the Ephesians practiced, and it is not good news. The word overcomes is a verb that means to conquer, prevail, or get the victory. Look up the word in the dictionary and you will find a picture of Jesus who is the Overcomer. “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” [...]

Are these the Very Last Days?

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They are if you want to get your name in my new book, Letters from Jesus.

Aargh! Groan. Sorry for the click-bait title. But I have to ask you three questions:

  1. Did you know that after Jesus ascended to heaven, he uttered 2000 words that are recorded in scripture?
  2. Did you know that most of those words are in letters Christians don’t understand?
  3. Do you understand the seven letters from Jesus?

I have never heard a sermon or read a book on the letters from Jesus that offers anything other than a mixed-up message. Jesus loves you but he doesn’t. He paid it all but he expects you to pay him back. He cares for you but he beats you. He accepts you one day but vomits you out the next.

Yeech. Talk about bad news. No wonder people avoid these letters. They sound like they were written by someone other than the Lord.

Except they weren’t.

In my new book, I offer an alternative grace-based reading of Christ’s letters. I show how they are 100% good news from start to finish. Read them with Son-glasses and you will find nothing but peace and joy and good news to set you free.

If you have ever wondered what Jesus was really saying in his letters, Letters from Jesus is for you.

What are others saying about Letters from Jesus?

“The grace Paul writes about isn’t the safe, tame version that many of us grew up hearing about. It’s the real stuff—the no-strings-attached kind, the one without ‘buts and brakes.’ Thank you, Paul, for reminding me, in Letters from Jesus, that ‘it is finished.’ I keep forgetting.” ~ Tullian Tchividjian

“Paul Ellis does an amazing job of revealing the heart of Jesus in these often very misunderstood letters. I would encourage anyone who has wrestled with these scriptures to check out Letters from Jesus.” ~ Jeremiah Johnson

“Paul, thanks for finding these letters in the attic and dusting them off for me! Letters from Jesus is deep encouragement for anyone who believes and preaches the gospel without compromise.” ~ Tricia Gunn

When can I get the book?

  • Kindle version: available Dec 17, 2018
  • Paperback version: available April 2019

How do I get my name in the ebook version of Letters from Jesus?

Sign up as a supporter on Patreon in the next two days (before December 7, 2018). The ebook is about to be released. Wait until the weekend and you’ll miss the boat.

Why become a patron?

Because patrons give this message wings. Patrons are partners. Their support means everything on this website is free and always will be.

How much?

One lousy dollar. You’ve probably got one in your pocket, all alone and friendless. Put that little guy to work and do some good. For every dollar pledged in the next two days, I will give away a copy of the book. Pledge five dollars, and that’s five books you helped give away. So get that lonely dollar and a few of his friends together and we’ll get this good news to as many people as possible.

Patreon is easy to join and you can cancel at any time. But no books will be given away, and your name won’t be in them, unless you do it before Friday.

Tick tock, tick tock.

Paul

PS: One more thing: pledge ten bucks or more and you can get Letters From Jesus right now. Awesome!

 

Get Your Name in Paul’s New Book!

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My new book, Letters from Jesus: Finding Good News in Christ’s Letters to the Churches, comes out in ebook format in two weeks. And if you act fast, your name could be in it! What’s the book about? It’s about letters. From Jesus. Did you know that Jesus sent seven letters from heaven? Many people haven’t read his letters and those who have are terrified of them. Did Jesus really say he would vomit us out? Why is he holding a sword? His eyes are aflame – is Jesus angry with me? Will he remove my name from his book? We are beyond blessed to have these letters, yet many dismiss them as too hard, too strange, or too scary. From time to time they hear a sermon or a teaching on one of the letters, and while the message may give them a measure of joy, it also leaves them confused and anxious. “Did Jesus really say that?” If you love Jesus but are afraid of his letters, something doesn’t add up. But what? Could it be that we have been reading his letters wrong? It is my conviction that the letters from Jesus are good news from start [...]

The “I wills” of the New Covenant

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  The following is an extract from my forthcoming book, Letters from Jesus: Finding Good News in Christ’s Letters to the Churches. The ebook comes out next month; the paperback comes out next Easter. Enjoy! — The Philadelphians are often esteemed as a model church because Jesus never rebuked them—as though escaping censure was the high point of Christian living. (What a sad way to read these love letters from Jesus. “I got a letter from the Lord and he didn’t scold or threaten to kill me. I’m so blessed.”) Each of the seven letters reveals something of the goodness of God, but nowhere does God’s grace and kindness shine brighter than in this letter to the powerless Philadelphians. In less than 250 words, the Lord gives one of the most stunning summaries of the hope held out in the gospel, and he does this by making promises. Because many people don’t know what makes the new covenant new, they miss these treasures. They read these letters with an old covenant mindset and come away quaking in their boots. This is why it’s essential to understand the difference between the old and new covenants. The old covenant was characterized by people [...]

The Lost Letters

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My new book, Letters from Jesus, comes out in a few weeks. Here’s a taste… — In the creviced hills east of the Sea of Galilee, a kibbutznik stumbled on the neck of a partially buried earthen jar. Inside the jar was a roll of parchment. Experts at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem examined the parchment and found letters written by someone claiming to be the Son of God. The letters were dated to the first century, and all the evidence indicated that they had been written by Jesus Christ. A media frenzy followed. Within days the letters were translated into every language known to man. They were circulated online and everybody read them. The letters, revealing a side of Christ that few had seen, triggered a theological cataclysm. Seminarians squabbled, boards bickered, and churches split. Yet many believed that God was sending humanity a much-needed message of love and hope. Feuds ended and wars ceased. So many people turned to Christ on account of these letters that media outlets labeled their discovery the most important event in Christendom since the resurrection. Everything above is a fiction. I wrote it as a thought experiment, a kind of what-if question. What [...]

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