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A Better Country: Preparing for Heaven
This transforming book will change the way you think about heaven-and the way you live on earth. An understanding of heaven is not a spiritual luxury or escapism; it is a spiritual necessity. Schaeffer offers insight into that heavenly desire, the heavenly location, the heavenly life, and heavenly preparation, showing how God wants that "better country" to be the passion and purpose of our present life. Includes a helpful study guide for each chapter.
- GenresNonfictionChristian
208 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 3, 2025
I saw Eternity the other night,
Like a great ring of pure and endless light,
All calm, as it was bright;
And round beneath it, Time in hours, days, years
Driven by the Spheres...
Henry Vaughan
Dan’s a Santa Barbara writer, and I’ve added some introductory notes in order that you may understand how easy-going and affable his style is.
When I discovered his pieces on ODB fifteen years ago, I liked his humour and insight SO much I ordered a copy of this. Now that I find it hard to read smaller print, I ordered an ebook copy - about seven years ago.
You’ll love it.
Well, since that time I’ve ordered four or five paperback copies for friends and family at Christmas.
Wow. I’m hyping it now!
For some of you it may seem like overkill. But Dan’s style is so warm and engaging it’s a cakewalk as a holiday choice.
I also gave a copy to my high school friend Don...
He was a frequent overseas traveller in his younger days, in his work in international community development. And he’s had more brushes with death than you can shake a stick at!
By comparison there’s no one as stale as an old homebody like me...
So my hat’s off to him, and guess what?
Don’s also a Christian. A lot of Near-misses tend to put The Fear of God into a Guy...
But as you know, I stuck fast to an urban desk all my career - in the Old Cube Farm, like Dilbert! Do paper cuts rank as close calls?
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
But, you see, a muddler like me got it All Wrong in my Grade One class with my “Think & Do” book - I was always Thinking WHILE Doing. Instead of Thinking - THEN Doing.
A really Dumb Doer. An Aspie for sure.
And never accomplishing much of importance at work, along with what the Odd Bout of Inspiration provided me with here and then.
I wearily wended my woebegone way early in life, which hurt like Hades, and later was More than Ready for Schaeffer’s strongly motivational words.
But guys like Don didn’t need to be constantly reminded! Don has seen his life quickly flashing before his eyes - many times - God bless’m.
Fear is often the best medicine, cause it’s Drastic!
Another antidote is the Simplicity of Being (as in Vaughan’s renaissance poem), the principal ingredient of this Better Country.
And with it comes endless unrestricted space, and freedom of movement, as well as the wonderful freedom from trolls and bullies.
Now, the trolls thrive on double-mindedness, which is alien to the Pure and Simple Being which is Heaven.
No, they as C.S. Lewis says, will by nature choose the slightly darker Other Place, which is rife with double meanings, pleasant enough at first to them, though its pains and blackness can only increase to a more acute pitch with God’s justice.
And the Heavenly place of choice of all our better being is the best place to find yourself again, and regain your footing after a protracted life of anxiety and darkness.
And maybe YOU Won’t kick the bucket tonight, but would you like a free road map of where you’d go - if you did?
Going back to our peaceful beginnings is NEVER a thing to be afraid of, or scoff at.
This is a disarmingly joyful book, and I know many of you believers’d LOVE it. It’ll recharge your batteries.
As you do that, you’ll gain new hope and composure against the dark and nameless mists of your dread -
And your Peace will soon resolve itself as the gentle dew on the fresh green grass of Heaven.
Like a great ring of pure and endless light,
All calm, as it was bright;
And round beneath it, Time in hours, days, years
Driven by the Spheres...
Henry Vaughan
Dan’s a Santa Barbara writer, and I’ve added some introductory notes in order that you may understand how easy-going and affable his style is.
When I discovered his pieces on ODB fifteen years ago, I liked his humour and insight SO much I ordered a copy of this. Now that I find it hard to read smaller print, I ordered an ebook copy - about seven years ago.
You’ll love it.
Well, since that time I’ve ordered four or five paperback copies for friends and family at Christmas.
Wow. I’m hyping it now!
For some of you it may seem like overkill. But Dan’s style is so warm and engaging it’s a cakewalk as a holiday choice.
I also gave a copy to my high school friend Don...
He was a frequent overseas traveller in his younger days, in his work in international community development. And he’s had more brushes with death than you can shake a stick at!
By comparison there’s no one as stale as an old homebody like me...
So my hat’s off to him, and guess what?
Don’s also a Christian. A lot of Near-misses tend to put The Fear of God into a Guy...
But as you know, I stuck fast to an urban desk all my career - in the Old Cube Farm, like Dilbert! Do paper cuts rank as close calls?
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
But, you see, a muddler like me got it All Wrong in my Grade One class with my “Think & Do” book - I was always Thinking WHILE Doing. Instead of Thinking - THEN Doing.
A really Dumb Doer. An Aspie for sure.
And never accomplishing much of importance at work, along with what the Odd Bout of Inspiration provided me with here and then.
I wearily wended my woebegone way early in life, which hurt like Hades, and later was More than Ready for Schaeffer’s strongly motivational words.
But guys like Don didn’t need to be constantly reminded! Don has seen his life quickly flashing before his eyes - many times - God bless’m.
Fear is often the best medicine, cause it’s Drastic!
Another antidote is the Simplicity of Being (as in Vaughan’s renaissance poem), the principal ingredient of this Better Country.
And with it comes endless unrestricted space, and freedom of movement, as well as the wonderful freedom from trolls and bullies.
Now, the trolls thrive on double-mindedness, which is alien to the Pure and Simple Being which is Heaven.
No, they as C.S. Lewis says, will by nature choose the slightly darker Other Place, which is rife with double meanings, pleasant enough at first to them, though its pains and blackness can only increase to a more acute pitch with God’s justice.
And the Heavenly place of choice of all our better being is the best place to find yourself again, and regain your footing after a protracted life of anxiety and darkness.
And maybe YOU Won’t kick the bucket tonight, but would you like a free road map of where you’d go - if you did?
Going back to our peaceful beginnings is NEVER a thing to be afraid of, or scoff at.
This is a disarmingly joyful book, and I know many of you believers’d LOVE it. It’ll recharge your batteries.
As you do that, you’ll gain new hope and composure against the dark and nameless mists of your dread -
And your Peace will soon resolve itself as the gentle dew on the fresh green grass of Heaven.
August 24, 2023
This book was a gift from my late mother given to me shortly before the Lord called her home. I think this is one I'll return to from time to time. I found the author relatable and the book accessible.
October 13, 2025
“All we really are is the sinful distortion of what God intended….We are victims of spiritual leprosy - born with a disease that disfigures and will ultimately destroy us. Never having been around anyone without the disease, we could call ourselves normal. But when Jesus came into our world and lived among us, we finally experienced someone born without the disease. Suddenly our disfigurement becomes apparent, and we either shrank away in shame or struck out at Him in resentment.” - pg. 117
I loved the rich and old language of Richard Baxters book on anticipating heaven - “The Saints Everlasting Rest.” - and so the more casual, colloquial writing style in this book did not capture my heart quite in the same manner. Nonetheless, it always does my soul good to spend time contemplating heaven. “A Better Country”opened the blinds for me to examine my life in the light of heaven’s ultimate perfection in a fresh way.
Maranatha!
I loved the rich and old language of Richard Baxters book on anticipating heaven - “The Saints Everlasting Rest.” - and so the more casual, colloquial writing style in this book did not capture my heart quite in the same manner. Nonetheless, it always does my soul good to spend time contemplating heaven. “A Better Country”opened the blinds for me to examine my life in the light of heaven’s ultimate perfection in a fresh way.
Maranatha!
June 26, 2017
This book does a great job of clarifying a lot of misconceptions about heaven. It uses scripture adequately and makes references that are relatable and easy to understand to give clear explanation about what heaven will actually be like as well as what God truly requires of us to get there. I highly recommend it for anyone who isn't sure about what the Bible reveals about heaven and needs guidance to truly comprehend the importance that God places on love and faith.
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December 24, 2022To quote from book: "If you are going to spend eternity in heaven, wouldn't you like to know more about it?" Yes, and this book answers many questions.
December 4, 2024
This was the BEST book I have ever read on heaven!
May 31, 2015
Such things as Heavenly Desires, Location of Heaven, What we will do in Heaven, and How to Prepare for Heaven are discussed. There is an appendix presenting if animals will be in Heaven. A well-written, understandable book.
June 9, 2016
A well written book that makes the thought of heaven exciting!
April 19, 2017
There is a lot of hogwash in this book, especially 49-63, where the author attempts to nitpick Scripture to "prove" a difference between heaven and a pre-heaven paradise. To do so, he must totally ignore that the "Spiritual" aspect of a Spiritual body and assume that time in the Spiritual world flows the same as in the current world. As a related nonsensical comment, he writes on page 52, "Jesus is somewhere in His glorified physical body, not everywhere." How could Schaeffer know this? He cannot and thus does not offer a Scriptural reference to support the comment.
It is good to contemplate Heaven, but this guy clearly has an agenda that goes beyond what Scripture clearly states. In our contemplation, we might and should think about a lot of wondrous stuff about Heaven, but that should not negate us eagerly awaiting the richness of what God will do by constructing some odd theology around it that limits what Heaven is
NOTE: For disclosures purpose, a friend asked me to read this book and comment. I was kind of appalled at what I read.
It is good to contemplate Heaven, but this guy clearly has an agenda that goes beyond what Scripture clearly states. In our contemplation, we might and should think about a lot of wondrous stuff about Heaven, but that should not negate us eagerly awaiting the richness of what God will do by constructing some odd theology around it that limits what Heaven is
NOTE: For disclosures purpose, a friend asked me to read this book and comment. I was kind of appalled at what I read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews