There is an unseen spiritual realm, and occasionally God allows glimpses of it. Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters offers a fascinating look at the supernatural world. It includes more than forty true stories of miraculous provision, encounters with angels and demons, near-death experiences, and incredible rescues.
You'll marvel at how God and His angels are working behind the scenes to protect and guide us. And you'll be comforted by glimpses of the peace that awaits us in heaven. The God who pulled back the curtain for a moment in the lives of these writers is the same God who works all things together for good.
Whether you're simply curious about the supernatural world or longing for a fresh experience of God's presence, these amazing stories will touch your heart and strengthen your faith in the God of miracles.
While giving the impression of fascinating ghost stories, these heavenly reports are stated to be "real" and based on a Christian foundation. It must be stated that once I read the first few paragraphs I was addicted to rapidly reaching its completion, but actually dreading the end...because I did not want it to. It would be very wise of James Stuart Bell to instigate this as an actual series with Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters being the preliminary of which. Every story is a mere two to four pages long comprising forty-four accounts. There is, however, so much to be grasped within them regardless of their length: suspense, horror, solace, wonder, victory, peace. And with each report being so brief, Bell creatively edits the narrative morsel with such completion and detail to sufficiently envelop the whole ambiance and its dramatic weight.
The book opens with a young child sensitively witnessing the actual departure of his dying loved one. More accounts include near-death experiences, chance meetings with what appear to be average strangers...who know a little bit too much about the narrator and actually play a significant role in their coming trials and tribulations. Among the others describe a frightening demonic attack at a pagan funeral, a temporary reversal of incurable physical ailments, diabolical sleep paralysis, the rescue of a possessed college student, and the mysterious "appearance" of an answer to a financial need. Avoiding any monotony, the random episodes are randomly placed within this book keeping its readers hooked. It is simply capable of being finished within one or two nights, re-read and passed around to others. The stories are concise and memorable enough to recite not only for entertainment value, but to instill hope and awareness of the supernatural.
Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters is a perfect read for any age from young adults to older generations. One does not need to invest too much into these writings. It is a terrific piece to occasionally grab a story here and there along with your other literary itineraries. Of course, it is up to the reader to discern the authenticity of the individual tales. They do seem to contain genuine contact with the supernatural on both sides of the fence: good and evil. The latter always being conquered by the light. Though I don't entirely agree with every single one, I never really got the feeling of any New Age implication as this so easily could have taken a turn for, but each account remains focused on a holy basis. Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters is not only one of my favorite books of the year, but it leaves me hoping for sequels...and soon.
James Stuart Bell is a Christian publishing veteran and the owner of Whitestone Communications, a literary development agency. He is the editor of many story collections, including the Cup of Comfort, Life Savors, and Extraordinary Answers to Prayer series, and the coauthor of numerous books in the Complete Idiot's Guide series. He and his family live in West Chicago, Illinois.
My deep appreciation to Bethany House for providing this book free for review.
