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191 of 206 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Is "Heaven is for Real" for real?, November 30, 2010 This review is from: Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back (Paperback) I found out about a pretty neat program not too long ago. I could get free books if I'd agree to write a review. As a lover of books, with over 1,000 of them in my library, I jumped at the chance.
The first book I received was titled "Heaven is for Real" by Todd Burpo. Needless to say, as a pastor I was skeptical! I thought, Oh no, not another I've been to heaven book! Beginning with 90 minutes in Heaven, the market has been flooded by books of peoples accounts of their journey to Heaven, Hell, and the Laundromat! I assumed this book would be little different and I thought I'd wind up relegating this book to the "not worth my time" pile. I was wrong.
"Heaven is for Real" is a a heartwarming, simple, and surprisingly biblical glimpse into a little four year old boy's journey into Heaven. Colton Burpo was four year's old when he found himself at death's door. His family didn't realize he had made his amazing journey until small but shocking revelations that amazed and bewildered his parents began to leak out. Colton didn't just have one sit down conversation, he let his journey be known one startling revelation at a time.
How could this little boy know these things? How could he know about relatives who had died long before he was born? How could someone so young offer such amazing insights into Heaven, Christ, and the glories that await Christians? How could he know things he'd never been taught and couldn't know?
As I mentioned before, I'm a skeptic at heart. A book like this one wouldn't likely catch my attention and certainly wouldn't win any praise from me. So many books like these are fanciful, unbiblical, and simply outright inconsistent with what I know to be true from the Bible. Colton Burpo's story was a refreshing and surprisingly accurate portrait of what awaits each of us whose destiny is Heaven. I read the book with a critical eye, looking for those little details that would prove this story to be at best inaccurate or at worst a fraud. I couldn't find them. His tale seemed honest. His descriptions fit the way a child would describe things, not one whose words had been fed him by an adult. Some of his revelations were simply amazing!
Who would be blessed by this book? I'd honestly say almost anyone. If you've recently lost a loved one or maybe you are a mother who has lost a child to miscarriage. You can find something here that will warm your heart and quite possibly help ease your pain. This book is a sweet, touching, and amazing story. I think you'll be blessed by it.
That said, you might wonder if I found anything in the book I didn't agree with. That's a tough question. I found nothing I'd say was blatantly wrong or in direct contradiction with the scriptures. There were a couple of things that made me raise my eyebrow but I can't quote a verse that says Heaven couldn't be like that, just a couple of things that didn't fit my expectation or interpretation of what Heaven would be like. Those things might make you wonder but I think you'll find they don't detract from what this book is meant to do, strengthen your faith, encourage you in your walk with Christ, and maybe just maybe long for Heaven just a little bit more.
Hope this review helps you make your choice of whether or not to pick up a copy of this book. I'd recommend you do.
Micah
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 <[...]> : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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50 of 58 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars JESUS WITH BLUE EYES AND ANGELS WITH WINGS, WHY NOT?, November 28, 2010 This review is from: Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back (Paperback) I don't want to ruffle anyone's feathers but I think the sarcastic mockery of a few reviewers is actually out of place and uncalled-for. I may not be a believer in the traditional sense either but I've become 99% convinced of the literal truth of Colton's experience and its supernatural aspect, even if one or two minor details like the blue eyes and angel wings might maybe (but not necessarily) be the product of "false memory." There are Jews and indeed Arabs who are pale-skinned and have blue eyes, not all have brown skin and brown eyes. For example, some northern Iranians. A non-trivial minority of Middle Eastern Jews also have blue eyes (or more often, green & hazel). So Jesus could have had too. And as one reviewer pointed out, apparently there are angels with wings mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel (Old Testament). As far as I can tell from people who know their bible, there is nothing inconsistent in this story with Scripture or indeed with medical reality since near-death experiences or NDE's are well-documented and are believed by many to be real both in the religious and scientific communities.
There are skeptics who argue that even if NDE is for real, then it's only a cerebral or psychological phenomenon and that the patient's consciousness may drift from the body, explaining how Colton saw his dad in the waiting room praying, for example, but that it's not a supernatural phenomenon (no heaven). This explanation may explain how Colton saw his father in the waiting room during his surgery, but it doesn't explain the unknowable facts he came back with from Heaven about his long-deceased grandfather and miscarried sister whose existence he had never known about before and many other such verifiable examples of things which only the grown-ups around him knew. So clearly, this precludes a natural or purely mental explanation and suggests the supernatural.
If Colton and his parents are telling the truth about this experience, and I'm convinced of their integrity, then Colton actually saw things and learned things from this "out of body" ordeal which he could not have seen and learned in any normal natural way but through genuinely supernatural and spiritual revelation. I believe this amazing miraculous story.
Don Piper, author of the tremendous bestseller "90 Minutes in Heaven" says about this book that it's "Compelling and convincing. It's a book you should read."
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36 of 42 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Review from a stay at home Mom who loves to read, December 1, 2010 This review is from: Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back (Paperback) This book was incredible! This was a fast and easy read, but packed with amazing content. Colton's account of heaven, Jesus, and his journey there, makes me think. This book should give anyone who needs encouragement, encouragement. If you question heaven's reality this should answer some questions. Whether you believe in God or not this book will make you think! Help other customers find the most helpful reviews Was this review helpful to you?
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