His assignment from Satan was to kill Pastor Craig Groeschel. Today he sits on the front row of that pastor’s church. For twenty years of his life, Michael Leehan lived and worked for Satan. At age 33, he made a decision to serve the darkness that he felt had consumed his life, but instead of making things easier, it began a steeper downward spiral replete with ritualistic cuttings, blood sacrifices, jail time, job loss, estrangement from his friends and family, and actual murderous assignments from Satan himself. Ascent from Darkness relates Michael’s gripping, real-life encounters, enslavement to the powers of darkness, and miraculous emancipation from the clutches of the Enemy. For anyone who has ever struggled with spiritual warfare, addiction, depression, or hopelessness, Michael’s story is a bold reminder of the redemptive truth of the gospel that anyone―even a soldier of Satan―can be transformed and used for the glory of God. Now a servant of Christ, Michael exhibits the power of God’s relentless love and offers readers the chance to experience their own ascent into God’s glorious light.
Ascent From Darkness is a brutally honest look at one man's journey through 20 years of evil and torment as well as the road to a relationship with God. It's Leehan's first work and I'm impressed. Although the book covers closer to 30 years of his life, it's fast paced. Dialogue paints the picture of the most intense moments and keeps the action moving. I've met the author and believe he is who he says he is. The book is startling, not only for what it says about the dark side, but also for what it says about lukewarm Christianity. Would recommend it to everyone old enough for something PG-13.
Whoa. Deep. Heavy. Compelling. Scary. These are words I thought of as I read this book.
It is the true life story of a man who gave himself to Satan and served him for 20 years. What I read in this book is unreal. I always believed that a Spiritual world exists and we have to be on guard against the evil. But this story added a new dimension to that realm. The author committed ritualistic blood sacrifices, animal killings, and did the bidding of Satan and his demons. He would sneak into churches and leave Satanic Bibles for people to find, in the hopes of confusing them. He suffered incredible oppression, and almost carried out the assignment by Satan of killing a pastor, and then almost killed himself when Satan told him to. He had many, many close encounters with demons.
After 20 years of serving the devil, Leehan found God in a pretty incredible way. He totally committed his life to God, renounced Satan's hold on him, and prayed God's protection over him and his family. He even told Satan that every time he attacked him or his family, he would witness Jesus to at least 5 people that day!
A few things in particular that were interesting to read was his perception as a satanist of Christians. He noticed again and again how weak-minded Christians seem, and how most are luke warm, sitting on the fence. He spent a lot of time studying the Bible and memorizing Scripture, so much that he got very good at manipulating verses to unknowledgable Christians and, in his mind, hopefully causing doubt and making them turn away from God. One in particular he remembered was the verse "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) He says "I would throw out the phrase "Resist the devil and he will flee!" Sounds right on and harmless, but it is far from the truth. These people would go on about their business, thinking if they just resist the devil when they felt oppression, they would be okay. I didn't tell them the most important portion of that scripture: "Submit yourselves, then, to God." That is the crux of that verse. The adversary is going nowhere unless one is in submission to God!" I like that Leehan chose to give this example of his manipulation in the book, because I never thought of the two sentences in this verse going together, that one was useless without the other. Powerful knowledge to glean.
As I put the book down when I finished, a few other words that came to mind were mercy, change, redemption, peace. I am so happy to read the end of this story, that Satan was defeated in this situation, and Michael Leehan is now living as an amazing Christian witness. He has a passion that was used for evil and is now being used to God's glory.
I received a copy of this book from booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.
In Ascent From Darkness, author Michael Leehan chronicles his descent into the darkness of Satanism, and his ascent, leading to his redemption and current position ministering to others who are broken and lost. At first I was reluctant to read this book, fearful of the darkness it would portray, but the good reviews and my curiosity won out. And I am glad it did. From the first page I was hooked and over the next few days, every free moment I had, I read Leehan’s autobiographical accounts of his life that includes Satanic rituals that are dark and disturbing. But even in his darkest times, Leehan was surrounded by Christians who were counsellors and prayer warriors for him. It is this thread, the thread of God in his life, even in his darkest times that compelled me to keep reading waiting for the moment when the light of God breaks the darkness in Leehan.
Leehan also brings forth the issue of how Christians may be easy prey to the dark forces in our world today, enforcing how important it is to be awake and strong in faith to shield and/or fight spiritual warfare. He also emphasizes how it does not matter how far one has fallen, God can and will redeem you, forgive and most of all, love.
Due to the subject matter, I would not recommend this book to those just beginning their faith journey as Christians. But I would recommend it to Christians who minister to the broken as well as who are seasoned in their faith as a reminder of how strong the dark forces can be, sneaking into our community, our churches, and even our small study groups as Leehan did in his dark, manipulative days. And as a reminder of the power of prayer, and no one, no one, is beyond redemption through Christ.
I received this complimentary copy from the publisher through their Book Sneeze Bloggers program. A positive review was not require and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own
This is book is totally hard to put down. The fact that it is a true account of how a man practicing satanism for two decades was redeemed by the Lord's saving grace from total destruction makes it even more hard to put down.
Admit it, we're all intrigued by the enigma of the dark side. The fact that the best sellers list is constantly dominated by stories of blood-sucking vampires, new age books on spirit guides and so many other things that lead us away from the true gospel of Jesus Christ, just attests to how fascinated people are of the dark side. The accounts of Michael Leehan about his encounter with poltergeist demons, the blood sacrifices and the demon possessions prove that we're really battling principalities in the spiritual realm.
The most important realization that I got from his story, was the fact that in all those years with my walk with God, I have been lukewarm, with one foot heavily anchored in the world, always remaining in the fence, and that if I decide to continue being so, I will always be a casualty of this on-going spiritual warfare.
On that part of the book when Mr. Leehan goes through his recollections about the time when he was set free from the bondage of the enemy, I found myself crying. It is probably a feeling that will not be understood by most people who haven't experienced the Lord's saving grace. And with that feeling, I felt that God has revived my desire to become a living testimony of God's loving kindness.
A truly inspiring read about a life amazingly and wonderfully transformed by the Lord's divine grace.
This book was incredible. It is amazing that this is Mike's first book. I felt like I got into the head of a satanist. I felt the despair, being alone and cut-off from others. It was interesting to see how he penetrated Christian circles. It tore my heart open to see the hurt of a little boy and then a man. I couldn't put it down. I will recommend it to everyone. Even people that don't like to read find it riveting. It forced me to deal with the darkness within. Mike is so on-fire for the Lord. He has insight into people that is rather uncanny. This book will change your life. It is far more than a good-read! As a Christian, it forces me to come to terms with myself and my relationship with the Lord.
You can't come out of Satanism and remain lukewarm! Mike Leehan is far from lukewarm. He exhorts us to "be present" with the Lord and be about "our Father's business..."
This autobiography by Michael Leehan describes his life as a Satanist and how he was saved from the darkness and into the light of God's love. He had a very difficult childhood, was always depressed and was very accident prone that he would come close to death. He decided to learn about the dark forces and eventually became a follower. The majority of the book describes his life as a follower of Satan. The rituals he would do, the spreading of Evil books in churches, looking for a weak believer and basically trying to destroy peoples' belief in God. At the same time, he always come across people who are strong believers of Jesus and God from every denominations. But the temptations to follow Evil was always stronger. Finally, he did saw light and banished all the darkness in him. He is now an evangelist and a minister. The presence of spiritual warfare is very evident in this book. The temptation to follow and do bad is very strong. We are all so busy trying to prove to each other that "My God is the only God" " My way of praying is the only right way of praying" "My religion is the only religion to guide us to heaven". That we are all so divided and most don't really have a very strong belief system. Others just decide not to believe in any divine power. As for me, I believe in God, in Jesus, in Mary, the Holy Bible and all the Saints and in Buddhism and Taoism. But I am lukewarm in my beliefs. Put me in a room to discuss any of this and I don't have a very indepth knowledge about any of them. Does this mean, to hell I will end up being? With Satanism, a person don't need to read a thousand different ways on following him. He is the father of lies and deceit and he knows how to make it seem easy. Some reviewers are cautious at recommending this book. I got this from "booksneeze" in exchange for an honest review
I received this book as a gift from a lovely friend. When I saw the title and the cover, I immediately knew that it might be a great book, even if people say we shouldn't judge books by their covers. I found out that it was a true story and it's about someone with a dark background, who goes through hell and finds God. I was always interested in such stories and this book is a great example of an incredible testimony. What I like about it, is that the author in a humble way describes all the terrible things he'd done, all the details, not caring about what others might say about him, bringing glory to God. As a believer I still find it incredible how God worked in his life and despite all those warnings from the enemy, and all the dangers he'd faced, God brought him out of that dark place. All the markings from the enemy, all the sacrifices on his body that made him Satan's 'property' weren't enough when it comes about God's love. There are plenty parts I like in this book and I'd like to mention just a few: - first of all, I love how God's voice in the very beginning was echoing in his thoughts and nothing from this huge story was visible yet (no satanism, no christian life, just a rebel kid who fell and almost died, but God had great plans for him) - I also like how he bluntly told the truth about some christians, who are weak in faith and easy to manipulate and be used by the enemy - I found it a little funny and extremely sad that he as a satanist had clear access to Bible study groups and probably none of his fellow christians sensed his dark spirit - I extremely liked those parts with christians who weren't afraid to pray for him or to be friends with him - I was amazed how God constantly put christians in his life, and they didn't give up, even when things were very suspicious and danger could be sensed - And finally I love how God saved him
I am grateful for this book, and truly believe this is an incredible story and a book worth reading!
Ascent from Darkness is the story of Michael Leehan's conversion from Satanism to Christianity. The bulk of the story covers his time as a Satanist, how he felt and what he did during that time, and how he eventually converted.
It's probably important that I give a disclaimer before I give my thoughts on the book. I am likely not the intended audience here. Leehan is a charismatic to the very core of his being, first as a Satanist and then as a Christian, and I just can't get on board with that way of doing things. Not that I think it's necessarily inherently wrong, just that it's not my cup of tea.
Having said that, the book is overall fairly well written. The narrative flows well, and he keeps you wanting to know what happens next. By the end, you're pulling for the guy and want to see him saved from his lifestyle and brought to Christ. The great strength of this book, and the main reason I'd recommend it (should I ever do so) is that it deals very honestly with the spiritual world. In the vein of a Frank Peretti work, Leehan discusses the reality and influence of the world of demons, angels, and all other sorts of extrasensory matters. In our deeply materialistic culture full of people who refuse to believe in anything beyond what we can see and touch and feel (and occasionally not even that), it's refreshing to be reminded that there is a greater world at work, and that our actions and lives have one foot in an eternal realm. Especially clever and useful was the inclusion of testimony at the end of the book of people who know Leehan and witnessed some of the events of his life. It gives an element of depth that would not otherwise be present.
And yet, I don't really see myself recommending this book (it still gets three stars for being well written, that's a rock-solid rule I hold myself to). Nowhere does it have a clear expression of the Gospel, and it almost seems as if there's a deeply dualistic worldview at work in the text. Leehan is clear that he has exchanged service to Satan for service to Jesus, but he never makes clear any idea of how that works. The atonement is nowhere discussed, nor is it clear what the role of the cross is in Leehan's conversion (I am not commenting one way or another on his personal salvation- he says he's a Christian, and I am perfectly willing to take him at his word, I'm just commenting on what is contained in the book). The book is quite clear that God wins over Satan and evil and darkness, but it is not clear how God does so. It's certainly a good thing that Leehan no longer feels rules by the powers of darkness, but for me to endorse this book as a Christian it needs to be reworked so as to explain the role of Christ. Perhaps a second edition would be useful to this end...
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com 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.”
1.in this life story Michael Leehan goes through his life working for the dark side and meticulously lays out the traps and lies of the evil one. completely laying out the evil ones plans and tactics to destroy the world leading to Armageddon. not only making the devil a real being, but showing us how the devil directly or indirectly influences us into becoming his solder. most importantly Michael details how to be set free. how freeing it is to completely give up our control and freedom to God.
2.""i have a story. does anyone want to hear it?"" (pg 212) its hard to define how this quote tells the overall story but the best way i can is by telling you what a good mentor once told me: if your driving down the street on a really foggy night, so foggy you shouldn't be driving but you have too cuz your life depends on it. your just about to go over the bridge when, at the last secound, you slam on the breaks for theres a man in the road. after hitting him thirty feet in the air you slam into a tree. running to the side of the man in the road he breaths his last breath saying, "the bridge is out." now you have a choice; A. walk away. B. stand in the road and stop someone else from plumiting to certian death. in other words: if i was Michael, and if i worked for the devil, wouldnt i want to stop people from falling into his trap? but would i be able to risk it all to stand in the face of certain death?
3. in class were talking about children's books... and i have to relate this book to that in some way for this project. so here goes; in essence Michael is writing this book to kids. not the age related but the spiritually. by walking us through his experiences it makes it easier for child-like-spiritually people understand and comprehend the battle for their life. using persuasion and informing, the reader comes out a spiritually stronger person.
4.First and foremost, i would like to say Michael Leehan is the real deal. all pretenses were proven wrong after reading this book. when we wake up to the world around us and see the lies, deceit, and evil the devil throws at us we relize there IS a battle for our life. i'm still new to all of this, and i know I'm far from being the perfect warrior. every day i find new weapons and this book opened up the devils playbook and plans. after meeting Michael in person and hearing his life from his own mouth it really impacted my false reality. before it was always easy to say "its just fake" or "this cant be really true" like down-playing the facts. if hearing is all it takes for someone to become a believer, then what is my excuse for seeing? obviously Michael answered that; none. i severally recommend this book. not as a quick read but as a study. id give it 8 stars out of 5 for the help. although there is extreme controversial adult topics he does make the effort of keeping the story clean. this book should be read by all unbelievers, believers, politicians, teachers, students, and everyone struggling with the concept that there can actually be a battle that exists outside the physical/carnal realm. i recommend Ascent from darkness to you. :)
I have to honestly say that I couldn't put down the book once I picked it up. Ascent from Darkness: How Satan's Soldier Became God's Warrior, by Michael Leehan, is an unbelievable, compelling, disturbing and in the end, inspiring story of a man's conversion from the dark to the light.
Michael Leehan tells the story of his life--pain, disappointment, solitude and depression. His was a life of childhood pain, teenage depression and drug abuse (including a devastating overdose), accidents and injuries and constant disappointment. Through all of this, he experienced a lack of love and direction from his parents--and eventually rejected any belief that God loved or cared for him. His conversion to the darkness began with reading the satanic bible, and continued in ritualistic cutting, possession, sacrifice, and channeling. Eventually he began deliberately trying to lead believers astray, causing mayhem at churches and groups, and was commanded to actually kill the pastor of the church that he "attended." The stories of the demonic presence in his home and around him are enough to you chills and sleepless nights.
However, as the title does suggest, Michael Leehan details how he in fact ascended from this darkness, turning from the destructive ways of his former life to a life based upon belief in God--and acceptance that God truly loved him. It tells a story of people around him who remained faithful, kind and loving--always seeking to help Michael find a way that would lead out of his path to destruction.
To say that the story is disturbing is an understatement. One would almost think the story was unbelievable. However, at the end of the book, several people write their own testimonies of their experiences with Michael, verifying the darkness and the disturbing events.
Why read this book? First, we need to be aware of the spiritual warfare that is occurring in our world. It is real, and it is happening, and we need to be prepared and aware. Second, we need to be reminded that God can transform our lives--no matter what we have done or who we are. This is best said by Michael Leehan himself:
"That's how we're alike, you and I: we're just sinners who need Jesus. Remember, no matter how badly you think you've sinned or what kind of mess you may have made of your life, it probably pales in comparison to mine. Never give up, never lose hope. Jesus Christ specializes in fixing broken messes just like us. He is, and always will be, the great Redeemer, and He is ready to transform your life whenever you call out to Him. Why can I tell you this? Just look what He did for me."
It is a story told with courage. It is a story we all need to read.
I was provided this book for free from the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program, in exchange for my unbiased review. Thank you BookSneeze.
Ascent From Darkness: How Satan's Soldier Became God's Warrior
Book Description:
His assignment from Satan was to kill Pastor Craig Groeschel. Today he sits on the front row of that pastor's church.
For twenty years of his life, Michael Leehan lived and worked for Satan. At age 33, he made a decision to serve the darkness that he felt had consumed his life, but instead of making things easier, it began a steeper downward spiral replete with ritualistic cuttings, blood sacrifices, jail time, job loss, estrangement from his friends and family, and actual murderous assignments from Satan himself.
Ascent from Darkness relates Michael's gripping, real-life encounters, enslavement to the powers of darkness, and miraculous emancipation from the clutches of the Enemy.
For anyone who has ever struggled with spiritual warfare, addiction, depression, or hopelessness, Michael's story is a bold reminder of the redemptive truth of the gospel that anyone-even a soldier of Satan-can be transformed and used for the glory of God.
Now a servant of Christ, Michael exhibits the power of God's relentless love and offers readers the chance to experience their own ascent into God's glorious light.
My Review:
Pure curiousity is what caused me to read this book. As a Christian, I do not understand Satanism. I do not understand how someone could want to sell their soul to the devil, harm someone, or themselves. I had no idea that regular bookstores sold Satanistic bibles. Seriously, I learned a lot while reading this book.
This is a very dark and disturbing book that has a great ending. It was sad reading page after page of what Michael went through during his time as a soldier for Satan. I was filled with hope several times as I read about Christians reaching out to him, even children. I caught myself pulling for him, hoping he would do the right thing.
Several times during the book I caught myself wondering what I would do if I had been around someone going through this. I also wondered how our church would handle such a situation. So many questions went through my mind.
This is a very well written book. It is as luring as a fishing lure, then the hook snags you and doesn't let you go. While reading this I was always thanking God for always having open arms, for forgiving us when we fall short, and always leaving a door open for us.
I received this title from the publisher via BookSneeze for my honest review.
It isn't a book that I would recommend to just anyone. I have recommended it to a couple of people, and I am anxious to hear how they feel about it. If you decide to dive into this deep dark book, please let me know what you think about it.
I had a hard time believing this book and that comes from a person who spent most of her life believing there was no higher power. It seems like Leehan had a crappy life with depression and anxiety issues and did bad things, like have affairs. When you have a mental illness and you do not do anything to help, e.g. therapy and/or medication, Leehan has the possibility of developing other symptoms, e.g. isolation, hallucinations. I do not think he listened to scriptures so he could play devil's advocate, he did it to find some semblance for his life. He takes no responsibility for his actions, he blames every thing on the devil. Great excuse...."the Devil made me do it!"
As a person who has depression and became unemployed in a city with the highest unemployment rate and feeling the same way Leehan did, new symptoms appeared. In addition, a person who wants to kill themselves does not plan to do it next week and cleans the house and goes on retreats. A person who really wants to kill themselves, like Leehan, would have gotten that rope from the garage, tied a noose (and who knows how to tie a real noose?) and took a nose dive off the balcony.
"How Satan's Soldier Became God's Warrior"...you have got to be kidding me!!! What did Leehan do that was SO wrong to be considered Satan's Soldier? He played devil's advocate on scriptures?! Hell, that is called a debate. He put a few satanic bibles in different places. If the Devil was his leader, then setting fire to one of those bibles would have caused an uproar. Setting fire to a bible is like setting fire to the U.S. flag...you do not do it, even if it is a bad bible. Saying he was going to kill the pastor but attending every worship by tv prompter was a cry for help. Who tells on themselves that they are going to kill someone? Either a very stupid person or someone crying for help. I laughed while reading this book. I could wipe my ass with this book. I can give you an answer for each situation Leehan was in. This book is fabricated...probably to try to make some money to pay off his debts.
This book is a good read if it was a work of fiction. There was one thing that I did like about this book, a quote. "God doesn't promise a smooth road or a path that is free of troubles, problems, and rough times. He does promise that no matter what you are going through, He will be there with you. He will comfort you. He will give you strength. He will give you a peace that cannot be put into human words. He will give you eternal salvation in His perfect presence."
If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself!
If I'm being honest, my first reaction to this book was that author Michael Leehan was a little off. As he began his story chronicling his journey from Satan worship to Christianity, I genuinely thought he was just a guy with some mental issues. Either that, or he was a guy sensationalizing his story in an attempt to sell books. The more I read, however, I began to believe his story. Leehan claims, that in his worship of Satan, The Master of Lies would dispatch him on missions against Christ's Church - some mundane and others significant. At the very least, I believe that Leehan believed his missions were directly from Satan. Either way, his story is incredible.
As a Christian and Bible study teacher, there were a couple of things about Leehan's journey that stood out to me. First, he writes about how he would attend Bible study groups for the sole purpose of sewing seeds of doubt and confusion. In doing so, Leehan claims he became very adept at identifying and then preying upon the weaker members of such groups. It was sobering to discover there are people out there who engage the church with such intentions. Our pastors, teachers, and leaders must take such attacks personally and attend to the business of educating congregations. Knowledge of the Bible is the best way to counter such attacks. Secondly, God's providence is apparent throughout Leehan's story. At every turn, Christians were sent into Leehan's life. At every critical juncture someone was there to minister to Leehan. His life is an awesome display of God working through His people.
I highly recommend this book, especially to teachers and pastors. Others who doubt the existence of Satan may also find the book interesting as it reveals the practical ways the enemy opposes the Church. Sensitive readers should be aware that there are some graphic scenes depicting Leehan's worship practices. I had my doubts, but in the end I was glad I read this book.
Description: Ascent From Darkness is the true story of Michael Leehan, a man who felt abandoned by God and turned to Satanism. Michael's whole life seemed to be submerged in a darkness he couldn't defeat, so he gave in. He had a loving family, friends that cared about him, and was brought up going to church, but no one seemed to be able to get though to him, especially after he experienced cult life and became "Satan's soldier". He goes through so much torment because of this, breaking apart his family, losing his job, cutting, suicidal thoughts, and an attempted murder; a downward spiral that almost lands him in jail and worse. Thankfully, he turns back to serving God before he loses his life, or takes the life of someone else.
Review: I am a strong-willed Christian and a firm believer in redemption and forgiveness. That in mind, I knew that this book would be challenge for me because I was brought up with religion and I have never imagined not being a God-fearing Christian. Surprisingly, after the first chapter I couldn't put the book down. Michael's story both horrified and amazed me. It is unbelievable all that he went through and all that it took for him to get where he is today, faithfully serving the Lord. This is a book that every Christian should read because the devil is very real, and he is always trying to weasel his way into our lives, whether we recognize his influence or not. His story is gripping, heart-breaking, and inspiring. I believe I am a stronger individual and Christian after reading this. Overall, both style and substance were evident and appreciated. I recommend Ascent From Darkness to Christians and anyone who who wants to explore the real-world of God vs. Satan.
Rating: Clean Getaway (5/5)
***I received Ascent From Darkness from BookSneeze in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
"Ascent from Darkness" is a memoir of a man who made a pact with Satan to serve him and who found that pact destroying his life. Still, Michael was afraid of giving up the power he thought his pact gave him, and he wasn't initially interested in surrendering to a God he'd been angry at since childhood. And Satan wasn't about to let Michael go serve his enemy.
It's a compelling story. Michael managed to describe the emotional and life-changing impact of his actions without getting into gory details about Satanic practices. In fact, he's very vague about many of the rituals he did (which I think was very wise for multiple reasons).
If you have a hard time believing in real, evil spiritual forces, you'll probably have a hard time believing this book. If you think everything bad has a demon behind it that needs to be cast out, you'll probably be disappointed. While Michael makes it clear that spiritual forces are all around us, what he describes is very in line with what the Bible teaches about angels, fallen angels, and how Christ can free those who surrender to Him.
I think this book is important for Christians to read because most don't really think about the spiritual battles being fought around them. Also, Michael talked about how, as a satanist, he'd go into churches and quote Scripture in ways to mislead Christians or try to disrupt Bible Studies by bringing up controversial subjects or by seducing the women. He pointed out something that has long concerned me: how churches tend to get people to say "the sinners prayer" and baptized but then don't make a point of mentoring them in the faith. This leaves new believers vulnerable to lies about God.
This is an excellent book, and I'd highly recommend it.
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher by requesting it through Booksneeze.
This book tells the true story of how Michael went from growing up Catholic, to become a Satanist, to then becoming a Christian. During his high school years, he injured his knee playing football. After several surgeries, he was still in pain constantly and was taking prescription pain killers. One night, after his girlfriend broke up with him, he went to a friends house and drank two six packs of beer and a took a whole bottle of pain killers. He woke up in the hospital and was there for over a month. Even after dying and coming back, he was still depressed and had no desire for anything. He married, had three children, and divorced. One day he gave himself to Satan and from that day on he immersed himself in Satanism. He would prey on Christians, especially women, leave Satanic bibles in churches and playgrounds, and perform animal sacrifices, all without anyone's knowledge. He lived like that for twenty years, but during that time, there were several people praying for him constantly. This book shows that God is always with us, even though we may not think so.
This book was amazing! Micheal tells his story on how he became from how he became from being Santan's soldier to be a warrior of God! At age 33 he gets in to Satanism. During that time he faces jail time, job loss, and even cuts himself.
During his years in Satanism, there are so many people that want to help him. Every time he usually steps down and says no. When he does go to church with his family, he just sits outside the worship room or goes back to his truck.
Satanism tears apart his life, breaking apart is family. I am so glad he found God a his savior! This a great story that any Christian should read! I would also recommend it to people who don't know where they are spiritually or haven't accept God as their savior.
I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson and their program, BookSneeze and was not required to write a positive review.
Eye opening! Mike tells of the lowest of lows a man can fall to and the highest of highs God can raise a man to. He left more unsaid about service in Satan's camp than he said but gave enough to convey the horror and power of his grip on a man. Buy this story has the best of the best endings -God fills Mike from the dominion of darkness and brings him into the kingdom of light. Praise be to the all powerful God who loves unconditionally!
As a member of LifeChurch when I lived in OK, I remember the rumors of a "strange man" and later "someone tried to kill Craig." Scary stuff. Was an awesome read.
I loved this book from start to finish. Its amazing what the Lord did in this man's life, what he went through, and how God purusued him and loved him through other Christian men and women.
For insights into how satan works to deceive non-believers and believers alike, read this book. It's packed with practical resources as Michael Leehan shares how he chose satanism and what it did to his life, relationships and career. I highly recommend this book. Despite the dark subject matter, it's well-written, relatable and inspiring.
*Satanism is essentially all about self. *The enemy wanted me isolated and alone. *Christian neighbors - God placed a huge hedge of protection around them. *Jim did the kindest thing a believer can do for another person - he loved his way into my life. *Physical labor was a way to work off anxiety. *Satan did everything in his power to use me to destroy the lives I touched. *The rooms (of my house) were filled with despair and a sense of loss; a complete void o love, affection, and light. *God instructed me to focus only on Him, that the storms of life would not go away, but He would be there continually to see me through and guide me.
I truly enjoyed this book from start to finish. It’s a fast read. It was intriguing and fascinating & absolutely built up my own Christian testimony.
I was a bit apprehensive at first to take it on a vaca thinking it might be too heavy or too scary. Let me reassure you, it wasn’t at all. I’d rate it PG13. The author does not go into much detail with his (past) satanic rituals or evil spiritual encounters until the very end. Even those were pretty tame.
My favorite part of this book is the end. His deliverance is such an incredible testimony to the pure love of God. He loves us all so much that he relentlessly pursues us, and doesn’t stop, EVEN if we are literally serving & fighting for the enemy. I had tears running down my face.
I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in spiritual warfare or would like to read an incredible true store of Gods pure love & redemption. So powerful.
This book is a great reminder to all that there is a war going on for all of our souls. The dark side does not always manifest itself plainly, I think that it would rather remain obscure and hidden while quietly deceiving the masses. This man's story describes how our enemy is actively at work for our destruction, it was eye opening to see some of the plots of the enemy from on of it's former soldiers. This book is a great encouragement to me to be reminded that no one is beyond the saving Grace of God. An encouragement to remain strong and to continually grow my faith in my loving heavenly Father!
Although much of this book was dark and disturbing, it was worth the read for several reasons:
1) It was helpful to see how this former satanist viewed most Christians (as weak-minded and lukewarm). What a motivator to be a completely committed follower of Christ! 2) It shows just how real the demonic spiritual realm is, and that the devil and his demons want nothing more than to separate you from God. 3) How important Bible reading, prayer and knowing scripture is.
I wouldn’t recommend this book to everyone due to the disturbing nature of some of what he recounts from his past, but overall I found the book to be a big encouragement to make sure I am wholeheartedly seeking God.
Well over 90% of the book focuses on Michael's life before he was a Christian. Working through the book can be nearly discouraging/depressing, because it seems so dark and hopeless so much of the time. However, it does conclude with his victory through the blood of Christ!