Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters: Real-Life Stories of Supernatural Events

by James Stuart Bell (Compiler)

Inspiring True Stories of God's Intervention
in Lives Today

These inspiring real-life stories explore what happens when people encounter spiritual forces, and how their lives are undeniably changed. This dramatic collection includes accounts of contact with angels, near-death experiences, powerful prayer testimonies, and unexplainable miracles. Every story displays the victory of Christ and his kingdom over difficult circumstances and opposing forces. The outcomes include increased faith, a sense of the loving providence of God, a realigning of priorities, and a greater desire to share the gospel. In turn, the reader's faith will be strengthened knowing that if God can steer individuals through these unknown territories, he certainly will care for their everyday lives.

Genres: Religion, Christian, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Audiobook, Angels

250 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2012

About the author

James Stuart Bell is the owner of Whitestone Communications, a literary development agency. He consults with numerous publishers, represents various authors, and provides writing and editing services. He has previously served as executive editor at Moody Press, director of religious publishing at Doubleday, and publisher at Bridge Publishing. He also has more than one hundred books with cover credit. He coauthored the best-selling Complete Idiot's Guide to the Bible (more than 300,000 sold) and numerous other Christian guides in that series for the Penguin Group. He has also contributed numerous Christian volumes to the best-selling Cup of Comfort series by Adams Media.

Reviews

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Supernatural short stories collected from around the world. Really interesting!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever wonder if God still works miracles? Whenever we witness God doing something that only He can get credit for, our faith in Him grows. It does us good to not only experience it for ourselves, but also hear of others' experiences. Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters will give you this chance.

James Stuart Bell has compiled more than forty stories that give credence to the fact that there are extraordinary things that happen in the spiritual world. There are angels that protect us, miracles that still do happen, and near-death experiences which sometimes occur.

So what does this tell us? God didn't just create us and then left us to fend for ourselves! He is very involved in our daily experience and wants us to know that He cares.

Pick up a copy of this wonderful book and find out all the different ways that mankind has been impacted by the ones who protect us.

"James Stuart Bell is a Christian publishing veteran and the owner of Whitestone Communications, a literary development agency...He and his family live in West Chicago, Illinois." (back of the book)

[Daren Doucet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now and then, I look for a book that really explains how an inexplicable event or reason for something happening in someones life, with usually a great outcome.

This book does have a few stories that you could say "the time frame seems to line up with other amazing events somewhere else, and it is truly amazing how this person escaped mire or danger" For instance, there is one story about a fighter pilot in south Vietnam that leaves the reason "how did he escape that?"

But, there were some stories where I could say perhaps coincidence were on their side or perhaps just bad understanding of quantities involved in the stories.

Just wish these book writers would document the times, statements, or doctors info as proof so that it can be laid to rest if or not it is a miracle or not.

It was a great read, very much enjoyed it.

[Ashton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given this book free of charge by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The following opinions are my own.

Just reading the title of this book when reading through the monthly offerings for review made me curious enough to choose it. I think it is part of human nature to be somewhat drawn to things that seem to defy logical explanation. No matter how you end up reconciling the event in your brain(some of us say miracles, others say fate, still others say karma) in the end we are all trying to put a name to something that is supernatural, something that we don't understand. Being a Christian, I've always been curious about these types of stories because they deal with the supernatural world but I've also always been a little harder on them than some of my counterparts. I do believe that God can interact in our world if He so desires but I don't necessarily ascribe everything as a miracle like some people do. All of that to say, I was quite curious about this book because I've read several books on miracles over the years and hoped this one would give me more thought provoking stories and explanations about how miracles work.

I was, however, disappointed with this book after finishing it up. It read easily and was definitely interesting but I wasn't all that taken by the way that the book was written. Each chapter was a separate story of miraculous intervention or some unexplained event. That, in and of itself, is not bad but what grated on me was the lack of any cohesive structure to the book. The stories in this book were not grouped together with like stories to help create a image of how miracles took place in similar situations. Also, there was no explanation of the stories from a Biblical standpoint. There were no verses showing where the Bible talked about divine protection or demons or any of those things that I have come to expect when someone is talking about miracles.

The book is a nice collection of miracle stories but it doesn't really give the reader anything to go on as far as ways to look deeper into the stories, Biblical verses to back up what they are calling miracles, or anything along those lines. To me, this weakens the book to just another anthology of unexplained stories.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters: Real-life Stories of Supernatural Events compiled by James Stuart Bell was such a page-turner that even with a full-time job, a 6-year old and an unannounced visitor at my home, I read this in 2 days! This book contains 44 short stories written by people who range from pastors to educators to librarians to award-winning authors. As the title states, these stories are about angels, miracles, and heavenly encounters. There are stories of attacks by demons and how the power of prayer was able to banish them. There are exorcisms, lives saved by guardian angels and money that appeared just as it was needed. As the title of my blog suggests, I am a new Christian. I asked Jesus into my heart on February 5th of this year and have only been attending church since Christmas Eve last year. I was an atheist for more than 10 years and one of the things that I always said during that time was that I can't believe in something that I can't see. Well, obviously, that's changed but I still had my moments of doubt while reading this book. It was the old me coming out and saying that some of the more incredulous stories just can't be true. But, that's God for you! He makes the impossible possible! If you want to read about God's awesome power or if you need some encouragement (because what is more encouraging than people who should be dead who are alive?!) or if you just want to read a page-turner, this book is for you!

I was given a free copy for review from Bethany House. However, I was not compensated for a positive review.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: ANGELS, MIRACLES, AND HEAVENLY ENCOUNTERS
Compiled by: James Stuart Bell
Publisher: Bethany House
June 2012
ISBN: 978-0764209581
Genre: Inspirational/Christian Living

A boy says goodbye to his grandfather at the exact moment he dies. A priest is attracted by a demon. A man is able to get his eyesight back…

ANGELS, MIRACLES, AND HEAVENLY ENCOUNTERS is filled with stories that will touch your heart, make you cry, and reinstate your belief that there is a supernatural world out there filled with angels and demons.

James Stuart Bell compiled this collection by different people who have experienced the spiritual realm in their life in some form.

A girl being raped whose prayer was heard by a man lying in bed, and he saves her. A girl having a routine operation who dies and returns to life. Angels approaching people….

If you like stories about ANGELS, MIRACLES, AND HEAVENLY ENCOUNTERS then you’ll want to read this book. Some people are more tuned into the spiritual world than others, and they usually keep their stories quiet from those who are not because they are met with disbelief and skepticism. This book validates the experiences of those who do experience and provides fodder of the supernatural for those who don’t.

ANGELS, MIRACLES, AND HEAVENLY ENCOUNTERS will touch your heart and strengthen your faith in God. $12.99. 256 pages.

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read, and at times you will get goose bumps. Sometimes I don't like to think about surpernatural world, as I often in my mind think of the occult. This book brings it to into a Godly realm, with real life stories of miraculous experiences.
I think we have all had encounters and sometimes not realized God had sent help. With some of the stories in this book I have seen myself and things that have happened to me and mine.
I recently lost my husband, he was in Hospice, and when the time was getting near morphine and lorazepam was used, he no longer would be in pain. I knew I would not be able to communicate with him, and the reality of the situation was really hitting me. I was alone in the house with him, the nurse was still in the drive, and in walks in my dear husband's cousin. I knew without a doubt who had sent her.
I found this book so wonderfully refreshing and enjoyable. To think we have Him with us at all times, how blessed we are. Enjoy these wonderful short stories, and find them touching your heart.

I received this book from Bethany House Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review.

[Loraine]

A very good compilation of stories of angels, miracles and heavenly encounters. Some were better written than others but all were interesting.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

These inspiring real-life stories explore what happens when people encounter spiritual forces, and how their lives are undeniably changed. This dramatic collection includes accounts of contact with angels, near-death experiences, powerful prayer testimonies, and unexplainable miracles. Every story displays the victory of Christ and his kingdom over difficult circumstances and opposing forces. The outcomes include increased faith, a sense of the loving providence of God, a realigning of priorities, and a greater desire to share the gospel. In turn, the reader's faith will be strengthened knowing that if God can steer individuals through these unknown territories, he certainly will care for their everyday lives.

Heather's Notes
I really enjoyed listening to this book. It was weird a few time when the guy was clearly reading something written by a woman, but for the most part it was an wonderful uplifting book.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Series of short stories from contributors

[Linda Stickley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this as an audiobook although I found the male voice didn't suit as a large proportion of the stories were of women.

[Ashley Connolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Supernatural reminders of God's love during this tumultuous time.

[Randy Tramp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great inspirational stories.

[Daniel Hinshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice read.

[Shirlene Ice]

Only My Experience

This short book was inspirational & troubling. No matter what, we have power through Christ & the name of Jesus.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a 3.5 star if I could give it that.....

The idea of angels, miracles and heavenly encounters have always intrigued me. I grew up watching “Touched by An Angel” and have always been fascinated with stories of miracles or when people felt like they had a true guardian angel watching over them. We’ve all heard stories of a passenger misplacing her airline tickets and missing her flight only to be watching the news with the rest of the world that “her” plane was the one that was crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers on September 11th. Eerie feelings and goosebumps always rise when I think of those types of stories. To know that we are being watched over and tended to by a greater being and angels is so comforting to me. To know that prayers are answered and that many time “common” people play the role of an angel without even knowing it. These people feel the need to help and are compelled to do so. Makes us all feel like our faith in humanity can be restored. This is an interesting and “feel good” book and I do recommend it to anyone who is also interested in these types of events.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Angels, Miracles and Heavenly Encounters is a compilation book of stories about people that have been touched by angels, God etc. Upon receiving this book I was excited to begin reading because I am really interested in others experiences with angels and the like. The first story was The Goodbye Promise. It was a very well written story. I was in tears from the first paragraph to the last word. The writer of this story really reached in and pulled at my heartstrings. I was so excited to read the rest of the stories after this until I continued on from that point. Although, the stories were well written and interesing, they really were not such that I felt compelled to willingly read the remainder of the book within a few days. I literally had to make a conscious choice to finish this book and that is rarely the case. I am not saying that someone else might not find the entire book compelling because certain stories effect people differently. I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishing to review for nothing other than my honest opinion on the book.

[Monkeyface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters: Real-Life Stories of Supernatural Eventsby James Stuart Bell.Inspiring True Stories of God's Intervention in Lives Today
These inspiring real-life stories explore what happens when people encounter spiritual forces, and how their lives are undeniably changed. This dramatic collection includes accounts of contact with angels, near-death experiences, powerful prayer testimonies, and unexplainable miracles. Every story displays the victory of Christ and his kingdom over difficult circumstances and opposing forces. The outcomes include increased faith, a sense of the loving providence of God, a realigning of priorities, and a greater desire to share the gospel. In turn, the reader's faith will be strengthened knowing that if God can steer individuals through these unknown territories, he certainly will care for their everyday lives. I give this book 4 stars and a 7. A intrusting read.

[Smilingscarlet · Rating 1 out of 5]

I ordered the book and was very excited when it finally arrived. Book is a collection of short stories, all true recollections of supernatural Christian encounters... I was excited to start reading it, only to end up greatly disappointed.
Stories are uninteresting, very common and dull. After reading every story, I asked myself: "Really?! This was a supernatural experience?! I am so disappointed!"
I would not recommend to read this book, it is not worth the money or your time. There is much better, good quality and more interesting books than this one. Boring, uneventful and misleading. Avoid.

[Ann237 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be a quick, easy read. It was compiled of different experiences some told by those that witnessed the miracles, or other what we would call unnatural occurrences, or those that had it shared with them.
Now there are going to be some what's seem unbelievable ones but for those that believe in the miracle of God and the rising of Jesus we must also believe in the evil That can come along with the good.

[Amanda Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mix of stories about encounters with the divine - some thought provoking and spiritually strengthening, others more prone to make one skeptical. My skepticism about some of the stories made me feel like a pig among pearls and that's initially why it took me about three years to finish this book off and on. There are some really great stories though. I loved 'The Glimmering Gown' and 'Beyond the Fear of Death'. Grace is real.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is now listed as my number one favorite because it includes more than forty true stories about people encountering miracles, angels, demons, near- death experiences, and incredible rescues. Thank God that he was watching over those people. :)

[Rayni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. I enjoyed reading it. Especially about demons. It seems as if demons is a tabu subject, where they are real. I wish I had read this book last spring before my time spent in the hospital.

[Suzanne Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an excellent and very interesting book. I highly recommend it! An easy read and hard to put down, I found it encouraging and uplifting. A great book to pick up and read when you feel a little empty and down.

[Lillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a compilation of a variety of personal accounts of supernatural events experienced by several different Christians. By showing the power of God and how He loves and cares for His people, reading these stories strengthens the faith of the reader.

[Shirley McLain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faith Building

What a wonderful book. All the stories show how the love of God has created a miracle of some kind in their lives. I believe anyone who reads this book Will receive a blessing and have their faith increased. Read and enjoy.

[Dianne Karesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an inspiration

No matter what we face in this life, it helps to read how others were supernaturally protected and blessed by our God. These true stories were a real blessing to me.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's sobering to look back on your life and realise that something other than you had to do with you surviving a horrific or unusual circumstance. These stories show how God works in the lives of ordinary people like you and me, many times without us even knowing or asking.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was just ok I found it repetitive

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another free Kindle book, and exactly what I needed to read right now.