Jesus Talked to Me Today: True Stories of Children's Encounters with Angels, Miracles, and God

by James Stuart Bell

A Heartwarming Story Collection of Children's Encounters with God, Angels, and MiraclesChildren have a special place in Jesus' heart. He said they are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and their angels continually see the face of God. Perhaps that's why children seem to be more receptive to supernatural experiences than adults.This new collection reveals how God works in the lives of these precious little ones. It contains the touching true stories of children who have heard Jesus speak, encountered angels, and experienced miracles. We could all use more childlike faith, and these stories "from the mouths of babes" will encourage readers to be open to hear from the Lord in a fresh, sweet, and pure way.

Genres: Nonfiction

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 5, 2016

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

[Shaun Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up in a charismatic church and having turned away from the faith entirely (which I attribute to dogmatic leaders, pastors who did violence to Scripture on a regular basis, and of course most of all, my own wretched sinfulness), I have found reformed theology and non-charismatic churches to be a breath of fresh air. However, the reverent interpretation, teaching and preaching of God's Word somehow comes with a lower emphasis on the supernatural.

This book's wonderful stories have compelled me to think back - does God communicate to his children directly and is the supernatural realm real? So much memories of my own personal encounters came flooding back, and whenever a book compels me re-examine my theology, I have to take a step back and reflect. I appreciate and cherish such experiences so very much.

Bell did a commendable job in compiling and editing so many stories; unfortunately I cannot give this book 5 stars because I am unsure of the authenticity of some of the accounts. The yardstick for me still is the bible, and some of the details did not match up with what Scripture tell us the supernatural and/or heavenly realm is like.

I received this book from the Baker Publishing Group's Blogger Team Program for the purposes of providing an unbiased review. All views are my own.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short stories by a variety of authors. Some are very vague and leave a lot of unanswered questions.

[Arwg soy soenhwy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve started to read some Christian books because I feel that I don’t give God enough time in the day to him, so I thought why not request a book as a usually do sometimes that has to do with my faith. I choose “Jesus Talked To Me Today: True Stories of Children’s Encounters with Angles, Miracles, and God ” by James Stuart Bell, and I really enjoyed it. This book contains stories of real events that happened to people written by them, and they are pretty good at writing them too. I went though these powerful short-stories pretty fast. They just made me feel really good to know that these things actually happen, and especially that they are told by THOSE people. I just found it so heartwarming.

In the introduction, the compiler of the book says that he thinks that it’s a great book for adults because it shows the innocence of children, but I quite enjoyed this book. I think some teenagers, such as myself, would definitely love reading this book.I don’t think it should be pointed towards adults only. I think it’s because most of us are very stubborn that it doesn’t seem like the book should be pointed towards us. To be honest, I am a very stubborn person, but if I see that it’s something beneficial to me, I take a chance at it. I think this book would be a very good addition to a Sunday school class because since I was very little, I loved hearing stories of miracles and appearances of angels, God, and saints. I would always be completely mesmerized by those incredible stories.They definitely made me my bond with God much stronger.

I give this book 4.9/5 just because it was only pointed towards adults. Eh I’ll rounded up. 5/5.

Some stuff to know:

Name of Book: Jesus Talked to Me Today by (compiler) James Stuarts Bell

Pages: 224

Summery: ” Children have a special place in Jesus’ heart. He said they are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and their angels continually see the face of God. Perhaps that’s why children seem to be more receptive to supernatural experiences than adults.

This new collection reveals how God works in the lives of these precious little ones. It contains the touching true stories of children who have heard Jesus speak, encountered angels, and experienced miracles. We could all use more childlike faith, and these stories “from the mouths of babes” will encourage readers to be open to hear from the Lord in a fresh, sweet, and pure way.

received this book from Bethany House for a voluntary honest review =)

[Jalynn Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

About the Book:

A Heartwarming Story Collection of Children's Encounters with God, Angels, and Miracles
Children have a special place in Jesus' heart. He said they are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and their angels continually see the face of God. Perhaps that's why children seem to be more receptive to supernatural experiences than adults.
This new collection reveals how God works in the lives of these precious little ones. It contains the touching true stories of children who have heard Jesus speak, encountered angels, and experienced miracles. We could all use more childlike faith, and these stories "from the mouths of babes" will encourage readers to be open to hear from the Lord in a fresh, sweet, and pure way.


My Review:

I came across a photo of my mom when she was very young, 10 I think. I came across the old photo when I was going through some of her things after she had passed. My very young daughter was a toddler and was right by my side as I went through these old photos. I can across this photo of my mother, a woman my daughter had never seen, and I watched astonished as my daughter exclaimed that she recognized the little girl in the photograph.



I have also seen as children will stair off into space and giggle as if someone is standing there, when in fact I see no one. Children are so much more approachable by God and angels, in my opinion. When Jesus said we have to have faith like a child, I so get what He meant by this. When have to just trust and believe even when things don't make the best sense and sometimes it's not that easy.



In Jesus Talked to Me Today, we can read stories compiled by the author that prove these encounters do in fact exist. These beautiful stories are told innocently and they contain the living, breathing testimonies of these children. A great book full of awakening that more adults desperately need.


**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author.

[Hanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

About the Book-
Children have a special place in Jesus' heart. He told his disciples to "Let the little children come to me," encouraged them to welcome children in His name, and said that their angels continually see the face of God. Maybe that's why children are often more receptive to miraculous experiences than adults.

This collection of awe-inspiring stories reveals how God works in the lives of these precious little ones. Through heartwarming accounts of children who have heard Jesus speak, encountered angels, and experienced miracles, we get a glimpse of the way God cares for the most vulnerable among us. Just as Jesus told His disciples, we could all use more childlike faith, and these stories "from the mouths of babes" will encourage you to hear from the Lord in a fresh, sweet, and pure way.

My Review-
Both my mom and I really like stories of God working. Y'know, like 90 Minutes in Heaven or Heaven is For Real or stuff like that. So when I saw this book, I really wanted to read it.

This book contains a variety of stories of children experiencing supernatural things, such as seeing angels, receiving things, and healings. Most of the stories were written in a third person (by a parent or someone like that), or in first person by a parent. A few were written by adults who had experiences when they were children.

I feel like many, if not most of the stories were very vague, although there were a couple that were really well-written. I didn't really like the writing style either, but overall, the compilation of stories were really good.

RockandMinerals4Him rating-
7/10

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for sending me a free print copy for my honest review; I was not required to write a positive review.

This review originally appeared on RockandMinerals4Him: https://rockandminerals4him.wordpress...

[Mary Early · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jesus Talked to Me Today is a compilation of stories of miracles as experienced by children and teenagers. I must confess that I found the first story extremely difficult to believe. I was somewhat confused on my first reading because it was told in first person by a fifteen year old. Part of my disbelief came from the vocabulary in this story since it was not what I would expect from a girl who had left home at fourteen.

In spite of my reaction to that first miracle, I continued reading and found the other stories more believable although I was curious about the writers and how the compiler had found these stories. At the end of the book, I discovered short bios of the writers, making me wonder if these had been included at the end of each story, I might have realized a context for the incidents and understood sooner that the stories in first person had been written by the adult and not by the child.

In further considering my difficulty in believing particularly that first story, it occurred to me that, perhaps, if it had been last in the collection, I would have seen it as a climax and would then have been more accepting.

My overall impression is that the book could work as a daily devotional because it certainly leads one to ponder God’s power in our lives and what we can learn when we see things through the eyes of youth.

Note: Bethany House Publishers provided this book to me in exchange for an honest review.

[C.E. Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesus Talked to Me Today is a compendium of true stories of children’s encounters with angels, miracles, and God. The book is compiled by James Stuart Bell, and is reminiscent of stories I remember my brother and I reading when we were kids—peeking into the experiences and encounters of the supernatural and spiritual kind.

This book is a little different than what I expected. The child on the cover and the font used for the title gave me the impression that this was either a book for children, or to be read/shared with children, but I don’t necessarily recommend that. It is more like adults revealing the encounters and experiences they had years ago—when they were young.

With that said, this is an enjoyable and inspiring read. I’ve no doubt we entertain angels (sometimes unawares) for the Bible tells says so—and have experienced things similar to some in this book. It is comforting, assuring, and in some ways eerie, but mainly affirming.

God is with us; he comforts us, and works in our lives in mysterious and miraculous ways. It is with childlike faith and vulnerability that we are most open to recognize God’s messages and messengers.

The bottom line: The book contains approximately forty stories with diverse experiences and outcomes. Some are detailed, evocative, and stimulating, and others are somewhat vague and vapid.

Pages: 240
ISBN: 978-07621227

I received a Review Copy from the publisher.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jesus Talked to Me Today is a book of true stories that was complied by James Stuart Bell. The book is a compilation of 41 stories of children that have heard Jesus speak to them, have felt Angels with them or experience miracles. The stories range from children who are gravely ill and have had a glimpse of Heaven to stories of encouragement children have received.
This is a very inspirational book to read. One of the stories that really sticks with me is Anne Garboczi Evans “Trapped Beneath the Surf”. As a child her family went to the beach, 15 years later she is talking with her brother, Kyle, when he reveals that while at the beach he felt a hand wrap around him when he went under a wave. Anne suggests to us, that when we are in a conversation that is slowing down to ask if anyone has experienced a miracle. Many of us have, but do not talk about them. Miracles are not always big things, they can be small voices that we hear tell us something, such as Tim Hamblin did. He heard a voice tell him “Don't Go”. Had he listen to his father and gone , the weight of him in the car would have broken the tree and the car would have gone in the water.
I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishing for an honest review.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the book was not what I expected, I did enjoy it. Instead of being written by children, or at least being recorded by children shortly after the incident, most of these are written by adults who recall the happenings when they were children. I do not mean to insinuate that these are any less real or true, but that it fell short of my expectations. I did enjoy it and perhaps the best part of it was that all the stories are short, only 1 to 3 pages long and not in any particular order. That way, I was able to finish one story in a short time, and come back and pick it up to continue without missing anything. It would be a great book to give to a busy mother who loves to read but does not have a lot of time to do so, grandmothers, and the elderly. I also recommend it to those who love angels, and Jesus and true stories.
Thank you to Stephanie Gibson and Ellen of Graf-Martin Publicity Group, Bethany House Publishers for the opportunity to read this novel. I was given a free book through Nuts About Books program for the purpose of a review. A positive critique was not required. The opinions are my own.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jesus Talked to me Today is a book of 41 short stories compiled by James Stuart Bell. These stories are about children who have experiences with Jesus and how they all came about.


This was a very inspirational and uplifting read. I felt myself tear up on multiple stories. Some were obviously better than others but overall this was a wonderful read in the world filled with violence and anger. This was also a very quick read, I could have read this in a day if I would have just sat down with it and read all day.

Since this was written by the individuals telling the story rather than an author, some of the stories were not written overly well. However, none of them were awful or full of mistakes. They were written and told so that you could really feel as though you were watching the story unfold. I felt close to some of these people by the time the story was over.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants something inspirational and happy to read.

*I received this book in exchange for my honest review*

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jesus Talked To Me Today by James Stuart Bell is an inspirational book full of stories of children's encounters with angels, miracles, and God.

I was captured from the very first page, each chapter is only a few pages long and tells a different child's story. This book brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face as I read these children's stories. A fast read inspirational and uplifting, has been added to my favorite books.

One of my favorites is 'Giants in the Land' where 3 children were met everyday after school by bullies wanting money from them. Until their family prayed with them about it and asked God to send his angels to protect them. And that is EXACTLY what he did!

A 15 year old boy who has stage 4 cancer - my favorite quote from this chapter
"With His single touch, my terminal disease recoiled. He alone stilled my storm with one command."

I received an ARC (advanced readers copy) of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. I highly recommend this book, you won't regret reading it.

[Kathleen Friesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a rather difficult book to review, because it was written by a variety of people, some professional writers and some not. Many of these stories flowed with great prose, while others touched my heart in their simplicity.
I’ve always believed that children tend to be more open to the heavenly realm, and that is why I chose this book. I read it slowly, one story at a time, and let the hope-boost from that testimony carry me until the next chance to read. This book confirms why Jesus Christ said, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” So let’s embrace the faith shown by these children so that we, too, may see God’s glorious works.
Jesus Talked To Me Today earns four stars and is recommended. Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children often have the kind of faith that could move mountains, so it isn’t surprising to find that throughout this book the stories they share are filled with instances when their prayers were answered and miracles took place. Some of the children saw Jesus and angels. Others felt their upset feelings become peaceful and knew that that there was a loving presence that they didn’t see that was there for them.

The author has other books on the market similar to this one. He wrote several A Cup of Comfort books and other heartwarming books meant to encourage readers. If you know someone who is feeling down, this book would make a welcome gift.

I really enjoy reading uplifting, faith-building books and this one definitely fits into that category.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jesus loved children, so it makes sense that he wants to talk with them, This book is filled with stories of these times when children were blessed with times with God, Angels and miracles. What better ways to open the ears and hearts of others than to hear from a child how they spent time with God.

It serves as a confirmation that when we are open to him, He loves to take time to share with each of us. I enjoyed the format of this book, stories straight from the children to our hearts.

I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys this acknowledgement that God wants to be with you.

I was given this book by Bethany House in return for my honest review.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book with many inspiring true stories! Some made me laugh, some cry and a few gave me chills. There were all types of stories, from children in everyday situations to times of intense grief and intense fear. This book was a great reminder that God sees us and knows everything we're going through. He cares about every detail of our lives and He's always there for us. There's so much more going on in this world than we can see. This was such an encouraging book. I highly recommend it!

I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book not sure what I was going to think in the end. To be honest, I'm still not sure I can wrap my head around these stories. The simple faith is not always easy when you see the moments where God allows things you don't expect. But what I did glean from these stories was the fact that each child who came out of these encounters with God were changed. Some may not even remember the specifics of the encounters, but as parents share their story in this book, they share how clearly they can see the imprint it left on their child's heart.

[Stephanie Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this book, but sadly the book did not meet my expectations. I believe in God and know that He works in mysterious ways, but the way some of the stories are told make them sound as if someone made them up. I was also disappointed in that fact that numerous versions of the Bible were used. This is not a book that I would recommend to anyone.
​
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. No review positive or negative was required. All opinions are my own.

[Tabitha White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked reading true stories of children/teenagers encounters with angels and Jesus. Warm, uplifting book to read!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

pending

[Kathy Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a contributing author of this book I found it fascinating to read other writers' stories of different ways children have recognized God's voice. I came away sweetly encouraged.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing, heart pounding and miraculous stories told from the perspective of children.