Beware! This is not a Christian book.January 29, 2008 23 out of 30 found this review helpful
Beware - This is not a Christian book. It is New Age wrapped in feel-good "Christian" wording.
On page 64 the author states, "Jesus commanded His disciples to love one another. This is the way to heaven." In the Bible, Jesus said that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. And that no one comes to the Father except through Him. Love alone won't get you there, if it could, then Jesus didn't need to come to earth to die for us.
On page 73 the author states, "It is not so important which religion [a person adheres to], but what individuals do with the religion they have been given. Religions are a vehicle to take you to a destination." This is the "all roads lead to God" mentality. In other words, all religions are the same, and none are special or unique, because they're all just simply vehicles to take everyone to the same place. This is not what the Bible teaches.
The author also claims that we will be able to converse telepathically with aliens and live additional lives on other planets if we choose (reincarnated as aliens?). And that people in hell can have a second chance at salvation if they so choose (although the journey back to heaven is difficult, he claims).
And that babies have no souls - they are just the "germ" of the "life source" (whatever that is) or "potential to become a soul through life experiences on earth". Which is the exact opposite of what Jesus said. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven"!
Please don't be fooled by the Christian feel-good words and scripture references taken out of context that permeate this book. This is NOT a Christian book. Which would be fine if the author disclosed it as such, but he doesn't. The author presents this to the public, including scripture references, as a Christian book. It most definitely is NOT.
Jesus also said that many will come claiming to speak in His name, who are nothing but wolves in sheep's clothing looking to devour His sheep. Just because someone calls himself "pastor" does not mean anything. The Bible tells us to compare everything to scripture. Including this book and it's message.
Christians, use your discernment.
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A worthwhile readJanuary 18, 2008 I strongly recommend this book for anyone who has questions about life or an afterlife. It is interesting that the author did not choose to write it until he was urged to by Anne Rice many years later. It is a very thought provoking book.
RemarkableJanuary 16, 2008 This is one of the most interesting NDEs I have ever read because it deals with negative experiences. After mountains of NDE books depicting the other side as nothing but beauty and tranquility, it is nice to read about demons who carve your flash off of your bones upon arrival.
Over the topDecember 14, 2007 This experience is the best I've ever read. Pastor Storm's account of his conversations with Jesus and the Angels really clears up questions one could have regarding the Love of God toward mankind. It's definitely a five star experience. I couldn't put it down.
Much to think aboutOctober 20, 2007 6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Howard Storm writes yet another personal account of a near death experience. Storm was an atheist who believed in oblivion after death, the cessation of being. His account differs slightly from the norm in that he describes his journey into a place of darkness, where unseen tormentors mocked and tortured him. In this state, he describes how an inner voice called on him to pray, even though he fought this notion, as he was an unbeliever most of his life. Finally in desperation he called out "Jesus save me!" with all his heart and how Jesus enveloped him in the light of God and brought him to Heaven. After reflecting upon his life and talking to beings of light, he was returned to earth where he had lain dying in a hospital bed in France, but was resurrected by a last minute operation.
Storm, who was an atheist for most of his life, after several months of recovery from a perforated stomach and several other maladies, found himself coming closer and closer to God. Today, 20 years after his experience, he is an ordained minister and pastor at a church in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Although the 150 pages or so of his account are spiritually enlightening, at times Storm can come off as rather preachy. It is a good reminder that although God is perfect, his messengers are not, and his message often gets adulterated in its transmission. Storm tries so hard to corroborate his newfound religion, Christianity, to the experience he underwent, that he often fails to see the contradictions in his own words. Also, his overemphasis on love/hate to describe the world is oversimplified and misses the mark. A better way to describe it would be selfless vs. selfish. When someone steals from you, or coerces you to do something wrong, it is usually not because the hate you, but because they are only thinking about themselves.
Storm covers the topic of the creation of the soul. He seems to imply that the soul is created in the womb, but if the "soul fails in the physical, it will go back to the source." Then he says "It may come back into this physical world or another." So, when it comes back, then the soul is not created in the womb? Or only the first time? He complicates things further when he talks about God and the creation of the universe. For God, there is not past, present, or future. He created everything at once, and he knows everything there ever was and ever will be. If he created everything at once, then couldn't we say that our immortal souls have been around since the beginning of creation as well?
In his time on the other side, the author also has an encounter with Jesus. In the Christian tradition, we are taught that Jesus is part of the trinity, son of God, and God incarnate. Storm asks him "Are you the son of God?" and Jesus says "Yes". In another chapter he talks about how the spirit of God entered the world through Jesus. This to me seems mildly deceptive. In what sense is Jesus the son of God? Was God married and his wife gave birth to Jesus? The truth is, we are all sons and daughters of God, because he created all of us. Also, a little bit of God is in all of us, so his spirit is present in all of us. Storm ran with the little bit of information that was given to him, and jumps to conclusions to help support the claims of the scriptures. I believe it's a matter of interpretation of the words. Is Jesus the son of God? Yes. Is the spirit of God fill Jesus? Yes, but not in the way we think.
Storm also is a bit preachy. It as if he's saying "you better start loving God or your not going to heaven!" (not a direct quote) Does he forget that he was saved from the depths of the abyss by Jesus himself? Does he also forget that if we are to love God, we should do it for the sake of loving God and not out of fear of being banished from his presence? Storm does make a good point though when he says "God love atheists, agnostics, murderers, prostitutes, thieves, drunks, drug addicts, homeless people, and liars. God abhors behavior that demeans and destroys Godliness."
Storm's account of his near death experience is not the first to describe the tormentors that he found in the darkness. Betty J Eadie, in her book "Embraced by the light", also describes these dark entities trying to keep her from fulfilling God's mission for her. But this place should not be mistaken for hell. We can call it hell, but without the connotations of the demons, Satan, fire and brimstone. This "Hell" is a place for the souls who have chosen to turn their backs on God. Their torment is having to live with each other away from the light and goodness of God. A place for people who lived their lives so egocentrically and without compassion for their fellow man that even in death they reject God. But even here these people still have a chance to repent and accept God. However, some of them will never do so and there souls will disappear into oblivion.
The most touching part of the book was when several months after his surgery, Storm went to church for the first time. He was still weak and needed help getting from place to place, but he says when he was at the church, it filled him with such joy that he threw himself to the ground in tears in and act of submission to God. He saw angels dancing to the music of the choir (A gift he had since his NDE) and felt truly alive.
