Conference yukon::christian_v7

    I did not read the book, but listened to several interviews with the
    author. I wondered why her book became so popular ? There are others 
    who have written books of after life experiences long before this
    woman. I listened to another women on the 700 club many years ago, who had
    a more detailing experience than this women had. Her story was more
    convincing than the "Blinded By The Light" author.

    Also, I find it strange that the author of  "BBTL" will
    not reveal her medical records, so that we can know what she died from.

    The woman I saw on the 700 Club did reveal her records. She died from
    complications caused by a ruptured appendix. She was about to be wheeled
    to the morgue by the orderly when she came back to life. 

    Jim

    The author is a Mormon.

    RE:3

    I thought she said she was raised  Catholic, but doesn't belong to 
    any denomination now ?

    Jim

    She was interviewed by a local program and said so.  There's a whole
    topic on this in the Mormonism conference as well.

I haven't read this book, but my understanding of it is that it very much
denies any concept of judgement at all.  It appears to be completely
universalist - everyone is 'saved,' or 'embraced by the light.'

That's second hand, but I'd read it myself before I recommended it to anyone.

Paul

I read this book awhile ago but will need to dig through my notes on it.
I liked some of it, disliked other parts.  

What was refreshing was that she was uncompromising about that fact that 
the being of light (similar to what many describe in their near-death 
experiences) was really Jesus, whom she described as the savior.  Other such 
widely publicized experiences have left out any specific identity of this 
being and I remember the commentators on the TV airing were uncomfortable 
with this particular stance of hers and maintained that a Buddhist would 
have identified the being as Buddha, the Moslem, Mohammed, etc.

While there were a lot of far-out sounding things, most of which I could
neither substantiate nor refute with the bible, one theme was brought up
over and over, namely our pre-existence in a spiritual form and personal
decision to be born into this world for whatever reason.  This part
struck me as anti-biblical, citing God's response to Job, "where were you..."
as a possible contradiction.

I was asked by someone recently to provide scriptures which would either
support or refute her claims about this spiritual pre-existence to life on
earth and, from those who have actually read the book, I'd appreciate
such input.

- steve

    My mother-in-law, who's heavy into new age, just loooves the book. 
    Notice how the author of the book never does seem to test the being she
    saw to see if it was of God or not.  People who are more knowledgeable
    than I have torn this book to pieces.  FYI--many new agers use the name 
    Jesus--this doesn't refer to the Jesus you and I know.  It's a
    "prophet".  Hey, my mother-in-law's heard him talk through a channeler, 
    so it must be real!  After all, we're all God's. (geesh) 
    
    
    (flame off)
    
    Donna
     

      For one who believes that man is mortal and that there is no
      conscioussness after death until Jesus resurrects, the book
      is simply an example of the deception of spiritualism which
      deception is sometimes very powerful.
    
                                                 Tony

Many people will use wonderous experiences to validate their own view
of things, just as many can use statistics to advantage, or fund a 
study to find proof of their hypotheses.  For example, I can see 
where all people go to heaven... to see what it is like at judgment.
After all, where will the sheep and the goats be separated and how
much more will the torment of one be in Hell after seeing heaven
and missing it.  All of it is speculative reasoning - based on an
expereince, a feeling - which is fleeting.  These people need no
convincing and do not need to convince others because their 
exerience is all that is necessary.  However, this is a very dangerous
position to take to the exclusion of other things.  (Meaning, experience
is valid WHEN CORRABORATED by such things as the Word, the tradition, and
reason.)

Now, FWIW, my mother-in-law claims a near-death experience (which she
doesn't go around telling people), from the Dentist's chair; her heart 
stopped.  She went to heaven and it was "very beautiful"; so beautiful
that she wanted to stay, but a person whom she took to be Jesus said that
she needed to go back for her family.  I should ask her is she applied any
real significance to this experience.  Apparently, if she did or does, 
she kept it largely to herself.  I learned about it through my wife, 
years after the fact.  I still like the scripture that says that
Mary pondered these things in her heart.

Mark

>While there were a lot of far-out sounding things, most of which I could
>neither substantiate nor refute with the bible, one theme was brought up
>over and over, namely our pre-existence in a spiritual form and personal
>decision to be born into this world for whatever reason.  This part
>struck me as anti-biblical, citing God's response to Job, "where were you..."
>as a possible contradiction.
    
    This is a Mormon doctrine and they usually point to Job 38:7 as their
    "proof."  If you check some references on Job 38:7, you'll discover
    it's not a proof.  Strong's Exhaustive Concordance with Hebrew, Chaldee, 
    and Greek Dictionaries provides some interesting insight into the phrase 
    "sons of God."  The Hebrew word for God is Elohim in this verse.  Elohim 
    is defined as:

- the plural of Eloah?, El?.  It's translated "gods" in the ordinary sense; but
  specifically used in the plural to refer to the supreme God.
- occaisionally applied by way of deference to magistrates (John 10:34-35 as
  well as in Exodus).
- sometimes used as a superlative for angels.
- there are no other alternatives (i.e., pre-existent spirits).

It's pretty obvious that's what Job 38:7 is referring to - angels.  The angels
of heaven were rejoicing in God's creation.
                                                        
    Mike

    This book and many other NDE books hold a positive experiences.  My
    paster did a series on NDE experiences in Janaury and used the
    interview Oprah did with Edie to talk about her book he also had Dr.
    Maurice Rawlings come speak who wrote the book, "To Hell and Back"  he
    is a Heart Surgeon who was saved through one of his patients negative
    NDE it is an interesting read from a different perspective.
    
    Sasha

Is "new age" like "rock music"?

    What does rock music have to do with new age?

    No New Age as in the occult, white magic witchcraft, denying
    accountability to God and a need for a Savior, secular humanism,
    calling faith a force you can manipulate instead of a manifestation of
    the Holy Spirit that distributes it as He wills, calling Jesus a
    Shaman, (W)Holistic medicine, Religious Science, Science of Mind,
    rebirthing, reincarnation, hypnosis, visualization, psychotherapy, etc.
    
    Speaking of (W)Holistic medicine and doctors who practice it...  If you
    have such a doctor, (this title implies that he treats the mind, body,
    and the spirit) ask him these 3 questions:
    
    1.  What medicines are effective on spirits?
    2.  How many spirits has he treated in the past?
    3.  How do you know when a spirit is sick?
    
    Mike ;-)

    Oh.  Yes, I agree.  Speaking of Holistic medicine, I would hesitate
    going to a Holistic doctor, but I don't think that herbs in and of
    themselves are harmful.  Do you agree or disagree?
    
    dh

    No I don't see anything wrong with natural herbs or homemade remedies.

.13   Title:  it's New Age and should be treated as such
.14   Is "new age" like "rock music"?
.15   What does rock music have to do with new age?
.16   Clarification...
.17   "...I don't think that herbs in and of themselves are harmful.  
         Do you agree or disagree?
.18   "No I don't see anything wrong with natural herbs or homemade remedies."

The point of .14 is that not everything that is labelled "new age" is
along the lines of Mike's clarification in .16 ('of the occult').  I
was referring to a debate in this conference a while back where rock
music was cast in a "baby and bath water" view versus those who proposed
that not all rock and roll was bad.  Mike, if I remember correctly, was
one of those who argued that not everything "rock and roll" was bad,
which prompted my question: "Is 'new age' like 'rock music'?"

Now you know what rock music has to do with new age.  :-)

Mark

    Well I totally missed where you were going with that.  I thought you
    were asking about rock music styles as compared to new age music
    styles (yes there is such a thing).
    
    Mike

    Nope.  That's why I used quotes around the two issues, to highlight
    them as issues.  To subtle, I suppose.  Sorry.
    
    How should new age music be treated?  Do you like (some of) it?
    Musically speaking, was synthesizer music a precursor to some new
    age-style music?  (Sorry for the tangent.)

    Yeah I like some of the New Age style music.  Some refer to it as the
    classical music of the '90s.  Phil Keaggy's "The Wind & The Wheat" is
    sometimes classified as New Age and selections from it can be heard on
    the New Age stations in various cities.
    
    New Age music can be anything from just plain acoustic guitar to synth
    music.  It's usually gentle and reflective instrumental music.  The
    "Praise" collection could be classified this way.
    
    Mike

I have really enjoyed Otmar Liebert and his semi flamincoSP? releases.
Great music and it is hard not to start moving with the beat. Even for
a beatless person like me.

His music is always classed as "new age" and he objects to the class.
I saw an interview with him somewhere and although it was not stated
outright, I got the feeling he was a christian and simply the term
"new age" bothered him. He classed his music as accoustic insturmental.

John I.

Sorry folks.......... Back to read only....... Click

� Sorry folks.......... Back to read only....... Click

Unclick and rejoin us, John, before we come apart.  Good to see you around
still.

	...Now back to your scheduled discussion...
							&

The point is that some things associated with new age are avoided by some
because of the association.  The rainbow is one example.  Now come on;
who had it first?  (You'd get some arguments from some people that it wasn't
Noah; that Noah's story is folklore of a specific culture.)

It ain't what a thing is, it is what is done with the thing.

Now let's see if I can tie this back to the book "Embrace by the Light"....

Nope.  Sorry, I can't.  :-}

    .26
    
    While reading your note, it reminded me of someone saying go stand on
    the train track at the exact hour a train is scheduled to come plowing
    down.  If you die, it was God's will.
    
    I see scripture saying things like "Be watchful"  "Be Careful" and of
    course to also protect our souls through Godly fellowship.
    
    I believe that God requires us to get knowledge, but with that
    knowledge gain understanding, for this leads to wisdom.
    
    In His Love,
    Nancy

    RE: .26
    >>I have found that I am permitted to view all things from
    >>a childs perspective with interest and fascination.  As
    >>a child there is no need for fear for I know that my Father
    >>protects me, guides me and grants me wisdom.
    
    I wasn't real sure how to take your note.  Are you saying we should
    just take everything into our minds.  Scripture has a lot to say about
    what we put into our minds and what we think on.  The Lord protects me
    by giving me wisdom not the allow a lot of junk to enter my mind in the
    first place.   Its true that I am free to think on anything, but the
    bible also says that many things are unprofitable.
    
    1Co  6:12 All things are lawful to me, but all things are not
    expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be
    brought under the power of any.
    
    1Co  10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not
    expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify
    not.
    
    >>I am not in fear that I would be sucked in, deceived or fooled for 
    >>through everything I go Jesus is with me to help me grow.
    
    The bible says that Satan is like a roaming lion, seeking whom he may
    devour.  Satan is a deceiver.  2 Cor 10:5 says that we are to take
    every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  This happens at the
    threshold of our mind.  Our brain is like a computer (GIGO).  If we put
    garbage in, the output will be garbage as well.  We should allow our
    thoughts to dwell on His Truth, not error.  We are guided by the Truth
    of His word.  If we rely on our "feelings" (emotions) we will wind up
    falling.  Below are several verses which deal with thoughts, and
    what we put into our mind.
    
    Ro   12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
    transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what
    [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
    
    
    Php  4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever
    things [are] honest, whatever things [are] just, whatever things
    [are] pure, whatever things [are] lovely, whatever things [are]
    of good report; if [there is] any virtue, and if [there is] any
    praise, think on these things. {honest: or, venerable}
    
    2Co  10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
    exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into
    captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
    {imaginations: or, reasonings}
    
    1Co  13:11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood
    as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put
    away childish things. {thought: or, reasoned} {put away: Gr.
    vanish away}
    
    1Pe  5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
    as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
    
    Christ WILL protect us, but sometimes He protects us by giving us
    wisdom not to put certain things into our mind in the first place.
    
    Mt   4:7 Jesus said to him, It is written again, Thou shalt not
    tempt the Lord thy God. {tempt: or, try, or, put to trial, or,
    proof}
    
    Love in Him,
    
    Bing

>I am merely obeying the LAW.

Legalism is a danger, no doubt.  So is reckless living.  Where is the 
balance?  Living in the Spirit of the Law, not the letter, as you say,
"Christ living them through me."

Matthew 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I
am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
 18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one
tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

So the law is not abolished, but brought to fulfillment by the spirit 
(or intent) of the law.  When Jesus commented on the law regarding
divorcement, he instead spoke of "what was intended from the beginning."
Further, Jesus summed ALL of the law thusly:

Matthew 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
 38  This is the first and great commandment.
 39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself.
 40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
     -----------------------------------------------------------

Find the balance and intent of the law and cling to its fulfillment.

Mark

    re .30
    
    ::Poland (sorry I don't know what your name is),
    
    I am anything BUT a legalist (If you read some of my other writings in
    this conference, I think you can see this).  My favorite verse is 
    Rom. 8:1,2 "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in
    Christ Jesus.  For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has
    set you free from the law of sin and of death".  Christ has set me
    FREE!  I am no longer under law (the power of sin).
    
    I don't read the bible to find out HOW to live my life as much as I do
    to KNOW Christ and to allow Him to speak to me through His word.  Its
    not me learning to live a holy life by DOING what the scripture says,
    but by BEING (or Abiding) in Christ and allowing Him to live His life
    through me.  Yes, I am FREE to do all things, but if I am allowing the
    Holy Spirit to truley live in and through me, I won't WANT to do all
    things.  I will want to live a life that is dependant on Him. (Rom 6:1
    "What shall we say then, are we to continue in sin that grace might
    increase?  May it never be!  How shall we who died to sin, still live
    in it?" 
    
    An example,  Should I go into a strip bar, since I am free to do all
    things?  I may be free to, but I believe it will be UNprofitable to do
    so.  Rom 6:13 "And do not go on presenting the members of your body to
    sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as
    those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
    righteousness to God. vs 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for
    you are not under law, but under grace. vs 15 What then?  Shall we sin
    because we are not under law but under grace?  May it never be! vs 16
    Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves
    for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin
    resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? vs 17
    But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin you became
    obedient from the HEART to that form of teaching to which you were
    committed, vs 18 and having been FREED from sin, you became slaves of
    righteousness".
    
    When I became a Christian, Christ gave me a new identity.  I have been
    crucified with Christ and Christ now lives in me.  Does that nullify
    scripture?  No way.  There has been a lot written in here about testing
    the spirits.  Christ lives in me and speaks to me.  But Satan is a
    deceiver and will speak to me in my own voice to introduce a thought to
    me.  How do I know who is speaking?  The first way I know is "does it
    line up with scripture?".  God's word is a plumb line to keep me on
    line.  So, I see a nice looking lady in a tight sweater.  A lustful
    thought comes into my mind.  Is that sin?  No, I haven't allowed my
    mind to dwell on that.  I then "take the thought captive", to discern
    "is this thought from Christ or from the flesh?".  By testing the
    thought against scripture, I know its not from the Holy Spirt.  So, I
    choose by my will to set my mind on Christ and who I am in Christ.  In Him 
    I am Holy & Blameless, I am Righteous, I am a new creature.  Is that 
    legalism?  No! Christ is living inside me, it is my Desire to live 
    righteously.  My prayer every day is "Lord live YOUR Life in and through me
    today".
    
    I am saved by God's GRACE.  Nothing that I do can make me anymore of
    any less acceptable to Him.  Its only when I understand how
    unconditionally God loves me, that I can trust Him with my whole being. 
    He has given LIFE to my spirit.  That motivates me all the more to seek
    Him.  As Paul said, "To live is Christ".  Or in the words of the old
    hymn, "the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the Light of His
    glory and grace",
    
    Love in Christ,
    
    Bing
    
    

 AMEN, Bing...





Jim

    Robert,
    
    Its always more difficult for me to know what someone is really saying,
    when I am just reading, rather than being able to talk face to face.
    
    I have never read "Embracing the Light" and the depth of my knowledge
    of the book is about a 20 second "what's coming up" blurb on the 20/20 
    news show.
    
    My response what not to that, but to your original note which stated
    that we don't have to worry about protecting ourselves or being
    deceived.  I didn't mean to imply that there was anything wrong with
    reading "Embraced by the Light" per se.  I was responding more from the
    stand point of some Christians I have known, who basically fill their
    mind with any and everything.  I know from my own experience, that when
    I have viewed or read things or allowed my mind to dwell on thoughts
    that are not from God, that I have become desensitized (sp?) the Spirit
    speaking to me.  
    
    I think your note in .31 clarified better for me where you were coming
    from.  I agree with you that God will give me His discernment, through
    His Spirit within and the knowledge of His word, to know if something
    is of Him or not.
    
    Love in Him,
    
    Bing
    
    I also wasn't trying to imply that I was a spiritual giant (Its only by
    God's free gift of grace that I am anything).  I was responding to one of 
    the earlier notes about being under the law.

Bob, 
  Surely you're not saying that people shouldn't "strive toward the mark,"
"study to show themselves approved," "seek first the kingdom," "diligently
seek him," and "work out your salvation."  Just need some clarification
from you on .36 because it sounds as if getting to heaven is a whimsical
affair.  And certainly I do not mean to sound as if it is a mechanical
or prescribed thing. No!  But there is a place for discipline in the
Christian life.

Mark

    Robert,
    
    You're absolutely right that only if we have another agenda, do we have
    to worry about being deceived.  I believe this can be call spritual
    warfare.  In Romans 7 Paul talks about, "That which I want to do, I
    don't do...".  Satan wants us to live in the flesh and he will do every
    thing in His power to deceive us into living by the flesh (trying to
    meet my own needs), rather than in a dependant relationship upon the Lord. 
    
    I find that whenever I have an argument with my wife, that it is
    usually over a "rights" issue.  The flesh will tell me that my wife
    needs to meet my needs it a certain area.  The Spirit will tell me that
    I need to love my wife as Christ loved the Church and trust Him to meet
    my needs.  The only thing is that sometimes, I don't take the thought
    captive (or recognize that its indwelling sin [or flesh] that introduced 
    the thought to me in the first place), because the thought to get my own
    needs met "feels" and sounds just like my own voice.
    
    I think we agree that when our focus is on Christ and allowing Him to
    live in and through us (living in the Spirit) that God will give us
    discernment.  Its been my experience that when I am in the Spirit that my 
    spriritual attennas are up and when error comes into my mind (whether it be
    spoken, written, etc.) the Holy Spirit will allow me to recognize it
    and reject it.  I think my only point is that, If I'm not focusing on
    God (& filling my mind with the Truth) when Satan lies to me (in first 
    person singular) its easy not to recognize that spritual warfare is
    even taking place.  
    
    Love in Him,
    
    Bing 

    .39
    
    There is a time for labor as Martha did...
    
    Too often Martha is criticized for her role... I find this to be
    lop-sided. She fulfilled a purpose, she tended to things.. and if she
    hadn't Christ would have used someone else to tend to things...
    
    

I'm too lazy, but if I wasn't Bob, I'll pull down Strongs from off my
shelf and find out just what the context of "work" and the others
actually was, no matter what you or I understand it to be.  Would
that be acceptable?

Mark

    >I'm too lazy, but if I wasn't Bob, 
    
    You're not! :-)
    

Yes, I am.  That would require me to "work."  ;-)

>    Christ has called us into His Rest.  His Yoke is easy and His burden is
>    light.  I choose to sit at His feet as Mary and not labor in the
>    kitchen with Martha.

It was Martha who ran to the Lord when he came to Lazarus' tomb.  It was
Martha, not Mary, who declared "I believe that thou art the Christ, the
Son of God, which should come into the world."  Do you remember what the
Lord said to Peter when he uttered this revelation?  Mary remained with
the women, mourning.  Martha ran to Jesus.

Choose your sister.  I choose Martha!  :-)

Mark

    Actually we should choose both! :-)
    
    Ecclesiastes comes to mind.

    Re .45
    
    Good Note. 
    
    
    Bing

      Hi,
    
        The only way to do the works of God is to rest in Christ.
        "Labor to enter into that rest..."  what a paradox!
    
                                             Tony

2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
 the gift of God:

2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

    After reading the entries it appears that no one here has actually read
    this book.  Well I have and I liked it.  Actually thats an
    understatement.
    
    Let me give some background.  When I first started doing this Christian
    thing I found that reading the kind of books that got me to this stage
    was now causing me to get off track so I stayed close to the Word. 
    Actually since that time I've only read two other books and this was
    one of them.  I prayfully consider now before picking up a book.
    
    I read this book and it helped shake into place a lot of the concepts
    of Christianity that I was still struggling with.  In addition it
    taught/showed/reminded me of where my true home was.  That was the
    first time I really understood this.
    
    So I recommend that some of you who are firmly rooted in the Word read
    this and let me know what you think.  Its a very quick read - about 1
    hour.  Treat it as fiction.  Please be careful, compare everything to 
    scripture and remember that you can get into trouble reading books 
    like this.  However I really didn't find anything in it that felt wrong.
    I think you might all enjoy it and grow from it.
    
    Hebrews 13-9
    Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.  For it is
    good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have
    not profited those who have been occupied with them.
    
    Jill2

    
    Ok, now my recommendation.  If you are going to read this
    book, I also recommend that you pick up "Embraced by the Light and
    the Bible" a commentary on the book.  I found it very interesting
    the lengths that the author of "Embraced by the Light" has gone
    to to cover up her church affiliations etc...
    
    I can't really expound on it since it's been a while since I read
    it but if anyone in the Colo. area wants to borrow it, I can get
    it to them.
    
    Pam

    
    I was going to enter this note months ago and spaced it after asking
    the MODs to open the string up again for discussion.  Duh.  I found
    my original file though and will post it anyway.  
    
    As you all know my dad died in December.  An acquaintance at Digital
    gave me a book that she believes to be comforting about what heaven
    is like.  The book was "Embraced by the Light."  Not wanting to be
    rude I accepted it being extremely wary as I suspected this was the
    same lady I had seen a year or so ago on Oprah.  I started reading
    the book with antennae up for untruth.  After a couple of chapters I
    couldn't stand the waiting and just skipped to the big NDE scene.
          (While patience is a virtue, discernment is a gift!  ;^)
    Anyway...she talked about a bright light, she talked about being
    carried on currents of air at high speeds towards the light, and then
    she said Jesus told her there were so many churches because everyone
    was on a different level of spiritually but it all lead to the same
    place and that she realized she had no place criticizing any religion.
    I sat there incredulous!  It's not that I don't believe in NDEs, it's
    just that I don't necessarily believe that they all are from God and
    if we take the time to look at God's Word, we'd know that.
    
    1) The Bible says that Satan disguises himself as an Angel of Light!
       Is he not the deceiver who would pull a scam like this sooner than
       let you find out the truth?
    
    2) The Bible also calls Satan the Prince of the Air.  Is he not the
       destroyer who would sooner wish for you to be rushed on currents
       of air to your ultimate destruction?
    
    3) The Word of God says to test the spirits and see if they are
       teaching any other gospel than the one of Christ.  If they are, they 
       are not of God.  It bothered me that she just assumed in the book 
       that this was Jesus.  She didn't even ask!  And while as a christian 
       I would hope like Ananias (Acts 9) I would know the voice of my 
       Lord, but if the person I thought to be him was saying things that 
       disagreed with the Word of God, I wouldn't be listening to him.
    
    I haven't read every word of this book.  It is my prayer though that we
    would all delve deeply into the Word of God to be able to discern right
    from wrong and not be taken for fools by the #1 fool himself.
    
    Jilla

    Hi Jilla, 
    
    Really don't want to rathole your topic, but mention of a book having
    been given you for comfort after your dad's death prompts me to mention
    another book I have just finished _Deadline_ [sorry, brainfade on the
    author's name - a pastor from the Pacific northwest]
    
    Story involves the deaths of two members of a "three musketeers" set
    (since grade-school), one of whom is a Christian, and the detective
    work of the remaining third member who is not saved and resents the
    efforts of his Christian friends.  
    
    In his endnotes, the author makes it clear that the scenes in Heaven
    are from his own imagination, but that he was careful not to let
    anything in that was contrary to Scripture.  The scenes are beautiful.  
    
    I thought of my dad a lot while I was reading it...  Maybe you would
    get some comfort from it, too.  
    
    In His love, 
    
    /John

A fully Christian version of one person's experience with life after this
life can be found in "My Glimpse of Eternity" by Betty Malz.  Not only did
she return, but was miraculously healed in the process.

Paul

    
    Thank you both John and Paul....Hey where's Ringo?  HAHAHAHAHA
    
    This has been a week of emotions as two women in my church had their
    fathers die.  Their loss touches my heart so deeply as my loss is
    still so very real to me.  
    
    Jilla

Guys,

>    Thank you both John and Paul....Hey where's Ringo?  HAHAHAHAHA

	please forgive JillA. She's under a lot of pressure, and as you can
see, it's starting to take it's toll. She's becoming more and more erratic
- funny thing, ever since she's known me :') I wonder if there's a
connection :'/

    Last time I saw Ringo, he was about four inches tall and wearing a
    railroad conductor's uniform...
    
    (Talk about *wierd* casting)  Well, at least we got George Carlin's
    language cleaned up a bit :^)
    
    /John

 He was just in Boston this week as his daughter had surgery to remove a
 brain tumor (which I understand was succesful).




 Jim

    When will I ever learn?  
    
    Every once in a while when I get an attack of smart-mouth, something
    like this will remind me that what I've said may be less than sensitive
    to someone who is hurting.  
    
    My apologies, brothers and sisters.  
    
    /John

    John,
    
    forgiven