So what does Jesus really look like?

Posted on Thursday, 4 April, 2024 by Richard Barker

[First posted April 2012]

A little boy's astounding story of his trip to heaven and back Upon reading my brief review of Heaven Is For Real did you, too, not end up asking that question? Whilst reading the book I was most interested in simply because Jesus’ face had been out of sight during my own encounter, as explained here (at 1st Validation).

Also, I was familiar with ‘portraits’ of ‘Master Jesus’ in New Age circles but didn’t regard them as authentic. So, can you imagine how deeply stunned Todd and Sonja Burpo were whilst driving with their two children to hear their 4 year-old suddenly reveal he’d heard angels – and met Jesus Christ?

From their vehicle’s back-seat little Colton pipes up in answer to a gentle tease about hospital by saying what mum and dad were doing whilst he was dying on an operating table with a severely ruptured appendix that had poisoned his abdomen. It wasn’t so much his accurate description of what they were doing in two different places – on the phone and praying; well, losing it with God! – that hit them. (Only much later did his father learn the finer points of how that prayer of desperation was answered!)

They had to stop at a nearby snack bar to hear again, and digest, Colton’s very quick account of what happened whilst being operated upon. As only a young child can, he described being with Jesus. Over the course of many weeks a fuller account gradually emerged, usually popping out during play times, of what Jesus looks like and of many things Colton ‘did and saw’ during minutes, not hours, of earth time.

There was also, and more importantly, what Colton knew. Almost all of this could not be attributed to any teaching or children’s Bible stories! The first answer to what Jesus looked like was the answer to a spiritual ‘riddle’: what’s the only thing in heaven that’s the same as it was on earth? He said straight-off, “Jesus has markers”. Huh!!!!

His father claims Colton didn’t know about the crucifixion wounds at that age because their Weslyan church made no references to or had any pictures of them. For nearly three years his parents would show Colton dozens of illustrations depicting Jesus but they all left him cold. He never saw one that he thought was right.

He just could not recognise Jesus in any pictures. One day Todd came across a CNN report of a young girl Akiane Kramarik, a child prodigy who began painting exceptionally sophisticated artwork at the age of 6 years. A couple of years previously she’d begun having ‘visions’ of heaven, even though both her parents were atheists! The authors of Heaven Is For Real write, ‘Slowly her mom began to accept that Akiane’s visions were real and that, therefore, God must be real’.

Todd writes, ‘As I watched a montage of Akiane’s artwork play across my computer screen, the narrator said, “Akiane describes God as vividly as she paints him”! (p 143)

That was similar to how Colton spoke of Jesus – both children spoke especially about His beautiful eyes. So Todd told Colton to come and take a look, asking what was wrong with this one. The boy said nothing, just stared, and he was asked again – still silence and then he got nudged:

‘My seven-year-old turned to look at me and said, “Dad, that one’s right!”

Entitled “Prince of Peace, Resurrection”, her portrait can be seen in Akiane’s Official Gallery under ‘Age 8’ and the next year shows Jesus praying, “Father Forgive Them”.

To learn how she saw and painted Him read For child art prodigy Akiane, Jesus is for real.

Below, Ray Downing demonstrates how the picture Colton saw matches the image of the deceased Christ as captured millennia ago on The Shroud of Turin.

Also, you can watch Colton at 11 tell his story on video on Heaven is for Real Ministries.

APRIL 2024 – Tim Shey comments with another interesting pictorial comparison:

“Richard: I just discovered this today. The video is 3 minutes 55 seconds. Reminds of that scripture: ”in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” (Matthew 18:16)

I say, amen, to what Jim Caviezel wrote on his Facebook page. Reminds me of this quote: “Though swordless, these soldiers of Christ fought the might of imperial Rome and won . . .Unlettered they unblushingly declared the whole counsel of God and eventually staggered the intellectual Greeks.” –Leonard Ravenhill”

34 years ago I awoke from a life-saving, life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ!!

Posted on Thursday, 14 September, 2023 by Richard Barker

Upon awaking on 14th September 1989, I was overjoyed to find I’m still alive after having had such a very close call with death in the night!

The previous evening I’d firmly shut the door to hearing any more about God’s Good News! But the night-time had been spent at my childhood home of 212 E___ Rd, Stockport, Cheshire, to undergo a life-changing event. [PS. Number is emphasised in view of God-incidence today! – click to read all about it.]

In a most unusual dream I went back in time and space. A dream so lucid that even four decades later it remains vividly etched within me. Here’s what happened, as copied from original with comments in italics, pls bear with close-type as too much formatting code to revise.:

A HEAVENLY VISITOR

‘I am in my childhood home and standing in front of the very tall casement window in one corner of the lounge. I look up into the inky, dark night sky outside.
‘A small flotilla of large, wingless aircraft drifts slowly across from left to right at high altitude and I groan, “Oh…not that flying saucer nonsense. I must be dreaming!”
‘I’m sceptical about the existence of UFO’s, but now another ‘fleet’ of some sort appears from the right and heads towards the first.
(The dream now changes gear by going up a level from the usual mix of mental material to that of absolute lucidity…)
‘The ‘light goes on’! In my ‘knower’, I realise the first fleet is demonic and the second is masses of angels under the command of Jesus Christ. (I did not believe in them, and regarded Jesus as one of many world teachers. Here, I see no individuals but inwardly know the situation.)
‘I think I’m about to watch an amazing heavenly battle…but…OH NO! Somehow, I now know Jesus has espied me far down below and is coming down directly towards me!
‘All I see is a distant bright light very rapidly getting brighter and larger as it drops down to my location, just like an airliner approaching a runway to land at night.
‘Instantly, I realise my life has been one of sin that contrasts starkly against Jesus’ own holiness. Right away I realise what’s claimed about the Judgement is true – but mine is about to happen right now!
Beyond any doubt whatsoever I suddenly realise my involvement in the occult was most definitely wrong. Consequently, I deserve the undesirable abode!
‘Groaning “My number’s up!” I inwardly tremble in fearful knowledge I’m about to die at any moment. An invisible trapdoor I’m standing on will drop me straight into Hell.
‘Utmost mortal terror strikes! I dive under the drop-leaf table by the wall to the left of the window so I can hide from Jesus. But he knows I’m hiding there and swoops down straight through the wall on the other side of the corner window. He’s standing in the room and right beside the table!
‘Cowering below the table with my back turned towards him, I glance over my shoulder and see him from the knees down, his body and face out of sight above the table.
‘Most unexpectedly, somehow I have the courage to reach my hand out backwards to grab at the hem of Jesus’ robe…
‘As I tug, the event goes into yet another level of revelation regarding my childhood…Then I awake! Thoroughly alert, further sleep eludes me!’

The dream reminds me of an evocative small picture that strongly impressed me when a child – the return of Jesus Christ:

Later I understand that my terror had been ‘the fear of God’ brought by Holy Spirit’s convicting me of my personal wrongdoing and, thus, preparing me to receive God’s grace – a totally undeserved favour!

Also, what happened after reaching for Jesus, and which I’ve yet to tell, proves He’s so closely acquainted with my intimate thoughts when a boy. The dream’s conclusion shows He’s going to topple those childish concepts and replace them with an absolutely sure knowledge of His true identity.

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (Psalm 111).

Mercifully, He plucked me from the domain of darkness to bring me into His own Kingdom and receive its blessings. I deserved none of that. Truly, Amazing Grace – how awesome and wonderful..!

As a result of the most remarkable dream I’d ever had, I was left with no choice but to seriously reconsider all my New Age and occult notions. Meditational and mystical exercises had resulted in my having some unusual, ‘psychic’ dreams, but none like this one.

The only one remotely similar was that of being in an ‘altered’ state of consciousness known as ‘nirvana’, or bliss, but where I’d been taken behind its alluring golden light. Sheer ecstasy turned to abject terror as the light I was in got swept aside like a curtain to reveal a hideous, devouring beast of utter blackness approaching me – far, far worse than any nightmare!

I wasn’t into drugs but was ignorant of the scripture ‘satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light‘ (2 Cor 11:14). Upon reading that verse years later, I realised its truth had been dramatically demonstrated to me as a non-Christian!

But in this new dream my terrifying fear had been overcome by Jesus Christ Himself and His wonderful mercy and love. He ‘arrested’ me in my sin only to rescue me from falling into the pit of Hell.

In this stunning night the Truth I’d been searching for since a teenager turned up in Person – thank You Lord. And lots more Truth was to come as I began to open the door to His Good News!

Moreover, this amazing encounter was yet to be validated on three occasions!!!

So, if you don’t yet know Jesus Christ and have a personal relationship with Him, you may wish to know more and consider this vital matter at Do You Know Jesus?

Testimonial continues >

33 years ago in night-battle in the heavens Jesus swoops down on me…!!!

Posted on Wednesday, 14 September, 2022 by Richard Barker

Upon awaking on 14th September 1989, I was UTTERLY happy to find I’m still alive after having had such a very close call with death in the night!

The previous evening in Pangbourne, Berkshire, I’d firmly shut the door to hearing any more about God’s Good News! But that night had been spent at my childhood home at 212 E___ Rd, Stockport, Cheshire, to undergo a life-changing event.

In a most unusual dream I went back in time and space. A dream so lucid that even four decades later it remains vividly etched within me. Here’s what happened (copied from original with comments in italics, pls bear with close-type as too much formatting code to revise).:

A HEAVENLY VISITOR

The dream reminds me of an evocative small picture that strongly impressed me when a child – the return of Jesus Christ:

Later I understand that my terror had been ‘the fear of God’ brought by Holy Spirit’s convicting me of my personal wrongdoing and, thus, preparing me to receive God’s grace (ie. undeserved favour).

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (Psalm 111). Mercifully, He plucked me from the domain of darkness to bring me into His own kingdom and receive its blessings. I deserved none of that. Truly, Amazing Grace – how awesome and wonderful..!

The only one remotely similar was that of being in an ‘altered’ state of consciousness known as ‘nirvana’, or bliss, but where I’d been taken behind its alluring golden light. Sheer ecstasy turned to abject terror as the light I was in got swept aside like a curtain being removed to reveal a hideous, devouring beast of utter blackness approaching me – far, far worse than any nightmare!

In this stunning night the Truth I’d been searching for since a teenager turned up in Person – thank You Lord. And lots more Truth was to come as I began to open the door to His Good News!

Moreover, this amazing encounter was yet to be validated on three occasions!!!

So, if you don’t yet know Jesus Christ and have a personal relationship with Him, you may wish to know more and consider this vital matter at Do You Know Jesus?

What does Jesus look like?

Posted on Monday, 30 May, 2022 by Richard Barker

[First published 7 April 2012] Upon reading my brief review of Heaven Is For Real did you, too, not end up asking that question?

Whilst reading the book I was most interested in this simply because Jesus’ face had been out of sight during my encounter, as explained here (at 1st Validation). Also, I was aware of pictures of Jesus found in New Age circles but did not regard them as authentic, just stylistic like many religious paintings.

Can you imagine how deeply stunned Todd and Sonja Burpo were whilst driving with their two children to hear their 4 years-old boy suddenly say he’d heard angels and met Jesus Christ? Continue reading →

What a night 32 years ago: Jesus rescued me from dropping into Hell…

Posted on Tuesday, 14 September, 2021 by Richard Barker

Upon awaking 32 years ago (14th September 1989), I was utterly happy to find I’m still alive after having had such a very close call with death in the night!

In a most unusual dream I went back in time and place. A dream so lucid that even three decades later it remains vividly etched within me. Here’s what had happened (copied from original, explanatory comments in italics).: Continue reading →

God-incidentally, a friend and my readers point to 2019 prophecy of a great humbling, then spiritual revival in Great Britain (GPS #66)

Posted on Monday, 2 August, 2021 by Richard Barker

What A God-incidence! Upon closing my phone down for the night I discovered two unusual things pointing to a highly significant prophetic word.

First, I saw my Facebook hadn’t logged off and closed properly from earlier yesterday, and its home screen showed this item Geoffrey Pick had posted in the early evening on Prophetic Releasers for UK Revival (PR4UKR):

The Enemy Plans that Back-fire, Causes the Church to Explode in Growth
Christopher Wickland

’28 November 2019, Pastor Chris, of Living Word Church Network had received this prophecy. After recovering from the near-fatal cardiac arrest, he finally published it on 10 April 2020, writing on Facebook: “I knew when I received this word the enemy was angry. The plan of the enemy is to shut every church down. No more prayer, no warfare of praise, no glory to God.”

‘He added: “After chastisement, God will make the Church grow exponentially. The very weapon Satan used to destroy the Church will be the very thing that causes the Church to explode in growth.”

I recalled having been in touch with Christopher and blogged on 7th May 2020 about his appearance on BBC’s ‘Close Calls on Camera’ with Nick Knowles, in my asking Was Pastor’s Fatal Heart Attack to Prevent God’s Warning to Britain and Apostate Church?

Inwardly impressed to consider featuring this blog’s copy of that prophetic word on its home page, I then dipped into Richard’s Watch and did something I only occasionally do – and along came my second discovery!

I checked the listing of Popular Posts and espied that actual post sitting right at the top! For some reason, visitors to this blog had already searched and seen that post! (Geoff hadn’t provided any link from PR4UKR.)

The prophecy was received at a time of unprecedented political upheaval, not only in UK but also globally as Covid 19 was soon released in China and became a pandemic with catastrophic effects upon every area of human life and society. Also, the day before publishing news had come of Britain’s humiliation internationally, as well as scientifically. Hence inclusion of this prophecy in the catalogue of fulfilled prophecies or those coming to pass (Footnotes refer – NB. recent news to come on that individual charlatan).

HERE’s a full transcript of Christopher’s original audio by Carolyn Stewart:

“I just want to share this prophetic word. I was looking through my phone and I found this. (The current date is..we are in April 2020). And as I was looking through my phone of prophecies I found this one called ‘The Humbling of Great Britain’, which I’d never put out before. I completely forgot about it. So I think in the light of what’s going on at the moment, it is very relevant. It is a warning, but it is also an encouragement of what God is doing in our land. I thought I should release this now.

“As I said, this was given in November 2019. This was just before I died as well, so it is quite a significant prophecy. And as I said, I’d forgotten all about it. I just found it on my phone, but I feel it’s important to release it, so I’ll leave it with you. Please listen, please enjoy, please be blessed, and please spread it around as well.”

THE HUMBLING OF GREAT BRITAIN (November 2019)

“I will have the people in this land in derision”, says the Lord. “I will pour out my Spirit on this land, and those people that have called to come together to conspire, to tear down My ways and My precepts and My ordinances from this land – this green and pleasant land. Mark My words: I will have them in derision. I am in the heavens and I laugh at their futility, at the things that they’re attempting to do, to close Me off and shut Me off from My own creation and so close down and shut down My people. For that is their ultimate aim. They want Me and every trace of Me eradicated from the land and from education and from every part of this society.

“But mark My words; I have plans to prosper this country, and I will bring to shame the wise. I will shame those who have so loftily held their head up – their stiff-necked heads that have said, ‘We will bring our ways! We will bring in our precepts and ordinances in this land, and we will eradicate God, and we will take Him off his throne. And we shall destroy His church.‘ But not so!

“Sadly, My own Church has failed to see how impoverished and how weakened she has become. She is literally now a remnant in this country. Yet I will do great things with a remnant. Yet when it was I can take three hundred foot-soldiers with Gideon and I can do a great deliverance, and I will do the same also in this land. I will take this small remnant of a Church that is left – those Christians that genuinely acknowledge Me as their Lord and Saviour – and will not bow the knee to Baal and to all his false practices and customs in respect to the laws that are now passing in this land.

“Mark My words, punishment will come for the sins that have covered this land. But the punishment, as I always punished Israel in times past, was so that it may bring them to repentance and may bring healing to their land; that when the people are humbled they would pray to me and I would turn in My mercy, I would forgive them their sins and I would then heal their land. I am going to bring punishment to this nation – a time of humbling – but this punishment is not to destroy this nation. This punishment is to humble her and to chastise her, that she may repent of her wicked ways and turn back to Me.

“There will not be many nations in the days ahead that will be permitted to have what this nation will be permitted. You will have a grace and a favour upon you which many other nations will not be given because I have plans and purposes for this country. And even though My own people have been faithless harlots towards Me, know this; that your faithlessness will only go to prove My faithfulness. I will be faithful to My Covenant and to My Word, and I will bring about My ways and My means for this country, and I will pour out My Spirit. And I will bring Revival, but it will not be like any revival that has been before. It will be uncontainable; it will be uncontrollable; and the world will HATE it because it will be so strong and it will be so powerful that they cannot ignore it.

“In times past they’ve been able to turn a blind eye to the things of My Spirit, but in these days everyone will know about it, everybody will know about it. And the same sun that melts the ice also hardens the clay, and men will just drop into two distinct camps: those that love Me and those that absolutely hate Me. This is why in many respects these days are dangerous days, because it will polarize people, in ways stronger than they are now; but you will know the righteous and you will know the evil.

“But mark My words, I will do something wonderful with this country; I will restore law and order to this country. This country has become lawless and it has no more order to it. And your Houses of Parliament are an example of the state of your nation, of the division of your nation, of the complexities of your nation. The wickedness and the hardness of heart and the blindness and arrogance of your nation are all set to display, for all the world to see in your own Houses of Parliament. But I am going to do a new thing. And many men will lay down their crowns and place down their swords before Me and repent and give their lives to me. And many powerful men and women who vehemently hate My name, will come to know Me and love My name.

“And some Christians might go, ‘Why, why Lord did you save them? They’re the ones who brought such depravity to our nation. Why did you allow it?’ Because that’s My grace, that’s My mercy, and the very ones that brought in those laws, I will turn into trophies of grace to make the enemy despised in his own camp, for I will make those who passed those wicked laws be the ones that undo them, for they will reveal the secrets and the dark intent and heart of sinful wicked flesh. And the world or this country at least, will look on in horror at the things that they’ve released and allowed in this country, and they will be rescinded and retracted.

“My people, you need to do this: you need to be spending these hours – because it is only hours – you need to be spending these hours in prayer; you need to be spending these hours on your knees; you need to be spending this time in the Word, learning from Me, learning from My Spirit and I will teach you many wonderful things. But this is the time, because there are many bridesmaids out there that do not have enough oil in their lamp and you need to get it in your lamp. No-one can part-exchange their life of intimacy with Me to those that have no intimacy with Me. This is your chance; now is the time to do it, for in the humbling that’s coming – this wind of change that’s going to blow through this land – it’s going to be a difficult time for this nation. It will not be a long time, but the depth of the punishment that will come will be severe, even though it will only be for a short time. It was like when I said to King David, “You can have three years of this, three months of that, or three days of the other”.

“This will be a short punishment but it will be a deep punishment; a deep chastisement to this nation. And I will humble this nation and I will turn her around. And many who are your enemies in these days will become your friends and neighbours in the days to come.

“So be prepared, be encouraged but be warned; this is not going to be an easy day that is coming, it is going to be a difficult day, a difficult time for this nation. Many Christians will cry out, ‘Why did I allow such things to come to this nation?’ But in part, everyone in this nation is responsible for the punishments that are coming.

“There is much worldliness in My Body, much worldliness in My Church, much worldliness in the mindset of Christians, much worldliness in the teachings of the Church! And the teachings of the Church have lost their anchor. They have apostasised; they have become an apostate church, in that they’ve drifted away from the truth of scripture and have chosen to allow the doctrines of men to infiltrate the teachings of the Church. The sacred scriptures should never be changed, never diluted, never touched, never altered, for they sacred and they are from the throne room of heaven itself. How dare man place his DNA and his ideas over that which is heavenly and beyond?

“So take heart to these words and this warning. Be blessed, be encouraged and get ready, for the time is now when the humbling must begin. And it will be short but long. It will be a short period of time but it will feel like the longest period of time, for it will be very intense. And for a period of three years a time of great humbling will come upon this nation, and it will be a heavy three years, a very difficult three years.

“But then things will change, things will turn, and you will go from Winter to Spring, Spring to Summer, Summer into Harvest time.”

Footnotes (May 2020):

Epidemiologist behind highly-cited coronavirus model drastically downgrades projection (26 March 2020)
Govt’ scientist resigns after breaking lockdown rules to meet married lover (5 May)
Britain criticised around the world for ‘complacent’ and ‘calamitous’ coronavirus response (6 May)
Despite Ferguson fiasco No 10 about to make its second major blunder (7 May) viz:
‘The biggest political con in modern history has descended into farce. Professor McLockdown, has choked on his own junk science, resigning from Sage after the Telegraph exposed that he flouted the very mass house arrest he advocated for everyone else. But his defence – that he broke the rules because he had already caught the virus and recovered from it – is even more revelatory; turns out Britain’s most influential epidemiologist believes that not only can you gain immunity from Covid-19, but that this should release you from lockdown.

‘If No 10’s response to coronavirus was really based on “following the science”, of course, these new details about Prof Ferguson’s view might be a game-changer, prompting, at the very least, Downing Street discussions of how to rapidly loosen the rules for those who have had the virus. Like with all good farces, though, the most absurd is yet to come. Incredibly, Downing Street shows little sign of learning from the Ferguson Chapter. And, astonishingly, once again, “the science” is being compromised by political hysteria – a scandal that continues to be barely scrutinised.
‘But before we get to the meat, let us briefly chew over the cautionary tale that can be cleaved from the career of Prof Ferguson. He has a track record of making wildly inaccurate projections, for example that BSE would kill 150,000 people (the real figure was fewer than 200)…’

Thank you for reading.

[Puzzle In Sky by Idea Go, courtesy Freedigitalphotos.net]

Prophecy of great humbling, then spiritual revival in Great Britain (GPS #47.3 cont’d – F/P #165.1)

Posted on Thursday, 7 May, 2020 by Richard Barker

A great thank you to Carolyn Stewart for transcribing this vital message (previous post refers). Note it was received last November at a time of unprecedented political upheaval in Parliament and speaks directly into this year’s unprecedented economic situation arising from global covid-19 pandemic. And yesterday came news of Britain’s humiliation internationally, as well as scientifically. Hence inclusion of this prophecy in the catalogue of fulfilled prophecies or those coming to pass (Footnotes refer).

Click on this image to listen:

“I just want to share this prophetic word. I was looking through my phone and I found this. (The current date is..we are in April 2020). And as I was looking through my phone of prophecies I found this one called ‘The Humbling of Great Britain’, which I’d never put out before. I completely forgot about it. So I think in the light of what’s going on at the moment, it is very relevant. It is a warning, but it is also an encouragement of what God is doing in our land. I thought I should release this now.

THE HUMBLING OF GREAT BRITAIN (November 2019)

“But then things will change, things will turn, and you will go from Winter to Spring, Spring to Summer, Summer into Harvest time.”

Footnotes:

Epidemiologist behind highly-cited coronavirus model drastically downgrades projection (26 March 2020)
Govt’ scientist resigns after breaking lockdown rules to meet married lover (5 May)
Britain criticised around the world for ‘complacent’ and ‘calamitous’ coronavirus response (6 May)
Despite Ferguson fiasco No 10 about to make its second major blunder (7 May) viz:
‘The biggest political con in modern history has descended into farce. Professor McLockdown, has choked on his own junk science, resigning from Sage after the Telegraph exposed that he flouted the very mass house arrest he advocated for everyone else. But his defence – that he broke the rules because he had already caught the virus and recovered from it – is even more revelatory; turns out Britain’s most influential epidemiologist believes that not only can you gain immunity from Covid-19, but that this should release you from lockdown.
‘If No 10’s response to coronavirus was really based on “following the science”, of course, these new details about Prof Ferguson’s view might be a game-changer, prompting, at the very least, Downing Street discussions of how to rapidly loosen the rules for those who have had the virus. Like with all good farces, though, the most absurd is yet to come. Incredibly, Downing Street shows little sign of learning from the Ferguson Chapter. And, astonishingly, once again, “the science” is being compromised by political hysteria – a scandal that continues to be barely scrutinised.
‘But before we get to the meat, let us briefly chew over the cautionary tale that can be cleaved from the career of Prof Ferguson. He has a track record of making wildly inaccurate projections, for example that BSE would kill 150,000 people (the real figure was fewer than 200)…’

Was pastor’s fatal heart attack to prevent God’s warning to Britain and apostate church? (GPS #47.3)

Posted on Thursday, 7 May, 2020 by Richard Barker

Click image for link to Series 8, episode 3 (available until 22nd May)

At last, a fortnight later than intended this double-post gets off-the-press – but as we all know; timing is everything for it is the Lord’s.

As announced here, the programme screened 22nd April shows pastor Christopher Wickland’s two heart attacks at a trampoline park last November. Its CCTV captured the terrifying ordeal of that day out with his daughter and two younger boys. Nick Knowles’ narration is split into an introductory account from 0:45 to 12:00 minutes. He summarises the situation at 21:00m, then proceeds with details of Chris’ recovery and wife Tracey’s prayer-network action.

The footage may distress some but it demonstrates the prompt, proficient skills of the park’s manager and assistant in giving CPR and FIVE shocks by defribrillator. The manager says the pastor was “effectively dead”! Although he started breathing after the fifth shock he was taken to Southampton’s cardiac intensive care unit, his brain started to deteriorate as soon as his heart stopped and remained inactive. Victims are not expected to survive with fully functioning brain after prolonged oxygen deprivation. So Chris was put into an induced coma.

The account was previously told in Premier Christian News and BBC South Today, as herein, of when his 12 years-old daughter phoned her mother, who immediately alerted their church and many others to pray for her husband’s resurrection from effective death without any brain and heart damage whatsoever. Praise the Lord that He did.

AND our heavenly Father must have done that so that a prophetic word He’d given this pastor would get delivered – otherwise why bless him and then only hours later take him home to heaven?? I suspect something else wanted to suppress it!

NOTE very carefully what Christopher had written on his Facebook 11 days before the latest BBC programme:

CLICK IMAGE TO LISTEN (not shown in new screen)

[OR, wait a short while for the next post’s transcript of this prophecy.]

In that FB thread Christopher kindly agrees to my asking a professional stenographer to produce a transcript. A week later I commented upon our battle-situation:

“Just to update you Christopher: transcript recvd Thurs a’noon b4 long weekend offline but began working on draft lead-in upon bbc’s CConCamera – correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems the adversary didn’t want that word made public, so took you out of the picture, BUT the Lord came up trumps!

“There’s strong opposition to this as I’d awoken that full blogging day (Thurs) with badly bloodshot eye PLUS early Sat morning (25 April) my wife Nina took bad fall and broke her right kneecap – so we’re in recovery mode and my hands are even fuller. Y’day, our cat got attacked by a vicious tomcat that disturbed her in our greenhouse, chasing her to the house!!”

He responds “Gosh. You have gone through the wars. Yes agreed. When I received the word I sensed the enemy was really angry with me for knowing his plans. But God got the victory and the glory and the word still got released. He is so good. Will be praying for your protection.” (Emphases added)

Prophetic strategy cont’d – a heavenly perspective

Posted on Wednesday, 15 August, 2018 by Richard Barker

Neil Mackereth’s remarks upon prophetic strategy in his email to me popped into mind upon watching Kevin Zadai explain the spiritual dynamics of prophesying according to the will of God, which he’d learned as a result of encountering the Lord Jesus when he died during a dental procedure. It starts 10 minutes into this fascinating half-hour (I’ve embedded to begin at 00m:00s but it persists in later start; so maybe it’s emphasising the significance of Kevin’s words! Please scroll back to the 1 min mark for full video):

Kevin claims to have died at the age of 31 but was returned to life 45 minutes later. Yet to him it seemed 6 days had elapsed whilst meeting Jesus and receiving His profound instruction.

Having watched some half-hour ‘celebrity chats’ plus lengthier conference sessions, I’m most impressed with his character and way of integrating scripture into a number of his experiences, as well as not being sensationalist in his views, which line up with my own understanding.

In particular, I’m delighted with his description of Jesus’ interaction with Time, its nature and that of prophecy. My personal descriptor of Jesus as Lord of Lords is of Him being ‘Always Now’, and Kevin uses those terms in a similar vein.

My preferred interviews are with Patricia King, who brings the scripture supporting his claim before Kevin tells how and what happened (at 2:50 this video) and of his book Praying From Heavenly Realms – she kindly speaks to those who were, like him, born out of wedlock – and with Susan Cheatham (above). Others interrupt too often, or add dramatisations of meeting Jesus and angels; btw Kevin and Sid Roth are good friends. For a slower, analytical examination of what happened to Kevin see split-screen interview with rabbi Eric Walker, who questions him from the perspective of near-death and out-of-the body experiences.

For in-depth teaching watch conferences: eg 11th August afternoon and evening.at Dalton, Georgia (where a Bible continues to produce oil created by God, not by man, since 27th January 2017, see introductory minutes of video.)

For details visit Kevin Zadai – Official Site and may you be mightily blessed with what Kevin shares.

Return from clinical death reveals End-times urgency and impact of Sept 2015

Posted on Thursday, 17 December, 2015 by Richard Barker

A viral video in which an Israeli teenager describes what happened and what he learnt about the return of the Messiah whilst clinically dead is making waves around the world. Being controversial as well as fascinating, it raises many questions and reservations.

I first thank a contributor ‘over the pond’ for sending me the information late last month as well as folk here at Father’s House of Prayer for emailing me this week, thereby spurring me into action!

I’d read the first report but not had opportunity to see the video until a few days ago and, having now done so, I recognise its great importance. So I’m posting the video and links to covering articles for your earliest attention. As the video drew to a close I especially noted that the boy shares an insight directly related to my own observation about the date which he refers to on the End-times! (See Tuesday’s post on September’s importance).

FIRST, read Breaking Israel News’ exclusive report Israeli Teen Returns for 15 mins of Clinical Death with Spiritual Messages Concerning the Coming Redemption. Later, they published an account of the interviewing rabbi’s own near-death experience and thus qualifying him to appreciate Natan’s experience.

(Details of End-times begin at 27:30 mark. My observations will follow in next post.)

As you assess teenage Natan’s account with what Jesus teaches, also watch his face as he recounts the good and troubling parts of what he learned and saw in the ‘movie of the future’.

Also, international body-language expert Susan Constantine’s professional assessment may be read here. (BIN claims her particular expertise lies in detecting deception.)

“Who is like the wise man, and who knows the meaning of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the boldness of his face is changed.” (Ecclesiastes 8:1)

The next post considers Nathan’s reference to an End-times war having started on 11th September 2015 >> click to continue reading.

Advent True Story: part 2 – Night Visitor Breaks In!

Posted on Tuesday, 8 December, 2015 by Richard Barker

(Continuing the personal account in commemoration of victims of terrorism and the 4th anniversary of both posts’ publication.)

That night of 14th September’s second visit was far more challenging than polite Peter’s chat – this time it was life or death!

And I went back in time!

Stepping into my ‘time machine’ I found myself in a most unusual dream. One so lucid that, over twenty years later, it remains vividly etched within me. So it must be exceptionally significant. Come back with me :

I find myself in the lounge of my childhood home and in front of the large casement window abutting one corner of the room. I look up into the inky, dark night sky.

A small flotilla of large, wingless aircraft drifts slowly across from left to right at high altitude and I groan, “Oh…not that flying saucer nonsense. I must be dreaming!” (Occasionally in dreams I’d be aware of dreaming and could change the scenario.)

I’m sceptical about the existence of UFO’s, but now another ‘fleet’ appears from the right and heads towards the first.

Now, the dream changes gear (rather, goes up a level) from the normal mixture of mental material > to that of absolutely convincing lucidity:

The ‘light goes on’! In my ‘knower’, I realise the first fleet is demonic and the second is masses of angels under the command of Jesus Christ. (I did not believe in them, and regarded Jesus as one of many world teachers – I didn’t know Jesus appeared as the commander of the Lord’s host, or angels, to Joshua when outside Jericho. Here, I cannot see any individuals but have inner knowledge of the situation.)

I think I’m about to watch an amazing heavenly battle…but…OH NO! Somehow, I now know Jesus has espied me far down below and is coming down directly towards me!

All I see is a distant bright light very rapidly getting brighter and larger as it drops down to my location, just like an airliner approaching a runway to land at night.

Instantly, I realise my life has been one of sin that contrasts starkly against Jesus’ own holiness. Right away I realise what’s claimed about the Judgement is true – but mine is about to happen right now!

Beyond any doubt I realise my involvement in the occult was most definitely wrong. Consequently, I deserve the undesirable abode!

“My number’s up!” I groan, inwardly trembling in knowing I’m about to die at any moment and an invisible trapdoor I’m standing on will drop me straight into hell.

Uttermost mortal terror strikes and I dive right under the drop-leaf table in the other corner of the room to hide from Jesus. But he knows where I’m hiding and swoops down straight through the wall at the side of the window to stand in my room and right beside the table!

Cowering under the table with my back turned towards him, I glance over my shoulder and see him from the waist down, his face out of sight above the table.

Most unexpectedly, somehow I have the courage to reach my hand out backwards to grab at the hem of Jesus’ robe…

As I tug, the event goes into yet another level of revelation regarding my childhood…

Then I awake! Thoroughly alert, further sleep eludes me!

The event reminds me of an evocative small picture that impressed me as a child – the return of Jesus Christ:

Later I understand that my terror had been ‘the fear of God’ brought through his Holy Spirit in convicting me of my personal sinfulness (ie. wrongdoing) and, thus, preparing me to receive God’s grace (ie. undeserved favour).

Also, what happened when I touched Jesus proves he’s intimately acquainted with the private details of my thoughts as a little boy. The last moments of the dream show he will topple my childish concepts of him and thus hint at his replacing them with a sure knowledge of his true identity.

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (Psalm 111). Mercifully, he plucked me from the domain of darkness to bring me into his own and receive its blessings. I deserved none of that. Truly, Amazing Grace – how awesome and wonderful..!

The most remarkable, life changing dream I’d ever had. Therefore, over several months I carefully reconsidered all my New Age notions. Meditational and mystical exercises had resulted in my having some unusual, ‘psychic’ dreams, but none whatsoever like this!

The only remotely similar dream was that of an ‘altered’ state of consciousness known as ‘nirvana’, or bliss, where I’d been taken behind its alluring golden light. However, ecstasy then turned to abject terror at the sight of an approaching hideous, devouring beast of blackness far worse than any nightmare! (I didn’t take drugs.) In this dream, however, fear had been overcome by Jesus himself and his wonderful mercy and love – and pervasive peace.

REALITY CHECK

Time now to take a reality check. We’ll find this story can be validated and in three ways! The first confirmation was to come from an unexpected source…as herein.

Advent True Story: part 1 – Day Visitor Barred

Posted on Monday, 7 December, 2015 by Richard Barker

In Memory of all deceased and bereaved persons throughout the world who have been so tragically affected by Islamist terrorism this year. I pray this and the previous post will encourage visitors to this site to take their life and after-life more seriously, thereby accepting the free gift of life everlasting through Jesus Christ:

Sunday 29th November marked the beginning of Advent; a period of excitement preparing to celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth in ancient Bethlehem, Judea – the First Advent. But in fact there’s more! The focus on the first Sunday of Advent is upon His promised return, the Second Advent. So it is also a time of waiting expectantly. I’m pleasantly surprised that the emphasis in secular Wikipedia’s Advent entry isn’t upon Jesus’ birth, but upon His return.

As stated in a recent post, events are increasingly aligning with the anticipated fulfilment of several ancient biblical prophecies of the Day of the Lord. Commensurate therefore, this means the return of Jesus must also be rapidly approaching.

Many Moons Ago…

a messenger was sent on a mission to a village nestled where hills would have met had a river not burst between them. Here was the only crossing, a toll bridge, as this strong river wended its way eastwards between low hills, wooded on the north and arable on the south side, down the narrow valley and towards the country’s capital fifty miles downstream.

It was the sixth month of the final year, of the penultimate decade, of the last century, of the second millennium since the birth of Jesus Christ and the messenger bore an invitation to all who would welcome him.

Peter, a dark-haired young man, knocked upon my front door and asked if anyone would like to hear the world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham in Earls Court, London. We’d be conveyed by coach from our house! The fare from west of Reading? Nada, entirely free!

I turned down the offer but my almost-teenage son piped up that he’d like to go because a classmate had told him about it. So I said I’d take him.

Were it my choice, however, I most definitely would not have accepted. Experience had made me extremely wary of churchgoers. But never did I suspect my personal life hung on that moment.

Why the problem?

I was brought up in the Catholic Church yet attended non-secular state schools with their Anglican ethos. Back in the 1950s this was a sensitive issue. In those days many more attended church of one sort or another than today. Religious beliefs are a minor concern now, even though attendance at faith schools is prized for educational purposes.

Note well, I did not receive the required, proper Catholic education. What was gained was merely through church attendance – which doesn’t do anything when the services are in a dead, foreign language!

Sunday Mass involved a lot of liturgical Latin. So when English was spoken, this boy was able to comprehend a little from frequent snippets from the Gospels. I recall pondering how awesome it would have been to witness everything Jesus said and did.

Fifty years ago the hypocritical conflict between denominations was the reason I turned to ‘New Age’ ideals. In view of what Christian priests said and did then, how could what they preached be true? Jesus commanded his followers to “love one another”. However, from my personal experience, as well as the historical facts, churches did not!

Also, they weren’t performing miraculous works similar to those Jesus did, as he said they would. So, churches were failing on both counts to live up to their founder’s commands. Although I was only a boy it was patently obvious that they missed the mark. Also, I strongly suspected they’d probably lost a lot of what Jesus had taught too.

So in my late teens I went looking for truth elsewhere and practised yoga, meditation and Eastern religions long before that became popular through the famous Beatles and their maharishi. In seeking deeper instruction and practical abilities I joined an ancient, mystical brotherhood. Thus, I gained direct knowledge of ‘higher’ esoteric teachings, including a belief in reincarnation and karma as well as experiencing invisibility and nirvana, the ecstatic state sought by Buddhists.

All this was before such New Age concepts became as popular and widespread as they became in the Hippy era. Twenty-odd years later I’d find myself attending an evangelical meeting! Utterly unbelievable!

What happened?

So in those days I regarded most clergy as outmoded. Their preaching couldn’t compare with what I’d discovered in the New Age. So, you could imagine my astonishment upon finding myself agreeing with everything Billy Graham preached! I was flummoxed!

Afterwards, as a follow-up, those who’d been on the trip were invited to an informal meeting at a local church. They explained we could have introductory teaching and discussion at home and I agreed to be on-hand for my son, but I wasn’t interested. Peter, as a youth worker, was assigned to help him but, in practice, he ended up discussing the material with me.

So, what went wrong?

The evening of Wednesday 14^th September 1989, is Peter’s third visit to chat through a script about Christianity entitled Life. I hadn’t yet divulged my firm opinions to him, but this time he goes too far!

This session is on ‘Yoga, Eastern Religions and The Occult’ – all of which I knew about and been involved in since before Peter had been born!

Peter shows a diagram of two cliff-like objects facing one another. One represents heaven and the other, earth, with a large deep gap separating them from one another. Over this Peter then places an overlay depicting a large + sign over the gap. The horizontal ends of the + touch each object, thereby bridging heaven and earth. He explains that the cross of Christ is the bridge between both realms.

He then says the only way to God is through Jesus Christ. This statement implies my ideas are incorrect. Without giving the game away I gently question him on this. But he insists there are not many paths leading to the same supreme mind, or God.

What’s to be done with a young man half my age who unwittingly points out the error of my ways?

I think, “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. How can he, who’s not done anything I know far more about…just how can he tell me it’s wrong? He’s wasting my time!”

Peter’s ideas are not only mistaken but also intolerant. Before the end of the evening I’ve had enough!

So I bring our discussion to an early close, politely bid him farewell and excuse myself from any future meeting. As ever, Peter is most gracious about it – he smiles politely and goes on his way.

But little did I know that I may not make it through the night!

Continue reading in part 2 >>

Do we choose our post-mortem existence?

Posted on Friday, 4 December, 2015 by Richard Barker

Death, or ‘destiny’, it was my choice – but I didn’t know, and I’d chosen wrongly!

Thankfully, I was given the chance to choose again – yet once again flunked it! How?

A young man who happened to share my birthday pointed out facts. Yet I decided, quite deliberately, to ignore them and thus made the wrong choice.

Then another, very much older man, came like a thief in the night. This one showed me how those incorrect decisions bear consequences affecting my ‘after-life’ – if there is one! After 26 years, that life-changing event is still vividly etched within me.

Maybe this sounds far-fetched or fictional, like Dickens’ A Christmas Carol where ghosts confront Ebenezer Scrooge?

However, please make no mistake. This has nothing to do with ideas or beliefs, faith or feelings, supposition or superstition. It has everything to do with plain, simple facts.:

The eventual outcome of our own life – our post-mortem existence – is a matter of fact. And this outcome lies with our own hands – it’s our choice!

A reader’s comments upon my provocative remarks on the massacre in Paris motivates me to continue re-visiting this blog’s earliest posts for the benefit of new readers and visitors.

So I’ll illustrate my above contention with a true, Advent-related story (part 1 published).

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of one of His saints

Posted on Wednesday, 19 March, 2014 by Richard Barker

What could the Living Lord God be saying to us through the image of an angel beside evangelist Steve Hill’s coffin? (Previous post refers.) Was it arranged for a purpose?

Does it not portray the truth of David’s Psalm 116, verse 15 of which is above, and which praises and thanks our sovereign God through deepest adversity?

That psalm’s early verses refer to when ‘the cords of death entangled’ Steve a couple of years ago. That time the funeral arrangements had to be cancelled at the last minute in view of his remarkable recovery, which enabled him to fulfil his promise to evangelise Muslim extremists.

Also, Steve was able to deliver a grave warning to the Church to stop the avalanche of lies, false doctrines and apostasy, as reported on this blog here and here. Thus, one could well believe there were both earthly and heavenly attendees witnessing the formal celebration of his most influential evangelist’s life.

We could expect that one of God’s generals be given an angelic escort home as well as be honoured by their presence at his memorial service.

But more than that – through the widespread availability of that amazing photo the Lord could be commanding us all to “Pay Attention!”.

Its existence could indicate that He who ‘opens and no one can shut, and shuts and no one can open’, has closed a door of revivalist repentance that was open to all and sundry through Steve’s ministry; but not just that…

Perhaps one chapter in Church history has now closed and another radically different one opens? Does the next chapter start where the sifting of the Bride from the harlot moves into its next phase?

This will be discussed in Friday’s post on the Babylonian aspect of the prophesied ‘New Era’ for the Church (click to read).

Neuroscientist comments upon neurosurgeon’s NDE

Posted on Thursday, 11 October, 2012 by Richard Barker

Heavy rain drove me into the shop and I got a newspaper; those almost archaic forms of data download – the kind of hands-on ‘fix’ where you can get your hands all around and dig inside, even doing aerobic exercises whilst opening and folding pages of this broadsheet (23″x15″). And there’s such scrunchy noises I can imagine a sizzling meal, but a large cappuccino and yummy almond croissant suffices on our Fridays out!

So today, I open up and am surprised to find this FULL page feature connects into my previous post. It is by Colin Blakemore, Professor of Neuroscience&Philosophy at The School of Advanced Studies,University of London.

Trying to keep an open mind, Prof. Blakemore examines the latest account of a near-death experience (NDE). It’s usual for such events to be summarily dismissed by all materialistic sceptics but the professor steers mid-course in his discussion. A brief summary of neurologist Dr Alexander’s NDE is then followed by reference to Dr Peter Fenwick’s work as President of the British branch of The International Associa-tion for Near Death Studies in which he recognises “deep problems in interpreting first-person memories of experiences that are supposed to have happened when the brain was out of action”. The same problem applies to dreams, writes Colin Blakemore.

Neuroscientist Blakemore points out:

The crucial question is not whether such astounding experiences should lead us to abandon materialist accounts of brain function, but whether materialist accounts can possibly explain them…
What Dr Alexander and his PR people claim is that his description of the afterlife is more authentic because he is a neurosurgeon. But when there is no evidence except the word of the beholder, a scientist’s accounts are no more reliable than those of anyone else…
Science has progressed by challenge and disagreement. But what is needed to consider seriously the kinds of claims made by Dr Alexander is not flowery prose and hyperbolic headlines. It’s hard evidence.

Hard evidence? Hardly! Material science simply isn’t up to the job of understanding non-material events or exist-ence, and I don’t mean psychological matters. It cannot handle and comprehend immaterial information because of erroneous, or incomplete, asssumptions. [I write as one whose very first non-curricular investigations as a young teenager were into NDEs, before I studied physics and psychology.] Answers may possiblly be found with an increasing understanding of multi-dimensional maths. Or, perhaps a better appreciation of reports from saints past and present who encountered and operate in the heavenly realms of existence may provide illumination?

Hard evidence? Why not consider this: knowledge of the appearance and identity of a deceased older sibling by a young child and of whom they had no knowledge from the family? Or what about the actual appearance of Jesus Christ being quite different to that commonly depicted in illustrations? I’m referring to accounts of youngsters Colton Burpo and artistic prodigy Akiane Kramarik, as reported in my Easter posts here and here. Colton’s reports were checked and validated against ‘hard evidence’, as well as corroborated in detail by another person who’d had a similar experience.

Prof. Blakemore implies that such children’s accounts could be as reliable as those of any scientist. What do you think, my reader?

Neurosurgeon experiences Heaven during Coma

Posted on Tuesday, 9 October, 2012 by Richard Barker

An intriguing testimony from a medically qualified person who makes some interesting comments. It will be worth comparing his forthcoming book’s account with that of 3 yrs old Colton Burpo (see here). Thank you Tembisa for picking this up from YahooNews. See also next post about a neuroscientist’s comments on this experience.

So what does Jesus look like?

Posted on Wednesday, 4 April, 2012 by Richard Barker

Upon reading my brief review of Heaven Is For Real did you, too, not end up asking that question?

Whilst reading the book I was most interested in this simply because Jesus’ face had been out of sight during my encounter, as explained here (at 1st Validation). Also, I was familiar with ‘portraits’ of ‘Master Jesus’ to be found in New Age circles but didn’t regard them as being authentic.

Can you imagine how deeply stunned Todd and Sonja Burpo were whilst driving with their two children to hear their 4 year old suddenly reveal that he’d heard angels and met Jesus Christ?

From their vehicle’s back seat little Colton pipes up in answer to a gentle tease about hospital by saying what mum and dad were doing whilst he was dying on an operating table with a severely ruptured appendix that had poisoned his abdomen. It wasn’t so much his accurate description of what they were doing in two different places – on the phone and praying; well, losing it with God! – that hit them. (Only much later did his father learn the finer points of how that prayer of desperation was answered!)

The first answer to what Jesus looked like was the answer to a spiritual ‘riddle’ : what’s the only thing in heaven that’s the same as it was on earth?

He’d said, right off bat, “Jesus has markers”.

One day his father came across a CNN report of a young girl Akiane Kramarik, a child prodigy who began painting exceptionally sophisticated artwork at the age of 6 years. A couple of years previously she’d begun having ‘visions’ of heaven, even though both her parents were atheists! The authors of Heaven Is For Real write, ‘Slowly her mom began to accept that Akiane’s visions were real and that, therefore, God must be real’.

As I watched (writes Todd) a montage of Akiane’s artwork play across my computer screen, the narrator said, “Akiane describes God as vividly as she paints him”. (p 143)

That was similar to how Colton spoke of Jesus – both children spoke especially about His beautiful eyes. So his father told Colton to come and take a look, asking what was wrong with this one. The boy said nothing, just stared, and he was asked again – still silence and then he got nudged:

My seven-year-old turned to look at me and said, “Dad, that one’s right”.

Entitled “Prince of Peace, Resurrection”, her portrait can be seen in Akiane’s Official Gallery under ‘Age 8’ and the next year shows Jesus praying, “Father Forgive Them”. To learn how she saw and painted Him read For child art prodigy Akiane, Jesus is for real (link no longer available)

Below, Ray Downing demonstrates how the picture Colton saw matches the image of the deceased Christ as captured millennia ago on The Shroud of Turin.

Also, you can watch Colton at 11 tell his story on video on heaven is for real website.

Heaven is for Real

Posted on Tuesday, 3 April, 2012 by Richard Barker

“Colton, what do you want people to know from your story?” asked the lady editor sitting with his father whilst discussing a book they were writing about what had happened six years ago.

“I want them to know heaven is for real”, he answered without hesitation and looking Lynn straight in the eye.

With those words the Epilogue closed in the book that my wife had been given. She’d kept reading snippets to me and so I wanted to read it for myself. It had been sent by a life-long friend with a strong recommendation – and so it now comes with mine to you…

Colton’s father and mother recount their desperate attempts whilst on ‘holiday’ with their son’s rapidly deteriorating bad state of health. It was a matter of life or death and their not-yet four years old nearly didn’t survive. A few months later, after his fourth birthday, Colton makes a remark about his time in hospital that completely floors his parents – he tells them what they were doing whilst he was on his ‘death-bed’ in surgery!

From thereon the story takes an interesting turn of diplomatic delicacy to discover what actually happened to their very young boy. Being a Weslyan pastor, his father Todd was thirsty for more, yet being familiar with Colton’s level of basic belief he realised what his son may say may not match his own ideas. But he was extremely surprised to learn that what Colton now knew could NOT have come from Sunday school or family chat.

Todd Burpo and his teacher wife Sonja were wise not to overwrite Colton’s child-like descriptive terms by dressing them up into grown-up language for adult consumption. So they restricted themselves to open questions only.

Thus, Colton’s disarming innocence and plainspoken boldness conveys a true account of encounters with the hugeness of God, Jesus’ love for children, angels, even a few surprises for his parents about their family before he was born. Mum and Dad didn’t push for deep and long discussions from him of what happened. Most of what Colton divulges just pops out now and then, just when they wished they’d had pen and paper!

I was personally impressed with Colton’s agitation and consternation over a funeral his father was going to conduct for someone who didn’t attend the church. This gelled well with what I’d experienced with a heavenly visitor. Also, I appreciated what Colton said about the end-times and his father’s combative role in the Lord’s army – now is that action in heaven – or on earth? I wonder…

Don Piper, author of 90 Minutes in Heaven, is of the opinion:

“Compelling and convincing. It’s a book you should read.”

And whyever not?

Review (updated 2024) continues here > So what does Jesus really look like?

Coincidence or ‘God-incidence’?

Posted on Thursday, 8 December, 2011 by Richard Barker

Within 1 hr of posting Death or Destiny? Pt2, THIS DROPS INTO MY IN-BOX!

Now how’s that for timing? IS THE LORD GOD GETTING OUR ATTENTION?? Continue reading →

The Heavenly Visitor – part 2 of ‘Death or Destiny?’

Posted on Thursday, 8 December, 2011 by Richard Barker

That night’s second visit was far more challenging than polite Peter’s chat – this time it was life or death!

I went back in time – not in this blog’s ‘time machine’ but in a most unusual dream. One so lucid that, over twenty years later, it remains vividly etched within me. So it must be exceptionally significant. Come back with me to the night of 13-14th September 1989: