Encountering Jesus

Description

Remarkable True Stories of Jesus's Supernatural PresenceIn this new collection, people who have seen Jesus, heard his voice, or had him intervene miraculously in their lives share their fascinating stories. Readers will be inspired as they see Jesus at work in a variety of circumstances, many of which are similar to their own. Though Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, these accounts will show how he loves each person individually and manifests himself to each one in a unique and special way. Readers longing for more of Jesus will be drawn closer to the God who is intimately involved and cares about every detail in our lives.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Christian theology
• Christianity

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 11 août 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441228536
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

© 2015 by James Stuart Bell
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
www . bakerpublishinggroup . com
Ebook edition created 2015
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4412-2853-6
Unless otherwise identified, Scripture references are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations identified AMP are from the Amplified® Bible, copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations identified NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The following are true stories, but some details and names have been changed in order to protect privacy.
Editorial services provided by Jeanette Gardner Littleton Publication Services.
To my dear daughter Rosheen McAlister , who encounters Jesus on an arduous journey.
In the Son, therefore, heaven is open to the world. . . . This is the meeting place where all the roads from heaven come together at the one “gate” through which everyone who wishes to go to the Father must pass.
—Hans Urs von Balthasar
Contents
Cover 1
Title Page 3
Copyright Page 4
Dedication 5
Epigraph 6
Acknowledgments 11
Introduction 13
Seeing Jesus 15
A LEXINE C RAWFORD
Fifteen Seconds With Jesus 19
M ARY J O K RUMP
Secure in His Embrace 25
J EAN A NN W ILLIAMS
The Angel of the Lord 31
G UADALUPE C. C ASILLAS
The Master Carpenter 35
S USAN M. W ATKINS
Jesus Prays for Papa 42
C ONNIE A. B ECKMAN
Seeing Him More Clearly 45
G ENI J. W HITE
His Eyes Pierced My Heart 51
J ULIE B. C OSGROVE
The Hound of Heaven 57
J AMES S TUART B ELL
From Stillborn to Miracle of God 62
D ENNIS E. H ENSLEY
A Heavenly Painting 69
S ANDRA M ERVILLE H ART
Speaking With Divine Assistance 74
K RISTI E DINGTON
I Am Your Warrior 80
C. F. S HERROW
My Daddy God 84
A NGELA D EAL
Jesus Called Me by Name 89
A NITA E STES
Visitor at the Foot of the Bed 95
T AMMY B OWERS AND L EE B OSWELL
The Man in the Long White Robe 101
D AVID M ICHAEL S MITH
The Stone Fireplace Miracle 107
E VELYN R HODES S MITH
The Voice of Jesus 114
L YNNETTE G OLDY
The Basement Visitation 118
D AVID S. M ILOTTA
You’re Not. I AM. 121
M AIDA K EENY
The Night Jesus Walked Into the Church 126
J ANET D E C ASTER P ERRIN
A Bible for a Thief 132
G RACE M ARK
Who Really Took the Test? 139
K AREN R. H ESSEN
The Road to Jesus 144
D ANA S COTT
A Walk of a Lifetime 151
C ONNIE S ORRELL
The Broken Vessel Jesus Chose 156
K RISTINA L ANDRUM AS TOLD TO D ONNA S CALES
Jesus on the Cross 160
P ATRICIA A NNE E LFORD
A New Set of Lungs 166
L ORETTA M ILLER M EHL
The Jesus Hug 170
J ON H OPKINS
When a Door Closes, Keep Knocking 176
A NN E LIZABETH R OBERTSON
Friend of the Fatherless 184
A RIA D UNHAM
Precious Promises Come True 188
J ANE O WEN
All Things Through Christ 196
S USAN E. R AMSDEN
His Presence in My Cocoon 202
C AROL T. S AUCEDA
Too Old to Love Again? 207
Y VONNE K AYS
The Dancing Angel 215
C YNTHIA V ANDER H AAR
A Big Answer to a Fervent Prayer 220
M ARY K AY R OY
Thief Apprehended by Prayer 226
B OB M C C AUGHAN
About the Contributors 231
About the Author 237
Books Compiled by James Stuart Bell 238
Back Ad 239
Back Cover 240
Acknowledgments
A s always, to the professionals at Bethany House, who strive hard to make these books the best they can be. Among others behind the scenes, Andy McGuire, Ellen Chalifoux, Carissa Maki, and Erin Hollister.
Introduction
I n my two most recent volumes, my compiled stories covered supernatural events of various kinds: angels, spiritual warfare, and miracles of all sorts. This volume deals with the Lord of the supernatural himself: Jesus Christ. Jesus is our all in all, He is the center point of history and of the universe, and all will culminate in Him. As we often say, “It’s all about Jesus.” Without Him, the Bible says, we can do nothing (John 15:5). Through Him we can do all things (Philippians 4:13). We need His grace and power to navigate life’s challenges and trials.
This book seeks to reveal Jesus in new and exciting ways as He has manifested himself to these privileged individuals in circumstances that have transformed their lives. These writers at times go beyond His grace and power to a revelation of His immediate presence in their various situations. Many of these stories are one-time encounters with Jesus that have profound effects for a lifetime.
Some of the writers expressed initial reluctance to share because others may doubt their experiences. A friend of mine had an experience he felt was just too personal to share in this book. But those who have had the courage and peace to do so have richly blessed us as Jesus communicates with and even embraces them. Some of the stories are not so direct and immediate but have Him in the background guiding and intervening.
Jesus longs to reveal himself to us each day, and many of us have a greater hunger to receive His loving presence. Witness the popularity of a book like Jesus Calling . In one of the stories contained herein He declares, “I am your warrior.” He is so many things to us, as can be seen in all His names throughout Scripture. But the main attribute that comes across in these stories is love. He is Love immeasurable, unfathomable, all-consuming. And even if you don’t see Him or feel His embrace, my hope is that this collection will stir you to open your whole being to receive more and more of the love He demonstrated in His life, death, and resurrection—for you.
—James Stuart Bell
Seeing Jesus
A LEXINE C RAWFORD

I found love in Ripon Cathedral. The army had sent us to Ripon, a town in North Yorkshire, England, and in its famous cathedral we found friendliness and welcome. We started attending the parish communion service, which was a fairly new concept at that time and was held not in the big echoing nave but in the choir area. It began at 9:30, a good time for us since our two little sons—only sixteen months apart—woke early. We took turns going to the entire service.
After the sermon, one of us would push the pram with our younger son strapped inside and the older son on the pram seat or walking. In their bright red jackets they were quite noticeable—but sometimes they were noticeable instead for the noise and commotion they created. We tried to be unobtrusive in a corner of the carved choir stalls for the last hymns and communion.
We had married four years earlier. Because of the course my husband was following, we moved three times in those four years—each time into a strange house in a strange part of the country, surrounded by strangers. We were on our own, and because of the hours of my husband’s study and work, I was often on my own.
I made a lot of mistakes. I became impatient with the children. I saw my short temper, my demands, my failure to love—and my need to feel loved.
As Easter approached, on Maundy Thursday the church gave an evening communion service in the cathedral. I put the children to bed in good time and left my husband in charge at home.
I was sitting on the left in the back row of the choir stalls. Two rather unprepossessing women sat in front of me, and mentally I began criticizing them. Then I caught myself and asked God to give me love.
The leader read the chapter in John’s gospel about the Last Supper. And as I listened I saw an intricate vision of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet. He was on His knees, his hands in the bowl of water, washing their dirt-worn feet. Great wafts of air filled me deep, deep inside.
Time came for me to go up to the altar rails to receive the bread and wine. Walking from my seat, I felt as if I were eighteen inches above the floor, floating.
My husband looked at me when I got home and asked, “What’s happened to you?”
I could tell him only what I had experienced, the wonder of it, but not the full importance of it, because I did not know. All I knew was that I had seen Jesus, and that He had given me something very good.
I tried in a letter to tell my mother, and I think she felt mystified. I wrote to a dear friend who was a nun, and she replied that we should keep spiritual experiences to ourselves. So I did. I didn’t try to tell anyone else about it for five long years.
We moved again, and I headed up what turned into a big Sunday school. Every Saturday evening I faced a terrible battle as I prepared a lesson and a talk for the next morning, a battle that made Saturday evenings a misery for me and an endurance test for my husband.
I did not then know anything about spiritual warfare, nor that this was a sustained enemy attack. But I prayed with my teachers each week, Sunday school went well, and the children kept coming. Two of the teachers became long-term friends, a source of much mutual blessing.
We were there for three years, and then we moved back to the area where we had started our married life, back to the evangelical church that had blessed us then and that had become vibrantly alive.
Partly there a