Posted on 03/11/2011 10:08:14 AM PST by Dr. Scarpetta
Just two months shy of his fourth birthday, Colton Burpo, the son of an evangelical pastor in Imperial, Neb., was rushed into emergency surgery with a burst appendix.
He woke up with an astonishing story: He had died and gone to heaven, where he met his great-grandfather; the biblical figure Samson; John the Baptist; and Jesus, who had eyes that “were just sort of a sea-blue and they seemed to sparkle,” Colton, now 11 years old, recalled.
Colton's father, Todd, has turned the boy’s experience into a 163-page book, “Heaven Is for Real,” which has become a sleeper paperback hit of the winter, dominating best-seller lists and selling hundreds of thousands of copies.
Thomas Nelson, the book’s publisher, said it had broken company sales records.
The publisher, based in Nashville, began with an initial print run of 40,000 copies.
Since the book came out in November, it has gone back to press 22 times, with more than 1.5 million copies in print.
On the New York Times best-seller list for paperback nonfiction last Sunday, “Heaven Is for Real” was NO. 1.
The book remains in the top spot this coming Sunday.
Colton told his parents that he had met his younger sister in heaven, describing her as a dark-haired girl who resembled his older sister, Cassie.
When the Burpos questioned him, he asked his mother, “You had a baby die in your tummy, didn’t you?”
While his wife had suffered a miscarriage years before, Mr. Burpo said, they had not told Colton about it.
“There’s just no way he could have known,” Mr. Burpo said.
The Burpos said that Colton painstakingly described images that he said he saw in heaven — like the bloody wounds on Jesus’ palms — that he had not been shown before.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I request that you please don’t ping me anymore on this kind of stuff.
This is info for anyone who lives near McCook Nebraska and is interested in seeing Todd Burpo:
*** *** *** *** *** *** ***
“Author Returns for Bookstore’s Anniversary”
Friday, March 4, 2011...Dawn Cribbs
McCook Daily Gazette, Nebraska
“Time continues to fly by at New Life Christian Bookstore at 212 Norris Ave., as Lisa Wilcox prepares to mark her one year anniversary of ownership.
Wilcox also has been busy keeping the New York Times bestseller, “Heaven is for Real” in stock at the store after hosting a book signing with author Todd Burpo in October.
As part of the anniversary celebration, Burpo returns Saturday, MARCH 19, 2-4 P.M., for another book signing and a presentation at 6 P.M., at the historic Fox Theater in downtown McCook.
Burpo’s presentation will include a unique question/answer format, facilitated by Lisa Wilcox who is collecting 3X5 inch index cards with questions for the author.
http://www.mccookgazette.com/story/1708147.html
“Actually, the eyes were characterized as and the painting shows them as blue-green. Not strictly typical blue eyes.”
It’s absurd to paint a picture of Jesus. All you get is the artist’s imagination.
“I’ve been to Egypt and was surprised at how many had blue eyes.”
I think we’re getting off the subject.
PLEASE READ #111, my POST to you, which said:
I pinged you because you responded to another article I posted today about this book today. It was titled:
Book Review: “Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back”
(I do NOT have a ping list and will NOT BE PINGING anyone again, including you, if that was a concern.)
Now you asked me in post #161 not to ping you again when I already said I won't. This story is a publishing phenomenon and is being discussed as such. If it is offensive to you, you can post elsewhere.
“Read the book and then tell me if you still feel the same way.”
I’ve read a book that says ,”His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.” - Rev. 1:14,15
Since God wrote this book, I choose it as the standard that the others have to agree with.
Wow.. No need to get your shorts in a wad. :)
Good question. First he never met his great grandfather in life so didn't even know what he looked like. His Dad showed him a picture of him with gray hair and glasses and he said “No, he didn't look old like that and he had no glasses”. His Dad searched for a much younger picture, when he was in his twenties or thirties, and the boy responded, something like, “yea that's him”. He also was never told about how his Dad called his Grandfather “Pop”. The man in Heaven who introduced himself told him his Dad called him that.
The powers of darkness can easily do this same thing.
“How old was the sister in Heaven? “
This is how he explained how his “second sister looked” Now Cassie is his living sister who is just a year or two older than him.
quote
“She looked a lot like Cassie,” Colton said. “She is just a little bit smaller and she had dark hair”
unquote
Now Colton and Cassie are both blond, so the Mother was pleased to hear she had dark hair like her. She said she would often complain to her husband before, “I carry these kids for nine months and they come out looking like you”. Now that is funny.
Also he was never told about the miscarriage. When he told his Mom, “Did you know I have two sisters”, she nearly fell over. Colton retold the same story to a baby sitter and had the baby sitter all upset.
“The powers of darkness can easily do this same thing.”
What is harder to believe?
“The powers of darkness” put visions in this kids mind so his Pastor dad writes a best selling book that Heaven is for Real?
Or that maybe, just maybe this child really did leave his body, when he was at deaths door?
We can’t assume one way or the other, can we? We can only go to the Word and prayerfully test all things. Remember, wide is the way that leads to destruction, but narrow is the gate.
Colton told his story, and some people on this thread can't deal with it. He has the right to speak, and we have the right to buy the book, or not buy the book.
BTTT
I agree.
“Colton told his story, and some people on this thread can’t deal with it. He has the right to speak, and we have the right to buy the book, or not buy the book.”
Thank You, and are spot on. I did notice on the three or four threads on this book in the last two weeks - Not one “reader of the book”, came away saying it was bunk. The only ones saying so are the ones who have not read it.
You are right. For some reason, they're threatened by the book. But, I say that this is a free country, not Communist China, where this child would be persecuted for saying these things.
it is to point out that NO testimony is sufficient to convince a person to repent apart from the inner working of The Spirit of God.
NO trouble agreeing with that.
AND THAT HOLY SPIRIT HAS USED, IS USING AND WILL USE narratives like Colton’s
to draw folks to God and closer to God.
You didn’t read the book.
THEY WERE NOT BLOODY.
IIRC, the holes in HIS feet had brilliant light pouring out of them.
They are . . . hallmarks, jewels, well beyond RED BADGES OF COURAGE.
They are the only ‘imperfect’ things in Heaven . . . yet, they are perfect testimonies of HIS LOVE FOR EACH OF US.
I don’t blame HIM for wearing them for eternity or as long as He wishes—HE WELL EARNED THEM AND THE RIGHT!
And what brilliantly bright, vivid, impactful ‘war medals,’ ‘ribbons of glory’ they are.
BTW,
it’s not usually very
—wise
—good form
—safe
to tell ALMIGHTY GOD
HE’S
DOING IT WRONG!
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