On 18th January 1989 Don Piper’s car was sandwiched between the railing of Trinity River Bridge and an eighteen-wheeler truck driven by a prison inmate, in Texas USA. Medics said he was instantly killed, but while his battered body lay inside the ruins of his car, he had a glimpse of Heaven.
In the earthly realm, during the ninety minutes it took to cut him free from the wreckage, a minister caught up in the subsequent tail-back of traffic felt compelled to pray for him, convinced that God was doing something miraculous with his life-less body. In the heavenly realm, that ninety minutes was for Don a glimpse of the glory and splendour of paradise. He miraculously returned to life on earth with uncontainable memories of a place of awe and joyful delight, convinced of its reality.
As a minister himself, his long and painful recovery was an ordeal almost too much to bear at times, but one that changed his life and deepened his faith in a loving, caring God. Don now shares his story with thousands of people every year, bringing comfort and hope to those recovering from serious injuries or dealing with the loss of a loved one.
I found this story in the bargain box, at a local bookstore, and was immediately drawn to the title. I cannot remember a time I have not thought about Heaven: What will it be like? Who will be there? Will my body be the same? What will I do there? And so on…
The title conveys a very small portion of Don Piper’s story; in fact his time in heaven covers only two chapters of the book. Told chronologically, I wondered initially if the author was perhaps trying to sensationalise his accident and long recovery by including an ‘out of body’ encounter. However, I came to see that his life’s work of being able to praise God through his suffering was a process that was rooted in the ninety-minute heavenly experience and expressed through his down-to-earth existence. The few black and white photos included in relevant places help to illustrate the horrendous accident and torturing bone growth device he wore, known as an Ilizarov frame.
90 Minutes in Heaven confirmed a lot for me. I read it as a believer and not as a sceptic and found his descriptions credible and encouraging. As a Christian I have read many of the scriptures about Heaven, given in the Bible. I have an assurance that, when this life is over, Jesus has prepared a place for me in Heaven. I even preached about it once, many years ago, and I found the tape of that message quite recently, listening to it again. I enjoy talking to others, hearing their thoughts about what they think Heaven will be like. It’s a subject which has actually featured quite highly in my life over the past few months, through conversations, books and DVD’s. 90 Minutes in Heaven has not answered all my questions, but has contributed to my understanding of this fascinating topic.
I would heartily recommend Don Piper’s contribution to this field.
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2 comments:
I am reading Don's book right now. I am thoroughly enthralled with it. I, too, am a believer, and I am sure that once having a taste of heaven it would seem extremely cruel to be sent back to earth!
It's a good book and Piper should be congratulated for sharing his Near Death Experience. Only readers should be aware of one serious mistake he makes in the book which is to jump from hearing songs praising Jesus and meeting fellow Christians in heaven to religious fundamentalism. Research of Near Death Experiences show that there is no evidence to support that heaven is exclusively for Christians, or a narrow interpretation of the Bible, as experiences of heaven happen in all cultures and religions. Cross cultural studies of Near Death Experiences show that the Golden Rule truly means that we must love our neighbor - even if this person is of another faith - and "hell" is not something we can simply throw around when we disagree with people. If you have not fallen asleep in Christ, or simply use reason as well, and want to know what people who have Near Death Experiences truly experience in Heaven, have a look at my book Behind 90 Minutes in Heaven.
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