A Book That Changes Lives - Part 1

Real-life experiences of people who have been changed by a remarkable book

Imagine a book that could cure a person of destructive habits, a book which could influence people to love others. Suppose that book could save people’s lives and improve relationships. What if the book could overcome political, religious and racial divisions and unite people. Imagine that book helping people to overcome depression, shyness, anger, suicidal intentions and criminal tendencies.

What would the world give for such a powerful piece of literature? Furthermore, how would it’s author be treated? It is safe to presume that such a book would be the most famous and influential in the world. It would be the biggest selling and the most consulted among all books and written guides. It would be recommended and used by governments, medical authorities, psychologists, sociologists, teachers and parents. Everyone would be aware of the book and would be influenced by it’s contents.

Yet, what has just been described is a reality. Such a book does exist. It reveals a form of wisdom that, on the surface, may seem simple and common yet, when applied in everyday life, is powerful and has proven guaranteed to succeed.

This is the first of a series of articles containing real-life experiences of people who have followed the wisdom contained in the pages of that book. This wisdom is available to any and all who choose to tap into it. It applies equally to all people, regardless of race, age, sex, status or religion. It is tried and tested by millions of people, the majority of whom have transformed their lives and have found true, substantial happiness. The following experiences are of people I have known personally or have had their experience related to me. Their lives have been dramatically changed for the better. As you read these experiences, ask yourself, what other source of guidance could achieve these things? What other influence could so powerfully accomplish such incredible feats? These things are, in a very real sense, miraculous.


Peter's Ghostly Torment

Peter was brought up in Northern Ireland, a land historically engulfed in conflict and the struggle for independence from Britain. The levels of hatred of many of the people was intense to the point of murder and persecution. The land was literally divided. I myself was affected by this conflict when I was evacuated many times from my place of work when there was a report of a bomb in the building. My own sister narrowly escaped death when she left a pub only hours before a bomb went off and killed many people.

Amid this tension and conflict, young Peter was raised in a poor family. He lost his mother when he was a child and his Father when he walked out on the family. He spent much of his life in offender's units and prisons, even when he was living with a woman who had given birth to his daughter.

Peter was raised a religious man, a Catholic but, what he observed, in the religions around him, including his own, was hypocrisy, deceit and lavish wastefulness. He watched religions around the world, including his own, condone and support wars and conflicts. His church taught him that when people die, their spirit goes to heaven or, if they did bad things, they burned forever in the fires of Hell. There was also Purgatory. This was a kind of waiting place, while the soul was judged. He was taught that the dead were conscious and they could even communicate with the living.

When Peter was a boy, one night, as he lay awake, next to his brothers in their crowded bed, his deceased mother appeared to him at the foot of the bed. She said nothing, but just stood there staring. Then she slowly moved around the bed towards him. Peter had never experienced fear such as he did at that moment. He leapt from the bed, screaming, and ran down the stairs and out of the house. He was traumatised by the apparition and he could never, for years to come, understand why his mother would do such a thing to him, not even speaking consolingly to him. There were other occasions and, each time he asked himself the same question, “Why is she doing this to me?”. Peter had to wait many years to find the answer to his painful question.

As Peter grew up, He began to despise religion, considering it one of the main causes of tension in the world. He became hardened and turned to crime to survive. He became a drunk, a thief and a violent criminal. He despised life and hated the British and any who tolerated them. He became involved in the political struggle and actually reached a point in his life where he was considering murdering a prominent British politician.

One day, while he was recovering from another drunken brawl, he purchased an old book from a market stall. Over the next few days he began reading portions of the book but, it was overwhelmingly long and not all of it seemed to make sense. Peter was looking for answers to many questions - “Why was God allowing such terrible things to happen in the world? Why did his mother die so young and why did she appear to him and terrify him? Which sides in the religious conflicts of the world, and his own country, did God support?”

A few days later Peter was contacted by two people who were calling on people in his area to discuss the very book that Peter had been reading. His initial response was one of suspicion and aggression. However, he was impressed by their conviction and honesty, and the fact that, every time he made an accusation or asked a question, the person opened the book and showed him what it said on that subject. Peter began to study the book, learning more of the truths it contained, truths which had been obscured or hidden by the religious leaders of the world. He learned that God does not approve of violence, that the world's religions had ignored God's wishes by becoming involved in wars and political struggles. One of the greatest truths Peter learned was that “God is not prejudiced, but in every nation, anyone who exercises righteousness is acceptable to him”. He was shown the words in the book which said “Anyone who lives by the sword will die by the sword.” Peter had already lost friends and family who had practised violence and had paid the ultimate price for it. He could feel the sword in his hand, and it was causing him pain and making him weary. After a long discussion about religion, politics and the Bible, Peter finally asked the question that had haunted him since his childhood. “Why did my mother frighten me and why didn't she stop when she saw my fear?” The answer that the person showed him, in the book, shook him to his core and awakened something in his senses that he had never experienced before in his life. The person showed him, from the pages of the book, that the apparition he had seen was not, in fact, his mother. The book clearly stated that “The dead are conscious of nothing,” and that “They go back to the dust, their thoughts do perish.” In fact, rather than encourage communication with dead people, the book actually condemned all kinds of spiritism, including trying to contact the dead. They then showed Peter the book's reassuring promise of the physical resurrection (the bringing back to life) of those who had died.

At that moment, Peter knew that what he was being shown was the truth. Suddenly, all his experiences made sense, and all his fears seemed to diminish. Peter was experiencing the truth of the words of the book when it said “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Peter set out to learn more of what the book reveals. What he learned in the following months changed him. He decided that he would no longer follow the extreme ideas of leaders and terrorists. He would no longer be a violent man, but instead, would be a peacemaker. He would use his voice to heal, not incite to violence. Peter changed completely. Today, over twenty years after that first meeting, he is a respectable husband and the father of two daughters. He is as gentle a man as you could wish to meet. He spends much of his time helping others and sharing the book's message with others. Peter no longer has hatred in his heart. Politics - men's ideas, hold no interest for him now. He is respectful to all people, Catholic, protestant, Jewish, Muslim, British, capitalist or socialist. He denounces violence in all forms and considers himself a follower of Jesus Christ. He places his confidence, not in corruptible men, but in his creator, who guides him, from the pages of that precious book - The Bible.