The publisher's description:
A life of difficulty and disappointment set 33-year old Michael Leehan up for the worst decision of his life—to make a deal with the Devil to follow and serve him. Practicing the dark arts that include ritualistic cuttings and blood sacrifices, while fine tuning his manipulation and control skills, Michael launched into a twenty year downward spiral that included job loss and detachment from loved ones, and even jail time.
But God had another plan that included a group of Christian men to love him and pray for him—even when it became evident his assignment from Satan was to kill their pastor, Craig Groeschel.
The life Michael Leehan lives today is an incredible testimony of the transforming power of God's mercy and grace, but is also a wakeup call to the church to be fully aware of the spiritual war that is going on all around them, and to the ultimate battle for their souls.
"I am sending you to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." Acts 26:18
My thoughts:
My thoughts on this book are mixed. First of all I will tell you that I strongly advise you to pray before, during, and after reading this book. I don't mean your normal prayers, but I mean prayers of protection for your health, your physical body, your spiritual self, and your mind. I strongly suggest you cover your family and home as well. I have always practiced this when reading anything about the occult because I do believe in spirits and dark forces that counter the faith I have.
I will start by telling you the admiration that I have for Michael Leehan. This book, as his autobiography, could not have been easy to write. He had to face all of his past decisions and encounters and relive them in this telling. I'm sure it would have opened him up to ridicule from people he knew and the general public. So I very much admire his humility in creating this book in an effort to show others how far God is willing to reach and how dark the evil can be.
There are some things in this book that I question. He seems to have a lot of memories of some fuzzy times in his life. I'm not sure if he has pieced these together, if he truly remembers, or if God has inspired him to tell his tell and made him aware of his life through a new perspective. That's really not my place to say. However he seems really sure of himself and his abilities through the dark time in his life. Maybe the confidence that he exhibits are just an indication of how he felt about himself when he was committed to a life of serving Satan. It seems a bit arrogant though.
I will tell you though that I don't doubt that Michael is a changed man. He tells his story with a clarity and a simplicity that makes you feel like he isn't really playing up anything but rather just telling it like it is.
This book made me very aware that the dark forces, which I do believe in, are more powerful than I would like to believe. He experienced things that I am only grateful for having never been anywhere near. It makes me feel as though I truly have been protected with a special blessing my entire life. It made me rethink some ideas about the supernatural.
All in all, it was a very informative read that certainly was not a feel-good book, but one that I feel I am wiser for having read. I feel as though a veil of ignorance has been lifted, and I hope that maybe one day I can do something to help others with this knowledge.
Summary:
If you've ever had any curiosities about the occult (as a Christian, mind you) or if you feel this knowledge can somehow help you, I strongly recommend this book. If you are looking for a way out of a similar situation or wondering if you've gone too far to be reached by a God who loves you, I would definitely recommend this book. However, if you do decide to read it, I do wish you peace and protection and ask that you pray for the same.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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