The Invisible World: Understanding Angels, Demons, and the Spiritual Realities That Surround Us Hardcover – March 15, 2011

The Invisible World by Anthony DeStefanoSeveral years back, I stopped at a garage sale in the town that I grew up in. I found a book by DeStefano that I bought and gave to an older African-American woman at work whom I consider a sort of spiritual mentor. She and I had often talked about religion , and I thought she might enjoy the book. Anthony DeStafno has a gift for explaining spiritual topics in plain English. Your head won't be spinning if you read this book. I know that this is a hard book to swallow in this materialistic, anti-relgious time we are living in. De Stefano writes in the 2nd chapter "It's hard to imagine how we can even hope to grasp-with our tiny intellects-something as sublime and infinite as the mind of God." He's right. The other side of that coin is that most people don't even try, nor do most non-religious "think" that their egotistical intellects are tiny.In the same chapter (kindle Loc. 246) he writes "As a people we've grown so smart and smug. It's not so much that we're more intelligent than those who lived before us-we're not-it's that we think we have access, through technology and the Internet, to all human knowledge, indeed, to most (if not all) of the secrets of the universe." He also writes "We've all heard the complaint that "nothing is sacred anymore." In past decades this may have been an exaggeration. But what reasonable person could possibly deny its truth today?" What reasonable person could possibly deny that God is more maligned and mocked now than at any time in recent history?" To experience this, all one has to do is watch late night TV.Chapter 3 is entitled Invisible Helpers - The World of the Angels. Chapter 4 Invisible Evil - The Devil and His Demons, DeStefano writes about the mind of the devil and how he operates. In Chapter 5 - The Invisible Soul - he writes "We all know instinctively that there are really two worlds-an outside world and an inside world. And what happens on the inside is every bit as real and true as what happens on the outside. Sometimes more so." Later in the same chapter, he writes "C.S. Lewis once said that there is no such thing as an "ordinary human being." Every single person you encounter is destined to be either a king or a queen in Heaven - or a wretched slave in hell."....and later "Just as C.S. Lewis said there was no such thing as an "ordinary" person, so there's no such thing as a truly "peaceful day." In Chapter 6 (Invisible Warfare The Diabolical Battle for Souls) - DeStefano again writes about how demons operate; "What demons therefore specialize in doing is making suggestions to our psyches. They essentially smuggle thoughts into our brain and place images before our mind's eye." At location 1255 he writes "Ask anyone who has really suffered in life-especially anyone who has been at the mercy of a drug or alcohol or sexual addiction - ask them if they believe in the devil; ask them if they have any doubt whatsoever about the existence of a real, personal, evil, spiritual being who has entrapped and enslaved them and tortured them. See if they don't give you an answer that is totally different from what the skeptical academics will tell you." He then proceeds to tell a horror story about a teenage prostitute/heroin addict who is murdered by her pimp in a drug-fueled rage. At the end of the story he writes "And don't you forget-that's exactly where the devil wants your son or daughter-dead in a garbage can!"He writes at Loc 1390 "If God is anything but number one in your life, then your priorities are screwed up-period." and "Selfishness, self-absorption and self-centeredness are qualities that invariably lead to loneliness and unhappiness." Again, turn on the TV and see if this isn't true. Chapter 7 Invisible Grace - the author writes (Loc. 1657) "The only traits God wants to eliminate are those that drag us down, those that enslave us and keep us from becoming who we're meant to be.....Grace is all about actualizing, to a degree not humanly possible, all your God-given potential." Chapter 8 - The Invisible Power of Suffering - the author writes "Crosses change us by ripping away all the nonsense and triviality and vanity and shallowness that surround us, and showing us the things that are truly important-the things that concern God." Chapter 9 - Invisible Destiny - The author writes "Since God is Order, turning away from him is going to result in chaos." ."At location 2492 "A pure heart is one that isn't overly contaminated with self-interest. It's one that has a single-minded focus on doing God's will. Thus, if you really want to see God, one of the surest ways is to begin carrying out some of the so-called "corporal works of mercy"-feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, comforting the imprisoned, and visiting the sikc. If you do these things, I guarantee that your heart will become more pure. It has to. There's just no way that vanity and selfishness can grow in an environment of such terrible suffering." At location 2694, the author gives the following advice: "Forget about yourself and your problems-even if just for a little while. Go to where the poor are and help them. Give of yourself completely. Then go where other believers are and pray with them. Worship with them. Receive the sacraments with them. And then close your eyes and say to God, "Lord, I still don't understand life. I don't understand you. But help me. If you're there, I want to know you. I want to see you. I want to see what's hidden behind the veil that covers the unseen world." Good advice.This book is powerful, enjoyable and sound. I recommend it highly.

This is by far one of the best books I have read anytime recently and will demand a re-read soon.Famed attorney and author Vincent Bugliosi says this about its author: " I may not always agree with Anthony DeStefano, but there is no doubt he is a highly intelligent and witty writer; and assuming the existence an invisible world, he has produced a very interesting and thought-provoking book about spirituality."DeStefano opens the book by claiming that we all have a "haunt detector", an alarm that sounds inside whenever we detect that something mysterious or supernatural has occurred. I find this is easy to believe if we can first agree that we are all spiritual beings - no matter what it is that we actually believe, we have a spirit that is seeking higher meaning and relevance.What would we see if we could wear a special pair of divine eyeglasses to bring into focus all of life's spiritual realities? "Millions and millions of angels...around you...with immense power...(whose) main objective is to help us get to Heaven...assisting people...talking softly in their ears...warning them...(we'd see) fallen angels as well...doing Satan's bidding...to influence people's decisions...doing everything they can to turn people from God...(but) you'd see God's graces flooding back down to earth...(we'd also see) the real effect of lies and sins...the power of Christ-like suffering...the truth about what happens at the moment of death...how guardian angels escort the souls....(looking) toward Heaven...(we see) the faces of all your loved ones...and him, too...the source of all life and joy and truth...the God of Power and Might, The First Uncaused Cause, The Beatific Vision, The Blessed Trinity...you wouldn't just be seeing a spirit-you'd be seeing a man...born in a stable...if you looked at this man closely enough...(you'll notice) the very same nail marks in his hands and feet he received the day of his crucifixion." These excerpts from the last chapter are just a small sample of all that is touched on in this book.DeStefano has challenged my thinking in several areas that encourage further study but it bears true to the scripture that stakes claim in what is most real are the things we cannot see.See, there is more than meets the eye after all. I'd love to hear your thoughts if you read this book.

As a child brought up in a holiness sanctified church, we were told early on about these types of existence of heaven, hell, angles & demons. They nearly scared us into lil sweet angles, self conscious of Gods all seeing eyes. Then we grew up, became parents & now we see things differently in a whole new light, some for the better & some for the worse. Well the contents of this book took my mind way back to those emotions I had all to soon forgotten when I was a child, it was like taking a refresher course in college. Sometimes we have to be reminded of Gods word and those things to come or has come to pass. If you are a newcomer/babe in Christ, this book will probably freak you out in amazement but if you've been reared in the faith the majority of your life, reading this book will be a distant memory lost in time of your upbringing and the teaching that was taught to you. I truly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoy reading for knowledge and understanding of the word of God.

Would you care for a 200-page refresher of- you being a weak, sinful creature, a fallen angel, and that God `lowered himself to our level" (in the form of Jesus)- God being `as far above us as we are above the insects and amoeba'- suffering and pain being good for the soul- Jesus dying on the cross (and you and me being guilty)- `spiritual' and `religious' being one and the same thing, provided it's all Christian- the need to pray, read the Bible and go to church on Sunday- living once and then being with or not-with God, forever, i.e. going to Heaven or hellThen this book is for you. Else consider authors such as Gregg Braden, Richard Rohr, Gary E. Schwartz, Doreen Virtue, or Neale Donald Walsch to learn more about `The Invisible World'.

Very good book! So good, I have loaned it out, and I don't do that very often. Will read it again, when I get it back!