CRA Newsletter Spring 2007

A New Book in 2009

HEAVEN TOURS:
True Stories of People Touched by Heaven

by Rita Bennett

There is nothing like it on the market. Rita Bennett’s Heaven Tours is a first in that it has actual, original pictures of Heaven that were created directly from the descriptive words of the Bible.

This is Rita’s second book on Heaven. It provides comfort and understanding, based on real-life experiences with death, to spiritually hungry, grieving and searching souls, instead of the confusion offered by cults otherwise finite intellectual answers. It provides real solace and understanding, along with emotional healing guidelines for those who: fear death, doubt Heaven, and have lost a loved one. Readers will benefit from Heaven Tours because we have all lost a loved one and we will take our last journey some day. This book meets a great need for teaching on the subject of Heaven, The Holy City of God. It gives us pictures from the Bible to assist our own tour of great experiences to come

In this book you will hear about the eternal place God has prepared for you. You will read some exciting and inspiring stories of those who’ve gone to another dimension for a brief time and come back changed. You’ll read about those whose loved ones went on a “one way trip” to their heavenly Home. You’ll read about some who are still not sure about the way to Heaven or if there is such a place.

You will learn about mother, Loretta Jesse-Reed who died in childbirth but was sent back to her children through the Pearl Gate, and Lou Hiett as he met family and friends for a reunion at the Jasper Wall yet came back for a time. Sally Moser through a death and return had a View of a New World, and Grandma Phelp’s left earth in a Tunnel of Light as her family witnessed it.

There is Liz Glover, athlete, who came back to her hospital bed looking at friends through Heaven’s clouds, and Dixie who walked with and played her Celtic lap harp, for a new friend right to the valley of the shadow. Cherie Calbom, when nearly murdered, traveled toward Heaven at the speed of light then returned, and Shade O’Driscoll who hand-in-hand walked her sister to the edge of eternity, then dealt with more of her own pain.

There’s the atheist caretaker at a cemetery who desperately needed to meet a witness about God and eternity, and Forrest Messenger who during a drug overdose became instantly sober during the challenge of a lifetime by heavenly beings.

The second section of the book is about the Seven Churches of Revelation and the messages Jesus sent to them 2000 years ago from Heaven. We also see how these words apply to us today. The Apostle John, Jesus Christ’s beloved friend on earth, was the instrument chosen to relay this visionary experience. At the end of Heaven Tours chapters 14 - 20, there are individual prayers given to assist us as we search our own hearts. The joy of this book is that we will experience a Touch of Heaven as we go along.

Our world needs more of Heaven’s light, love and peace. As we are changed, we become instruments of Eternal Change in the world around us. Now that is real, and complete, everlasting Change.

©Excerpts from Heaven Tours by Rita Bennett, published by Bridge-Logos Publishers, Alachua, Florida 32615, pub. date Jan. 2009.

Last month I was invited to a meeting at the United Nations.building in New York City. The World Prayer Congress.(WPC) group led by Roberta Hromas came to the UN to pray for protection for New York City, for those injured during the September 11 attack in 2001, for every state in the U.S., and for all Nations of the world.

This experience reminded me of how many people came to church or synagogues in large numbers for months following 9–11. All of a sudden people realized the importance of being in closer touch with God. All of a sudden life as usual could not be counted on. All of a sudden we wondered how we could learn to hear God’s voice.

Then – life returned to “normal” with a huge hole left at “ground zero” and in many hearts.

We at WPC, in several bus loads, prayerfully drove by Ground Zero on 9-11, 2008 and saw the work that is at a standstill with scaffolding and machinery stopped. It’s expensive to finish this memorial to the 3,000 dead.

I was excited to take this picture of the Statue of Liberty on our Prayer Cruise for America. The miles and miles of sky scrapers seen from NY Bay show how much wealth, time and energy has been put into the development of New York City.
Now, my CRA friends, just a week after my return from the New York prayer site, I found the United States in a new financial crisis.

Some of it is still fallout from 9–11, 2001 (3,000 dead), the 2004 Asian tsunami (225,000 dead), from the effects of the Katrina Cyclone (1,836 dead, 7,900 missing, Wikipedia), gas and oil holdups (2007 and 2008), housing markets and foreclosures (2008), Wall Street (2008), and also the expense and battle for the “plumb” of highest positions in America.

Let us fill the churches and synagogues again, including every religion that would like to pray with us, and see what God can do to show us the way out of the financial betrayals, greed, deceptions, and chaos.

God is the only one with the complete answer. When Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt, through a series of divine miracles he was moved to second from the top next to the Pharaoh. He was able to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams and given the economic answer of how to save people in Egypt and in the land of Canaan from seven years of famine. (Genesis 41:53-55).

I’m writing this newsletter before the elections are over. The leaders God wants are those who seek Him for answers as did Joseph, and are as wise and self-sacrificial as Esther (4:14).

This verse on directives for prayer (II Chronicles 7:14) is one of the most beloved in II Chronicles. It was given to King Solomon as he had just finished building the great Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. Solomon had kept his promise to God.

In a dream given to Solomon, God appeared. God lets the King know that He accepts the Temple as a place for His presence to dwell. He tells Solomon that when the Children of Israel sin and God’s blessing on the land ceases for a time, that what they have to do to change it is found in II Chronicles. Here we find God is pleased with Solomon, King David’s son.

In II Chronicles 7:14 God says, “If My people [you and I] who are called by my Name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (NKJV). Here we are praying for the healing of America.

Let’s memorize this verse and reflect on these words to Israel. Realize that this promise includes us also as it was written to all God’s people down throughout history – including this 21st century. Let’s claim this promise.

The first thing I have to thank God for is receiving my Master’s Degree in Counseling at Bastyr University June 23, 2008, Seattle Center McCaw Auditorium. For those who helped pray me through one of my greatest scholastic challenges, thank you with all my heart.

Why did I take two and a half years of my life to keep such a grueling schedule intellectually, physically, and financially? There were many signs that as a leader of what has become a healthy, biblical, healing of souls international ministry, I needed to take time to upgrade myself scholastically. I needed to see what was going on out there in the counseling field and continue to be a leader who is a lifetime learner.

Most importantly, three days after returning home, September 12, 2002, after my third trip to Israel, I had a message from my Leader, Jesus Christ, that I was to continue my education. He clearly spoke to me from the Scripture in Isaiah 11:1,2. I cannot explain more on this issue except to say He gave me a great emphasis on the branch or candle of “Counsel.”

It took me two years to get a full educational direction. I tried my wings at Edmond’s Community College in a required psychology class from 2004–2005, and the next school year, Fall of 2005, my big M.A. project began.

I was blessed to have my sister, Georgia Danahy, her daughter Laura Kate Sailer, and granddaughter Leah Pearl Sailer,join me for gra-duation,all the.way from Tampa, Florida.

My brothers, Drs. Bob and Bill Reed and.their families sent gifts and cards, as well as my Church family,.St. Alban’s Episcopal, with a special Coffee. After graduation, close friends gathered with me for a dinner party at the Edmonds restaurant, Arnies. I want to say “thank you” to the many others who supported my venture through graduate school at Bastyr.

Abundant thanks for supporting CRA. Our mission is to bring spiritual, emotional and physical wholeness to the world through Jesus Christ. In your Year-end Giving, we invite you to join hands with us with your support.

We are excitingly anticipating the release of Rita’s book, Heaven Tours by Bridge-Logos in January 2009. Don’t miss your opportunity to take advantage of CRA’s FREE GIFT OFFERS which includes a special autographed, first-print edition of Heaven Tours. Simply complete the enclosed Partners In Ministry Card and select one of the three free gift offers listed. These free offers are available until February 15, 2009.