Non Christians who have positive NDEs

[seekermom]

[SIZE=medium]There is an issue that I'm very confused about and hope someone can help. Christianity has taught me that the way to heaven is through believing in Jesus. However, I’ve been reading many fascinating books over the years on people from various religious backgrounds who have had positive near death experiences. From reading their stories, it seems that what you believe does not really matter that much. Because of advances in modern medicine, there are supposedly thousands of people who have experienced life on the other side, my own mother included. What I just can’t seem to logically reconcile is what the Christian church teaches about getting into heaven versus what thousands of people are actually experiencing today. Is it possible that we have misinterpreted scriptures? Is it possible that Jesus paved the way for everyone to go to heaven?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Many years ago, I brought this question up to my pastor and he said to not let these books I am reading fool me. He said we can’t prove their stories however the Bible has been critiqued by the greatest minds of humanity over two millennia and has never been disproven. His answer settled me down for a while, but the NDE books keep coming out and more and more stories are being told. There are just way too many cases out there to ignore what is really happening. I can’t make any sense out of it, other than to question what I’ve been taught. The facts are not lining up.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]I look forward to any insight on this topic.[/SIZE]

 

[HammerStone]

And we could just as easily ask if these folks were deceived?

You start going outside of the authority of Holy Scripture, and you will inundate yourself with what-ifs. Interpreting universal salvation in the Bible would require a shift in interpretation. That is fine if that's the route you want to go, but keep in mind that you're saying these personal experiences trump the Bible. They either do or don't, but why believe the Bible on anything else if it's so wrong on a reasonably crucial issue?

To me, at this point, you're stepping outside of Biblical faith.

 

[Born_Again]

I understand what you're asking. My faith based answer is that I have yet to hear any of these NDE's speak of their judgment. Everyone says they have seen the bright light and felt peace. But could that not be just the passing over without it being seen through? Meaning, no one has said they stood before the book of life and were judged. If everyone is saying the same thing, then that is good news for us! Like the previous post, stay within your faith! Stay to the scripture. I had posted before that the Bible is the oldest book. It wasn't written a few hundred years ago by someone claiming to be a profit. It was written by many holy men of God. If they didn't write it, then who did? It cant be disproven!!! Stay with the faith!!!! God Bless!!!

 

[Rocky Wiley]

God's word is truth. Anything contrary to his word is an untruth.

Tit 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
Tit 1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
Tit 1:12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
Tit 1:13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
Tit 1:14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
Tit 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

 

[Born_Again]

God's word is truth. Anything contrary to his word is an untruth.

Tit 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
Tit 1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
Tit 1:12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
Tit 1:13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
Tit 1:14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
Tit 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

Amen!!!

 

[Angelina]

I went to a night service once where Tom Tenney [author of "The God Chasers"] happened to be the visiting speaker. He asked the congregation to put their hands up if they had ever had an NDE. Over half the service put their hands up including myself. The thing is...whether you believe or don't believe...an NDE should draw you to God if you are not a believer or draw you closer to God if you are a believer.. :huh:

2 Peter3
9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation;

 

[aspen]

Apart from Christ their is not salvation. NDE folks may see Heaven, but they will never be able to fully experience it without Christ's justification and sanctification because they will never be redeemed into perfect lovers.

 

[Angelina]

IMHO an NDE is a reality check for non-believer's. If heaven exists then rest assured...so does Hell and the lake of fire! h34r:

 

[truthquest]

I went to a night service once where Tom Tenney [author of "The God Chasers"] happened to be the visiting speaker. He asked the congregation to put their hands up if they had ever had an NDE. Over half the service put their hands up including myself. The thing is...whether you believe or don't believe...an NDE should draw you to God if you are not a believer or draw you closer to God if you are a believer.. :huh:

My husband had an NDE. He was a believer and the NDE drew him closer to God. There was a big change in him after the NDE. He was always talking about love, kindness and forgiveness. He spoke about what some call a life review where he was shown the people he had hurt and he said he felt the hurt that he had caused them and he apologized to me for some things. He said he knew he had hurt me by his words and that he was sorry. He also apologized to others....Before he passed in 2000, he asked to be baptized but he was bedridden at that point. So a local pastor had a bottle of water from the Jordan River that he baptized him with. I will also say that what he said about his NDE which I won't go into all the details, but knowing about that helped me so much when he passed because I felt that he would return to that beautiful place that he didn't want to return from before. He was actually looking forward to being there once again. That gave me some peace and helped lessen the pain when he passed.

 

[Born_Again]

My husband had an NDE. He was a believer and the NDE drew him closer to God. There was a big change in him after the NDE. He was always talking about love, kindness and forgiveness. He spoke about what some call a life review where he was shown the people he had hurt and he said he felt the hurt that he had caused them and he apologized to me for some things. He said he knew he had hurt me by his words and that he was sorry. He also apologized to others....Before he passed in 2000, he asked to be baptized but he was bedridden at that point. So a local pastor had a bottle of water from the Jordan River that he baptized him with. I will also say that what he said about his NDE which I won't go into all the details, but knowing about that helped me so much when he passed because I felt that he would return to that beautiful place that he didn't want to return from before. He was actually looking forward to being there once again. That gave me some peace and helped lessen the pain when he passed.

It's amazing how much love is thrust into your heart when you are close to Christ. I can actually remember when my soul wanted to explode from all the love I suddenly had and how you want to tell everyone your are sorry for ever hurting them and you just want to show them love!! Essentially give the world a hug!! I think that is how you know that you truly know Christ and a physical, tangible example of the existence of Christ and His promises to us for following him. When you have felt the Love of Christ in you so much that you can do nothing else but love it is the most amazing feeling in the world. truthquest, your husband has surely inherited the Kingdom of Heaven. He knew the love of Christ, and he shared it!!! God Bless!!

 

[truthquest]

It's amazing how much love is thrust into your heart when you are close to Christ. I can actually remember when my soul wanted to explode from all the love I suddenly had and how you want to tell everyone your are sorry for ever hurting them and you just want to show them love!! Essentially give the world a hug!! I think that is how you know that you truly know Christ and a physical, tangible example of the existence of Christ and His promises to us for following him. When you have felt the Love of Christ in you so much that you can do nothing else but love it is the most amazing feeling in the world. truthquest, your husband has surely inherited the Kingdom of Heaven. He knew the love of Christ, and he shared it!!! God Bless!!

Thank you so much for that. What you said brought me to tears but they are tears of joy.

 

[sjmopas]

I wonder how much of a person’s memory is involved in these NDEs? I mean even most atheists know quite a bit about Christianity. I know a lot of people who talk about hearing about something in the morning and then dream about it the same night; I have had those kind of experiences my self. If a person has been raised in a community of Christianity, or the story of Christianity has struck a strong chord it is very possible that those memories are jumbling up into a dream or vision while someone is near death, which could very well be a lot like when a person falls or is asleep. There have been times when I am dozing off and I see my wife walk into the room or hear her call me, only to wake up and realize it was a day dream.

I’ve had a hard time believing that any of these brothers, sisters, and non-believers who have had NDEs were in heaven or hell physically. There’s just too much scripture to support the idea of these being visions, and not any scripture about anyone going to heaven or hell and coming back from it. I think it is best to consider them visions. I wonder if what is really happening is that God is using as much of a persons memory to give them a vision that will lead them to accept His salvation and/or cause them to be bold in their witness?

Some who have had NDEs even talk about feeling the heat of the flames of hell. I wonder, again, if that is just their bodies reaction to being so near to death. There’s a lot of times when we experience physical sensations while we dream.

 

[Born_Again]

Thank you so much for that. What you said brought me to tears but they are tears of joy.

You are very welcomed!! I am so inspired that you were able to find joy in my words!!!!

 

[Angelina]

Wow! you guys are so precious in the Lord!

Bless you!!!

 

[Raeneske]

[SIZE=medium]There is an issue that I'm very confused about and hope someone can help. Christianity has taught me that the way to heaven is through believing in Jesus. However, I’ve been reading many fascinating books over the years on people from various religious backgrounds who have had positive near death experiences. From reading their stories, it seems that what you believe does not really matter that much. Because of advances in modern medicine, there are supposedly thousands of people who have experienced life on the other side, my own mother included. What I just can’t seem to logically reconcile is what the Christian church teaches about getting into heaven versus what thousands of people are actually experiencing today. Is it possible that we have misinterpreted scriptures? Is it possible that Jesus paved the way for everyone to go to heaven?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Many years ago, I brought this question up to my pastor and he said to not let these books I am reading fool me. He said we can’t prove their stories however the Bible has been critiqued by the greatest minds of humanity over two millennia and has never been disproven. His answer settled me down for a while, but the NDE books keep coming out and more and more stories are being told. There are just way too many cases out there to ignore what is really happening. I can’t make any sense out of it, other than to question what I’ve been taught. The facts are not lining up.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]I look forward to any insight on this topic.[/SIZE]

The truth upon the subject of death would be enough to dispel any fears in regards to what you are reading. To put it simply, all NDE's are false. Even the Christian ones are false. Death is what is meant to be, death. It is not the continuation of life after departing from the physical body, for you are but your body. The breath of life, and dirt, is what we are. And when the breath of life leaves us, we cannot continue to exist, for we have no life in ourselves. To suggest otherwise is to do just that: to suggest otherwise. But my Bible says that those who do not agree with the Word do not have any light in them.

Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

 

[truthquest]

If my husband was alive, he wouldn't try to convince anyone about his NDE. It was truth to him and that seemed enough for him. He didn't believe in NDE's before he had one and would often ask me why would I even consider that people really have NDE's. And then he had one...well when someone that close to you has an NDE ...well it really got my attention. I believe he had more light in him because I saw how he wanted to ask for forgiveness from people who he had hurt. And even if those people told him no, you didn't hurt me. He said I know I did so don't even try to tell me that. That is even what he told me about hurting me. I saw the change in him. His heart was full of love.

[SIZE=10pt]Nurse Shares 30 Years Of Spiritual Experiences With Death & Dying[/SIZE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl5cu1H4Hss

 

[Dan57]

During near death experiences (NDE's), a surge of steroids, epinephrine, and adrenaline are released in the body, which explains the feeling of euphoria and is symptomatic of hallucinatory effects. Oxygen deprivation effects our field of vision causing tunnel vision and scientists claim that seeing a bright light is actually a symptom of a brain deprived of oxygen,., It's brain chemistry, not a trip to heaven. jmo

 

[truthquest]

During near death experiences (NDE's), a surge of steroids, epinephrine, and adrenaline are released in the body, which explains the feeling of euphoria and is symptomatic of hallucinatory effects. Oxygen deprivation effects our field of vision causing tunnel vision and scientists claim that seeing a bright light is actually a symptom of a brain deprived of oxygen,., It's brain chemistry, not a trip to heaven. jmo

I've never heard of brain chemistry causing such a change in a person as what I saw in my husband. I did see him oxygen deprived before he died(the second time, so to speak) and there is a big difference between his thinking at that time and when he had his NDE. A very big difference. He didn't recognize me when he was oxygen deprived yet he recognized his brother during his NDE and had a conversation with him. All his senses were off the scale during his NDE.

 

[seekermom]

Thank you to all who took the time to respond to my question! I agree with you 'truthquest' when someone that close to you has an NDE, it really does get your attention! I just want to clarify, I love the Bible, I've read the entire book more than once and will continue to study it for the rest of my life. I deeply love God and Jesus. However, I believe there is more that is being revealed to us. There are too many people who have experienced life on the other side to ignore the evidence that life does go on and the experience is so much more amazing than our minds could ever imagine or our words could ever describe. This should give us all such great hope and joy! I still struggle with questions, but the one thing I know for sure is that there is nothing more important than love. That's what God is after all.....