WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS OF FAITH Community Group
A place where people of faith may freely discuss issues of grief from a faith based perspective.
I just watched a program on the INSP Channel regarding near-death experiences-- someone who was pronounced dead and came back (Don Piper) and wrote the book, 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN; and one man who said he was in hell for 23 minutes. I grew up in a Christian family and have always believed in an afterlife.
I have read Don Piper's book and it is very interesting. One special segment on this program was about a young girl (from Soviet Republic atheist parents) who began to "see God" when she was 4 yrs. old. She began to tell her mother about heaven, and seeing Jesus, and actually drew and painted wonderful photo-like pictures of him and the flowers, bldgs. etc. she saw in heaven. Her mother became a believer from seeing all this happen in her young daughter's life. I'm not sure how old the daughter is now - but late teens now at least.
The man who saw hell was not sick. He was asleep at the time and said it was not a dream, but a terrible experience during which he was transported there. He saw monsters, snakes, huge areas of fire -- and he said he it was REAL fire - not an illusion. It was so terrible that he screamed and screamed for his wife as he "came back" and she was very shocked. He felt that God wanted him to leave his executive position and travel - telling people that hell is real and they need to find peace with God before they die.
My husband's actions as he was nearing death reinforced my belief that angels or family members or both do come to "welcome" believers into heaven. He could not speak at that point, but it was clear that he was very jubilant about what he was seeing.
I am very thankful for the promise of eternal life throughout the Holy Bible, and the hope it gives us that our loved ones are at peace, and we will see them again.
Words to comfort us as we grieve: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged; for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 NIV
Blessings - Doye
I have read Don Piper's book and it is very interesting. One special segment on this program was about a young girl (from Soviet Republic atheist parents) who began to "see God" when she was 4 yrs. old. She began to tell her mother about heaven, and seeing Jesus, and actually drew and painted wonderful photo-like pictures of him and the flowers, bldgs. etc. she saw in heaven. Her mother became a believer from seeing all this happen in her young daughter's life. I'm not sure how old the daughter is now - but late teens now at least.
The man who saw hell was not sick. He was asleep at the time and said it was not a dream, but a terrible experience during which he was transported there. He saw monsters, snakes, huge areas of fire -- and he said he it was REAL fire - not an illusion. It was so terrible that he screamed and screamed for his wife as he "came back" and she was very shocked. He felt that God wanted him to leave his executive position and travel - telling people that hell is real and they need to find peace with God before they die.
My husband's actions as he was nearing death reinforced my belief that angels or family members or both do come to "welcome" believers into heaven. He could not speak at that point, but it was clear that he was very jubilant about what he was seeing.
I am very thankful for the promise of eternal life throughout the Holy Bible, and the hope it gives us that our loved ones are at peace, and we will see them again.
Words to comfort us as we grieve: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged; for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 NIV
Blessings - Doye
As an adult, before I was saved, I had a bad case of pneumonia and ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks. I remember being afraid to fall asleep. DH and I had just gotten married and he had to have thought I was insane. I kept saying the "Thing" was coming. I was convinced that it would kill me. Several times I would actually fall asleep, then awake quickly, convinced I actually heard it coming down the hall. I was terrified.
After 3 days with no sleep, the doctors suggested I take a sleeping pill. I said, no way. The Thing would get me. Finally, DH said he would stay the night and watch over me, and I agreed. I slept pretty well until something woke me up. I started screaming, seeing the large green thing in front of me. Turns out it was a machine meant to check my breathing, but it really scared me as I figured the Thing had gotten me.
Later, the doctors said I was hallucinating from the medication and lack of sleep. Also, oxygen depravation to the brain. But as a born-again Christian, I see it differently. I think the Thing I feared was hell and the creatures that inhabit it. My pneumonia was serious and I felt death's presence, only I wasn't saved. People are always surprised when I tell them I wasn't saved. I was always a goody-two shoe. I say I was a moral person, but not saved at all.
Thankfully, 5 years later, I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. Now, I know my time in the hospital would have a different outcome. Heaven awaits.
Tru
Be blessed today.
But no, he started the conversation to tell me of his sister in the hospital. She had an organ transplant a few years back and her body teeters on rejection. She had a vision one night of heaven and hell -- like the others testified, it was more of an experience than a dream. The heaven vision was a nurse playing with a little girl. It was important for him to say there were no children in the hospital wing. The hell vision sounded halloweenish -- ghost, skeletons, etc.
Third party testimony, but it agrees with the other stories.
I think it is cool to think of God reaching out to those on their death bed; showing them what is ahead, and giving them a choice.