Non-Biblical Sources for Heaven :: By Dave Cogburn

[Andy C]

Interesting read about “near death experiences”. I have doubted these really can happen, but this article makes me think a little harder.


From the article:

I am sure most of us are aware of what is called near-death experiences. I have been following NDEs for many years, as I find them fascinating. For those who may not know, an NDE is where someone physically dies for a short time and gets a glimpse of the afterlife.

One of the most amazing things is “how many people have NDEs.” Research it, and you will see it is in the millions, and as we know, many people have written books about their NDEs. Some of these books are best sellers. Why is that? Almost all of us are curious and interested in the afterlife in terms of whether it is real and, if so, what it is like.

NDEs are mysterious and controversial because the Bible does not talk about them. What makes them noticeable and worth considering is millions of people appear to have them, and many of them have accurately described things in detail going on around them while they were unconscious or dead.

The first question many of us wonder when we hear or read about someone having an NDE is whether it is real or not. I mean, just because someone says it’s real, unfortunately, does not mean it is. Are they writing a book based on a lie just to make money? Unfortunately, some people really do it for that reason. But there are also people who truly did have the NDE they are talking about, and they want everyone to know what they experienced, so it might bring hope and encouragement to many who desperately want to know more about life after death.

Is there any way to discern who is telling the truth and who is not? YES, there is a way to narrow it down. First, it is important to understand that an NDE is not a true death because it is not an eternal death.It appears to be an in-between place where God seems to allow “some people” to experience a glimpse of the afterlife in some way. Many of them will describe a door or some sort of barrier they were not allowed to cross, or else they would not be able to come back. That barrier is eternity. What happens in eternity stays in eternity. Each person who had a true NDE and came back never entered into eternity, or they would have had to stay there.

Non-Biblical Sources for Heaven :: By Dave Cogburn

Most of this article comes from my book, God's Plan for Heaven, Eternity and the Universe Explained. Since Google says we can self-plagiarize, I am

www.raptureready.com

 

[Andiamo]

That tunnel of light experience and that false peace is a big fat lie from satan to make people like my family believe we are all going to the same place.

 

[mattfivefour]

That tunnel of light experience and that false peace is a big fat lie from satan to make people like my family believe we are all going to the same place.

I have always believed that what @Andiamo says is true. At least in most cases, and certainly in the cases of non-believers. But I have never been content with that explanation, chiefly because these things have happened to faithful Christians. The explanation given in @Andy C 's post above is the first explanation for NDE's I have ever read that would account for NDE's by Christians.That said, I have always judged the veracity of an NDE by whether it confirms the Bible or seems to cast doubt on it.

All of the foregoing aside, we are told all we need to know about Heaven in Scripture. And if the writers' descriptions there confuse us at times more than inform us, then we have all we need to know in the knowledge that Heaven is where God is and He has prepared a place for us there.

What will it be like? Wonderful beyond description. Even beyond imagination. Yet, our insatiable human curiosity drives us to want to know more, to know the details of where we are going, to see into the unseen. It's understandable. But it often leads us humans into paths that can lead away from the truth ... which truth can only be found in the Word of God. And therein lies the danger.

For myself, I have come to the decision that it is far more important for me to use my insatiable desire-to-know-more to know God better and better, pursuing Him in my daily life more and more and more. I want to enjoy a greater and greater awareness of His Presence every day here. I want to receive greater desire and power to share Him with others. I want to find, like Paul, greater and greater contentment in my circumstances here, whatever they may be. And I want to learn to trust more and more the Being to Whom I have entrusted my life, and with Whom I will spend forever.

Yes, I sometimes find myself contemplating the mysteries of eternity and heaven; but, as Jesus said to Martha, "Mary has chosen the better thing." Therefore I want to choose what -- to me-- is the better thing: learning to know my God and Savior better.

I hope I haven't discouraged anyone from picturing heaven and trying to probe its mysteries. But, as a pastor, my burden is to encourage everyone to know their Beloved better, walk with Him closer, and hunger for His daily Presence more. Although I know most of you only through what you have written here and on our previous home on the web, I love each one of you. Deeply. The Lord has shown me your hearts and how precious you each are in His sight, how much He truly loves each of you. And that love for you, poured into my heart, causes me to always write what I hope will edify and encourage you in a greater turning to Christ and His will. His heart is always toward you. His provision is always available to you. His help is always only a cry away. O dearly beloved of God! May you walk more and more in the continuous knowledge of His Presence and His care and His love. And may you come to know Him better than even your closest earthly loved ones. In Jesus' name. Amen.


(Andy, I apologize for the thread derail.)

 

[Andy C]

(Andy, I apologize for the thread derail.)

Derail? No way, you added depth with your knowledge!

 

[Margery]

I remember a book written by a cardiologist who became a Christian working on a fellow in his office who dropped with a heart attack after a cardiac stress test.

As he was pumping on the guys chest, the fellow kept screaming about hell fire and the flames, and begging to know how to get saved, and begging the dr to keep going.

The dr finally said KEEP YOUR HELL TO YOURSELF! but the guy kept going into some type of hell experience and being pulled back, screaming.

Finally the dr remembered his childhood Sunday School lessons and said, Ask for Jesus to help you, I'm busy.

Guy calls on Jesus, Jesus SAVE ME and no more hell fire. He keeps going to a happy place.

Finally gets the guy stabilized, alive and the cardiologist decides there's something more to this than he'd been trained for. There were some official studies done on NDE's in the 70s or 80s and they all talked about happy stuff, the tunnel, the light and amazing peace.

So he starts to talk with his patients over a period of time who've had NDE's.

What he found got him to finally ask Jesus to Save HIM TOO!

If he interviewed them in the ICU within 24 hours max they recalled hell if they weren't christians. After that time, ALL of them seemed to recall positive stuff, even the non Christians' who initially in that first 24 hour period had recalled terrible pain and burning heat.

He looked into the studies that had been done, and lo and behold, the researchers were all interviewing the patients days and weeks after their NDE. Nobody was allowed to interview in ICU for "frivolous" stuff like that. But he was able. He had access to his own patients, in the ICU and any others he was caring for.

He began to realize that something weird happened to the non Christians experiencing hellfire. They all seemed to have some kind of reversal in their memories, losing all recollection of hell and only remembering some false memory that seem to be overlaid on top.

His theory was that it was too painful to remember and or the enemy didn't want the truth to be known, or both and the brain's response to the traumatic memory was to over write it.

It made sense. I don't think that the enemy wants non Christians knowing or remembering the bad stuff. I don't actually think the brain over wrote it, but I do think the enemy is more than able to replace a bad memory with a universally pleasant one that has people all complacent that all good people go to heaven or some such lie.

I can't remember the title name or author. If I do I'll put it in here. It was interesting. Written sometime in the late 70s early 80s if I recall.

 

[Margery]

I also think that most cardiologists would put the pain their patients feel down to the heart attack in progress or the CPR actions which often break the ribs and the sternum. Therefore most of these NDE's in progress won't get reported as such. The pain would be chalked up to the heart attack and or the CPR.

 

[Andiamo]

. But, as a pastor, my burden is to encourage everyone to know their Beloved better, walk with Him closer, and hunger for His daily Presence more. Although I know most of you only through what you have written here and on our previous home on the web, I love each one of you. Deeply. The Lord has shown me your hearts and how precious you each are in His sight, how much He truly loves each of you. And that love for you, poured into my heart, causes me to always write what I hope will edify and encourage you in a greater turning to Christ and His will. His heart is always toward you. His provision is always available to you. His help is always only a cry away. O dearly beloved of God! May you walk more and more in the continuous knowledge of His Presence and His care and His love. And may you come to know Him better than even your closest earthly loved ones. In Jesus' name. Amen.

This is beautiful! I feel blessed and privileged to rest and learn here, in your little flock.
Thank you for answering the obvious call on your life. What you wrote is truly inspiring. I always tell the Lord, that I will never step out in any ministry with people, without Love leading and guiding me. It is imperative that Love must be my motive. Your love for us is confirmation that you are truly a called man.
I love you too…my online pastor, good brother and friend.

 

[Armor of Light]

We are a blessed people here in this little place, this little hole in the wall of cyber space.
Where knowledge abounds and love surrounds with humbleness ,yearning , forgiveness and grace.

 

[mattfivefour]

This is beautiful! I feel blessed and privileged to rest and learn here, in your little flock.
Thank you for answering the obvious call on your life. What you wrote is truly inspiring. I always tell the Lord, that I will never step out in any ministry with people, without Love leading and guiding me. It is imperative that Love must be my motive. Your love for us is confirmation that you are truly a called man.
I love you too…my online pastor, good brother and friend.

I don't know how to respond other than to humbly say thank you. I give all the glory to God because whatever i am that is any good, He has made me. Trust me, I know all too well that in my flesh dwells no good thing.

 

[mattfivefour]

We are a blessed people here in this little place, this little hole in the wall of cyber space.
Where knowledge abounds and love surrounds with humbleness ,yearning , forgiveness and grace.

This is so beautiful! Thank you so much! I nominate it as CCF's official poem. Anybody with me?

 

[Armor of Light]

I am honestly humbled and amazed that this popped out of my head, all I can say is GLORY to GOD, I am nothing He is ALL!

 

[Margery]

This is so beautiful! Thank you so much! I nominate it as CCF's official poem. Anybody with me?

Yup, I'm with you!

 

[Andiamo]

This is so beautiful! Thank you so much! I nominate it as CCF's official poem. Anybody with me?

That was my first thought when I read it.

 

[Muckah]

There are accounts in the bible where people died and then came back to life. I don't think NDE'S are mentioned. However, Paul, John and (Enoch) do seem to mention OBE'S - out of body experiences.

 

[mattfivefour]

There are accounts in the bible where people died and then came back to life. I don't think NDE'S are mentioned. However, Paul, John and (Enoch) do seem to mention OBE'S - out of body experiences.

Isaiah, also. But an out-of-body experience is not an NDE. It is something different and I do not want us to confuse the two

 

[Maranatha]

All of the foregoing aside, we are told all we need to know about Heaven in Scripture.

Some Scripture:
Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. (Ps. 73:25, NLT)
Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
Then we will be with the Lord forever.(1 Thess. 4:17, NLT), emphasis added