By Mark Ellis —
He was attending a business convention with his brother and another family member when random shots sprayed a crowd outside an Atlanta restaurant.
Three intoxicated young men were denied entrance to the eatery and retaliated with a burst of nine-millimeter bullets from an Uzi submachine gun. One of the shots entered the back of Matthew Botsford’s head, lodging itself in the frontal lobe of his brain.
“They were angry, so they took a shot straight up the sidewalk,” says Matthew. “If you took a hypodermic needle, heated it up, and stuck it in your head, that’s what I felt,” he says. “It was a searing hot pain, then things went black.”
His body slammed to the pavement and the last thing he remembers is the cold, hard cement amid “inky” darkness.
He was at the edge of death – if not clinically dead — three times after his heart stopped once on the sidewalk, once in the ambulance, and once in the emergency room of Piedmont Hospital. But weak vital signs returned and doctors induced a coma that lasted 27 days to reduce brain swelling.
Matthew’s wife, Nancy, described the horrifying ordeal in her book, “A Day in Hell; Death to Life to Hope” (Tate Publishing).
Prior to this incident, Matthew had a minimal belief in God. “I knew there was a God and that Jesus is His son,” he recalls. “But never had I made a commitment to say Jesus is the Way or made any effort to get to know Him.”
“It was all about me. I had my own plans. At 28-years-old, I felt young, vibrant, and strong.”
When the lights went out, Matthew entered a different conscious reality. “Immediately, I shifted from the temporal realm I lived in, to the eternal realm of hell,” he recalls.
In the book, Matthew describes a horrifying scene in what he believes was hell, with his body suspended in midair, arms outstretched, shackled with ancient black chains clasped around his wrists and ankles, suspended over a deep glowing red abyss.
He saw four-legged creatures roaming about in apparent agony, as they attempted to stay clear of flowing lava. Smoke billowing up from the magma seemed to carry the souls of the lost. He heard awful screams emanating from the depths of hell. None of the screams were intelligible — just cries of pain, loss, and anguish.
“It was obvious by the countless screams I heard, I was not down there alone, yet isolated. I was in my own torment.”
The lava flow got closer to Matthew, and globules of magma splashed on his shins and feet, which burned his flesh to the bone. “I smelled my own flesh searing and burning away. I saw and felt my flesh re-form only to be burned off again and again.”
Demons with dark oval eyes looked at him, judging and mocking him. “I could see some of the faces of these demons, and bodies…short and stout covered with scales and horns of varying numbers, sizes and lengths upon their heads, denoting their levels of authority in Satan’s realm.”
“Demons with sharp teeth peeled the skin off his back side, which resulted in tremendous pain. I heard the sound of my skin being ripped off in ribbon-like fashion. I smelled their stench like rotten carcasses or rotten flesh. Over and over and over this repeated itself. There was to be no end to the torment. I understood this was to be an eternal existence for me.”
On the night of the shooting, Nancy was at their home in Michigan waiting for a phone call from Matthew. When he didn’t call, she went to bed at 11:00 thinking something wasn’t right.
She woke up at 2:00 a.m. with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Matthew’s father called moments later and Nancy’s first words were, “Is he alive?”
When she flew to Atlanta that morning with Matthew’s parents, she didn’t know the severity of his condition.
Like Matthew, Nancy had only a nominal faith in God, and did not even think about praying on the journey to the hospital.
A nurse informed her for the first time Matthew was shot in the head, and tried to prepare her for her first visit to his bedside. In ICU, she saw Matthew’s head wrapped up, with numerous wires and tubes protruding from his body. Believing his passing to be imminent, five organ harvesters stood nearby with red and white containers and began to pressure her to sign agreements for his vital organs.
Later in the afternoon she met with the doctor, who provided little reason for hope. “I took out a grapefruit-sized portion of brain matter, skin, skull, and bullet fragments,” he began. “But I had to leave the bullet in place in the frontal lobe because it was so impacted.”
“He has a 30% chance of making it through the night,” the doctor said. “Even if he lives, he may have paralysis or, due to the brain injury, need to be institutionalized.”
The bleak assessment was too much for Nancy to bear and she stood up abruptly and left the room, apparently in shock. “I was losing it,” she recalls. “I couldn’t comprehend his words. This was more than I could handle.”
She started to walk down the hallway, but then something unusual happened. She felt a hand grab her right shoulder. She whirled around, thinking it might be her mother, but no one was there.
“Instantly I knew it was Jesus!” she says. “It was a touch from Jesus. Every cell of my body knew it was Him.”
She ran back to ICU, knelt down by Matthew’s bed, and began to pray fervently. “Lord, bring back my husband. Bring back his personality, his heart. Even if he’s in a wheelchair, I promise to stay with him.”
It is impossible to know the time that elapsed between Nancy’s prayer and Matthew’s rescue from hell. But in response to her prayer, help appeared in the most dramatic way, as Matt recounts:
“In my realm in hell, I saw a massive finger begin to protrude in from the outside which led into the entirety of a man’s hand.” He says the hand was cracked and creviced like any man’s hand, yet of “great age” and massive size.
“This hand of God methodically descended towards me and grasped me about my waist, instantaneously causing the shackles to drop off, demons to flee, blackness, fear and hopelessness to be vanquished.”
Matthew recalls hearing heavenly music and saw a brilliant white light. Then he heard a voice that sounded like thunder, a bolt of lightning and mighty rushing waters say, “IT’S NOT YOUR TIME!”
When Matthew awakened from his coma, he was paralyzed on his left side, weighed 95 pounds, and had the functional capabilities of an infant. For the next two years, he endured intensive rehab to re-learn “everything.”
After his rehab, he asked one of his neighbors about finding a church. The neighbor invited him to The Rock Church in Gainesville. At first, Matthew and Nancy cried throughout the worship. There was a “gradual unveiling” for them as they both grew in faith.
“The moment I believed there wasn’t a question,” Matthew says. “Yes, Lord! I get it now. I finally understand.”
Matthew still has some paralysis on his left side and wears a brace on his right leg. But he would not trade the gunshot and the day in hell for anything. “I still have deficits,” he says. “But I was spiritually dead and that bullet brought me to such a great life. I would never have known Jesus. I can say I was in the right place when I was shot.”
Matthew and Nancy started Seeds of Love Ministries and frequently share their testimonies with churches and other groups.
They want everyone to understand what is at stake between heaven and hell. “I don’t want anyone else to experience what I experienced,” Matthew says. “People need to have an answer to a huge question: ‘Where will you spend eternity?’”
If you want to know more about a personal relationship with God, go here
I Want To “THANK” Both Nancy And Matthew For Helping Me Understand What Is At Stake For All Of Us When It Comes To Both Heaven And Hell. You Have Been Through A Lot Matthew And I Am So Glad To Hear That Your Near Death Experience You Were Able To Overcome And Still Be With All Of Us Here On Earth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just want to know if like.. eating the meats we eat is evil. I just need to know if the people who made it into heaven are vegiteran. I just need to know because if someone made it who isn’t a vegiteran then it has nothing to do w/ eating meat!
According to the Mosaic Law, the Jews ate certain kinds of meat, but others were restricted. Jesus, also ate meat following these dietary guidelines in the law. In Acts 10, Peter fell into a trance and saw all kinds of animals and Jesus said to him, “Rise, Peter, kill and eat.” Peter protested, saying he had never eaten anything “unclean” under the law. But Jesus told him, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” This new freedom in Christ allowed Peter to reach out to Gentiles and allows you to eat meat.
I have read near death experiences and a girl who did not eat meat who claims to not know much on spirituality said she saw a justice scale and the scale was being weighed in her favor because she said she did not eat meat. They said it was because she had a high regard for life. It was helping weigh out sins she had commited on the earth. I am vegetarian now because of her experience. If you look up the forfathers of christianity they had strong feelings about not eating meat.
hi there anthony abelardo yes it is a great sin to eat meat i self eat meat but i will stop verry soon with eating meat in my religion it is a great sin and the supreme lord KRISHNA does not allow anyone to kill of Eat flesh of his sons and daughters every living entity is a Part and Parcel of the Supreme Lord Krishna But we people are so Dull that we think we can do anything and eat anything for satisfying our senses.
By the way Krishna Means The Most Attractive Person God is The most atractive person in the whole Universem
I will Give YOU A HINT for you questions Read THE Bhagavad Gita As It IS or ask me i answer you greatingsssss danny from the netherlands Amsterdam
i enjoyed this story. now is the time to learn of Jesus before it’s too late.
Amen to that. God’s time is perfect. Let’s continue o share Jesus’ Stores. May many be saved. Adele
I personally have experienced the Lord’s intervention in my life where I was on the verge of death. This strengthened my love for the Lord and desire to spread the good news. May his name be praised.
Brilliant testimony. Thank you for sharing, may this story spread far and wide to bring many people into God’s kingdom of Light.
Had to repost on Facebook… thanks for a great testimony.
Kingdom Blessings, always in Christ ~Santos ‘zionsgate.wordpress.com’
Amazing testimony that needs to be shared! So many people have no idea
Non serviam. I would never serve a god who chose to blackmail people into being his followers by threatening to suspend them over an abyss and torture them for all eternity. I consider it overwhelmingly more likely that Matthew’s brain injury produced his William Blake-esque experience of hell, so I’m not too concerned. There are many positives in the Christian religion, but the “serve me or burn” tradition is not one of them.
What do you mean a God who blackmails? God did not have to save Matthew or anyone for that matter. He could let the whole sinful lot of us rot the minute we shake our fist at him like you are doing.
I’m glad you asked for clarification. I’m happy to provide it, but I’m short on time so, I’m going to quote from an article posted by the Atheist Experience.
“At the core of Christianity is the belief that, in order to ascend to Heaven after death and enjoy a life of eternal bliss and joy, one must be a Christian.…Failure to do so is punishable by an eternity of hell…. Fundamentally it is an act of terrorism: turn or burn. A demand is being made upon humanity by God. God offers you what Christians call a “choice,” but which is really an ultimatum: worship Me, accept My Son as Savior, or else suffer the torments of hell for all eternity. What Christians can not, will not, face is the fact that such a “choice” is no different whatsoever from the modus operandi of the Mafia, whose “protection rackets” in the days of tommy guns and fedoras—in which gangs of thugs would troop into Chicago bars and offer owners the “choice” between paying the protection money or having their businesses Molotoved—have become a part of American folklore. The Christian God is the school bully who extorts your lunch money as a means of being persuaded not to beat you up at recess. But Christians can not see the connection between these behaviors. As George H. Smith writes in his seminal work Atheism: The Case Against God, ‘There is nothing the Christian will accept as evidence of his God’s evil.’”
See full article here: http://atheistexperience.blogspot.com/2006/11/christians-moral-blind-spot.html.
You say “God did not have to save Matthew or anyone else,” but my question to you is this: save us from what? Is God limited or constrained in anyway? No, he does as he pleases. He invented every atom on this planet from scratch, he devised the narrative of our history, and he defined sin and set the parameters for its punishment. No force outside of God is forcing him to punish us. No one but God requires a blood sacrifice for sin. He, and only he, makes the rules. According to God, you must serve and love him, or you will suffer for all time. God says that his will is just. I disagree. Even if the Christian narrative were true and I ended up meeting your god on judgment day, I would still disagree with his justice. I’m not the fist-shaking type, but please believe me: I would rather go to hell than serve your god.
You are completely mischaracterizing the Church to suit your needs and reinforce your atheism. Hell is not a place God banishes us to. It’s an existence some freely go to who reject God. It’s the absence of god, of light, of love. In the end God gives us an eternity of whatever we truly love the most, either ourselves, our selfish desires and flesh, or union with him. It is said the doors of hell are locked, but from the INSIDE! We also don’t believe simply that as Catholics only catholics can attain heaven. That is lie. Many distant people have never even seen a bible! Or heard of Christ! But they live a good life responding to their conscience and natural law and a moral compass god places in their hearts. They rest with God for eternity as well! You don’t hate Christianity, you hate the atheist’s ugly charachature of Christianity. god is perfect, is perfectly merciful, perfectly just, and the creator of love! God is embodiment of love. Hell is simply the eternal absence of that. god no more Created hell or banishes to hell than light creates darkness! All truth comes from God. If there were something we should want to serve it should be God. But god gave us an amazing gift, our freedom, our free will. We can reject him, reject the light the truth, as you want. We can worship our flesh, our egos, our pleasure. Don’t read atheists websites to understand true Church! It’s lies! Read Catholic Answers or bible or talk to a priest or minister!
@ Kevin, – you sound more moderate than fundamental. I personally completely agree with what Sarah wrote. Aethiests are aethiests because they dared to think for themselves and realised that the God in the bible is exactly like a school yard bully. The ultimatums, and threat of eternal damnation, while saying he loved you dearly….it’s all a bit…well, twisted. Intelligent people should never be able to skim over this part of Christianity without have an issue with it.
Besides, God would surely love aethiests dearly because they put forward the best arguements.
I am not moderate. This is right in line with the catechism of catholic church. This is in line with full magisterium. Funny how all you atheists hate not the Church but an ugly twisted caricature of the church, and God! Don’t try to get truth of church from atheist or humanist websites!
My intention was to object to the message of this article stated in the last paragraph, which I do not feel I am misrepresenting. I recognize that Christian factions have varying doctrines on hell. My reasons for leaving the religion have little to do with the concept of hell, but it’s a concept I find tedious. The “turn-or-burn” message is nonsense, and it is an appalling tactic for advancing the Christian faith. Christianity has other (more appealing) selling points, but this is not one of them. I must say I am disturbed by your advice to restrict my reading. I consider it intellectually honest to research all sides of a topic. Asking questions and seeking answers should not be censured. NB: Thank you for your concern for me, but it is unnecessary. I was a Christian for 24 years and went to Christian schools and a Christian college (and, incidentally, the author of The Atheist Experience is a former minister).
Sarah, I just randomly came across your comment while searching for near death experiences. I am not a Christian but a Muslim, and from an Islamic perspective God created the human beings to worship Him and this is why we are naturally always seeking a purpose beyond life. This life is only a test, the result of which would take us to God’s pleasure (heaven) or His displeasure (Hell) in the next life. God says in the Quran that it does not change His status or power whether the entire human race worships Him or whether they discredit Him because loving Him is our need not His, we are born for that purpose itself. This is not a blackmail, its just a source for us to find our reason for existence so that we can prepare a blissful next life, so that we know who we are and why we are and so that we may look at life on a larger perspective, not the short one ending with death. We’re meant for an eternal existence but most of us take this short life as the only life there can be. It is not a turn or burn situation, it is a test to judge which ones are deserving of God’s pleasure. All we need to do is look around, see the perfection of nature and the harmony of the entire system of universe, realise that an all Powerful, all knowing exists who must have created this perfect system. And if has created this, then all of it must be for a purpose. Once we come to that God the Kind and merciful will make life easy in this world and the hereafter 🙂
Reaction to Javeria: to me Allah is only a god of revanche. If he pleases you come in heaven if not in hell. Only as à martar you make à good chance.
Are there any positive nde in moslim believe?
Are there any nde in which Mohammed is presented?
Or is Christ the one and only which give joy and revelation? If so the Christian believe gives the final answer.
Hi there, I just want to point some small point out for you. God did not give us an ultimatum to serve Him or burn. He did give us a choice yes, but that choice is to be His Children or not to be His children. , to serve Him or to serve ourselves. The difference between heaven and hell is the difference between where God is and where God is not. God did not turn His back on the people in Hell, they turned their backs on Him. Satan does not have any power except the power of the lie. It is Sad that you believe Satan’s lies and think that God is evil. If you turn your back on your family and you end up dying in a hospital somewhere and nobody informs your family you are there dying, you are guaranteed to die without family being with you. The truth is that God looks after you while you are alive whether you believe in Him or not, because if He didn’t, then you would be in hell before you die. The thing with hell is that it is not as such a punishment as that it is God granting you your wish to be without Him. What is hell, it is the complete absence of God and to be completely left in the hands of Satan and his followers. And now you want to choose not to serve God, because you don’t like what happens when God grants people who don’t want to be with him their wish. So please don’t blame God for what happens in hell; he paid the highest price by sacrificing His son so we don’t have to go there. I’m going to end with a little story to describe God as the good judge to you. A girl was caught speeding in her car and she had to appear in court. The judge listened carefully and became clear that she was guilty, he sentenced her with quite a high fine. After the hearing he came up to her, gave her a hug, put his arm around her and took her to the cashier where he paid the fine. Why? Because she was his daughter and as a good judge, he had to be fair, nobody could stop him from paying his child’s speeding fine.
Wouldn’t the ultimate sacrifice be one’s own mortal life and not that of a son who also happens to be your immortal self?
I would certainly be careful with your words……..
God does not want us to believe on him in the form of ‘only’ jesus in fact!
The point is in fact we all are the various projections of God himself!!
God loves us irrespective of u loving him/her/it or not….
But to be with him/her/it would be so lovely overwhelming experience that cannot be afford to lose
God doesnt wants us to keep reciting his name or praise him or whatsoever
Even if u dont believe in him totally but u can love other humans and animals as your own family….then you are automatically loving the God
Its the misunderstood view that you have to accept jesus or bhagwaan or allah in order to enjoy heaven
Your own deeds would take you to where u belong and remember wherever u go…what u do..believe it or not….no one can ever love u as much as god loves u…..u need not even respect him for that….just learn that nothing in this world can bring you real happiness and do nothing…love the people around this is the best kind of devotion you can do for him…:)
You know, atheist dont know what the hell they want or need to know, they are just here to tell us there is no god, well there is, god didnt want to make a hell, nor jesus, for adam and eve ate off the wrong tree, so later on that, they sinned, there again, the first angel that was created was the devil, for what i heard, the first and most powerful angel backstabbed god in believing he was stronger than god, well god made a hell to put that backstabbing angel in, see, you worship god and jesus out of love, he has not hate, as for atheist hate on him saying he is cruel, if he is cruel, why was he gonna give us ever-lasting life the first time, he created hell cause of the first angel backstabbed him, and on top of that adam and eve didnt listen, they ate off of the tree and then that cost all people, every person to have to put up with this world we are currently living on, god is real, god is not cruel, god is good, perfect, and is the most loving person u could ever imagine, same with jesus, jesus died on the sins for whom went to hell, they do avoid god cause ur stupid atheism told them to, be a christian, be a catholic, be a jew, worship god and jesus, for they never meant harm or cruelty, they wanted nothing but happyness, if they wanna call someone cruel, call the devil cruel, he is the only reason there is a hell! But i totally agree with you Kevin
Sarah…. I was born innocent and learned everything I need to know to feed and clothe myself and survive on this planet until I die. I made decisions to cause others to suffer and inflict pain and suffering, which was not by accident.. it was intentional. Almost every time I did so, I sooner or later felt that I had made the wrong decision. Should I be allowed to worship the God of the molecule, the tree, the planet, the solar system, the expanse of space and time… forever ???
Also, as a child I had bacterial meningitis at 3 months old, with 20 percent chance of survival. I was held and healed by God. I later drank too much within 4 hours and went to an eternal blackness … an endless floating space of pitch black darkness, where I was given another chance at life. I continental to drunk and I struggled to survive , yet again from an illness. This time I experienced hell. There are 3 places. So, how is this a delusion and not real ? People of other languages/ cultures who never knew of Christ or people of other languages/ cultures who had a completely separate belief system, experience the exact same or similar after death experience as I did. How is that possible when they never had the same up bringing, faith, teachings, experiences, culture or education. It tells me that every person is sent to one of these 3 places after death. Don’t fight it so hard. Just trust and believe. What I struggle with is up punishment for eternity. It’s not fair, but if your a Holy God , you can not be worshipped by souls that do not want or desire to become and be pure for eternity. It’s simple as that.
“EVERYONE who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” – from the Bible itself. This is no matter what anybody has done. The apostle Paul had been a murderer of Christians before Jesus miraculously appeared to him on his way to Damascus. He said he was the greatest of sinners, yet he accepted God’s forgiveness due to the abundant grace that God gives. Grace means accepting something you don’t deserve. Mercy means not getting the punishment you do deserve. The Scriptures clearly say that God is abundant in both, and that God IS love. This grace and mercy is freely available to ANYONE who chooses to call upon Jesus’ name for salvation. The name Jesus means “The Lord saves” – we cannot save ourselves no matter how hard we try, it is God who saves us through what the Lord Jesus Christ did by dying a horrible death to pay, not for his own son, but for the sins of the whole world. God’s Word also says, “He who comes to me I will in no wise cast out. So yes, no matter what on earth you have done you can come to him to receive eternal salvation. We know this for sure because it says it in his Word.
The most important thing is Truth – not what atheists choose to believe. If there is a heaven or a hell, we must seek to find out as much as possible about it, because it would be a mighty shame to slip into eternity and only then suddenly discover that it’s all as real, if not MORE real than this life and this earth.
You’re right. We should absolutely be allowed into heaven without acknowledging the being who put it there or having to be accountable for our actions at all. Thank you for your loving insight and hope! … Smh.
What a lovely, healthful religion you have.
God never asked man to sin, he gave him the choice to allow him to take care of him, and love him unconditionally.. Satan snuck in, lied to Eve concerning what God had directed them about what would happen if they ate of the forbidden fruit. She did not stand for the truth that the Lord had told them, went ahead and ate of it because she wanted to for her fleshly wants.. and then gave it to Adam and he also believed the lie and did not rebuke his wife for her going against GOD. Hell was made originally for satan and the fallen angels.. NOT MANKIND.. But man decided to ALSO go against God who wanted only to take care of them. That sin carries over to every one of their children… ALL of mankind. This sin seperates us from God, but God made a way to get to come back through his son Jesus.. God did not have to do so, but because he loves us he sent his son to die with all our sins upon him.. This is HOW he cares for us.. A BULLY DOESN’T leap into the fire to rescue someone!!! Satan hated God, in his own greed and jealousy got himself KICKED OUT of heaven for coveting God’s throne. He convinced one third of the angels that he was going to over throw God. That lie you spewed about God being a bully, is the very same lie satan spewed to the angels who now have their future in Hell. The same future for sin.. Hell is meant for sin against the Father. No matter if you believe or not, Hell is waiting to cleans sin. Its there and its up to you to believe in Jesus or not. He doesn’t bully you, or force you to believe. That man did not HAVE to even believe what he saw! He didn’t HAVE to accept Jesus, but he felt it pretty convincing. God doesn’t have to give anyone a second chance.. Bullies don’t give second chances. Bullies lie and call good people names just like you did. You called God a bully when all he ever has done is love everyone. Man’s sinfulness has caused all these horrible things upon this world and in it. God is a just God that is slow to anger. Jesus loved us enough to come and die for us to provide a way to live without the fear of Hell and be with him in heaven.. How is that a bully? You don’t have to accept.. But why would anyone not want a free gift such as that!!?? Only a BULLY would say to someone giving a sweet gift like that, that person is evil.. Do not be so fast to listen to anyone against God, for they are only spewing the same jargon that satan has spewed from the time he decided to go against God. Want proof he exists… just look at how evil mankind is. Look how hard they fight against God and how hard they try to say there isn’t one. That is the full evidence of the devil’s work. He doesn’t want you to believe.. THAT my friend is a bully! He is takin you to hell with him, and you don’t even realize it! He is laughing at you for spewing his own hate for the father. THAT is a bully!
i strongly believe in what you have said. a person shouldn’t listen to those negative voices that call you names, take the lord’s name in vain trying to get you to join them in their hell. I believe that jesus died for our sins and god wouldn’t have made me gay if being heterosexual was the key to heaven…
I will certainly pray for you, if God opened your eyes this morning you should praise him!! We are all unworthy of his blessings, I find it an honor to worship him all the days of my life, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is Christ, there are only two choices heaven and hell, I choose heaven…….
I will pray for you, If you opened your eyes this morning, and breathing air, you have been blessed, so sad for those of you that are so blind you cannot see, but one day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is the King of kings and Lord of lords, he sacrificed his life for you and for every living soul, suffered a horrible death in our stead, we all deserve hell, I am thankful to him for all his blessings, you and I are unworthy and yet he loves us still, I pray that you and your other atheist friends will find him, accept him as your personal savior, there is no second chances….. as for me, I will serve the Lord Jesus Christ for the rest of my life, I would suggest you do the same…..
Can you serve a God who was willing to send His Son to this earth for 30 some years to suffer and die for you to keep you out of hell? If you were the only one here at the time He would have died for you. God is so merciful that He gave us choices. You can either choose life or you can choose death. Choose this day who you will serve.
I don’t think afterlife would change according to someone’s own personal created perspective about it.
Hi Sarah, you’re so right. I grew uo in a Christian home, and this whole serve or burn always worried, especially because they say, “God loves us enough to give us a choice…” and that peole actually “choose” hell… what a horrible horrible sadistic evil god that surpasses the evil and horror of abusers and terrorists…. so glad someone else can see that. 🙂
Most people do not choose hell!!! Most are deceived by Satan’s lies that there is no hell and that there are no real and lasting consequences for our poor choices. Because they did not want, accept or believe in his Atonement they will have to pay the price for their sins themselves.
Even people in hell are redeemed from that state when they have repented. Satan is bound for 1000 years in the Millenium after which he is released for a short time to engage in a final war. Only those who still choose to follow Satan, even after the experience in hell, will be cast into perdition or outer darkness with him.
All others will have paid the price for their sins, been redeemed and assigned to different levels of glory depending on their faithfulness and good works.
God does not make laws. He is subject to the laws of nature – if He attempted to circumvent the demands of justice He would cease to be God. Only through His Son Jesus Christ and repentence can we escape the consequences of our life’s mistakes and thus the total reality of hell
For goodness sake. Is God really that petty? That narrow minded and cruel that ‘he’ would allow a young man to be tortured for eternity because he did not ‘come into the faith’? Any of you readers going ‘hallelujah’ etc really need to think. How much fear-mongering is in this experience? It is designed to make you fear your own ability to think. To truly ‘THINK’ for yourself – is not called selfishness – it’s called intelligence.
God is intelligent. Jesus was intelligent. He was a thinker. He did not fear.
Reading through this experience, it sounds either (a) entirely fabricated by the powerful american christian cult to control you, or (b) a reflection of the pain and guilt this young man already felt (and THEN told to you to control your independent thinking ability).
Get wise people. If you take this account to heart, you are living in fear. You become powerless and easily manipulated.
Satan is the GREAT deceiver here. Not God….if you read His Word you will see that He is nothing but LOVE and perfect in all His ways. Satan is the one who treavels the world “seeing whom he might devour”. We are all sinners but God placed our sin on Jesus and sent Him to the cross as a sacrifice for that sin…. something that we can/could not do. That sacrifice is offerred to EVERYONE in exchange for His righteousness. A real deal!!
Romans 1:16-32-
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ…For therein is the righteousness of God revealed… For the wrath of God is revealed… against all… who hold the truth in unrighteousness, Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible…from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even…his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Progressing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man… and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own heart, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator… And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are convenient- being filled with formication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, invented of evil things, disobedient to parents … Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death…
Understand this that no man can escape the judgment of God. Before Adam and Eve disobeyed God they were not of the humanly form that we are of today. They are yet they did not hunger. They desk yet they did not thirst. They were not like as animals but of a spiritual nature on earth. Their praises went unto God day in and day out. But the moment they sinned they became transformed and their bodies subject to death for the wages of sin is death. That is the death like that unto animals. Because of their acts they unknowingly set themselves apart from God, having been persuaded by Satan to do as they wished which was to eat fruit God had forbidden them to eat. And after there could be no way to redeem themselves to their former state except God himself who is of the spirit sacrificed himself in the form of his son. No flesh can please God. So long as we are of flesh we are subject to the nature of sin. We all want and long for an eternal state of happiness however we can not get there without coming to accept Christ as the saviour of all mankind. Death had been are sentence since the first fall but God in all his mercy made a way for us not to have to suffer death. We have not asked God forgiveness of our wrongs, we are subject to facing the punishment. Good loves everyone but he is a just GOD and his words shall never fail. The issue is not God but Satan who seeks to kill, steal, and destroy. Satan would have everyone to do as they wish so that he can torture them in the place that he has been banned to and make fun of them and mock them. And at the same time mock God because he has them in bondage. Yet still did Jesus die for us whether we go to heaven or hell he still died for us so that the eternal punishment and damnation of our souls after this life would not be ours.
i remember having a dream when i was 12, and i was told by a very tall dark figure that I would be moving to Texas and everything would be okay for me. I’ve heard evil voices telling me that i didn’t have any money and i wouldn’t be able to find a job and to tell god that…i take it as the devil trying to make my faith faulter, and try and buy in to the evil people who are enamored by wealth and material goods and not interested in being a good person. I have read of gays and lesbians and those that commit suicide having heaven experiences so i figured there is hope for me. To me, god is love and he wouldn’t hurt one of his children by sending them to hell for no reason.
Mortal prejudice and the confines of science are but an impediment to the gaining of knowledge of that which is beyond the physical realm. There is a such great distinction between the pseudo certainty derived from intellect empowered by a depth of knowledge.., and some understanding of the illusion of the physical paradigm. Humility belongs to our sophisticated consciousness in the same way, arrogant certainty belongs to ignorance and intellectual self protectionism. Our egoic minds are such a weight to bear and vulnerability to defend. Intellectualism is with merit but so often is trivialised by its use to serve, empower and add definition to our egoic needs. Knowledge = Wisdom – Understanding.
I believe better quality thinking is done whilst kneeling with a surrendered head, inner dialogue turned off and mind left open to receive.
Agreed. I think. Not really sure what you’re saying but it sounds like you are trying to make a good point. It just gets lost with all the 10 dollar words you are trying to string together. You might be saying there’s more to truth than what science and intellect can ever deduce.
Hi Everyone who has posted comments!
We have a freedom to choose, Go did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through Him !
If anyone gets this wrong, its the biggest oops any person can make.
Choose wisely ,read the Gospels and make a rational decision on the facts.
I believe in my heart Jesus Christ is the Son of God, nothing else makes any sense…We are not condemned but set free ..Hallelujah!
and god sent his only begotten son to die for us and our sins. We are here to live for him, not what man says is appropriate on this earth, but what god knows to be true in our hearts.
Don’t let satan fool us. Jesus Christ is our free access to God. If you don’t believe, then e-mail me and i’ll provide evidence
Go on then – please explain why good people are sent to hell. Just a few points will do – thanks.
Good people aren’t sent to hell. No one is. Anyone in hell walks there freely by continually rejecting god or his message to love one another and serve others, feed the hungry, cloth the naked, help the sick.
Ok I am going to explain it to you like this. God is a good judge. Lets look at a worldly good judge. Lets say you have a good relationship with your mother and love her dearly and someone murders her. In the court case the judges finds the murder guilty and the murderer goes: “Hey judge, this was the first bad thing I have ever done in my life” and he goes and names al the good things he has done in his life with proof of it too and it is really an impressive list. Would you be happy if the judge tells him that he really was a good man and that he lets him go? Good is what we are supposed to do, if you let the bad cancel out the good then you have nothing, which is still short of what you were supposed to do.
God said i set before you life and death then he said choose life so the choice is yours, God will not overrule your free will and there will be eternal consequences about your choice
Oh come on guys – we all have read the bible and know of the myriad ways it can be interpreted. It does not make sense. Why would an all powerful loving God allow for a human soul to be tortured forever? There is no answer for this – least of all from those of you who will immediately try to show me the answer. Here’s an example – a person is born, does the best they can and maybe failed, (or not) and dies aged 80. They were sent to hell. Hell went on forever. Check my maths here please: Forever take way 80 years = forever. Therefore, God sent an 80 year old to hell, knowing they would suffer horrendously forever, because WHY??? It was in the rule book? Is he really this weak and impotent? Does he have no powers at all? Can he not just say “Be Gone!” to the devil? Now please repeat the above equation except with a nine year old child and the answer appears to be the same. Does God send a child to suffer forever because he is too weak to stop it?
Point 2. The devil. Okay so – the devil does not like God, so he spends FOREVER trying to trick people to be meanies. He spends all day and night for eternity, or since he began his little game, sneaking around trying to snatch souls from the light of God. God meanwhile seems impotent (see point 1) , so the devil wins. The devil never seems to get bored. You see, he knows the tricks and God seems too proud or dumb to stop him. God, it seems, is still sending ineffective signs to the world while he devil has modernised to the internet. Maybe these words I am writing might actually be the sneery devil influencing me? But if that is the case I have no chance of ever thinking for myself again. I will quiver in fear each time I have a radical thought …. and I will have to rely 100% on the bible. (Good ploy THAT!)
When the non-believer dies, and just before going to hell, does God say to him or her (in a weakly voice) “listen, I’m really very sorry about this, ahem, but, I know you had it real difficult as a child (*cough*) and that life was unfair…but, you know, you had your chance to come to me and you didn’t…so I’m afraid, and really a little sorry, (*cough*) that I must send you to hell now. You will suffer for eternity. Toodle loo.
Is this the God you guys love?????
Mike, it seems you learned everything about what god is from southpark or Mad Magazine or reading Hitchens or Dawkins. Don’t learn about God from atheists! Same way you wouldn’t expect to learn about Judaism from a Muslim!!! God at least deserves your full attention before you dismiss him. Why are you mad at god? What happened long ago that you are so spiteful that you can paint such a false ugly picture of him? Someone die in accident? Abused? If so I am sorry and pray for your peace and happiness.
From “Frequently Asked Questions” at http://www.atheist-community.org/faq/#bad_experience
Q: What kind of horrible experience did you have that caused you to become an atheist?
A: Mostly, we didn’t. This is a common misconception among Christians… they assume that everyone believes in God, and that people who pretend not to believe must have had a traumatic experience that made them hate God (see below). Commonly it is assumed that an atheist must have, say, prayed to God and not been answered, or had a loved one die, and then renounced God in anger.
In reality, few people come to their atheism that way; and those who do usually don’t stay atheist for very long. In the majority of cases, you’ll find that atheists have thought very hard about their belief in God, and found that it just doesn’t hang together logically. A great many atheists were raised in a religious household and decided, after much inner struggle, that they just couldn’t continue to take their faith seriously. A few were brought up in atheist households and taught to think about the world and question conventional wisdom.
Ironically, many evangelists use their own stories of traumatic events as a way of convincing people to find religion. Often you will hear stories of how a person had “hit rock bottom”, was perpetually drunk and unemployed and had no hope for the future, and that’s when they found the Lord. While they dismiss us by saying that we must have become atheists for dramatic emotional reasons, they use the same techniques to recruit new parishioners.
Believe it or not people don’t normally come to realization that they need God if all is well with them. It’s an innate nature of the heart that’s deceitfully wicked. It’s human nature to be rebellious after the fall of the 1st man and woman to the devil’s lies. Humanity went downhill from then. The first murder took place when Abel was killed out of jealousy. Go read a Bible for the rest of humanity’s mess. It was God in His mercy who sent His Son, Jesus, to go to the cross for the sins of all men & women regardless of race, language, rich, poor, slave or free. Jesus came via the inception of the Spirit of God through the womb of the woman Mary. There was no original sin (due to Adam & Eve’s fall) and no sin at all in Jesus. God himself came to clean up the mess that sin wrought upon humanity. Jesus came to save and because the path to the Kingdom of Heaven is a narrow path, few will find it. The Son of God made known to all that He is the ONLY way to the Father i.e. God. No amount of right living, self-believe or religion can bring you into the Kingdom. Jesus wants everyone in all the earth from youngest to oldest to trust and rely in Him to bring you back. God doesn’t blackmail nor did He create Hell for mankind. Hell is for Satan and fallen angels. A person who rejects God, His mercy and His grace departs him/herself from the Source of life… in other words they literally send themselves to Hell. God is not willing that anyone should perish but that all should come to repentance for their sins and turn to Jesus Christ; the Son of God who came to save.
I apologize for the long read but I think someone out there needs to understand this and be saved! Forget theology… just Jesus. HE ALONE IS ENOUGH.
The way I see heaven is that the souls that go there will worship God for all eternity. Now the question that arise with me is : “why would you want to go to heaven to worship God for all eternity if you didn’t want to worship God on earth?”. If you don’t want to worship God on earth, then maybe heaven is not for you. You might hate in heaven. God didn’t write the demons a rule book on how to operate hell, like they would listen to Him anyway. Hell was created for Satan and. The demons and they want to take as many souls with them to spite God. They would torture lost souls in Hell because they are evil and because dishing out pain and suffering is all they know and to torture souls who could have gone to heaven would probably be the way they would try to get back at God for punishing them. Kind of how someone who gets bullied by someone bigger than him goes and bullies someone smaller than him (which is also the way of satan) but God is not the bully, twisted picture satan tries to paint. I the end it is not for us to decide who goes where, that is for God to decide and remeber, God nearly wiped out the whole human race in the flood, but he had mercy on Noah and his family. I dont question God, I love him and I am greatful that He send Jesus so that I dont have to get punished.
It is every person free will to choose how they live their life. But if you turn away from god, god will turn away from you. You can argue it all you want but that is what Christians believe. I’m not gonna be ugly and say you will b in hell but if u don’t change your ways that’s where (I believe) u will b when u pass on if u have not accepted Jesus in your heart. Are Christians wrong for wanting to save their souls for an eternity with Jesus in heaven? I’ll take on the peer pressure and ugliness of people and keep preaching the good lords word. In the end I shall not fear death because I believe I will be going home to love eternity with my father. And this story strengthens my belief.
Sylvia – I believe God loves you very much too. I just do not believe he is dumb and violent and vengeful, and petty and inflexible and narcissistic…. I could go on. These are some of the characteristics that God displays if we are to believe in the ‘eternal damnation’ scenario.
In fact, I think Sarah in her comments above, summed it up perfectly. In your case, it sounds like your fear of losing God’s love stops you from questioning God.
God is the all powerful omniscient creator of all. Not human. God knows everything and created love. God is embodiment of love. God knows what is best for all of us. What he wants of us is best for our soul. Rejecting god is rejecting love and all that is good. God commands us to follow him because it’s best for us to, not because he is selfish or vengeful. God knows everything that could and will happen to us. Our souls crave love and god and good. They don’t rest until they rest in god. Rejecting god doesn’t engage his wrath because of spite or vengeance ! God wants us to follow him just as a parent wants a toddler to stay away from a hot stove. God doesn’t have the human frailties and ugliness you so want him to have. The ugliness comes from us choosing a path of ugliness instead of his way of truth, light and love. Ugliness and pain come from us.
Michael,
I realize this post is 2 years old but every thought you have had I have as well. I agree that some things do not reconcile. Eg- Christianity is the only way to Heaven, ergo ALL the Jews that died in the holocaust are in hell? I don’t believe the God I love would do that.
When I wa in college, my big crisis of faith came (and I am STILL working through it) after taking a religion course by a brilliant man who let is know that many of the Bibke stories we take for granted (world flood, parting of the Red Sea, mass Exodus from Egypt) do not have any archeological proof. My mom had me go speak with my pastor who is an academic as well as a theologian. I expressed my doubts from above. His response, “I don’t think God sends every non Christian to hell either. I think we have to accept that God, in his complexity, is too big for our minds to understand. That the Bible is Man’s interpretation of God’s word that has been translated many times, there are bound to be transcription errors”. He asked me if I could accept that I may not understand God’s ways. That, I could do. My analytical mind goes through this constantly and to be quite honest, the fear of Hell is a big motivator for me to work through these issues.
I think man tries to put God in a context that we can understand and the message gets distorted.
Thanks for this very thoughtful response. Remember God is a God of perfect justice, holiness, mercy, love, and grace…all these attributes in perfect and beautiful balance. I am encouraged by many stories of God revealing Himself to non-believers in restricted countries through dreams, visions, and other creative ways. His sheep will always respond to His voice.
The free gift of eternal life is available to everyone through Jesus but few will take it. Eternity is for ever. Thank you for your testimony and the people that may be saved thru it.
OK.. So Jesus is God’s only son? I consider myself and even you a child of God. Why is there always a middle man? God loved us so, that he sent down a human sacrifice? I’m pretty sure human sacrifice is a barbaric pagan ritual. Also worshipping the cross is worshipping an idol, which is a sin. I believe whole heartedly in God our father, but I reject the idea that I need middlemen to be my usher into heaven. My idea of heaven is going to be much different than yours. I love boats and fast cars, because they are fun and relaxing. Now some bible thumper is going to tell me I can’t enjoy such things? Women in heaven? Women are quite heavenly and I don’t consider them to be demonic, filthy hell beasts. A Christian will tell me that I can’t indulge. That’s a load of crap. My God is brilliant, forgiving, fun, just, and punishes the wicked. We have babies being raped and beheaded by ISIS… Where is your Christian God to unleash wrathful vengeance?.. Don’t tell me those babies were born into sin and must be cleansed. I have a strong suspicion that I made a serious mistake in a past life and now I’m trapped here with the wicked and moronic. I intend on using this life to fix it, free of fear, full of charity, and a love of life. This nonsense that God murdered his only son because two idiots believed a lie is ridiculous.
childbirth was a curse that god cast on eve for her disobeying and listening to the devil before she and adam were thrown out of the garden of eden.
All this devil talk from a bunch of grown adults is hilarious. So, you’re telling me that your ALL KNOWING god created this angel who eventually became Satan and is the reason man has fallen from grace and will cause the majority of all mankind throughout history to spend an eternity in some fiery underground prison…I’ve seen so many comments on here from brainwashed Christians coming to to the defense of god with “god doesn’t send you to hell, you send yourself there because you spent your life believing Satan’s lies.” Yep you’re right..I couldn’t wait to be born into this world so I could follow the big red guy with horns around only to follow him into the next life of eternal suffering. As ridiculous as the concept of the Christian religion is, it will only pale in comparison to your ridiculous response.
Hi Kevin – you misunderstand me. I’m not mad at God. I’m not saying that ‘I’ think that God has all these negative characteristics. What I am saying is that religion gives God these characteristics. Fundamental Christians are fascinated with the devil and eternal suffering. They believe that a loving God will send them to hell, or allow them to go to hell -*same difference* – just because they did not accept Jesus as their saviour. I believe in love and wellbeing and an intelligent God who understands everyone and everything. Most near death experiences are powerful affirmations of life after death and the love and high esteem God has for us all. But not this one and that is fine. I am merely trying to point out that the notion of eternal suffering in hell, is actually a case against God. That’s why I don’t believe in it! I am also pointing out that God would not, logically, have an issue with athiesm. This is a world of free will and athiesm is another belief system. If God loves us all – then he loves athiests too! And to be fair – they put forward a good argument.
Eternal suffering in hell is more easily understood if 1) we realize that god gave us freedom, free will to make our own path and even ultimately reject gods love and salvation; and 2) realize hell is not gods torture chamber he devised, but a place that some will FREELY go to which is the ultimate and eternal separation from gods love, for those too prideful or too interested in their own lusts and vanities to desire anything of God. Dark is the absence of light, but that is not to say that light created darkness. Don’t blame the warm sunlight for the cold darkness in a cave. Especially if you go and freely bury yourself in that cave. If you choose to not believe in hell you must also choose not to believe in Christ, and his message. He spoke of hell and Satan often. I’m not sure what I make of these near death experiences- Hindus and Muslims seem to have NDEs images in their own religions and gods. Strange. I’d believe them more if Christ appeared to all nonchristian NDEs.
Kevin, I certainly appreciate your view point. But statistically – of all the people in the world, how many actively “reject gods love and salvation” ? Not many I would say. Sure, there are some bad ass people and their evil deeds provide a case argument for the existence of the devil. But there are far more good people who are good naturally – with different or no religious affiliations – and therefore heaven must surely be open to them?
If Jesus is the only way in to heaven – then all good people of different creeds would go someplace else (and this seems to be hell according to this account). Which takes us right back to the ‘turn or burn’ argument laid out above.
My point is that there is more to spirituality than the confines of religion and the words of the bible.
I am suggesting that Jesus, who no doubt was brilliant, is one path to heaven – but not the only path. I probably shouldn’t be arguing though – I believe in spiritual evolution and see no conflict between scientific research and spiritual belief.
Good people do not go to heaven. That is not the Christian belief. Its people that give their lives to Christ and live for ‘Him’. Therefore, if he was real, God’s rules would be the rules on what is right. A person’s personal belief as well as society’s belief has no relevance here. Actively rejecting God is not needed to go to Hell. Not knowing the speed limit was 35 and not 65 is not enough to get you out of a ticket.
On the other hand, its still left to be said that God is the creator of the universe and everything in it. He made hell. Why he made it may have not been initially for humans, but its been long since retrofitted for human souls. The light to darkness metaphor is completely irrelevant here. The sun did not create the universe… And who makes the rules? 1 death by Jesus is good enough for all the deaths of everyone past, present and future? Who’s to say that is good enough? I believe atheists are a personality type. People who take things literally and see the world in a logical aspect. The tree fell here because millions of minute factors combined dictated that is where it would fall. This causes these people to have a very hard time leaving it all in “God’s hands” as they say. I am a logical thinker. I am that personality type. I believe that there must be people with completely different ways of seeing the world. That is the only way I can understand people believing in the things they do.
there have been athiests who have had heaven experiences after they die…
In many ways atheism is liberating. It certainly points out the nonsense, barbed messages and emotional blackmail of Christianity – and more fundamental religions. Obviously there are heaps of positives in Christianity – love and forgiveness being top of the list.
I wouldn’t argue too much with an atheist belief simply because if there is a god, then God should do more to convince us. A story about the goings-on in the Middle East two thousand years ago does not cut it. Especially as you can’t believe news about what went on just last week!
But it would be shame to close the door on spirituality. NDE accounts are usually full of hope that go beyond the ‘brains last hurrah’ theory. Maybe there is more we need to do to learn? Either way, eternal damnation is a pretty messed up concept.
I’ve been there. It is real. More real than you can know as a mortal. While there I was told you create your own Heaven or Hell, I went to Hell simply because I did not believe in either prior to my NDE. I gain nothing by telling this I just know a basic human need is the need for truth and this is the ultimate truth.
I am only learning or trying to learn so my instincts tell to to read nde because they have been closer to me, but can you tell me if Jesus was there, or Allah, or are our views completely distorted and it is only God that has control and we must focus on him, and only him. I need answers because I do not want to go to hell, but I am scared to believe the wrong thing not the right thing.
I feel it is very sad that anyone with any intelligence can make such sweeping statements to support their HOPE that there is no God.
Don’t you understand YOU were created to know, love and serve God, if you want to be happy in this life and hope for ‘a happy ever after’ when you snuff it.
All you got to do is Keep the Ten Commandments, if you have been educated as to what they are. For the IGNORANT (includes atheists), having at least a decent fair attitude towards others should get them saved from HELL.
No matter who you are or what you believe, I bet there are some groups of SINNERS on this planet you would have to agree deserve to ROT IN HELL. Take for example people who rape children.
We all need to wise up. Atheists or agnostics, are free to HUMBLY ask God to make Himself known to them. He will never let them down, while they have life in their human body. Amen.
God is love. we make our own choices and we have to live with them. hell was made for the devil and his crew. but those who desire to do evil become his children and partake of their father s inheritance. hell. those who follow Jesus become God’s children and inherit life everlasting with Him.
I just died for 30 secs on st pats day in the ER. Im crying because i was in chains all bloody with a direct light on me screaming HELP ME GOD HELP ME then i woke up..im crying so much
As a studier of near death experiences accounts of hell like experiences vary along with the reasons some people experience them as well as being somewhat rare. However I personally don’t believe Hell to be anything more more than a self created or collectively created reality. I believe in our true state we are forever connected to God and can never be truly seperated because our soul is a part of God and God a part of it. I believe one of the best books ever written about NDES is Anita Moorjani’s NDE in her book Dying To Be Me. She is of HIndu background and heard of Jesus but did not follow him yet she had the ultimate heavenly experience in which she became her true being in which she was at one with everything and was bathed in indescribeble unconditional love which is what God is and in her experience it was not only for those who you would say deserve it but for everyone and everything. Based upon what I have heard it seems people of Christian cultue are more apt to experience the hell like reality NDE because they are more likely to believe it is real. I personally don’t follow any religion but have great respect for all the teachers who came to uplift humanity including Jesus
For general information about NDE, here is a critical analysis from a Christian point of view:
http://reflexionsjesus.wordpress.com/2014/10/06/the-near-death-experiences-nde/
I think your all forgetting the purpose of this mans experience. My merciful God has sent this man back to life to spread the word. God has told us many many times that a sinful life will lead us to hell! It’s like telling a child don’t eat that candy…..and the child does it anyway, knowing there’s punishment for their disobedience. God is OUR creator! Doesn’t he deserve to be obeyed and worshiped. As for the negative comments of God, I think it’s just a lack of knowledge of the WORD OF GOD. Please, I urge you to soften your heart and try to take a look into the bible. My God takes GOOD care of his people. And he does it with a tremendous love.
I do believe a soul can and will leave the body before even the heart stops beating. this comes from the personal experience of being a Christian and a nurse where I worked in hospice and icu. I have seen a lot death and had the privilege of feeling an angel come and get ones soul and on the other hand, patients have been tormented by demons. The bible is the living breathing word of God. Read it and ask him to make him known to u if don’t believe in Jesus.
Has anyone ever heard of bill wiese? He has a book called “23 minutes in hell.” This story sounds almost exactly like bills. Businessman who died and went to hell and saw demons. Mathews description of hell and demons were exactly described in bills book. ” tearing my flesh of like ribbons, and oval eyes with scaily bodies.” Even the part about Mathews wife waking up at 2am to notice something is wrong. Same thing happened in bills book to. I’m a believer and all but is this coincidence. Are the two stories real? Please feel free to comment, especially if you had read the book.
God is big Robert and He does what he feels is right for any person. They can have similar experiences; it does not matter as long as God’s message is put across. He communicates in a way that He feels fit for you and He says that the sheep knows His shepherd’s voice. Also this is a confirmation of what the book “23 minutes in hell” talks about. I don’t know any of these people, Matthew and his wife, but to tell you the truth, I believe every detail. Who is Man to question how God should communicate?? Haven’t we seen the wonders of the earth? He is Mightier and Bigger than any person’s imagination. And, He is omnipresent. To the atheist, know God loves you and may He reveal Himself to you. My Bible say’s that every knee and every tongue shall that confess Jesus is Lord. I personally I do not want to judge and condemn anyone but I know that when He touches you, you will testify and worship Him in truth and in spirit. Remember that God is spirit and He can never be mocked.
“The lava flow got closer to Matthew, and globules of magma splashed on his shins and feet, which burned his flesh to the bone. “I smelled my own flesh searing and burning away. I saw and felt my flesh re-form only to be burned off again and again.”
From the Quran (4:56)
“Indeed, those who disbelieve in Our verses – We will drive them into a Fire. Every time their skins are roasted through We will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted in Might and Wise.”(Quran 4:56)
What is someone like me for instance was born in America and has grown up in a Christian background and has never seen a Quran if and when I die will I go to hell, and if I do for what if I never got a chance to even know the Quran. I only want to understand and am not here for anything other than learning. I am trying to understand and find the way to God, and I need help. I am so confused I am not sure what to believe anymore. Can you help me with that question at the top because it is what stands between me picking a religion?
I don’t think it’s about picking a religion as much as it is about choosing God. The diversity of religions are a result of the many different cultures, and God remains at the heart of them all. Choose God first and foremost.
I was inspired to read all of these comments and experiences, I would like to share my own near death experience:
I had a dream I met a farmer, he was in fact the anti-Christ and he told me live off the land until it runs out and then I could join him. He revealed this would be in 03/03/2021, I will be preparing for this rapture at the Cheesecake factory nearest to the largest station in Boise, Idaho you are welcome to join me. Share Gods love from soul to soul ’til then. Lauren
Have any of those who have been to hell in their near death experiences done anything wrong in life that would warrant it?
That is a hard question to answer because who knows what people do in secret? Maybe it is not what they do, but what they have failed to do. I know a lot of good people that believe there is a god, but they fail to love Him in return and they fail to believe in their hearts that Jesus is God’s son. They go about their comfortable lives thinking everything is good. Why do they need God? They need His forgiveness. When we wrong a friend do we not ask forgiveness? So why when we sin against God would we not ask His forgiveness? He sent His son Jesus and Jesus spoke and performed miracles. He was here to teach people a way to God. He taught people to live the most sin free life possible. He told us that if we believed in Him and repented then we would be forgiven. God would remember our sins no more. I believe in Jesus! I can say first hand that he has spoken through me and has given me words that could not be refuted. When I asked he provided. I feel His presence and He is with me now. He never leaves my side. One thing I think needs to be mentioned is that when you accept Jesus as your savior, you no longer want to sin. Your conscience is in over drive, and you become very sensitive to your thoughts and actions. I strive to be the best servant I can every day. I would rather be God’s servant for all eternity than to have all the worldly wonders. It is my pleasure to serve God. Jesus told us we could not serve two masters. Which means we can not serve worldly ways and His ways at the same time because God’s way at not of this world. People are making a big mistake by not reading the Bible. God made a convenant with Abraham and He gave Moses the 10 commandments and He spoke through the prophets. When Jesus came God made a new covenant with man. (John 3:16) God loved the world and who ever believes in Him will not parish. They will have ever lasting life. WHO EVER BELIEVES IN HIM. The 10 commandments are still relevant but Jesus came as told by the prophets. He came to fulfill the old laws of Moses and He perfected them. For examples, the 10 commandments say Do Not Kill. Jesus taught Do Not Even Hate. The 10 commandments said Do Not Commit Adultry. Jesus said Do Not Look At Someone Else’s Wife With Lust. He perfects the law and holds us to a higher standard. As a follow you are always striving to please God, but as humans we fall short. I’m so glad that I can be forgiven. The Holy Spirit lives and shines through me! Amen!!
I’ve often thought that hate, greed, envy, jealousy are all the feelings of the devil and they have no place in the human heart nor mind.
This is the first time I have ever commented on a blog. It says my comment is waiting for moderation. I don’t know what that means. Mike, if you responded I do not see it. My phone had notifications that said ‘Mike’ on them. Can you please send a reply again so I get another notification. I will try clicking on it. Thank you!
Ok. I think it was a friend of mine sending me an article to read. Lol. His name is Mike. Sorry for the confusion. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I feel you are asking this question because you live a decent life. You are worried that if you don’t do anything to warrant hell, will you end up there?? You are worried.
After reading this article im glad this man is getting better. This situation that happened to this man raises questions in my mind as well as answers some to. If were imperfect beings why does God allow us to procreate and produce more offspring that could possibly end up as nonbelievers that will ultimately be forever separated from him in hell. After Adam and Eve sined why did he continue to allow our imperfect nature to keep going. I was raised as a Christian and accept the sacrifice of Jesus as payment of my sins, past and present. DOES acceptance alone allow us to be with God in Heaven? In the Bible it says drunkards, fornicators and such will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Does belief and acceptence get us there?
Let’s have it on another level. IT NOT ABOUT ANY RELIGIOUS PRACTICE, ITS TOTALLY ABOUT FAITH. HE BELIEVED ONLY WHEN HE SAW/EXPERIENCED. SO FAITH(IN PURITY) IS THE POWER.
What a Lie
Why was Matthew drawn into Hell without first appearing before God (or at least senior Angels aka Beings of Light) to be judged/ sentenced/ told why he was going to Hell?
If i may suggest looking at the book of Romans and the book of revelation thereafter:
Romans 1:16-32 states in part
… the wrath of God is … against all… who hold the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them…the invisible things in him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even…his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Progressing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man… and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own heart, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator… And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are convenient- being filled with formication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, invented of evil things, disobedient to parents … Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death…
Understand this that no man can escape the judgment of God. Before Adam and Eve disobeyed God they were not of the humanly form that we are of today. They ate yet they did not hunger. They drank yet they did not thirst. They were not like as animals but of a spiritual nature on earth. Their praises went unto God day in and day out. But the moment they sinned they became transformed and their bodies subject to death for the wages of sin is death. That is the death like that unto animals where their bodies would grow old and become as dust. Because of their acts they unknowingly set themselves apart from God, having been persuaded by Satan to do as they wished which was to eat fruit God had forbidden them to eat. And after their disobedience there could be no way to redeem themselves to their former state except God himself who is of the spirit sacrificed himself in the form of his son. No flesh can please God. So long as we are of flesh we are subject to the nature of sin. Thus they that worship must worship in spirit and be sincere. We all want and long for an eternal state of happiness however we can not get there without coming to accept Christ as the saviour of all mankind. Death had been our sentence since the first fall but God in all his mercy made a way for us not to have to suffer death. If we have not asked God forgiveness of our wrongs, we are subject to facing the punishment. But know this no man knows where another soul or even his own goes after death be it heaven or hell for Good Will show mercy to whom he will show mercy and is no respected of persons. However we have been warned that those who deny Christ, Christ will also deny them before the father. God loves everyone but he is a just GOD and his words shall never fail. He hard all manner of unrighteousness and we’ll not tolerate this who want to live according to their own will and reject him as God. That is how Satan found himself kicked out of heaven. The issue is not God but Satan who seeks to kill, steal, and destroy. Satan would have everyone to do as they wish so that he can torture them in the place that he has been banned to and make fun of them and mock them. And at the same time mock God because he has them in bondage. But even in the end there will be no more Satan for His will do away with him but Good has an appointed time for which this week occur until then he urges us to hold onto our faiths being nor persuaded in the ways of this world. Yet still did Jesus die for us whether we go to heaven or hell he still died for us so that the eternal punishment and damnation of our souls after this life would not be ours.
Hallo,
I want to thank you for your experience you share with all of us. Thank you!
For the Atheist and the believer: “You can only find truth with logic if you have already found truth without it.” – GK Chesterton. If you learn about epistemology, we all arrive at our own truths because we already believe in something. Then we build our ideas of truth around that belief. With that said, we must set aside what we already believe to be true before we start the conversation. Many Christians are afraid to do this because their identity is wrapped up in their Christianity. If they lose this identity, it’s incredibly frightening. Don’t be afraid to question why you believe what you believe, there are logical, existential, and teleological explanations for the existence of God, you then must decide what you are going to BELIEVE. The atheist will build their idea of truth only with the prior belief that their is no God.
Regarding this article, Timothy Keller has an incredible podcast on the Biblical and Christian understanding of what Hell is. Even if you don’t believe in a hell, this will give you a completely different understanding of what the bible teaches. Unfortunately for many, we’ve been brainwashed to believe a certain way, and we think by finding Atheism we have conquered the oppression of our parental belief system, only to find that if we really got real with ourselves, we’ve enslaved ourselves once again to a set of fundamental beliefs as an Atheist. We can’t escape it. We must seek to find truth. Here is a link to the podcast that can be streamed online, and it’s free.
http://www.gospelinlife.com/hell-isn-t-the-god-of-christianity-an-angry-judge-5494
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I believe.
In the end we all get what we deserve. A sacrifice is an act of passing the buck onto someone or something else in order to relieve your transgressions. I personally believe the better option would be to own up to your mistakes and try to make amends. This is my view of a just rectification. No one else should have to suffer because of what someone else has done wrong. I think to seek forgiveness and grace is a great thing, but first you have to be graceful and forgiving to others. If Jesus helps to free you from your internal turmoil then that’s a good thing but don’t think for one second that just because you are a Christian you are saved. If you don’t have enough faith and your heart isn’t right then you are just as damned as the rest-if not more because you’ve read the teachings. All in all this comes down to faith. You can say every scripture under the sun but if you don’t put the work in then don’t bother at all. He would rather you be hot or cold then lukewarm. All or nothing.
http://adayinhell.us
As soon as i come across ” Jesus “,Jesus “in the stories of NDEs, i know straight that person is just advertising and promoting Christianity and faking a story.
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