NDE

[Deadworm]

I will share several highly evidential NDEs I've encountered and number them, so those interested can check back on them.

(1) Pastor Albert's Dad was dying in a nursing home in Kelowna, BC.  Albert's Dad's brother was also dying in a nearby nursing home 10 miles away and family members maintained a vigil in both places.  Suddenly Albert's Dad raised up his head, gazed into the distance, and shouted, "Hurry up, brother!  Hurry up!"  At the same time his dying brother rose up from his bed, gazed into the distance, and shouted, "Wait for me, brother!  Wait for me!"  Then both brothers died at exactly the same time and loved ones present noted the time.  Albert later compared notes and was amazed to realize these these 2 brothers were talking to each other as they separated from their bodies en route to Paradise.

Pastor Albert shared this testimony in his weekly newspaper column.  I read it and then confirmed his testimony face to face.

[Dennis1209]

9 hours ago, Sower said:

Dennis;  "I have always questioned whether demons and fallen angels can directly communicate with our brains,
and I suspect these “fiery darts” could be just that"

Over the years I have ask many Christian believers if could they give me just one instance that the devil caused them to sin.
I have also to give me just one example that they know of that they were influenced by the devil. Just one.

I have never heard an answer that was specific, only a general statement like "of course the devil influences us, doesn't the bible say it. I repeat the question, HOW did he influence you? A voice? A sudden sinful thought from nowhere? Was it only our own thoughts?

Yes, the enemies tactics. How do regard an enemy, a guerilla foe, when we can't see him, can't hear him.

Does he plant thoughts in our mind. Can he read our mind or listen/understand our thoughts. How does this work?

"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked"   Ephesians 6:16

I believe the opposite of faith (shield of faith) is doubt (lies deceptions etc), helps me understand what the fiery darts may be.
Where/how does my conscious mind receive these doubts that I'm probably attributing as my own sinful corrupted mind?
Sometimes I think; ( Wow!!  Why do I think these thoughts when I'm trying so hard to keep my mind clean? )
Did I think them?........   Were they inserted in my mind?  Gotta get the shield up/flack jacket on, when the bullets/darts start flying it doesn't matter where they came from!
Does it matter if I raise the shield of my faith to confront these doubts/lies not knowing if they are mine or the enemy?
I have read about these questions, and studied other's works in this area, and can find no specific answer as to how the enemy actually influences the born again believer that has the spirit of God residing within. (Yes, In Job, he was given permission)
Thanks Dennis...
 

Now I'm reading exactly what I'm thinking. Now you are in my head LOL. This is embarrassing to confess; hopefully, I am not an exception, but there are occasions when out of nowhere, a sinful thought suddenly pops into my mind.

Sometimes watching television, sometimes out of the clear blue sky, sometimes sleeping. Where and why did this ugly thought come from, is it my lustful sin nature and flesh, is it one of those fiery darts spoken of? 

 

[Dennis1209]

12 hours ago, The_Patriot21 said:

I was legally dead once...have no recollection of it. No NDEs nothing...

I'm no expert and have not been interested in doing any real research, but it seems NDE is in the minority. Still, those experiences are many and littered everywhere.

I worked with a guy who had an NDE, a heart attack, and was clinically dead for minutes. I don't know his experience, but it rattled him to the core of his being. I knew some of his relatives, coworkers, and friends. 

He was asked on several occasions to share his experience. He would clammer up and never share his story with anyone, to the best of my knowledge. 

That experience was visible to everyone who knew him. His mannerisms, attitude, and personality drastically changed. 

[DPMartin]

On 8/13/2022 at 5:23 AM, Dennis1209 said:

The following is a spin-off from a comment @Amigo42 made in another thread, Near Death Experiences (NDE). Rather than getting off-topic as I usually do, I started one for discussion. It’s another one of those mysteries that defy explanation. Perhaps someone here has some logical thoughts if this is a physical or spiritual phenomenon.

I approach this subject with some ground rules. God said it, I believe it, end of the story:

2 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

I am not a doctor, scientist, or intellectual; I am an ordinary run-of-the-mill Bible student. I’m going to be extremely brief and not expand on many comments. Yes, you’re welcome 😊

Our soul is that part of us that makes our unique personalities different from one another; it makes us, us, individuality. Physically I suspect the seat of our soul is housed in our brain, part of our intellect and tri part being.

Near-death seems comparable to when the heart fails and stops, but the brain is still electrically – chemically active; you are not dead and possibly can be revived. Did you ever have a fictitious dream, and it took time to decipher it was not real when you woke up?

Can the soul or spirit separate from the body before permanent death?

Hebrews 4:12 (KJV) For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

At final death, everyone’s spirit returns to God:

Ecclesiastes 12:7 (KJV) Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Out of curiosity, I’ve read several accounts of NDE. Too many verified stories exist about people apparently clinically dead, leaving their bodies and floating around in different locations. They had to be there to know it by hearing, seeing, and describing things verbatim. They were on an operating room table code red being resuscitated or in like manner and condition.

Seeing objects and things above the operating room drop ceiling, on a roof they could not see or have access to, and what was happening in another operating room. Later checked out and verified by disinterested and nonpartial parties and verified. Does it seem to be another one of those unexplained mysteries? Or is there a rational explanation we can comprehend?

Because of these experiences, I've read that some have turned to the Lord and were saved. I have no idea if this is a recent phenomenon or has occurred throughout millennia. Could NDE be associated with the following verse?

Acts 2:17 (KJV) And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: [emphasis mine]

It is a mystery to me, but it appears to be authentic.

 

 

Honestly, who cares, to what value is it to ponder what you can only speculate that has no result in the kingdom of God.

[Sower]

2 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Now I'm reading exactly what I'm thinking. Now you are in my head LOL. This is embarrassing to confess; hopefully, I am not an exception, but there are occasions when out of nowhere, a sinful thought suddenly pops into my mind.

Sometimes watching television, sometimes out of the clear blue sky, sometimes sleeping. Where and why did this ugly thought come from, is it my lustful sin nature and flesh, is it one of those fiery darts spoken of? 

 

When my oldest daughter was about 8-9 yrs during an altar call for prayers at church, she ask me to go with her to the front to pray. I went with her and we kneeled down to pray with other members silently. Like you said, Dennis, as I was praying I had a mental picture flash of what could be described as a lewd men's magazine fold out. Only lasted a second, but it literally freaked me out, took my mind off my prayers, and I felt disgusted with myself that I had such a thought while at the altar. I never forgot it, and still wonder why, if it was my own thought, the timing.
Or, does/can the enemy plant them?

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh
but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God,

and take every thought captive to obey Christ     2 Corinthians 10:4-5
 

PS...

Since I started Doing what scripture says, when I get, examine,  any thought that is sin I mentally say 'that's sin' and move on with what I'm doing. If (when) it or another sin thought comes right back I say again to myself and (any thing else listening) that's sin but I choose to obey God, and the devil is defeated and victorious God lives within me, and I have overcome in Christ, and thy word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against God, a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Depending if I get an onslaught determines the amount of scripture (the word) I use.
It works to the degree I catch (examine) all my thoughts.

[Dennis1209]

1 hour ago, DPMartin said:

Honestly, who cares, to what value is it to ponder what you can only speculate that has no result in the kingdom of God.

Who cares?  There are a few interested and commenting on this topic. If you’re not interested, there are plenty of other threads to choose from. I’d answer your question, but who cares?

[Amigo42]

On 8/15/2022 at 7:03 PM, JohnR7 said:

Reincarnation makes no sense. Esp the way the worlds population continues to double. What makes sense to me is that our past ancestors had an effect of some sort on the DNA that we received from them.  Right now Science is not looking at the DNA but the way the DNA replicates itself and how past generations could have an effect on this. 

The reason I pulled your response is your use of the word: "true". If something is not "TRUE" then at the library we call this novel or fiction. That means different rules apply. Often we are dealing with symbols or archetypes. Walt Disney talks about imagination. This seems to be a universal language because we have disney parks in Paris, Hong Kong, Japan. So this seems to translate into many cultures. 

It certainly is a mystery.  I agree reincarnation is not logical.  However, I do think it's possible there may be validity to the concept of the oversoul.  In other words, the oversoul could spawn multiple souls that can live as individual people on earth.  So it can appear as if it's reincarnation but it's really not.  Only God knows.

[Marathoner]

3 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Now I'm reading exactly what I'm thinking. Now you are in my head LOL. This is embarrassing to confess; hopefully, I am not an exception, but there are occasions when out of nowhere, a sinful thought suddenly pops into my mind.

Sometimes watching television, sometimes out of the clear blue sky, sometimes sleeping. Where and why did this ugly thought come from, is it my lustful sin nature and flesh, is it one of those fiery darts spoken of? 

 

Thanks for the topic, Dennis. It's a good one! Some of us care. 

I'll share my experience with such things. First, I'd like to point out how sin still abides with us, which we know is true from our experience in this flesh and also from the testimony of scripture. Remembering that at one time we were at emnity with God and slaves to unrighteousness, memories of the past carry more weight than some of us realize. We are prone to remember those things.

The most effective dart cast by our enemy bites deeply and for this prodding to exert some measure of power over us, it must contain a kernel of truth and arrive at the worst possible time (we are taken by surprise). I believe the example shared by @Sower reveals the truth of the matter. Of all the times for something like that to arrive, that was perhaps the worst. I understand completely, brother. You're not alone in that.

We belong to the Lord; we are sealed by His Holy Spirit; yet it pleases God that we bear weakness on this earth while we endure in this flesh. That weakness of the flesh is what our enemy seeks to manipulate. The spritual powers of wickedness (princes) and the unclean spirits who do their bidding (called demons in NT scripture) are those who we strive against, and those horrible thrones of darkness are not stupid nor brutish by any means. They know what they're doing. We're not unknown to them. They are very familiar with our lives... too familiar!

If you read about my experience in the mountains, you'll notice an overriding theme which expresses those fiery darts cast by the one who afflicted me: doubt, failure, and powerlessness. That is how our enemy takes me by surprise, reminding me not only of how I never amounted to a hill of beans in this world, but how I also failed those who loved me. Our enemy taunts me about failing the Lord because he knows that is the most effective gambit to send me reeling.

These darts draw upon our memories of this life, and they aren't limited to one event in space and time. Memories are chained to imagery, thoughts, and emotions; I was defeated not because of the affliction of this flesh, my friend. I was defeated because I believed that what those darts delivered was true.

Edited August 17, 2022 by Marathoner
Typo

[Mike Mclees]

1 hour ago, Marathoner said:

Thanks for the topic, Dennis. It's a good one! Some of us care. 

I'll share my experience with such things. First, I'd like to point out how sin still abides with us, which we know is true from our experience in this flesh and also from the testimony of scripture. Remembering that at one time we were at emnity with God and slaves to unrighteousness, memories of the past carry more weight than some of us realize. We are prone to remember those things.

The most effective dart cast by our enemy bites deeply and for this prodding to exert some measure of power over us, it must contain a kernel of truth and arrive at the worst possible time (we are taken by surprise). I believe the example shared by @Sower reveals the truth of the matter. Of all the times for something like that to arrive, that was perhaps the worst. I understand completely, brother. You're not alone in that.

We belong to the Lord; we are sealed by His Holy Spirit; yet it pleases God that we bear weakness on this earth while we endure in this flesh. That weakness of the flesh is what our enemy seeks to manipulate. The spritual powers of wickedness (princes) and the unclean spirits who do their bidding (called demons in NT scripture) are those who we strive against, and those horrible thrones of darkness are not stupid nor brutish by any means. They know what they're doing. We're not unknown to them. They are very familiar with our lives... too familiar!

If you read about my experience in the mountains, you'll notice an overriding theme which expresses those fiery darts cast by the one who afflicted me: doubt, failure, and powerlessness. That is how our enemy takes me by surprise, reminding me not only of how I never amounted to a hill of beans in this world, but how I also failed those who loved me. Our enemy taunts me about failing the Lord because he knows that is the most effective gambit to send me reeling.

These darts draw upon our memories of this life, and they aren't limited to one event in space and time. Memories are chained to imagery, thoughts, and emotions; I was defeated not because of the affliction of this flesh, my friend. I was defeated because I believed that what those darts delivered was true.

Thank you brother for your words. I can relate to them for I was also recently under attack. I am often an emotional person which makes me vulnerable. The enemy can and does take advantage. He has also used preachers that sometimes give a sense of hopelessness with no way out. Afterwards Having this feeling, the Firey dart of guilt trip. Its like being in a box with no way out. Once I saw it I realized that God was not in it. I came to my senses and thanked God. 

Nothing has overtaken us the God will not show the way out. I confessed and repented, and the Lord set me free. The guild trip is a lie and do not let it happen to you.  

[Marathoner]

15 minutes ago, Mike Mclees said:

Thank you brother for your words. I can relate to them for I was also recently under attack. I am often an emotional person which makes me vulnerable. The enemy can and does take advantage. He has also used preachers that sometimes give a sense of hopelessness with no way out. Afterwards Having this feeling, the Firey dart of guilt trip. Its like being in a box with no way out. Once I saw it I realized that God was not in it. I came to my senses and thanked God. 

Nothing has overtaken us the God will not show the way out. I confessed and repented, and the Lord set me free. The guild trip is a lie and do not let it happen to you.  

Indeed. When I say that the fiery dart of our enemy contains a kernel of truth, this is what I mean by that:

It draws upon past experiences in our life, along with how we felt and what we thought at the time. What we feel and how we think doesn't have to represent the truth. Darts regarding my relative worth aren't fiery to me, brother. We stand ready with an answer to that one: we are worthless in and of ourselves. Without the Lord, we are nothing at all. 

Tying my worth to doubts concerning the Lord's regard for me, on the other hand, are indeed fiery. And they should be, for I was a homeless wanderer for decades following my baptism in water. I believed that Jesus Christ hated me and was convinced that He had every reason to despise me utterly (it was just). That is something our enemy seized upon to great effect. 

As it relates to the topic here, the Lord silenced our enemy and destroyed all of my doubts and fears when He raised me up from ruin! That was my near-death experience. Before I collapsed on the ground to die, I had broken my right hand. When the Lord came and promised to restore everything I had lost, this is what He declared regarding that broken hand:

Your hand shall be a memorial so that you will never forget this day. When doubt comes upon you, or you grow weary along the way, you shall look upon your right hand and say, "The Lord delivered me with a mighty hand, for my own was broken." 

One of the knuckles is no longer visible, so my right hand bears a minor deformity from being broken. Whenever our enemy throws his fiery darts, I look upon that missing knuckle and weep tears of gladness and joy. In His kindness and mercy, the Lord gave this memorial to me so I can withstand the wiles of the wicked ones. Praise the Lord! I remember His words as if they were only spoken yesterday.