Kinsella ~ The Final Frontier
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Kinsella ~ The Final Frontier
Some reassuring observations from Jack...
The Omega Letter Intelligence Digest Vol: 163 Issue: 7 - Tuesday, April 07, 2015 | |
The Final Frontier In previous volumes of the Omega Letter, we've examined what the Scriptures have to say about what happens when we die. The Scriptures suggest no cessation of consciousness at death:
Jesus turned to the repentant thief on the Cross;
Theologically speaking then, we can make a case that death is not the end, but rather, the beginning of eternal life in the same way that birth is not the end of a pregnancy but the beginning of a human life. We don't mourn the end of a pregnancy -- we celebrate the birth of a child. But there are two important reasons why. A pregnant woman knows what it is like to be NOT pregnant, so there are no unknowns involved. The second is that the end of a pregnancy means the start of a relationship. When a loved one dies, we mourn the end of our relationship with them in this life. As to death itself, nobody has ever survived it and come back to tell the tale. But those who have come closest to it are the ones who fear it the least. Assessment: They are called "Near Death Experiences" and such experiences are a lot more common than I would have believed. I ran across an interview done by TIME Magazine with a Dr. Sam Parnia of Cornell Medical Center. Parnia is part of the "Human Consciousness Project" which is conducting a study known as AWARE (AWAreness during REsuscitation). The study documents what happens when we die from the perspective of those who were resuscitated after being declared clinically 'dead' that were able to recall being conscious at the time. Dr. Parnia explained to TIME:
Previous research suggests about 10 to 20 percent of people who live through cardiac arrest report lucid, well-structured thought processes, reasoning, memories and sometimes detailed recall of events during their encounter with death. First off, are NDE's real? The Bible says that once one is dead, there's no coming back:
But we are not discussing death -- we're discussing near death. Is that real? The Apostle Paul seems to indicate that it is. In Chapter 12 of his 2nd Letter to the Corinthians, Paul discusses a time when he was 'caught up' to the 'third heaven' after being stoned [nearly] to death outside the Lystra city gates.
Since the Apostle Paul references his own conscious near death experience and that fact that he was 'caught up' to the third heaven, we can be comfortable with the fact NDE is both real and has a Scriptural basis. Paul says that he was given a glimpse of the afterlife, and he was obviously able to return to tell the tale. Paul's experience is very much like that described by the patients in Dr Parnia's study. Not only that, but all of the experiences reported by Dr. Parnia are essentially one of two different scenarios. In the first scenario, the patient reports seeing what is happening to his own body, from the perspective of somewhere on the ceiling. The patient reported feeling warm, at peace and loved. Some patients reported a Presence -- (some said an angel, others Jesus,) other patients reported being greeted by loved ones who had passed away previously. Here is a quote from one of the patients in Dr Parnia's study as published in the British medical journal, "The Lancet."
Not every NDE is pleasant. According to the study, as many as a third of those who report NDEs describe having seen or experienced what the Bible describes as hell. The hell they describe is a place of fire and brimstone and torment and torture. Here's the thing - after I read the TIME magazine story, I went online and read everything I could find about NDE's. What I was looking for were similarities and differences between the various accounts. All the heavenly experiences were the same on all the major points, although the details varied depending on the individual. And all the hell stories were essentially identical. One other thing I noticed that was the same in all the accounts. Those who reported a positive experience also reported completely losing any fear of death. Those who reported a hellish experience all reported a subsequent religious conversion and a similar disdain for death. I was unable to find any reports in which someone who had an NDE remained unchanged. What does it all mean? Medically, it means we don't know much about death, other than it is a process, rather than an event. Although there are medical skeptics who claim that NDE's are caused by electrical impulses as the brain shuts down, there are too many instances in which the patient accurately described what was going on after he had died for the impulse theory to be viable. There is only one explanation that does make sense, and it is the one Paul described in 2nd Corinthians 12:2-4. Being caught up alive to heaven, seeing and hearing the unspeakable, and then being returned to one's earthly body. You are NOT a body, you HAVE a body. You have a brain, but it is not the same thing as your mind. Your mind is the repository of your consciousness, your will and your emotions -- it is the 'soul' which continues on after death. If your soul's spirit has been quickened (made alive) by Christ, then what follows death is precisely what Christians have believed for two thousand years -- 'absent from the body, present with the Lord.' If not, then what follows death is the beginning of an eternity in hell. There is something else one can glean from the NDE reports that is somewhat encouraging. Not everybody who reported a heavenly NDE was a believer at the time, although all said they 'had believed at one time' -- usually as kids in Sunday school. Those who reported a hellish NDE all reported that they had, at one time, consciously rejected the offer of salvation through faith in Christ. Why is that encouraging? Because it suggests that not every loved one we presume is lost actually is. We don't know if they, at some time, gave their life over to Christ and then subsequently took it back. But the NDE reports universally suggest that Jesus knows His own, even when we don't.
Be hopeful. Pray often. I believe we're all in for quite a surprise when we finally do make that trip and find out who is there waiting to greet us. I believe there will be a lot of folks there we weren't expecting to see.
It's good that Christians don't know to the point of absolute certainty what awaits us on the other side. In that sense, a little fear is a good thing. Without it, we'd probably all jump off the nearest bridge right after we got saved, just to speed up the process. |
Re: Kinsella ~ The Final Frontier
It's good that Christians don't know to the point of absolute certainty what awaits us on the other side. In that sense, a little fear is a good thing.
Without it, we'd probably all jump off the nearest bridge right after we got saved, just to speed up the process.
Without it, we'd probably all jump off the nearest bridge right after we got saved, just to speed up the process.
Tryphosa- Posts : 4592
Join date : 2013-06-18
Re: Kinsella ~ The Final Frontier
The last week of my mil's life, she was constantly repeating "help me", "help me". We would get the nurse or adjust the pillows, what ever we could do to "help" her. Not demanding, but begging, her eyes pleading, she kept on. Family members drove almost 300 miles (were able to get time off from as well), prayed with her and explained salvation to her. She never asked for help again and died peacefully the next afternoon.
Tryphosa- Posts : 4592
Join date : 2013-06-18
Re: Kinsella ~ The Final Frontier
Praying for this man and anyone he has influenced.
Tryphosa- Posts : 4592
Join date : 2013-06-18
Re: Kinsella ~ The Final Frontier
Tryphosa wrote:The last week of my mil's life, she was constantly repeating "help me", "help me". We would get the nurse or adjust the pillows, what ever we could do to "help" her. Not demanding, but begging, her eyes pleading, she kept on. Family members drove almost 300 miles (were able to get time off from as well), prayed with her and explained salvation to her. She never asked for help again and died peacefully the next afternoon.
Thank the Lord for that one ~ I cannot begin to imagine what staring into eternity would be like without (the assurance of) salvation in Yeshua. What a blessing for your husband!
Thanks for sharing, Tyo.
Re: Kinsella ~ The Final Frontier
Tryphosa wrote:Praying for this man and anyone he has influenced.
People really should take care in that for which they ask...
Re: Kinsella ~ The Final Frontier
Jack left us with a treasure of wisdom. He's in Heaven already.
Tryphena- Posts : 3319
Join date : 2013-04-15
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