ARE YOU CONSCIOUS AFTER DEATH?
By Francis Fawkes, Th.D.
At one time, the question of whether consciousness could exist independently of the body was a matter of philosophical and theological speculation. As time progressed, objective scientific investigation revealed amazing results. Medical science is fast accumulating hundreds of histories to prove that the soul survives bodily death. At times, the formally deceased can recount what took place and what was said beyond their immediate surroundings.
Even atheists, who never subscribed to the supernatural, immediately became converts after a near-death experience/out-of-body experience. I do not think that these atheists are hallucinating.
Ex-Atheist has a Near-Death Experience
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND DEBUNKS MANY OF THE FALLICIES INVOLVING NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES & OUT- OF-BODY EXPERIENCES
“There are a number of well documented cases of people having near-death experiences / out-of-body experiences, even during a flat EEG where brain and heart activity had ceased, returning with factual information which they had no prior knowledge of, and numerous cases in which the experiencers returned to life with information unavailable to them at the time of death.”
Blind people who during their lives have never had a sensation of sight were able to see things for the first time while out of their bodies. Again, people who had near-death experiences were able to describe what was happening at a distant location or things during an operation that it was not possible for them to know. Later, these findings were verified for them by others. You can read this amazing book online: "Visions beyond the Veil" by H.A. Baker: http://www.godspeak.net/veil/veil_index.html
In the Bible, the dichotomy between soul and body is very apparent. King Solomon relates: “then shall the dust return to the earth...and the spirit shall return unto God, who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12: 17).
The apostle John also saw a great magnitude of nations before the throne in the spirit (Revelation 7: 9). These were the souls of the saints that were executed during the great tribulation period. They were quite conscious after death.
In 2 Corinthians 5: 8, St Paul
Notice again that when the rich and poor men died, they went to separate places. The rich man went to hell and lifted up his eyes in torment, and the poor man went to Abraham's bosom (Luke 16: 23). Whenever, Jesus spoke in parables they were always based on true-to-life-situations – never on fantasy. I find no exception to this.
Yes, Christian near-death-experiences are very real. Read "Heaven is so Real”, by Choo Thomas. Also "Divine Revelation of Heaven" by Catherine Baxter" which is a very popular Classic.
It is also very important to read the story of the Buddhist monk who really saw heaven and hell and came back a changed man. He found out just in time that Buddhism was not the true path. Click the link below: http://bibleprobe.com/backfromthedead.htm
HOW TO DISTINGUISH THE GENUINE FROM THE COUNTERFEIT
It is very important to distinguish that which is true from that which is false in near-death experiences /out-of-body experiences. You would notice that in various cultures, the experiences are alarmingly contradictory and diametrically opposed to one another. There is incredible deception in the spiritual realm. That is why Jesus Christ /God Incarnate has to be the standard of truth. He said that, “I am the Way the Truth, and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father but by Me”, (John 14: 6). Do these other beings preach another gospel opposing the Gospel of Jesus Christ: - reincarnation, works related-salvation and “no such thing as hell”? This is terrible for these are Satan’s angels of light of which the Bible speaks.
Here is the test for all near-death experiences /out-of-body experiences. If it conflicts with scripture, it is bogus. This is St. Paul
“…there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!
As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed.”
A FALSE GOSPEL
Now there is a counterfeit near-death experience told in a book called “Embraced by the Light” by Betty Eadie. In her book she met Jesus, but it was not the real Jesus Christ of the scriptures. This is possible because the spirits have the ability to take on the guise of anyone they desire. This is how many psychic mediums are deceived when they are perceiving through clairvoyance the “deceased” spirits. When they receive messages from them for loved ones, the medium never discerns that these are impersonating spirits. The bible calls them familiar spirits.
“Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 19:31)
Jesus only talks of two destinies of a dead person - heaven or hell. If you are in heaven you certainly are not going to accommodate a medium. If you are in hell there is no means of escape. So those entities have to be satanic in essence.
The false Jesus that Betty Eddie met told her that there was no hell, denied salvation through grace; denied the Trinity and said that everyone will go to heaven. In so many words, the cardinal principles of the faith are denied.
In his book “Deceived by the Light” - Douglas Groothuis a scholar exposes what a fraud Betty Eddie is. Consequently, we immediately see that these conflicting and opposing near-death experiences from other cultures are deceptive devices of the enemy for the ultimate destruction of humankind. For more information click on the following links:
Deceived by the Light by Douglas Groothuis http://www.equip.org/articles/deceived-by-the-light
Many Christians were bought up to believe that life beyond the grave is not provable or demonstrable. However, there is a factual basis for the survival of the soul. It is just the people are indifferent to it and continue to walk in unbelief. But remember that these experiences have been going on since time immemorial in all different cultures. It is time that humanity stops questioning the obvious and accept the reality of these states. Also, realize that through the power of the Holy Spirit we can differentiate the genuine from the counterfeit. This is His function for He is also known as the Spirit of Truth.
Sources:
http://www.spiritlesson.com
http://www.thewordteaches.com/questions.htm
