text:
The greatest Biblical
support for the near-death experience comes
from all the New Testament verses concerning
love. Like the teachings of Jesus, NDEs
reveal the critical importance of love in
all facets of life and death. Many NDEs
complement Jesus' teachings of unconditional
love and forgiveness. In fact, my research
shows that an experience of God's unconditional
love is the aspect most felt by experiencers.
Love is also one of the fruits of the Holy
Spirit; and God is love. Because Jesus taught
that bad trees do not produce good fruit,
it can be safely assumed that the love found
in NDEs is good fruit and that NDEs themselves
are a good tree. It is by their fruits that
we will know a bad tree from a good tree.
The following article is devoted to proving
from the Bible that the NDE is a good tree
and its fruit is holy.
The following are those
verses supporting the unconditional love of God
and how this love is the way to heaven:
one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test
Jesus. 'Teacher,' he asked, 'What must I do to
inherit eternal life?'
is written in the law?' he replied. 'How do you
read it?'
"He answered: 'Love
the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your strength and with all your mind, and,
love your neighbor as yourself.'
have answered correctly,' Jesus replied, 'Do
this and you will live.'"
(Luke 10:25-28)
In terms of logic,
the verse above states: Loving others and God IS THE
WAY TO eternal life.
In this passage
of scripture, Jesus affirms that love for God and others
is the way to eternal life (i.e., no more dying). This corresponds
with what people having NDEs say about God as pure unconditional
love. This unconditional love is the source we can draw
from to love our neighbor unconditionally just as Jesus
taught and practiced.
God keeps no record
of wrongs because God is unconditional love. These Bible
verses refutes the misconception that God is full of wrath.
It refutes the misconception that Jesus will cast people
headlong into the fire of hell merely because they never
had the opportunity to pledge allegiance to Jesus.
BIBLE: "Love is
patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it
does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude,
it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not
delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
always perseveres. Love never fails." (1
Corinthians 13:4-8)
LOGIC: God is love AND God
is patient, kind, doesn't envy, does not boast,
is not proud, is not rude, is not self-seeking,
not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs,
does not delight in evil, rejoices with the
truth, always protects, always trusts, always
hopes, always perseveres, and never fails.
Contrary to what many fundamentalists
believe, to say that "God is love" is
the same as saying that "God loves." "God
loves" is how most fundamentalists interpret the phrase "God
is love" because they reject the logical implications
of what the phrase "God is love" means. It means
that love is
God. This is merely a matter of basic algebra. If "God"
equals "love," then "love" equals "God."
Fundamentalists claim that the
phrase "God is love" is merely a statement of
what God does: love. But basic English grammar shows that
the phrase "God is love" is not the same as saying "God
loves." The reason it is not the same is because the
word "love" in that verse is a
and not a verb or adjective. The phrase "God loves"
is a reference to God and the verb "loves" - not "loves"
as a noun. The phrase "God is love" is a reference
to two nouns: "God" and "love". For
example, another phrase that would be equal to the phrase "God
is love" would be "God is the Spirit of love."
Also, this logically and grammatically means that "the
Spirit of love is God." This is not the same as saying "God
loves" - although it is true that God loves. This Bible
verse is very specific and is supported up by all the Bible
verses previously shown here. God is love. Therefore, love
is God. It must also be noted that the "love"
referred to in these verses is not a reference to just any
kind of love. The kind of love associated with the phrase "God
is love" is not the same as saying, "My love for
my dog is great" or "I love green beans."
The kind of love associated with God is translated in Greek
as "agape" which means "divine love."
This is not ordinary love.
Other verses that
are logically similar to the two phrases "God is love"
and "love is God" are the following:
BIBLE: "God
is light." (1 John 1:5)
God IS EQUAL TO light. Therefore, light
IS EQUAL TO God.
Of course, the "light"
does not refer to "sunlight" or "light bulb
light". Biblical "light" associated with
God is a reference to the divine "light" of unlimited
knowledge and understanding. The phrase "God is light"
means just what it says: "God"
is "light"
- not "God"
gives "light."
It also means that "light" is "God"
because they are one and the same.
BIBLE: "He
is the true God and eternal life."
(1 John 5:20)
God IS
EQUAL TO eternal life. Therefore, eternal life
IS EQUAL TO God.
When equating "God"
with "life", the Bible is not referring to ordinary
life. It means eternal life. It is the same as saying "life
is God" because "God" and "life"
itself is one and the same.
The following
Bible verses show how "love" is superior to anything
else because love is God:
BIBLE: "If
I speak in the tongues of humans and of angels,
but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or
a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy
and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but
have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess
to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,
but have not love, I gain nothing ... And now these
three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest
of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:1-3;13)
IF you speak in tongues OR have the gift of prophecy,
etc., but NOT love THEREFORE you are nothing.
BIBLE: "Above
all, love each other deeply, because love covers
over a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8)
Love forgives many sins AND God IS EQUAL TO love,
THEREFORE God forgives many sins.
BIBLE: "Therefore
love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans
Love IS EQUAL TO fulfilling the law of God AND God
IS EQUAL TO love, THEREFORE, love is the law of
BIBLE: "The
only thing that counts is faith expressing itself
through love. (Galatians 5:6)
Expressing faith through love IS EQUAL TO all that
counts. All that counts IS EQUAL TO eternal life.
THEREFORE expressing faith through love IS EQUAL
TO eternal life.
BIBLE: "He
[God] is before all things, and in him all things
hold together. (Colossians 1:17)
God holds all things together. THEREFORE,
God IS EQUAL TO the power of the atom holding all
things together! AND God IS EQUAL TO love. THEREFORE,
love holds the universe together.
BIBLE: "By
this [love] all humans
will know that you are my disciples, if you love
one another." (John 13:35)
Loving others IS EQUAL TO being a disciple
of Jesus.
BIBLE: "And
this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands.
As you have heard from the beginning, his command
is that you walk in love." (2 John 1:6)
Loving others IS EQUAL TO obeying Jesus' commands
AND his command IS EQUAL TO walk in love. THEREFORE,
loving others IS EQUAL TO obeying Jesus.
BIBLE: "In
the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied
by action, is dead." (James 2:17)
Having faith NOT acts of good works IS EQUAL
TO dead faith.
This verse
reveals that faith without doing good works is worthless
and does not get anyone to heaven. This salvation
by good works described by James is the true teachings
of Jesus - not Paul's salvation by faith alone.
It means that faith alone is does not get anyone
to heaven.
BIBLE: "We
love because he first loved us." (1
John 4:19)
Loving others IS EQUAL TO God loving us first AND
God is love (1
John 4:16) AND love is the way to eternal life
10:25-28) THEREFORE God is the Source of love.
BIBLE: "For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and
only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life." (John
3:16). "In the same way, faith by itself,
if it is not accompanied by works, is dead."
(James 2:17) "Therefore love is the fulfillment
of the law." (Romans 13:10)
God loves the world AND gave his Son THEREFORE faith
in him EQUALS eternal life AND faith without works
IS EQUAL TO death AND loving others EQUALS fulfilling
the law of God THEREFORE the law of God IS EQUAL
TO loving others THEREFORE everyone who loves fulfills
God's law and has eternal life.
BIBLE: "Jesus
answered them, "I am the way and the truth
and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me." (John 14:6) The way to eternal
life is by loving others and God (Luke
Jesus IS EQUAL TO the way to eternal life AND the
way to eternal life IS EQUAL TO loving others and
God THEREFORE the way to eternal life is by loving
others and God.
Note: Jesus was not egotistic,
and because he often spoke in parables, it would
be wise to interpret this verse in light of the
other teachings of Jesus. Jesus came to show the
way to heaven and that way is God - the light that
is love. Nobody can come to God except through the
way shown by Jesus - a life lived in unconditional
love for everyone. Jesus is certainly not saying
that worshipping him will get you to heaven. That
would be contrary to all his teachings in the gospels!
It is obvious that Jesus came as the light to show
humans the way to eternal life. The way to eternal
life is through loving others and God.
[Support for
love as the way to heaven] "Jesus
is the way, the truth and the life." (John
14:6) "They [people going
to hell] perish because they refused to love the
truth and so be saved." (2
Thessalonians. 2:10)
Jesus is the way AND the way is the truth AND the
truth is law AND the law is love AND love is God
THEREFORE people go to hell because they refuse
to love. But we know we have eternal life if we
love. Near-death experiences reveal the true nature
of hell to be more like the catholic concept of
purgatory where people go for purification and instruction
before going to heavenly realms. Hell is not a place
for roasting sinners forever in flames. A God of
infinite unconditional love and mercy would not
permit even one soul to fall into some crack in
the universe and be lost forever (see the
parable of the Prodigal Son). So everyone will
eventually be saved because it is God's will.
BIBLE: "My
son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because
the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes
everyone he accepts as a son." (Hebrews 12:5)
God's discipline can often be very severe. The above
verse shows that God's so-called "wrath"
is a sign of God's immense love. God's love is also
a "tough" love. Because God loves everyone,
God disciplines everyone. Love can certainly be
a difficult task-master. God's love, although it
may be "tough", is all for our own good.
BIBLE: "The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
(Psalm 111:10) "But perfect love drives out
fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The
one who fears is not made perfect in love."
(1 John 4:18)LOGIC: Those
who "fear" God are not perfect in love. "Fearing"
God is merely the beginning
of wisdom. But mature wisdom comes when we cast
away our childish "fear" of God and replace
it with love. Those pastors who enjoy preaching
only fear, hellfire, and damnation, are not being
very wise.
BIBLE: "For
I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future,
nor any powers, neither height nor depth,
nor anything else
in all creation, will be able to separate us from
the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:39)
This verse reveals the unconditional aspect of God's
love. Because God loves everyone, God's love for
everyone is unconditional. This is one of the strongest
verses supporting universal salvation.
BIBLE: "And
I pray that you, being rooted and established in
love, may have power, together with all the saints,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is
the love of Christ, and to know this
love that surpasses knowledge
- that you may be filled to the measure of all the
fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)
Faith implies the possibility of
doubt. Knowledge implies absolute certainty. But
love is greater than both of these because God is
For more about the
Biblical and NDE evidence of universal
salvation click on
the link provided.All of these Bible
verses describe the unconditional love that is God. All
of these Bible verses, when interpreted properly, completely
agree with the information brought back by near-death experiencers.
They return knowing the supreme importance of the unconditional
love that is God. Being in the presence of this love changes
people forever. This unconditional love that is God is the
true inner spirituality taught by and lived by Jesus..
Universal salvation
is the concept that all humanity will eventually attain
salvation and heaven. This is a foreign concept to most
Christians today although it was not to many early Christians.
Many Christians today cannot accept NDE testimony because
they affirm universal salvation. While it is true that many
NDEs testimony affirm universal salvation, it is not true
that it suggests that everyone enters heaven immediately
upon death. NDEs and scripture describe people in hell.
I profile several NDEs where the experiencer finds themselves
in hell. However these NDEs reveal that hell is a temporary
negative spiritual state. It is more like a purgatory, and
certainly not eternal damnation. The following NDE testimonies
reveal a profound description of hell and how they escaped
from it:
Many experiencers
such as some of the ones above were sent to hell and were
able to escape from it. Some have even witnessed other people
escaping from hell. Experiencers verify that hell is
not a literal place of scorching flames but something far
worse: a negative spiritual condition of separation from
love, joy, peace, God, sanity, etc. Those who have escaped
from hell know first-hand that there is a way out of hell
for those who are repentant. They are convinced that
hell is not a realm of eternal punishment; but rather it
is a temporary state of purification for the purpose of
eventually attaining heaven.
Another convincing
argument for universal salvation comes from the nature of
Christ's death itself. If Christ died for the sins of the
whole world and if Christ has forgiven the whole world of
their sins, then the logical conclusion is that the world
stands redeemed, forgiven, justified and saved. However,
NDEs and scripture describe people in hell. Logically, the
reason people are in hell cannot be because they are paying
for sins. Otherwise Jesus did not pay for all sins if people
are paying for sins in hell. It would also show the work
of Jesus to be an utter failure. God wills all to be saved.
Jesus paid for all sins. But most people are thrown in hell
for eternity anyway. Isn't this scenario dishonoring to
God and the work of Christ? If people are paying for sins
in hell then Christ did not pay for any sins. He either
paid it all or he didn't. However, there is strong scriptural
support that God provided universal redemption and the work
of Christ redeemed everyone. Universal redemption implies
universal salvation. There is no other way around it.
The following is the
scriptural evidence supporting universal salvation:
"The Son himself
will be made subject to him who put everything
under him, so that
God may be all in
all." (1
Corinthians 15:28)
our Savior, who wants all men to be saved
and to come to a knowledge of the truth." (1
Timothy 2:3-4)
"But I, when
I am lifted up from the Earth, will
draw all men to myself."
"For as in Adam
all die, so in Christ
all will be made
alive." (1
Corinthians 15:22)
"[God] is patient
with you, not wanting
anyone to perish, but everyone to come
to repentance." (2
Peter 3:9)
"For this we
labor and strive, that we have put our hope
in the living God,
who is the Savior of all men, and especially
of those who believe." (1
Timothy 4:10)
"And he made
known to us the mystery of his will according
to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
to be put into effect when the times will have
reached their fulfillment --
to bring all things
in heaven and on Earth together
under one head, even
Christ." (Ephesians
plan of yours can be thwarted."(Job
"God our Savior,
who wants all men
to be saved and to come to a knowledge
of the truth." (1
Timothy 2:3-4)
Because no one can thwart God's will, and because
God wills everyone to be saved, the only logical
conclusion is that everyone will be saved.
is the atoning sacrifice
for our sins, and not only for ours but
also for the sins
of the whole world.
John 2:2)
"For the grace
of God that brings
salvation has appeared to all men."
"But we see Jesus,
who was made a little lower than the angels,
now crowned with glory and honor because he
suffered death, so that by the grace of God
he might taste death
for everyone." (Hebrews
"And we have
seen and testify that the Father has sent
his Son to be the
Savior of the world." (1
John 4:14)
"For there is
one God and one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus,
who gave himself as a ransom for all men
-- the testimony given in its proper time."
Timothy 2:5-6)
And he died for all,
that those who live should no longer live for
themselves but for him who died for them and
was raised again. (2
Corinthians 5:15)
If Christ paid for
the sins of the world then the whole world has been redeemed
and nobody is paying for sins in hell.
It should be
difficult for any Christian to honestly conceive of a
God of infinite love and mercy to permit even one soul
to be tortured forever in hell. It is common sense that
a few minutes in hell is enough for even the hardest of
sinners to change their mind and repent. And what kind
of God would create someone knowing that he will
ultimately throw that person in hell to be tortured
forever? It should be obvious that it would be better
for God to not even create such a person. If an evil
father treats his children better than this how much
more so God? Jesus states:
of you, if his son asks for bread, will give
him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will
give him a snake? If you, then, though you are
evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father in heaven give
good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew
While it is true
that scriptures describe hell as a place lasting forever
(eternal punishment and eternal damnation) this does not
mean that a person's stay in hell is eternal. It means that
hell is an eternal realm. In other words, the term eternal
applies to hell itself and not the length of stay there.
This agrees with NDE accounts that describe God's arm of
love and mercy extends even to those in hell. Now let's
now examine the scriptural evidence.
This index to sections below
shows how scripture can be used to support the following
Fire is
a metaphor used in the Bible to describe the
purification of people in hell.
is a word used in the Bible to describe the
nature of hell itself - not the length of time
a person spends there.
Fire is
a metaphor used in the Bible to describe the
purification of people on Earth.
Fire is
a metaphor also used in the Bible to describe
God and manifestations of God.
is also a metaphor used in the Bible to describe
the state of the world.
is necessary to attain spiritual perfection
in this world and in hell. Suffering occurs
for the purpose of instruction - not punishment.
Certain conclusions
can be drawn from the points listed above. They are the
following: God has already forgiven everyone of their
sins whether they are in this world or in hell. This world
and hell are places of purification by fire and light -
spiritual knowledge and God. People living in the world
and in hell live in realms of spiritual darkness - spiritual
ignorance. The world and hell are realms where God allows
people to freely suffer the consequences of their free will
in order to bring about their spiritual perfection by abandoning
spiritual ignorance. Now let's examine each point one by
whosoever shall speak a word against the Son
of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that
shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall
not be forgiven him, neither in this world,
nor in the world to come." (Matthew 12:32)
These words of Jesus
seem straight forward on the surface; but a closer examination
reveals something interesting. Jesus states that there is
sin that cannot be forgiven in this world or the world to
come - a reference to the afterlife. It is one thing to
be forgiven for an offense in one age; it is a different
thing to be forgiven for the same offense in a different
age. The above passage of scripture suggests the possibility
of sins being forgiven after death. Here is another passage
that suggests a way of redemption after death:
temptation has seized you except what is common
to man. And God is faithful; he will not let
you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But
when you are tempted, he will also provide a
way out so that you can stand up under it."
(1 Corinthians 10:13)
The above Bible
verse states that God does not allow us to be tempted too
severely and God provides us a way out. It would not be
a great leap of logic to conclude that God does not allow
a person to suffer beyond what they can bear and that God
provides a way out. This also applies to hell.
The following passage
is remarkable in that it describes Jesus setting people
free in hell:
Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous
for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He
was put to death in the body but made alive
by the Spirit, through whom also he went and
preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed
long ago when God waited patiently in the days
of Noah while the ark was being built."
(1 Peter 3:18-20)
An apocryphal book from the Old
Testament states:
if he were not expecting that those who had
fallen would rise again, it would have been
superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead."
(2 Maccabees 12:43-46)
At the time of the
Maccabees the leaders of the people of God had no hesitation
in asserting the efficacy of prayers offered for the dead
in order that those who had departed this life might find
pardon for their sins and the hope of eternal resurrection.
This passage assumes the possibility of redemption for those
who have died unredeemed. The
Books of the Maccabees is accepted only by the
Catholic Church and Orthodox Jews. The above passage
from Maccabees is the basis for the Catholic doctrine of
praying for the dead.
The Books of the Maccabees was a
part of Biblical canon until it was tossed out at the
beginning of the Protestant Reformation by
Martin Luther.
Most Protestant Christians argue that Maccabees is not inspired
because it is not a part of the Bible. However, in the Book
of Jude, Paul quotes from another book not found in the Bible
today. It is called the
Book of Enoch:
"Enoch, the seventh
from Adam, prophesied about these men: 'See,
the Lord is coming with thousands upon
thousands of his holy ones.'" (Jude
"Now if there
is no resurrection, what will those do who are
for the dead?
If the dead are not raised at all,
why are people
baptized for them?"
(1 Corinthians 15:29)
In the above passage,
Paul defends the doctrine of resurrection by posing the
argument that if the dead are not resurrected then why are
people baptized for them? This passage is the basis for
the Mormon doctrine of baptizing the dead.
The early Church
developed the concept of purgatory based on particular passages
of scripture. According to
St. Isidore of Seveille
the Church
taught that in the next life:
sins will be forgiven and purged away by a certain
purifying fire." (Deord. creatur., c. xiv,
n. 6)
St. Augustine also wrote:
sinners are not forgiven either in this world
or in the next, would not be truly said unless
there were other [sinners] who, though not forgiven
in this world, are forgiven in the world to
come." (De Civ. Dei, XXI, xxiv)
The same interpretation
is given by
Gregory the Great
(Dial., IV, xxxix);
St. Bede
(commentary on this text);
St. Bernard (Sermo lxvi in Cantic.,
n.11) and other eminent theological writers.
(185-232 A.D.), the first
great Church father, taught that purgatory is the true description
of hell. He believed if people depart this life with lighter
faults they are condemned to fire which burns away the lighter
materials thereby preparing their souls for the kingdom
of God where nothing defiled may enter. He stated:
if on the foundation of Christ you have built
not only gold and silver and precious stones;
but also wood and hay and stubble, what do you
expect when the soul shall be separated from
the body? Would you
enter into heaven with your wood and hay and
stubble and thus defile the kingdom of God;
or on account of these hindrances would you
remain without and receive no reward for your
gold and silver and precious stones? Neither
is this just. It remains then that you be committed
to the fire which will burn the light materials;
for our God to those who can comprehend
heavenly things is
called a cleansing fire. But this fire
consumes not the creature, but what the creature
has himself built, wood, and hay and stubble.
It is manifest that
the fire destroys
the wood of our transgressions and then
returns to us the reward of our great works."
(P. G., XIII, col. 445, 448).
Origen based this statement
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 which is the next Bible passage
to be quoted below.
no one can lay any foundation other than the
one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If
any man builds on this foundation using gold,
silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his
work will be shown for what it is, because the
Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed
with fire, and the fire will test the quality
of each man's work. If what he has built survives,
he will receive his reward. If it is burned
up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be
saved, but only as one escaping through the
flames." (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)
The next verse is another verse
suggestive of salvation after death:
anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger
of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering
your gift at the altar and there remember that
your brother has something against you, leave
your gift there in front of the altar. First
go and be reconciled to your brother; then come
and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly
with your adversary who is taking you to court.
Do it while you are still with him on the way,
or he may hand you over to the judge, and the
judge may hand you over to the officer, and
you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the
truth, you will not get out until you have paid
the last penny." (Matthew 5:22-26)
The Bible uses the metaphor prison
as a metaphor for hell:
if God did not spare angels when they sinned,
but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy
dungeons to be held for judgment." (2 Peter
d. Eternal is a metaphor used in the Bible to
describe the nature of hell itself - not the
length of time a person spends there
ax is already at the root of the trees,
and every tree that does not produce good
fruit will be cut down and thrown into the
fire. I [John the Baptist] baptize you with
water for repentance. But after me will
come one who is more powerful than I, whose
sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize
you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he
will clear his threshing floor, gathering
his wheat into the barn and burning up the
chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matthew
Here is another verse:
"If your hand
causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better
for you to enter life maimed than with two
hands to go into hell, where the fire never
goes out... And if your eye causes you to
sin, pluck it out. It is better for you
to enter the kingdom of God with one eye
than to have two eyes and be thrown into
hell, where 'their worm does not die, and
the fire is not quenched.' Everyone will
be salted with fire." (Mark 9:43-49)
Here is one more:
"Then he will
say to those on his left, 'Depart from me,
you who are cursed, into the eternal fire
prepared for the devil and his angels. For
I was hungry and you gave me nothing to
eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing
to drink, I was a stranger and you did not
invite me in, I needed clothes and you did
not clothe me, I was sick and in prison
and you did not look after me.' They also
will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you
hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing
clothes or sick or in prison, and did not
help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the
truth, whatever you did not do for one of
the least of these, you did not do for me.'
Then they will go away to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."
(Matthew 25:41-46)
This description of hell
agrees with what experiencers have experienced.
Don Brubaker experienced these flames of hell
first hand. This is what he experienced:
There was a low
murmuring all around me, as if I was in
the midst of a huge group of grumbling people.
Before me, suddenly, stood a huge black
door. The air began to glow and shimmer
with oppressive heat.
I watched as the
door opened upon a vast, flaming oven. I
felt myself drawn like a magnet into the
center of the flames -- although I was terrified
to go in. There were hundreds of others
already there, roasting to death, but not
dead. Once I was inside, the door slammed
shut behind me. The worst, dreadest feelings
sloshed around inside me, like so much poison.
"Is this
actually what hell is?" I asked aloud.
I passed my hands
through blue-tipped flames. The fire itself
was cold, and it did not hurt me. From nowhere,
a thought flashed through my mind: Death,
where is thy sting? God, even in the midst
of this holocaust, was truly in control
of everything. I began to laugh, and the
others laughed with me. Our laughter bounced
off the walls of the oven and echoed over
the roar of the flames.
And instantly,
as if someone had flipped the channel selector,
I was alone again in darkness. (Don Brubaker)
The Bible talks of people
on earth being purified, refined and baptized by
fire. These are all referring to the process of
"These have come
so that your faith -- of greater worth than
gold, which perishes even though refined by
fire -- may be proved genuine and may result
in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ
is revealed." (1 Peter 1:7)
"I counsel you
to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so
you can become rich; and white clothes to wear,
so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and
salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those
whom I love I rebuke and discipline." (Revelation
"But who can
endure the day of his coming? Who can stand
when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's
fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a
refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify
the Levites and refine them like gold and silver."
(Malachi 3:2-3)
"He will cleanse
the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of
judgment and a spirit of fire." (Isaiah
"I baptize you
with water for repentance. But after me will
come one who is more powerful than I, whose
sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize
you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."
(Matthew 3:11)
The verses below describe God and manifestations
of God through the metaphor of fire. These verses
also use the metaphor of fire as a reference to
the purifying power of God.
"Our God is a
consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29)
"Do not put out
the Spirit's fire." (1 Thessalonians 5:19)
"They saw what
seemed to be tongues of fire that separated
and came to rest on each of them. All of them
were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to
speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled
them." (Acts 2:3-4)
"In speaking
of the angels he says, 'He makes his angels
winds, his servants flames of fire.'" (Hebrews
"This will happen
when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven
in blazing fire with his powerful angels."
(2 Thessalonians 1:7)
"I [Jesus] have
come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish
it were already kindled!" (Luke 12:49)
The verses below use the
metaphor of light to describe God and God's purifying
"This is the
message we have heard from him and declare to
you: God is light; in him there is no darkness
at all." (I John 1:5)
"For no one can
lay any foundation other than the one already
laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds
on this foundation using gold, silver, costly
stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be
shown for what it is, because the Day will bring
it to light. It will be revealed with fire,
and the fire will test the quality of each man's
work. If what he has built survives, he will
receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will
suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only
as one escaping through the flames." (1
Corinthians 3:11-15)
"There he was
transfigured before them. His face shone like
the sun, and his clothes became as white as
the light." (Matthew 17:2)
"When Jesus spoke
again to the people, he said, 'I am the light
of the world. Whoever follows me will never
walk in darkness, but will have the light of
life.'" (John 8:12)
One can see the scriptures
using the metaphors light and fire interchangeably
to describe God and God's manifestations.
h. Light is also a metaphor used in the Bible to
describe spiritual knowledge. Darkness is a
metaphor used to describe spiritual ignorance
"For God, who
said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made
his light shine in our hearts to give us the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in
the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6)
"If you are convinced
that you are a guide for the blind, a light
for those who are in the dark, an instructor
of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because
you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge
and truth -- you, then, who teach others, do
you not teach yourself? You who preach against
stealing, do you steal?" (Romans 2:19-21)
"Then Jesus told
them, 'You are going to have the light just
a little while longer. Walk while you have the
light, before darkness overtakes you. The man
who walks in the dark does not know where he
is going.'" (John 12:35)
"But whoever
hates his brother is in the darkness and walks
around in the darkness; he does not know where
he is going, because the darkness has blinded
him." (1 John 2:11)
"No one lights
a lamp and puts it in a place where it will
be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts
it on its stand, so that those who come in may
see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your
body. When your eyes are good, your whole body
also is full of light. But when they are bad,
your body also is full of darkness. See to it,
then, that the light within you is not darkness.
Therefore, if your whole body is full of light,
and no part of it dark, it will be completely
lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines
on you." (Luke 11:33-36)
These verses show the spiritual
condition of hell to be darkness, the lack of the
knowledge of God. This spiritual condition begins
as a spiritual condition on earth and is realized
at death.
The verses below describe
how the metaphor of darkness is used to describe
"And the angels
who did not keep their positions of authority
but abandoned their own home -- these he has
kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains
for judgment on the great Day." (Jude 1:6)
"These men are
blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you
without the slightest qualm -- shepherds who
feed only themselves. They are clouds without
rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees,
without fruit and uprooted-- twice dead. They
are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their
shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness
has been reserved forever." (Jude 1:12-13)
"But the subjects
of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into
the darkness, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 8:12)
"These men are
springs without water and mists driven by a
storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them."
(2 Peter 2:17)
From these verses, one can
conclude that hell is darkness, a metaphor for ignorance
of God.
"Land of Zebulun
and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along
the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles -- the people
living in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of
death a light has dawned." (Matthew 4:15-16)
"For our struggle
is not against flesh and blood, but against
the rulers, against the authorities, against
the powers of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
(Ephesians 6:12)
"For he has rescued
us from the dominion of darkness and brought
us into the kingdom of the Son he loves."
(Colossians 1:13)
"This is the
verdict: Light has come into the world, but
men loved darkness instead of light because
their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil
hates the light, and will not come into the
light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the
light, so that it may be seen plainly that what
he has done has been done through God."
(John 3:19-21)
This world and hell have
something in common. Both are filled with the darkness
of spiritual ignorance.
Suffering is necessary to attain spiritual
perfection in this world and in hell. Suffering
occurs for the purpose of instruction - not
The scriptures are clear
on how suffering in this world leads toward spiritual
perfection. The scriptures show that God gives us
suffering in order to create character and perseverance
and to cause us to rely more on God and not in our
own strength (or weakness). Suffering should never
be viewed as a curse from God; but rather a blessing
in disguise. It is God's will for us to suffer in
this world and in hell in order to bring about spiritual
perfection. This suffering is the result of karma
which maintains that transgressions committed in
this world are paid in this world. The following
Bible verses show the importance of suffering:
bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting
that God, for whom and through whom everything
exists, should make the author of their salvation
perfect through suffering." (Hebrews
it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause
him to suffer." (Isaiah 53:10)
it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ
not only to believe on him, but also to suffer
for him." (Philippians 1:20)
this you were called, because Christ suffered
for you, leaving you an example, that you
follow in his steps. (1 Peter 2:21)
keep from becoming conceited because of these
surpassingly great revelations, there was given
me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan,
to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the
Lord to take it away from me. But he said to
me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for
my power is made perfect in weakness,
so that Christ's power may rest on me. That
is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses,
in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in
difficulties. For when I am weak, then I
am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
also glory in our sufferings, because we
know that suffering produces
(Romans 5:3)
as an example of patience in the face of
suffering, take the prophets who spoke in
the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider
blessed those who have persevered. You have
heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what
the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is
full of compassion and mercy." (James
he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.
His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned,
this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither
this man nor his parents sinned," said
Jesus, "but this happened so that the
work of God may be displayed in his life."
(John 9:1-3)
just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into
our lives, so also through Christ our comfort
overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your
comfort and salvation, if we are comforted,
it is for your comfort, which produces in you
patient endurance of the same sufferings we
suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because
we know that just as you share in our sufferings,
so also you share in our comfort... But this
happened that we might not rely on ourselves
but on God, who raises the dead." (2
Corinthians 1:5-9)
[suffering] have come so that your faith - of
greater worth than gold, which perishes even
though refined by fire - may be proved genuine
and may result in praise, glory and honor..."
(1 Peter 1:7)
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who
mourn, for they will be comforted ... Blessed
are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven." (Matthew
So we can see from
the verses above that the world and hell are not places
of punishment; but rather states of purification. They are
places of education and not damnation. It is a small step
to conclude from this that universal salvation is Biblical
and a reality.
It should be noted
at this point that the concept of purgatory did not originate
with the early Church. It came directly from Jewish sources
as discussed in the Torah, the Talmud and other Jewish texts.
In these texts, hell is called Gehennom (in Yiddish it is
Gehenna) and it is a place of intense punishment and cleansing.
This place is also known as
Sheol and other names. Gehennom
takes its name from the Valley of Hennom where pagans once
sacrificed children.
One line of Jewish
thought affirms that after death the soul has to be purified
before it can go on the rest of its journey. The amount
of time needed for purification depends on how the soul
dealt with life. One Jewish tradition states that a soul
needs a maximum of 11 months for purification, which is
why, when a parent dies, the
Kaddish (memorial prayer) is
recited for 11 months.
From all the information
that has been presented here one can easily conclude that
God has a plan of salvation for everyone - even those in
the deepest pit of hell; and eventually everyone will attain
salvation to the highest heaven.
Some Christians
are steadfast in their belief that God cannot be seen. They
often base their belief on several Bible verses. For example,
God instructed Moses by informing him that:
"No person may
see me and live." (Exodus 33:20)
In another Bible verse, the apostle
Paul stated that God:
in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen
or can see." (1 Timothy 6:16)
The above verses
are sometimes used by some Christians to prove that near-death
experiencers cannot journey to heaven and back and/or could
not have seen God. But this denial contradicts verses that
describe people in the Bible seeing God while they were
alive including those verses that describe people journeying
to heaven and back. They also deny many other spiritual
experiences such as deathbed visions and after-death visitations.
Such experiences are not only seen as false by some Christians;
but are also seen as of the devil.
One of the best
Bible verses supporting the concept that God can be seen
is the NDE of Stephen - the first Christian martyr - who
is stoned to death.
Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up
to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus
standing at the right hand of God. "Look,"
he said, "I see heaven open and the Son
of Man standing at the right hand of God."
(Acts 7:54-56)
Stephen's description
of heaven opening up and seeing God is a good description
of an experience where God is seen before a person actually
dies. Stephen's experience may actually be best labeled
a deathbed vision rather than an NDE because Stephen doesn't
return from death. However, NDE accounts have been reported
by people who also catch a glimpse of heaven before their
Another Bible verse
showing that God can be seen is the conversion of Paul:
he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly
a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell
to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul,
Saul, why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:3-4)
Many NDE experiencers
encounter a Being of Light often identified as such personalities
as Jesus, God, an angel or some religious figure. Sometimes
the Being of Light is a relative or friend. In fact, many
NDE accounts describe how everyone in the afterlife emits
this light and this light is God.
One particular gospel
event describes Jesus transforming himself into a Being
of Light which is remarkably similar to the Being of Light
appearing in NDE accounts. In both the Bible and NDE testimonies,
the light is always seen as God.
"After six days
Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the
brother of James, and led them up a high mountain
by themselves. There he was transfigured before
them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes
became as white as the light. Just then there
appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking
with Jesus."
Another Bible passage
that supports the reality of NDEs comes from the Old Testament
concerning "Jacob's Stairway" or "Ladder."
Jacob had a dream in which he sees the gate to heaven. Here
is the verse:
had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting
on the Earth, with its top reaching to heaven,
and the angels of God were ascending and descending
on it. There above it stood the Lord, and he
said: "I am the Lord, the God of your father
Abraham ... When Jacob awoke from his sleep,
he thought, "Surely the Lord is in this
place, and I was not aware of it." He was
afraid and said, "How awesome is this place!
This is none other than the house of God; this
is the gate of heaven." (Genesis 28:12)
A person does not
need to be dead to have an NDE. People have them during
dreams, extreme stress, extreme gravitational forces, deep
and prolonged meditation, hallucinogenic drugs, or other
situations where the consciousness is altered. This Bible
passage of Jacob's ladder is a good description of the tunnel
or passageway experiencers see and travel through. Experiencers
often see angels in this passageway which extends from the
Earth to heaven.
The following passage
written by the Apostle Paul describes an NDE he experienced.
This clearly demonstrates that NDEs are indeed Biblical.
know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago
was caught up the third heaven. Whether it was
in the body or out of the body I do not know
- God knows. And I know that this person - whether
in the body or apart from the body I do not
know, but God knows - was caught up to paradise.
He heard inexpressible things, things that people
are not permitted to tell." (2 Corinthians
Many aspects of
the NDE appear in the above passage: the out-of-body experience,
the reference to more than one heaven, the reference to
paradise and hearing inexpressible things. In the above
passage, Paul is actually talking about his own experience.
In context, this passage has to do with rival preachers
of Paul who boasted about their own knowledge. Paul compares
himself to them. Paul does a lot of boasting himself in
this passage but then goes on to describe the experience
of a person whom he knows. In those days, this expression
is a euphemism that means the speaker is referring to themself.
His description of the experience certainly appears to be
as if it is a personal experience. This becomes even more
apparent in light of the Bible passages that describe Paul's
many encounters with near death such as in
Acts 14:19.
On another front, there are
Gnostic writings
discovered in the 1940's which were written
around the time of Christ. One such writing is entitled
Apocalypse of Paul supposedly written by the Apostle
Paul concerning his NDE. The writings describe Paul journeying
through ten different heavenly realms. The description is
remarkably similar to an NDE. But many Christians are too
eager to declare anything Gnostic to be heresy and of the
devil without even knowing what Christian Gnosticism is.
You can read the
Apocalypse of Paul.
Another Biblical passage that
refers to an NDE can be found in the
Book of Revelation.
John's journey to heaven is described in a way that closely
resembles an NDE.
Edgar Cayce
was near-death experiencer who received many insights into
Revelation and who affirmed that John's NDE occurred while
he was dreaming. John's revelation has some of the same
dream symbols that appear in the prophet Daniel's dream
in the Book of Daniel. Edgar Cayce provided the best interpretation
of the Book of Revelation that I have ever read.
Christians who doubt that people
can journey to heaven and back should read about the medical
procedure called a standstill. This is a surgical procedure
where the patient is purposely flat-lined and brought to
clinical and brain death in order to perform delicate brain
surgery. These patients are literally brought back from
the dead. You can read
an excellent example of this procedure.
Another argument
supporting the idea that people can journey to heaven and
see God and then return to their bodies is the following
long as we are at home in the body we are away
from the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)
The above verse
affirms the principle that when we are away from the body
- meaning dead - we are at home with the Lord. In other
words, death means being present with God. Everyone in the
Bible who was resurrected saw God before being brought back
to life. We can conclude from this that any interpretation
stating that God cannot be seen is a contradiction to all
the Bible passages just discussed.
In conclusion, because
the Bible describes many people seeing God, then it is safe
to believe that NDEs do not conflict with the Bible.
Some Christians
deny that NDEs are real afterlife experiences because of
Bible verses which can be interpreted as denying the possibility
of surviving death. Here is one of them:
person is destined to die once, and after that
to face judgment." (Hebrews 9:27)
A Bible verse in
the Old Testament describes a wise woman from Tekoa who
told King David that at death we are:
water spilled on the ground, which cannot be
recovered, so we must die." (2 Samuel 14:14)
But these Bible verses do not
mean it is impossible to return from death because we know
from other Bible verses that many people have. For example,
Lazarus died not once but twice (John
the people that Jesus brought back from the dead certainly
died more than once (Mark
Luke 7:11-15).
The Bible describes some people
who resurrected from their graves at the same time of Christ's
death (Matthew
27:52). These people
also had to have died a second time. The apostles brought
back people from the dead (Acts
20:9-12). The Old Testament
describes several people returning from death (1
Kings 17:17-24;
2 Kings 4:32-35;
2 Kings 13:21).
Some people in the
Bible did not even die at all, such as the prophet Elijah,
Enoch and Melchezedek. For these people, it cannot be said
that they will even experience death once.
Another problem
with the "one man/one death" interpretation is
that the Bible even refers to a "second death":
"He who has an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt
at all by the
second death."
"Blessed and
holy are those who have part in the first resurrection.
The second
has no power over them, but they will be priests
of God and of Christ and will reign with him
for a thousand years." (Revelation
"Then death and
Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The
lake of fire is the
second death."
"But the cowardly,
the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the
sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts,
the idolaters and all liars -- their place will
be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This
is the second
For these reasons,
Bible verses cannot be interpreted to say that people do
not die only once or cannot be revived from death to experience
death a second time. After all, isn't this the definition
of resurrection - the centerpiece of the Christian faith?
To be brought back to life again and possibly another resurrection
from death to another life?
There is another
Bible passage which is sometimes used by people to say that
the dead cannot cross over to the land of the living. Because
of this it is claimed that NDEs are not Biblical. That Bible
passage is a parable which Jesus used to instruct people
about the nature of death - the parable of the rich man
and Lazarus. According to the parable, Lazarus (a poor man)
died and was carried by angels to Abraham's side. An unrepentant
rich man likewise died but was sent to hell. In hell, the
rich man was in torment and saw Abraham and Lazarus far
away and implored Abraham to send Lazarus to comfort him
with some water. Abraham replied that this was not possible:
besides all this, between us and you a great
chasm has been fixed, so that those who want
to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone
cross over from there to us." (Luke 16:19-31)
On the
surface of it, this symbolic parable seems to imply that
the dead cannot return to life. But this cannot be literally
true. One reason is because of the Bible verses previously
discussed. Another reason is because of incidences in the
Bible where people actually do cross over from death to
life. One example is the Biblical account of Saul who had
a medium conjure up the spirit of the prophet Samuel
Samuel 28:7-25). Because
this account actually describes a spirit being summoned
up from the land of the dead then we can safely say that
the gulf between life and death can be crossed. The parable
of the rich man and Lazarus is symbolic and should not to
be interpreted literally. The nature of parables are such
that they contain a much deeper hidden spiritual meaning
behind the literal symbols.
In conclusion, all
the Biblical evidence proves that people can traverse the
boundaries of life and death. For this reason, NDEs should
be included as Biblical truth.
Fact: Many people
have returned from the dead.
"The tombs broke open
and the bodies of many holy people who had died
were raised to life. They came out of the tombs,
and after Jesus' resurrection they went into
the holy city and appeared to many people."
(Matthew 27:52-53)
"I know a person in
Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up
to the third heaven... And I know that this
person ... was caught up to paradise."
(2 Corinthians 12:2-4)
"But I tell you that
men will have to give account on the day of
judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
For by your words you will be acquitted, and
by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew
"There is nothing concealed
that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will
not be made known. What you have said in the
dark will be heard in the daylight, and what
you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms
will be proclaimed from the roofs." (Luke
life review
which people experience after death has often been mistaken
by near-death experiencers (particularly fundamentalist
experiencers) as the Biblical event called the "Last Judgment." Often experiencers believe they are being judged
by God. But the reality is that they are merely judging
themselves. During the life review, every aspect of a person's
life is made known and often in full view of a large group
of people.
NDE Fact:
During a life review, people judge themselves in the presence
of the light. There is also no judgment by the light.
for the person who hears my words but does not
keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not
come to judge the world, but to save it. There
is a judge for the one who rejects me and does
not accept my words, that very word which I
spoke will condemn him at the last day."
(John 12:47-48)
Jesus revealed that
he does not judge anyone and that God is the Judge of everyone.
This agrees with many Bible verses describing God to be
the Judge of the living and the dead. While it is true that
God is the Judge, this does not necessarily mean that the
Judge actually judges people. For example, a judge might
have people judge themselves. One particular Bible verse
flat out states that God does not judge anyone:
the Father judges no one, but has entrusted
all judgment to the Son." (John 5:22)
From these Bible
verses we can conclude that neither God nor Jesus judges
anyone - even though they are the Judge. There is also another
particular Bible verse which states that it is we who are
the judges - perhaps judges of the "angels of our better
you not know that the saints will judge the
world? And if you are to judge the world, are
you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do
you not know we will judge angels?" (1
Corinthians 6:2-3)
The above Bible
passage can be interpreted to mean that the angels we judge
are ourselves.
NDE Fact:
NDE accounts reveal that hell is not a literal place of
burning flames but something far worse. Hell is a spiritual
condition of being totally separated from love, joy, God,
light, peace, sanity, etc. Some hell realms are described
as outer darkness.
"The tongue is
also a
a world of evil among the parts of the body.
It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole
course of his life on fire, and is itself set
on fire by hell." (James 3:6)
In the Bible, the
word fire is often used to describe the spiritual purification
of people by the power of God.
"Our God is a consuming
fire." (Hebrews 12:29)
The "consuming
fire" is symbolic for God's spiritual purification.
This is supported by the following passage of scripture:
"For no one can
lay any foundation other than the one already
laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds
on this foundation using gold, silver, costly
stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be
shown for what it is, because the Day will bring
it to light. It will be revealed with
and the fire
will test the
quality of each man's work. If what he has built
survives, he will receive his reward. If it
is burned up, he will suffer loss;
he himself will be
saved, but
only as one
escaping through
the flames."
(1 Corinthians 3:11-15)
NDE Fact:
NDE accounts reveal that communication in the afterlife
is by telepathy. Thoughts and feelings cannot be hidden
from others in the afterlife.
their thoughts, Jesus said, 'Why do you entertain
evil thoughts in your hearts?'" (Matthew
Jesus is seen in
the gospels having the ability to read people's minds using telepathy. Because Jesus was obviously a highly evolved
spiritual being, we can probably assume that all spirit
beings have telepathic powers. Because the afterlife has
been described by many experiencers as a realm of pure thought,
it wouldn't be a great leap of faith to conclude the following:
People exist in the afterlife as thought forms where everyone's
thoughts are not secret. And this is what NDE accounts describe
- an afterlife that is a place where people cannot hide
anything from others - even their thoughts. The following
is another Bible verse supporting this idea:
"Therefore judge
nothing before the appointed time; wait till
the Lord comes.
He will bring to
light what
is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives
of men's hearts." (1 Corinthians 4:5)
NDE Fact:
To have your true inner self and thoughts revealed to everyone
can be a hell for those who are mostly motivated by negative
forces. But to have your true inner self and thoughts revealed
to everyone can be a heaven for those who are mostly motivated
positive forces. NDEs support the idea that everyone's true
inner nature is a part of God and that those who enter the
afterlife actually realize their true inner nature. Those
people who live a life against their divine inner self will
face difficulties when they enter the spirit realm. This
afterlife process is self-realization and self-judgment
- not eternal damnation. During the NDE life review there
is no judgment from God.
"Moreover, the Father
judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to
the Son." (John 5:22)
"As for the person
who hears my words but does not keep them, I do
not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world,
but to save it. There is a judge for the one who
rejects me and does not accept my words, that very
word which I spoke will condemn him at the last
day." (John 12:47-48)
The only judgment
that exists after death is self-judgment. There we enter
the light of God where all is made known.
"This is the
verdict: Light has come into the world, but
men loved darkness instead of light because
their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil
hates the light, and will not come into the
light for
fear that his deeds will be exposed.
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the
light, so that it may be seen plainly that what
he has done has been done through God."
(John 3:19-21)
The Bible verse
above describes people dwelling in the dark to escape from
having the light of God reveal their inner divine nature
and life of ignorance - both of which are exposed to everyone
in the heavenly realms.
Near-death experiencers
have affirmed that so-called evil is actually ignorance
or darkness. In the Bible, light is always a reference to
God and knowledge of God. Those people who lived a life
of "darkness" (ignorance) will find it is incompatible
with their true divine nature. This self-realization can
truly be hell for such people. It is self-realization and
self-judgment. Below is another Bible verse describing self-judgment.
"Therefore judge
nothing before
the appointed time;
wait till the Lord comes. He will
bring to light what
is hidden in darkness
and will expose
the motives
of men's hearts." (1 Corinthians 4:5)
The Bible verse
below describes how God's light can shine in the darkness
of our hearts - even before we die.
"For God, who said, "Let
light shine out of darkness," made his light
shine in our hearts to give us the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."
(2 Corinthians 4:6)
One particular Bible
passage can be interpreted to be that the angels we judge
are actually ourselves:
"Do you not know that
the saints will judge the world? And if you are
to judge the world, are you not competent to judge
trivial cases? Do you not know we will judge angels?"
(1 Corinthians 6:2-3)
Angels is sometimes a word used
in the Bible to apply to humans. Here are some of them:
that you do not look down on one of these little
ones (children). For I tell you that their angels
in heaven always see the face of my Father in
heaven." (Matthew 18:10)
knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant
girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. When
she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed
she ran back without opening it and exclaimed,
'Peter is at the door!' 'You're out of your
mind,' they told her. When she kept insisting
that it was so, they said, 'It must be his angel.'
(Acts 12:13-15)
the resurrection people will neither marry nor
be given in marriage; they will be like the
angels in heaven." (Matthew 22:30)
not forget to show hospitality to strangers,
for by so doing some people have shown
hospitality to angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:2)
NDE Fact:
People can send themselves
to the dark realms of hell to escape from having the light
of God reveal their inner divine nature and life of ignorance
which is exposed to everyone in the heavenly realms.
who does evil hates the light, and will not
come into the light for fear that his deeds
will be exposed." (John 3:20)
I saw him, I fell at his feet as though
dead. Then he placed his right hand on me
and said: 'Do not be afraid. I am the First
and the Last. I am the Living One; I was
dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and
ever! And I hold the keys of death and
Hades.'" (Revelation 1:17-18)
Because of the terrible
situation people might find themselves in after death
- incompatible human and divine natures - God has established
the cycle of birth and rebirth (reincarnation) to allow
people to purify themselves from these incompatible memories.
NDE Fact:
There are many mansions -
heavenly realms - that make-up
the afterlife. This physical realm is but one of them.
Father's house has many rooms (abodes); if
that were not so, would I have told you that
I am going there to prepare a place for you?" (John
know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago
was caught up to the third heaven...
And I know that this person ... was caught up
to paradise." (2 Corinthians 12:2-4)
having been asked by the Pharisees when the
kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The
kingdom of God does not come with your careful
observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,'
or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God
is within you." (Luke 17:20-21)
kingdom of the world has become the kingdom
of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign
for ever and ever." (Revelation 11:15)
The Bible clearly
describes a hierarchy of afterlife realms. Along with the
realms of heaven and hell and this world, the Bible verses
above show that there are even more afterlife realms. The
Biblical reference to the "third heaven" agrees
with this idea of multiple realms. From the Book of Genesis
to the Book of Revelation, the goal for humanity is to be
restored to the paradise. Genesis reveals the fall of humanity
and the world. Revelation reveals the restoration of humanity
and the world.
now these three remain: faith,
hope and love. But the greatest
of these is love."
- (1 Corinthians 13:13)
Biblical Support for
NDEs Index
The author gives surprising answers to
perplexing questions people ask about the
God of the Bible and offers convincing
Scriptural support for the doctrine of
"Universal Reconciliation" also known as
"Christian Universalism." Many other related
issues are also discussed, including NDEs
and reincarnation and how it relates to
Christian theology.
Revealing Heaven: The Eyewitness Accounts
That Changed How a Pastor Thinks About the
by Pastor John W.
The author makes the case for how NDEs can
be gifts from God and are fully compatible
with Christian spirituality and the Bible.
As a pastor open to NDEs, he has heard more
than 200 personal accounts of this
phenomena. This book is also available in
Kindle Edition.
Dying To Know You: Proof of God in the NDE
What lies at the heart of NDEs? A God that
in ways beyond description is an
all-encompassing Oneness, Allness, moving
the stars with its breath, the smile on a
baby, even the mustard on your hotdog.
Atwater provides what has been missing from
everyone's research: proof from NDEs that
such a God exists. This book is also
available in
Kindle Edition.
God and the Afterlife: The Groundbreaking
New Evidence of NDE
Based upon
Dr. Long's database of 3,000+ NDErs from
diverse backgrounds and religious
traditions, including nonbelievers, Dr. Long
presents the startling evidence that God
exists and the amazing consistency that NDEs
reveal what God is like. This book is also
available in
Kindle Edition and
Audio CD.
NDEs Prove Christianity: Regarding
Forgiveness of Sin and Eternal Life
According to Amazon: "Perhaps the most
incredible near-death experience to date,
David A. Bardes, a Christian layperson,
presents a lecture on his and others, and
how they prove Evangelical Christianity to
be about 90% correct."
The Map of Heaven: How Science, Religion,
and Ordinary People Are Proving the
The author of the #1 New York Times
Proof of Heaven, neurosurgeon
Dr. Alexander, teams up with the sages
of times past, modern scientists, and with
ordinary people who have had profound NDEs
to show the reality of heaven and our true
identities as spiritual beings. This book is
also available in
Kindle Edition,
Audio CD, and
The Soul After Death
by Friar Seraphim
The teachings of ancient Christianity have
proven timeless and straightforward,
yielding sound insights into the spiritual
world beyond death. The author offers an
interpretation of the meaning of NDEs from
the firm foundation of Orthodox patristic
teaching, This book is also available in
Kindle Edition.
Gaze Into Heaven: NDEs in Early Church
by Marlene Bateman
The pioneers of the Mormon (LDS) Church of
Jesus Christ were the first modern
researchers of NDEs and even incorporated
their NDE testimonials into Church doctrines
such as t\he
Pearl of Great Price. This book is a
compilation of 50 documented NDEs drawn from
early LDS history. This book is also
available in
Kindle Edition.
90 Minutes in
Heaven:A True Story of
Death and Life
by Pastor Don Piper
Baptist minister Don Piper collided with a
semi-truck that crosses into his lane and
was pronounced dead at the scene. His 90
minute NDE of heaven ended with a miraculous
return to life and a long and painful
recovery. This is his remarkable story. This
book is also available in
Kindle Edition,
Audio CD,
MP3, and
NDEs as Evidence for the Existence of God
and Heaven
by J. Steve Miller,
Jeffrey Long MD
This multiple award-winning book explores
the evidence that NDEs point to God and
heaven; compares NDEs with Christian
teachings; fully documents findings of 35
years of NDE research including naturalistic
explanations for NDEs.; and recommends key
books, researchers, and publications for
further study. This book is also available
Kindle Edition.
I Heart Heaven:
A Psychotherapist's Biblical Validation For
by Tracy H. Goza
Psychotherapist Tracy Goza presents a
variety of NDE testimonies and supporting
Scriptures to present her theory that God is
showering the Western world with NDEs,
dreams, and visions as a revelation of God's
love. The author presents amazing insights
of these revelations including the idea that
God is prodding humanity to start a dialogue
about what happens after death to bring
people to himself. This book is also
available in
Kindle Edition.
The Essence of Religions: A Glimpse of
Heaven in the NDE
by Christophor
As we move away from worn-out dogma from
both the religious and scientific realms
toward a contemporary synthesis of
understanding about our existence, the
author's refreshing and comprehensive
analysis of major religions in light of the
profound lessons from numerous NDE
journeyers offers a rich new tapestry of
understanding that people will find most
valuable. This book is also available in
Kindle Edition.
Backwards Beliefs: Revealing Eternal Truths
Hidden in Religions
by Nanci Danison
The author's own NDE revealed to her what
God thinks of religion and it will forever
change your understanding of how religions
arose and whether they are crucial to
entering the afterlife. The reader will
witness firsthand, through the author's
eyes, the creation of the universe, early
man's need for gods and religions, the roles
religious messengers have played throughout
history, the origin of the Christian
churches, Earth's future, and more.
Led by the Hand of Christ: A Woman's Journey
to Paradise and Back
by Suzanne Freeman
The author shares her profound NDE when
Christ took her by the hand and led her to
Paradise where she was greeted by family,
friends and many others, who emphasized
simple yet valuable eternal truths. Her
journey with Christ will open your heart to
his great love and concern for humanity in
one of the most detailed journeys to heaven
ever recorded. This book is also available
Kindle Edition.
My Journey to Heaven: What I Saw and How It
Changed My Life
by Marvin Besteman,
Lorilee Craker
Marv Besteman went from a hospital bed to
the gates of heaven and back again. His NDE
details his encounter with angels and family
and friends including his interesting
argument with St. Peter. Marv believes God
sent him back to fulfill this mission of
reminding people that God has work for each
of us to do before we are called to heaven.
This book is also available in
Audio CD, and
Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's
Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and
This is the true NDE story of the 4-year old
son of a small town pastor which was also
made into
an outstanding movie of the same name.
Colton's NDE involved him watching from the
ceiling the doctor operating on his little
body; seeing his Dad praying in a distant
waiting room; meeting Jesus who led him to
see his miscarried older sister he never
knew about; and his great grandfather who
died 30 years before Colton was born. This
book is also available in
Kindle Edition,
Audio CD, and
Psychic Gifts in the Christian Life: Tools
to Connect
by Tiffany Snow
The author's NDE by lightning strike
resulted in her becoming an evidence-based
healer and intuitive. She uses scripture to
direct Christians to accept such gifts as a
natural part of their faith. This self-help
book is about Connecting to God; learning
how we are hard-wired to receive intuitive
information from God; and highlighting
methods, games, testimonials and prayers we
can use to activate our spiritual gifts in
our daily life.
The Golden Thread: God's Promise of Universal
Dr. Ken R. Vincent
The Biblical
interpretation present in Christianity from
the earliest Jesus-Followers to the 21st Century
of God's universal and eternal love for all
humanity and how all humanity will be saved
- either immediately or eventually.
Visions of God from Near-Death Experiences
Dr. Ken R. Vincent
gathering together the spiritual highlights
of many experiences,
Ken Vincent
does a real service for readers who need
quick access to "the good stuff."
The Magi:
From Zoroaster to the "Three Wise Men"
Do you know why
Zoroastrian priests are on your Christmas
Dr. Ken Vincent
shines light on a topic previously known
mainly to scholars.
Six Hours With God: My NDE Spent With
The author's NDE resulted from a heart
attack while on his way into the
operating room where he observed from
above the doctors working on his body.
Jesus appeared and took the author to
sit on the 5th step of the Eastern Gate
of the New Jerusalem where they have a 6
1/2 hour conversation. This book is also
available in
Kindle Edition.
Heaven's Lessons: Ten Things I Learned
About God When I Died
A simple surgery went horribly wrong
which resulted in the author dying on
the operating table. He encountered a
heavenly world where he felt infinite
peace. But he had to come back -- back
to a physical reality filled with pain
and disability and an endless line of
tests. The author shares his NDE and the
life-changing ways it affected his
perspective on the mysteries of God,
success and the so-called problem of
suffering. Watch a trailer of his NDE on
YouTube. This book is also available
Kindle Edition,
Audio CD and
Encountering Heaven and the Afterlife:
True Stories From People Who Have
Glimpsed the World Beyond
What is heaven really like? How do
spiritual beings interact with us here
and in the hereafter? The authors
provide gripping, credible and true NDE
testimonies written from a solidly
biblical perspective which paints a
clear picture of exactly what readers
can expect when they "cross over." This
book is also available in
Kindle Edition,
Audio CD and
Soulful Journey: Walking by Faith after
My NDE
by Sheri Ann
At the age of 8, the author was struck
by a truck and had an NDE trip to
heaven. Her journey includes the
exploration of many religions, and
holistic and spiritual practices as she
sought to recapture the joyous minutes
spent with Jesus, a search which has led
her to a stronger faith today. This book
is also available in
Kindle Edition.
Glimpsing Heaven: The Stories and
Science of Life After Death
If you caught a glimpse of heaven, would
you choose to come back to life?
Investigative journalist Judy Bachrach
has collected accounts of those who died
and then returned to life with lucid,
vivid memories of what occurred while
they were dead, and the conclusions are
astonishing. This book is also available
Kindle Edition,
Audio CD, and


text:
And A Little MoreTateru Nino (living in Australia) brought up an excellent point:
Very few of us have bought HD sets yet, because our SD resolution is 576i. 576i from a digital source (cable, satellite, DVD, digital television) looks very good, and 480p isn't really much of a visible improvement.
That might make 3-D a stronger selling point in PAL countries in the medium term.
I always forget that in many regions in the world, HD is still in its infancy, really. In those markets, there may well be less resistance to upgrading.
Miles Lippincott sent me a very funny e-mail. Funny because I know it's true, even though it seems impossible:
I actually sell TVs as part of my current job, and while it's easy to see why you (as someone who pays attention to technology) might see the adoption of HD as a no brainer, I can tell you it's not that simple to the majority of people who are TV shopping now.
...A lot of people simply don't see the difference or view it as a minor improvement, at best. I know that's hard to believe, but I hear it all the time.
"A minor improvement, at best"--that is classic. And please note that all those people are still allowed to vote.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
March 10th
While Annie was at school, Ethan read to me and then we went to Joann Fabric for some St. Patrick's Day stuff.
After school, Ethan and Austin were playing video games until I kicked them out. It was a BEAUTIFUL day!!!!
Emmy and Tenley rode bikes…
And long boards…
Then we went to Kyn's cheerleading performance at Maple Mountain HS.
She is such an awesome little fireball dancer/cheerleader!!! I love watching her!!!
We went with Steph and Nate to Carl's Jr afterward. It was a fun night!!! And I have to confess that it was great to hang out with adults. I'm pretty lonely without Josh around. I can't wait until he is home.


text:
Norah appears in the indie movie entitled "Wah Do Dem". Norah plays Willow, the girlfriend of a young Brooklyn musician Max (Sean Bones) who wins tickets to go on a Caribbean cruise but is forced to go alone when Willow dumps him out of the blue just two days before the voyage. Once in Jamaica, Max quickly escapes the tourist zone for more "authentic" surroundings and in the process is robbed of his possessions and is stranded, and literally misses the boat. Click here for more information and to view the trailer. The film is currently screening in limited UK cinemas including Ritzy Brixton, Picturehouse Greenwich and Picturehouse at FACT Liverpool.
Watchdog Management
Watchdog Management also represents the following:
- Brian Howes
- Matthew Koma
- Kate Morgan
- Mother Mother
- Kenzie Nimmo
- Ryan Stewart
- Sam Watters
- Louis Biancaniello
- Michael Biancaniello
- Jim Vallance


text:
Bag of Tricks: Speech & Language Tools< Back to all posts Subscribe
14 Months 3 Weeks - Following Your Child's Lead
At this point I am sure your child is becoming more assertive. With that assertiveness comes more persistent gestures. Your child may even pull your arm toward things they want you to see or they want. You of course want your child to develop listening skills, but it's also great to follow a child's lead.
We actually find that following a child's lead can lead to crucial language learning. For instance, if your child is pulling your arm you can add in some language such as having them imitate "come" or "come here". When you get to the area or item they bring you to it is a perfect opportunity to label items you see, actions, etc.
Let's say your child is really into pointing to request, comment, etc. You can give them language such as "Look" to call attention. They may not imitate you the first time, but after many times you will see that it's going to stick! And once again, you can also label nouns, actions, adjectives, and more. The more you follow your child's lead in this structured way the more language you are going to see develop right before your eyes because you are targeting things that they are interested in!


text:
I packet of fine asparagus spears
2-3 field mushrooms
I packet of pepperoni
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp butter
seasoning to taste
Serves 3-4
Fry the mushrooms in the butter and coconut oil until tender, put into an oven proof dish and keep warm in the oven. Dry fry the pepperoni until it is starting to crisp up – it will lose a lot of oil from the pepperoni -dry on some kitchen paper. Spread the pepperoni over the mushrooms and asparagus and season. Serve as a side dish and enjoy – it's lovely with a chicken salad.


text:
Emaciated Venezuelan elephant becomes latest symbol of food crisis
An apparently malnourished African elephant in a Venezuelan zoo — her ribs showing through her sagging skin — has become the latest symbol the deep economic crisis in what was once one of Latin America's most prosperous nations.
As pictures of an emaciated 46-year-old elephant named Ruperta in the Caricuao Zoo began circulating in newspapers and social media, Venezuelans have launched a food drive to save the pachyderm.
Read More: Hunger feeds crime in Venezuela
Caracas' El Universal reported that Ruperta is suffering from diarrhea and dehydration after zoo officials only had squash to feed her for several days. According to the newspaper, when neighbors tried to bring food to the elephant over the weekend, the donations were turned away by zoo officials citing sanitary issues.
Vea este lunes el reportaje de @hispanopost que detalla el estado en el que se encuentra #Ruperta #SOSRuperta pic.twitter.com/5zfOIFro77— HispanoPost (@hispanopost) March 26, 2017
The government denied Ruperta is going hungry, saying that a stomach ailment had caused her to lose weight and required her to be on a restricted diet.
"Ruperta the elephant is in stable condition and under the permanent care of experts," Venezuela's National Institute of Parks said in a statement.
A darle RT #domingo #Caricuao #Ruperta #Elefante #Caracas pic.twitter.com/HW0HRBhqs7— Christian Rodríguez (@Chrisret) March 26, 2017
But in a nation where a grinding economic crisis is forcing many to skip meals and go hungry, Ruperta's fate has touched a nerve.
If there's not enough food for Venezuelans imagine what's left for the animals "that can't even complain," wrote a Twitter user named 350 Ya!. "I'm like Ruperta because I've lost so much weight."
Read More: How Venezuela's crisis is spoiling the national mood
Román Camacho, a local reporter who broke the story, said a whistle-blower within the park service alerted him that Ruperta had grown so hungry that she collapsed last Thursday.
Camacho eventually made his way to the zoo and snapped pictures that have been widely circulated. He said in a country where hunger has become so commonplace, it surprised him that news of Ruperta has traveled so fast.
"When the hunger crisis is so severe that it's affecting the only African elephant in all of Venezuela, then people take notice," he said.
Since last year, there have been multiple media reports of zoo animals going hungry in Venezuela.
According to El Nacional newspaper, on March 6, the workers union at the Caricuao Zoo asked the courts to intervene, saying that lack of food, cleaning, and basic supplies had contributed to the death of six macaws and a puma at the zoo.
Also last year, a horse at a local zoo was reportedly butchered by hungry Venezuelans.


text:
Strip Mining
Getting effective performance from a multi-processor machine (i.e., getting speedup close to n from n processors) is a difficult problem.
For some matrix computations, analysis of loops and array indexes may allow ``strips'' of the array to be sent to different processors, so that each processor can work on its strip in parallel.
This technique is effective for a significant minority (perhaps 25%) of important matrix computations.
Contents    Page-10    Prev    Next    Page+10    Index


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Once again I've been lagging behind so the use of the word "just" isn't quite fair. But anyhow I'm getting around to showing off my new sweater. I found the fabric for this sweater at one of my favourite second hand shops and really loved the texture it had in the stripes. It keeps the fabric from being boring dark blue cotton. I knew right away that I wanted to make a sweater out of it.
I've used this McCall's pattern multiple times already (here, here, and here) but this is the first time I've used a different version of the pattern. I did make the front pieces less wide because I didn't want it to hang as low as the pattern was designed. Other than that I also added the brighter blue bias tape for a little more visual interest and made a quick belt in case I wanted to wear it closed. With the ridiculously cold weather we've been having I've gotten more than my fair wear out of this.


text:
Dastardly Trivia for the Friday Night Net
Dastardly Trivia for the Friday Night Net. Join us on the 146.91 at 8pm with your answers.
Wearin' the Green for the next couple of weeks.
1. What are the colors of the flag of Ireland?
a. blue, green, orange
b. green, white, orange
2. What gift do you get when you kiss the Blarney Stone?
a. The gift of gab (eloquence)
b. the gift of gold
3. What does Mac in an Irish surname?
a. Son of
b. related to


text:
Last Fm
Really stupid question - how on earth does Last Fm work? My friend recommended signing up, mainly for the recommendation side of things, so, I signed up, and have no idea what to do now. Is it like Myspace where you go round adding bands?
Sorry for being really stupid!
it just records all your music.
then all sorts of other functions where you can added ther users yu know. see users with similar tastes. look up bands. talk in little forums, find new bands you might like. not necesarily 'add' them.
It produces a series of meanigngless statistics
that you can amaze your indie snob friends with!
& wallow in your own glory.
i think it's a typically male thing really: the hoarding instinct; to obssess over things like this.
i dunno, i just find it satisfying.
Too fucking right!
Me too!
Without meaningless statistics I would be nothing!
I knew that bit
from the thread the other day about the "indiest" person. Not intersted in it for that, but the recommendation bit sounds good - Amazon recommendations are rubbish (I told it that I like DCFC, so now most of my recommendations are DCFC singles...), and I like the DiS ones, but I liked the idea of the personalised radio stations on Last Fm. Might not bother with it after all, I never listen to music on the computer. Thanks though!
I think they do need to get better
at the whole "what exactly is this website for" thing.
Sure, it has all the bells and whistles, and I really like the design work. But it can't seem to make up its mind quite what it's trying to be...
(If you actually don't know what it's for - you install a desktop app which monitors the music you play, making statistics for you and recommending music and friends on the basis of what you listen to).
that and the customized radio of course
Which, I'm told, is on shaky ground legally, but is currently being tolerated by the industry...
the software sucks
the plugins for winamp, itunes or wmp do the same job without needing to change player
Yes I just use the plugins
Great intentions behind their desktop app, but really I'd rather just use iTunes.


text:
I remember hanging out in Wicker Park with my brother in late 1980 / early 1990… what a difference a decade or two can make. We bounced around from one cool loft to one cool flat in a traditional brick multi family. Rent was cheap. Music and art were plentiful. Michael used to read poetry at Estelle's; usually after many cocktails. Wicker Park has matured, but thankfully she has not lost her gritty, down to earth charm.
The Wicker Park real estate market has found her groove, with homes and condos selling at a brisk pace. Modern design can be found in every corner of the neighborhood, blending harmoniously with the traditional vintage houses that are the mainstay of Wicker Park's housing stock. Wicker Park real estate also includes new construction condo buildings and loft conversions. The new construction housing options may not be the ideal for the Wicker Park purist, but they do provide affordable real estate options to the young singles and couples looking to land in this vibrant community.
Wicker Park real estate features a variety of housing styles and price ranges. Condos take the form of vintage walk-ups, rustic lofts and new-construction three-flats and mid-rises. Single-family homes range from smaller cottages and bungalows to gut-rehabbed greystones and multi-million-dollar new construction. The Wicker Park Historic District features a number of historic 19th century mansions that also fetch top dollar. Single family homes in the area range from $450,000 to $3M, while condos range from the mid-$200,000s to $925,000.
For information on real estate close to Wicker Park see these links below
Bucktown | Humboldt Park | Ukrainian Village | Logan Square
Buying your first home? Click here for great tips and to find out Debra's answers to the top four most common questions she receives from first time homebuyers.
Real Estate Market Stats
Zillow Home Value Index: $504,300
Home Size in Square Feet
Year Built
|Zillow Home Value Index
|Median Single Family Home Value
|Median Condo Value
|Median 3-Bedroom Home Value
|Median 4-Bedroom Home Value
|Percent Homes Decreasing
|Median List Price Per Sq Ft
|Median Sale Price
|Property Tax
|Turnover (Sold Within Last Yr.)
|1-Yr. Change
I'm often asked, "Who is your go-to handyman?" "Help, I need a plumber at 1am!" Where can I find a great home cook for my party?" "Where do I buy a fab bottle of bubbly for my special someone?" After 30 years in the business, I've gathered quite a list! That's why I created my Little Black Book–a comprehensive, 80 page guide of my most trusted vendors, service providers, and partners in Chicago.
You can get access to a downloadable flip-book - just pop in your information below, and we will redirect you to that secret, special page.


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Faith in Action
First Baptist Christian School students collected $2,186.89 for their school-wide Dresses for Orphans mission project. Each student was given a Love Bank to take home for one week and fill with coins.
The mission of Dresses for Orphans is to help orphans worldwide feel special, loved and cared for by providing them with new, specially made dresses and shirts.These two FBCS first grade students, Grason Durand and Sadie Drewes, model t-shirt outfits like the Dresses for Orphans organization makes for orphans all over the world. This ministry will be able to make 583 outfits with the money the students collected. So thankful for a student body that cares and believes that God is on the move!
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Linda Vicknair
Passionate about the Lord, our students and our school!
April 2019


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Regimental Association Banquet 2018
Saturday, October 13 - Click for details
Saturday, October 13 - Click for details
Our Drum Line was among those invited to perform at the Army Commander's Ball in Gatineau, Quebec.
Santa's Drum Line
Information on upcoming operational and social events and other interesting activities in The Regimental Family.
Ex Coyote Caliber 13-15 Oct and Weapons Det Members Shoot 29-30 Oct
A new monument dedicated to our veterans of the Afghanistan War was unveiled in Grande Prairie.
A brief memorial service was held on 4 Oct remembering the 49th Battalion's part in the Second Battle of Passchendaele.
Alex Decoteau, sportsman, policeman, soldier of the 49th Battalion …
The Louis Scott Cock O' The Walk Trophy is for the winner of the competition pistol shoot between the COs and RSMs ...
Second World War and Korean War Veterans were invited to be honorary parade marshals for this year's K-Days Parade ...


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About us
Codipa marketing SL is one of the leading media agencies in the gaming and gambling sector. We're a market first supplier with experienced, young and creative talents on board. All of our solutions are driven by a customer centric approach, tailored towards individual needs.
We're giving you a topview on your business. Independent, honestly, professional.
Your funnel is our challenge. We not only take a look on your marketing approaches but also on internal flows.
Based on your business goals we help to define next steps in development.
Once your new acquisition strategy is up and running, we're there, 24/7, and help to keep your business in shape.


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Sunday, May 27, 2007
all about daddys day
This post is all about the wonderful, loving, creative, clever and goofy Keith and what kind of a Daddy he's becoming.
Every morning Ivy wakes us up around 7 and gets into bed with us to play morning games like 'Baby on a Crane' and 'Touch Daddy's Nose'. I get up and feed her about 7.30 and at around 8am, Keith goes on duty. While I wallow in the bath with a cup of tea and a library book, Keith and Ivy take a walk around the garden , checking out what's growing, how the veges are doing, which flowers are in bloom. They always pick ten weeds from the lawn under the orange tree and sit on the steps for a while to look for ants and feel the sun. Keith puts Ivy back to bed for her morning sleep and we both start our days: him to the office and me to the house.
At intervals throughout the day Ivy and I will stick our heads in for a kiss. At lunchtime there might be time for a play but his day really finishes about 6pm when he comes back on daddy duty - into the middle of the grizzly hour, where Ivy often morphs into The Baby Who Cannot Be Pleased. We hang out together, helping Ivy play with her blocks, her books and her Banana. She can pull herself up to standing holding Daddy's thumbs, and looks around the room with proud excitement for an audience every time she does it. Lately Keith's been playing piano and guitar with her, and she loves to rumble.
We wrangle Ivy in turns here. Keith takes breaks to play online chess and check the cricket scores, while I potter around making dinner, swimming in my second bath or working on projects. At 7 I try to get Keith to play in his office so I can enjoy the secret shame of Big Brother with the volume low. (Keith refuses to share the same room with it). Dinner is usually middle-eastern style, on the rug, while Ivy clutches toys and watches intently.
8pm is bedtime. Together we put Ivy in her Wondersuit and then wrap her like a sausage in her cot-sheet swaddle. We takes turns doing bedtime. When it's Daddys turn, he gets in the big bed, and tucks Ivy in close. Then he'll read Dr Suess' sleep book (which, by now, we both know off by heart). On a good night she's asleep before the end. On a bad one she is still squirming. Lately, she cranes her head right around to grin at the knotholes on the wall behind that look like a face.
When she's finally asleep Daddy creeps out. At eleven we wake her for a final feed and then transfer her to her bassinet in the corner, where she'll sleep until 7 to start all over again.
Ivy is a lucky baby - in the great lottery, she got an excellent, excellent dad.
Posted by Rachael @Mogantosh at 7:56 AM
1 comment:
- AnonymousJune 5, 2007 at 8:15 PM
This post made me cry!!!! Love LisaReplyDelete
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