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In this issue:

A few weeks ago, we published the astonishing story of a Buddhist monk in Myanmar, who rose from the dead during his own funeral, three days after his death. The report was distributed on cassette. We have now obtained a translation of the report, of which this Friday Fax is a summary.

Myanmar

Buddhist monk raised from the dead

"We first heard of the events from a number of Burmese church leaders, who investigated the reports and have no doubt as to their authenticity. The monk, Athet Pyan Shintaw Paulu, has turned his life around, and suffers and risks much to tell his story. Nobody would undergo such hardship for nothing. He has already led hundreds of monks to Jesus, has been imprisoned, despised by his relatives, friends and colleagues, and been threatened with death if he does not tone down the reports. His current whereabouts are not certain: one Burmese source claims that he is in prison and may have been murdered, another that he is free and preaching." (Asian Minorities Outreach)

Monk's personal account

My name is Athet Pyan Shintaw Paulu I was born in 1958 in Bogale in the Irrawaddy Delta, Southern Myanmar (Burma). When I became 18 years of age, my Buddhist parents sent me as a novice to a monastery. At 19, I became a monk, entering the Mandalay Kyaikasan Kyaing monastery, where I was instructed by probably the most famous Buddhist teacher of the time, U Zadila Kyar Ni Kan Sayadaw, who was killed in a car crash in 1983. I was given a new name when I entered the monastery: U Nata Pannita Ashinthuriya. I tried to deny my own selfish thoughts and desires; even when mosquitoes landed on my arm, I would let them bite me instead of brushing them away.

Doctors give up

I became very ill, and the doctors diagnosed a combination of Malaria and Yellow Fever. After a month in hospital, they told me that they could do no more for me, and discharged me so that I could prepare myself for my death. Back in the monastery, I became ever weaker, and finally lost consciousness. I only discovered that I had died later: my body started to decay and smelled of death, my heart had ceased beating. My body was put through the Buddhist cleansing rites.

Lake of fire

But my spirit was wide awake I found myself in a powerful storm which blew everything away. Not a single tree, nothing was left standing. I was in an empty plain. After some time, I crossed a river, and saw a terrible lake of fire. I was confused, because Buddhism knows no such thing. I did not know that it was Hell until I met Yama, the King of Hell. His face was that of a lion, his feet like snakes, and he had many horns on his head. When I asked his name, he said 'I am the King of Hell, the Destroyer'. I then saw the saffron-coloured robes of Myanmar's monks in the fire, and upon looking closer, saw U Zadila Kyar Ni Kan Sayadaw's shaven head. 'Why is he in the lake of fire?' I asked. 'He was a very good teacher; his cassette "Are you a human or a dog?" helped thousands of people recognise that they are worth more than a dog.' 'Yes, he was a good teacher,' said Yama, 'but he did not believe in Jesus Christ. That's why he is in Hell.'

Buddha in Hell

I was then shown another man, with long hair bound in a ball on the left side of his head. He also wore a robe, and when I asked who he was, I was told 'Gautama, who you worship (Buddha).' I was distraught. Buddha in Hell, with all of his ethics and moral character?' 'It is not important how good he was. He did not believe in the eternal God, so he is in Hell,' answered the King of Hell. I also saw Aung San, the revolutionary leader. 'He is here because he persecuted and killed Christians, but mainly because he did not believe in Jesus Christ,' I was told. Another man was very tall, wearing armour and carrying a sword and shield. He had a wound on his forehead. He was larger than anyone else I could see, around eight feet tall. The King of Hell said 'That is Goliath, who is in Hell because he mocked the eternal God and his servant David.' I had never heard of either Goliath or David. Another 'King of Hell' approached me and asked 'Are you also going into the lake of fire?'. 'No,' I said, 'I am just here to look.' 'You are right,' the creature said. 'You only came to look. I can't find your name. You'll have to go back to where you came from.'

Two paths

On the way back, I saw two paths, one wide, one narrow. The narrow path, which I followed for about an hour, was soon made of pure gold. I could see my own reflection perfectly! A man calling himself Peter told me 'Now go back to tell the people who worship Buddha and other gods that they will end up in Hell if they do not change. They should believe in Jesus. He then gave me a new name: Athet Pyan Shintaw Paulu (Paul, who returned to life). The next thing I heard was my mother crying. 'Son, why are you leaving us now?!' I realised that I was lying in a coffin. When I moved, my parents cried out 'He's alive!', but the others around them did not believe them. When they saw me, they were frozen with fear, and started shouting 'It's a ghost!'. I noticed that I was sitting in about 3½ cups of an odorous liquid, which must have come from my body as I lay in the coffin. I was told that they were about to cremate me. When a monk dies, his name, age and the number of years of his service as a monk are inscribed in the coffin. I had already been registered as dead, but as you can see, I'm alive!"

Source: Asian Minorities Outreach, P.O. Box 901,

Palestine, TX 75802, U.S.A.; e-mail: monkstory@yahoo.com

internet: www.antioch.com.sg/mission/asianmo/bmonk.html

From this link:

http://www.jesus.org.uk/dawn/2000/dawn0015.html

Is anyone familiar with Herbert Lockyer and have any comments about his books? I have been reading "All the Messianic Prophecies" and find it so far amazing in it's common sense approach.

About Dr. Herbert Lockyer
When Herbert Lockyer, Sr. was first deciding on a career, he considered becoming an actor. At 6'3" with a resonant voice and a commanding presence, he seemed a natural for the theater. But the Lord had something better in mind. Instead of the stage, God called Herbert to the pulpit, where as a pastor, Bible teacher, and author of more than 50 books, he touched the hearts and lives of millions of people.

Herbert was born in 1886 in a small town just outside of London. His father was employed at the Woolwich Arsenal, where arms and weapons were manufactured for the British military. His parents were non-Christians, so Herbert had little religious training. Although Herbert also worked at the Arsenal and was an aspiring thespian, the course of his life changed when he fell in love with Lily Flory. She was a committed Christian, and invited him to attend a lecture and slide presentation to be held in a small church near his home. The speaker showed a slide of a cartoon depicting a man on a bicycle who had reached a fork in the road. Two signs indicated the destinations of the diverging paths. One said "Heaven" and the other "Hell." In a flash of insight, Herbert realized that he was on the road to hell and at that moment he surrendered his life to Christ.

After his conversion, Herbert attended the Glasgow Bible Institute and graduated at the top of his class. He subsequently earned doctoral degrees from Northwestern Evangelical Seminary and the International Academy in London. He married Lily in 1912 and began his ministry as a member of the Lanarkshire Evangelical Association. During World War I, he ministered to the troops at Perth, Scotland, and then returned to Glasgow after the war to work as an evangelist. In subsequent years, he pastored churches in Dundee and Hawick, Scotland. He was then called to be pastor of Leeds Road Baptist Church in Bradford, England, and while there became a leader in the Keswick Higher Life Movement. Begun in 1875, the movement emphasized the importance of living in the fullness of the Spirit, and drew the attention of D. L. Moody and other American evangelists. At a conference, Dr. Lockyer met Dr. W. Mitchell and Dr. Stuart Holden, fellow Keswick leaders who were instrumental in bringing him to speak at the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Moody Bible Institute held in 1936. His address was so well received that he embarked on an extensive Bible lecturing ministry in the United States .

While speaking at a conference in Montrose, Pennsylvania, Dr. Lockyer met Pat and Bernie Zondervan, owners of Zondervan Publishing. The brothers were so impressed with Dr. Lockyer’s sermons that they asked his permission to print and sell his messages for 25 cents each. The sermons were an instant success. Later, after Dr. Lockyer had returned to England, Bernie visited him and asked him to write a book entitled All the Men in the Bible. This new venture was the beginning of the now famous All Bible Study Series. Praised by leading Bible scholars, the series is comprised of 21 volumes, including All the Miracles of the Bible, All the Promises of the Bible, and All the Women of the Bible. Dr. Lockyer’s gifts for clearly explaining the profound truths of Scripture and helping readers apply these precepts to their everyday lives have made these inspiring books international bestsellers.

During the last seven years of his life, Dr. Lockyer lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his son Rev. Herbert Lockyer, Jr., a Presbyterian minister who became his editor. Dr. Lockyer passed away on December 3, 1984 .

List of his books...

All the Apostles of the Bible

All the Divine Names and Titles in the Bible

All the Doctrines in the Bible

All the Men of the Bible

All the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible

All the Miracles of the Bible

All the Parables of the Bible

All the Prayers of the Bible

All the Promises of the Bible

All the Women of the Bible

Re. post #1402, I believe this is worth repeating and will do so:

'Lake of fire

But my spirit was wide awake I found myself in a powerful storm which blew everything away. Not a single tree, nothing was left standing. I was in an empty plain. After some time, I crossed a river, and saw a terrible lake of fire. I was confused, because Buddhism knows no such thing. I did not know that it was Hell until I met Yama, the King of Hell. His face was that of a lion, his feet like snakes, and he had many horns on his head. When I asked his name, he said 'I am the King of Hell, the Destroyer'. I then saw the saffron-coloured robes of Myanmar's monks in the fire, and upon looking closer, saw U Zadila Kyar Ni Kan Sayadaw's shaven head. 'Why is he in the lake of fire?' I asked. 'He was a very good teacher; his cassette "Are you a human or a dog?" helped thousands of people recognise that they are worth more than a dog.' 'Yes, he was a good teacher,' said Yama, 'but he did not believe in Jesus Christ. That's why he is in Hell.'

Buddha in Hell

I was then shown another man, with long hair bound in a ball on the left side of his head. He also wore a robe, and when I asked who he was, I was told 'Gautama, who you worship (Buddha).' I was distraught. Buddha in Hell, with all of his ethics and moral character?' 'It is not important how good he was. He did not believe in the eternal God, so he is in Hell,' answered the King of Hell. I also saw Aung San, the revolutionary leader. 'He is here because he persecuted and killed Christians, but mainly because he did not believe in Jesus Christ,' I was told. Another man was very tall, wearing armour and carrying a sword and shield. He had a wound on his forehead. He was larger than anyone else I could see, around eight feet tall. The King of Hell said 'That is Goliath, who is in Hell because he mocked the eternal God and his servant David.' I had never heard of either Goliath or David. Another 'King of Hell' approached me and asked 'Are you also going into the lake of fire?'. 'No,' I said, 'I am just here to look.' 'You are right,' the creature said. 'You only came to look. I can't find your name. You'll have to go back to where you came from.'

Two paths

On the way back, I saw two paths, one wide, one narrow. The narrow path, which I followed for about an hour, was soon made of pure gold. I could see my own reflection perfectly! A man calling himself Peter told me 'Now go back to tell the people who worship Buddha and other gods that they will end up in Hell if they do not change. They should believe in Jesus. ...'

This is a powerful example of the saving power of the Lord Jesus and of His unique position as the only savior, the only way to the Father.