Posted on 09/25/2007 12:08:44 PM PDT by NYer
One night while diving for lobster on the island of Mauritius, an Australian named Ian McCormick was stung on his forearm by what local Creole fishermen call "invisibles": extraordinarily poisonous but hard to see "five-box" jellyfish, in the nomenclature of the trade.
Medics were called -- urgently. It was an emergency if ever there is an emergency.
"Found in the waters off northern Australia, the box jellyfish Chironex fleckeri is not the only marine invertebrate to use venom, but it is the possessor of arguably the most lethal venom in the world," notes one expert. "In the past half century, sixty-five Australians have been killed by it."
In other words, things didn't look very good for this lobster fisherman -- and by the time an ambulance arrived, he recalls, his body was totally paralyzed; necrosis had begun to set into his bone marrow; and two attempts at finding a pulse had failed.
"The doctors tried to save my life by injecting anti-toxins and dextrose into my body, but seemingly to no avail," he told a website called Bible Probe. "Within a few minutes I seemed to slip away. Apparently life ceased from my body for a period of approximately 15 minutes.
"And during this time, I found myself in a very dark place -- not realizing where I was. I tried to find a light switch, thinking I was still in the hospital -- but as I reached out into the dark I couldn't touch anything. Reaching to touch my face, I found my hand go straight through it. It seemed so bizarre, as I knew I was standing there but couldn't touch any part of my physical body."
It was a classic near-death experience -- something many thousands have reported -- but with this twist: instead of finding himself in a pleasant surrounding, Ian McCormick, a non-believer, and self-proclaimed sinner, found himself in what he perceived as the netherworld.
Ian had been raised as a general Christian -- although at the time of his episode was an atheist and the place in which he found himself -- the dark place -- resembled the place described by others who died and denied the existence of God.
Was it hell -- or deep purgatory?
Like another atheist, Dr. Howard Storm, whose near-death experience has been featured on national television, McCormick found himself harassed by dark forces -- voices screaming at him to "shut up," that he "deserved to be there," that indeed it was "hell."
And like Storm, he was saved by a sudden luminosity.
"I couldn't believe it, but as I stood there a radiant beam of light shone through the darkness and immediately began to lift me upward," says the Aussie -- now a convert. "I found myself being translated up into an incredibly brilliant beam of pure white light -- it seemed to be emanating from a circular opening far above me. I felt like a speck of dust being drawn up into a beam of sunlight. This light wasn't just physical, but was giving off a living emotion. Halfway down was another wave of light -- this time it gave off pure peace -- followed by another wave -- of pure joy.
"Coming out of the end of this tunnel, I found myself standing in the presence of awesome light and power -- it seemed as though even the constellations in the universe must find their energy source from this focal point.
"As I stood there I wondered to myself if this was just an energy source in the universe or if perhaps there could be someone standing in the midst of this light! A voice immediately responded to my thought and asked me, "Ian, do you wish to return?"
If he wished to return to earth, said the voice -- the Voice (let's capitalize that) -- he must see "in a new light."
"Words appeared in front of me," claims Ian. "'God is light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).' I had never read a Bible before in my life so I didn't know this was straight out of the scriptures. God is light, I thought, is pure light -- I see no darkness here, I have just come from darkness -- I see no evil, no shadows -- this is pure light -- am I standing in the presence of God?"
It was God -- but in the form of Jesus.
No one see the Face of God and lives.
In fact, all Ian saw was the Light -- but a light unlike any on earth, a light others have described as brighter than a million klieg lights -- and yet not painful to look at.
As in most near-death experiences, McCormick described the Light as "unadulterated, unconditional love" -- confusing to this man who had ignored God all his life, "taken His Name in vain," and sinned (as he puts it, "slept around").
"I'm not a good man," Ian thought to himself. And yet there was that mercy. "His garments were shimmering white in color -- garments of light -- and I could see His bare feet and His hands were outstretched towards me as if to welcome me," Ian relates. "I knew I was looking upon God and as I looked toward His face the intensity of the light seemed to increase seven-fold; you couldn't make out the form of His Face as the Light was so bright -- such purity, such holiness, such beauty."
The Lord allowed Ian a glimpse of verdant pastures, a crystal clear stream, and flowers like none seen on earth -- flowers that some have described as swaying in tune with praises to God.
Now that he had seen the afterlife, Ian was asked, did he want to return to earth?
In some accounts, such a option is offered. In most such episodes, however, the near-death experiencers are told they must return -- despite their protests.
Ian decided he wanted to return because in a vision in front of a "tunnel" he saw his mother and knew she had been praying for him -- that she was the only Christian in the family, and that if he died, she would be heartbroken, thinking that due to his non-belief he had found himself -- as indeed he nearly did -- in hell.
With that, McCormick -- having accepted Christ -- decided to come back.
"God then spoke to me and said, 'If I wished to return -- I must see things in a new light.' I understood that to mean that I must begin to see through his eyes of Love, Peace, Joy, and Forgiveness, from His Heavenly perspective -- not my temporary earthly perspective.
"Looking back towards the tunnel again I now could see a vision of all my family, and thousands and thousands of other people. I asked God who all these people were, and He told me that if I didn't return then many of these people would not get a chance to hear about Him…."
What He asked of Ian was that he read the Bible, which the Australian was to do over the course of the next six weeks.
"As I opened my eye, I was lying back on a hospital bed with my right leg elevated, cupped in the hands of the young Indian doctor who had been trying to save my life. He had a scalpel or some sharp instrument in his hand and he was prodding the base of my foot like a dead piece of meat. He wasn't aware that I was looking at him. I thought, 'what's that man doing with my foot, what is he doing with that knife!!!!!!'
"At the same time something seemed to spook the doctor and he quickly turned his head to see my right eye open, looking at him. Terror struck his face and I got the distinct impression that he has just seen a dead man looking at him." As his eyes locked onto to nurses and orderlies, they jumped backwards.
"From what I can ascertain I had been dead for a period of some 15 minutes," he concludes. "I prayed to God that night and asked him to heal me and enable me to walk out of the hospital.
"That night God completely healed me, and enabled me to walk out of the hospital the next day."
I have been a member of FR for many years now. I just spent 1/2 hour composing the following response to you. When I went to post it, a login screen popped up advising me that I was not a member and needed to create a login account. That is totally bizarre! Someone or something does not want you to read this response.
I was being prepared prior. When I wasn’t a Christian, a few weeks maybe before I was touched by him, I picked up a King James Bible and said to my wife let’s see what is in here for me, joking, but not fully; I was interested. I plunked down my finger into John 1 on this line: 42And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
Now, I think God has a sense of humor, because I made fun of that! I saw in scripture this man, Jesus meeting a man named Simon and telling him, out of the blue, not knowing him, that Simon would be called Cephas, a stone. I laughed.
If I had looked at the line above it, it says: “We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.”
If I had looked at the line below it, Christ says: “Follow me.”
Absolutely fascinating! There's more to this than even you realize at this time. (BTW - 'cephas' is Aramaic and means large rock, not stone. 'Petros' is the Greek for small stone). Both in Mark 3:16 & John 1:42, Jesus renames Simon "Kepha" (cepha) in Aramaic which literally means "rock." This was an extraordinary thing for Jesus to do, because "rock" was not even a name in Jesus' time. Jesus did this, not to give Simon a strange name, but to identify his new status among the apostles. When God changes a person's name, He changes their status. Think about this! Do you recall another time in Biblical history when God changed a person's name? Yes! He changed Abram's name to Abraham and promised that he would be the Father of many nations.
It's certainly important that you recognized that the lines above and below pointed to the Messiah. What you need to ask yourself is why He chose to show you that particular line, that points to Peter.
Thank you for sharing your story! It's right up there with Roy Schoeman (a former Jew) and Fr. John Corapi.
There are some things in this life that we simply cannot understand and that is why we refer to them as mysteries. God created us and has a plan for each and everyone of us - Muslim, Jew, Christian, Buddhist - etc. The what, how and why are a mystery to us. Some things are best left in the hands of the Creator.
Here's one of the 72 Virginians that Muslims are promised in paradise.
No ... please reflect on this for just a minute. Our Lord, knowing He could not remain on earth forever, left behind a Church and 7 Sacraments. One of these is the Sacrament of Confirmation. In that Sacrament, we receive 7 gifts from the Holy Spirit, amongst which is the gift of Wisdom. This gift was freely given to you and you should embrace it.
by Rev. William G. Most
We turn now to the Seven Gifts of the sanctifying category. They are: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord.
They each perfect certain basic virtues. Four of them perfect the intellectual virtues. Understanding gives an intuitive penetration into truth. Wisdom perfects charity, in order to judge divine things. Knowledge perfects the virtue of hope. The gift of counsel perfects prudence.
The other three gifts perfect virtues of the will and appetites. The gift of piety perfects justice in giving to others that which is their due. This is especially true of giving God what is His due. Fortitude perfects the virtue of fortitude, in facing dangers. Fear of the Lord perfects temperance in controlling disordered appetites.
To illustrate the difference between things done with the Gifts and those done with the ordinary virtues, we will take up the gift of counsel.
There are three kinds of guides a person may follow in making his decisions:
1) The whim of the moment. Aristotle in his Ethics 1. 5 says that to act that way is a life fit for cattle, who do just what they happen to feel like doing.
2) Reason, which in practice is always aided by actual graces, which God gives so generously. For example suppose I see three options open to me, all of which are moral. Ideally I would make at least mentally a list of the good points and of the bad points of each. The I would look over the whole board, and pick what gives the best effect for me. Or if I come to think I need penance for my sins, I would ask: How much have I sinned, so I can know how much penance? what kind of penance will fit with my health? with the obligations of my state in life? And after several steps, a decision is reached. This method is called discursive, since it moves from one step to another.
3) In the third and highest way a soul does not go from one step to another, in a discursive process, but the answer is, as it were, dropped fully made and complete into his mind by the Gifts. This was the case of Our Lady, for example at the annunciation. If she had been operating in the ordinary mode, she might well have reasoned: Now my people have been waiting for centuries for the Messiah (as soon as Gabriel said He would reign over the house of Jacob forever, even any ordinary Jew would have known that He was the messiah). Now he is here. I should share this news with others, especially the authorities in Jerusalem. And what about my husband Joseph? In a short time he will not be able to avoid dark thoughts. But the Gospel shows she did none of these things. God needed to send a special angel to tell Joseph. so the Gifts can lead souls to points not contrary to reason, but far more lofty than what reason would suggest.
Cf. the following from St. John of the Cross: (Ascent 3.2.10; cf. Living Flame 1.4; 1.9 and 2.34): "God alone moves the powers of these souls . . . to those deeds which are suitable, according to the will and plan of God, and they cannot be moved to others. . . . Such were the actions of the most glorious Virgin, our Lady, who, being elevated from the beginning [of her life] to this lofty state, had never the form of any creature impressed on her, nor was moved by such, but was always moved by the Holy Spirit."
But there is a danger: a soul could mistake its own desires for action of the Gifts, since the reasons are not clear to it. Two points must be kept in mind: 1) The full and apparent action of these gifts does not appear until one is well advanced in the spiritual life (hidden assistance by them can come earlier). 2) Ordinarily an inspiration via the Gifts leaves the soul not fully certain--a signal to consult a director or superior. Uncommonly they will give certitude, but only when a decision must be made on the spot, and there is no time to consult.
When a soul acts with usual actual graces God is the most important actor, yet the faculties of the human do churn out the result--hence it is easy to suppose the work is done basically by that soul. But under the action of the Gifts, the soul is more passive, and its own faculties contribute even less.
I had emergency neurosurgery C5-T1 and was kept in a drug induced coma for almost 48 hours. The next day, I got up and walked, and now have no neurological deficit. I don't so much feel lucky that I was able to live and remain miraculously unparalyzed, as I feel privileged and humbled that I am allowed to continue God's work.
Absolutely! One of the first questions posed in the Children's Catechism of the Catholic Church is this: "Why did God make me?"
A few months ago, on a rerun of Everybody Loves Raymond , Ray's young daughter poses that question. Initially, Ray and his wife assume their daughter Allie is asking about how children are created. Ray is sent upstairs with books, posters, diagrams and prepped on proper pronunciation of the anatomical terms, by his wife. As he begins his dissertation, Allie cuts him off with "Daddy, I already know about sex. We learned that in health class" (btw - the child is no more than 8). She then clarifies her question, reposing it as "If we are all going to heaven, then why are we here?"
Ray emits a huge sigh of relief and then realizes that he does not have the answer to that question. He makes some flimsy excuse to go downstairs and promises to return shortly with the answer. If you have ever watched this program, then you already anticipate how it proceeds from there. The wife is clueless, the inlaws suggest the answer must be somewhere in the Bible and begin reading from Genesis. Finally, Ray picks up the phone and calls their pastor, Fr. Hubley. But Fr. Hubley is not home and Ray gets the answering machine. He leaves a message saying: "we have a simple question and hope you can answer it - why are we here?"
The answer is indeed quite simple and is taught to 1st graders. "Why did God make us?" Answer: He made us to know, love and serve Him in this world and be happy with Him forever in the next. Both you and freeper GregF have had an extraordinary experience, from which you have come away with responses that match that of the Baltimore Catechism. This must be a truly humbling experience for you both, to have the Lord of Lords, Creator of the Universe, reveal Himself to you. Listen to and adheed His directions. What a tremendous blessing! Think about the countless souls who go through life forever pondering that same question. Pray for them and always thank God for this tremendous gift He has bestowed on you.
Have you heard the story of Don Piper?
I just finished reading his book "90 Minutes In Heaven" last night. It's a very inspirational book.
Yes, and did you know that the duck billed platypus is poisonous? It has a venom filled barb or something like that. Ouch.
"even though few Dutch people are believers in God.
Can you back that statement up? How would you define "few" in that sentence?
Yeah, wow!
I read a similar account of a near-death experience given by another atheist. "Near death experience" is appropriately named, because according to Scripture, a man can only die once.
Hebrews 9:27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment
I agree.
Greg, keeping in mind the author of the book that lead to your conversion, consider the following correlation of biblical passages.
In Isaiah 22, we see the existence of the historical office of the vice-regent (king) of the kingdom of David. In the king's absence, the vice-regent held full plenary authority. As a sign of his authority, the vice-regent wore a pouch around his neck which contained a key --the symbolic key to the Davidic kingdom.
In the passage from Isaiah, we see this office being transferred from Shebna to Eliakim:
Isaiah 22:20-23Jesus is the eternal king of the House of David, and is the power behind the keys."In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I will drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will be a seat of honor for the house of his father.
Revelation 3:7When Jesus gives Peter the "keys to the kingdom," he is placing Peter in the office of vice-regent of the eternal House of David, Christ's Church:These are the words of him who is holy and true [Jesus], who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
Matthew 16:18-19Thank you for sharing your magnificent conversion story.I tell you that you are Rock (Peter), and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Bump.
Right out of the mouth of Jesus...A Stone...
So who led you to the bible, God, or Satan...And who led you to that verse, God, or Satan???
These people are trying to rob you of your faith and salvation (eternal security)...
John 10:27-31
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
;)
The love child of Bill Clinton and Greg Norman!!!!
Very similar to my story....
Tell it!
Same setup: about the same age as you, I had a good job, nice fambly, and such, and no use for religion, God, and the whole mess. I wasn't really opposed to it in general, I just knew it wasn't for me.
What happened to me was simply this: God started prodding me. I'd be driving in to work, and I'd sense His presence. I knew it was Him, and kind of enjoyed it, but didn't pursue it. I had all the answers, you see.
We had a Dorling-Kindersley children's Bible at home, and my kids (who were small) liked it. They'd ask me to read to them from it, and I would ... and it was comforting to me. But I didn't pursue it, of course.
At some point along this road I realized that I did, in fact, believe in God, but it had no particular impact. One night I woke up with this thought in my head, "you know I exist. The question is, what are you going to do about it?" For a while I figured I would just argue my way into heaven -- which even I realized was stupid. But I had no sense of what to do about it.
Pride was a barrier. I had been rather strong in declaring my independence from God. My pride was such that I couldn't admit I had been wrong. I certainly didn't want people to see me admitting it.
It all came to a head this way: my wife was out of town, so I took my daughter to Sunday school. Having nothing better to do, I sat in on the church service and was going through the motions. Part of the liturgy goes like this. The priest starts out, "And now we proclaim the mystery of faith," and the congregation recites:
Christ has died
Christ is risen
Christ will come again
On that last line, God spoke to me saying, in essence, "this is true, and you'd better straighten up."
This scared me, of course, but it also made me a Christian. An ignorant one, and an utterly clueless one, but I can date my conversion from that point.
The very hardest part, though, was in deciding to go to church -- admitting I was wrong. Usually on Sunday mornings I had simply helped my wife to get the kids ready, then they left and I sat around reading the paper. But one Sunday soon after -- it was early in Lent -- I bit the bullet. I put on a tie, and my wife asked, "what are you doing?" I said, "I'm going with you." It was a simple thing, and it was hard, and it was worth it.
And for all my fears, going to church wasn't hard, or embarrassing, or anything like that. That's the thing, though: "becoming a Christian" isn't just admitting to yourself: the really important part is in admitting it to other people. That's where you humble yourself, and become part of the Body of Christ.
Anyway, like you, my wife and many others had been praying for me. It really wasn't fair ... I had no chance! ;-)
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