The Battle

I am not sure how any of you feel about near death experiences. Needless to say we have heard of many, many accounts... interviews, books etc. I had never given too much thought to near death experiences until a few months ago when a family member shared this story with my sister and my mother.

Last fall my dear relative suffered a heart attack. During the ambulance ride to the hospital my relative (keeping name private) flat lined three times. He shared this experience:

While in the ambulance he recalls fading out. The interior of the ambulance was not visible. He remembers being in a room that had 2 doors and he could hear what he thought was 2 men arguing. This happened 3 times. He faded from the ambulance to this room w/ the doors and the men arguing 3 times. The last time he faded back to the ambulance is when he could see the interior of the ambulance. He did not die.

His comment to my mom and sister was "I don't believe this experience was religious in nature"

When I heard the story I jumped up and down and stated, well actually I think I shouted (for those of you who know me personally I am sure you can visualize how animated I was) "how could he not realize what was happening" Jesus was fighting for his soul even up to the moment that death was near! Those two voices (in my opinion) were God and Satan in a spiritual battle for this man's soul. The doors - well, I am sure you can figure that out as well. A choice! Choose life or choose death. Choose Christ... or not. I am not sure where he stands in his faith. I am not sure if he believes as I do not know his heart. However, given his response, I am assuming he does not know the Lord. At this point, he has gotten a second chance and I pray that he will come to know what is at stake, that it was worth fighting for, and he chooses Christ. I ask that you say a prayer for him too. What a witness he would have. Sharing Christ... sharing that Christ is battling for us... it didn't end on the cross. It didn't end with his rising from the grave and asending to heaven. Christ didn't just "do" he is still "doing" even for those that haven't accepted what he has done and what he still wants to do for us!

John 3:16 tells us:

"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 3:17 goes on to tell us:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Christ came to save us not condemn us. Christ came to give us life - eternal life. AND... he's willing to fight for us until the end. Even when we haven't recognized what he did for us and is still willing to do! Wanting us to be with him for eternity.

I love the witness of this story... that I can tell someone that Christ is battling for us even as we approach death. Even if we haven't accepted his salvation he still is battling so we say yes I believe! I pray that someday the witness of this story can be my relative's personal witness. That he comes to know Christ. That he comes to understand what Christ did for him!

"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
~ Matthew 18:12-14

Our Father is not wanting anyone to be lost! He will fight for us until the very end!

Gracious Father, I thank You today that You sent Your son to save us. I thank You that Your love for us is so deep that You will continue to battle for us every day of ours lives. I thank You that You love the lost ones and I too will rejoice when a lost sheep is found!
Amen