Near-Death experience has me terrified...

[savyD]

I hope that somebody here can help me make sense of what I saw. I am a true believer in God, and I pray daily, however, I have fallen deep into a world of drug addicition.
Last Friday night, I overdosed on crack-cocaine. One of the few things I remember, is this glowing red cross, with a circle around the top, that seemed to be on fire.
I spent time in ICU at the local hospital, where I physically recovered. However, I am confused as to the meaning of what I saw.
Was is God warning me? Or was it the devil welcoming me?
I began praying out loud for God to help me get through it. I honestly believe that I would have died in a second if I would have given up.
So, please tell me who you think was there, showing me the seemingly satanic symbol, that night. Also, does anybody have a clue as to where I can find a list of different biblical symbols, and their meaning?

 

[BeanMak]

I am sorry for the terrible experience that you have gone through. But... I have been an intensive care unit nurse for 20 years, and I think that more likely explaination, rather than a message from God, is that between the overdose you had taken, and the drugs given by the hospital to keep you alive, your very alive brain continued to function in a drug induced nightmare.
I would suggest that the meaning of the experience is that you need to check into a drug rehab center, get clean no matter what it takes. Then separate yourself from the life that you have come into. Continue to look to Our Lord for help, strength. He won't fail you.

 

[Reformationist]

Today at 04:56 AM BeanMak said this in Post #2

I am sorry for the terrible experience that you have gone through. But... I have been an intensive care unit nurse for 20 years, and I think that more likely explaination, rather than a message from God, is that between the overdose you had taken, and the drugs given by the hospital to keep you alive, your very alive brain continued to function in a drug induced nightmare.
I would suggest that the meaning of the experience is that you need to check into a drug rehab center, get clean no matter what it takes. Then separate yourself from the life that you have come into. Continue to look to Our Lord for help, strength. He won't fail you.

Wise advice BeanMak.  I agree completely.  I'd like to second the statement that this is most likely not a message from God.  It's probably just some hallucinations brought on by either the drugs you took or the drugs they gave you.

God bless

 

[papakapp]

savyD:
Don't be too quick to say "Yeah, it propably was all in my head." I can guarentee you that in the bible God sometimes [literaly] scares the hell out of people. For example, read Pauls conversion experience on the road to damascus. It's in the book of Acts if you want to read it.
Today, especially in the United States, people tend to say "Well, God doesn't work like that anymore." I frankly don't see that in the Bible. It seems to me that if God wants to do something, He just goes ahead and does it. Don't listen to people who try to limit the power of God.

That said, looking for a list of symbols and their meanings is a very bad idea. If you are going to look to the Bible for answers then it is best to start by assuming the bible is true (faith) and investigate from there. There is no list in the Bible of symbols and their meanings, therefore any such list cannot be trusted as true or accurate.

Now, there are two choices you can make right now. You can be scared for a little while, and try to find answers anywhere you can. Or you can be scared for a little while, and look only to the bible for answers. In my opinion, only the last one brings long term results. You will have to find out for yourself. You will also have to put forth a little effort to find truth. If you are serious about this then email me at papakapp@bespin.org I promise I will find somone in your area who will help you find answers.

I would not recommend going to a bulliten board like this for answers, as a seeker, or a new Christian it is impossible to tell what opioions are biblical.

"so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;"
Acts 17:27

 

**EDIT**

Bespin is down.  First time in its 5 year history that it went down due to a hacker.  It should be up in a couple hours.

 

[savyD]

I can say that it was not the drugs at the hospital, for, I only saw this image prior to being hospitalized. I know, or should I say, I feel that it was more.

 

[CoHehir]

Be careful to simply label any odd or supernatural visions as "from God." Satan is the master of this world, and he has powers over the physical. He can do signs (bad miracles) and deceive in this way.

However, God can use it to good. If it strengthens your faith, there can't be harm. Don't praise the sign, attribute your salvation to the Savior.

 

[Hillary_Elese]

I agree with BeanMak!

 

[Apollo Rhetor]

If I understand right, you were under the heavy influence of drugs when you saw this vision?

I'm not sure if this helps, but sometimes I just 'feel' things I think are true, but they don't necessarily come to be. Feelings can deceive.

Some have had out of body experiences - near death ones, but they sometimes differ and contradict. Meaning that not all of them can be true. I suggest you open the Bible and start reading - in there you will find teachings that last for all eternity.

 

[chrix]

either way , if the sign is from satan or from God, if it brings you closer to God.. congratulations. if it goes the other way...
sigh

 

[EJO]

RUN to GOD, Read your Bible, get to know who He is.
Use this not nessasarily as a sign or a direct message from God, but as a warning of the condition of your heart.
You need the Lord. The Lord want to have a relationship with you and show you what He can do in your life!

God Bless!

 

[wblastyn]

Well if it's from God then He obviously wants you to stay away from drugs, or if it's from the drugs then obviously you'll want to stay away, so either way - stay away from drugs.

I don't see why it would be Satan, why would he want to scare you away from drugs?

 

[SUNSTONE]

There is no doubt about it, in my mind, it was from God.
My stepfather was going to kill himself, just before he was going to do it. A being or vision, showed up, and said "stop". And he stopped.

There was a girl in a town I used to live. She went into a comma just before I moved. I had heard she was dead. Well I went to that town a few years later, and guess who I saw. That same girl. I asked what happened. And this is what she told me.

"Larry you won't believe me. I had a desease that only 140 other had. All of them died.
I was in a comma, and I heard this voice, I knew it was Jesus. He said, it wasn't my time, and that I was going back. I began to cry, because I did not want to leave. Around that time my pastor came and laid on me. I was the only one to survive this desease."

God definitly talks to His people through the Holy Spirit, and His angles, as well as prophets, teachers, and preachers, but thats all Holy Spirit.