The Lazarus Phenomenon

On Saturday the 17th March 07


at Church for the Nations Victoria Church Rd Winton

Furaha theatre fellowship showed a film on big screen whose subject was - A glimpse of Eternity, the Lazarus Phenomenon .

The film program the Lazarus Phenomenon examines two true life documented accounts of men from different parts of the world each having a real life experience with life after death briefly narrated below that are both shocking and intriguing.

The first was that of a pastor who tragically dies in an automobile accident and experiences an encounter beyond the grave only to come back to life over 48 hours later. After a decision to remove him from the morgue, he was taken to Evangelist preacher Reinhard Bonke’s healing crusade taking place in Nigeria at that time. While there believers prayed over his lifeless body. During the film on actual footage captured that day the dead pastor begun to breathe again and came back to life. A shocking event experienced by many onlookers that day watching this drama also caught on actual footage and played back during the film program. With a signed death certificate in his hand he returns to spread the word of God and tell his story of his encounter beyond the grave.

Finally the second was Ian McCormack’s testimony. Ian McCormack never gave God much thought nor did he think about life after death until one tragic night when he was stung multiple times by deadly jellyfish off the coast of Mauritius, a small island in the pacific. A surfer, diver and worldwide adventurer he found himself desperately seeking medical help after the deadly night time diving encounter. Through a tragedy of events re-enacted on the film program he could not get treatment in time and the poison from the venomous Jelly fish exact their deadly toll. He departs this life only to catch a glimpse of what awaits us on the other side of the grave.

Scripture uphold the above two accounts. [Rev 21:1-8] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. Then I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. ', He who overcomes will inher­it all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 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 death."

[Rev 21:18-27] …The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The founda­tions of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foun­dation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the sev­enth chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.', The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass. I did not see a temple in the city, be-cause the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

[Rev 22:2-6] …Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. ', They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."

A call to action,..[Hebrews 10:19-24] 'Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, body, and since we have a great priest the house of God, 1et us draw near to with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on to love and good deeds.

A warning,....[Hebrews 10:26-31] ...'If we deliberately keep on sinning after have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of ragging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the Law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, and who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sancti­fied him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

An encouragement,..... [Hebrews 10:35-31]...So do not throw away your confidence; It will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one' will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.