She Dies & Jesus Shows Her When the Holy Spirit Comes Upon a Believer | Near Death Experience

Thank you for joining us today. Can you tell us about your background before your near-death experience? Of course. My name is Mary Houston. I'm 44 years old and I work as a high school English teacher in a small town in Ohio. I've been married to my husband Mark for 15 years and we have two children. Up until about six months ago, I led a pretty ordinary life. But then something happened that changed everything. What exactly happened six months ago? Well, it was a Friday afternoon around 3.30 p.m. I had just finished teaching my last class of the day and was heading to my car in the school parking lot. I remember feeling unusually tired and a bit short of breath, but I chalked it up to the stress of the week. So you weren't feeling quite right. What happened next? As I reached my car, I felt a sudden intense pressure in my chest. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. A crushing weight that made it hard to breathe. That sounds terrifying. Was it like heartburn or something more severe? Oh, it was much worse than heartburn. It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. I could barely breathe. I remember thinking, this isn't normal. Something's really wrong. What did you do then? I tried to unlock my car, thinking if I could just sit down, I'd feel better. But then my vision started to go dark around the edges. I tried to call for help, but no sound came out. The last thing I remember is my legs giving out, and then everything went black. Wow, so you actually collapsed right there in the parking lot? Yes, apparently I did. I later found out that one of my colleagues saw me fall and immediately called 911. The school nurse rushed out with a defibrillator and they performed CPR until the paramedics arrived. Thank goodness someone saw you. What happened next? Well, this is where it gets interesting. While my colleagues were performing CPR and waiting for the ambulance, I had what I can only describe as an out-of-body experience. I spent most of the night specifically praying for my husband. An out-of-body experience, can you elaborate on what you mean by that? It's hard to put into words, but I felt like I was floating above my body. I could see myself lying on the ground next to my car, and there were people gathering around me, looking panicked. Someone was on their phone, presumably calling 911. It was the strangest sensation. I felt completely calm and at peace, even though I knew something serious was happening to my physical body. That sounds incredibly surreal. Were you scared? Surprisingly, no. I felt incredibly calm and at And then, suddenly, I was engulfed in this incredibly bright light. A bright light? That's often reported in near-death experiences, isn't it? Yes, I've heard that too. But this was more than just light. As I was watching the scene unfold below me, I suddenly felt myself being pulled upward. Everything around me became intensely bright, brighter than anything I've ever experienced on Earth. I felt enveloped in this incredible warmth and love. It was overwhelming in the most beautiful way. That sounds amazing. Did you encounter anyone or anything in this state? Yes, I did. As my eyes adjusted to the brightness, I saw a figure approaching me. It was Jesus. You saw Jesus? Can you describe what he looked like? It's difficult to put into words. He didn't look like the typical paintings you see. His appearance was radiant. But more than what he looked like, it was what I felt in his presence. Complete love and acceptance. I know that might sound hard to believe, but I knew without a doubt that it was him. He radiated this incredible love and peace. When he smiled at me, I felt completely known and accepted. That's an incredible encounter. Did Jesus speak to you? He did. His voice was unlike anything I've ever heard. It seemed to resonate through my entire being. He said, Mary, my child, I have much to show you. Are you ready to understand the true power of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life? How did you respond? I felt both excitement and a bit of trepidation, but I nodded and said, Yes, Lord, I'm ready. With that, Jesus took my hand, and suddenly we were observing different scenes, almost like watching a movie but being present within it. Children, can you describe some of these scenes? What did Jesus show you? The first scene we observed was of a woman praying in her bedroom. Jesus explained that this woman had just accepted him as her Savior. As we watched, I saw what looked like a gentle flame descend upon her. Jesus said, This is the moment the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within a believer. Watch closely. A flame descending? That's quite vivid imagery. Did you see any immediate change in the woman? Yes, her entire countenance changed. Her face lit up with a joy I've never seen before. Jesus explained, The first sign of the Holy Spirit's presence is a deep, unshakable confidence in salvation. No matter what doubts may come, deep down, this woman now knows she belongs to me. That's beautiful. Did Jesus show you more? Yes, we moved on to several other scenes. In each one, Jesus highlighted a different aspect of how the Holy Spirit works in a believer's life. He showed me a man who was previously known for his quick temper, now responding with patience and kindness to a difficult situation. Jesus said, The second sign of the Spirit's presence is a transformation of character. My spirit produces fruit in a believer's life. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-retreat. It sounds like Jesus was giving you a comprehensive understanding of the Holy Spirit's work. What else did he show you? The next scene was of a young woman nervously sharing her faith with a co-worker. As she spoke, I could see her gaining confidence, and her words seemed to have a profound impact on her listener. Jesus explained, The third sign of the Spirit's presence is a passion and power for evangelism. My spirit gives believers the courage and words to share the good news of salvation. That's fascinating. Did Jesus address the topic of speaking in tongues? That's often associated with the Holy Spirit in some Christian traditions. He did, actually. We observed a church service where some people were speaking in tongues while others were not. Jesus said, The fourth sign of the Spirit's presence can be speaking in tongues, but it's important to understand that this gift is not given to all believers, nor is it the only or most important sign of the Spirit's work. The Spirit distributes gifts as he wills for the building up of the church. That's an interesting perspective. What other signs did Jesus show you? The fifth sign Jesus showed me was a deep love for him. We watched as a man went about his daily life, and in every interaction and decision, I could see his love for Jesus shining through. Jesus said, When my spirit dwells in a person, he creates an unquenchable love for me. Everything becomes about me. Their thoughts, words, and actions all flow from this love. The sixth sign was knowledge of the truth. We observed a group of people studying the Bible together. As they read and discussed, I could see understanding dawning on their faces. Jesus explained, My spirit illuminates the truth of my word. He gives wisdom and discernment, helping believers to understand spiritual truths and apply them to their lives. Finally, the seventh and final sign was holiness. Jesus showed me various believers facing temptations and choosing to turn away from sin. He said, The ultimate work of my Spirit is to make my children holy. As they yield to the Spirit's influence, they begin to hate what I hate and love what I love. This is not about perfection, but about a heart that is fully surrendered to me. This is an incredible account. How long did this experience seem to last, from your perspective? It's hard to say. Time seemed to work differently in that realm. It felt like I spent hours, maybe even days with Jesus, observing and learning, but I later found out that I was only unconscious for about 10 minutes in earthly time. That's amazing. Can you tell us what happened when you came back to your body? As Jesus finished showing me the seven signs, he smiled at me and said, Now you understand, my child. Go and share what you've learned. With that, I felt myself being pulled back. Suddenly, I was gasping for air, and my eyes flew open. I was lying on the ground next to my car, surrounded by concerned colleagues and paramedics. That must have been quite a shock. How did you process what had happened? At first, I was disoriented and confused. The paramedics told me I had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, and my heart had stopped beating for several minutes. They had managed to revive me with a defibrillator. As I began to remember my experience, I felt overwhelmed with emotion. I tried to tell the paramedics what I had seen, but they assumed I was confused from the lack of oxygen. How did your family and friends react when you told them about your experience? My husband was incredibly supportive. He had rushed to the hospital as soon as he got the call, and he sat with me as I recounted everything I had seen and learned. He believed me without question, which was a huge comfort. My children were fascinated and a bit awestruck. Some of my friends were skeptical at first, but as they saw the changes in my life following the experience, many of them came to believe that something profound had truly happened to me. You mentioned changes in your life. How has this experience affected you? It's completely transformed me. Before this happened, I considered myself a Christian. But my faith was more of a background element in my life. Now, it's at the forefront of everything I do. I've experienced firsthand the seven signs that Jesus showed me. Can you give us some specific examples of how these signs have manifested in your life? Certainly. Regarding the first sign, confidence in salvation, I've noticed that even when I make mistakes or have doubts, there's this underlying assurance that I belong to God. It's not based on my performance, but on His love for me. For the I've seen changes in how I respond to difficult situations. There's a student in my class who used to really get under my skin. Now I find myself feeling genuine compassion for him. I'm able to respond with patience instead of frustration. As for the third sign, passion for I found myself more open about my faith in everyday conversations. Recently, a cashier commented on my cross necklace, and I found myself easily sharing about my faith. Before, I would have just mumbled a thank you and moved on. That's fascinating. Have you experienced the Yes, I have. Regarding spiritual gifts, I've discovered a gift for encouragement. Friends and even acquaintances often seek me out when they're going through tough times, and I find I can offer words of comfort that really resonate with them. The deep love for Jesus manifests in my daily life as an ongoing internal dialogue with Him. Whether I'm grading papers or cooking dinner, I find my thoughts naturally turning to Jesus throughout the day. As for knowledge of the truth, I found a new ability to apply biblical principles to real-life situations. During a recent faculty meeting, I was able to offer insights based on biblical principles of grace and accountability in a way that even my non-Christian colleagues found helpful. Finally, regarding holiness, I've noticed changes in my entertainment choices. Shows I used to enjoy now make me uncomfortable if they contain explicit content or promote values contrary to God's Word. It's not about feeling guilty. I simply lost interest in them and found myself drawn to content that was uplifting and edifying. That's incredible. It sounds like these changes have affected every aspect of your daily life. They really have. And what's amazing is that these changes weren't the result of me trying harder to be a good Christian. They flowed naturally from my deepened relationship with the Holy Spirit. Has anyone else noticed these changes in you? Yes. My husband has commented on it several times. He says, I see more at peace even when things are stressful. And my colleagues have noticed, too. Just the other day, one of them asked me what my secret was. And what did you tell them? I shared my experience with them. Some were skeptical, of course, but others were really intrigued. It's opened up some great conversations about faith. I'm sure many of our listeners are wondering, how can they experience more of the Holy Spirit's work in their own lives? That's a great question. Based on what Jesus showed me, I believe it starts with a willing heart. We need to invite the Holy Spirit to work in us, to transform us. It involves daily surrender, acknowledging that we can't live the Christian life in our own strength, and asking the Spirit to empower us. Practically, this might look like starting each day with a prayer of surrender, asking the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts, words, and actions. It involves spending time in God's Word, allowing the Spirit to illuminate its truths to us. It means being willing to obey when we feel the Spirit prompting us to do something or to turn away from something. It's also important to be part of a community of believers who can encourage us and hold us accountable. The Holy Spirit often works through the Body of Christ to shape and refine us. Those are very practical suggestions. Now, I'm curious, did your experience give you any insights into spiritual warfare or the reality of evil? While Jesus didn't show me specific scenes related to spiritual warfare, I came away with a heightened awareness of the spiritual realm. I realized that there's much more going on around us than what we can see with our physical eyes. What Jesus did emphasize is that believers filled with the Holy Spirit have nothing to fear. He showed me that the Spirit within us is far more powerful than any force of darkness. However, He also stressed the importance of putting on the full armor of God, as described in Ephesians 6. The Holy Spirit empowers us to stand firm against spiritual attacks, but we need to actively engage in the spiritual disciplines that keep us connected to God. Have you encountered any challenges or skepticism as you've shared your story? Absolutely. Not everyone believes me, and that's okay. I've had people suggest that it was just a hallucination caused by lack of oxygen to my brain. Some have accused me of making it up for attention. But I know what I experienced, and I see the fruit of it in my life every day. I don't feel the need to convince anyone. I just share my story and let God do the rest. That's a very mature perspective. Now, I'm curious, did your experience give you any insights into what happens to those who don't believe in Jesus? That's a sensitive topic, and I want to be careful how I address it. Jesus didn't show me anything specific about that during my experience. What I can say is that I came away with an overwhelming sense of God's love for all people. I believe He desires for everyone to come to know Him. My experience has given me a greater urgency to share the good news of Jesus with others, because I want everyone to experience the love and peace that I felt in His presence. That's fascinating. Now, as we start to wrap up our conversation, I'm wondering, how has this experience changed your perspective on suffering and hardship in the Christian life? That's a profound question. My experience has given me a broader perspective on suffering. I realize that our earthly lives are just a small part of our eternal existence. Any suffering we endure here is temporary in light of eternity, but more than that, Jesus showed me how the Holy Spirit works through our suffering to refine us and make us more like Christ. He doesn't cause our suffering, but He uses it to deepen our dependence on God and to develop godly character in us. I've come to see hardships as opportunities for the Holy Spirit to work in powerful ways. When we're at our weakest, that's often when the Spirit's strength is most evident in our lives. It's in those difficult moments that we have the opportunity to display the fruit of the Spirit. Peace in the midst of chaos, joy in the face of sorrow, love towards those who hurt us. That's a beautiful perspective. As we come to the end of our time together, what final message would you like to share with our listeners? I would encourage everyone listening to seek a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit. Whether you're a long-time believer or someone who's curious about faith, the Holy Spirit is the key to experiencing the fullness of life that God intends for us. Don't settle for a surface level of faith. Invite the Holy Spirit to work deeply in your life. Be open to His promptings, His correction, His guidance. It might be uncomfortable at times. The Spirit often leads us out of our comfort zones, but I can promise you it's worth it. And remember, the Holy Spirit's work in our lives isn't just for our own benefit. It's so that we can be effective witnesses for Christ in a world that desperately needs Him. When we allow the Spirit to work in us, we become living testimonies of God's love and power. Lastly, I want to emphasize that what I experienced—the love, the peace, the joy in God's presence—that's available to every believer through the Holy Spirit. You don't have to have a near-death experience to encounter God in a powerful way. He's right there, waiting for you to invite Him in. Thank you so much for sharing your incredible story with us today. Your experience and insights have been truly inspiring. Thank you for allowing me to share. I pray that everyone listening will experience the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in their own lives.