What does God say about life after death?

In the God conversations of the early church, we get a sneak peak... Two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul, John the revelator and Stephen all saw a glimpse of the heavenly realms - as well as several of the Old Testament prophets. But it seems God still giving glimpses of heaven today!

In this episode of the God Conversations Podcast, Tania Harris talks with pastor and author John Burke, whose decades of research into near-death experiences (NDEs) reveal striking parallels with Scripture. Once a skeptic of spiritual realities, Burke now shares how stories of those who died and came back to life can strengthen our faith and expand our understanding of eternity. You’ll learn about:

1. John’s Story from Skeptic to Believer

John was once an agnostic engineer who doubted Jesus’ divinity. As his father lay dying, he explored NDEs and was struck by how many described encounters with a loving God. These stories set him on a journey from skeptic to pastor and lifelong NDE researcher.

2. How Near-Death Experiences Mirror the Experiences of Biblical Characters

After studying 1,500 NDEs over 35 years, Burke found remarkable consistency with the experiences of the biblical characters: people saw beauty, light, love, and a divine presence—many of which aligned with biblical descriptions of heaven. He says these experiences don’t replace Scripture but bring its truths to life in our time.

3. Consciousness Beyond the Brain

Many NDEs occur when patients have no heartbeat or brain activity, yet they later describe verifiable details of their surroundings. Burke cites these as evidence that consciousness continues after death, echoing the biblical view of life beyond the body.

4. The Presence and Love of Jesus

People from all backgrounds report encounters with a Being of radiant light—whom many identify as Jesus. They describe the love that emanates from him as overwhelming and unconditional. Blind individuals even describe “seeing” light shining from all creation!

5. Life’s True Purpose

Another consistent element is the “life review.” In their NDEs, people see their entire lives pass before them in detail: the good, bad and the ugly! They also relive their life through Jesus’ eyes and discover what matters most: how well they loved others. Many return from their experience deeply changed with more compassion and more focus on things of eternal value.

John believes these experiences are part of God’s invitation to see beyond the limits of this world. They remind us that eternity is real, that love is the one thing that endures, and that the hope of heaven is more vivid than we can ever imagine.

Next Steps

Join the journey to hearing God’s voice. Start your free 7-day ⁠⁠God Conversations devotional ⁠⁠today!

Pray, promote and give. God Conversations is donor-funded and made possible through the generosity of people like you! ⁠⁠Become a partner today⁠⁠.

Equip your church to hear God’s voice. ⁠⁠Join our community of ministry leaders⁠⁠ for monthly insights and a free preview of 50 Days of God Conversations resource.

If the Spirit sounds like Jesus, how do we make sense of Old Testament passages where God seems to command violence? In this episode, I sit down with theologian Greg Boyd to explore what it really means to hear God’s voice—and why the Spirit always sounds like Jesus. We talk about Greg’s personal journey, the ultimate test for discerning God’s voice, and how to read Scripture through the lens of the cross.

Full post here: https://www.godconversations.com/podcast/103/

Next Steps

Join the journey to hearing God’s voice. Start your free 7-day ⁠⁠God Conversations devotional ⁠⁠today!

Pray, promote and give. God Conversations is donor-funded and made possible through the generosity of people like you! ⁠⁠Become a partner today⁠⁠.

Equip your church to hear God’s voice. ⁠⁠Join our community of ministry leaders⁠⁠ for monthly insights and a free preview of 50 Days of God Conversations resource.

About Greg Boyd

Greg Boyd (reknew.org) is an internationally recognized theologian, preacher, teacher, apologist and author. Greg received his Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary, his M.Div. from Yale Divinity School and his B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota. He was a professor of theology for 16 years at Bethel University where he received the Teaching Excellence Award and Campus Leadership Award.

Greg is the co-founder of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota where he serves as Senior Pastor, speaking to thousands each week.

Greg has authored or co-authored 22 books and numerous academic articles, including his best-selling and award-winning Letters From a Skeptic and his recent books Crucifixion of the Warrior God and Cross Vision. His apologetic writings and public debates on the historical Jesus and the problem of evil have helped many skeptics embrace faith, and his writings and seminars on spiritual transformation have had a revolutionary, freeing impact on thousands of believers.

We know that God speaks to his people, but does God speak to those who don’t even know his name? Evidence would suggest the answer is yes - both in biblical history and contemporary life! God speaks to those who are listening - even those who don’t believe in him!

On this episode, we are talking with Andy and Melanie Owen. Andy is the senior pastor of a thriving church in Lucern, Switzerland. You’ll love the wisdom and insights of Andy and Melanie’s journeys.

You’ll hear about:

• Andy’s journey into wholeness after a troubled and abusive upbringing. Andy shares how both counselling and deliverance worked together to heal his life and develop his relationship with God.

• Melanie’s breathtaking story of seeing a vision of Jesus the night her mother passed away. On the same night, her Aunt received the same message. Mel was not a Christian at the time and the experience marked a changing point in her life.

• Andy’s God conversations about his marriage to Melanie that deeply tested his heart for God. It was a difficult journey of learning to trust God with his whole heart.

• Biblical examples of those who heard God’s voice even when they worshipped different gods. Think of the Egyptian Pharaoh in Joseph’ time and Saul the terrorist who experienced a vision of Jesus on the Damascus Road. There is no barrier to divine communication!

• God Conversations beyond the church - Andy shows how these reflect the “Missio Dei” - the mission of God - whose heart is to “seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10). This understanding further orientates the way we share our faith. Rather than trying to force a message no-one is listening to, we look for what the Spirit is already doing in someone’s life and then actively partner with God in their journey.
• The difference it makes when the “veil is lifted” and we see the character of God more clearly in Jesus.

• The difference between New Age and Christian spirituality. Melanie shares the story of their neighbour - a medium - who saw a large energy field around their lives but didn’t want to participate in it. The Spirit speaks to transform us from the inside out which means hearing God say things we don’t necessarily want to hear!

Next Steps

Join the journey to hearing God’s voice. Start your free 7-day ⁠God Conversations devotional ⁠today!

Pray, promote and give. God Conversations is donor-funded and made possible through the generosity of people like you! ⁠Become a partner today⁠.

Equip your church to hear God’s voice. ⁠Join our community of ministry leaders⁠ for monthly insights and a free preview of 50 Days of God Conversations resource.

About Andy and Melanie Owen

Andy Owen is a trained IT specialist who holds a Master of Science in Psychology from Lee University and a Bachelor of Arts in Practical Theology from the European Theological Seminary. He is an ordained pastor with the Swiss Pentecostal Mission (SPM) and has been leading Zollhaus Church in Lucerne, Switzerland since 2019. Andy is married to Melanie and together they have four children.