Stewards of the Mysteries of God

“You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.” Ephesians 3:2

We read the same message in St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 4:1-2): “We are stewards of the mysteries of God, and we should be faithful and trustworthy."

I’ve always been fascinated by near death experiences, or NDEs, and if that is not a mystery, I don’t know what is. It seems God is revealing himself more and more through the experiences of people who have survived almost dying. John Burke, author of the books, “Imagine Heaven” and “Imagine the God of Heaven”, has researched thousands of these incidences since the 80s. He founded Gateway Church in 1998 after he came to faith because of what he believes is proof of life after death as described in Scripture. He found a universality of NDEs across different cultures that resonate deeply with biblical narratives, such as Paul’s vision in 2 Corinthians and John’s Book of Revelation. 

One of the testimonies John Burke recounts is the experience of Santosh Acharjee who died a Christian last year. He was a Hindu when in October 2006 he was very sick in the ICU. Severe chest pains caused by gallstones and his pancreas bleeding resulted in a “Code Blue!” Situation. Santosh had an out of body experience when he was declared clinically dead. “We lost him!” the doctor said. While Santosh could still see himself on the hospital bed, a bright light brighter than the sun, came near him and engulfed him with so much love and protection. 

They travelled together and occasionally went through dark tunnels. Then the light stopped over a beautiful compound thousands of miles in each direction, with magnificent mansions and buildings made of otherworldly materials. There were twelve gates guarded by angel and there were angels everywhere. Santosh described what was a very narrow door that he desperately wanted to go through but couldn’t. He could see all this, even if the compound was so extensive, because he had what he called, “telescopic eyes”. Santosh had never read the Bible, yet he described the Holy City of God as John saw it in the Book of Revelation, chapter 21. He found himself in the center of a huge platform and at the center on a higher level, was a throne with a giant figure with eyes like lightning. Santosh’ life flashed before him and he falls on his knees with the realization that he had committed many sins. Looking down, he saw a burning lake of fire, and he kept pleading, “Lord, forgive me.” 

The giant being which He knew was Almighty God, spoke to him with incomprehensible love, tenderness and mercy and he could understand Him “through all the languages he knew.” “Santosh, I'm gonna send you back,” the being said, “and when I send you back you must love your family and especially your daughter. She needs your help right now. Always tell the truth. Don’t lie. Search for the truth. Commit no more sins. Surrender yourself completely unto Me in your daily life. Let Me be the driver in your life. Walk with Me. Always be kind and generous to the poor.”

When Santosh got revived after three days in a coma, he prayed daily for two years seeking Jesus. Then his daughter was invited to sing with a friend in a church choir. Santosh went along to hear her, and when he walked in, he said he could feel the presence of the God of love. The message that was read that day was from Matthew 7:13: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Santosh was blown away and when he went home, he started reading the Bible and attending church every week. 

Let’s not wait for anything like that to happen to us! All we need to know is in Scripture. Jesus tells us in John 10:9, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.”