This is a true story. This is my story, continued from last week…I cried out, “NO! NO! I’m NOT done!” Jesus looked at me so incredibly lovingly and said in a voice of compassion, as He motioned with His arm downward, “Well then, go back.”
I said immediately, “Yeah! Yeah!” and I started going back down. As I did, the light got a little dimmer, the song got a little quieter, the blue began to fade, the billions of people began to leave, and the hole into heaven got smaller and smaller. Suddenly, I was back in my body and immediately aware something was wrong! It took everything in me to speak, and a really deep voice that felt like it was from a mile-deep black hole in me said, “I…don’t…feeeeel…gooood.” The startled dentist looked at me, then at the gauges on the tanks of gas I was hooked up to. In a panic, he jumped out of his chair and dove over me landing on the other side in front of the tanks. He frantically turned the dials on the gauges, turning off the gas and turning on the oxygen. He yelled to his assistant, “You forgot to turn on the oxygen! You were killing him!” I was getting only the nitrous! He then put his hands on my shoulders and yelled, “Don’t move! Just breathe! Breathe!” Turning completely white, they both slumped back in their chairs. After a short while, I assured them that I was ok to continue and he shakingly finished the work.
I did not share my experience with them because I was still so full of awe and joy, I could hardly speak to even put it into words. I just walked out to the receptionist, paid my bill and left! As we got in the car, Karen asked, “How did it go?” I replied, “Good. I died and went to heaven.” “You what!?” she gasped. And I replied, “I’m so sorry, honey—but I never once thought of you! I was so consumed in Jesus, I couldn’t think of anything or anyone else but Him!” By the way, one thing people want to know—”What was the song you were singing along with heaven?” I wish I could remember, but I don’t!
I had always been afraid of dying, of being judged for past sin and regrets—
things I wish I would have, could have, should have done. Amazingly, while I was dying, I had no thought of sin in my life at all. I never once thought of sin, of regret, of disappointment! No guilt, no shame, no condemnation—none of that! I wasn’t even aware that I was dying. I felt only liquid love! I was still in my body but I could see heaven, I could hear heaven, I could feel heaven, and the intensity of love and joy that came was something that I can’t express. I wish I could have kept that feeling! They say God’s Word doesn’t fall void, and it’s true—every prophetic word, every word God had spoken to me, everything we were doing and everything the Lord told us we would do—all came back to me at one time. Jesus stopped me and asked so lovingly, “Do you think you’re done?” Think of it! He gave me the choice! If I had said yes, I would be in heaven right now! Jesus Himself let me decide.
Romans 8:11 “And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, then He Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal [short-lived, perishable] bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you.” Why am I sharing this story after 16 years? The Lord said it was time! You see, for Christians, those who have asked Jesus into their hearts, this world is the most hell they will ever know! But for non-Christians, this world is the most heaven they will ever know. That’s scary! If you’ve never asked Jesus into your heart, I hope today is the day so you too can experience what I did when it’s your time to meet Him!
-Emil Liko 6/26/26