Gabe Poirot Dies in a 30 MPH Skateboard Crash…Then Meets God Face-to-Face

Summary

---

Imagine Heaven Podcast with John Burke

Episode: Gabe Poirot Dies in a 30 MPH Skateboard Crash…Then Meets God Face-to-Face

Date: March 20, 2026
Guests: Gabe Poirot (NDE survivor, author of "18 Days in Heaven")

---

Episode Overview

In this powerful episode, John Burke sits down with Gabe Poirot, a young Christian influencer and author who experienced a near-death experience (NDE) after a catastrophic skateboard accident at age 20. Though Gabe was already a believer—with Bible college behind him and a prominent online ministry—his encounter with God after dying fundamentally altered his understanding of faith, identity, and the profound love of God. Together, John and Gabe explore the reality of NDEs, their striking similarities around the world, and how Gabe’s journey “beyond the veil” revealed an even greater depth of love, grace, and purpose than he could have imagined.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Accident and Out-of-Body Experience

• Gabe recounts his fatal skateboard crash: Riding a Boosted electric skateboard at 30 mph without a helmet, Gabe’s board hit a small light reflector, sending him headfirst into the pavement and instantly cracking his skull ([04:09]).
• Near-death moment: Gabe describes seeing his lifeless body from above, feeling an unprecedented surge of awareness and sensory clarity.

"If anything was a daydream, it was the life I had on the earth compared to how real my experience was." — Gabe ([05:26])

2. Passing Through the “Heavens”

• Spiritual geography: Gabe describes feeling himself slip between dimensions—from the "first heaven" (physical reality) through a protective tunnel, into deeper spiritual realms ([06:23], [10:21]).
• Encounter with the Light: Gabe is consumed and communicated to “heart-to-heart” by an enveloping light he recognizes as the presence of God ([08:40], [09:33]).

3. Entering Heaven: The Living City & The Throne Room

• Heaven as a living place: Gabe describes arriving not at a static location, but a “city that was a person… The city moved. The city had a personality” ([13:07]).
• The Throne Room encounter:
  • Unable to look directly at the Father, Gabe approaches Jesus and describes the overwhelming, consuming love—a love not earned or merited, but absolute and unending ([13:07]–[16:56]).

"I was stunned because I wasn't an acquaintance, John. I wasn't an orphan, I wasn't a stranger. I was his. And I was so his that I literally wanted to say, hold up, you got the wrong person… he looked at me, John, as if I was… as if he was looking at himself." — Gabe ([15:07])

4. The Intimate Love of God

• Radical affirmation: Gabe says he experienced being loved identically to how the Father loves Jesus, a feeling of perfect belonging ([16:56]–[17:04]).

"He made the entire universe just for me… And that's not to exalt myself… that's just the truth. He's always thinking about me." — Gabe ([17:04])

• Shattering religious misconceptions: Encountering Jesus’ presence stripped away “walls of religion and hypocrisy,” revealing relationship was the core, not dogma or tradition ([18:19]).

5. Life Review: Purpose, Motives, and Forgiveness

• Experiencing a life review:
  • Gabe witnesses his entire life in an instant, perceiving God’s consistent presence even in his failures.
  • The review focuses not on condemnation, but on the sufficiency of Christ’s forgiveness ([22:47]–[27:21]).

"My life review was just a recategorization… I realized everything for my own ambition was gone… It was all about the heart." — Gabe ([26:23]–[29:19])

• God’s focus on motives: Small acts motivated by love and kindness mattered as much as big ministries ([28:33]):

"He really noticed little things… it was the little things… that were made way more important than I realized." — Gabe

6. Identity and Transformation

• Work from, not for, Christ: Gabe articulates that in Christ, we don’t strive for approval but live from an identity already established in Him ([21:42]–[22:14]).

"I don't have to work to him. I can work from him. I can start with him." — Gabe

• Righteousness as identity: The NDE led Gabe to see himself as “the righteousness of God,” accepted and beloved not by works, but by grace ([39:02]–[40:17]).

7. Understanding Free Will, Evil, and the Role of the “Second Heaven”

• The demonic realm: Gabe describes seeing how spiritual influences (from the “second heaven”) manipulate thoughts—especially through unforgiveness, bitterness, and pride ([45:39]–[48:41]).
• Personal agency: He emphasizes our responsibility to renew our minds, reject negative thoughts, and agree with God’s truth to walk in spiritual freedom ([44:21]–[45:39]).

8. Interconnectedness and the Body of Christ

• Mystical union: Gabe shares a vivid sense of interconnectedness—that all believers are uniquely individual, yet all are literally part of Christ ([64:39]).

"I've met you before in Christ. Because John, you are a part of Christ. You reflect his crystal light… we are a part of him and He's a part of us." — Gabe

• The perversion of truth: While some NDEs speak in terms of “collective consciousness,” Gabe distinguishes Christian oneness as union-in-Christ, not loss of individuality ([66:05]–[67:38]).

9. Assignment: Returning to Earth

• Jesus’ message: Gabe is told his time on earth is not finished and is sent back on the prayers of others, with a renewed calling to reveal God’s true nature and awaken others to their identity in Him ([68:47]–[70:18]).

"He said, gabriel, reveal. Reveal to my family who I really am and reveal the truth of who they really are in me." — Gabe ([72:10])

• Physical healing: Gabe’s miraculous recovery defied all medical expectations; he regained full function and deeper wisdom ([71:34]).

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "If anything was a daydream, it was the life I had on the earth compared to how real my experience was." — Gabe ([05:26])
• "I was so his that I literally wanted to say, hold up, you got the wrong person… he looked at me, John, as if I was… as if he was looking at himself." — Gabe ([15:07])
• "He knows me. He doesn't know about me… That deep, intimate place of knowing is actually that which every human being searches for on this earth." — Gabe ([18:19])
• "He didn't try to modify my behavior. He didn't tell me everything I did wrong. He spoke love to me. And in the love that he spoke, everything else burned away." — Gabe ([30:51])
• "Our own works didn't save us and they never will. True accountability is holding yourself to the truth, which is who you are in Christ, which is the righteousness of God…" — Gabe ([41:15])
• "We were, we literally existed in the very heart of Father God. He thought of me… Saying yes to Christ isn't discovering a new self. No, saying yes to Christ is being born again back to your origins in him." — Gabe ([42:56])
• "If it's good, it's God. If it's anything to do with death, evil, destruction, pain, it's Satan, period. And that's the Jesus I encountered." — Gabe ([57:09])
• "God entrusted the universe to us, John… there's a much more responsibility with our words than we realize and with our choices." — Gabe ([57:09], [58:13])
• "My hair took a little bit longer to grow back. But, you know, I'm thankful… I just came back to life. And ever since then, Jesus gave me a very clear mandate that I was to wake up his bride to the truth and show people not only who he really is, but tell people who they really are in Him." — Gabe ([71:34], [72:10])

---

Important Timestamps

• [01:56] Gabe’s introduction and initial attitude before the accident
• [04:09] Description of the accident and Gabe’s out-of-body perception
• [05:26] Enhanced awareness after leaving the body
• [08:40] Encounter with the enveloping Light—communication “to the heart”
• [13:07] Arrival in Heaven: the breathing city and the throne room
• [16:56] Being loved as the Father loves Jesus—radical belonging
• [22:47] The life review: seeing all his actions and God’s forgiveness
• [27:21] Insights from the life review: what truly matters
• [39:02] The reality of being “blameless in his sight” through Christ
• [45:39] On spiritual warfare, second heaven, and unforgiveness
• [58:13] God’s entrustment of responsibility to humanity
• [64:39] Mystical union and seeing all the “sons and daughters” in Christ
• [70:18] Miraculous physical recovery and call to share God’s love & truth

---

The Four Loves of God (John Burke’s Wrap-Up, [71:34]–[End])

John summarizes the episode by highlighting four relational perspectives through which God’s love is experienced in NDEs and in scripture:

• Best Friend: God has been with us through all highs and lows—he “gets us.”
• Big Brother: In Jesus, we have a sibling who shares in our humanity and advocates for us.
• Father & Mother: God combines the attributes of a loving father and nurturing mother, longing for a close and personal relationship.
• Spouse/Lover: The ultimate intimacy—experienced as “enrapture” with God, beyond earthly experience.

"Put all the earthly loves that you've ever felt together… multiply it by millions, and it still would not compare to what you will feel enraptured in the love God has for you." — John Burke ([approx. 73:00])

---

Takeaway Messages

• NDEs reveal a God whose love and acceptance are far greater than most comprehend.
• Identity in Christ is not earned, but gifted—a restoration to our truest selves.
• Intimacy with God involves authentic relationship, not religious striving.
• Our spiritual battle involves mind, motive, and an unseen influence; but living from truth in Christ brings freedom.
• Our words, choices, and acts of simple kindness have lasting, even eternal, value.
• Heaven is more real—alive, relational, and loving—than anything we’ve yet experienced.

---

Recommended:

• Check out Gabe Poirot’s book 18 Days in Heaven for a detailed account of his experience.
• Read the Gospel of John in the New Testament to further explore the personality and love of God.

---

Transcript

[Bleacher Report Announcer]

The Bleacher Report app is your destination for sports right now. The NBA is heating up, March Madness is here and MLB is almost back. Every day there's a new headline, a new highlight, a new moment you've got to see for yourself. That's why I stay locked in with the Bleacher Report app. For me, it's about staying connected to my sports. I can follow the teams I care about, get real time, scores, breaking news and highlights all in one place. Download the Bleacher Report app today so you never miss a moment.

[WSECU Credit Union Representative]

WSECU isn't just one of Washington's best credit unions. We're a Forbes Best in State five years running. Why? Because we put you first. Lower fees, early paydays, financial guidance and service second to none. As a member owned cooperative, we love Washington as much as you do. From the Olympic mountains to the rolling Palouse. Join us and discover how much we care about your financial well being. Because what we really do best is invest in you. Visit wsecu.org today to learn more. Washington let's credit union.

[John Burke]

You know, all over my neighborhood there are these motorized skateboards and scooters and e bikes and they fly around like 30, 40 miles an hour. And I know I probably would have done the same thing if they were available as a teenager, but you know, I keep seeing them and I keep thinking someone's gonna die. Well, today I'm talking to someone who did. Gabe cracked his skull open on a motorized skateboard going 30 miles an hour. And his near death experience changed his life for forever. He was a Christian at the time. He had a huge YouTube following. He thought he knew God, knew Jesus. He'd been to Bible school and then he met him. And what he's going to tell you is going to rock your world, but in a good way. And I hope you'll stick with me to the end because we're going to talk about the four loves of God. Loves he has for you. Well, I'm John Burke, author of the New York Times bestselling book Imagine Heaven and this is the Imagine Heaven podcast.

[Gabe]

Just want to start out by telling people this. This is very real. This always be real. If anything, this will. This was more real of an experience than anything I ever had on the earth. And I found myself. It was the morning of October 25, 2021. I was just having a good time with some friends. I had already had a degree from Bible college, so I already had God figured out. You know what I mean? I already had the Bible figured out. I Didn't need to know anything more about God, you know what I mean? I, I, I checked that box, you

[John Burke]

know, Good for you. How old were you at the time?

[Gabe]

I was 20. 20 at the time, right before 21.

[John Burke]

Yeah. I knew everything when I was 22. It's been a real bummer to lose so much of my.

[Gabe]

It's just so interesting. It's just because the knowledge is so perfect at the time, you know? It is.

[John Burke]

You got it. How could it ever be changed and figured out? And it all fits in the box, so.

[Gabe]

Especially safety concerning a skateboard. I didn't need to wear a helmet. I just was having fun. And as I was hooking around the curve, my buddies and I had been near the lake where we were riding. They had on one wheel. I had an electric skateboard. We hooked back to his house, and one of my buddies said, all right, I'm going back. I'm good. And then I looked at my other friend, and I said, hey, why don't we race one another? And we turned back around, and we're hooking back around the curve, and I'm going about 30 miles per hour. I would race cars at times on this electric skateboard. And what's funny is I actually never skateboarded before this boosted board. And so a lot of people know the boosted board. They watched all on YouTube. It's the guys that just go wild on it. And so I. I really had never really learned how to skateboard safely. So that was another variable to this. And as we're hooking back around, I was just behind my buddy. He was maybe five feet in front of me. And there's the little bump the middle of the road. You know, those light bumps that just reflect light, you know, just two centimeters, right. What, how, what kind of an impact could they on your life? Well, as I'm hooking around, I sure enough hit one, didn't see it, and flipped right off. I literally did a backflip off the

[John Burke]

skateboard at 30 miles an hour with no.

[Gabe]

30 miles an hour with no helmet. And, you know, the perfect place to hit. Out of all the places in your body that you could injure, I just so happened to land directly on which was my. My. The top of my skull. It immediately cracked in half. I lost my life right then and there. My body. And this is a sign of just how lifeless I was. I went rigid. My friend turned back, looked at myself, and I was fully postured. I was gone. And I actually saw my own body from above. But the way to describe my viewpoint is not just as if I was 10ft above in the air, but it was as if I had literally passed through the dimension from the first heaven to the second heaven. Right then and there it was. I literally felt like I slipped right out. It was like, whoa. And it was so surreal because all of a sudden I thought I had senses before. I thought I could see before, I thought I could feel before, but nothing could be compared to the awareness that I had looking at myself.

[John Burke]

And that's common. Did it feel like you had just heightened senses or even new senses?

[Gabe]

It wasn't just heightened. See it. It was 70 times 7. Times 7 times 7 was. It wasn't just increased senses. It was. I finally had senses. I finally could see, I finally could feel. It finally was real. People say, well, were you just daydreaming? No. If anything was a daydream, if anything was just. Just not real, it was the life I had on the earth compared to how real my experience was. That's the way I describe it. And so I'm looking at my friend. His name is John Michael. He's holding my lifeless body in his arms. Blood is gushing out everywhere. My brain pressure was so bad that it literally was flowing out of my ears. Oh, and my skull. And I'll actually send you an MRI because I want you to show everybody I have all the medical evidence of this near death encounter.

[John Burke]

And I think I saw it in your. Okay, it's in your book.

[Gabe]

And it is all that to say I have all the medical evidence, but in these MRIs you can see my skull is completely. Just shattered down the back. You could see emoto, just brain pressure everywhere. My lung failed as well, so I wasn't breathing because throw up had pulled into my lung. And so I not only lost breath, but even after they did resuscitate me, I went on to be in a coma for the next 18 days. Three. The first three days I was. I was done. I was out and my. My brain had basically died and they. They had sustained me partially on a ventilator. But even then it wasn't. It was. I was. I was not alive to say the least. And so with that being said, I look at my friend and I saw his prayers over my body right there. He said, live and not die. You will live and not die. You will live and not die. And he started speaking life over my body as I was dead. Anyways, as I'm witnessing this, I find myself. I was suctioned.

[Bleacher Report Announcer]

The bleacher report app is your destination for sports right now. The NBA is heating up, March Madness is here and MLB is almost back. Every day there's a new headline, a new highlight, a new moment you've got to see for yourself. That's why I stay locked in with the Bleacher Report app. For me, it's about staying connected to my sports. I can follow the teams I care about, get real time, scores, breaking news and highlights all in one place. Download the Bleacher Report app today so you never miss a moment.

[WSECU Credit Union Representative]

WSECU isn't just one of Washington's best credit unions. We're a Forbes Best in State five years running. Why? Because we put you first. Lower fees, early paydays, financial guidance and service second to none. As a member owned cooperative, we love Washington as much as you do. From the Olympic mountains to the rolling Palouse. Join us and discover how much we care about your financial well being. Because what we really do best is invest in you. Visit wsecu.org today to learn more. Washington let's Credit Union Upwards Suctioned like.

[Gabe]

And this, this light didn't just consumed me, but it fully was enveloping me. It was so interesting because it was like all of a sudden I was receiving communication that wasn't just auditory, but it was to my heart. Like, right to my heart. Like I knew where I was going, I knew what was, who I was about to meet. But it just happened in an instant. It was. And it was, it happened instantaneously. Yet it was the longest moment of my life. Like, it was so. Just paradoxical because it was nothing I'd ever experienced before.

[John Burke]

And so you're so, so you're starting to rise up above the scene of the accident. And did you, did you see a. Some people say there's a tunnel or a vortex or a portal. Did you see anything like that?

[Gabe]

It was, it was, it was a. You could say tunnel. I would describe it as a. I would describe it as the, the doorway because. But it wasn't a doorway to just a location. You see, for the heaven that I was headed for. This wasn't just heaven. That was just a location. This was the heaven who was him. And every ounce of. Of. Of him was pulling me closer to him. And the closer I got in the. As I traveled in this tunnel, the closer I got. So the, the higher I got, the more light I, I felt. And. And it was just like all the earthly junk just. Just burned right off. It was like the closer and closer I got, it was just. The light just consumed Me more and more.

[John Burke]

Wow. I've, I've had a theory, hearing so many of them, that that that portal or that tunnel is actually protection, because as you said, we're going from, you know, what the Hebrews called the first heaven is the heavens we see, but the second heaven is the spiritual realm.

[Gabe]

And then in the third.

[John Burke]

Yes, and the third heaven is God, you know, the, the holy city of God and where the Father is on his throne. But the second heaven is, is evil's dominion.

[Gabe]

Yes.

[John Burke]

And so we need protection 100%.

[Gabe]

And people really do not understand the influence that the second heaven has on the first. If I pray that everyone's eyes would be enlightened, that they would see the hope of their calling and that they would see that we live in a spiritual world. And when people really start recognizing this, they understand they cannot explain things in the natural anymore. And that's actually the world in which we're living in. And Jesus actually shared with me some things about the age that we are living in, because we live in the age where the veil is being torn, where there will be no more excuses to just deny that the spiritual world exists, to deny the supernatural anymore. John it will be impossible to be an atheist in this world because the spiritual veil has tightened and tightened and tightened in the same time. It's opened up and opened up. When I say tightened, I mean we are moving towards the end of the times. And as we do, the more and more it will become opened. It's, it's a, it's a paradoxical. The tighter it gets, the looser heaven will become to earth.

[John Burke]

Well, I think that's what he's doing. I, that's, that's what I've dedicated the rest of my life to doing, is showing people all around the world this God of all nations is making himself known to people on all continents, everywhere.

[Gabe]

Yes, he delights, he delights in revealing himself to those who, who had no clue of who he was, because then actually they might just believe him separate of so many of us believers. I don't, you know, well, I used to be this type of believer, but a lot of believers in America already have God figured out. And, and at the time before my accident, I really thought that I, I knew him. I really thought that I had him figured out, and I thought that I had been presented in accurate Jesus. John. But I'll be frank. The Jesus I would go on to encounter was nothing like most of these churches and shows and TV shows presented him as seriously like he was. He was Someone that he just. Oh, man. Well, I guess I'll.

[John Burke]

Let's go there. So. So you're okay, you're traveling and you come to what, where?

[Gabe]

So it was a city, but it wasn't a city that was. How do I describe it wasn't a city. That was just a location. It was a city that was a person. And the city breathed. The city moved. The city had a personality. The city had a glow to it. And of course, you know, I could go into details about the gold streets, I could go into details about the sapphire floor, I could go into details about. About all these. The mountains, the beaches. Trust me, I could go into details. But I'll be frank. There's one detail that I want to focus on, on this interview and really every interview, and that's him, because he is the detail. He is the forever detail. And so as I'm being brought into the city, I know I'm being brought into the center, like the very center. And the throne. Yes. And. And. And now I will say, of course I was. I need to describe the throne room to people because they really just don't understand the. The holiness. This is the throne room. Like, this is. This is where he is. This is something you don't take lightly. You don't just claim like it is. It is very real. He's very real. So I need to describe that to people because we need to understand the truth. And so as I'm being brought into the throne room, I am not able to look at God. Of course not. That is not. The Father is. I wouldn't. I. I wouldn't have survived if I would have looked at him. As I'm being brought into the. Before the presence of Jesus, I am captivated. I. I'm captured. And it. The best way I can describe it is like a soldier falling straight from a helicopter into an ocean of endless love that he can never escape. Never. And it was like. And it was an ocean that had the deepest trench that. That just. I could never. I could never wander out of. And so as I'm brought before Jesus, I'm just overwhelmed with such a realization that he loved me. Not because of everything I had done, not because of how I qualified myself. Like, I knew I was not there off of my own works. I knew that I was not there off of my own accord. I was there because he is love. Not because he had to love me, not because he tried to love me, not because he. He was thinking of loving me. He loved me, period. Period. And forever. It was A final. It was finished, it was closed. The case was decided. Forever and always I was his. And so as I'm standing there in the throne room, I, I was stunned because I wasn't an acquaintance, John. I wasn't an orphan, I wasn't a stranger. I was his. And I was so his that I literally wanted to say, hold up, you got the wrong person. Why? I literally, I literally wanted to say, why is that? Well, the reason is because he looked at me, John, as if I was. As if he was looking at himself. It was. And this is really going to offend a lot of people and I don't care because he loved me just as much as the father loved him. And as he looked at me, the father loved me just as much as the father loved him. It was a, it was a synchrony, John. It was so synchronous, so, so similar to how God loves Jesus, that I literally thought I was being mistaken for Jesus. Now, please don't. People are going to misunderstand this. They're going to mistake this. I'm not claiming to be Jesus, but I am claiming the truth, which is I am his, and I am his body. And I'm not afraid to say that anymore. I'm not ashamed. Say that like literally he looks at me as if God is looking at him. The same exact eyes.

[John Burke]

You know, what I've heard so many say, Gabe, is that when he looked at me, I felt like I was the only one he loved.

[Gabe]

Only one. Only one. Only one. And, and John, he made the entire universe just for me. He died on the cross just for me. He. He said every word just for me. The Bible is written for me. Heaven is for me. And, and, and, and that's not to exalt myself. How do I describe this? This is just the truth. He's always thinking about me. He loves me. He would. And he has the ability to just focus on me. Yet when he sees John, he's just focused on John. And he does it at the same exact time because he's outside of time. And, you know, that's a whole nother story is.

[John Burke]

Well, and he's, that's how, that's how great he is. Yes, that's how great he is. And I, you know, I would not have believed it except I've quoted many near death experiencers who have said almost the exact same thing.

[Gabe]

I'm glad to hear that because for a while I've just felt crazy for my experience. But, but I reached the point where I just stopped caring what people thought. Because I know all that matters is what he thinks of me at this point.

[John Burke]

And it does. But. But doesn't it? It shows us that how great he is, seriously. And how truly he feels about each one of us. So intimate, so personal, so unique. There is no other like you.

[Gabe]

Yes. None other. And he knows me. He doesn't know about me. He doesn't know what I did. He doesn't just know what I've done or know what I've said or know what I think. He knows me. And that that deep, intimate place of knowing is actually that which every human being searches for on this earth. That someone would understand them. That someone would know them. That someone would them. And everyone will live disappointed as long as they look to another person for that. Because no one can bear the can can fill the void that only God himself can fill. That only love. That only love himself can fill. Not just images of love, but we need love himself. And that's why we need to be filled with Him. And so as I'm standing there just. There were so many walls of religion and hypocrisy and Pharisee spirits that. That literally just burned off of me.

[John Burke]

Like how did you sense that?

[Gabe]

I knew that I was encountering not a religion, I was not encountering an organization. I was not encountering a set of traditions, rules. And I was encountering.

[Bleacher Report Announcer]

The Bleacher Report app is your destination for sports right now. The NBA is heating up, March Madness is here, and MLB is almost back. Every day there's a new headline, a new highlight, a new moment you've got to see for yourself. That's why I stay locked in with the Bleacher Report app. For me, it's about staying connected to my sports. I can follow the teams I care about, get real time scores, breaking news and highlights all in one place. Download the Bleacher Report app today so you never miss a moment.

[WSECU Credit Union Representative]

WSECU isn't just one of Washington's best credit unions. We're a Forbes Best in State five years running. Why? Because we put you first. Lower fees, early paydays, financial guidance and service second to none. As a member owned cooperative, we love Washington as much as you do. From the Olympic mountains to the rolling Palouse. Join us and discover how much we care about your financial well being. Because what we really do best is invest in you. Visit wsecu.org today to learn more.

[Gabe]

Washington let's credit union not just a person. The person who was my forever and. And he was so real. It was. It was all about fellowship. It was all about relationship. It was about family. I wasn't with just a friend. I was with my father. I wasn't with just an acquaintance. I was with my brother. And he was. He was my own. My own brother. That. That I just. It's. It's beyond words how to describe the intimacy that was there. And. And I was not in an acquaintance in heaven. I was like. Like God's favorite. I was God's first. And, you know, everyone always says, well, you know, the first son of God, the only son of God is Jesus. Well, well, yes, but. But also, I'm God's son. I was. I was loved just as Jesus. I was picked in the same breath that he was picked. I was. I was chosen just as much as he is chosen. And the same Holy Spirit that is in him is in me. Like, there's this realization that you start coming to that. That this Jesus isn't a religion that I have to qualify myself for or that I have to just be inspired by. This is a Jesus, who I am and who he is mine. It's a.

[John Burke]

It's a.

[Gabe]

He's a mirror. And he's not just a standard. He is the standard. He. He. And I don't have to work to him. I can work from him. I can start with him. I can start with who I am in him. And you sound.

[John Burke]

I mean, it sounds exactly what Paul said in Ephesians 1, before the world began.

[Gabe]

Yes.

[John Burke]

You know, he chose us.

[Gabe]

Yes.

[John Burke]

To love us, to make us family, to adopt us as his own children.

[Gabe]

To make us. Out of me.

[John Burke]

Blameless in his sight.

[Gabe]

Blameless.

[John Burke]

Now that's. That's something, because I know. I read in. In eighteen Days in Heaven in your book that you. You did have a life review at one point. And I know, you know, when I talk about the Life review, people get really scared. And of course, we've all done things we don't want to see replayed before the Lord. Right. And yet. And yet, ironically, he somehow sees us as blameless in his sight when we have accepted his forgiveness offered in Christ. Did you get a sense of that or. What was that?

[Gabe]

Yeah, yeah, there was a life review. Sorry, I meant to mention that I start thinking, well, you see, here's the thing about my entire encounter with Jesus. It all had to do with Jesus. Jesus. Some people describe heaven like, oh, well, I had this and this and this. And then I got to Jesus. But I am just so captured by him that I just have to get right to him. And he makes up the entire particle of the universe. He is that atomic, molecular structure of why anything exists. But anyways, that's so this.

[John Burke]

Well, it says that in him we live and move and have our being.

[Gabe]

Have our being. Yes, we are.

[John Burke]

He is in. He was the Father who is in all and through all and overall. So he's imminent and he's transcendent.

[Gabe]

My experience just so. My experience of Jesus so surpassed what everyone else had told me about Jesus that it made me scared. I was like, man, I hope the Bible mentions what I experienced. And then I actually opened the Bible and saw that it more than mentions it. And now I'm able to finally understand the Bible because my experience is fully backed by everything that is written in it.

[John Burke]

What were some of the things that you realize now that were off?

[Gabe]

Oh. Oh, that's everything. Well, let me talk about the Life review first.

[John Burke]

Okay.

[Gabe]

So it happened as I was being suctioned into the light, like, as I was passing from the first heaven to the third heaven. This Life review was occurring, yet I was experiencing multi dimensions at the same exact time. I experienced my entire life in one moment. And I. I lived out in year 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. So as I'm seeing my life replay, I see that God had never left me, not once. And I see that even in my moments of hypocrisy and lying and brokenness and addictions and just. Just very broken things that I had fallen to at the time, I saw how Jesus was right there not only with me, but he was washing me in his blood. He was forgiving me. He was believing the best of me, and he was working it all out for my good. He was. We. He was weaving everything out because he had. He. He knew that I was his. Even though I had a stain of. Of ketchup on my forehead at the time, from the earth's perspective, he knew that who I really was was still his son. I knew that I was still family. And so I saw this Life review and I realized a lot of the things that I had been so caught up with at the time really had nothing to do with what was important. And I also realized that there were times, oh, making all the money and getting all the friends and. And getting the accolades and the popularity and the. All the. All the entertainment that I thought I was just having fun with, but I didn't realize the effect it was having on my life.

[John Burke]

How did you see that?

[Gabe]

I was just like, wow. Like, because I saw it from such a higher perspective. I was just like, wow. Like, for example, I. I'll clarify this as well. I knew Jesus as my savior before this accident, and I'm very thankful. I'm very thankful. However, I was playing with the fence way too much. I knew that it would be important to wait for marriage, but I also wanted to go out and talk to all the girls. I wanted to mix in with the world a lot more than I would have liked to admit. I like to play, you could say both games, and I like to play both sides at times and to see how close I could get to the fence.

[John Burke]

And.

[Gabe]

And, you know, people. People say things like, well, it's. It's not a sin to. To drink. And. And I. That's what I said. It was not a sin to drink. And then all. Here I am just, you know, pursuing all this alcohol and. And here I am just hanging out with all these people I shouldn't have been hanging out with. Like. And it wasn't things that. That maybe a person would be able to say, oh, yeah, that's for sure a sin. But it was just. I was playing. I was seeing how close I could get to the fence and. And seeing just how much fun I could have, even though it wasn't true fun. Because the real definition of fun is. Is in his presence. But that's another story. But. So, yeah, this Life review was just. It reshuffled everything in my life because I. I realized everything for my own ambition was gone. Nothing. I took no money to. With me. I took. I took no accolades. I took no physical items. I took literally 99% of that which I had experienced on the Earth. I took. I didn't take with me. And Life Review was just a recategorization of that.

[John Burke]

Did you get clarity on what was important and what your purpose was?

[Gabe]

100%. I immediately got clarity on who I. Who I was called to be. And. And I had already had a little bit of clarity before my accident. I'd read the Bible before, you know, I'd encountered. I actually, I had an encounter with Jesus when I was a freshman in high school in my bedroom. And so I. I had started to. To get to know him. I had started a YouTube channel. I had preached the gospel. I had. I had really, you know, started in these things. But this. This encounter and this Life review just really pulled open the veil. It even exposed things about ministry that I had done. And I saw that there were certain areas of ministry that I was doing that was purposeful, and it involved souls that were saved and was Allowing the Holy Spirit to speak and not myself. That I saw, I did. That was what the Father was so pleased with. He. He, like it was. How do I describe this?

[John Burke]

He.

[Gabe]

He almost like, you know, he did. He like he shouted to the entire heaven, like, look at what my son has done for me. Like it mattered to him.

[John Burke]

Like, what kind of things was he showing?

[Gabe]

Oh, when I would sit at. With a loner at lunch and maybe I didn't even preach to him, but I would just go sit with him. That meant something to the Father. He really noticed little things, John. And of course he noticed. Sure, he noticed the YouTube channel. He knows all the souls that were saved. And I mean, we saw more than 40,000 kids get saved back in Covid and the life of Christ. And he saw that. And of course, trust me, you know, he rejoiced in it. But John, the YouTube channel was just as important as it was that I picked up that piece of trash on the side of the street when I was 18 years old because I. I just wanted to give him glory. Like it, it was the littlest. It was the little things, John, that were made way more important than I realized. And.

[John Burke]

But the motive was it the motive.

[Gabe]

It was all about the motive. It was all about the heart. It was, it was all. Because that's all God sees is the heart. And so much so like, if the heart isn't right, it literally is detestable to the Lord because it is. It. It not only is detestable, it doesn't even exist because he is spirit and, and he operates in spirit to spirit. He operates in what is real and what is genuine and authentic. And when it's not the right heart, it's not how we were created, it's not how we were made. So it literally doesn't exist in. In. It doesn't exist in God's pleasure because he didn't create us for pointless things separate of our heart. He created us so that we would create with our heart and we would have the right intent and motive. So yeah, there were a lot of different items in my life that didn't have the right motive. Even items in ministry that I had. I had turned ministry in some areas into just getting my own platform, getting the attention of other people. And I wasn't doing it with the right heart. And so I was immediately corrected in that I was corrected without being punished. But it was a correction. That was the most loving correction ever. It was a stern correction, but it wasn't like anything I had experienced on the Earth.

[John Burke]

Yeah, we. We. We tend to remove love when. When we don't like behavior. And he never removes love, does he? It's always for love and in love, never.

[Gabe]

And, and it's. He didn't try to modify my behavior. He didn't tell me everything I did wrong. He. He spoke love to me. And in the love that he spoke, everything else burned away, John.

[John Burke]

That's all.

[Gabe]

Everything that wasn't from him, everything that wasn't love. I no longer had to just try not to do or. Or attempt not to do or think about why I shouldn't do it. I didn't want to do it, John. I didn't want to play both sides. I just wanted to be his because of his love. Not because I had to qualify myself, but because he loved me. I saw John how I never deserved any ounce of it, yet he freely gave it to me. I started getting to know his personality. That he is unmoved, he is unbothered. And he's unchanged by every. Every action I could try to slap in his face against him. He never changes, period.

[John Burke]

Yeah, well, we. We tend to think that somehow he doesn't understand or he's shocked by things we do, but he knows all things and he's, you know, he. He went to the cross for those things. He's not shocked by them. He just wants the best for us. But it's so hard to see sometimes, isn't it?

[Gabe]

We. We really misunderstand living a righteous life because we have formed a religion to qualify ourselves for God instead of focusing on who we are in him and, and his finished work. And the more we will focus our identity on him and his, the truth of who he is, we will be called to be. And out of a healthy identity, out of an awareness of who we are in him, we will walk free from sin. We will have. We will run from the fence instead of running to the fence. And we don't. We don't have to walk away from sin. We get to walk away from sin.

[John Burke]

Well, and I think so many people don't realize that we can talk to him about it all. It's not like we've ever hidden anything from him anyway. And like you saw in your life review, he is always there with us, just waiting for us to ask for his help.

[Gabe]

100%. I encountered a Jesus that was. That I could just go right into his presence. However, I thought I couldn't be with him or why I wouldn't be with him was just. It was so comical at that point because I realized how untrue it was. Like he just was and is and will always be. He's the great I am. In his presence, he showed me many things. And it's so crazy because for the next 18 days on the earth, the hospital asked my last will. They told my parents, who were in Virginia at the time that they needed to come to Texas, that they were going to roll me out.

[John Burke]

Where were you living?

[Gabe]

I was in Fort Worth and they were in Virginia. So they flew down from Virginia and they, they, for two and a half weeks, just stared at my lifeless body and just actually so. So here's really where things. The week of November 12, 2021, they were going to have to perform a tracheotomy on me. And they were talking about pulling out the tubes and just calling it because I wasn't breathing and I wasn't getting enough oxygen. My brain literally was pretty much, pretty much gone. The tracheotomy, of course, would have taken out my voice. If people don't know, it's the commercials you see, where they really can't talk anymore. And my friend had said, no, you are not going to do that. He's coming back to life. And they, Everyone was just praying and speaking the word of God and agreeing with God's word over my. Over my life. And in fact, there was actually a praying nurse and this praying nurse was singing over me before I came back. While all this is happening, when I'm with Jesus, he's just, he's communicating to me spirit to spirit. Like, he's not, he's not just like verbally talking. Like it was, it was. He was reaching into the very depths of my soul. And his words were not just something he said. His words were him. And as he was speaking to me, he was releasing himself into me. And it was, it was re wiring everything.

[John Burke]

It's that John 17 prayer that Jesus had that we would be in him even as he is in the Father, and you know that we would be united in him. And people experience that. Just like you said. What were some of the messages or things that you were getting from Jesus?

[Bleacher Report Announcer]

The Bleacher Report app is your destination for sports right now. The NBA is heating up, March Madness is here, and MLB is almost back. Every day there's a new headline, a new highlight, a new moment you've got to see for yourself. That's why I stay locked, locked in with the Bleacher Report app. For me, it's about staying connected to my sports. I can follow the teams I care about, get Real time scores, breaking news and highlights all in one place. Download the Bleacher Report app today so you never miss a moment.

[WSECU Credit Union Representative]

WSECU isn't just one of Washington's best credit unions. We're a Forbes Best in State five years running. Why? Because we put you first. Lower fees, early paydays, financial guidance and service, second to none. As a member owned cooperative, we love Washington as much as you do. From the Olympic mountains to the rolling Palouse. Join us and discover how much we care about your financial well being. Because what we really do best is invest in you. Visit wsecu.org today to learn more. Washington let's Credit Union.

[John Burke]

What was he saying to you?

[Gabe]

He. He actually stole me. His wounds, John. The places that he was, he was nailed. And John, I, I saw the price he paid for me on the cross. And, and as he's revealing this to me because his response, because when I first got there, John, I, I, I was deathly afraid that there would be this list of all my mistakes, of all my wrongs, of all my hypocrisy. I was deathly afraid. I was like, you know what? I got no chance now. Like, this is, this is game over here. I am like, oh, goodness. But I kid you not. So, like, as I'm, as I'm just like, deathly afraid. He looks at me and he, he picks up my face. He picks me up and he shows me his wounds. But he doesn't just show me his wounds. He speaks to me about his wounds and he says, gabriel, the price was paid. And, and when he said the price was paid, it was literally as if he didn't even know, like, what it was like, all the sins, all. It didn't exist to him because the price was paid. All he knew was the price was paid. He didn't even know the list, John. And, and he works outside of time. And so it wasn't like he had just forgiven me at that time. He had always forgiven me. He had always loved me. He had always washed me in his sight. I had never sinned before. I had never made a mistake before. I had never crossed him before. Never. Even though I knew that I had. Even though obviously I knew how broken of a person, I know how much of a liar and a hypocrite and a failure I had been on the earth. But in his sight, I was his. I was forgiven. I was washed. And he looked at me as if I was the same righteousness as himself as, and it was God looking at me as if I was the Same righteousness as Jesus.

[John Burke]

And that's, that's, it's, it's so hard for us to comprehend. I mean, he says that, right? It says in Ephesians one that we are faultless and blameless in his sight because of what Jesus has done. But we all know we're not faultless and we're not blameless. And so, you know, so, so how. So you experienced this, but at the same time, you also saw in your life review things you had done wrong. Right? Because people ask me about that, like, but.

[Gabe]

Well, yeah, yeah, because it sounds confusing, right? It's like, how can you say it?

[John Burke]

But because we see and we know the things we've done wrong, and yet, yet he doesn't hold them against us, right?

[Gabe]

Is it like this is how I, this is how I describe it in the Life Review, Compared to this, the Life review was just all washed by his blood. And even in the times that I had messed up, it only spoke of his grace. It only spoke of his love, of his mercy. It wasn't the mistake that was speaking, it was the grace that was speaking. The reason why it's hard to understand that dichotomy difference of, like, you saw your life review, but then you saw how you were completely forgiven, is because people need to understand the different realms. And so, yes, like, on the realm of the earth, I. And, and on the realm of my own works, you're right, there were all these sins. But in the realm of reality, in the realm of who he is, in the realm of his presence, in the realm of eternity, I was forgiven. See, it's a. And so, so, yes, yes, I am a sinner.

[John Burke]

It is both who.

[Gabe]

But who I really am, John, is the righteousness of God. Yes, yes. I, I, I lived a failed life on the earth. I made a lot of mistakes. I, I did a lot of horrible things. But to Him, I'm his son, and to Him I'm righteous. To Him I'm forgiven. So. So it is that.

[John Burke]

You know, it's funny, Gabe, I, I have a group of pastors that I have met with for 18 years now, every two weeks, and we pray for each other and we confess our sins to each other and our struggles and all that and what we say to each other when someone is struggling or as you know, they're like, I'm confessing something, you know, and what we say to them is, that's not who you are.

[Gabe]

Yep, yep.

[John Burke]

And that's exactly what you're saying.

[Gabe]

That's very heavenly. That is very heavenly.

[John Burke]

Yeah, because, you know, accountability, I, I sometimes feel like, is the law, not grace. It's like, well, stop it and try harder. But, but that's not the solution. The solution is, is to be who you are in Christ, walk with him, and by his Spirit we. The things of the flesh fall away and the fruit of the Spirit grows

[Gabe]

and you will bear fruit and it will be a glorious life for his glory. Yeah, he's not about behavior modification. And the reason why, John, is because. And to everyone out there that just thinks they can try so hard and they can just better themselves and they can just, they could just get themselves out of that glut and they can just live a sin free life all on their own. The reason is because your own works didn't save you in the first place. And they're not going to save you from that which you were broken from before. I'm trying to describe how our works didn't save us and they never will. And so as long as we keep trying to just better ourselves and we keep trying to make it, and we keep trying to perfect ourselves, and we call it accountability, but it's not really accountability. True accountability is holding yourself to the truth, which is who you are in Christ, which is the righteousness of God, which is the freedom, the free sons and daughters of the most High who are filled with light. Who are filled with light.

[John Burke]

Galatians 5. That's what you just. It was for freedom that Christ set us free. So walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh, but the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self control. They grow naturally. Yeah, it's exactly. I believe it's what Jesus was saying his last night on Earth when he said, I'm the vine, you guys are the branches. Stay connected to me and you bear much fruit, but apart from me, you can do nothing.

[Gabe]

And you wonder why he said that, John?

[John Burke]

It's incredibly simple. It's really so simple. We stay connected to him.

[Gabe]

And the reason he said that is because, John, we were in him from the start. We were, we literally existed in the very heart of Father God. He thought of me. He thought of me, John, before this entire universe. And he said, you know what? I have a lot of servants. I have a lot of creatures. I have a lot of creations. I want a son, I want Gabriel. And he thought of me. And so saying yes to Christ isn't discovering a new self. No, saying yes to Christ is being born again. Back to your origins in him. Because in him, we live, move and breathe and have our being. And also, I'll say, you know, when a prisoner gets set free from prison, they are completely free, but it's very important that they live as a free man, that they live with the mentality of being free. And as long as they live with that mentality, they'll walk in freedom. But if they keep thinking like a prisoner, if they keep having the mentality of a prisoner, that they're always in bondage, they will be in bondage. And I believe that's what. What Paul was writing in Galatians about how as much as people might feel like a prisoner, they may feel like they're still addicted. They may feel like they're still broken. They may. They may feel like they'll never get out of the rut they're in. They need to set their eyes on their freedom in Christ, and he'll. He'll reshape their identity from the inside.

[John Burke]

Well, and I think you're. I think you're right on. And, you know, Paul in Romans 12 talks about how we. We yield ourselves to Christ and we are transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we can do God's perfect will. Right. And so many times, I think people don't realize that we sow habits into our bodies and our minds. Like, literally what you train your mind and. And body to do, it then goes on autopilot, you know?

[Gabe]

Yeah.

[John Burke]

And if. If you've trained it in a certain way, it just keeps doing it until you start to yield your mind in the spirit to God's spirit and allow him to renew your thoughts. And then before you know it, you're not getting just jerked around right back to that old addiction. It's. It's not so difficult as it used to be.

[Gabe]

We need to really view our minds as the battlefield. And so when we get those thoughts and when we get those feelings and when we get those temptations, we need to separate ourselves from them and. And focus ourselves back on the truth, which is who we are in Christ. Not what we're tempted with, not what we're thinking, what we're feeling, what we went through, our. Our trauma, our friends, our environment. No, I'm in Christ. No, I'm in Christ.

[John Burke]

And don't you think it's so important for people to realize that not every thought that enters your mind is your own? Oh, man, there are. There are evil thoughts that are trying to deceive you and lead you astray, and there are godly thoughts. There's The Holy Spirit, thoughts, that's that communication heart to heart. But we still have a will and a soul. And we can either say yes to the Holy Spirit or reject the Holy Spirit. We can say yes to temptation and keep those thoughts going and then they become so into us. Or we can reject temptation.

[Gabe]

And what is so sick, John, what I saw about the second heaven, these spirits are familiar with everyone's personalities. John. I saw how familiar spirits work. And they will put a thought inside of a person, and then they will make that person feel like that thought came exactly from them. And they will identify with it. It will be a hook. And then actually, John, I saw actually banks above the spirits of everyone living on the earth. And these banks are filled. As soon as one person holds one connection of unforgiveness, it immediately releases a portal for these spirits to wreck. Havoc. I'm telling you, havoc. The same.

[John Burke]

How did you see that?

[Gabe]

The same havoc they reckon one they'll do in another. As soon as the unforgiveness takes root in the heart. I, I saw that in both my encounter as I was coming back, which I'll get to, I, I really saw how the second heaven interacts with the first heaven. But I've also seen that since coming back, I, I have really understood people differently. I've understood myself differently. And I understand now why a lot of the things happen on the earth that are unexplainable, that do not fit any human reasoning. And it truly is because of these hooks and these latches that are connected to unforgiveness. It's the root. It's bitterness. It's, you know, John, unforgiveness is rooted in pride and jealousy because it says that I didn't deserve what I went through. I didn't deserve to be treated that way. I deserve better. And John, you know, who invented that spirit was actually the adversary. When he saw God make me and you, it was the same spirit found within him that was a part of his fall because he said, who are those humans? I. I want to be like those humans. I will be like God. I will exalt myself. And Lucifer was filled with jealousy. And that is why he inflicts all the just crazy, sick, evil things upon humanity. He's obsessed with taking down humanity because he's filled with jealousy. And so unforgiveness is rooted in pride and jealousy. And it might be unpopular to say that, but it is the truth. And I'll tell you, we can forgive because he first forgave us.

[John Burke]

Yeah. And well, Jesus is so clear about it. I mean, you know, he, he, he didn't mince words. He said, you know, if, if we, if we forgive, we'll be forgiven. We'll experience God's forgiveness when we let go. But if we hold on to unforgiveness. He used a. I think it was both a parable but also a reality. He used a parable to say, you're going to be turned over to the torturers. Well, I think the torturers are the demonic thoughts that get to just go nuts on us, making us think about how horrible it was and how bad it was and how I'm going to get them back. But it's torment in reality. It doesn't do anything to the person we don't forgive. They go on about their life.

[Bleacher Report Announcer]

The Bleacher Report app is your destination for sports right now. The NBA is heating up, March Madness is here, and MLB is almost back. Every day there's a new headline, a new highlight, a new moment you've got to see for yourself. That's why I stay locked in with the Bleacher Report app. For me, it's about staying connected to my sports. I can follow the teams I care about, get real time, scores, breaking news and highlights all in one place. Download the Bleacher Report app today so you never miss a moment.

[WSECU Credit Union Representative]

WSECU isn't just one of Washington's best credit unions. We're a Forbes Best in State five years running. Why? Because we put you first. Lower fees, early paydays, financial guidance and service second to none. As a member owned cooperative, we love Washington as much as you do. From the Olympic mountains to the rolling Palouse. Join us and discover how much we care about your financial well being. Because what we really do best is invest in you. Visit wsecu.org today to learn more. Washington let's credit union.

[Gabe]

Yep, it serves no value. And John, it. It exalts itself. I saw how the demonic loves to be the victim, John. They need to be the victim. And they teach people to be victims. They teach everyone that your life is just the result of how everyone else treats you. That you're never going to get ahead.

[John Burke]

Well, you know what's fascinating that I've noticed in all these life reviews is that God doesn't ever show us what the other did to us. Or very rarely, no. Very rarely.

[Gabe]

No. He doesn't even know.

[John Burke]

He doesn't even in the most horrific situations. It's not like, let's look at what all these people did to you and Sometimes it was horrible. And he is just and he will bring justice either through Jesus or you know, through separation. But it's always what did we do in response to him? Regardless of what everyone else did.

[Gabe]

So I'm with him. He's revealing many things to me. He's revealing the wounds. And John, the more I stared into the depths of his, of his, of his wounds, I saw a name. John. It was mine. He did it for me. Gabriel was, was across the wounds in his hands, the every nail that he took on that cross had my name on it because it was for me. It was, it was not just for me. It was because of me, like he did. He died on the cross because of, of my mistakes, because of my failures. I like, people judge those who crucified Christ. They judge. How could the. And they even, they get super anti Semitic and they say, oh, it's the Jews who killed Jesus. Well, first of all, Jesus was a Jew, so watch yourself. But second of all, he was there for you, dude, and he was there because of you and he was there because of me. Like, I realized that. And so it's this depth of grace that you start to understand he has for you. And it's this self awareness of like, wow, I have a responsibility for my life. Like, like my life is not just a coincidence or accident or impartial or unmeaningful. Like I'm meaningful to Jesus. Very, like very. So as I'm staring into his wounds, they have, they have my name on it. And, and he says, Gabe, he says, gabriel, the price is paid. Paid, paid in full. And he believes in me, John. He. I'm not the one who has to believe in Him. He just believes in me. Like I no longer have to just try to have faith in Him. I just realized he has faith in me. Like, and so my faith in him, my. Any faith that I do have is not because I'm trying so hard or I have to try to conduct it up. My faith in him only exists because he has faith in me. See, like it flipped the tables of religion. It flipped the pharisaical hypocrisy that, oh, look at me, I'm the Christian, I believe in God. Do you believe in God? You need to repent. You're going to die and go to hell, but I'm going to heaven. Look at me, I believe in God. They'd flipped it all on its table because now here I was. And it was like, it was, it was his faith in me that saved me, John. It was. And don't get me wrong. Of course to be saved is to you place your faith in Christ, but we only place our faith in Christ out of the faith he placed in us with his grace. It's in this. Paul talks about this. It's, it's grace and faith. It's not just one or the other. And, but it's kind of challenging because it's like the faith we do have is only because of his grace.

[John Burke]

Right. Well, Jesus. Jesus said no one can come to the Father except that the Father.

[Gabe]

Awesome.

[John Burke]

Yeah.

[Bleacher Report Announcer]

Yes.

[John Burke]

Well, and that the Spirit. The Spirit draws them. So it is something he does even in wooing us to himself. It's really wild.

[Gabe]

And, and please, you know, I don't want anyone to get me mistaken. There's still a free will. Of course. You know, it's still my life included my choices. And so this wasn't. I. I really do not want people to think that the Jesus I encountered is just some puppet master or as if he's. Because now of course he does work out all things for our good to those that love him. But at the same time he very respectful of a free will. John I encountered and he actually showed that John how, He showed me that. Well, he, he showed me how, how much of a personality he had and how much he respected my free will in the life review. He respected my choices that I made. And of course he still was working out the greater plan and he was still providing grace in my mistakes. But there was a lot of choices I made. There was a lot of lessons I learned. I didn't have to learn that way. He, he wanted to teach me a little bit differently. But in spite of my choices, he still taught me. So for example, he didn't want me to break my skull and have to die for pretty much 18 days to encounter him. He, he, you know, Jesus said, it's more blessed if you don't see and believe. You know, he's given me the word of God. He wanted me to learn a lot of these things in the Bible. Now did I end up encountering him and did I end up cracking my skull and ask. Yes, but it would have been a lot easier if I would have just listened to him and put on a helmet and see, see what I'm getting at. So.

[John Burke]

Yeah, but you had that, you had that sense there 100.

[Gabe]

I have the sense that a lot of what happens on the earth is not from God and is. It is demonic. And a lot of people attribute things and they say, well, must, must have been A thing of God like a storm or a tornado or you know, et cetera. No, I think I've had.

[John Burke]

Yeah, don't get me started because I think there, it makes me so sick. I, I think there is a, a form of theology in, in the elevation of God and wanting to protect God's sovereignty that actually makes God into a monster. And I've had a monster. I've had to counsel young women who have gone to churches who have told them that your father abused you sexually and that was God's will. He wanted that. And he's going to work out baloney plan. No, it's not. I don't, I don't believe that at all. I believe this. I believe that what Jesus said is, is true, that Satan offered him the kingdoms of the world because it has been temporarily given to him.

[Gabe]

Exactly. And Second Corinthians 4. 4 says it clearly that actually Satan is the God of this world.

[Bleacher Report Announcer]

Right.

[Gabe]

And so it's simple. If it's good, it's God. If it's anything to do with death, evil, destruction, pain, it's. It's Satan, period. And that's the Jesus I encountered. Now there's a. Also I encountered how convenient it is for humans to just blame everything on God instead of taking personal responsibility. I, I encountered how, how much of a free will Jesus gave me. And he really does believe in me. Not just as a. Like, I really think people don't understand. God didn't just give this earth to humans. So we would be little children running around and like, oh, whatever happens, happens. And we could just say it's all God's plan, fault, like, you know, we're just here. And like God entrusted the universe to us, John. God entrusted all the animals and all the plants and all the vegetation and each other with ourselves. Like God entrusted us with this. So there's a, there's a much more responsibility with our words than we realize and with our choices.

[John Burke]

And he showed that to you?

[Gabe]

Absolutely. I, I saw how he made me in his image and in his likeness. He gone. He didn't want someone to talk to, wanted a son he could talk with. He didn't want someone just that he created. He wanted someone actually to create with him. John. Reason he.

[John Burke]

I think people don't realize what you just said, that God created us to entrust us to, to co. Rule with him. He likes to empower his organization, his creation. And we will one day what, what we are actually going through is earning the right to rule with him. Like we will, we will have responsibilities. We will have authority. He made that real clear, didn't he?

[Gabe]

100%. This life we have in this earth is actually our, our probationary period where we're temporarily here and, and it's the Lord testing us. It's the Lord seeing what we can be responsible with.

[Bleacher Report Announcer]

The Bleacher Report app is your destination for sports right now. The NBA is heating up, March Madness is here, and MLB is almost back. Every day there's a new headline, a new highlight, a new moment you've got to see for yourself. That's why I stay locked in with the Bleacher Report app. For me, it's about staying connected to my sports. I can follow the teams I care about, get real time, scores, breaking news and highlights all in one place. Download the Bleacher Report app today so you never miss a moment.

[WSECU Credit Union Representative]

WSECU isn't just one of Washington's best credit unions. We're a Forbes Best in State five years running. Why? Because we put you first. Lower fees, early paydays, financial guidance and service second to none. As a member owned cooperative, we love Washington as much as you do. From the Olympic mountains to the rolling Palouse. Join us and discover how much we care about you, your financial well being. Because what we really do best is invest in you. Visit wsecu.org today to learn more. Washington let's credit union and Jesus flat

[Gabe]

out said that later in my encounter I knew that my time was not. It was not time for me to be with him forever. Trust me, I wanted to be with him forever. I never wanted to go back, John. I was, it was.

[John Burke]

So was this still.

[Gabe]

I never wanted to leave with him

[John Burke]

still in the throne room.

[Gabe]

So yes, now I'll, I'll also clarify that I, I truly believe I. I was in the throne room. But like to be honest with you, I was so just captured by him that it could have been like. And I knew it wasn't heaven, but it was also just where he was. Like it was in the throne room, yet it was the entire coordinates of heaven at the same exact time. Like it was. Ah, I'm getting into the interdimensionality of heaven.

[John Burke]

Well, no, I, I understand not with my mind but from how many have tried to describe it that you know, just like time has extra dimensions beyond our linear time, even space has extra dimensions and, and so spatial awareness is different. Right? It's the way, the way I put it is like if like here to here to Fort Worth is three hours away by car, right? From Austin to Fort Worth. Unless I can just think about it and be there. And then how far away is Fort Worth? It's right there. It's right here, right?

[Gabe]

Yeah.

[John Burke]

And so I imagine it. Is it kind of like that?

[Gabe]

Yeah, yeah, you could think of it like that. You know, it's. Honestly, I. The best way for people to understand is they're really going to have to get a copy of 18 Days in Heaven. Because in my book, I actually lay out this principle, different principles, but I actually attached photos of. Of some ways people can understand it. And one of them is, you know, when you look at a certain piece of grass or a snowflake, and the closer you look to the snowflake, the. The greater it gets. And. Or you look at one piece of grass, but then it's all the same. Like the entire grass field is green and it's all the same types of grass, but then there's speciality in each one. And so in one are a million, and in a million is one. And so in one room is both. Yes, it's a special place, and yes, it's a throne room, but yet. Yet it also expands like a snowflake. It looks the same the closer you zoom in, yet it's different every time. Like it's. It's the speciality of God. And.

[John Burke]

Well, you know, this one guy, Dean Braxton, I interviewed said that anywhere he went in heaven and there were places he described, he said I could just think about it. And I was also at the throne room. With God.

[Gabe]

Yes. Yes. Because in him. Oh. And you know what's crazy, John? It is only God that you mentioned that name. Dean Braxton, I have never met him, but you are actually the second person that has told me of Dean Braxton as I'm telling my testimony. And so I actually have heard that he shares the same things that I share. But John, I've never talked to him. I've never met him. I still don't know who he is. Like, yeah. And it's like, I pray I know one day soon I'll meet him.

[John Burke]

At least in heaven, I'll introduce you to him. He's a great guy. I was with him last week. Week.

[Gabe]

Were you really? Oh, my God. He's.

[John Burke]

He's an awesome guy.

[Gabe]

Wow. So as I'm looking into Jesus, I'm also just seeing, like, I saw his thought of me even before I was on the earth. Like, I saw how he. Like how he saw me wearing Crocs before I ever reached that age. He saw me playing basketball. He saw Me eating, eating pizza. He saw me preaching in my high school. He saw me holding a YouTube channel. He saw me seeing millions saved. He saw me doing all these things. Yet, yet, yet I was just a little, a little dot IN my mother's womb. But to him, but to him, he saw it all like, ah, it just. And also as I'm looking into Jesus, I'm also seeing all of his other brothers and sisters and all the fathers, sons and daughters. Like I see David and I see Moses and I see like in him is everyone and everything.

[John Burke]

And you had that sense looking into

[Gabe]

his eyes, even, Even John. Yes, in his eyes as everyone. John, this is really going to sound controversial, but I have, I've met you before in Christ. Because John, you are a part of Christ. You reflect his crystal light. And now I'm really gonna. He is a crystal light. He's a. Every perspective, every ounce, every angle you look at him is another fresh, fresh moment. And when the Bible describes us as his body, it's not just metaphorical, it's not just, it's not just a, a nice image. It is literal. Jesus is literal. We are a part of him and He's a part of us. And we literally exist to bear him glory to the Father and give the Father glory. Like, like we were made in his image and in his likeness. And, and there's a million Jesuses on this earth right now, or at least they're supposed to be Jesuses. A lot of people don't know who they are. See, See there's. See John. John Burke is a part of Christ himself. And so like the same love that I see in you, John, the same forgiveness, the same wisdom, the same organizational capabilities, you have the ability to, to collect and sort and you sort through things just like Jesus does and you reflect his image. And so, you know, when I look in your eyes, I see the same creativity and wisdom as Jesus.

[John Burke]

Wow. I think, I think so many people, you know, I know when I began studying these near death experiences, you know, some people who don't, who didn't know Christ, but they had an experience like this and they said things that sounded kind of confusing, like we are all one, we are all connected. You know, we're. And, and then they go to a collective consciousness. And God is just the sum total of our collective consciousness. And I know that's not what you're saying, but I think what sometimes Christians maybe miss is that there is a truth to it.

[Gabe]

And that's the pervert. Yes. Yeah, that's the perverted. Version of the truth, but it still is the truth.

[John Burke]

Yes, is that we, we are individual and we are unique, and yet we are only who we are in Him. And there is, and there is a connection and a, and a oneness that is intended that Jesus prayed for and that ultimately it's pretty mysterious and bizarre. I mean, we're going to be married to God. What? Right. You know, like, what does that mean? But, but, but I think that's part of what we've, we've got to, to we've got to grasp as the mystery of the universe is that love is at the center of the universe and he created us for his love and that there would be a union in him. And that's what you're talking about.

[Gabe]

And it's a beautiful union. And of course, the, the enemy perverts every good thing from God. He has to make it his own version of he. First of all, he doesn't have a pitchfork and horn and a horned head. He. He looks like an angel of light. He is trained to get you to believe that he actually is, is your God. And, and to train that, he trains people to think that he is good to them, that they are good to themselves, that they're good enough for themselves. And he's. He's so twisting. He doesn't fully lie. He takes the truth and then he turns it 1% because that 1% is enough for him to twist it into a lie. People really don't understand that. And so, yeah, that's why, you know, like, we dismiss a lot of spiritual things, but we don't understand they're just perversions of the truth.

[John Burke]

Absolutely. And I think one of the biggest lies is that there's anything good or pleasurable or fun that can be found without God. I mean, think about the lies we grew up hearing about how all the fun is away from God. And it's like nothing could be further from the truth.

[Gabe]

So Jesus showed me how important it is as free will, moral agents on this earth that we speak words of life. Because in Matthew 18, when he said that if two of you shall agree on this earth touching anything they ask, he wasn't just talking about humans, Don. He was talking about himself. Because he agrees with us with our words. When we speak his word, it is Himself speaking. Jesus said, I tell you the truth. If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. The reason he said that is because he agrees with our words. He takes our prayers straight to the Father. And the Father heard the prayers and Jesus told me that my time was not up on the earth, that he was going to send me back. But then he showed me the way the spiritual realm exists and works. And He. He showed me the vehicle in which I was to be sent back to the earth. On was actually on the prayers of life from the sons and daughters. And on the week of November 11, 2021, I woke up and I was miraculously brought back to life. I. My skull quickly recovered. I learned how to walk again. Even though they thought I would be a mental vegetable for the rest of my life, they. They didn't think I would ever live, first of all. And when I did come back to life, they didn't think I would be anything. And then I ended up with more wisdom than I had before and with more physical capabilities than I had before. So my hair took a little bit longer to. My hair took a little bit longer to grow back. But, you know, I'm thankful. No, yeah.

[John Burke]

I've seen. I've seen the pictures. I've seen the pictures. You know, I saw the pictures in your book and I was like, like, okay, that, that was like a serious, I mean, miracle that you're alive and talking and. And going.

[Bleacher Report Announcer]

The Bleacher Report app is your destination for sports right now. The NBA is heating up, March Madness is here, and MLB is almost back. Every day there's a new headline, a new highlight, a new moment you've got to see for yourself. That's why I stay locked in with the Bleacher Report app. For me, it's about staying connected to my sports. I can follow the teams I care about, get real time scores, breaking news and highlights all in one place. Download the Bleacher Report app today so you never miss a moment.

[WSECU Credit Union Representative]

WSECU isn't just one of Washington's best credit unions. We're a Forbes Best in State five years running. Why? Because we put you first. Lower fees, early paydays, financial guidance, and certain service second to none. As a member owned cooperative, we love Washington as much as you do. From the Olympic mountains to the rolling Palouse. Join us and discover how much we care about your financial well being. Because what we really do best is invest in you. Visit wsecu.org today to learn more. Washington let's credit union.

[Gabe]

Yeah, it truly is. I was half my weight, John. That coma not only took my life, but I mean my. My everything about me was. Was broken from that accident. Yet the Lord just restored me and I gained back. I was only 120, 125, 130 pounds, which is half my weight. And yeah, I just came back to life. And ever since then, Jesus gave me a very clear mandate that I was to wake up his bride to the truth and show people not only who he really is, but tell people who they really are in Him.

[Bleacher Report Announcer]

Him.

[Gabe]

He said, gabriel, reveal. Reveal to my family who I really am and reveal the truth of who they really are in me.

[John Burke]

Well, man, you're doing that. Well, I would say two thumbs up. I believe you are going to be a voice to your generation. I know you are already, but all over the globe to bring many sons and daughters home. Thanks so much, man. I so appreciate you taking the time. Gabe's a great man. What a light to his generation, too, you know, Gabe thought he knew God, thought he knew Jesus, but he found out God is so much more and so much better than what many times we've been taught or we've understood. And it raises some great questions, this story of Gabe's, you know, do you know who God really is? Do you know what he's really like? Because I'm convinced if you're not enamored with God, if you're not crazy in love with God, then you don't know just how wonderful he is. And hopefully you heard just a little of that from Gabe today. And another great question is, do you know who you are to God? I mean, do you realize how crazy God is about you? How you are his only daughter, his only son, and the most important one? I mean, that's how he feels about you. And I wouldn't believe that myself, except so many near death experiencers I've interviewed have confirmed it. And Scripture tells us these things. You know, I'm convinced now that God is the love you've always wanted. You know, that is the subtitle of my book, Imagine the God of Heaven, because I'm convinced it's true. And I interviewed 70 people and you hear their testimonies in the book. People from every continent, culture, even religious background, and they're encountering the same God of wonders. And they say the same things and they're four loves that they compare God's love to. Like God is your best friend, you know, and like Gabe said, no one else has been through it all with you. Gabe saw that. He saw that he had been with him in every up, every down, every high, and every low, and that God knows it all. You've never hidden anything from him, and yet he's still so for you, so crazy about you. You know, the Bible talks about this, that of God being a friend. It says in James chapter two, Abraham believed God and God counted him as righteous or set right with him, with God because of his faith. He was even called the friend of God. You know, we become friends with God the more we trust him. And we end up having a history with God, just like you do with any friend. But see, there's no better friend because he's been with you through it all. And he gets you. You know, that's one of the things I think Jesus came to show us, that he gets us. He's been there, done that, right? Except for the sin part. He skipped that part. But he's been through it all. And he has compassion because he knows how hard life can be. You know, Jesus is also your big brother. It's pretty crazy to think about, but you're related to Him. You know, if you've put your trust in him, then you are related to him. We're one family. And it's even crazier to think that God, through Jesus became one of us, that he united with his creation in a very intimate way, not only to show that he relates to us, but to rescue us. And the Bible tells us this in Hebrews chapter 2, verse 17. It says it was necessary for Jesus to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters. He's our brother so that he could be our merciful and faithful high priest before God. A high priest is just someone who intercedes, goes before, and then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he's able to help us when we're being tested. See, Jesus was not only the only sinless human who went through all the temptations, all the heartaches, all the betrayals and beatings and torture, yet he never went against God's will. He alone perfectly followed God's will. And that's why he could pay for my sins and for yours. And not only that, but he gets us. He understands us. He understands the difficulties and the temptations and the trials. And like that, says he wants to help us. All we have to do is call on Him. They also say that God is not only like a best friend and a big brother. God is a father and a mother, but he's the most loving, kind father combined with the most caring, nurturing, understanding mother. You know, Jesus taught us to pray to God as a father, a father who longs to hear from us personally in Matthew chapter six, where you find the Lord's Prayer. Jesus also said, when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your father in private. Then your father, who sees everything, will reward you. He rewards you, so don't worry. He goes on to say about any of these things that people normally worry about. What you'll eat, what you'll drink, what will we wear? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. So seek the kingdom of God. Seek his will and ways above all else. Live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. You see, God is good. He's a good father. Maybe your father was not good. And I want to encourage you then to start praying, God, show me how different you are from what I saw of a father. But, you know, God also compares himself to a wonderful mother. In the Bible, it says in Isaiah 49, 15, can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she's born? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you. God says, so. God is like a father and a mother, but God is also like a spouse. Now, I know that sounds weird, but one day you'll see God's love is more intimate than even that of a lover or a spouse. You know, Gabe and many other ND ears talk about this, how I was in him and he was in me. And there was an intimacy and a closeness that's just hard to express. Wayne Fowler, an Australian lawyer that I interviewed, said almost the same thing about he was in me and I was in him. But then he said, and it was ecstasy. He said, I felt like I was going to explode from just the rapture of the joy and the love I was feeling. You know, the Bible calls those who trust in Jesus God's bride, that we are like a bride to him. And, you know, Jesus prayed his last night on earth. He said, I'm praying for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one. As you are in me, Father, and I am in you. May they be in us, so that the world will believe you have sent me. I am in them, and you are in me. And indie ears experience this. They say things like, like, put all the earthly loves that you've ever felt together. Love for a spouse, a child, a friend from a parent, put it all together, multiply it by millions, and it still would not compare to what you will feel enraptured in the love God has for you, because God loves you. With all four loves and so much more. Well, I hope you know that because if you do, it takes away all our fears. All our fears of God, but all our fears of people as well. It takes away all our desires to do it our way to, you know, sin against God. We don't want to. They just start to fade away. Because you realize, why would I turn away from something so wonderful for something so much less? Well, I just wanted to encourage you with all of that and to show you that what these near death experiencers like Gabe are saying consistently, it's also in the Bible. And you know, if you've never read the Bible, I want to encourage you to to read start with the testimonies about Jesus, read the book of John in the New Testament and start to learn more about this God that's just crazy about you. Well, I hope you enjoyed the podcast. If you did, I hope you'll like it and share it. Subscribe and go and check out Gabe's new book, 18 Days Days in Heaven. The link will be down below. I read it. There's so much more that he put in the book that of course we couldn't do in an hour or so podcast, but you can check that out below. Well, until next time, be blessed.

[Bleacher Report Announcer]

The Bleacher Report app is your destination for sports right now. The NBA is heating up. March Mad Madness is here, and MLB is almost back. Every day there's a new headline, a new highlight, a new moment you've got to see for yourself. That's why I stay locked in with the Bleacher Report app. For me, it's about staying connected to my sports. I can follow the teams I care about, get real time scores, breaking news and highlights all in one place. Download the Bleacher Report app today so you never miss a moment.

[WSECU Credit Union Representative]

WSECU isn't just one of Washington's best credit unions. We're a Forbes Best in State five years running. Why? Because we put you first. Lower fees, early paydays, financial guidance and service second to none. As a member owned cooperative, we love Washington as much as you do. From the Olympic Mountains to the rolling Palouse. Join us and discover how much we care about your financial well being. Because what we really do best is invest in you. Visit wsecu.org today to learn more. Washington let's credit union.