Imagine Heaven Podcast with John Burke

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussion of kidnapping, severe trauma, abuse, and horrific treatment that may be disturbing or triggering for some viewers. Please use discretion when listening.

How can a loving God allow unimaginable evil? It’s a question that can shake our faith to its core. When we hear stories of innocent people suffering at the hands of others, it can make us question God’s goodness, His love, and even whether He is truly present in the darkest moments of this world. Debbi Ali’s story takes us directly into that tension.

After being kidnapped and subjected to horrific evil, Debbi came face-to-face with the kinds of experiences that seem impossible to reconcile with a loving God. But what happened during her near-death experience gave her a radically different perspective on evil, justice, and what God is doing behind the scenes.

Her story does not minimize suffering or offer easy answers. Instead, it sheds light on a God who sees every injustice, who is not indifferent to evil, and who is actively working to overcome darkness with love, redemption, and ultimately justice.

In this powerful episode of Imagine Heaven, John Burke sits down with Debbi Ali to explore what she experienced, what she learned about God’s heart toward those who suffer, and why even the darkest evil does not get the final word.

If you have ever wondered, “Where is God when terrible things happen?” or “How can God be good when there is so much evil in the world?” Debbi’s story offers a profound perspective worth hearing.

Find more from Debbie at DebbieAli.com

Bare Feet by Debbie Ali: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1777643112?
lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

Debbie's Podcast: Confessions of a Trauma Survivor https://open.spotify.com/show/08HjZLZ73Mlk3ZsBypae67?si=2458f67b4f2c45e7

Near Death Experience Story | NDE | Heaven | God | Imagine Heaven | John Burke

When Dr. Colin Perry suffered a massive heart attack, he died—and encountered Jesus. But what Jesus showed him raised one of the biggest questions Christians have wrestled with for centuries: If God already knows the future, do we actually have free will?

During his near-death experience, Colin says he was shown the future—but also understood that what lay ahead still contained possibilities.

God knew what would happen, yet human choices remained real. How can both be true?

In this episode of the Imagine Heaven Podcast, John Burke sits down with Dr. Colin Perry, author of Dying to Be Alive, to explore his extraordinary encounter with Jesus, what he experienced beyond this life, and the mysterious relationship between God’s foreknowledge, our future, and human free will.

Is your future already determined?
Can our choices actually change what happens?
And how can God know the end from the beginning while still allowing us to freely choose?

Watch the full conversation as Colin shares what his near-death experience revealed about Jesus, heaven, the future, free will, and the nature of God.

Colin Perry's book, Dying to be Alive: https://a.co/d/0aka6LaE

Near Death Experience Story | NDE | Heaven | God | Imagine Heaven | John Burke

Dr. Ron Smothermon welcomed a house guest into his home during the aftermath of the man’s painful divorce. Then, without warning, his guest experienced a psychotic break—and Ron found himself fighting for his life.

As Ron was stabbed repeatedly, something extraordinary happened:--time appeared to stand still. In this episode of the Imagine Heaven Podcast, Dr. Ron Smothermon joins John Burke to recount the near-death experience that unfolded during the attack, the overwhelming presence he encountered, and what it revealed to him about 9 of God’s extraordinary qualities that came in the darkest moments of human suffering.

What happens when heaven suddenly breaks into the worst moment of your life? And could God be closer than we realize—even when everything appears completely out of control?

Listen to the full conversation to hear what Ron experienced when time stopped and how it permanently transformed his understanding of God, death, forgiveness, and the reality beyond this life.

Note: “Amin” is a pseudonym used at Dr. Smothermon’s request to protect the individual’s identity. John and Ron pronounce the pseudonym differently during the conversation, but both are referring to the same person.

Jim Woodford was agnostic yet had a surprising, detailed near death experience and saw the book of his life.

He was a successful Canadian businessman and airline pilot. He had built a comfortable life, never prayed, and saw no reason to believe in God.

Then an opioid overdose changed everything.

In this unforgettable conversation with John Burke, Jim shares the near-death experience that shattered everything he thought he knew.

He describes catching a glimpse of hell, being overwhelmed by the breathtaking beauty of Heaven, flying over the magnificent City of God, and encountering the book that contained every detail of his life. 

Most of all, he describes meeting God Himself. Whether you're curious about near-death experiences, the afterlife, Heaven, Hell, or the evidence people report after clinical death, Jim's story raises profound questions about life, eternity, and the God he never expected to meet.

Born into the chaos of the Rwandan genocide, Swidiq's childhood was marked by unimaginable loss, division, and survival.

As violence tore through his country and fractured his family, he found himself living on the streets, searching for purpose amid tragedy.

Determined to find truth, Swidiq devoted himself to Islam, eventually becoming a respected Imam and passionate defender of his faith. He was confident in what he believed about God, life, and the afterlife.

But everything changed when he died.

In this powerful episode of Imagine Heaven, Swidiq shares the extraordinary near-death experience that challenged his assumptions, transformed his understanding of eternity, and left him wrestling with questions he never expected to face.

What did he see? What did he learn? And why did the experience change the course of his life?

Join John Burke as he sits down with Swidiq to explore one of the most compelling near-death experiences we've ever featured.

In this fascinating true-life story of the evils of genocide, divorce, drug abuse, and finally death, Swidiq discovered during his life-altering near-death experience a love powerful enough to overcome, redeem, and restore it all. 

To read Swidiq's powerful full story, get his book: I Once Was Dead by Swidiq Cedric Kanana, available on Amazon.