An Unusual Dream from a 6-Year-Old Boy about Heaven and Hell

A few months ago, my 6-year-old son Jovan was having nightmares.

So I encouraged him to pray to meet God and angels in his dream.

We prayed together nightly before his bedtime.



Then few days later, Jovan woke up in the morning feeling very happy and told me that he went to God's church in heaven. He said he was with God and Jesus and eating cookies with them. He said God told him that he is the sweetest and the kindest and the most loving boy in the world.

Wow, what a wonderful dream! I feel glad that he had his own special experience with God.

I did not think much about his dream nor question him more as I did not expect that he can remember or describe further at such a young age.

However last week during my cell group meeting, my leader preached on "How to handle vivid dreams?" and I was reminded of my son's dream about God.

Next morning I asked Jovan if he remembered about his dream. Then he suddenly remembered more about the dream and in greater details. The following account was from his own words. I merely guided him through using simple questions like What happened? What did you see? How does it look like?

Jovan's Account on his Dream about Heaven and Hell:

My sweet 6-year-old boy, Jovan

I went to heaven. God put me to a test to see how heaven and earth feels like.

Hell is a place full of lava. It's a bad place. I saw the devil. Looks like a bad spirit in black and red color.

There were many empty cages. The devil tried to put me in a cage. God help me to fight the devil. Then I have faith to fight the devil. Then God helped me to escape from hell.

Then I went back to heaven. Heaven is like a place full of clouds. I went to God's church in heaven. God gave me white clothes to wear. I ate cookies and drank ribena.

There were angels singing new songs. God said I'm the sweetest and the kindest and the most loving boy in the whole world.

Then God brought me back to earth where the Christians belong where the new heaven and new earth is. Looks like the whole earth is changed.

Wow. It was amazing! The only bible that he read was children's bible and he had never heard stories about heaven and hell before. Neither had I spoken to him on it nor let him watch any show about it.

I have no doubt that his dream was from God.

Because I had my countless encounters in my last 22 years as a Christian.

Let me share a little bit on how I became a Christian so you will understand why I believed in my son.

When I was 14 years old, someone gave me a bible and I started reading it on my own.

At that time, I was more inclined toward the Chinese religions due to my family background. But because I love to read and it was a gift so I began to read it.

It was a little hard for me to understand as I started reading from the Old Testament and I could not make head nor tail out of it.

But as I read the bible in Exodus 21 about the Ten Commandments, the 2nd commandment says "You shall have no other gods before me."

That got me really thinking.

There are so many gods. How do I know that this is the right god to follow? And the New Testament also talks about Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

So in my heart I said to this god, "There are so many gods. How do I know that You are the One? If You are the real god, then show me."

I did not realize that I had then made a challenge prayer to God.

Soon after this, I was caught in a heavy rain at the bus-stop without umbrella. The sky was really dark and there were lightning flashes and thunders roaring.

I said in my heart, "God, if you are real, please help me stop the rain."

I remember vividly that within seconds right after I said that prayer, the heavy rain became drizzles, the sky started clearing and the rain stopped completely!

That was the first encounter I had. But I thought to myself, maybe this was a coincidence?

I continued "sending requests to God" so as to "give Him a chance to prove Himself".

True enough, I experienced many prayers answered and God kept speaking to me clearing through the bible at the same time.

Whenever I needed a word of wisdom or advice for my situation, I would turn to the bible and find a word that would burn in my heart and gave me comfort and encouragement.

Eventually, I said my own sinner's prayers at home through following a Daily Bread booklet.

I did not receive Jesus through the influence of church visit nor through understanding or analyzing the bible theories.

There was one encounter particularly unforgettable when God "rebuked" me.

I was having a bad quarrel at home with my sister and I felt really upset and even spoke words of hatred.

Through my intense frustration, I turned to the bible and flipped through the bible pages angrily.

All of a sudden, I stopped flipping. Even though it was not highlighted nor bookmarked, this particular verse seemed to jump out from the thousands of words and started glaring back at me.

1 John 4:20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

That was the first time I read this verse in the bible. I felt convicted immediately.

I understood what God had wanted to tell me. Hard as it was at that time as I was really upset, I chose to let go of my hatred and anger and to learn to forgive.

And this was only one of the many moments that I experienced how real God revealed Himself to me.

I also had unusual vivid dreams.

In one of the dreams I had many years ago, I still remember clearly until today though I did not write it down.

There was this huge hand from heaven that placed me in this town with rows of ancient shop houses. It looked like a scene that came out from China ancient drama. As I walked on the streets, I saw houses started to catch fire. People started to accuse me that I was the one that caused the fire. I heard someone called my name and suddenly I woke up from the dream. After that, I realize the dream was God putting a desire in my heart for missions to China.

This year, I had another dream about the hand of God.

In the dream, I was in a church service worshipping God with my hands lifted up.

Then I felt and saw the hands of God reaching all the way from heaven and He held my hands tightly. The woman beside me saw it and began to shout "The hands of God!"

I woke up abruptly. The grip of God's hands on mine felt so tight and real!

It was an unusual encounter and it felt very comforting. Thereafter, my dream was confirmed a few times when pastors and Christian friends gave me prophetic word that God's hands were with me despite I did not share about this dream with them.

My beliefs as a Christian were not one founded on religious theories alone.

In fact, it was mainly through personal encounters and miracles that I experienced God's reality in my life. There will always be endless rebuttals about how authentic the bible is, if Jesus is real, did Jesus really came alive after 3 days of being crucified etc.

But no one can take away all that I had experienced first-hand; that God is not just a theory nor a religion, but that God is real to me.

And I know of many other friends and Christians all around the world who also had their personal miracles and encounters. I was not one single, "specially-favored" example.

And I realize that there were many others like myself who called out to God to reveal to them when they were yet Christians and they too, experienced powerful answered prayers.

If you desire to know God, don't just focus on the theory. This will only gain you head knowledge.

We all know that in life, our mind often may reason and logic one thing but our heart often feels another thing.

This is the same with knowing God. It is about knowing Him from your heart.

God is real. His love is real. Heaven is real. Hell is real. His salvation gift is real.

After listening to my son's dream about Heaven and Hell, I found a video about other people's amazing encounters. It touched my heart and I cried various times while watching it. I will like to share this video with you. May you be blessed and experience God's power and reality in your life today!

#1 Best Videos of Encounter with Jesus, Angels

Global legalization of Same-Sex Marriage by 2030?

On 26 June 2015, the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States marked a significant day in our human history.

It was a day millions of people believe that it symbolizes greater freedom to love, that #Lovewins and they celebrated in unison by dashing rainbow flags across their Facebook profile photos.

It is amazing to see how so many people across the world came together in such great unity to celebrate an event like never before.

It was also a day of shock for many who stand on the side of pro-heterosexual marriage. Some even chose to change their Facebook profile photos and commented vigorously to express their disagreement.

United States is not the first country to legalize same-sex marriage and it will not be the last. However, it is the most populous among the 21 countries and also the most influential one. Therefore, it opens the way for other nations to model after the United States and to adopt the same policy.

There are countless arguments going on as to why people support this policy as well as for those who are against it.

As I watched the world going into frenzy defending their stands, I too was itching to pen down my say on Facebook.

I for one, being a Christian for the last 22 years had thought of writing it from the bible standpoint. But since I am not a theologian and dislike going into theological debate knowing that I can’t win, decided against it. Moreover, I have many friends whom I loved on both sides of the stands and I do not wish to hurt anybody in my comments.

I kept thinking about what could be a good angle to talk about this issue that will be of value to people who are affected by it.

Beyond the notion of human rights, moral values and religious beliefs, I began to imagine and visualize:

What will be the potential impact upon individuals and our society as a whole?

What if by 2030, we have a global legalization of same-sex marriage?

In a simple stance, this policy grants people who are of the same sex the right to get married legally. But it also means they can fight over assets upon divorce.  This leads to greater consideration and commitment for a same-sex couple. Therefore, legalizing same-sex marriage may not necessarily encourage more of such marriages to take place.

Of course, there will be those who have been waiting for this day to come. But just like in heterosexual relationships, there are couples in same-sex relationships whom are afraid of commitment and will rather not get married.  

Furthermore, now that they can be legally married, I can imagine some may even be pressured by their partners to do so though they may not be ready or willing to. So it may not be good news for every couple after all.

One thing for sure though, there will be an increase in both marriages and divorce cases and a booming business for law firms! ;p

Another popular debate is the effects upon children raised in same-sex relationships. From a practical standpoint, when same-sex marriage is legalized, their children will have access to the same rights of protection and entitlement. This is good news indeed, as these children are innocent and should not be discriminated or deprived of their rights. Indeed, it is also one of the pro-policy reasons cited.

As I tap into my imagination of the future trend, I can see increasing number of children being raised up in same-sex marriages.  They may be originally birthed by one of the partners, through surrogate mothers or through adoption. Surrogate mothers could well become a “full-time profession” to help fulfill the desires of same-sex couples to have their own children. New legislation and contracts will be needed to take this into account.

To the economy, it is not a bad thing at all. Actually it will really help to boost the economy. More married couples will lead to increasing demand for houses, joint assets and investments and more daily spending for families.

To the consumer goods industry, it means a whole new group of target to launch specific marketing campaigns. We will get to see more advertisements featuring the new family nucleus. This will be another boost to the economy.

Is there any wonder why major brands immediately stamped their support on the day of the new legislation in the United States? They fully understand the publicity and marketing dollar benefits of positioning their companies as those who value human rights and the freedom to love versus the backlash and boycott of standing against it.

In the education system, the educators will need to be trained to better understand and help children that are raised in same-sex marriages. They may struggle more in their self-identity and self-esteem and be more vulnerable emotionally. Educators need to be trained to take care and protect these children and not to discriminate them.

The whole legalization of same-sex marriage is a multi-faceted issue that should not be dealt alone at legislation level. Like it or not, pro or against, our society values are changing at a rapid pace and one major continent’s decision can bring about a fast global impact.

When freedom to love is the winning reason to legalize same-sex marriage, it potentially opens the floodgate for other activist groups to motion and push for the acceptance of all other kinds of love relationships that may be an abomination in the past.

What can I do as an individual?

Everyone is entitled to their own values and beliefs. We need to learn to share and discuss in a way that does not seek to hurt others.

In a society with greying values, do what you know best to protect yourself, your family and especially your children.  

Teach them in the ways you want them to grow up to be but remind them to be non-discriminatory to those who hold different values and be loving and inclusive.

Guide them in such a way that they can grow up to be happy people, to use their abilities wisely and to contribute positively to the society, within the legal boundaries.

When you have done these, you will have made a difference to the next generation and help make our society a better place to be.

The BIG Switch: From iPhone 5 to Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE

I have been an avid iPhone user for the last 3 years. This in itself is unprecedented because I loved to try out different brands and had never found the "ideal" phone that I could stay faithful to for long.

I really loved my first iPhone: The iPhone 3GS. The phone was really stable and hardly hanged. It was the first smartphone that I really enjoyed and so simple to use. Since then I had always been the first batch to upgrade to the latest iPhone.

However, since iPhone 4 onwards, there were much more hardware & OS issues. The phones crashed , reception was inconsistent (and I was certain it was not just a telco issue) and it hanged every now and then. But I was able to bear with all these "minor" issues as I was convinced iPhone is the only best choice. However, my inner dissatisfaction with the instability of the iOS grew.

Before I got my hands on iPhone 5, I was already contemplating to give Samsung galaxy a try. However the thought of having to go through the trouble of switching platform and how to port all my contacts, sms & notes over, I decided to stay put.

Unfortunately the new iOS removed YouTube as the proprietary app and my favourite Google map which had been a great help to me in time past. The Apple map is too new and not as precise in its locations.

My iPhone 5 also started heating up really fast and got super hot for no apparent reason when I was not even using the phone. And the battery started draining at 1% per minute --- scary!!! It happened a few times and all Apple phone support could do was to advise me to reset to factory setting and re-install everything all over!

Someone suggested that I should consider Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE (GN2), as it is a very good phone for business. As I am always on the go for my job, I decided to do some research and google on Galaxy Note 2 LTE. I was surprised by the good reviews and I also researched on topics like iPhone vs. Galaxy. There are certainly pros and cons for both. Regardless, I decided to give GN2 a try. I thought to myself --- huh, it's just a phone anyway. What could be worse? Switch back lo...hahaha...I am not one deterred and worried about the trouble of backing up and transferring phone data.

So as usual, I will sell off my phone to upgrade to another and minimal cost. I managed to sell off my 1 month old iPhone 5 for $930 to a dealer I found through phing.com. They buy local new and used sets and sell them to third world country to make a profit. NEVER NEVER trade in with the Telco as you will get a price so low you might as well just keep it as a spare phone. Also, ask several dealers for their buy-in price to get the best quote. Always keep your phone in fully protected casing, screen protector and with full set of box and accessories to get the most value back.

I found a retailer at Far East Plaza selling GN2 for only $975. I asked to reserve a set for me as I know it's out of stock at many locations. So on the same day I sold my iPhone 5, got the cash and went straight to collect GN2. Minimal down-time as I have no spare phone, hahaha!

But it was a nightmare backing up my iPhone especially the contacts. I tried 2 ways.

First, I downloaded an iPhone app to backup contacts, emailed the file to myself and saved it on my PC. I tried to open up in Google mail but it didn't recognize the file.

Second way, I tried using iTunes to sync contacts to Outlook but not a single contact appeared there.

There were too many articles online on this topic and some instructions to port contacts are really complex. I had no time to waste as I need to meet the dealer to sell my phone the next morning (take note that selling price of the phone drops by the day). Out of my desperation, I decided to do the unthinkable and unbelievable: I keyed in 500+ contacts manually into Outlook and Excel! Took me several hours to do that, goodness gracious me!

I also emailed important sms to myself as I do not want to spend on paid apps to port the sms over. Anyway I keep too many messages over too long; it was a much needed "spring-cleaning" for me.

Finally, whatever needed was done and the next day, I sold my iPhone 5 and got my Galaxy Note 2 LTE.

I was glad I made the change. The user interface was super cool! I can slide in any direction I want on any part of the screen to unlock, unlike iPhone. Of course people who jailbreak their iPhones disagree with me.

My Galaxy N2 battery capacity is 3100 mAH, double that of iPhone 5. And I really feel that my phone could lasts me for a full day! But I still have the habit to charge mid day as I prefer to see the full capacity of it. The BIG screen is fantastic for web surfing and viewing videos. Although I may look a bit silly using it for phone calls but the benefit of surfing with ease outweighs the awkwardness any time!

Phone reception quality is much better, consistent and I have not experienced any dropped calls yet as compared to iPhone. 3G/4G network is still very much subjected to telco network and rather inconsistent. But even at low network reception areas, I am still able to do surfing albeit at a slower speed.

There are a few things I have to compromise though:

1. Apps in Andriod is less extensive and less sophisticated than Apple Apps.
Some of my favorite game apps in Apple app store are not available in Andriod. Like Blitz. And there is no Golden village movie ticket booking app too. Olive Tree NKJV bible app for Andriod crashed so very often which I don't experience on my iPhone at all.

Whatsapp on Andriod also has fewer features than on the Apple app platform. Many good children's educational apps on Apple are unavailable on Andriod. This is a BIG thing to consider whether to switch over, if Apple apps are very much a BIG part of your daily entertainment.

2. Emoji Icons keyboard restrictions.
In iPhone when I download Emoji keyboard, it is integrated smoothly into iPhone orginal keyboard. I was also able to integrate both Chinese and English input languages, without having to use a separate app.

However, Samsung's orginal keyboard can only input 1 language and I cannot integrate Emoticons into it. I have to use a separate GO keyboard and set that as default instead. But I am not comfortable with the lay-out options so I stick to Samsung's keyboard for now. Sadly, the emoticons on Andriod will not appear on iPhone users so I am back to traditional symbols. :(

But I am glad I still keep my iPad. So my transition is not too drastic and I still have my Apple App store to fall back on. Hence, the conclusion is that if you have been an iPhone user for long, it is better for you to keep an iPad while switching over to Samsung Galaxy phone. Otherwise you will be really sad as the Andriod apps for entertainment really cannot match up. Otherwise, Samsung GN2 LTE is a really good phone and I am still loving it despite the little things that I missed on iPhone.

Feel free to drop your comments on any queries that you have! :)