In this video, meet Benjamin Hawthorne, a pastor who spent more than two decades pouring his heart and soul into serving the church, standing before congregations large and small, speaking about faith, love, and salvation with every ounce of conviction he had. Week after week, he urged people to anchor their lives on the rock of God’s Word, never imagining that one day he would stand in the presence of Jesus in a way that would forever shift the ground beneath him — or that he would come back to tell what happened.

Benjamin’s life felt steady, almost like a hymn sung softly but with strength. He had a wife, Sarah, who was his anchor and confidant, children who filled their home with laughter, and a congregation that had become his extended family. Every Sunday morning he stood at the pulpit, Bible in hand, pouring out messages he prayed would move hearts and spark change. His nights stretched long into the small hours as he studied scripture and crafted sermons, believing they were guided by the Holy Spirit. His faith felt unshakable, like a lighthouse on the shore — at least that’s what he thought.

Then the chest pains began. What he dismissed as stress and fatigue became a diagnosis of a dangerous coronary blockage. The night before surgery, lying awake beside Sarah, the reality of eternity became more than doctrine. It was a door he was about to step through.

Benjamin shares his Near-Death Experience (NDE) in full, revealing what happened when his heart stopped and the powerful message from Jesus that forever transformed his life and his faith.