Do Demon's Dwell Within Christians?

[Rex]

If you think a man can know your heart and by his will command the Spirit to move even in the name of Jesus your mistaken
If that's what you believe then I suggest you find similar teaching churches like the RCC, they are more than happy to accommodate such faith. Or you can follow one of the little darling whores.

John 6
43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.

John 12
30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.

Also notice in this verse ; Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. ---> The complete victory
Now also notice that when Jesus was still with the disciples He said, No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him;
After He is lifted up He says, And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.

Jesus himself when he walked as a man didn't presume to to command the Spirit but the Father who was in heaven drew them, so you tell me can such a man today command the Spirit? I think not.


Sit down in this chair while I call down a victory in the HS for you..............___________---------------->>>>BS

 

[dragonfly]

Hi Rex,

Thank you for your gracious response - 'You and AH are right the OT temple is a metaphor'.

In an earlier post, I mentioned that many believers are taught they cannot have victory over sin in this life. That is a lie! But as a result of that lie, they are not looking for real cleansing of their real soul. They have engaged in a religious ritual, and been pronounced 'saved', regardless of whether there is any demonstration of change in their inner man, their thinking or their knowledge of the Son of God. There are many brands of 'believing' which do not comply with the message of the New Testament, and all kinds of spirits are comfortable in the presence of dead religion.

If you have not experienced a struggle Just as Jacob wrestled threw the night then you may want to have a heart to heart talk with the Lord.

Amen. I know what you're talking about there.

And BTW I'm sorry every post I make doesn't contain the complete breath and depth of Gods message.
Sometimes I prefer to focus on the segment, I presume some others have the knowledge to fill in the blanks.
Rather than being corrected for not affording every possible contingency, I focus on closing the holes in others presumption about scriptural truths.
As you can see the shadow of the OT has afforded an opportunity to expand knowledge, but its not the truth necessary to put this heresy to bed.
Whether people accept it and receive deliverance from it is the work of the HS not me, I'm simply watering the ground with the truth.

Of course! We have to write what the Lord gives us to share in the moment. Anyone reading here is capable of doing their own Bible study and asking questions if they can't 'see' the answers they need. The Bible proclaims a full deliverance to the captives.

The thing which seems to be prevalent in churches, though, is a willingness to receive other spirits as a part of being a Christian. The leaders are spiritually ignorant, (we presume), or they would not expose their people to false gospels with there attendant spiritual dangers.

There are, though, leaders who know what they are doing when they bring other spirits to bear. God will deal with them. Meanwhile, ordinary sheep can become confused and sick through receiving what's on offer, and they need to hear there is real deliverance. Luke 4:17, 18, 19, 20, 21. The liberty spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ, is not liberty to continue in sin but liberty from sin (as sin is the playground of devils).

There is a very real part for the believer to play, though. Romans 12:1, 2 is possible only as faith exercised enables whole-hearted obedience.


Romans 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you.

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after [are given to] the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.


Romans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.




Hi Justin,

The fact of the matter is that we are all a work in progress and some of us are afflicted by demons who dwell within areas of our mind and body.

Yes, we are a work in progress, but it is all on the basis of the finished work of Christ. Hebrews 10:14.

I don't agree that demons dwell in our minds. Our minds may think their thoughts - and if that is the only way they afflict us, then they are probably outside rather than inside. If they have lodged in the body somewhere, their thoughts will be much more controlling of thought life, reasoning and behaviour, whether that is recognised, or not.

What is needed is discernment of what these spirits are and deliverance so that we can be freed from these evil entities influencing us to do things we really don't want to do.

This is not biblical theology. We don't do anything we don't want to do. That's the whole point of James' explanation, as follows:

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. (Romans 6:23)

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

James 1:16, 17 Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

This is what Paul was talking about when he was describing sin as a noun.

This is not biblical theology either. Paul was talking about 'the sin' which entered the world through Adam, Romans 5:12, by which death passed upon all his descendants (who were in his loins when he sinned). This 'sin and death' is what Jesus conquered on the cross when He vanquished Satan. That's why the New Testament is speaks of 'the hope of our salvation' (the world to come, wherein dwells righteousness), because He has saved us from eternal death. That's what prompts these declarations:

2 Timothy 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. [That word 'might' does not mean there is doubt about whether he was successful.]

We have no excuse for being 'subject to bondage' in this life. The power is available for release from every bondage. If a person who has received the Holy Spirit cannot figure out how to get free through appropriate prayer (and fasting if necessary), then they should ask the help of other saints. There is no room for pride here. The devil loves us to be trapped in his web, and we must not give him that satisfaction.

Isaiah 53:11 He [Jesus Christ] shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied:
by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

May He indeed see the travail of his soul, and be satisfied. Bondage to sin, self and flesh is not a legitimate option for the born-again believer.


Hi Axehead,

I hope you will have time to explain what you wanted us to take from the video? I've never watched James Robinson before, but I also picked up that he seemed to be saying other men were looking to him to deliver them.

I've got to say, he didn't look like the kind of man of God I'm used to trusting.

 

[Axehead]

A lot of people think the stories in the OT are just that: Stories. Stories to drive home a spiritual point. The fact is that what happened in the OT truly happened, on the ground to real people. God always uses examples in the physical realm to teach us what is happening in the spiritual realm. The powers of darkness drove those pagan enemy nations against Israel, relentlessly. They exposed Israel's walk with God when Israel turned away from God. God's hedge of protection came down and as they opened themselves up to the attacks from enemy nations (chastening of the Lord). And the Lord demonstrated what happens when we turn away from Him and subsequently what happens when we turn back to Him with all our heart.

Hi Axehead,

I hope you will have time to explain what you wanted us to take from the video? I've never watched James Robinson before, but I also picked up that he seemed to be saying other men were looking to him to deliver them.

I've got to say, he didn't look like the kind of man of God I'm used to trusting.

That's actually not the video I was looking for. I was looking for a video when James Robison (not Robinson) was a young man and speaking before the Southern Baptist Convention leadership, told his testimony of deliverance from unclean spirits of lust and other things. He was an Evangelist that was being primed to take Billy Graham's place and when he was giving his testimony of being baptized in the Holy Spirit and delivered from demons, you can imagine how the Southern Baptist leadership received that?!?

I'll keep looking for that video. I agree the one I posted was a poor replacement and I don't know what has happened to Robison over the years. I do know that he was building a multi-million dollar church in Rockwall, TX and just walked away from that. He realized after being baptized in the Holy Ghost, and being delivered from the boastful pride of life that he was making a name for himself. He shocked a lot of people when he just walked away from what he had built nationally as an Evangelist and locally in Rockwall.

There are many in "leadership" that can testify to being delivered from the powers of darkness. Not everything is the flesh. You know this when there is a stronghold in your life that you can't get the victory over.

 

[Justin Mangonel]

Dear All


People seem to have a predetermined idea of how this or that should be and they they try to shoe horn scritpures to fit. I suppose this just goes to show that one must actually look in the mouth of a horse and count the teeth to know how many they actually have.

 

[dragonfly]

That's actually not the video I was looking for.

Well, Axehead, I'm relieved to hear that!



Hi Justin,

Who do you mean by 'people'? What scriptures would you bring to support your thesis?

 

[Rex]

There are many in "leadership" that can testify to being delivered from the powers of darkness. Not everything is the flesh. You know this when there is a stronghold in your life that you can't get the victory over.

I don't mean to put words in your mouth but I would interpret this to say over coming the enemy marching forward.
Just as Joshuah went into the promised land. Unless they fall into the 1st category below.

Here's the difference as I see it.

1] Some ministries may have been founded on sand but leadership some how finds its way to the truth, maybe the case with Robison.

2] And others on good ground but like Moses they got a bit carried away. Maybe a bit like Gram compromising with Mormonism for the sake of a preferred elected official.

Num 20
7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” 9 So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him.
10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.
12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

Delivered from darkness is the born again experience.
But as I said, I'm not putting words in your mouth,
Paul spoke of a thorn, but did that mean his salvation or message was compromised? Or did he say it was to keep him in line, in not becoming prideful to humble him. Note; a messenger of Satan to buffet me, how is it Paul survived? Grace

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

And to DF this is why I don't respond to being made perfect yet
I'm awaiting that transformation and new body.

 

[dragonfly]

And to DF this is why I don't respond to being made perfect yet
I'm awaiting that transformation and new body.

I understand. 1 Corinthians 13:10

2] And others on good ground but like Moses they got a bit carried away. Maybe a bit like Gram compromising with Mormonism for the sake of a preferred elected official.

Getting 'carried away' can be fleshiness. (The flesh is always willing to compromise.) But in Numbers 20, I'm surprised at the clause you underlined, as I would have picked out the start of what God had said, 'Because you did not believe Me'. (I see from the KJV that He was addressing both Moses and Aaron.)

I see, though, that 'because' they didn't believe, they didn't 'hallow' God 'in the eyes of the people'.

There is another aspect to Moses' story which is of interest, namely, back in Numbers 11, when He was overwhelmed by the task to which God had called him, saying - 14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

Under the New Covenant, we have to be prepared to 'see' our own 'wretchedness', and deal with it through the death of Christ on the cross.

 

[Justin Mangonel]

Dear D,

People...i.e. people in general. Not all people, but rather the people that my comment about people applies to. When I speak of people, as I have used the term here, it refers to a group characterized by certain attributes. These people contained within this group seem to have certain predetermined ideas about certain subjects. When talking about such people, who do indeed form a subset of all people, I have noticed that these people tend to make scripture fit what they are talking about when it does not seem to fit at all. I would not classify “people” as non-saved people but rather people who at least know the Lord. Furthermore, these people who are saved generally believe they are quite versed in the scriptures. Moreover, it seems that some people are not open to explore alternative meanings of scriptures that they have deemed to support their doctrine in certain ways. So while I would not say that all people fit into this category of people which are dogmatic I would certainly say that a significant amount of people may. In conclusion, while my observation of people concerning what I am talking about here is subjective nevertheless I think that at least a few people, whoever these people may be, do populate it.

If you would like an example of what I am talking about then let us look at the example of speaking in other tongues.

It is written,

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:"

Joel 2:28

Now, before the day of Pentecost these scriptures were unclear. However, after the experience had been given the Peter said,

"Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:"

Act 2:13-17

So, “people” may have had all sorts of different interpretations of this even before it took place but after the event Peter could say "this is that."

Experience interpreted scripture and made the meaning crystal clear. So to with those who confidently assert that demons cannot dwell within Christians. I have gone through the experience of demonic deliverance ministry and can say "this is that."

I hope that helps you understand the point I am making.

 

[Rex]

\

So, “people” may have had all sorts of different interpretations of this even before it took place but after the event Peter could say "this is that."

Experience interpreted scripture and made the meaning crystal clear. So to with those who confidently assert that demons cannot dwell within Christians. I have gone through the experience of demonic deliverance ministry and can say "this is that."

I hope that helps you understand the point I am making.

Dear J

I know one thing, and thats you have zero evidence to support your topic. Your Peter possession went down in flames on the first page. As well as the reminder on the second.
All your left with is the above statement I can hardly make "this is that" heads or tails from

There is also a guy here that claims to be teaching the two witnesses of Rev as well.
You both have nothing but your own witness. The difference is I actually like the kid, I have hope for him.


As I told him I tell you as well; your hands are empty

 

[Justin Mangonel]

Dear All,

I think we can all agree that we don't all agree.

Also, those with experience are not to be troubled by those with theories. I remember people trying to tell me that tongues had cease with the supposed completion of the New Testament. Obviously they were wrong because I speak in other tongues! Same is true with those to think that Demons cannot indwell Christians...doesn't matter what they say or how they twist scritpure because I know from seeing and hearing them manifest out of people who I knew where Christians that they do.

This is why Experiencial Christianity trumps theoretical Christianity. Those with theory think they can disprove a reality simply but quoting a lot of scritpure.

 

[dragonfly]

Hi Justin,

There is a significant difference between the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon those who had been told by Jesus Christ to wait in Jerusalem until they had been endued with power from on high, and the kind of experiential understanding that we are talking about in this thread.

That difference also points up how important is the expectation engendered by preaching the whole gospel. There had been so many demons cast out of people during Jesus' ministry, that the issue of whether they can remain when He has entered by the Holy Spirit, is not discussed overtly by any of the NT writers. I have a great deal of sympathy with Rex's expectation that demons will depart immediately, but, I believe one's attitude to sin and one's understanding of how to define sin, have something to do with whether one gets freer and freer, or, remains held in a measure of bondage. That measure of bondage does not reflect that God is unable, but rather the person is instinctively holding on to things which God did not challenge at the point of their beginning to believe. He knows how to put His finger on things, and keep it there, until the believer yields to Him. God chooses to deal with them that way, because He does a deep and thorough work, issue by issue, while the person grows in grace and spiritual understanding.

Experience interpreted scripture and made the meaning crystal clear.

This is a risky statement, because people are all so different from one another, and pride is a snare which Satan loves to nurture. I would be ware of believing that experience is a great interpreter of the Book. The Holy Spirit is the interpreter, surely? It is He who connects us to the written word of God by His ministry of illuminating our understanding. Yes, we may find we've had experiences like someone in scripture, but the test is that the experience is in scripture, rather than that we assert that 'our experience' is what a particular scripture means.

You could have two people who've had the same spiritual experience - say, a dream in which God speaks to them - but who find God confirming His word to them through very different verses, and perhaps not even through any of the verses in which God spoke in a dream. See what I mean? We have to be very careful not to limit the power of God to speak through His written word, to the way He spoke through it to oneself.

Do you see what I'm saying, there? I do think that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which was promised to 'all flesh', and was experienced in a group of people who all experienced the same thing simultaneously, is in a different class from God's dealings with individual believers.

 

[Rex]

I do think that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which was promised to 'all flesh', and was experienced in a group of people who all experienced the same thing simultaneously, is in a different class from God's dealings with individual believers.

4 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you[a] all.

Couldn't it simply be that many, were, and had been prepared in advance? Of course the dynamic power received at this time was also instrumental in establishing the knowledge and transformation we now experience. But the scripture is clear one spirit ect Ehp 4

 

[dragonfly]

Hi Rex,

Amen to the verses, but I'm not sure whether you're agreeing with the main body of my post, or, you think I mean something which militates against Ephesians 4. Please could you clarify? (Sometimes I'm good at filling in the gaps .... but not always... )

 

[Justin Mangonel]

Dear D,

Well said.

I do think that leading from experience does appear to be fraught with difficulties. One could say that Gabriel visited me last night and told me that Jesus is a great surfer and hangs ten, through the Holy Spirit, better than anyone. I understand this and in fact have seen such fanaticism. I knew one couple who always wore white to church because of some experience they had.

I suppose what I am trying to convey here is that whether or not a person crashes and burns by letting experience determine doctrine is up to them and God. I believe that if their heart is in the right place that the Holy Spirit will lead and guide them into all truth. If their heart is evil then there is ample room to mess up. However, each will be free to do so and not be kept under a system that masks what they are or keeps them from moving forward in whichever way they choose to go.

It comes down to "do we trust God to lead His own people?" In our present religious system many do not. I think this has led to trying to keep people so safe that they are prevented from experiencing God as He desires.

Blessings,

Justin

 

[Rex]

Hi Rex,

Amen to the verses, but I'm not sure whether you're agreeing with the main body of my post, or, you think I mean something which militates against Ephesians 4. Please could you clarify? (Sometimes I'm good at filling in the gaps .... but not always... )

I don't disagree, Justin most always stands on experience, his personal revelation of experiencing being relieved of unclean spirits, to my understanding both personal and in observation. Jesus left the promise that He would not abandoned that He would pray and the father send the helper.

I don't disagree that salvation in the context of the indwelling of the spirit is easy, but I do argue that after its manifestation it is impossible for this spirit to share a host.

I tried to confront Justin on grounds of experience, In that I may be a bit different than most, I lost my mother/father and was separated from my younger sisters at 10. I've been passed around threw family and later in group homes. In short I have learned in my walk to not place my faith in the security of the world, I cut my teeth with nothing, homeless, no where to go no family no money nothing, but me and my infant faith. I have no fear or rather no misconceptions, inhibitions about what is meant by forsaking it ALL. I didn't simply experience being dumped out on the street when I turned 18, from a christian group home run by a catholic brother "Brother Joe". I was forced to walk, and since then I have have repeated this in my life, When my x wife filed and I had to leave my 5 year old son I was 30. I left everything and went out, thats why I asked Justin if he has ever walked this walk. I have left jobs in faith not knowing If the Lord was going to provide rent or whether He was going move me. Its simply the way He the Lord has raised me.

I lived in the same house "rented" all the 14 years I lived in another state. My son who has lived with me since he was 10 "I got my son back after 5 years", had recently move down here where I am now. Threw the years she had always said If you want we have a place for you and Mike to get a start if you like. So I sold everything for pennies on the dollar loaded my truck with mostly my tools and came down here. When I got here and met my X's live in for the past 20 years and realized that the invitation was nothing but blowing smoke I rented a storage unit for my stuff and set out again. I stayed in a homeless shelter here for the 90 days then sleep in my truck, but as always the Lord opens doors I went to work for man, made a deal in exchange for work and now have an RV. I pay a small fee to park and use it as home. This is a mild example,

One time when I was 19 I left Iowa with a supervisor to go to NC he was going to start his own steel building construction business and wanted to use me to start a crew. Well he abandoned me at the YMCA no money no nothing, I left what I had brought and nearly starved to death hitchhiking back. I was done when I got dropped off at an off ramp in Kansas, It was fall and getting cold, I sat down under the off ramp sign and told the Lord I'm ready, I can't go any farther, the sun was setting, I was to weak and tired, I told him I'm ready to die right here tonight in the cold. Someone stop and helped me in there car, took me home with them, they feed me, but I got sick and vomited up what looked like the lining of my stomach like watermelon rind. The next morning they took me to truck stop and told me to ask someone for a ride to SE Iowa, I looked at them and said what!? She the wife, turned me around and pointed to a couple of men sitting at the counter and said go ask them, and sure enough they were pheasant hunters, and they gave me a 300 mile ride to my grand fathers. I couldn't stay there because of my step grandmother, but he got me a first months rent in a boarding house. The next time I left Iowa I left with two girls and found myself in Tucson alone broke homeless, then on a freight train and praying again, this time I found myself learning the bible, 21 and taken half way across the nation to begin learning the word, The Lord placed me in the hands of one of his, this man had a great understanding Of God and his word, he was a mountain climber and cave explorer, he had climbed Mt Ararat by himself, before they closed the borders. He used to take me Greg Lorries church in Riverside CA that was in 79. I not going to bore anyone with stories about stepping out in faith, about personal walks with the Lord, because your preaching to the choir. .

In all of this there is something I have learned, and it is my personal experience.
How I came to walk with and know the Lord, it hasn't been easy but that's the thumbnail sketch of how I was raised.

No special men no special church in preparation, just the cold hard facts of life.
Do I sound as though I preach a message of ----> one day it just hit me and I was born again, praise God--->love and bubbles.

I have a great deal of sympathy with Rex's expectation that demons will depart immediately,

You ever walk this walk Justin?
Luke 9
3 And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.


I'm 54 years old




And as a matter of fact i really can't tell you when I first became born again, I have believed in Jesus my whole life.


As stupid as it may sound my first taste of the HS was when I was like 4. I was playing on the floor and mom and dad were laughing and watching TV Red Skeleton was on, it was loud and noisy, then it got quiet, I looked and there was Red looking right at me and said, "and may God richly bless you" and it was such a surprise the wave that washed over me that I turned to the couch pointing at the TV, did you see that, did you see that? I have never know anything else. And my life has been spent in search of the fullness of that well.

 

[dragonfly]

Do I sound as though I preach a message of ----> one day it just hit me and I was born again, praise God--->love and bubbles.

:huh: I think you're due a little

and the Lord is due all the glory for how He's kept you and brought you through.

And as a matter of fact i really can't tell you when I first became born again, I have believed in Jesus my whole life.

That's a real gift from God. I, too, was very young when I first was taught about Jesus, (and was led in prayer for salvation), but my awareness of the reality of spiritual truth did not begin with Jesus, although He probably had a great deal to do with the event.

As stupid as it may sound my first taste of the HS was when I was like 4. I was playing on the floor and mom and dad were laughing and watching TV Red Skeleton was on, it was loud and noisy, then it got quiet, I looked and there was Red looking right at me and said, "and may God richly bless you" and it was such a surprise the wave that washed over me that I turned to the couch pointing at the TV, did you see that, did you see that? I have never know anything else. And my life has been spent in search of the fullness of that well.

It doesn't sound stupid (to me). That's the same age I was when I had my first consciously spiritual experience, too, but I forgot about it for a long, long time, and it was not until I was trying to make sense of my past, that I remembered, and saw the significance of what had happened that day. I, too, had seen something, and told my parents, who were somewhat astonished, and tried to look as nonchalant as possible, while discouraging me.

 

[Justin Mangonel]

Hi R,

I liked your testimony...that is the God I know.

Why, if this is how you came up, are you not more for the Holy Spirit?

 

[Rex]

:huh: I think you're due a little

and the Lord is due all the glory for how He's kept you and brought you through.




That's a real gift from God. I, too, was very young when I first was taught about Jesus, (and was led in prayer for salvation), but my awareness of the reality of spiritual truth did not begin with Jesus, although He probably had a great deal to do with the event.



It doesn't sound stupid (to me). That's the same age I was when I had my first consciously spiritual experience, too, but I forgot about it for a long, long time, and it was not until I was trying to make sense of my past, that I remembered, and saw the significance of what had happened that day. I, too, had seen something, and told my parents, who were somewhat astonished, and tried to look as nonchalant as possible, while discouraging me.

If I boast it is to the Glory of the Lord. I just went off mainly in response to Justin's personal witness, I just wanted him to know a piece of mine.
I have the most difficulty; what is on my mind right now is how to witness to people that threw hardship have lost faith. There is someone here right now that is expressing such a case. For me the harder the push the stronger I became in Christ. That is why I don't have any apprehension about stepping out, Completely contrary to the wisdom of the world, and completely in line with the word.

That's why I find it most difficult to witness here. http://www.christianityboard.com/topic/15720-need-fellowship-and-prayer/#entry177099
I can not imagine not having Jesus, He's always been inseparable, but He takes pleasure in seeing me walk the hard line. My reward has been indescribable peace, empowerment, joy that nothing can compare to. I just want to break threw and go home.

Hi R,

I liked your testimony...that is the God I know.

Why, if this is how you came up, are you not more for the Holy Spirit?

I spent my whole life listening to the spirit and watching for signs, the first 21 years my ears would always perk up, "I only had what I would call an elementary biblical knowledge" but I knew the voice of the shepherd and He taught me quit a bit, but I always compared it to my knowledge, fitting the pieces together. By the time I was reaching 21 I was more or less to the point of demanding the Lord take me or start teaching me more. In fact that was my prayer on that freight train, I'm getting all-fully tired Lord, when are you going to teach me about yourself. Within 7 days I was in Johns hands and working with him at 7up plant in San Bernardino CA. we were the sterilization crew, we cleaned and maintained the bottling equipment from 3-11 just him and I.

So on the contrary Justin, many people have ask just the opposite and instead ask why I infosize the HS.
In that maybe I'm not the best candidate to speak about certain topics. My personal experience has not been being over come in the spirit, but adversity has always made me stronger.

I don't completely know why He's chosen to make me like this.
I only know one thing, when He points me and says go, I'll be with you, I'm like a dog I'll break threw or die trying. If I had a choice I wouldn't go back to change a single thing.

 

[SilenceInMotion]

Personally, I believe that demons tend to try and breach Christians more then they do others. That is why a lot of people who may become possessed are, ironically, Christians.

When a Christian has an overly guilty conscience, but does not lean on Christ, they make thereselves vulnerable to malevolent spirits. Take Judas for example- his guilt led to Satan tormenting him and he eventually committed suicide.

In modern times, famous acoounts of demonic possession have been through Christians, usually naive and subject to guilt. Back in the middle ages, many Christians feared this and that is why they were so militant- they believed that naivety would make them vulnerable.
And so, demonology was a primary study of the Church for a good long time.


I believe that not all demons are created equal. There are different kinds of possessions, and they don't all involve pea soup, if you know what I mean. A lot of times, they are just there pulling at your emotions.
At the same time, Satan cannot be used as a scapegoat. In the end, it is not demons, but you, who will be judged. Therefore, the focus should not be on demons, but your own actions.

 

[Rex]

SilenceInMotion
Welcome to the board.

Perhaps the same could be said of those that go to battle I'll equipped.
Satan doesn't waste time fooling with those that don't poss a danger, but He will impede them from becoming unbreachable, the question is who makes the cut.

Personally, I believe that demons tend to try and breach Christians more then they do others. That is why a lot of people who may become possessed are, ironically, Christians.