"Have you ever had a spiritual paranormal encounter?"

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Mike Waters

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I'm asking this to further test out my own 'odd ball' situation.
I personally have never enjoyed anything remotely resembling a 'Road to Damascus' conversion, and maybe that is because, right back to my earliest childhood memories, I have always firmly believed in God and his interaction in my life.
My parents had two devastating life and heath losses before I was born and mother, who otherwise was a very sociable person, invited every visitor in for a drink and goodies. But when the visitor was JW, Salvation Army, Local Evangelicals etc., she always demanded that they should never mention the word 'God' whilst in her house.
(I think I might conversely have grown up to believe that there just had to be a God for her to have been so angry with him)
Amazingly my mother sent me to the Sunday school in the Evangelical Chapel on the opposite side of our road (presumably to get a bit of Sunday afternoon peace).

I remember my neighbour's ex army son giving my a tiny 'Forces' New Testament, to which I attached such value that it never left my shirt pocket whether at nursery school or at play.
I rarely read it but I remember how much importance I still placed on its presence when I later sat for the 11Plus exams for entry into Grammar School.
I was best friends with my desk mate at that time who was much higher placed at school than me, and when I passed the 11Plus exam, and he didn't, I put it down to the magical influence of my pocket New Testament.
When we were older I persuaded him to join the Young Men's Group that proceeded Sunday School and eventually he excepted the Lord as his Saviour, became my 'best man' when I married at the Chapel and, until the chapel closed last year, was their senior deacon.
We still write to each other and he reckons himself to be the "Jewel in my Crown " without which he would never have met his wife and brought up a lovely family of five.
BUT
I have never "enjoyed anything remotely resembling a 'Road to Damascus' conversion".
Is that the reason why I appear to some to be an 'Intellectual Believer' without a Saving Faith?
What say you all?
Have you ever had a Paranormal Spiritual Encounter?
Met Christ Face to Face?
Seen a blinding light?
Enjoyed a life changing moment?
Experienced a Reincarnation?
 

Nancy

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I'm asking this to further test out my own 'odd ball' situation.
I personally have never enjoyed anything remotely resembling a 'Road to Damascus' conversion, and maybe that is because, right back to my earliest childhood memories, I have always firmly believed in God and his interaction in my life.
My parents had two devastating life and heath losses before I was born and mother, who otherwise was a very sociable person, invited every visitor in for a drink and goodies. But when the visitor was JW, Salvation Army, Local Evangelicals etc., she always demanded that they should never mention the word 'God' whilst in her house.
(I think I might conversely have grown up to believe that there just had to be a God for her to have been so angry with him)
Amazingly my mother sent me to the Sunday school in the Evangelical Chapel on the opposite side of our road (presumably to get a bit of Sunday afternoon peace).

I remember my neighbour's ex army son giving my a tiny 'Forces' New Testament, to which I attached such value that it never left my shirt pocket whether at nursery school or at play.
I rarely read it but I remember how much importance I still placed on its presence when I later sat for the 11Plus exams for entry into Grammar School.
I was best friends with my desk mate at that time who was much higher placed at school than me, and when I passed the 11Plus exam, and he didn't, I put it down to the magical influence of my pocket New Testament.
When we were older I persuaded him to join the Young Men's Group that proceeded Sunday School and eventually he excepted the Lord as his Saviour, became my 'best man' when I married at the Chapel and, until the chapel closed last year, was their senior deacon.
We still write to each other and he reckons himself to be the "Jewel in my Crown " without which he would never have met his wife and brought up a lovely family of five.
BUT
I have never "enjoyed anything remotely resembling a 'Road to Damascus' conversion".
Is that the reason why I appear to some to be an 'Intellectual Believer' without a Saving Faith?
What say you all?
Have you ever had a Paranormal Spiritual Encounter?
Met Christ Face to Face?
Seen a blinding light?
Enjoyed a life changing moment?
Experienced a Reincarnation?

No kind of experience like that here Mike,
I have seen the power of prayer in action, His love for me in many ways...what amazes me so much is HOW He works and, every time He comes through for me, or a friend, family member...it is in ways I could never have expected or thought of. The silence from my old friends speaks volumes...they see what I share on FB...most of them have probably un-friended me and, that is okay because, it shows that I have changed in many ways. "The Jews look for a sign..." It is not that I did not want this kind of experience yet, I always get drawn back to "Blessed is he who believes without seeing." Just because we don't "experience" these sensational "things" doesn't mean that we should question those who do. I am fine with my quiet faith and no longer wish I could "be like those who experience stuff. :)
 

reformed1689

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I'm asking this to further test out my own 'odd ball' situation.
I personally have never enjoyed anything remotely resembling a 'Road to Damascus' conversion, and maybe that is because, right back to my earliest childhood memories, I have always firmly believed in God and his interaction in my life.
My parents had two devastating life and heath losses before I was born and mother, who otherwise was a very sociable person, invited every visitor in for a drink and goodies. But when the visitor was JW, Salvation Army, Local Evangelicals etc., she always demanded that they should never mention the word 'God' whilst in her house.
(I think I might conversely have grown up to believe that there just had to be a God for her to have been so angry with him)
Amazingly my mother sent me to the Sunday school in the Evangelical Chapel on the opposite side of our road (presumably to get a bit of Sunday afternoon peace).

I remember my neighbour's ex army son giving my a tiny 'Forces' New Testament, to which I attached such value that it never left my shirt pocket whether at nursery school or at play.
I rarely read it but I remember how much importance I still placed on its presence when I later sat for the 11Plus exams for entry into Grammar School.
I was best friends with my desk mate at that time who was much higher placed at school than me, and when I passed the 11Plus exam, and he didn't, I put it down to the magical influence of my pocket New Testament.
When we were older I persuaded him to join the Young Men's Group that proceeded Sunday School and eventually he excepted the Lord as his Saviour, became my 'best man' when I married at the Chapel and, until the chapel closed last year, was their senior deacon.
We still write to each other and he reckons himself to be the "Jewel in my Crown " without which he would never have met his wife and brought up a lovely family of five.
BUT
I have never "enjoyed anything remotely resembling a 'Road to Damascus' conversion".
Is that the reason why I appear to some to be an 'Intellectual Believer' without a Saving Faith?
What say you all?
Have you ever had a Paranormal Spiritual Encounter?
Met Christ Face to Face?
Seen a blinding light?
Enjoyed a life changing moment?
Experienced a Reincarnation?
There is nothing in the Bible that requires a paranormal spiritual encounter, blinding lights, and reincarnation is just a falsehood. In fact, Jesus said blessed are those who believe and DO NOT SEE. In other words, we are saved now by the Word of God. That is how we come to faith. It's not normal for a spiritual supernatural event as you are describing to happen. Most of those, from what I have seen, aren't even real. They are influenced by things people have heard already. For example, the Heaven is for Real book, not real. Why? Because it directly contradicts the Scriptural depictions of Heaven. It's fake. It's people wanting attention.
 

Nancy

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Now that's where I go wrong... big time.
I'm always so anti those who experience what I just cannot understand.
:(

But then we all are different parts of the whole body...we experience Him differently according to our faith. I use to argue no end concerning these same things you are struggling with. He has brought me a loooong way from that and, I will respect what others say they experience. Always pray for understanding...if you hear nothing just put it on the shelf and continue to pray about it. You will find peace, I'm sure!
 

stunnedbygrace

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I'm asking this to further test out my own 'odd ball' situation.
I personally have never enjoyed anything remotely resembling a 'Road to Damascus' conversion, and maybe that is because, right back to my earliest childhood memories, I have always firmly believed in God and his interaction in my life.
My parents had two devastating life and heath losses before I was born and mother, who otherwise was a very sociable person, invited every visitor in for a drink and goodies. But when the visitor was JW, Salvation Army, Local Evangelicals etc., she always demanded that they should never mention the word 'God' whilst in her house.
(I think I might conversely have grown up to believe that there just had to be a God for her to have been so angry with him)
Amazingly my mother sent me to the Sunday school in the Evangelical Chapel on the opposite side of our road (presumably to get a bit of Sunday afternoon peace).

I remember my neighbour's ex army son giving my a tiny 'Forces' New Testament, to which I attached such value that it never left my shirt pocket whether at nursery school or at play.
I rarely read it but I remember how much importance I still placed on its presence when I later sat for the 11Plus exams for entry into Grammar School.
I was best friends with my desk mate at that time who was much higher placed at school than me, and when I passed the 11Plus exam, and he didn't, I put it down to the magical influence of my pocket New Testament.
When we were older I persuaded him to join the Young Men's Group that proceeded Sunday School and eventually he excepted the Lord as his Saviour, became my 'best man' when I married at the Chapel and, until the chapel closed last year, was their senior deacon.
We still write to each other and he reckons himself to be the "Jewel in my Crown " without which he would never have met his wife and brought up a lovely family of five.
BUT
I have never "enjoyed anything remotely resembling a 'Road to Damascus' conversion".
Is that the reason why I appear to some to be an 'Intellectual Believer' without a Saving Faith?
What say you all?
Have you ever had a Paranormal Spiritual Encounter?
Met Christ Face to Face?
Seen a blinding light?
Enjoyed a life changing moment?
Experienced a Reincarnation?

For all you know, those who have the experiences you're asking about are weaker in faith and need them because they are weaker.
 

mjrhealth

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There are many who have, but the fear of being torn apart by the religious, stops them from writing, of that I have no issues, i expect no less from the religious. God will do as God will do, and if any man says He cant, is just denying the power of God. As teh bible puts it

6 Do not give that which is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and tear you.

As to why God or Jesus choose to reveal themselves to some, maybe its because they know He can. Without faith we cannot please God.

I have my flak jacket on.
 

Episkopos

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Have you ever had a Paranormal Spiritual Encounter?

Even the question is with an intellectual slant. ;) Why do you ask such questions? The bible is ONLY about such encounters and their aftermath. It is God among us.

God is supernatural and eternal. Any kind of real connection with God is spiritual, miraculous and supernatural. Eternal things are such....in the kingdom realm of the Spirit. (we are supposed to seek to be there) So then what is unusual outside the church should be commonplace inside the church.

But the sign of the times thing creeps back in.
 
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ScottA

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Even the question is with an intellectual slant. ;) Why do you ask such questions? The bible is ONLY about such encounters and their aftermath. It is God among us.

God is supernatural and eternal. Any kind of real connection with God is spiritual, miraculous and supernatural. Eternal things are such....in the kingdom realm of the Spirit. (we are supposed to seek to be there) So then what is unusual outside the church should be commonplace inside the church.

But the sign of the times thing creeps back in.
Very well put. And to think that some would remove the very M. O. of God out of the realm of possibilities...is just astounding.
 
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Mike Waters

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Even the question is with an intellectual slant. ;) Why do you ask such questions? The bible is ONLY about such encounters and their aftermath. It is God among us.

God is supernatural and eternal. Any kind of real connection with God is spiritual, miraculous and supernatural. Eternal things are such....in the kingdom realm of the Spirit. (we are supposed to seek to be there) So then what is unusual outside the church should be commonplace inside the church.

But the sign of the times thing creeps back in.

I accept the point that you make.
One purpose of my OP was to clarify (to myself) whether or not my particular long, long, 'Walk of Faith' has been efficacious to salvation.
I am grateful to those have posted in support, and accept the views of those, such as yourself, that seem to intimate otherwise.
 
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Episkopos

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I accept the point that you make.
One purpose of my OP was to clarify (to myself) whether or not my particular long, long, 'Walk of Faith' has been efficacious to salvation.
I am grateful to those have posted in support, and accept the views of those, such as yourself, that seem to intimate otherwise.

Well, I see salvation as different than what our human traditions have made it to be. There is a HUGE difference between righteousness and holiness. Very few are called up into holiness to walk as Jesus walked by grace. But many are accepted by God if they just remain humble, do what is right and fear the Lord.

The Jewish religion was never about an exclusive salvation. But they were called to be the light of the world...not the only ones who were saved. The Jews were to rule the world with God.

But evil has crept into the church...I believe ....due to the challenge of Islam...to be a totalitarian control mechanism that has obedience to it's man concocted doctrines to mean salvation. If you challenge that institution with the truth...then you are branded...like Jesus...as a heretic.

But God is love and merciful...even apart from grace. So if you don't judge others ...as the religious pushers of rhetoric do...then you will not be judged. (God speaks truth...people mainly don't.) If you stop being arrogant and presumptuous about how saved you are for conforming to the religious industrial complex...you can be saved (if you also endure to the end).

So people CLAIM to follow the bible...but they don't...not at all in most cases. It's a religious posturing that is encouraged to prove how saved one is. Most people are happy to ignore most of what is written to get to the parts that can be twisted away for personal benefit.

It's the sign of the times.
 
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stunnedbygrace

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to be a totalitarian control mechanism that has obedience to it's man concocted doctrines to mean salvation. If you challenge that institution with the truth...then you are branded...like Jesus...as a heretic.

Aren't we Christians very determined to separate over obedience to man concocted doctrines and ideologies?Its a broad path and you can choose the left of it or the right of it. We like a broad path of choice. And the political machine plays us like a fiddle and demands an allegiance of picking one side or the other of the broad path.

It begins to sound like...no, but we will go back to Egypt, where we had many choices of what to eat...
 

Helen

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Re opening post.
Yes I have @Mike Waters
Different experiences .

But like someone in a post above ...sharing them in open forum is counter productive ...they get trampled ( by people like David Taylor ;) and other nonbelievers in a God who involves Himself very personally with us. )
 

marks

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Even the question is with an intellectual slant. ;) Why do you ask such questions? The bible is ONLY about such encounters and their aftermath. It is God among us.

God is supernatural and eternal. Any kind of real connection with God is spiritual, miraculous and supernatural. Eternal things are such....in the kingdom realm of the Spirit. (we are supposed to seek to be there) So then what is unusual outside the church should be commonplace inside the church.

But the sign of the times thing creeps back in.
I wonder if it's the trading of these experiences, as it were, if that causes problems.

People are so different, and process so differently. @stunnedbygrace made a good comment, these extra signs and visions and experiences, I've thought about this a long time myself, this is remedial, to bring us to where those who simply trust walk.

Or that God imparts some gift to be shared through His people, we can call it many things. But I think what we CAN actually share is the love that our faith produces, and this gives no consternation, and unites instead of divides.

Much love!
 

marks

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Just curious, has that ever been explained? I mean, it's been eight or nine years, I figure someone has had to have the answer by now.
I saw that on youtube. Glitter coming out the floor vents, and rising on the wafting warm air.

Much love!