Experiencing God

[easternstar]

I would like to hear of members' personal, firsthand experiences with God. Now I'm not discounting people experiencing God speaking to them through reading scripture. But I would like to know about people's direct experiences of God. How do you know there is a God unless you have had an experience of Him? Please tell about His communication with you.

 

[Psalty]

Hey eastern star,

My second child, my son was born dramatically with no heartbeat and was totally white, Apgar scores 0, 0, 3. The doctors resuscitated him, but said that if he lived, he would have massive cerebral palsy and would be severely involved. His brain stem was involved and he had no gag reflex, which said he would be looking like a more vegetative patient in a wheelchair fed through tube. I work in the medical field with kids just like this so I know exactly what this meant.

I was obviously in massive turmoil. Several days later, I was walking home from dropping my car for some work. I was falling apart, of course. I ran out of things to pray, but one incredible thing that came to mind was a scripture I had read from Mark 10, “ Jesus, son of David have mercy on my son!”. I prayed this for at least a good 15 minutes.

I don’t really know how to describe to you the experience that I had with Him, but in that moment, something totally different happened and I started putting my faith in Someone who I knew could do something about it. I knew that he had heard me, and I had faith that He was in the process of answering. I knew He had answered.

Today, 13 years later, he talks rides a bike, and although he has some trouble in school, God has absolutely delivered him from the pit and you wouldnt even know it…

You might check out the book “8 hours to Live” by Brian Wills for a list of sceiptures worth praying.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Hey eastern star,

My second child, my son was born dramatically with no heartbeat and was totally white, Apgar scores 0, 0, 3. The doctors resuscitated him, but said that if he lived, he would have massive cerebral palsy and would be severely involved. His brain stem was involved and he had no gag reflex, which said he would be looking like a more vegetative patient in a wheelchair fed through tube. I work in the medical field with kids just like this so I know exactly what this meant.

I was obviously in massive turmoil. Several days later, I was walking home from dropping my car for some work. I was falling apart, of course. I ran out of things to pray, but one incredible thing that came to mind was a scripture I had read from Mark 10, “ Jesus, son of David have mercy on my son!”. I prayed this for at least a good 15 minutes.

I don’t really know how to describe to you the experience that I had with Him, but in that moment, something totally different happened and I started putting my faith in Someone who I knew could do something about it. I knew that he had heard me, and I had faith that He was in the process of answering. I knew He had answered.

Today, 13 years later, he talks rides a bike, and although he has some trouble in school, God has absolutely delivered him from the pit and you wouldnt even know it…

You might check out the book “8 hours to Live” by Brian Wills for a list of sceiptures worth praying.

10 Hours to Live: A True Story of Healing and Supernatu…

“I give him ten hours to live.” That’s what the doctor …

www.goodreads.com

 

[Cathode]

I had always been a believer, but when I was young I had gotten wealthy in mining exploration and my life was focused on the worldly things. The mining down turn happened and I lost everything.

I ended up working as a mall cleaner in semi rural shopping centre, and I saw people I knew each day from old school days and it was deep humiliation to be where I was and saw them laughing and smirking about it. I was supposed to be the high flyer business man with mining contracts.

There I was scraping gum off the floors, reduced very low.

One day I was praying in my mind and spot cleaning on the mall. And I said “ Jesus, I love you, praise you I bless you and adore you, but is this all there is to my life now, no plan at all? Do you even care about it?
I hadn’t walked 20 feet more and this woman came up to me saying excitedly “ I’ve got to tell you something, Jesus wants me to tell you something. Jesus wants me to tell you that He loves you and that He definitely has a plan for your life. Does this make sense? “

The whole time she was talking she was pushing me on the chest to the side of the mall and looking up at me straight in the eyes.

I said to her that I was just talking to Jesus about this in my head.

There have been many other powerful spiritual experiences, even encounters with angels that have helped me.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

I had always been a believer, but when I was young I had gotten wealthy in mining exploration and my life was focused on the worldly things. The mining down turn happened and I lost everything.

I ended up working as a mall cleaner in semi rural shopping centre, and I saw people I knew each day from old school days and it was deep humiliation to be where I was and saw them laughing and smirking about it. I was supposed to be the high flyer business man with mining contracts.

There I was scraping gum off the floors, reduced very low.

One day I was praying in my mind and spot cleaning on the mall. And I said “ Jesus, I love you, praise you I bless you and adore you, but is this all there is to my life now, no plan at all? Do you even care about it?
I hadn’t walked 20 feet more and this woman came up to me saying excitedly “ I’ve got to tell you something, Jesus wants me to tell you something. Jesus wants me to tell you that He loves you and that He definitely has a plan for your life. Does this make sense? “

The whole time she was talking she was pushing me on the chest to the side of the mall and looking up at me straight in the eyes.

I said to her that I was just talking to Jesus about this in my head.

There have been many other powerful spiritual experiences, even encounters with angels that have helped me.

Interisting… completely alien to Spinozas

Here is what I wonder about.

There are people that criticize historic efforts by the US at “state building“ around the globe. Whether the intentions were right or wrong, history has certainly shown that the EXECUTION has certainly proven “worse” for the people living there than the prior conditions in some cases. This suggests that at least SOME “state building” is wrong. Somalia is certainly an example where the lives of the average person has not improved from “regime change”.

If we focus on the ”Americas”, we see “state building” efforts under way by external players like Russia and China and Iran. We see the life of the average citizen under many of these experiments have suffered in a way similar to the failed efforts at U.S. “nation building”. Venezuela (prior to and ignoring the US intervention) certainly illustrates this in a manner similar to Somalia … people were forced to eat pets to survive.

QUESTION 1:
The US certainly has the ABILITY to challenge foreign “state building” efforts in the Americas (where these efforts by stated enemies of the USA are to create problems for the USA). Should the USA defend itself by defending its neighbors? Is it reasonable? Is it justified? Is it moral?

QUESTION 2:
If it is reasonable for the USA to do “something”, what are the limits of that “something”? Should we demand FRIENDLY governments? Should we demand true DEMOCRACIES and accept the self-determination of those people? Should we seek to counter foreign influence but accept HOSTILE Despots? Should we accept outside influence and treat the “American” nations as enemy combatants?

Fascinating!

Completely alien to Spinoza theology ( that there is no personal God)

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Then what does RC practice do to reinforce your understanding?

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Frankly, I don’t experience God like that… I do believe he requires ( needs) people on earth to step up and bring heaven to earth. And that ain’t easy. IOW, I gotta help Him achieve his goals… which I’m not interested in pursuing right now. If he wanted my help he could have given me my wife for me to cope and he didn’t .. he took her. So let him struggle himself… I’m done with him. Let it burn.

 

[Cathode]

Frankly, I don’t experience God like that… I do believe he requires ( needs) people on earth to step up and bring heaven to earth. And that ain’t easy. IOW, I gotta help Him achieve his goals… which I’m not interested in pursuing right now. If he wanted my help he could have given me my wife for me to cope and he didn’t .. he took her. So let him struggle himself… I’m done with him. Let it burn.

I’ve been there mate.

In the midst of life we are in death. Very painful things happen that we don’t understand now.

But if the only women we ever truly loved are in Heaven with The Lord in eternal happiness we should be happy.

My whole life choked in the loss, I was in horrendous pain and haunted by what should have been happy memories.

I had to step out of myself and examine this pain as a neutral observer.
Exquisite pain ment that I truly loved I realised.
Jesus went through exquisite pain for all of us but at a level that we need an eternity to understand.

But every pain we suffer here reminds us that this is not our home and not to get comfortable here as if it was.
This is the valley tears, and any joys we had here are a pure bonus.

Jesus as our brother tries to warn us that everything is passing and to follow Him out of here.
Talk to The Father each morning and submit yourself to His Holy and perfect Will, things will change.

 

[Ben1445]

2 Samuel 22:25-28
Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness;
according to my cleanness in his eye sight.
With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful,
and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.
With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure;
and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.
And the afflicted people thou wilt save:
but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

I’ve been there mate.

In the midst of life we are in death. Very painful things happen that we don’t understand now.

But if the only women we ever truly loved are in Heaven with The Lord in eternal happiness we should be happy.

My whole life choked in the loss, I was in horrendous pain and haunted by what should have been happy memories.

I had to step out of myself and examine this pain as a neutral observer.
Exquisite pain ment that I truly loved I realised.
Jesus went through exquisite pain for all of us but at a level that we need an eternity to understand.

But every pain we suffer here reminds us that this is not our home and not to get comfortable here as if it was.
This is the valley tears, and any joys we had here are a pure bonus.

Jesus as our brother tries to warn us that everything is passing and to follow Him out of here.
Talk to The Father each morning and submit yourself to His Holy and perfect Will, things will change.

So you don’t believe that earth is our final journey?

 

[Ben1445]

John 11:25
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

1 Corinthians 2:9
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

 

[Cathode]

So you don’t believe that earth is our final journey?

Not this earth. Every is passing, we need to stand and act as if all is passing and not get comfortable here. There is a massive war on.
We need to be shaken out of this, our lives are very short no matter how long we may feel it is.
Everything is very serious.

 

[Cathode]

Do not let the evil one discourage you and drive a wedge between you and the Father.

Trust the Father even more in great difficulties, pain and grief. He is working a perfect plan and we don’t have the capacity to see or understand it.

Our lot is just to trust Him.

We were never in charge, none of us ever were in charge of anything.

The whole world will panic and despair at events to come, but not you. You will know and trust the Father and be at peace.

 

[Cathode]

Then what does RC practice do to reinforce your understanding?

What do you mean?

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Do not let the evil one discourage you and drive a wedge between you and the Father.

Trust the Father even more in great difficulties, pain and grief. He is working a perfect plan and we don’t have the capacity to see or understand it.

Our lot is just to trust Him.

We were never in charge, none of us ever were in charge of anything.

The whole world will panic and despair at events to come, but not you. You will know and trust the Father and be at peace.

Ahhh, he is in the process once again of taking another family member via breast cancer… and so you want me to trust in him? My prayers don’t help, nobody gets life, just disastrous sickness leading to inevitable painful death. There is no conquest… better to die quickly. I’m through with supplications & prayers, they accomplish nothing. So why should I honor, pray, believe when he brings pain & death. I don’t see the purpose in it. I HONOR LIFE. So if it’s short, then live it to its fullest. Do not waste your time honoring death, heaven, etc. He created this world, now get what you pay for … and don’t rely on me to make it a better place so you could realize your dreams of heaven on earth… I’m done with you. How absurd to believe in this world capable of existence above heaven. That’s not Conquest…. It’s a dream not possible in man’s lifetime.

 

[Ben1445]

Ahhh, he is in the process once again of taking another family member via breast cancer… and so you want me to trust in him? My prayers don’t help, nobody gets life, just disastrous sickness leading to inevitable painful death. There is no conquest… better to die quickly. I’m through with supplications & prayers, they accomplish nothing. So why should I honor, pray, believe when he brings pain & death. I don’t see the purpose in it. I HONOR LIFE. So if it’s short, then live it to its fullest. Do not waste your time honoring death, heaven, etc. He created this world, now get what you pay for … and don’t rely on me to make it a better place so you could realize your dreams of heaven on earth… I’m done with you. How absurd to believe in this world capable of existence above heaven. That’s not Conquest…. It’s a dream not possible in man’s lifetime.

You can’t blackmail God into doing what you want Him to do. Honor Him.
God created this world. It would be absurd indeed to think that God would allow what this world has become to be the pinnacle of His work. There is better to come. Hope in the Lord.

 

[Ben1445]

1 Corinthians 15:19
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

 

[Cathode]

Ahhh, he is in the process once again of taking another family member via breast cancer… and so you want me to trust in him? My prayers don’t help, nobody gets life, just disastrous sickness leading to inevitable painful death. There is no conquest… better to die quickly. I’m through with supplications & prayers, they accomplish nothing. So why should I honor, pray, believe when he brings pain & death. I don’t see the purpose in it. I HONOR LIFE. So if it’s short, then live it to its fullest. Do not waste your time honoring death, heaven, etc. He created this world, now get what you pay for … and don’t rely on me to make it a better place so you could realize your dreams of heaven on earth… I’m done with you. How absurd to believe in this world capable of existence above heaven. That’s not Conquest…. It’s a dream not possible in man’s lifetime.

The more heavily invested in this world we are, the less we see the spiritual.
Everyone dies, everyone suffers.

We are not made for this world. If we were then yes, every death and every suffering would be a tragedy.
Thankfully death is not the end, and these sufferings are short and passing. Life is very short.

A mature Faith is built on Rock, the storm comes the winds blow but the house stands.
We must also have a mature understanding of our lives and its significance, and God’s Great Plan.

If any man wishes to follow Christ, first he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily. The Cross is not fun, it’s heavy and it hurts.

We can not be childish anymore, we must stand maturely in the Faith and trust in bad times and the good.

“Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?”

God was never to blame, it is man’s ways that are unjust, man is suffering for his sins.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

I’m sorry Cathode, I know you grew up and believe In the Roman Catholic Church… and so did I. My family lived and breathed it and I was born before the Vatican 2 era so I know allot about it,,and I’m not unsympathetic to the people being fed theology and dogma by them. But we must all grow up sometime. But I don’t buy it anymore, nore do I buy most of the Church Inc in the American country. My eyes are wide open to the nonsense of perpetuating of hoax to well meaning ppl searching for God ( and never finding that elusive character in the sky).

I’m almost 70, life is short so I’m going to brake the rules, stop and smell every rose, forgive quickly, love honestly & laugh till it hurts. For to see the absurdity of life, what else can one do?

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

The more heavily invested in this world we are, the less we see the spiritual.
Everyone dies, everyone suffers.

We are not made for this world. If we were then yes, every death and every suffering would be a tragedy.
Thankfully death is not the end, and these sufferings are short and passing. Life is very short.

A mature Faith is built on Rock, the storm comes the winds blow but the house stands.
We must also have a mature understanding of our lives and its significance, and God’s Great Plan.

If any man wishes to follow Christ, first he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily. The Cross is not fun, it’s heavy and it hurts.

We can not be childish anymore, we must stand maturely in the Faith and trust in bad times and the good.

“Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?”

God was never to blame, it is man’s ways that are unjust, man is suffering for his sins.

Sorry, I’m not buying that Thomas a Kempis / RCC approach to life anymore … that you must carry your cross every day… in fact I don’t wear any cross any more. And if I did wear anything … well the Orthodox have a metal proclaiming Christs as the supreme conquered of life, death and ultimately of sin. Come to think of it I haven’t spoken to the Greek Orthodox yet… at least with them I’d be well fed.