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Talents - Does God take them away?

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Christownsme

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I was born with a couple of talents God gave me - I've been a musician, and I have a high IQ so I'm good at math and physics, stuff like that. Early in my life I used these talents and acquired friends, money, some fame, travels overseas, recording and touring. With the math and physics I set up my own recording studio, and it kind of takes a math mind to do this. So I've used my talents very well. Except recently...

My question revolves around what has come over me recently. I don't know if I need a tweak in my meds (see my diagnosis below), or what. But I am afraid to use my talents, except not like the guy with one talent in Matthew 25:25. He was afraid because he had no faith in his master. I'm afraid because my body and mind hurt. I do the best I can, but something's wrong and I need healing of some sort. What good is my talent if I can't use it? I want to so badly, but my mind aches and so does my body. I've been to doctors, no one knows what to do. Does God take talents away, for a good reason even? Or is it happening because we live in a fallen world, and sin causes problems for everyone in different ways, like this?
 

thesunisout

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I was born with a couple of talents God gave me - I've been a musician, and I have a high IQ so I'm good at math and physics, stuff like that. Early in my life I used these talents and acquired friends, money, some fame, travels overseas, recording and touring. With the math and physics I set up my own recording studio, and it kind of takes a math mind to do this. So I've used my talents very well. Except recently...

My question revolves around what has come over me recently. I don't know if I need a tweak in my meds (see my diagnosis below), or what. But I am afraid to use my talents, except not like the guy with one talent in Matthew 25:25. He was afraid because he had no faith in his master. I'm afraid because my body and mind hurt. I do the best I can, but something's wrong and I need healing of some sort. What good is my talent if I can't use it? I want to so badly, but my mind aches and so does my body. I've been to doctors, no one knows what to do. Does God take talents away, for a good reason even? Or is it happening because we live in a fallen world, and sin causes problems for everyone in different ways, like this?

You are experiencing demonic oppression. Watch this video:

Courtroom of Freedom- Don Dickerman Part 1 - YouTube

Courtroom of Freedom Part 2.mov - YouTube
 
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7angel

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I was born with a couple of talents God gave me - I've been a musician, and I have a high IQ so I'm good at math and physics, stuff like that. Early in my life I used these talents and acquired friends, money, some fame, travels overseas, recording and touring. With the math and physics I set up my own recording studio, and it kind of takes a math mind to do this. So I've used my talents very well. Except recently...

My question revolves around what has come over me recently. I don't know if I need a tweak in my meds (see my diagnosis below), or what. But I am afraid to use my talents, except not like the guy with one talent in Matthew 25:25. He was afraid because he had no faith in his master. I'm afraid because my body and mind hurt. I do the best I can, but something's wrong and I need healing of some sort. What good is my talent if I can't use it? I want to so badly, but my mind aches and so does my body. I've been to doctors, no one knows what to do. Does God take talents away, for a good reason even? Or is it happening because we live in a fallen world, and sin causes problems for everyone in different ways, like this?

How long do you have these problems psychics?

You should try to locate the exact date. but do not say

Once you locate - I'll tell you more
 
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Christownsme

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How do you know it's demonic oppression and not something else? Did you see that I am mentally disabled and therefore I have oppression from devils? Mental disorders are not from demonic oppression, no more than the common cold is. I'm not disagreeing with you altogether, I just want to know why you showed me these videos in the first place.
 
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Born_of_Fire

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I'm doubting it has anything to do with demonic oppression. I don't think that God takes away talents. I think it's the same as the reason children are born with disabilities. We live in a fallen world and this is just a byproduct of it. I have a cousin who is bipolar. His is very extreme. You have my prayers.
 
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thesunisout

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Demonic oppression is actually very common in the body of Christ, but it is the forbidden subject no one talks about. I showed you those videos because you said you are going downhill in your walk instead of uphill. That is oppression, and not the will of God.

Mental illness can be symptomatic of demonic oppression as well. God gave us the spirit of a sound mind:

2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

I won't say all of it is demonic, but from personal experience, at least some of it is. Yes, we live in a fallen world, but there is a spiritual component going on because the mind, will and emotions belong to the soul and not the flesh. It's not just a problem with your brain, it is also a spiritual problem. Christ cast out demons that were creating illnesses in people, so demons do cause these sorts of problems. In all cases, God wants to deliver you and heal you, which is why I recommended the videos.

This world likes to label what it doesn't understand. The real problem is that when you open certain doors, you give Satan legal rights. If you have any unforgiveness, for instance. Look at this parable:

21Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?


22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

23Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

25But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

26The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

27Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

28But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

29And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

31So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

32Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

33Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

34And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

This parable plainly states that if you do not forgive from your heart those who have trespassed against you, you will be delivered to the tormentors to be tortured until you forgive them. Meaning, when you have unforgiveness demons have a legal right to come agaisnt you. That's just unforgiveness. There are many other sins that can open doors. What you need to do is figure out what they are and close the doors and evict your unwanted houseguests.

How do you know it's demonic oppression and not something else? Did you see that I am mentally disabled and therefore I have oppression from devils? Mental disorders are not from demonic oppression, no more than the common cold is. I'm not disagreeing with you altogether, I just want to know why you showed me these videos in the first place.
 
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tackattack

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I am of a different opinon than most who have posted thus far. I believe God makes us, from birth, perfect for His purposes. My brother almost died at birth and had a terrible learning disability due to brain damage. We went through training and seizures and horribly traumatic potentially death inducing doctor visits. All of that was used for God's glory 21 years later. All the knowledge learned and training helped save life of a girl in the youth group of our church, not to mention the years of testimony. So I'm of the opinion the God creates us exactly with everything necessary to fufill His purpose in our lives. I think Genesis 1:27,31 and Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 says it well enough for me.

As far as your questions on talents here's what I've seen working in the body of Christ. Talents are something I personally consider different from Spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are good and perfect gifts empowered through the Holy Spirit and are pure and should have no part of us in it. They're talked about in many places like James 1:17, 1 Corinthians 14:12 and Romans 12:6-8. He also builds us with all the tools necessary to fufill His purpose for us, and theese tools are talents; what you described I would consider talents. Those are things that are build by God and used by us and should be goverened by the rule Colossians 3:23-24 and seem to be influenced by how we were raised, education, physical health etc. Spiritual gifts tend to adjust with what the Spirit has a use for you at that particular moment. That like most things Spiritual I've found, are seasonal. Just my 2 cents.
 
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thesunisout

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Consider this case:

http://www.rense.com/general63/brain.htm

The man described was born with approximately 1 millimeter of cerebral tissue resting atop his spinal column, yet lived a normal life and had an IQ of 126. It's a condition known as hydrocephalus, and it is not rare that a person can be born with no detectable brain but have a sound mind and live a perfectly normal life.

This speaks to the fact of what I was saying earlier, that your flesh is not the center of consciousness, and that your mind will and emotions are in the soul. If someone can have no detectable brain yet have a normal mind, then a person who is mentally ill is not that way because of an abnormal mind, but rather because of an abnormality in the soul.

This comes from demonic oppression because God gives us a spirit of a sound mind. Children as old as two and three have reported being under demonic attack, so this is something which can start very young. A person growing up the way assumes it is normal to be that way, and they hear the medical establishment saying this is normal, and even Christians saying that, so therefore they believe they have just been dealt a bad hand and live with it.

Consider the meaning of this healing:

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

She was crippled because of demonic oppression, and God did not consider that perfect; He cast the demon out of her. It's clear that her condition was directly caused by Satan. Our God is a healer, and sickness is not a foregone conclusion. Yes, He may use certain things to glorify His name, but never consider sickness perfect, because God didn't leave people sick when He came..He healed them.

Acts 10:38

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him

Notice how it says "healing" those who were "oppressed" of the devil? The fact is, according to scripture, demons can cause these kinds of issues. Just because you're born again doesn't mean you aren't being oppressed. God Himself has said that if you harbor unforgiveness in your heart He will deliver you over to Satan to be tortured until you change your ways. Paul gave one of his church members over to Satan because of disobedience to purify him. So, again this is something that is biblical, and something I have personally encountered. I just spoke to a Christian who had fallen away for a little while and as a result he had demonic oppression. He said once he fell away he had a voice in his ear encouraging him to do all of the terrible stuff he was doing, and when he was delivered the bible he was touching burnt his hands. He also verified that demons were cast out of him. It's real and far more common than you think, but as a church we have become ignorant to this issue, which is exactly what Satan wants.

Hosea 4:6

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.


I am of a different opinon than most who have posted thus far. I believe God makes us, from birth, perfect for His purposes. My brother almost died at birth and had a terrible learning disability due to brain damage. We went through training and seizures and horribly traumatic potentially death inducing doctor visits. All of that was used for God's glory 21 years later. All the knowledge learned and training helped save life of a girl in the youth group of our church, not to mention the years of testimony. So I'm of the opinion the God creates us exactly with everything necessary to fufill His purpose in our lives. I think Genesis 1:27,31 and Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 says it well enough for me.

As far as your questions on talents here's what I've seen working in the body of Christ. Talents are something I personally consider different from Spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are good and perfect gifts empowered through the Holy Spirit and are pure and should have no part of us in it. They're talked about in many places like James 1:17, 1 Corinthians 14:12 and Romans 12:6-8. He also builds us with all the tools necessary to fufill His purpose for us, and theese tools are talents; what you described I would consider talents. Those are things that are build by God and used by us and should be goverened by the rule Colossians 3:23-24 and seem to be influenced by how we were raised, education, physical health etc. Spiritual gifts tend to adjust with what the Spirit has a use for you at that particular moment. That like most things Spiritual I've found, are seasonal. Just my 2 cents.
 
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srdenelsbeck

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I don't mean this to sound rude or unsympathetic, but simply to speak to you straightforwardly, in plain terms, because I'm detecting a little bit of a pattern here.

I think you have a misguided or skewed view of what God's role in your life is and what God should "be responsible for."

I've seen your diagnosis before it was removed and the list of medications that you're taking, but God didn't give you that diagnosis nor did He put you on medication. We, the simple children of God, have developed and grown in our understanding of life and how we can better manage it, but we've also declined in our respect for the Lord and for one-another. We've advanced immeasurable amounts in the realms of science, but sometimes we've gone in unnatural directions and lost focus on what God intended for us.

Having said that, it's reasonable to assume that your diagnosis and medications will make changes to your skills, understandings, comprehensions, and your talents. Life is an ever-changing journey and along the way we will lose some things and gain others. It becomes a choice as to whether you will focus on what is no longer there or if you will open your eyes to what is ready to be gained. God will present you with options, but you have to be open and willing to see them, and that takes faith and trust.

You seem to be at a point right now where you have a lot of questions and doubts - many of us have been there - and you're not sure about too many things. You're looking at your life, looking to your past and where things have gotten you to today, and you're wondering why things are the way they are. God is reaching His hand out to you, and you're afraid to take it fully into yours and walk with Him fearlessly.

God is not our servant, but we are His. God owes us nothing, we owe Him everything. God does not "take our talents from us," he reveals that we can survive, grow, and prosper without them by finding new ones and by learning how to help others deal with the losses that life brings.


I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Philippians 4:12-13

 
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twannnng

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I've had similar fears to you for the last decade now. In fact I was tormented by fears that it would happen. I lived moment to moment in ecstasies of terror because of it. Im not a bible believing christian but I will quote you or rather paraphrase. [what god gives god doesnt take away] pretty succint. God nor man will take away your talents. Its an integral indivisible part of who you are and an essential part of your destiny.
I would wager that its the meds that are making you feel like that. I was on antipsychotics which I imagine your on and they suppress dopaminergic and serotonergic activity in the brain. While this can sweep psychosis under the rug so to speak it also dulls one's thinking process. Dont stop taking the meds however. Just push on and eventually it passes and you wont experience any ill effects at all.

Christians need to stop attributing spiritual causes to purely material phenomena. Its incredibly harmful and that kind of associative thinking destroyed my faith. Occam's razor lovelies
 
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thesunisout

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I've had similar fears to you for the last decade now. In fact I was tormented by fears that it would happen. I lived moment to moment in ecstasies of terror because of it. Im not a bible believing christian but I will quote you or rather paraphrase. [what god gives god doesnt take away] pretty succint. God nor man will take away your talents. Its an integral indivisible part of who you are and an essential part of your destiny.
I would wager that its the meds that are making you feel like that. I was on antipsychotics which I imagine your on and they suppress dopaminergic and serotonergic activity in the brain. While this can sweep psychosis under the rug so to speak it also dulls one's thinking process. Dont stop taking the meds however. Just push on and eventually it passes and you wont experience any ill effects at all.

Christians need to stop attributing spiritual causes to purely material phenomena. Its incredibly harmful and that kind of associative thinking destroyed my faith. Occam's razor lovelies

Yet, all material phenomena has a spiritual cause, that is God. Why would your faith be destroyed over the ultimate causation of material phenomena? Scripture says that God has made the truth plain to you and you are suppressing it due to sin. The question is, why would you reject Jesus, who truly loves you and died for your sins?
 
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twannnng

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Confrontational conversion does nothing but drive a wedge between preacher and congregation. However I know you mean well so i'll let it fly. Im not rejecting Christ at all. In fact im in the process of rediscovering my faith. Its not something im willing to just jump in gung ho - its a real commitment. I refuse to be a flim flam christian. If I pledge myself to Christ it will be without reservation.
By attributing say cancer to spiritual causes you actually set medicine back millenia. Cancer is caused by a proliferation of cancerous cells. There is no spiritual cause as such . Yes spirituality encompasses all things but there is a divide between the spiritual and the material. This is why Christians are urged to seperate themselves from the world. The spiritual world influences the material world but the two are twain. Transfigured Christians are not taken up bodily for example they are "changed" in some noetic way.
This seperation of mind and body is a debate which has been waged for centuries anyway. The dualist and materialism schools of thought are locked in stalemate.
 
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thesunisout

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Confrontational conversion does nothing but drive a wedge between preacher and congregation. However I know you mean well so i'll let it fly. Im not rejecting Christ at all. In fact im in the process of rediscovering my faith. Its not something im willing to just jump in gung ho - its a real commitment. I refuse to be a flim flam christian. If I pledge myself to Christ it will be without reservation.
By attributing say cancer to spiritual causes you actually set medicine back millenia. Cancer is caused by a proliferation of cancerous cells. There is no spiritual cause as such . Yes spirituality encompasses all things but there is a divide between the spiritual and the material. This is why Christians are urged to seperate themselves from the world. The spiritual world influences the material world but the two are twain. Transfigured Christians are not taken up bodily for example they are "changed" in some noetic way.
This seperation of mind and body is a debate which has been waged for centuries anyway. The dualist and materialism schools of thought are locked in stalemate.

I'm glad to hear you are coming back to Christ, brother. Welcome home. I applaud that you are treating this as the most serious of commitments, which it is. Jesus wants all of us, our whole life, not just what we want to spare to Him.

All of this death and disease that we have comes directly from the fall. It is not natural, per say. It is the result of the curse. We also know from scripture that demons can influence our physical health. So, while it may be tempting to attribute these things to happenstance, there is basis for believing that the causes can also be spiritual.

What scripture says is that all truth is spiritually discerned. For instance, the truth of our very being can only be known spiritually. Humans are triune beings, body soul and spirit. The body is simply the flesh, whereas the soul is our psyche, containing our mind, will and emotions. The spirit is at the center of our being, where the Holy Spirit indwells us. You can picture it like the tabernacle of God. The courtyard represents the flesh, the holy place represents the soul, and the holy of holies represents the dwelling of the spirit.

Ephesians 4:23

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

When we accept Christ, only our spirit is born again. The flesh and soul are still corrupt and that is why we work daily on our sanctification. It's in the mind that we fight this spiritual warfare.

So, the physical flesh is the lowest order of our being. We have to consider the spiritual aspects and bring healing to those if we hope to experience true healing in the physical. This is something only Christ can do, but we must release it to Him.
 
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twannnng

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Thanks for the welcome - heartwarming stuff :)
I do agree that physical illness can indeed be spiritual in nature - that is the illness itself is an expression of a deeper spiritual ailment. I have to say that the fall literal or metaphorical is the source of the various torments we all have to endure. The fall to me was the moment when the concept of evil first emerged in the mind of man. At that moment the forces of entropy set to work. The world is in constant flux between antrhropy and entropy love and hate mania and equanimity sickness and health. Ultimately everything can be reduced to spirit just as in quantum physics particles get smaller in infinite regression, matter gives way to energy gives way to spirit if you wish.
Thats the conclusion ive come to. The last year of my life has been unimaginably empty. Ive filled it with a tinkers yard of junk and to be honest things just went to absolute pot. But lately ive been on an upward curve and returning to things spiritual should be the culmination of that - its all I ever wanted anyways
 
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thesunisout

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:) It's heartwarming to see a brother return to the Lord. According to the parable of the prodigal son, it is a cause for celebration! Please feel free to message me anytime if you would like to discuss your renewed walk with the Lord, or anything else that's on your mind.

You have an interesting way of looking at the fall, and your metaphysical analysis has merit. I take the literal view, for that and the rest of the bible, but I recognize that everything also has an underlying spiritual meaning. According to scripture though, evil began in the heart of Satan when his pride got the better of him:

Ezekiel 28:15,17

Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

God said He set eternity in our hearts, and thus what we seek is an eternal satisfaction that only His love can give to us. We cannot get it from the world because everything in it is perishing, but in Him we find rest for our burdens, hope in His promises, and joy in His wonders. Our thirst is slaked at the wellspring of His living waters, that overflow in us unto life, everlasting.

So glad you could make it back brother. You are in my prayers.

Thanks for the welcome - heartwarming stuff :)
I do agree that physical illness can indeed be spiritual in nature - that is the illness itself is an expression of a deeper spiritual ailment. I have to say that the fall literal or metaphorical is the source of the various torments we all have to endure. The fall to me was the moment when the concept of evil first emerged in the mind of man. At that moment the forces of entropy set to work. The world is in constant flux between antrhropy and entropy love and hate mania and equanimity sickness and health. Ultimately everything can be reduced to spirit just as in quantum physics particles get smaller in infinite regression, matter gives way to energy gives way to spirit if you wish.
Thats the conclusion ive come to. The last year of my life has been unimaginably empty. Ive filled it with a tinkers yard of junk and to be honest things just went to absolute pot. But lately ive been on an upward curve and returning to things spiritual should be the culmination of that - its all I ever wanted anyways
 
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