Hysteria or Spirit

[Pedra]

I've seen ( experienced) some strange things from the spiritual realm, call it manifestations.

The Bible tells us to test the spirits , Ephesians 6 warns us that the devil schemes so not to be deceived & put on the full armor of GOD. The spiritual realm encompasses a broad range of experiences & manifestations from heaven or from demonic spirits.

 

[Dave G.]

The Bible tells us to test the spirits , Ephesians 6 warns us that the devil schemes so not to be deceived & put on the full armor of GOD. The spiritual realm encompasses a broad range of experiences & manifestations from heaven or from demonic spirits.

I know, that's why I said that I wonder " what is this". As I said those are experiences or manifestations outside church life. They are there, they happen and I don't automatically assume they are from God, in fact question it. Although ultimately you know God allows these things, so what it really boils down to is what's the message in this ? Usually the answer is trusting in Him.

 

[Pedra]

I know, that's why I said that I wonder " what is this". As I said those are experiences or manifestations outside church life. They are there, they happen and I don't automatically assume they are from God, in fact question it. Although ultimately you know God allows these things, so what it really boils down to is what's the message in this ? Usually the answer is trusting in Him.

The spiritual realm is a very complex topic. Most people lack spiritual discernment and are very gullible & easily taken in by anything that is from the non-physical realm. I think the answer is more often far more involved then just trusting in Him.

 

[Dave G.]

The spiritual realm is a very complex topic. Most people lack spiritual discernment and are very gullible & easily taken in by anything that is from the non-physical realm. I think the answer is more often far more involved then just trusting in Him.

Yes but you say that without knowing any circumstances leading up to that conclusion for me personally. If I have learned nothing else, I've learned to trust God. And it's not like what I experience is every day but maybe twice per decade or during some high or low point in my life. Just because something is different doesn't mean it's not of God and just because something looks good doesn't mean it's not of Satan. But ultimately God has His hand in both in some way. Ultimately He is at the helm, Satan can't do a thing without having his governor set so to speak ( think Job). So ya, we trust in God. The only question remaining from there is what is the purpose of this experience that God knows full well about. I love ( I mean truly love) where God shows up in Job and deflates everyone as He runs pages of " where were you when I did". I never suppose God isn't in something and I honestly believe there is a much closer correlation between good and evil than anyone of us really knows about. God is too vast, to much breadth and depth and height to even consider knowing Him "really" but we can trust and we can believe what He has written to us. In fact we are told to. Amen

 

[Pedra]

Yes but you say that without knowing any circumstances leading up to that conclusion for me personally. If I have learned nothing else, I've learned to trust God. And it's not like what I experience is every day but maybe twice per decade or during some high or low point in my life. Just because something is different doesn't mean it's not of God and just because something looks good doesn't mean it's not of Satan. But ultimately God has His hand in both in some way. Ultimately He is at the helm, Satan can't do a thing without having his governor set so to speak ( think Job). So ya, we trust in God. The only question remaining from there is what is the purpose of this experience that God knows full well about. I love ( I mean truly love) where God shows up in Job and deflates everyone as He runs pages of " where were you when I did". I never suppose God isn't in something and I honestly believe there is a much closer correlation between good and evil than anyone of us really knows about. God is too vast, to much breadth and depth and height to even consider knowing Him "really" but we can trust and we can believe what He has written to us. In fact we are told to. Amen

I"m not judging you or your situation, I was speaking in general terms about the topic.

 

[The Righterzpen]

We are emotional beings and at times emotions will come to play. Even a dry old bones guy like me has his moment. i tried to go the charismatic route a long time ago and I liked it but...never slain in the spirit or speaking in tongues. I didn't throw my hand in the air and close my eyes and wave back and forth.

For me being filled with th eHoly Spirit is more like that awareness of a larger living force all around me and within me. But it is subtle. That's what makes it exquisite and easily unnoticed. I see other people easily brought to tears.

I guess we are all different.

Well, if you want an interesting Scriptural perspective on "slain in the spirit". Look through the Bible at all the examples of people who "fell before the Lord"; (it was always face down)! Now go and look up (there's only about 5 places in the Scripture) where people fall over backwards. It was always a sign of judgement!

Then if you want to investigate "speaking in tongues" too. There's a Scriptural principle that "out of the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses shall all things be established". Well, somewhere in the Scripture must be the 2nd or 3rd witness to what was going on in the Corinthian church. (Note that a lot of events / accounts of things that happened are found in more than one place in the Bible. ".... 2 or 3 witnesses.") Now go over to the book of Acts; "speaking in tongues" what was going on there? Clearly, they were speaking foreign languages.

So, unless a person is off in some remote corner of the world and suddenly starts speaking to the natives in their own language; never having learned it and not knowing what they are actually saying... they aint speaking in tongues!

What happened in the early church was an indication that the gospel would go into all the world. That's why they spoke foreign languages; (as opposed to gibberish today).

 

[~Anastasia~]

I've been in many kinds of churches and meetings and seen all kinds of things, experienced more than a few.

My conclusion is that there is very often a purposeful "drumming up" of an emotional response (often a sort of high) among the people. And yes, humans can easily get addicted to it and seek it for its own sake, even when they think they aren't.

God does sometimes do surprising things. But the enemy very frequently counterfeits and makes up his own manifestations and deceives many. Even people who are sure they have discernment are often deceived. I do believe God can prevent deception, but at times I also know He allows it - probably for the sake of ultimate good but we ought never to presume on Him.

An emotional response to God - or an unemotional one - can both be valid and depend on the person and what's going on spiritually. But the emotion should not be the focus, nor should we use it as a spiritual barometer. We should instead stay with what we KNOW and be skeptical in order to prevent deception.

That's my two cents' worth anyway.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

When something good happens to me or for me without me deserving it I attribute it to God's graciousness. Also when I have a near miss while driving i attribute it to God doing me a favor.

 

[JackRT]

Sounds like the "Toronto Blessing" from 20 years ago. It was a total deception and counterfeit of the Holy Spirit.

Went there once some 25 years ago. It was total bedlam. Mass hysteria is what I would call it. Saw nothing of Jesus there.

 

[The Righterzpen]

When something good happens to me or for me without me deserving it I attribute it to God's graciousness. Also when I have a near miss while driving i attribute it to God doing me a favor.

Agreed! Tis good not to be presumptuous upon God to think that He owes us anything!

He don't!