QUESTIONING

[American_heavy]

Hi all,
So this is my first post here and I post here now for a good reason. I've always tried to be on straight and narrow but I have lost my way.
I have always had one thing holding me back....

The darkness, it intrigues me in a way that God never has. Demons spirits and witchcraft. It all holds my attention. Every time I have tried to focus on God. The draw back to witchcraft and darkness brings me back.

Now I'm to the point were I want to believe God is real but I've felt more going the other way than with God. I have sincerely tried to focus on God but I felt like there was nothing there like I was talking to myself.

 

[TuxAme]

What is it about the occult that attracts you, and what do you think is making you push God away?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Call on Jesus. He alone can save you. Renounce all the darkness and everything associated with the darkness. Give up everything, if you want to follow Jesus and if you want to be Jesus' disciple.

 

[paul1149]

Isn't the existence of the occult a pretty strong argument for the existence of God?

 

[Albion]

Isn't the existence of the occult a pretty strong argument for the existence of God?

Agreed. If there is a supernatural realm occupied by demons, the spirits of the dead, and so on, it follows that a supernatural supreme being can also be real.

 

[Chris V++]

The darkness, it intrigues me in a way that God never has. Demons spirits and witchcraft

You are taking a big risk with the occult. Have you actually tried witchcraft?

 

[Basil the Great]

They do not have your best interests in mind.

Hi all,
So this is my first post here and I post here now for a good reason. I've always tried to be on straight and narrow but I have lost my way.
I have always had one thing holding me back....

The darkness, it intrigues me in a way that God never has. Demons spirits and witchcraft. It all holds my attention. Every time I have tried to focus on God. The draw back to witchcraft and darkness brings me back.

Now I'm to the point were I want to believe God is real but I've felt more going the other way than with God. I have sincerely tried to focus on God but I felt like there was nothing there like I was talking to myself.

Welcome to the forums and let me be the first to wish you a happy and healthy 2019! Now, if I were you, I would stay away from the forces of darkness. Trust me, they do not have your best interests in mind. May God bless you and guide you.

 

[WESTOZZIE]

Hi all,
So this is my first post here and I post here now for a good reason. I've always tried to be on straight and narrow but I have lost my way.
I have always had one thing holding me back....

The darkness, it intrigues me in a way that God never has. Demons spirits and witchcraft. It all holds my attention. Every time I have tried to focus on God. The draw back to witchcraft and darkness brings me back.

Now I'm to the point were I want to believe God is real but I've felt more going the other way than with God. I have sincerely tried to focus on God but I felt like there was nothing there like I was talking to myself.

If you want witchcraft and darkness for your life then God will not stop you...you will have to reap the consequences...but not only you, also your children will reap it as well! Paul preached in Ephesus and God granted them all repentance and faith in Jesus Christ...The demons of witchcraft knew who Paul was and were afraid of him

Act 19:17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
Act 19:18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.
Act 19:19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.
Act 19:20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

I pray that the fear of God would come upon you just like it did on them.

 

[Sanoy]

Because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross we can now choose between two fathers. The father you are seeking in these occult things will bind you down and carry you with him into the grave. None of what you seek to do is without consequences upon your freedom. The one you are hesitant about will not bind you, He will give you life for He loved you enough to die for you while you were a sinner and set you free from the captivity of the other father. You are at the cross roads of a life altering choice, choose your father well. If you want to choose your father in heaven you must renounce those other things. The abyss that you peek into with interest stares back at you and restrains your heart from God, renounce it if you seek your father in heaven.

 

[American_heavy]

Thanks for the replies,
Let me clarify, I dont practice any of that stuff but it does interest me such. That being said my wife and I are usually the people tht go to church every weekend or so and I'm 28 and spent the first part of my life seeking jesus. Although the pull to darkness was there I stayed on track. But I never felt at home in church and never felt anything while praying or being a Christian
I did study witchcraft/astral plane amoung other religions but was scared to give it a try. I want a relationship with God but feel more alone when I'm there and I also do believe in God but I'm wondering more and more if the Christian interpretation of God is correct. How could such a loving God not let me feel his presence or validate that I'm his. Why dont I feel changed or anything like Christians always go on about the sudden 180 change they did compared to where they was.

 

[Chris V++]

There's some very mystical aspects to Christianity and I'm learning lately quite a few different Christian interpretations of God and a very wide spectrum of beliefs within Christianity. Isn't the astral plane really another description of the spirit world and the Heavens? I remember they used to talk about the 'silver cord' and astral projection out of body experiences and I came to learn that silver cord is mentioned in the Bible. In Acts the Apostles went around healing, and speaking in tongues, and casting out demons. I used to be into the New Age religion and transcendental meditation. It's seductive by invites demons into your life. Please never stop seeking Jesus.

Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed,
Or the golden bowl is broken,
Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,
Or the wheel broken at the well.
Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
And the spirit will return to God who gave it.
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“All is vanity.” Ecc 12 6-7

 

[Tolworth John]

But I never felt at home in church and never felt anything while praying or being a Christian

You discribe yourself as a 'seeker' a seeker of what?

If you are serious about seeking Jesus I've a few suggestions:-
checkout the christianityexplored website for a church running this course and sign up.
Get an every day with Jesus set of bible reading notes and read them and the bible daily.
Talk to the minister of the church doing the christianity explored and attend that church.
Abandon all interest in the occult etc.

 

[Serving Zion]

Thanks for the replies,
Let me clarify, I dont practice any of that stuff but it does interest me such. That being said my wife and I are usually the people tht go to church every weekend or so and I'm 28 and spent the first part of my life seeking jesus. Although the pull to darkness was there I stayed on track. But I never felt at home in church and never felt anything while praying or being a Christian
I did study witchcraft/astral plane amoung other religions but was scared to give it a try. I want a relationship with God but feel more alone when I'm there and I also do believe in God but I'm wondering more and more if the Christian interpretation of God is correct. How could such a loving God not let me feel his presence or validate that I'm his. Why dont I feel changed or anything like Christians always go on about the sudden 180 change they did compared to where they was.

King Nebuchadnezzar did not know God, but he believed in the supernatural, with a polytheistic view. He was consulting the religious experts: astrologers, magicians, soothsayers, and yet the four of God's Judean prophets were not described in that way. If you read Daniel chapters 1 and 2, it shows how Daniel actually saved the lives of the false prophets. You might recognise that there is division in Christianity too, showing that there are many diversions from the authentic way of God’s prophets.. and yet, I wouldn't quickly say that they are astrologers, magicians and soothsayers (though I have seen Christians using the same techniques at times, in their ignorance). So they are blind guides, known by their fruits (John 12:35). You could find wisdom by understanding the meaning of post #7 (Proverbs 15:3).

 

[Sketcher]

Thanks for the replies,
Let me clarify, I dont practice any of that stuff but it does interest me such. That being said my wife and I are usually the people tht go to church every weekend or so and I'm 28 and spent the first part of my life seeking jesus. Although the pull to darkness was there I stayed on track. But I never felt at home in church and never felt anything while praying or being a Christian
I did study witchcraft/astral plane amoung other religions but was scared to give it a try. I want a relationship with God but feel more alone when I'm there and I also do believe in God but I'm wondering more and more if the Christian interpretation of God is correct. How could such a loving God not let me feel his presence or validate that I'm his. Why dont I feel changed or anything like Christians always go on about the sudden 180 change they did compared to where they was.

What kind of church do you attend?
Do you believe that Jesus died and rose again on the third day?

 

[aiki]

Hi all,
So this is my first post here and I post here now for a good reason. I've always tried to be on straight and narrow but I have lost my way.
I have always had one thing holding me back....

The darkness, it intrigues me in a way that God never has. Demons spirits and witchcraft. It all holds my attention. Every time I have tried to focus on God. The draw back to witchcraft and darkness brings me back.

Now I'm to the point were I want to believe God is real but I've felt more going the other way than with God. I have sincerely tried to focus on God but I felt like there was nothing there like I was talking to myself.

The Bible says that the devil blinds and deafens the lost person to the things of God. Is it any wonder, then, that you feel as you do toward Him? Scripture also says you have been "taken captive" by the devil and are under his power until such time as you forsake him and in love yield your life to God. And when you do, God puts you on "the straight and narrow" instead of you trying to do so.

 

[chilehed]

How could such a loving God not let me feel his presence or validate that I'm his.

Sometimes it's for your own good. It's not at all unknown.

The real point isn't about what we feel, because our feelings often lie to us and in our fallen state we're attracted to evil. It's really about participating in and cooperating with God's grace, so that we can be conformed to Him. And if we allow the process to start even if we are repulsed by it, so much the greater will be our reward.

 

[sea5763]

To be honest I used to try to do telepathy for hours and hours in high school because I wanted to know why all the kids at school hated me so much. My mom asked me to try to talk to her dead father once. I never drew magic circles or read magic books but I should have known better. I kind of got the feeling that I shouldn’t be doing these things but I did them anyways. Now I have to take meds or else I hear voices that cause me to become delusional and destroy my life. Perhaps it’s just biological because hearing voices happens to a lot of people that did no such thing.

However nothing good comes from the occult. Maybe a few cheap parlor tricks that often escalate to hauntings that get out of control in a very terrifying way for most people. But if you’re interested in true power you should follow God. The devil is a vanquished foe. I still like watching shows about the paranormal both in hauntings and through Christian prayers. I’ve seen a couple of paranormal things myself while hearing voices but I’m telling you it’s not worth it.

 

[John 1720]

Hi all,
So this is my first post here and I post here now for a good reason. I've always tried to be on straight and narrow but I have lost my way.
I have always had one thing holding me back....

The darkness, it intrigues me in a way that God never has. Demons spirits and witchcraft. It all holds my attention. Every time I have tried to focus on God. The draw back to witchcraft and darkness brings me back.

Now I'm to the point were I want to believe God is real but I've felt more going the other way than with God. I have sincerely tried to focus on God but I felt like there was nothing there like I was talking to myself.

Hi American Heavy,
Spiritual warfare is real. It sounds like there is a battle going on for your soul. That is reall - the Gospel of John tells us:

• John 3:16-21 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

It would seem like the issue here is one of repenting of the works of darkness and not understanding that its hold upon you is enslaving you like a drug dealer enslaves an addict. Many Christians in the 1st and 2nd century were delivered from witchcraft and magical arts. Justin Martyr mentions this was the case. So, you can be a child of God and have the living Christ in your heart and soul. God will not coerce you however. I will pray for you but the decision to repent and ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life is up to you. I implore you that you do not treat that blessing of salvation as something cheap and sell out like Esau sold his birthright for a mere meal to satisfy his appetite. I will pray for you that the enemy would be bound and the way would be open to you in Jesus Name.
Amen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDnA_coA168