What exactly is a God experience?

[Mud Hole]

I would suspect so too. You will know the power of God when He speaks to you. If you want to hear from God, you need to approach the Bible n a manner expecting to hear what He says, but be warned. If He speaks to you and you don't listen then your heart will become hardened against Him. This is a bad thing because it takes a lot of humility to come back to Him after you have rejected Him. Sometimes God will tell us things that aren't what we might like to hear, but it is for our own good to accept what God says. For instance, one day He told me that to lust after other men was a bad thing and I rejected His advice for several years. Then one day I came groveling back to Him and accepted that ok I can't argue with God. So I would say to you that if you aren't grappling with something God has told you then it's probably some kind of physical disorder you are experiencing. Experiences with God will not make you wonder "Is this God" because you will know it is. It is possible it could be God's enemy trying to lure you into a false church. Yes, there are demons who run some of the churches, I have met one once upon a time and even Jesus says it in the Bible about some of the Jewish synagogues who are worshiping Stan.

That is what I figured as well. Thanks. I used to read the bible like that before, with the intention of receiving something.I think I have had enough bible to last a lifetime. I was a pretty rebellious kid and even when I wasn't, I spent a lot of time in trouble. My standard punishments were to hand write an entire chapter from the bible that was usually chosen based on what I did, and then recite it. When I screwed up I had to go back and write it again and again and again. I read scriptures here and there that I see but you won't catch me reading from the bible anymore. I don't really need to. I don't think I have to worry about a false church either. There are not enough wild horses to drag me into one these days.

 

[andreha]

This was interesting. So your experiences lie mostly with vocalization from yourself and from God and physical manifestation?

Was God ever less obvious for no particular reason? Maybe before you believed?

Well, I've had a few encounters where the Lord gave me prophetic insight into the exact meaning, persons involved and final outcome regarding people's lives, which turned out to be spot on. Other times, I'd speak over a situation in faith, and see it manifest in the physical soon afterwards. I see myself as a general purpose servant - I get what I need when I need it. I must say, the only time when God seemed less obvious to me was when I was 5 years old, and being tormented in my bed every night.

Lemme explain. I was a carefree 5 year old boy, until this horror came over me. See, every night, after going to sleep, I'd feel something grabbing me by the right leg, and shaking vigorously, until I awoke, in terror. Then, I'd feel a heavy weight on my chest, and be paralyzed from head to toe. The fear of death always accompanied it, as well as a burning sort of smell. I had no idea what to do, but knew my parents would never believe me. So there I was, suffering in silence, every single night. I became tired of life itself - rather harsh at age 5.

Anyway, as I started primary school, the first thing we were taught was about Jesus, and who He is. I had an epiphany, thinking "Hey, wait a minute. I'll ask Him for help, He'll understand." It felt like my heart was glowing with joy - for the first time ever. So, that night, same old routine - with a difference. I prayed, and asked the Lord to help me, explaining why He's my only hope. So, right after praying, I feel these awesome waves of energy flowing through me - it made me gasp with joy.

The next moment, I found myself standing upright in a dark place - not in my dimly lit bedroom anymore. There was a figure standing before me, with the most fantastically brilliant white light shining out of it. I felt the most wonderful sense of love, and just stared into the light in absolute awe. I felt peace come over me, and no more fear at all. I could actually "feel" the light shining through me, and warming me up gently. After some time, I felt this tug , at my back, pulling me away from this figure. The next moment, I felt incredible acceleration, and a few moments later, found myself back in my room. The sound of trumpets blowing caught my attention, slowly fading away. The next moment, a gentle voice said "Rest my child, it's over.". Over it was indeed - as those attacks ceased, never to return. This was 34 years ago. Since then, I became aware of a gentle, loving presence that would teach me, console me and give me insight. Only many years later on did I realize that this was God's Holy Spirit, and the waves of energy I felt that night was indeed the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

 

[razeontherock]

We aren't supposed to post here at all?

You're fine! This is your thread, you started it. You being the only unbeliever in this thread is how this sub-forum is supposed to work.

a beast not the beast. It means it is an exceptional talent, just slang.

Yes I know I'm a musician, and play with many monster players. I was just playing on words to make a point.

should someone improperly quote scripture I have a mental red flag that tells me where that scripture is and what part of it is wrong. That is just an uncanny ability that I possess, that has nothing to do with any of this though.

Don't be so quick to assume! I do hope Oi Antz reads this part, I'm curious what he might make of it. What I know from my own experience, is that G-d's Words can spring up within us, bringing a quality of Life that is Eternal in it's Nature. It's simply amazing stuff, and is what you want! Please know that all of us here do want you to experience this for yourself, although we probably all speak about it in different terms.

 

[oi_antz]

That is what I figured as well. Thanks. I used to read the bible like that before, with the intention of receiving something.I think I have had enough bible to last a lifetime. I was a pretty rebellious kid and even when I wasn't, I spent a lot of time in trouble. My standard punishments were to hand write an entire chapter from the bible that was usually chosen based on what I did, and then recite it. When I screwed up I had to go back and write it again and again and again. I read scriptures here and there that I see but you won't catch me reading from the bible anymore. I don't really need to. I don't think I have to worry about a false church either. There are not enough wild horses to drag me into one these days.

Don't misunderstand me. God speaks to us through the Bible. There is a difference between memorizing scripture and knowing what it means. Can you remember Romans 6:16? Do you know what it means?

What about 2 Corinthians 11:11-15? Do you understand what that means?

What about Hebrews 10:26-31? Do you realize that rote faith will not save you? In other words, despite that you have memorized more scripture than me, does that really qualify you to be an authority on what the scriptures mean? I do advise you to think about that before gloating that you know scripture inside-out yet don't believe you need to read it daily. To me it seems like you have suffered some hurts at the hands of false teachers, those who work for Jesus' enemy and blaspheme His holy name. I hope you will find inspiration to use the Bible the way it is meant to be used, which is to listen to what God says - not to inflict some cruel detention punishment. Boy some people are really asking for hell fire! I pity your teachers on judgment day. Read this:

Matthew 18:5-7 (New Living Translation)

5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf[a] is welcoming me. 6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

7 “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.

I can't help but notice you have been treated poorly by those who thought they were doing God's work, but they weren't doing you any favors. I hope your bad experiences haven't scarred you too badly, you seem to have your head screwed on still, that's a good thing but yes I certainly encourage you to get active and reclaim your right to holiness that the devil has tried so hard to take from you.

Well, I hope you don't mind the way I have introduced myself to you, and I look forward to having some intelligent discussions with you while you are here Welcome to CF!

Edit: I've been thinking about this sort of punishment and it's getting me riled. It seems that it only has the effect of hardening people's attitude toward the Bible. I would say to you that you should write to the college and describe how their punishment has caused a detrimental impact on your attitude toward Christianity and suggest a more effective form of punishment would be something like getting them to write an essay about their sin with supporting Bible quotes. This will give more insight into how the individual feels about their trespass and for some it might give them courage when reading scriptures while others it might demonstrate a need for counselling. Basically, they would need to read through the Bible picking scriptures that support or disapprove of the sin they have committed, and in this way encouraging the detainee to read constructively and even more importantly to think positively about the type of message the Bible promotes. The Bible must contain hundreds of verses that can be used productively with relevance to any topic. In this way, it would promote a sort of essay-driven rehabilitation rather than generating resentment and contempt for God's word. Grrr, you don't know how mad I am about this, your soul is hanging dangerously within the clutches of the devil all because some wally teacher of yours has abused the Bible. Do I sound like a kid who had an attitude at school? I am. Do you think I have an attitude with Jesus? No way. He is the LORD and He's an easy guy to love. Never tells me to tuck my shirt in or pull up my socks because that is just a power trip and He is happy with me when I maintain my best effort to be good. Jesus is LORD!

 

[Mud Hole]

Well, I've had a few encounters where the Lord gave me prophetic insight into the exact meaning, persons involved and final outcome regarding people's lives, which turned out to be spot on. Other times, I'd speak over a situation in faith, and see it manifest in the physical soon afterwards. I see myself as a general purpose servant - I get what I need when I need it. I must say, the only time when God seemed less obvious to me was when I was 5 years old, and being tormented in my bed every night.

Lemme explain. I was a carefree 5 year old boy, until this horror came over me. See, every night, after going to sleep, I'd feel something grabbing me by the right leg, and shaking vigorously, until I awoke, in terror. Then, I'd feel a heavy weight on my chest, and be paralyzed from head to toe. The fear of death always accompanied it, as well as a burning sort of smell. I had no idea what to do, but knew my parents would never believe me. So there I was, suffering in silence, every single night. I became tired of life itself - rather harsh at age 5.

Anyway, as I started primary school, the first thing we were taught was about Jesus, and who He is. I had an epiphany, thinking "Hey, wait a minute. I'll ask Him for help, He'll understand." It felt like my heart was glowing with joy - for the first time ever. So, that night, same old routine - with a difference. I prayed, and asked the Lord to help me, explaining why He's my only hope. So, right after praying, I feel these awesome waves of energy flowing through me - it made me gasp with joy.

The next moment, I found myself standing upright in a dark place - not in my dimly lit bedroom anymore. There was a figure standing before me, with the most fantastically brilliant white light shining out of it. I felt the most wonderful sense of love, and just stared into the light in absolute awe. I felt peace come over me, and no more fear at all. I could actually "feel" the light shining through me, and warming me up gently. After some time, I felt this tug , at my back, pulling me away from this figure. The next moment, I felt incredible acceleration, and a few moments later, found myself back in my room. The sound of trumpets blowing caught my attention, slowly fading away. The next moment, a gentle voice said "Rest my child, it's over.". Over it was indeed - as those attacks ceased, never to return. This was 34 years ago. Since then, I became aware of a gentle, loving presence that would teach me, console me and give me insight. Only many years later on did I realize that this was God's Holy Spirit, and the waves of energy I felt that night was indeed the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

That was really intense, almost like right out of a sci-fi novel. That seems to be a common experience by people who say they have some kind of demonic oppression of some sort. Thanks for sharing that. I wonder why you would have been bothered so young.

 

[Mud Hole]

You're fine! This is your thread, you started it. You being the only unbeliever in this thread is how this sub-forum is supposed to work.



Yes I know I'm a musician, and play with many monster players. I was just playing on words to make a point.



Don't be so quick to assume! I do hope Oi Antz reads this part, I'm curious what he might make of it. What I know from my own experience, is that G-d's Words can spring up within us, bringing a quality of Life that is Eternal in it's Nature. It's simply amazing stuff, and is what you want! Please know that all of us here do want you to experience this for yourself, although we probably all speak about it in different terms.

Oh, I apologize. I misunderstood you to mean we aren't supposed to post anywhere on the site. That was confusing.

to being a musician. We at least share one thing in common. I have been playing the drums since I was 4 years old. I find very little time for it these days but it still retains my love.

I am curious if you are messianic. The way you type God is pretty common for people who follow that path.

And thank you. Everyone here seems to be very kind and helpful and not at all what I am used to. It is appreciated. It is nice to have a reasonable conversation without being cut off with "You are an idiot heathen!" or "Moron, there is no god!" That gets rather irritating and I see it all over the other boards and I just really don't want any part of that. All it does is make it harder to relate to the next person when you let that stuff get to you. This place seems to be organized just right to keep the naughty ones at bay.

 

[Mud Hole]

Don't misunderstand me. God speaks to us through the Bible. There is a difference between memorizing scripture and knowing what it means. Can you remember Romans 6:16? Do you know what it means?

What about 2 Corinthians 11:11-15? Do you understand what that means?

What about Hebrews 10:26-31? Do you realize that rote faith will not save you? In other words, despite that you have memorized more scripture than me, does that really qualify you to be an authority on what the scriptures mean? I do advise you to think about that before gloating that you know scripture inside-out yet don't believe you need to read it daily. To me it seems like you have suffered some hurts at the hands of false teachers, those who work for Jesus' enemy and blaspheme His holy name. I hope you will find inspiration to use the Bible the way it is meant to be used, which is to listen to what God says - not to inflict some cruel detention punishment. Boy some people are really asking for hell fire! I pity your teachers on judgment day. Read this:

Matthew 18:5-7 (New Living Translation)

5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf[a] is welcoming me. 6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

7 “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.

I can't help but notice you have been treated poorly by those who thought they were doing God's work, but they weren't doing you any favors. I hope your bad experiences haven't scarred you too badly, you seem to have your head screwed on still, that's a good thing but yes I certainly encourage you to get active and reclaim your right to holiness that the devil has tried so hard to take from you.

Well, I hope you don't mind the way I have introduced myself to you, and I look forward to having some intelligent discussions with you while you are here Welcome to CF!

Edit: I've been thinking about this sort of punishment and it's getting me riled. It seems that it only has the effect of hardening people's attitude toward the Bible. I would say to you that you should write to the college and describe how their punishment has caused a detrimental impact on your attitude toward Christianity and suggest a more effective form of punishment would be something like getting them to write an essay about their sin with supporting Bible quotes. This will give more insight into how the individual feels about their trespass and for some it might give them courage when reading scriptures while others it might demonstrate a need for counselling. Basically, they would need to read through the Bible picking scriptures that support or disapprove of the sin they have committed, and in this way encouraging the detainee to read constructively and even more importantly to think positively about the type of message the Bible promotes. The Bible must contain hundreds of verses that can be used productively with relevance to any topic. In this way, it would promote a sort of essay-driven rehabilitation rather than generating resentment and contempt for God's word. Grrr, you don't know how mad I am about this, your soul is hanging dangerously within the clutches of the devil all because some wally teacher of yours has abused the Bible. Do I sound like a kid who had an attitude at school? I am. Do you think I have an attitude with Jesus? No way. He is the LORD and He's an easy guy to love. Never tells me to tuck my shirt in or pull up my socks because that is just a power trip and He is happy with me when I maintain my best effort to be good. Jesus is LORD!

Hmm. I think you misunderstand my intention in the posts about the bible and we have a cultural exchange that is hindering us here. Here in the US, punishment lies mainly with parents. My schooling had nothing to do with my memorization of scripture. My mother had a very hard core conversion when I was about ten years old. She went from one extreme to the next almost overnight. She felt that the new way to punish me was through forcing me to memorize the bible. It had nothing to do with my education and especially not university. In the US, especially in the south, it was not and is still not uncommon to have religion used as punishment for children. The churches play a big part in molding, or multilating, a child. We recently had a problem with a church whose pastor believes that children as young as 2 months, yes MONTHS old, should be beaten with the rod. They were subsequently arrested and charged with child abuse.

Next, please don't misunderstand my memorization of scripture as a means for me to claim to be a know it all. That isn't the intention. While I believe I understand what I read, the same as everyone else does, I am just as open to being wrong about it. It is the use of words that triggers me. Leaving out words in a scripture is something that I take notice of. I make no claims to be a biblical scholar. Retention and full understanding are two different things. I also understand what false prophets are and that they are amongst those who are not, making them all the more shady and undetectable. We will see another of these pop up on May 22nd. His prophecy of rapture will make a fool of him yet again.

 

[andreha]

That was really intense, almost like right out of a sci-fi novel. That seems to be a common experience by people who say they have some kind of demonic oppression of some sort. Thanks for sharing that. I wonder why you would have been bothered so young.

I think it was the Lord that wanted me to know Him since early on - despite the fact that there was nobody in my family who would teach me about Him since that age. I do believe He allowed the Enemy to chase me right into the Lord's arms. Looking back, I wouldn't have had it any different - an intimate relationship with the Lord is worth more than anything in this creation.

 

[aiki]

I am new here so forgive me if there was a more appropriate place for me to post this but I would like to inquire about experiences with God. I have been lurking here reading posts for days and that little popup that thinks I am having fun and should register finally got on my last nerve, so here I am.

Welcome!

I hear people talking about their experiences with God but they are never very detailed. I would like to know how you know it is an experience from God? What does it feel like?

An experience from God? Hmmm...It seems to me that life itself is an experience from God. Do I, then, feel God in every moment of my life? No, and I don't think I need to in order to be confident that He exists. The Bible says that "God's Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." (Ro. 8:16) The witness of God's Spirit within me engenders a certainty about God that is the bedrock of my experience with Him. This certainty remains, unshakeable and immovable, no matter what I may feel.

I understand most basic Christian principles, can quote scripture like a beast, and spent some time in a church as a pre-teen until I finished high school but I have always been an atheist, at least as long as I can remember, and it was confirmed for me in college, but I have recently taken an odd interest in religion. I am more of a closeted atheist because my family are all now very strong Christians but are very intolerant to nonbelievers and so I do not feel good about sharing this with them, so I thought it would be easier to ask strangers about this.

I see...

I am interested in hearing from people who went from not believing in God to having an experience and then believing. I am wanting to figure out if this feeling I am having is some kind of calling from a God or is just my obssessive compulsive disorder manifesting in yet another way to help me feel more like the average person.

Every Christian on this planet was born an unbeliever. They all went from a state of unbelief to one of belief; so any Christian qualifies, under your expressed standard, to answer your question.

In all of the years I spent in church and being exposed to Christianity I never felt or experienced a single thing, so I have absolutely no understanding of what everyone else is feeling.

Since, by your own confession, you were "always an atheist," why would you expect to have any of the experiences of those who exert faith in God?

If anyone would like to share about their experiences I would love to read them. Thanks

My experience of God has been varied. Sometimes, it feels that my experience of Him is only intellectual. At other times, He fills my heart near to bursting with joy, and love, and gratefulness to Him. Always, as I've said, there is a bedrock certainty that He is my Heavenly Father. As well, on many occasions I have had such specific, immediate, and sometimes astonishing answers to prayer that only a fool would chalk it up merely to coincidence. These answered prayers serve as another important means of experiencing God. In addition to all these things I can also point to the correspondence between the truth claims of the Word of God and what I encounter in my daily life. I experience God's truth in reality, which also serves as a kind of experience of Him.

Are you experiencing God? Maybe. At best, I would say you're feeling His drawing of your heart to Him. Will you resist Him as you have thus far? Will you shrug off His tugging as the effect of your OCD? I pray not.

2 Corinthians 6:2
2 For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Selah.

 

[elman]

On a late Saturday evening of April 26, l997, My brother was in the hospital dying and having a lot of trouble breathing. He was coughing up a lot of phlem and vomiting every time he drank a little water. I was feeling depressed and lonely, and stepped out into the hall, leaving the door of the hospital room open. A nurse entered his room and began cleaning and picking up around his bed. Then she started singing. It was a hymn and familiar to me, but I have been unable to remember the name of the hymn. She was not singing softly. She was singing out and could be heard clearly in the hall where i was. She had a beautiful voice. It was a little eerie, but very comforting, both to me and my brother. I walked back into the room while she was singing. He was laid back and relaxing momentarily. I have thought about this many times in the years after this, and I am convinced this was one of the times that God did speak to me. I think He said to me through that nurse and her singing, “you are not alone, I am here”.

 

[Mud Hole]

Welcome!

Thank you!

An experience from God? Hmmm...It seems to me that life itself is an experience from God. Do I, then, feel God in every moment of my life? No, and I don't think I need to in order to be confident that He exists. The Bible says that "God's Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." (Ro. 8:16) The witness of God's Spirit within me engenders a certainty about God that is the bedrock of my experience with Him. This certainty remains, unshakeable and immovable, no matter what I may feel.

I don't consider life an experience from God but maybe I just need more than that.

I see...

Not sure if I should ask what this means. I am trying not to be presumptuous.

Every Christian on this planet was born an unbeliever. They all went from a state of unbelief to one of belief; so any Christian qualifies, under your expressed standard, to answer your question.

I should have been more specific. It was geared more towards people who were not raised as Christians from birth. I notice people who have never lived outside of a church have a harder time answering questions about before they believed.

Since, by your own confession, you were "always an atheist," why would you expect to have any of the experiences of those who exert faith in God?

I don't expect to. But I am also pretty open that I am able to be wrong. Are you?

My experience of God has been varied. Sometimes, it feels that my experience of Him is only intellectual. At other times, He fills my heart near to bursting with joy, and love, and gratefulness to Him. Always, as I've said, there is a bedrock certainty that He is my Heavenly Father. As well, on many occasions I have had such specific, immediate, and sometimes astonishing answers to prayer that only a fool would chalk it up merely to coincidence. These answered prayers serve as another important means of experiencing God. In addition to all these things I can also point to the correspondence between the truth claims of the Word of God and what I encounter in my daily life. I experience God's truth in reality, which also serves as a kind of experience of Him.

Some of this is more of what I was looking for. Thanks for sharing.

Are you experiencing God? Maybe. At best, I would say you're feeling His drawing of your heart to Him. Will you resist Him as you have thus far? Will you shrug off His tugging as the effect of your OCD? I pray not.

I am not resisting anything. I was just inquiring for personal understanding. The last part is like saying that I should contribute my inability to fall asleep until I unplug every electronic device from the outlets in my home to God talking to me. At some point it has to be reasonable no?

 

[oi_antz]

Hmm. I think you misunderstand my intention in the posts about the bible and we have a cultural exchange that is hindering us here. Here in the US, punishment lies mainly with parents. My schooling had nothing to do with my memorization of scripture. My mother had a very hard core conversion when I was about ten years old. She went from one extreme to the next almost overnight. She felt that the new way to punish me was through forcing me to memorize the bible. It had nothing to do with my education and especially not university. In the US, especially in the south, it was not and is still not uncommon to have religion used as punishment for children. The churches play a big part in molding, or multilating, a child. We recently had a problem with a church whose pastor believes that children as young as 2 months, yes MONTHS old, should be beaten with the rod. They were subsequently arrested and charged with child abuse.

Next, please don't misunderstand my memorization of scripture as a means for me to claim to be a know it all. That isn't the intention. While I believe I understand what I read, the same as everyone else does, I am just as open to being wrong about it. It is the use of words that triggers me. Leaving out words in a scripture is something that I take notice of. I make no claims to be a biblical scholar. Retention and full understanding are two different things. I also understand what false prophets are and that they are amongst those who are not, making them all the more shady and undetectable. We will see another of these pop up on May 22nd. His prophecy of rapture will make a fool of him yet again.

Oh ok, well you probably can't just as easily write to your mother and tell her how to raise a child better . I know this because I too had trouble with my parents. Mum took my music off me because it was giving me a bad attitude (I still don't understand how taking away my music was supposed to improve my attitude), then Dad made a pact with her that he would take my music off me if she would not permit my marijuana use, so I ended up leaving home at a very young age. Anyway, nice to meet you, I see you have already understood the way the Bible is meant to be used and you know when it is being misused, so that will be an advantage to you one day!

 

[Mud Hole]

On a late Saturday evening of April 26, l997, My brother was in the hospital dying and having a lot of trouble breathing. He was coughing up a lot of phlem and vomiting every time he drank a little water. I was feeling depressed and lonely, and stepped out into the hall, leaving the door of the hospital room open. A nurse entered his room and began cleaning and picking up around his bed. Then she started singing. It was a hymn and familiar to me, but I have been unable to remember the name of the hymn. She was not singing softly. She was singing out and could be heard clearly in the hall where i was. She had a beautiful voice. It was a little eerie, but very comforting, both to me and my brother. I walked back into the room while she was singing. He was laid back and relaxing momentarily. I have thought about this many times in the years after this, and I am convinced this was one of the times that God did speak to me. I think He said to me through that nurse and her singing, “you are not alone, I am here”.

Interesting. Thank you. Glad you found some comfort in that stressful situation.

 

[Mud Hole]

Oh ok, well you probably can't just as easily write to your mother and tell her how to raise a child better . I know this because I too had trouble with my parents. Mum took my music off me because it was giving me a bad attitude (I still don't understand how taking away my music was supposed to improve my attitude), then Dad made a pact with her that he would take my music off me if she would not permit my marijuana use, so I ended up leaving home at a very young age. Anyway, nice to meet you, I see you have already understood the way the Bible is meant to be used and you know when it is being misused, so that will be an advantage to you one day!

LOL Right! I have no intention on telling her how to raise a child. She has been known to throw shoes when you aren't looking.

Good to meet you as well. Thanks for engaging me!

 

[Mud Hole]

I think it was the Lord that wanted me to know Him since early on - despite the fact that there was nobody in my family who would teach me about Him since that age. I do believe He allowed the Enemy to chase me right into the Lord's arms. Looking back, I wouldn't have had it any different - an intimate relationship with the Lord is worth more than anything in this creation.

Quite possibly. By the way, your baby is quite a good looking kid. Every time I see you post, seeing that little face gives me a big grin. I bet nobody here could ever be upset at anything you post because seeing that little one makes you forget it.

 

[aiki]

I don't expect to. But I am also pretty open that I am able to be wrong. Are you?

You know, after having done all the study that I have about what I believe and why I believe it, and having walked with God for more than thirty years, I am less open to being wrong than I used to be. This tends to rankle people who are still uncertain about what to believe. They think certainty is a kind of arrogance. It isn't arrogance that informs my confidence in what I believe, however, but as I said, long study and personal experience of the God in whom I believe. Do I think that I know everything and can't possibly be in error about the things I believe? No. I think, though, that the chances of being wrong grow increasingly smaller as I continue to study and learn and walk with my Maker.

I am not resisting anything. I was just inquiring for personal understanding.

Oh. Well, you wrote this:

I understand most basic Christian principles, can quote scripture like a beast, and spent some time in a church as a pre-teen until I finished high school but I have always been an atheist,

which doesn't sound like you were particularly open to the Christian faith. I would think you had to resist to some degree the things that you encountered in church or you would have come to faith in Christ rather than remain an atheist.

The last part is like saying that I should contribute my inability to fall asleep until I unplug every electronic device from the outlets in my home to God talking to me. At some point it has to be reasonable no?

Sorry to seem thick, but I don't quite follow you here...

I should have been more specific. It was geared more towards people who were not raised as Christians from birth. I notice people who have never lived outside of a church have a harder time answering questions about before they believed.

If it makes any difference, I went through a very serious season of doubt about my faith when I left home for university. When I began my studies at university, it seemed my faith was under fire from every direction, which exposed my faith for the coat-tail thing that it was. This season of doubt forced me to adopt my faith for myself, rather than simply as the way I was raised. God had to be more than a concept to defend; He had to be my Heavenly Father with whom I could have fellowship.

Selah.

 

[joey_downunder]

Testimonies are great but I guess God's presence is more what I am looking for. I just want to be able to tell the difference. Thanks for sharing that. Is is good to see that some people don't have to have a major event happen to think they found God.

OK - this is going right back to the beginning....

When I was in primary school I had a really bad time with bullies at my Catholic school. Sometimes I would slip into the church on the school grounds and there I would experience peace that I never got at school or at home (my parents had a very unhappy marriage). I felt comforted there - kind of felt God's actual presence that was nothing like I felt anywhere else - and that helped develop a further interest in the Catholic faith. I always had teachers who were strong in their faith as well and they were the most supportive towards me.

Come to think of it, every genuine christian I have known have been the nicest people ever. Except for my husband who is an atheist but that is another story.

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My mother had a very hard core conversion when I was about ten years old. She went from one extreme to the next almost overnight. She felt that the new way to punish me was through forcing me to memorize the bible. It had nothing to do with my education and especially not university.

From what you are saying it sounds like the Bible was used as an instrument of abuse from a very unstable mother!!! God is nothing like that. I am so sorry that you had to go through what you have.

 

[andreha]

Quite possibly. By the way, your baby is quite a good looking kid. Every time I see you post, seeing that little face gives me a big grin. I bet nobody here could ever be upset at anything you post because seeing that little one makes you forget it.

Thanks.

We waited a whole 10 years for her - we thought we'd never be able to have any children. She was born on 20 October 2010, so her birthdate is 20-10-2010. See, one morning at the local supermarket, I got the idea to just ask the Lord to give us a child. About two weeks later, my wife was pregnant. Now that's a miracle!

 

[Mud Hole]

You know, after having done all the study that I have about what I believe and why I believe it, and having walked with God for more than thirty years, I am less open to being wrong than I used to be. This tends to rankle people who are still uncertain about what to believe. They think certainty is a kind of arrogance. It isn't arrogance that informs my confidence in what I believe, however, but as I said, long study and personal experience of the God in whom I believe. Do I think that I know everything and can't possibly be in error about the things I believe? No. I think, though, that the chances of being wrong grow increasingly smaller as I continue to study and learn and walk with my Maker.

I can respect that!

which doesn't sound like you were particularly open to the Christian faith. I would think you had to resist to some degree the things that you encountered in church or you would have come to faith in Christ rather than remain an atheist.

I don't think I was resisting anything but you have to understand that I was 10 years old before anything about God was ever presented to me. Christmas was about santa claus and Easter was about bunnies and eggs. I was religiously ignorant. When my mother converted overnight it was very traumatic and I thought everyone had lost their minds. It sounded like some television show. I was an atheist from the first day I knew what God was supposed to be because it sounded insane, not to sound disrespectful of course, but I don't know any other way to explain it. Maybe it works better on younger kids but it sure did not work on me. What is that popular saying? Going to church doesn't make you any more of a Christian than standing in your garage makes you a car? lol That applies here.

Sorry to seem thick, but I don't quite follow you here...

You had mentioned my disorder. I was explaining that for me to assume that this situation IS a tugging at me by God, as you said, and not an effect of my disorder then I would also have to assume that God is tugging at me by making me feel forced to do all of the other things that my disorder causes me to do. I was just giving you an example of some of the things that it causes, so you could see that it doesn't really make sense for me to assume God is causing either one. The topic being religion is just a new one for me. I have never had much interest in religion before.

If it makes any difference, I went through a very serious season of doubt about my faith when I left home for university. When I began my studies at university, it seemed my faith was under fire from every direction, which exposed my faith for the coat-tail thing that it was. This season of doubt forced me to adopt my faith for myself, rather than simply as the way I was raised. God had to be more than a concept to defend; He had to be my Heavenly Father with whom I could have fellowship.

My time in college only confirmed my atheism for me. Science on the college level was very different from what we receive in high school and it made it much more convincing to me that we were most likely not put here by a god, or at least not one of any of the Abrahamic religions. Many people here complain that college creates atheists. It isn't college. It is information that you happen to get there.

 

[Mud Hole]

Thanks.

We waited a whole 10 years for her - we thought we'd never be able to have any children. She was born on 20 October 2010, so her birthdate is 20-10-2010. See, one morning at the local supermarket, I got the idea to just ask the Lord to give us a child. About two weeks later, my wife was pregnant. Now that's a miracle!

Congratulations. Amazing birth date for her and the circumstance is intriguing. She is a cute one and bet she has you wrapped around her tiny finger. Enjoy her. They grow up quickly. I didn't get a chance for a daughter. I have three sons. I won't have to fight off boyfriends. lol