Re: Questions
Submitted by Splash! on May 27 2002 17:59:38
In reply to Questions submitted by A.I. Watcher on May 25 2002 10:10:54
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I don't think the answers I give you can be explained by scientific fact, if that's what you're looking for. How can physical laws explain the spiritual or supernatural (things outside the physical)? The entire experience was very real, and there were at least 10 or 12 people watching me when this happened. In short, I was praising Jesus with my hands lifted up (toward Him?) for only a minute or so, and then I felt hands grab mine, but there were no physical hands touching mine. There was no doubt about it; there was a very tight squeeze on both of my hands that lasted for maybe two minutes. How do I explain that with scientific fact? But it happened. And then a feeling like electricity came down through my hands, into my arms, and into the rest of my body. I felt a tight squeeze (seemingly around my lungs) and I could barely breath -- my whole body was tingling (though not like anything I'd ever felt before). It was if I had been "filled" with something like water, or wind -- my entire body was full of this feeling. At first I was afraid. That's when I heard a voice in my head (like you'd hear your conscience speaking, perhaps) say, "You either take all of me or none of me." I had the choice to reject it. I could barely breathe, and in my mind I said (or prayed), "If I take any more, I'll probably die. But Lord, I don't care. I want all of you." Suddenly, I felt intense peace and happiness. People around me said I started laughing quietly. I had the urge to speak; though, I didn't care what I was saying. I was just letting the entire thing happen to me since I believed it was the Holy Spirit taking over, and I allowed Him to do whatever. I spoke in tongues (which means my mouth felt the urge to speak though I didn't have any words to say, but the words came out anyway -- and the words that came out were a different language -- sounded kind of Hebrew, but maybe it wasn't even a human language. I did have the power over my own mouth whether to let it continue or stop, but I let it continue). Anyway, I basked in that feeling of love, peace, and joy for at least two hours. The people who were with me that day still talk about it. And of course, I'll never forget it. That night I also noticed that my eyes looked very different -- as if it wasn't me looking back in the mirror. I'm not sure why I thought that, but it scared me at first. A friend told me that people often see the same thing after being baptized by the Holy Spirit. I've only felt something similar to it a couple times since then, and that's when I received an anointing from church leaders, and another time when I was praying. At those times, I also felt that same type of electricity. I know I can't explain this with facts, but as a Christian it's not too hard for me to accept that there is a God outside of science who has the power to do such things. In Acts chapter 2, we are told that the purpose of being filled by the Spirit is for us to go out and minister to other people. That's also the reason for receiving spiritual gifts, which often come as a result of being filled by the Holy Spirit. My strongest (or most used) gift is what the Bible calls "words of knowledge" and "words of wisdom". Some Christians say they experience this in different ways. With me, I'll be praying for someone and then very clear pictures (like photographs, or watching a movie) flash into my mind. I don't always need my eyes closed when this happens -- it's just something I see with my mind (not with my eyes). The pictures tell a story. I believe the pictures are coming from God to me, for me to tell the other person. I have yet to have a person give me a crazy look for telling them what I saw. It always confirms something for them -- usually about something they need to do, or something they were thinking about doing. Sometimes I'll tell them all the pictures I saw and give them an interpretation of what I saw, and other times I just give them the pictures and leave it with them. I figure that maybe the issue was too personal and God wouldn't give me the interpretation because of it, but the person will know what it means. God has already been dealing with them about it, or else they've been praying or thinking about it. There's no scientific facts to support this either (I don't think), but it's something that happens to me, and through me, and it is confirmed by others. By the way, my baptism of the Holy Spirit and the operation of spiritual gifts are consistent with the loving God of the Bible. God has not and will never tell me to speak or do evil in another person's life. I've never experienced the God of evil that you speak about; though, I have felt fear many times because of my position in relation to Him. However, I don't fear that He'd cause me harm. I don't have all the answers for you. I can only share my own experiences and ask that you seek Him too, if you are curious enough. You ask some great questions. I've been reading all your posts and replies. Someone mentioned the last chapters of Job where Job asks God the same questions you seem to be asking, and God answers back with something like, "How can you presume to know everything about me? Were you there when I laid the foundations of the earth? Were you there when I..." etc. I think we can know some things, but it's most certainly impossible for us to know all things about God while bound in this physical environment where we're trapped inside a matrix of psychological dialectics. I believe there's a WAY out. Like I said earlier, I believe salvation is only through Jesus (for He's the only One to come pay our debts ("wages of sin") by suffering and dying as a pure, spotless, holy sacrifice for mankind), but I'm not certain about how he reveals Himself to those around the world who may rarely or never hear about Him. God is no respecter of persons, meaning He doesn't show anyone favoritism. His love is perfect. I'll trust that He gives everyone a chance to accept Him or reject Him, even if that chance is somewhere in the valley of the shadow of death between here and the hereafter. I'll also believe that He gave everyone else who died the same chance (even those He commanded to be killed because of the Law or to keep the bloodline of the messiah pure). God loves everyone, and if we're able to see beyond the physical, I believe we could see this more clearly despite all the incomplete stories we hear about. I have faith that there's more to the story, just as The New Testament explains why much of the Old Testament had to be so, and why the end-times need to happen. I'll have faith that my God is a loving God who will see that everyone has a chance to choose Jesus, and that despite whatever evils it looks like He's done, that He does everything because of Love. If we could get outside our physical limitations and see more clearly, we'd KNOW this. Soon, we will. |
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