Holy Spirit Experienced

[jet3534]

I have always been a bit cynical about religion. A few comments I have made here probably indicated as much. Over the course of a lifetime I have been exposed to many religions and churches and never felt a thing out of the ordinary attending any service. A few weeks ago my wife wanted to attend a service at a somewhat new church in town that has been drawing huge crowds of people for 3 services every Sunday. She wanted to go more or less to see why they are drawing huge crowds while her church is lucky to get 20 people to one service. I know this sounds strange, but upon entering the church I sensed something that for lack of a better way to put it really felt like the presence of a holly spirit. It was sort of the same feeling as say a strong Rx pain medication, i.e., a very good "buzz." Being somewhat cynical I didn't think my initial experience was imagined , but I went back last Sunday and had the same experience. Call me crazy, but I actually think I experienced the holly spirit.

[alismith]

Not being a follower of any faith, I would never down anyone who does believe. Based on my past experiences, and my son being a preacher, I would say you did experience the Holy Spirit. Congratulations.

[Schuetzenman]

Take an RF meter and see if they are hitting you with some kind of EMF. That said maybe they are tuned in. I grew up going to the Methodist Church. Stopped going as soon as I got out of College. Just started going to church about a year and a half ago, not to a Methodist Church though. Just a generic Christian church.

[ltorlo64]

Having not been there I accept what you are saying. I also accept what you are saying as I have had similar, though not the same, experience during some worship services. Remember, though, that God and the Holy Spirit (and Jesus for that matter) want our love and devotion. While this may be something to get your attention the love and devotion is shown when you maintain the same worshipful attitude even when you don't have this feeling. I have been studying about Jesus life recently and I am currently looking at the events just before and at His death. These stories are have a lot to do with this same thing. Even though Jesus could not feel the Father anymore (Matthew 27:46, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?) He still did the will of the Father. I don't call Jesus crazy and I will not call you crazy either!

[Helen Keller]

+1 on the rf meter.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3087674.stm

[5.56NATO]

Well, some say yew aint fulla thet holy spirit less yous rollin round on tha floor, an bablin in tongues sos tha debil cant unnerstan whatchew sayin.
Also yew can git yew sum snake hanlin religy!

[308]

I have always been a bit cynical about religion. A few comments I have made here probably indicated as much. Over the course of a lifetime I have been exposed to many religions and churches and never felt a thing out of the ordinary attending any service. A few weeks ago my wife wanted to attend a service at a somewhat new church in town that has been drawing huge crowds of people for 3 services every Sunday. She wanted to go more or less to see why they are drawing huge crowds while her church is lucky to get 20 people to one service. I know this sounds strange, but upon entering the church I sensed something that for lack of a better way to put it really felt like the presence of a holly spirit. It was sort of the same feeling as say a strong Rx pain medication, i.e., a very good "buzz." Being somewhat cynical I didn't think my initial experience was imagined , but I went back last Sunday and had the same experience. Call me crazy, but I actually think I experienced the holly spirit.

I think you mean Holy Spirit.
Welcome to the team.

[Krupski]

I have always been a bit cynical about religion. A few comments I have made here probably indicated as much. Over the course of a lifetime I have been exposed to many religions and churches and never felt a thing out of the ordinary attending any service. A few weeks ago my wife wanted to attend a service at a somewhat new church in town that has been drawing huge crowds of people for 3 services every Sunday. She wanted to go more or less to see why they are drawing huge crowds while her church is lucky to get 20 people to one service. I know this sounds strange, but upon entering the church I sensed something that for lack of a better way to put it really felt like the presence of a holly spirit. It was sort of the same feeling as say a strong Rx pain medication, i.e., a very good "buzz." Being somewhat cynical I didn't think my initial experience was imagined , but I went back last Sunday and had the same experience. Call me crazy, but I actually think I experienced the holly spirit.

Well, let me tell you my story (since they can't laugh at me now!)...

In my 20's, I drank like crazy, did drugs (most everything) and was slowly but surely going downhill.

As a piece of relevant information, the Book of Revelations and specifically the "666" thing really creeped me out (still does, by the way). Not much bothers me, but if you want to get under my skin, just talk about 666.

Anyway, as I was slowly killing myself with stupidity, all of a sudden, the number "666" started popping up everywhere.

I would see it in phone numbers, my driver's license number has 666 in it, I would see it on the road (signs, mile markers, etc..) it seemed like every day I was seeing 666.

Then I got a small raise at my job (early 1980's) to the amount of $6.66 an hour!

That was the last straw. I KNEW "something" was doing this to me to get me to stop all the self destructive shit I was doing to myself and I decided to stop it all.

As soon as I stopped, all the 666 stuff went away. I even got another raise and was out of the $6.66 number! (The only one that's still there is my D/L).

Now, call me nuts if you want, but I'm sure that God or Jesus Christ or some "guardian angel" did this to me to save me from killing myself with my own immature stupidity.

I've never touched any drugs since then (don't even have the desire). Additionally, I don't drink. By that I mean I don't get drunk. I may have a beer or a wine cooler or a mixed drink once in a while
(maybe once every 2 or 3 months) and usually only one.

SOMETHING saved me and I am thankful that it happened.

[Krupski]

[QUOTE=5.56NATO;445125]Well, some say yew aint fulla thet holy spirit less yous rollin round on tha floor, an bablin in tongues sos tha debil cant unnerstan whatchew sayin.
Also yew can git yew sum snake hanlin religy!


I have zero desire to go to any "church". A church and whatever the particular kind of service done is all man made... someone's idea of what God "wants".

Several years ago I went to a Presbyterian church every Sunday, but that was only because I really liked the Pastor and he always gave great sermons (not the typical "religious" mumbo-jumbo, but good serious talks about current events, politics, etc.. and he invited us to discuss and debate with him - I loved it).

Anyway, when he left, I stopped going. Sadly, he retired. I still went to visit him a few times to fix his computer or just talk about things.

I don't know what God wants of me (if anything at all) but I can assume that He wants me just to be a decent person (I always try to be). Anyone who claims to KNOW what God wants is a liar or an idiot... no mere human can possibly know.

And since God gave me independent thought, I can assume that He won't hold it against me if I didn't do it right. He will know that I tried and hopefully that will be good enough. (Nobody tell me about the Bible please... that's also written by man and cannot claim to be the Word of God because that would be the epitome of arrogance... for any human to claim they "know" the Word of God and wrote it down).

Oh well, with the entire universe full of life that God created, it shows just how insignificant we are... dust in the wind. Less, even.

[rktman]

[QUOTE=Krupski;445156]

Well, some say yew aint fulla thet holy spirit less yous rollin round on tha floor, an bablin in tongues sos tha debil cant unnerstan whatchew sayin.
Also yew can git yew sum snake hanlin religy!


I have zero desire to go to any "church". A church and whatever the particular kind of service done is all man made... someone's idea of what God "wants".

Several years ago I went to a Presbyterian church every Sunday, but that was only because I really liked the Pastor and he always gave great sermons (not the typical "religious" mumbo-jumbo, but good serious talks about current events, politics, etc.. and he invited us to discuss and debate with him - I loved it).

Anyway, when he left, I stopped going. Sadly, he retired. I still went to visit him a few times to fix his computer or just talk about things.

I don't know what God wants of me (if anything at all) but I can assume that He wants me just to be a decent person (I always try to be). Anyone who claims to KNOW what God wants is a liar or an idiot... no mere human can possibly know.

And since God gave me independent thought, I can assume that He won't hold it against me if I didn't do it right. He will know that I tried and hopefully that will be good enough. (Nobody tell me about the Bible please... that's also written by man and cannot claim to be the Word of God because that would be the epitome of arrogance... for any human to claim they "know" the Word of God and wrote it down).

Oh well, with the entire universe full of life that God created, it shows just how insignificant we are... dust in the wind. Less, even.

Krup, I think you echo much of the world's views on religion right now but I have to disagree a bit.
A "Church" is associated with a Christian belief system, namely that it is created to learn about and reflect Jesus Christ's teachings. To write off the Church is to write off J.C. himself. I don't believe it is in anyone's best interest to do that.

[5.56NATO]

[QUOTE=Krupski;445156]

Well, some say yew aint fulla thet holy spirit less yous rollin round on tha floor, an bablin in tongues sos tha debil cant unnerstan whatchew sayin.
Also yew can git yew sum snake hanlin religy!


I have zero desire to go to any "church". A church and whatever the particular kind of service done is all man made... someone's idea of what God "wants".

Several years ago I went to a Presbyterian church every Sunday, but that was only because I really liked the Pastor and he always gave great sermons (not the typical "religious" mumbo-jumbo, but good serious talks about current events, politics, etc.. and he invited us to discuss and debate with him - I loved it).

Anyway, when he left, I stopped going. Sadly, he retired. I still went to visit him a few times to fix his computer or just talk about things.

I don't know what God wants of me (if anything at all) but I can assume that He wants me just to be a decent person (I always try to be). Anyone who claims to KNOW what God wants is a liar or an idiot... no mere human can possibly know.

And since God gave me independent thought, I can assume that He won't hold it against me if I didn't do it right. He will know that I tried and hopefully that will be good enough. (Nobody tell me about the Bible please... that's also written by man and cannot claim to be the Word of God because that would be the epitome of arrogance... for any human to claim they "know" the Word of God and wrote it down).

Oh well, with the entire universe full of life that God created, it shows just how insignificant we are... dust in the wind. Less, even.

See that's just it, personal salvation, not group salvation. Living what you believe is the best preaching that can be preached and people will notice. Note that around the world, the temples of most all of the pagan gods are in ruins, why is that? It's because 2000 years ago messiah sent his disciples out into the world and they turned the world upside down. The pagan temples fell into ruin as the truth was spoken. The world has already been preached to 2000 years ago and almost 100 percent covered by the story of messiah, it's far past time for believers to live their faith, and that doesn't mean you have to go to a church to do so. You fellowship with your friends and family, they are your bretheren who should be gathered with. Also, the inroads of satan into many churches should keep people away from them, such as same sex marriage support, the recent southern baptist help with pro islamic legislation as well as paying to build mosques. Yes, helping to build mosques in America. And beware anyone who must have some physical manifestation or experience to believe or acknowledge the holy spirit.

[Krupski]

Krup, I think you echo much of the world's views on religion right now but I have to disagree a bit.
A "Church" is associated with a Christian belief system, namely that it is created to learn about and reflect Jesus Christ's teachings. To write off the Church is to write off J.C. himself. I don't believe it is in anyone's best interest to do that.

Well, I respectfully disagree. I can worship God and His Son privately, in my own way. To go to a church and follow pre-defined (by man) actions is (IMHO) worthless if not actually arrogant (how can any church claim to know what God "wants"?)

Besides, I have many ideas that most Christians would find odd or even crazy. Before I spell them out, let me tell you that the Pastor that I liked so much that I attended church just to hear him speak AGREED with my "theory".

Anyway, my "theory" is that there HAS to be life all throughout the universe. Some simply like bacteria, some more complex and self aware (like us) and some WAY beyond us on the evolutionary charts.

Now, ANY life that is self aware I am sure wonders "where did I come from... where did EVERYTHING come from?"

Then, looking at the immensity of the universe (just look at the night sky - it that doesn't awe you then you're not self aware! ), the miracle of childbirth, reproduction, the "miracle" of encoding the entire blueprint of a life form is a single DNA molecule, the fact that hydrogen fused into helium does so with a tiny loss of mass and that mass in converted into raw energy (stars) which powers all life.... that HAS to convince anyone that there is a God.

There is no need for "faith", evidence of God is there to see anywhere you look.

Now, for Jesus Christ. Obviously, all life, anywhere in the universe, must be imperfect (because only God is perfect).

Therefore, ALL life in the universe is in need of salvation from sin and other "bad stuff".

So, God sent His Son to save US... who's to say God didn't send His Son to save ALL life in the universe? Billions upon trillions of Jesus Christs, all in a different form (to match the particular life form's looks and design)?

If we can conceive of a "trinity", then why stop at three? We cannot say "bazillions of Jesus Christs - impossible"... who would dare to place a limit on God?

So, this is what I believe, and I believe it NOT because of "faith", but because:

(A) I can see God anywhere I look and...
(B) God has no limits, so of course He tries to save ALL life from sin.

If nothing else, STATISTICALLY there has to be life in the universe. To think we are all there is is as absurd (actually way more absurd) than building an entire stadium for one fan. Makes no sense. And to think that we are all there is has to be THE most arrogant thought any person could have.

So, in conclusion yes I do "write off" man made church and man made services and man made artifacts and give my respect, belief and awe directly to God and to Jesus Christ. I don't need some priest or minister or pastor to "send my mail for me".

Make sense? (you don't need to AGREE, just tell me if this makes sense to you on some level).

-- Roger

[rktman]

Well written, appreciate that.

My views are not in line with your theories because I hold the Holy Bible as the source of man's knowledge about the nature of God, his Son and the Holy Spirit.
If you remove the Bible from the discussion, then what you say makes sense but so do a lot of other theories at that point.

[308]

Roger, what you wrote above requires faith, it is the substance of the things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen. I agree God's handiwork can be seen everywhere in the physical world with the perfection evident in life down to the sub atomic level.