911!

[Nautilus]

thats barely even biblical pleading the blood of Jesus over things.

 

[BrittanyJones]

[SUP]Soooo sticking to the scriptures for insight:
Matthew 17:

[/SUP]And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, [SUP]15 [/SUP]“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic[SUP][c][/SUP]and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.[SUP]16 [/SUP]So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”

[SUP]17 [/SUP]Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.”[SUP]18 [/SUP]And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
[SUP]19 [/SUP]Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

[SUP]20 [/SUP]So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief;[SUP][d][/SUP] for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.[SUP]21 [/SUP]However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”[SUP][e]

Maybe he's lonely or maybe it's real: either way prayer is the best![/SUP]

 

[Ugly]

I believe in ghosts, but I also believe in heaven and hell and how Christ told the thief on the cross, "This day you will be with me in paradise" and also that the Bible says that there is just "once to die and then the judgement." So I wonder...How exactly can I, as a Christian, believe in ghosts?? Oh well... If anybody has any insight on this topic, please respond here. Or I may start a new thread later. Great topic.

I would suggest creating a new thread, as you don't want to hijack someone elses thread.

 

[danschance]

But once again lets just remove all imagination from the kis life. It will be easier then to get him indoctrinated in some extremist form of christianity then.

First off, no one has said anything about removing anyone's imagination. That is an unfortunate comment probably posted in in anger.

Secondly, Calling the ministry of deliverance an "extremist form of Christianity" is not biblical and may be hurtful for those who may be suffering with a demonic issue. One third of Jesus' ministry was casting out demons and only a fool would ever say Jesus practiced an extremist form of religion.

Thirdly, children can have a demonic issue. The bible records several cases of children being possessed and attacked by demons.

It is very easy to make broad brush assertions that demons do not exist when one has not encountered one. As a boy, I personally encountered a ghost. I still recall this encounter very vividly and I will never forget it. In our society many are just like Nautilus. His reaction is very normal, very rational and expected for those who have personally seen this junk up close and personal. I respect his opinion and others like it but I know, first hand it is incorrect.

For those who cast aspetions on others in ignorance of the spiritual realm around us, that is harmful, hurtful and insensitive. Many have seen ghosts (demons) and experienced all sorts of stuff like this. As a child I alone experienced this junk and no one believed me, except for my mother who saw my behavior change over a year. Even then, she just knew I was sincere. I learned to not mention this to anyone unless I knew they would believe me.

I agree with Ugly, that we should not derail this post. This mother said she is concerned and we ought to not fight or post negative things back and forth about each other or the views of others when she is hurting and concerned for her child. My advice to her would in no way harm her child if I am wrong and this is simple imagination. On the other hand, it might help her and her son if I am right. So let's all stay on point and not seem like a roving pack of rabid gerbils and see if we can support the OP.

 

[Shiloah]

Wrong. How many imaginary friends did you have which made you cry?

You may think demons are not real and perfectly harmless, based on previous experience. My experience is very different. 99.9% of what demons do, is all done in secret.

Oh for goodness sake. Just give that little boy big hugs and tell him there's nothing to fear, that Jesus is our Lord and protector and is with us always. Then pray with that little boy to Jesus. This will serve two purposes. It will introduce him to Jesus as our Lord and protector at his very young age, and it will dispel any negative influences at the same time, obviously.

 

[Shiloah]

Point is, don't even insinuate to that child there IS anything to fear. Because there's not if we trust in our Lord. Certainly don't show him fear on your part. I'm with Nautilus here. I think it a very bad idea to suggest this has to do with demonic activity. I was afraid of what was in the closet as a young child. I can't imagine how I would have felt if my mother had suggested a demon might be lurking in there. Again, if we believe in our Lord, imagination or otherwise, there is nothing to fear. That fearlessness in the Lord is what that child needs to see in his mother.

 

[danschance]

Point is, don't even insinuate to that child there IS anything to fear. Because there's not if we trust in our Lord. Certainly don't show him fear on your part. I'm with Nautilus here. I think it a very bad idea to suggest this has to do with demonic activity. I was afraid of what was in the closet as a young child. I can't imagine how I would have felt if my mother had suggested a demon might be lurking in there. Again, if we believe in our Lord, imagination or otherwise, there is nothing to fear. That fearlessness in the Lord is what that child needs to see in his mother.

I never said a single word to that boy. Thankx for your input.

 

[Fenner]

He's 2, kids tend to talk to themselves when they are playing. I was afraid of the dark when I was little too, if a room is dark,or he's pointing at a dark hall,turn on the light and see if he stops crying.

 

[Nautilus]

First off, no one has said anything about removing anyone's imagination. That is an unfortunate comment probably posted in in anger.

Secondly, Calling the ministry of deliverance an "extremist form of Christianity" is not biblical and may be hurtful for those who may be suffering with a demonic issue. One third of Jesus' ministry was casting out demons and only a fool would ever say Jesus practiced an extremist form of religion.

Thirdly, children can have a demonic issue. The bible records several cases of children being possessed and attacked by demons.

It is very easy to make broad brush assertions that demons do not exist when one has not encountered one. As a boy, I personally encountered a ghost. I still recall this encounter very vividly and I will never forget it. In our society many are just like Nautilus. His reaction is very normal, very rational and expected for those who have personally seen this junk up close and personal. I respect his opinion and others like it but I know, first hand it is incorrect.

For those who cast aspetions on others in ignorance of the spiritual realm around us, that is harmful, hurtful and insensitive. Many have seen ghosts (demons) and experienced all sorts of stuff like this. As a child I alone experienced this junk and no one believed me, except for my mother who saw my behavior change over a year. Even then, she just knew I was sincere. I learned to not mention this to anyone unless I knew they would believe me.

I agree with Ugly, that we should not derail this post. This mother said she is concerned and we ought to not fight or post negative things back and forth about each other or the views of others when she is hurting and concerned for her child. My advice to her would in no way harm her child if I am wrong and this is simple imagination. On the other hand, it might help her and her son if I am right. So let's all stay on point and not seem like a roving pack of rabid gerbils and see if we can support the OP.

I disagree. The Bible was full of people with medical issues. Like the boy in Matthew 17. It wasn't a demon, it was epilepsy. They just had no idea do to the lack of medical and neurological knowledge so to the people i that time it was a demon. Either way it doesnt matter demon or epilepsy because Jesus still performed a miracle and healed him. But no I dont believe in demonic possession.

 

[Elizabeth619]

My son did the same thing from age 2 to 4. He grew out of it.

He used to get scared and say dragons were flying in his window and they scared him. He even named them.
I talked to him about them. I asked if they ever tried to hurt him. He always said no.
I knew that what he was seeing wasn't real, but in his little mind they were. I never told him they were imaginary. I never told him not to talk about it. All i did tell him is i wil always fight the dragons if they bothered him. That made him feel better and he stopped "seeing" them.

 

[presidente]

He may be a little young, but when my daughter was three, she learned to sing a song based on a verse from Psalms, "When I am afraid, I will trust in Him, my God whose word I praise." We used that song as a lesson not to be afraid of the dark or other things, and if they are afraid to trust God.

If you sense anything demonic in the house, you might command it to leave in the name of Jesus. I'd rather do that than burn sage.

 

[danschance]

I disagree. The Bible was full of people with medical issues. Like the boy in Matthew 17. It wasn't a demon, it was epilepsy. They just had no idea do to the lack of medical and neurological knowledge so to the people i that time it was a demon. Either way it doesnt matter demon or epilepsy because Jesus still performed a miracle and healed him. But no I dont believe in demonic possession.

I understand your position. You seem to be taking a rationalist point of view which stresses things are as they appear in a factual sense that also downgrades things of a spiritual nature. I assume you believe that ghosts, spirits, demons do not exist and you do not take the bible literally when it discusses these things. Many in the world would agree with you but also many Christians, especially fundamentalists, would disagree with you.

I see the spiritual realm as being another reality we can not process with our 5 physical senses, 99.999% of the time. The bible also talks of this and I believe it to be literal.

 

[Nautilus]

I disagree with most fundamentalists so this is okay.

 

[Shiloah]

I disagree with most fundamentalists so this is okay.

I stand somewhere in the middle. I think we should always address medical issues or mental issues from a practical standpoint to start with. I think most are entirely physical issues, though I believe that yes, all illnesses and disorders are a result of "the fall". On the other hand, I certainly believe demons abound, yet at the same time, I believe if we are Christians, "the One who is in us is greater than the one is this world." I never think we suggest to a mother or child we know nothing about that demons may be trying to possess them or something alike. We should simply call on the positive aspect of God. We should simply promote "drawing nigh to Him, and hence, He will draw nigh to us," for if He is for us, "who can be against us?" I think that's what Christ would have us teach those that are seeking Christ or who already are Christians.

 

[Fenner]

You have to be very careful with children. If it's something that seriously needs addressed then see a pediatrician and a child psychologist. Most things like this work themselves out. But you never want to scare a child and I think mentioning a demon would scare them, they wouldn't even understand it.

 

[danschance]

The mother in this case believed it was a demon. None of us can say either way if it was or was not. Scaring children is harmful and no one is suggesting that be done.

Even so, the "invisble friend" is well known in paranomal and deliverance circles.

Demonic Spirits Who Play The Role of Imaginary Friends​

In the course of my former ministry, I worked with a number of harassment victims who'd either had an imaginary friend as a child, or who had a child who had an imaginary playmate. In some cases, this imaginary friend first made an appearance in a time of stress or trauma. In some, for children who habitually talked to a doll or stuffed animal, the doll or teddy bear suddenly began talking back!​

A friend's daughter who was a victim of demonic harassment had a stuffed duck named Quack that she used to play with everyday. After using a Ouija Board with her friends, Quack began to "talk to her." Her brothers teased her mercilessly about carrying on conversations with Quack, often reducing Sally to tears. Finally Quack disappeared. Sally had loved Quack. He'd been her best friend. But when her dad asked what had happened to her duck, Sally said her brothers had teased her so much that she'd finally killed him. ​

As an adult, married, and with children of her own, Sally became addicted to both anti-depressants and alcohol. Often, she would take her pills with a glass or two of wine. Then came the night that the Quack or Ouija Board spirits began urging Sally to take another pill, another drink, and another, and another. ,,"Think how good it makes you feel, Sally. Just one more..." Bottom line, Sally ended up in the hospital having her stomach pumped, and would have died if her son hadn't found her in time. Though I'm no longer in touch with Sally or her family, I'm certain the spirits who tried their best to kill her through an overdose of drugs and alcohol are still very much with her.​

It is not uncommon for parents whose child has an imaginary friend to name the friend and set an extra place at the table, unaware that this is an open invitation for spirits to come into their child's life.​

In the case of a family who lived in a haunted house, there was a spirit who would play with their toddler, keeping the child occupied for hours at a time. This spirit would go up and down the stairway carrying the child's balloon. The parents had their house on the market, and were planning to invite the "ghost" to go with them when they moved to their new home. At that time I was still involved with the spirit realm myself, so I was in no position to advise them.​

In another case, a lonely adolescent girl acquired a "friend" through the use of a home-made Ouija Board. She would talk to her Ouija Board friend for hours, believing it to be the spirit of a girl named Jessica. Of course this wasn't the spirit of a girl. It was a demonic spirit. I explained this to Barbara's mother, who in turn explained it to Barbara. They then destroyed the makeshift Ouija Board and, with their permission, I did a cast away through God in Jesus' name of the demonic spirit group known as Jessica.​

A woman who'd had an imaginary friend as a child had acquired it as a result of her sister's holding a séance and giving her to Satan! ​

The imaginary friend represented itself as a man approximately four feet tall with skin the color and texture of clay. Her family had named this "imaginary man" Fred. At times when Margo was lonely or sad, Fred would keep her company.​

As an adult, Margo was horribly harassed. When she and her husband would go shopping, her arms would flail as if she suffered from Turrett's. When her husband talked to her, Margo would involuntarily roll her eyes toward the ceiling as if she doubted the truth of her husband's words. When lying down, Margo's body would twitch and be twisted by an unseen force into uncomfortable and unusual positions.​

It turned out that Margo was possessed by the group of spirits who had played the role of the imaginary friend when she was a child -- the imaginary man who had looked like clay. There were nine groups of possessive spirits in all. During the exorcism, they at first refused to go. Their basis for refusing to leave was that I was calling them by the wrong name. I was calling them Clay Man, for want of a better term. Finally one of them shouted through Margo "Stop calling us Clay Man! Our name is Fred!" If was at that point that Margo remembered that her family had named the imaginary friend Fred. When I addressed them as Fred, and told them in Jesus' name to leave her, the possessive spirits finally left, and Margo's behavior returned to normal.​

In another case, a man had created imaginary characters as a child, named Uzzer, Dudder, Digger, Barber, and Warker. He would play with his little sister, talking to these imaginary characters as if they were real. An an adult harassment victim, it was discovered that this man had demonic spirits in his life who had taken the names of Uzzer, Dudder, Digger, Barber, and Warker. Despite the fact that the way these demonic spirits were harassing him were addressed, the spirits refused to leave until we addressed them as Uzzer, Dudder, Digger, Barber, and Warker.​

If your child has an imaginary friend, I suggest you take stock of your own life to determine whether or not you've ever done anything to open the door for demonic spirits to harass your child. If the answer is "Yes," there's a strong possibility that your child's "imaginary friend" is actually a demonic spirit.

From: Imaginary Friends: Are They Demonic?

 

[Agricola]

Strange how we all jump to conclusions and automatically assume the worse.

All we are told by the OP is that the child talks to someone whos not there. Secondly points to dark and cries.

Imaginary friends are nothing new. Fear of dark is nothing new. I used to be scared of dark, i hated the dark, not because I could see things, but just fear of unknown. I grew out of it.

 

[Nautilus]

The mother in this case believed it was a demon. None of us can say either way if it was or was not. Scaring children is harmful and no one is suggesting that be done.

Even so, the "invisble friend" is well known in paranomal and deliverance circles.



From: Imaginary Friends: Are They Demonic?

Lol i went to the site...what a load of nonsense. The author claimed the Brad Pitt movie Se7en brought a legion of demons into their life... lolwut? Its a cop movie

 

[SarahM777]

I disagree. The Bible was full of people with medical issues. Like the boy in Matthew 17. It wasn't a demon, it was epilepsy. They just had no idea do to the lack of medical and neurological knowledge so to the people i that time it was a demon. Either way it doesnt matter demon or epilepsy because Jesus still performed a miracle and healed him. But no I dont believe in demonic possession.

Are you saying Jesus is a liar because He is the one that rebuked the demons, and you need to remember the demons recognized Jesus. Don't forget Jesus also knew the difference between those who had illnesses,other physical problems and those who did have demons.

Matthew 17

14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

 

[Mo0448]

Are you saying Jesus is a liar because He is the one that rebuked the demons, and you need to remember the demons recognized Jesus. Don't forget Jesus also knew the difference between those who had illnesses,other physical problems and those who did have demons.

Matthew 17

14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

While I agree with everything you say Sarah perhaps the question is, was the child an epileptic due to the Demon within him? Was the fact that he was possessed what caused his epilepsy? The answer is a most definite YES! Is it claiming however that all epilepsy, or other diseases caused by demons? I do not believe that is the case. However can a possessed individual have an ailment that is caused by possession? I do believe so as evident in the bible and the scripture you so kindly pointed out to us.

God Bless!