T
TAZorek
Guest
During my time wandering this earth I have noticed three different classes of ‘believers’.
If you will:
1. Theory/belief. These are people who have formulated a personal view and then set out to prove them.
2. Proof/evidence. These are people who have witnessed what they refer to as miracles or ‘interceptive Spiritual movement’ and their belief was formed based on those events.
3. Experience/proof. These are people who have had actual accounts of Spiritual activity in, and effecting, their own life. Their entire belief is stemmed from that, or those, accounts.
Do you notice the differences between the three? If you understand what I mean you will see it in peoples everyday life.
I suppose I better kick off with myself.
I had an experience that made me a firm believer in Jesus as a living entity. In 1986 I was brought to the knees of salvation as a result of a rather ‘withered’ life. With all avenues on earth dispersed and no active direction to turn I turned the only direction available. Up. I remember praying out loud and dare I say, honestly, these simple words; “ Lord? I don’t know if you’re real. But if you are. I need your help.” Not unusual for me, considering my depressed state, that quickly following those words I shuffled off to bed. Falling asleep rather quickly. It was a cool night. My home was on a back road ten miles from the nearest town. A one and a half lane gravel road ran in front of my home, across the road was a wheat field and on my side of the road a surrounding of pasture for cattle grazing. How Americana can you get, right? Neither of the towns near me had more than a couple thousand people each and, as I worked in a feed and seed store, I knew everyone around and they knew me. Crime was near zero, except for the occasional farmers kid who had a bit too much to drink. Other than that, everybody looked after everybody, it’s just the way it was. With all this seclusion and neighborhood security living where I did was quite peaceful. With that in mind you can imagine my shock that night as I was awakened to a presence in my room. I recall awakening with a start to a light encompassing half the room and the feeling of someone standing at the foot of the bed. I immediately jumped up and the light disappeared along with the presence. While I never laid actual eyes on the person I was given a name as it vanished. Jesus Christ. I say given rather than heard due to the fact that no words were spoken as I understood speaking, but was rather like a thought transference, where the name was spoken and written at the same time in my mind. I was overcome by a peaceful feeling and fell fast asleep again. I was awakened once more and sat up gazing out my bedroom window. Ever hear of and orb? The mode of condition said to be used for Spirit travel? It’s true. The Holy Spirit passed by my window as I looked upon it. (I didn’t realize for a few years just what it was, I know now though.) So through these two events, and a few others not yet mentioned, I came to know that Jesus was more than just a good idea. He is The Risen Christ. The Son of The Living God. I thought I had the grand position of witness in my hands, only to find that all I really had was an experience.
I realized later that I had no proof and I was actually searching for evidence that supported my experience.
Which puts me in the category of number three, experience/proof, that formed my belief. Both the evidence and proof were mine alone. Bummer. However, This did place me into a position of uncertainty and hesitance to believe in things. Despite having the experiences I've had, doctrinal teachings just weren’t enough, so it just left me with more questions. With no where else to turn I would turn to Jesus for the answer and The Holy Spirit for guidance to find that glimmer of experiential proof. It’s there. Waiting. Whenever I need it. Now that’s an experience I can live with. Literally!
Think carefully about your own life. Using the three categories above, which category do you fall into?
P.S. This is not scientific or religious research, it’s just me.
If you will:
1. Theory/belief. These are people who have formulated a personal view and then set out to prove them.
2. Proof/evidence. These are people who have witnessed what they refer to as miracles or ‘interceptive Spiritual movement’ and their belief was formed based on those events.
3. Experience/proof. These are people who have had actual accounts of Spiritual activity in, and effecting, their own life. Their entire belief is stemmed from that, or those, accounts.
Do you notice the differences between the three? If you understand what I mean you will see it in peoples everyday life.
I suppose I better kick off with myself.
I had an experience that made me a firm believer in Jesus as a living entity. In 1986 I was brought to the knees of salvation as a result of a rather ‘withered’ life. With all avenues on earth dispersed and no active direction to turn I turned the only direction available. Up. I remember praying out loud and dare I say, honestly, these simple words; “ Lord? I don’t know if you’re real. But if you are. I need your help.” Not unusual for me, considering my depressed state, that quickly following those words I shuffled off to bed. Falling asleep rather quickly. It was a cool night. My home was on a back road ten miles from the nearest town. A one and a half lane gravel road ran in front of my home, across the road was a wheat field and on my side of the road a surrounding of pasture for cattle grazing. How Americana can you get, right? Neither of the towns near me had more than a couple thousand people each and, as I worked in a feed and seed store, I knew everyone around and they knew me. Crime was near zero, except for the occasional farmers kid who had a bit too much to drink. Other than that, everybody looked after everybody, it’s just the way it was. With all this seclusion and neighborhood security living where I did was quite peaceful. With that in mind you can imagine my shock that night as I was awakened to a presence in my room. I recall awakening with a start to a light encompassing half the room and the feeling of someone standing at the foot of the bed. I immediately jumped up and the light disappeared along with the presence. While I never laid actual eyes on the person I was given a name as it vanished. Jesus Christ. I say given rather than heard due to the fact that no words were spoken as I understood speaking, but was rather like a thought transference, where the name was spoken and written at the same time in my mind. I was overcome by a peaceful feeling and fell fast asleep again. I was awakened once more and sat up gazing out my bedroom window. Ever hear of and orb? The mode of condition said to be used for Spirit travel? It’s true. The Holy Spirit passed by my window as I looked upon it. (I didn’t realize for a few years just what it was, I know now though.) So through these two events, and a few others not yet mentioned, I came to know that Jesus was more than just a good idea. He is The Risen Christ. The Son of The Living God. I thought I had the grand position of witness in my hands, only to find that all I really had was an experience.
I realized later that I had no proof and I was actually searching for evidence that supported my experience.
Which puts me in the category of number three, experience/proof, that formed my belief. Both the evidence and proof were mine alone. Bummer. However, This did place me into a position of uncertainty and hesitance to believe in things. Despite having the experiences I've had, doctrinal teachings just weren’t enough, so it just left me with more questions. With no where else to turn I would turn to Jesus for the answer and The Holy Spirit for guidance to find that glimmer of experiential proof. It’s there. Waiting. Whenever I need it. Now that’s an experience I can live with. Literally!
Think carefully about your own life. Using the three categories above, which category do you fall into?
P.S. This is not scientific or religious research, it’s just me.