Calling all thrifters and second hand shoppers!

[Elizabeth35]

Where are my thrifters at?!

Let's talk about what we like to shop for, our favorite spots, what's on our wish list, our favorite thing about shopping second hand, etc.
Also, did you always shop second hand or is this a new hobby?

I enjoy shopping for clothing mostly, but nearly everything I have from dishes to blankets to furniture is used so I'll pretty much shop for almost anything second hand. My city has three thrift stores: Salvation Army, Value Village, and The Mission. Salvation Army is definitely my favorite, prices are good and the staff are very friendly. Value village is the opposite, but I'll still go occasionally because they have the most variety. The Mission is new in my area and is priced quite high and doesn't have a ton of inventory yet, so I don't go that often. I'd like to get into yard sales this summer.
I've got my things from thrift stores since about the mid 90s when I was a child. It was affordable and we didn't have a huge income. I still shop second hand because of the affordability, but also because I really enjoy it; you never know what interesting pieces you'll find!
I'm currently on the look out for polka dots on a dress or top and a fruit themed top. I've seen so many cute fruit printed tops and I'd really like to find one for myself.

 

[CarriePie]

While I'm not really a big shopper otherwise, I do enjoy shopping at my favorite thrift shop. I've been shopping at the same one since I was a young child. It's a locally ran thrift shop and the proceeds go to help to educate and equip to expose child exploitation before it begins.

Anyway, I shop in all areas there. Hardware items, housewares, magazines, garments, linens, decor, furniture (the piece of furniture I'm sitting on right now is from there lol).

I also like having a nice chat with the ladies there.

There isn't very much of my wardrobe that isn't from there. A get a few pieces from Poshmark on the rare occasion to bring an outfit together, but most of my wardrobe is from my favorite thrift shop.

What's on my wish list? Well, I've got just about everything that I could want at a thrift store, but I love sweaters and I always like finding a sweater that I think is too smashing to leave behind.

 

[enril]

being a lazy teenager,i prefer to get everyhing from thrift stores. unfortunately my favorite one was shut down higher up for no known reason. but i find all kinds of cool stuff at thrift stores

 

[Lynx]

MUSIC!

I built my collection by raiding the CD collections of thrift stores, pawn shops, used bookstores, etc. I buy all the Christian albums they have that I have never heard before. Then I haul them home and listen to them to pick the ones I like. If I like one out of ten I still come out waaaaay ahead. I usually like about a third of them though.

The ones I don't like, I take to this one local thrift store, and I never, ever go there looking for music.

If I like a singer or group a lot, I'll look them up on Amazon and get all their albums.

 

[seoulsearch]

This is a great topic, and I sure hope I'm not sounding like a cold bucket of water, but I would sincerely like to ask thrifters a serious question.

Do you ever worry about "spirits" or... I'm not even sure what to call it... "picking up" negative things from previously owned items, particularly clothing?

Please forgive me if I sound a bit wacko -- I mean, I AM , but this is something that actually really does trouble me. I've mentioned that I grew up in a very conservative Lutheran church (an acknowledgment of spiritual forces, of course, but not to the extremes of the Pentecostal church I became a part of.)

I was then in a Pentecostal Assemblies of God church in which people saw spiritual meaning in EVERYTHING, and everything around us was some kind of invisible spiritual battle. After my husband left, elders from my church came to do a "prayer cleansing" in my home. They insisted I get rid of things like a cross stitch picture I'd literally spent probably a hundred hours on of an angel holding a baby, and they said, "We feel the same spirit behind this as when the devil walks by holding the demon baby in (Mel Gibson's) The Passion -- don't you feel it, too?"

No, I didn't. But out of obedience, I got rid of it. They were also against having anything with a depiction of "creatures of the night" or animals associated with anything negative in the Bible -- frogs, bats, owls, etc. (This is why I often refer to it as the "No-Owls Church," because I happen to love owls.) I also had a cardboard box, leftover from products where I worked, and the name of the farm it came from happened to be "Hellon" or something like that -- someone's last name. And one of the elders insisted I get rid of that because she didn't like that it had "hell" in the name.

I started wondering about the evil that could be lurking ANYWHERE and how I could avoid it. I got rid of things I loved because I was trying to be a good, obedient lamb and not guilty of rebellion or refusal to submit to God's will as I was sometimes accused.

A good friend pointed out years later that cats are nocturnal -- does that mean Christians shouldn't own cats? And dogs are mentioned in the Bible as licking blood, sores, and returning to their own vomit. Does that mean Christians should stay away from them too? Where are the lines?

Because I was going through a lot of emotional trauma at the time, all of this "spiritual" thinking really did a number on me and I still have remnants of it to this day. These people believed that demons/evil spirits can attach themselves to physical things and that if you take these items into your home, you are taking in that evil presence/influence along with it.

I know a lot of people who survive on thrift stores, sometimes out of necessity, sometimes out of choice, and I'm all for it. I love looking around at thrift stores, but for myself, I'm always thinking of things like, "What if the woman who owned this pair of pants was having an inappropriate relationship, and used to wear these pants/blouse/coat on dates with them? What if they used to get drunk/high in these clothes? Would I be bringing those kinds of spirits home with me, especially if I wore them?"

Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but this is some of the damage that more "militant" spiritual surroundings did to me.

Does anyone else ever suffer from this, and/or do you have any advice?

 

[enril]

This is a great topic, and I sure hope I'm not sounding like a cold bucket of water, but I would sincerely like to ask thrifters a serious question.

Do you ever worry about "spirits" or... I'm not even sure what to call it... "picking up" negative things from previously owned items, particularly clothing?

Please forgive me if I sound a bit wacko -- I mean, I AM , but this is something that actually really does trouble me. I've mentioned that I grew up in a very conservative Lutheran church (an acknowledgment of spiritual forces, of course, but not to the extremes of the Pentecostal church I became a part of.)

I was then in a Pentecostal Assemblies of God church in which people saw spiritual meaning in EVERYTHING, and everything around us was some kind of invisible spiritual battle. After my husband left, elders from my church came to do a "prayer cleansing" in my home. They insisted I get rid of things like a cross stitch picture I'd literally spent probably a hundred hours on of an angel holding a baby, and they said, "We feel the same spirit behind this as when the devil walks by holding the demon baby in (Mel Gibson's) The Passion -- don't you feel it, too?"

No, I didn't. But out of obedience, I got rid of it. They were also against having anything with a depiction of "creatures of the night" or animals associated with anything negative in the Bible -- frogs, bats, owls, etc. (This is why I often refer to it as the "No-Owls Church," because I happen to love owls.) I also had a cardboard box, leftover from products where I worked, and the name of the farm it came from happened to be "Hellon" or something like that -- someone's last name. And one of the elders insisted I get rid of that because she didn't like that it had "hell" in the name.

I started wondering about the evil that could be lurking ANYWHERE and how I could avoid it. I got rid of things I loved because I was trying to be a good, obedient lamb and not guilty of rebellion or refusal to submit to God's will as I was sometimes accused.

A good friend pointed out years later that cats are nocturnal -- does that mean Christians shouldn't own cats? And dogs are mentioned in the Bible as licking blood, sores, and returning to their own vomit. Does that mean Christians should stay away from them too? Where are the lines?

Because I was going through a lot of emotional trauma at the time, all of this "spiritual" thinking really did a number on me and I still have remnants of it to this day. These people believed that demons/evil spirits can attach themselves to physical things and that if you take these items into your home, you are taking in that evil presence/influence along with it.

I know a lot of people who survive on thrift stores, sometimes out of necessity, sometimes out of choice, and I'm all for it. I love looking around at thrift stores, but for myself, I'm always thinking of things like, "What if the woman who owned this pair of pants was having an inappropriate relationship, and used to wear these pants/blouse/coat on dates with them? What if they used to get drunk/high in these clothes? Would I be bringing those kinds of spirits home with me, especially if I wore them?"

Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but this is some of the damage that more "militant" spiritual surroundings did to me.

Does anyone else ever suffer from this, and/or do you have any advice?

im not realy an expert but id say that as a christian none of the evil things ie. demons etc can even touch you. also i believe that no one can know what God wants directly because that undermines faith. you cant have faith and assurance. it doesn't work that way. but im not really an expert. and will continue to believe ghbis until proved wrong. from the bible.

heres a quote.

"w dont need to be defi ed by the things we did n our past. some people allow themselves to be controlled by regret. maybe its a regret. maybe its not. its merely somthing that happened.

i think this could apply to stuff too.
but maybe its just me
.personally im weirded out by certaikn things like stuff that was my uncles. or things i know the bad history of. but i usually ca push ast that.

 

[Elizabeth35]

While I'm not really a big shopper otherwise, I do enjoy shopping at my favorite thrift shop. I've been shopping at the same one since I was a young child. It's a locally ran thrift shop and the proceeds go to help to educate and equip to expose child exploitation before it begins.

Anyway, I shop in all areas there. Hardware items, housewares, magazines, garments, linens, decor, furniture (the piece of furniture I'm sitting on right now is from there lol).

I also like having a nice chat with the ladies there.

There isn't very much of my wardrobe that isn't from there. A get a few pieces from Poshmark on the rare occasion to bring an outfit together, but most of my wardrobe is from my favorite thrift shop.

What's on my wish list? Well, I've got just about everything that I could want at a thrift store, but I love sweaters and I always like finding a sweater that I think is too smashing to leave behind.

Oh I'm a sweater girl too! They're just so cozy.

I love those independent local thrift shops where they do amazing charity work. I wish we had some where I live.

 

[Elizabeth35]

This is a great topic, and I sure hope I'm not sounding like a cold bucket of water, but I would sincerely like to ask thrifters a serious question.

Do you ever worry about "spirits" or... I'm not even sure what to call it... "picking up" negative things from previously owned items, particularly clothing?

Please forgive me if I sound a bit wacko -- I mean, I AM , but this is something that actually really does trouble me. I've mentioned that I grew up in a very conservative Lutheran church (an acknowledgment of spiritual forces, of course, but not to the extremes of the Pentecostal church I became a part of.)

I was then in a Pentecostal Assemblies of God church in which people saw spiritual meaning in EVERYTHING, and everything around us was some kind of invisible spiritual battle. After my husband left, elders from my church came to do a "prayer cleansing" in my home. They insisted I get rid of things like a cross stitch picture I'd literally spent probably a hundred hours on of an angel holding a baby, and they said, "We feel the same spirit behind this as when the devil walks by holding the demon baby in (Mel Gibson's) The Passion -- don't you feel it, too?"

No, I didn't. But out of obedience, I got rid of it. They were also against having anything with a depiction of "creatures of the night" or animals associated with anything negative in the Bible -- frogs, bats, owls, etc. (This is why I often refer to it as the "No-Owls Church," because I happen to love owls.) I also had a cardboard box, leftover from products where I worked, and the name of the farm it came from happened to be "Hellon" or something like that -- someone's last name. And one of the elders insisted I get rid of that because she didn't like that it had "hell" in the name.

I started wondering about the evil that could be lurking ANYWHERE and how I could avoid it. I got rid of things I loved because I was trying to be a good, obedient lamb and not guilty of rebellion or refusal to submit to God's will as I was sometimes accused.

A good friend pointed out years later that cats are nocturnal -- does that mean Christians shouldn't own cats? And dogs are mentioned in the Bible as licking blood, sores, and returning to their own vomit. Does that mean Christians should stay away from them too? Where are the lines?

Because I was going through a lot of emotional trauma at the time, all of this "spiritual" thinking really did a number on me and I still have remnants of it to this day. These people believed that demons/evil spirits can attach themselves to physical things and that if you take these items into your home, you are taking in that evil presence/influence along with it.

I know a lot of people who survive on thrift stores, sometimes out of necessity, sometimes out of choice, and I'm all for it. I love looking around at thrift stores, but for myself, I'm always thinking of things like, "What if the woman who owned this pair of pants was having an inappropriate relationship, and used to wear these pants/blouse/coat on dates with them? What if they used to get drunk/high in these clothes? Would I be bringing those kinds of spirits home with me, especially if I wore them?"

Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but this is some of the damage that more "militant" spiritual surroundings did to me.

Does anyone else ever suffer from this, and/or do you have any advice?

You don't sound wacko at all. I was involved in hyper-charismatic teaching for close to 10 years. It also did quite a number on me too, still struggling to figure out what the truth is and heal from all the insanity as I'm freshly out of it for the past few months. But, you do not sound wacko to me because I spent all that time thinking the same things. I got rid of gifts friends had got for me when they traveled to China and from when one of them lived in Mexico because they might have had demons attached to them.
I'm still trying to figure out how this works and if objects require deliverance.

I typically will pray when I get to the thrift store and ask the LORD to lead me as I shop there. If I remember, I will pray over the stuff I've brought home and pray for anything that might be attached to them to go in Jesus's name. Is this required? I don't know anymore, still working through the past teachings I had and trying to discern what was good and what was complete nonsense.

So in short, yes I have worried about this!

 

[Suze]

This is a great topic, and I sure hope I'm not sounding like a cold bucket of water, but I would sincerely like to ask thrifters a serious question.

Do you ever worry about "spirits" or... I'm not even sure what to call it... "picking up" negative things from previously owned items, particularly clothing?

Please forgive me if I sound a bit wacko -- I mean, I AM , but this is something that actually really does trouble me. I've mentioned that I grew up in a very conservative Lutheran church (an acknowledgment of spiritual forces, of course, but not to the extremes of the Pentecostal church I became a part of.)

I was then in a Pentecostal Assemblies of God church in which people saw spiritual meaning in EVERYTHING, and everything around us was some kind of invisible spiritual battle. After my husband left, elders from my church came to do a "prayer cleansing" in my home. They insisted I get rid of things like a cross stitch picture I'd literally spent probably a hundred hours on of an angel holding a baby, and they said, "We feel the same spirit behind this as when the devil walks by holding the demon baby in (Mel Gibson's) The Passion -- don't you feel it, too?"

No, I didn't. But out of obedience, I got rid of it. They were also against having anything with a depiction of "creatures of the night" or animals associated with anything negative in the Bible -- frogs, bats, owls, etc. (This is why I often refer to it as the "No-Owls Church," because I happen to love owls.) I also had a cardboard box, leftover from products where I worked, and the name of the farm it came from happened to be "Hellon" or something like that -- someone's last name. And one of the elders insisted I get rid of that because she didn't like that it had "hell" in the name.

I started wondering about the evil that could be lurking ANYWHERE and how I could avoid it. I got rid of things I loved because I was trying to be a good, obedient lamb and not guilty of rebellion or refusal to submit to God's will as I was sometimes accused.

A good friend pointed out years later that cats are nocturnal -- does that mean Christians shouldn't own cats? And dogs are mentioned in the Bible as licking blood, sores, and returning to their own vomit. Does that mean Christians should stay away from them too? Where are the lines?

Because I was going through a lot of emotional trauma at the time, all of this "spiritual" thinking really did a number on me and I still have remnants of it to this day. These people believed that demons/evil spirits can attach themselves to physical things and that if you take these items into your home, you are taking in that evil presence/influence along with it.

I know a lot of people who survive on thrift stores, sometimes out of necessity, sometimes out of choice, and I'm all for it. I love looking around at thrift stores, but for myself, I'm always thinking of things like, "What if the woman who owned this pair of pants was having an inappropriate relationship, and used to wear these pants/blouse/coat on dates with them? What if they used to get drunk/high in these clothes? Would I be bringing those kinds of spirits home with me, especially if I wore them?"

Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but this is some of the damage that more "militant" spiritual surroundings did to me.

Does anyone else ever suffer from this, and/or do you have any advice?

Oh gosh that's awful ! I'm so sorry u had to go through that , it must have been a very painful time for u . No , I don't believe in any thing like that at all . Everything man made was made by someone , what if they......? It's akin to superstition and that does not seem Biblical to me . I'm so glad u came through all that unscathed ! U seem like a very intelligent sensitive soul , trust in God . Inanimate objects r just that , inanimate ❤️ .

 

[Lynx]

This is a great topic, and I sure hope I'm not sounding like a cold bucket of water, but I would sincerely like to ask thrifters a serious question.

Do you ever worry about "spirits" or... I'm not even sure what to call it... "picking up" negative things from previously owned items, particularly clothing?

Please forgive me if I sound a bit wacko -- I mean, I AM , but this is something that actually really does trouble me. I've mentioned that I grew up in a very conservative Lutheran church (an acknowledgment of spiritual forces, of course, but not to the extremes of the Pentecostal church I became a part of.)

I was then in a Pentecostal Assemblies of God church in which people saw spiritual meaning in EVERYTHING, and everything around us was some kind of invisible spiritual battle. After my husband left, elders from my church came to do a "prayer cleansing" in my home. They insisted I get rid of things like a cross stitch picture I'd literally spent probably a hundred hours on of an angel holding a baby, and they said, "We feel the same spirit behind this as when the devil walks by holding the demon baby in (Mel Gibson's) The Passion -- don't you feel it, too?"

No, I didn't. But out of obedience, I got rid of it. They were also against having anything with a depiction of "creatures of the night" or animals associated with anything negative in the Bible -- frogs, bats, owls, etc. (This is why I often refer to it as the "No-Owls Church," because I happen to love owls.) I also had a cardboard box, leftover from products where I worked, and the name of the farm it came from happened to be "Hellon" or something like that -- someone's last name. And one of the elders insisted I get rid of that because she didn't like that it had "hell" in the name.

I started wondering about the evil that could be lurking ANYWHERE and how I could avoid it. I got rid of things I loved because I was trying to be a good, obedient lamb and not guilty of rebellion or refusal to submit to God's will as I was sometimes accused.

A good friend pointed out years later that cats are nocturnal -- does that mean Christians shouldn't own cats? And dogs are mentioned in the Bible as licking blood, sores, and returning to their own vomit. Does that mean Christians should stay away from them too? Where are the lines?

Because I was going through a lot of emotional trauma at the time, all of this "spiritual" thinking really did a number on me and I still have remnants of it to this day. These people believed that demons/evil spirits can attach themselves to physical things and that if you take these items into your home, you are taking in that evil presence/influence along with it.

I know a lot of people who survive on thrift stores, sometimes out of necessity, sometimes out of choice, and I'm all for it. I love looking around at thrift stores, but for myself, I'm always thinking of things like, "What if the woman who owned this pair of pants was having an inappropriate relationship, and used to wear these pants/blouse/coat on dates with them? What if they used to get drunk/high in these clothes? Would I be bringing those kinds of spirits home with me, especially if I wore them?"

Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but this is some of the damage that more "militant" spiritual surroundings did to me.

Does anyone else ever suffer from this, and/or do you have any advice?

That's a matter of what specific aspect you're talking about.

On one hand there's my best friend. He and his wife bought a "gently used" house. The former owner was not a Christian. Every time they tried to pray or read their Bible, something would happen. Somebody would call, or a water pipe would spring a leak or just anything to disrupt their peace. The former owner had allowed a spirit to live there, probably without even being consciously aware of it, and the spirit resented all this Christian stuff going on in HIS home. They eventually had to kick him out to get any peace at all.

Then on the other hand there was the old Pentecostal evangelist who knew James 2:19. Someone asked him if he kicked out the demons from his hotel room before he went to bed. "Nah. I'm a one-God preacher. If satan wants to lie under my bed and shake all night, that's his business." I don't have to worry about what demons may be present unless they try to start something. If they DO start something, I ought to know how to handle it, for I have definitely been given the authority to deal with it. But any demon with some sense should be aware enough to just keep his head down and wait until I move on.

 

[seoulsearch]

That's a matter of what specific aspect you're talking about.

On one hand there's my best friend. He and his wife bought a "gently used" house. The former owner was not a Christian. Every time they tried to pray or read their Bible, something would happen. Somebody would call, or a water pipe would spring a leak or just anything to disrupt their peace. The former owner had allowed a spirit to live there, probably without even being consciously aware of it, and the spirit resented all this Christian stuff going on in HIS home. They eventually had to kick him out to get any peace at all.

Then on the other hand there was the old Pentecostal evangelist who knew James 2:19. Someone asked him if he kicked out the demons from his hotel room before he went to bed. "Nah. I'm a one-God preacher. If satan wants to lie under my bed and shake all night, that's his business." I don't have to worry about what demons may be present unless they try to start something. If they DO start something, I ought to know how to handle it, for I have definitely been given the authority to deal with it. But any demon with some sense should be aware enough to just keep his head down and wait until I move on.

This was a fascinating, albeit somewhat frightening (for me at least) story to read.

How did your friend and his wife determine it was a demon? And what did they do to get rid of it?

From what you've told me about these people, I know they are outstanding Christians. Unfortunately, when I was at the more radical church, I ran into a lot of fanatical people who were so serious about "stomping demons under their feet" that it felt like they were much more interested in flexing their assumed spiritual power rather than actually giving glory to God.

I've read many stories and accounts of people saying they've taken authority over evil spirits, and I have no doubt that this happens.

But what always intrigues me is that Jesus dealt with sickness in different ways. I'm thinking of the time He a made paste out of mud and saliva and put it onto a blind man's eyes; other times, He would just call a demon out. These are just my own musings but I always wondered if this demonstrated that sometimes a sickness is bio/physiological -- and sometimes it's otherworldly.

I always think of the story of, I believe it was the boy who had a spirit that was throwing him into water and fire to try to kill him. The disciples couldn't call out it -- but Jesus could. And He told them, "This kind only comes out by prayer and fasting." (Though many Bible versions only list prayer.)

This always made me think of the different ways evil entities must be dealt with and the different tools and/or levels of spiritual maturity one must have in order to cast them out. I mean, the disciples were with Jesus 3 years nonstop, and yet, they apparently hadn't yet reached the skill set to command "this kind" of demon out.

So it always leaves me wondering.

Is it true that any Christian can just call out demons in the name of Jesus automatically? Or are there some that require a whole lot more work and skill mastery to take authority over?

My personal guess is yes, but that's just me.

Knowing my luck, I'd run into a demon that was 10 levels ahead of me in what it would take to cast it out.

Which is one reason why I've always been terrified of anything having to do with the demonic realm -- and I've ran into too many people who seem to treat spiritual authority as a show, rather than a quiet act of obedience that might be best kept to only the people involved.

 

[seoulsearch]

You don't sound wacko at all. I was involved in hyper-charismatic teaching for close to 10 years. It also did quite a number on me too, still struggling to figure out what the truth is and heal from all the insanity as I'm freshly out of it for the past few months. But, you do not sound wacko to me because I spent all that time thinking the same things. I got rid of gifts friends had got for me when they traveled to China and from when one of them lived in Mexico because they might have had demons attached to them.
I'm still trying to figure out how this works and if objects require deliverance.

I typically will pray when I get to the thrift store and ask the LORD to lead me as I shop there. If I remember, I will pray over the stuff I've brought home and pray for anything that might be attached to them to go in Jesus's name. Is this required? I don't know anymore, still working through the past teachings I had and trying to discern what was good and what was complete nonsense.

So in short, yes I have worried about this!

THANK YOU for posting this!!

I'm very glad to know I'm not the only one who has run into this (and is still affected by it.)

I think the prayers you making when you consider these acquisitions are wonderful and spot-on.

You've also given me a great idea of how to handle some of my own purchasing decisions in the future.

Great thread!

 

[Lynx]

This was a fascinating, albeit somewhat frightening (for me at least) story to read.

How did your friend and his wife determine it was a demon? And what did they do to get rid of it?

From what you've told me about these people, I know they are outstanding Christians. Unfortunately, when I was at the more radical church, I ran into a lot of fanatical people who were so serious about "stomping demons under their feet" that it felt like they were much more interested in flexing their assumed spiritual power rather than actually giving glory to God.

I've read many stories and accounts of people saying they've taken authority over evil spirits, and I have no doubt that this happens.

But what always intrigues me is that Jesus dealt with sickness in different ways. I'm thinking of the time He a made paste out of mud and saliva and put it onto a blind man's eyes; other times, He would just call a demon out. These are just my own musings but I always wondered if this demonstrated that sometimes a sickness is bio/physiological -- and sometimes it's otherworldly.

I always think of the story of, I believe it was the boy who had a spirit that was throwing him into water and fire to try to kill him. The disciples couldn't call out it -- but Jesus could. And He told them, "This kind only comes out by prayer and fasting." (Though many Bible versions only list prayer.)

This always made me think of the different ways evil entities must be dealt with and the different tools and/or levels of spiritual maturity one must have in order to cast them out. I mean, the disciples were with Jesus 3 years nonstop, and yet, they apparently hadn't yet reached the skill set to command "this kind" of demon out.

So it always leaves me wondering.

Is it true that any Christian can just call out demons in the name of Jesus automatically? Or are there some that require a whole lot more work and skill mastery to take authority over?

My personal guess is yes, but that's just me.

Knowing my luck, I'd run into a demon that was 10 levels ahead of me in what it would take to cast it out.

Which is one reason why I've always been terrified of anything having to do with the demonic realm -- and I've ran into too many people who seem to treat spiritual authority as a show, rather than a quiet act of obedience that might be best kept to only the people involved.

Jesus also never went looking for a fight. He only dealt with problems if they became problems. He never sought out the Pharisees or demons.

As for my best friend and his wife, they prayed about it. That's all I know. I didn't ask them for proof that it was in fact a demon. It never occurred to me.

 

[seoulsearch]

Jesus also never went looking for a fight. He only dealt with problems if they became problems. He never sought out the Pharisees or demons. As for my best friend and his wife, they prayed about it. That's all I know. I didn't ask them for proof that it was in fact a demon. It never occurred to me.

I hope I didn't sound like I was trying to question their judgment...

I was just curious as to how Christians can tell if something really is a demon.

(Kind of like when some people claim demons are attacking their finances -- which could be true -- but it might also have something to do with the Door Dash they're choosing to order 4 times a week, too.)

And I'm certainly NOT trying to say anything against your friends at all -- I'm sure their faith is of the highest caliber.

I was just wondering what a good litmus test is for say, garden variety Christians like me -- and I'm usually hanging out in the weed patch. 🪴

 

[Lynx]

I have no idea. I have never had reason to believe a demon was doing anything against me, so I never have tried to ascertain whether there was a demon anywhere around.

Whether I believe somebody who claims this would certainly depend heavily on how often they claim to encounter them. If somebody sees a demon every time their car doesn't start or they stub their toe, I would strongly doubt their claim.

I heard a comedian talking about this though. He was talking about people who see the devil in everything they don't like. When their checking account is overdrawn at the bank, "now I know I had a hundred in here just yesterday. The devil is in this place! Oooooh I come against you..." No, brothers and sisters, come against those bad checks you've been writing. And be free, in Jesus' name!

 

[Mem]

@seoulsearch If I notice a spirit of fear welling up, I know it's not from God so, in the case of moving into a new place, I just say something like, "Get out! This place is set apart and is no longer yours to freely come and go," and, typically, the resulting peace is immediate. Don't forget, you're a king and priest.

I usually shop clearance shelves. It's no-previous-owner thrifting.

 

[Snackersmom]

This is a great topic, and I sure hope I'm not sounding like a cold bucket of water, but I would sincerely like to ask thrifters a serious question.

Do you ever worry about "spirits" or... I'm not even sure what to call it... "picking up" negative things from previously owned items, particularly clothing?

Please forgive me if I sound a bit wacko -- I mean, I AM , but this is something that actually really does trouble me. I've mentioned that I grew up in a very conservative Lutheran church (an acknowledgment of spiritual forces, of course, but not to the extremes of the Pentecostal church I became a part of.)

I was then in a Pentecostal Assemblies of God church in which people saw spiritual meaning in EVERYTHING, and everything around us was some kind of invisible spiritual battle. After my husband left, elders from my church came to do a "prayer cleansing" in my home. They insisted I get rid of things like a cross stitch picture I'd literally spent probably a hundred hours on of an angel holding a baby, and they said, "We feel the same spirit behind this as when the devil walks by holding the demon baby in (Mel Gibson's) The Passion -- don't you feel it, too?"

No, I didn't. But out of obedience, I got rid of it. They were also against having anything with a depiction of "creatures of the night" or animals associated with anything negative in the Bible -- frogs, bats, owls, etc. (This is why I often refer to it as the "No-Owls Church," because I happen to love owls.) I also had a cardboard box, leftover from products where I worked, and the name of the farm it came from happened to be "Hellon" or something like that -- someone's last name. And one of the elders insisted I get rid of that because she didn't like that it had "hell" in the name.

I started wondering about the evil that could be lurking ANYWHERE and how I could avoid it. I got rid of things I loved because I was trying to be a good, obedient lamb and not guilty of rebellion or refusal to submit to God's will as I was sometimes accused.

A good friend pointed out years later that cats are nocturnal -- does that mean Christians shouldn't own cats? And dogs are mentioned in the Bible as licking blood, sores, and returning to their own vomit. Does that mean Christians should stay away from them too? Where are the lines?

Because I was going through a lot of emotional trauma at the time, all of this "spiritual" thinking really did a number on me and I still have remnants of it to this day. These people believed that demons/evil spirits can attach themselves to physical things and that if you take these items into your home, you are taking in that evil presence/influence along with it.

I know a lot of people who survive on thrift stores, sometimes out of necessity, sometimes out of choice, and I'm all for it. I love looking around at thrift stores, but for myself, I'm always thinking of things like, "What if the woman who owned this pair of pants was having an inappropriate relationship, and used to wear these pants/blouse/coat on dates with them? What if they used to get drunk/high in these clothes? Would I be bringing those kinds of spirits home with me, especially if I wore them?"

Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but this is some of the damage that more "militant" spiritual surroundings did to me.

Does anyone else ever suffer from this, and/or do you have any advice?

For whatever its worth... 1 Corinthians tells us not to worry if the meat we are eating might have been sacrificed to idols. Abstain if you know that it was.... otherwise just eat and don't worry about it. Apparently in Corinth around that time, the majority of meat available was indeed killed through pagan ritual, maybe similar to modern-day Halal? Anyway.... Paul does not seem too concerned other than appearances and conscience, so I don't think we should be either. 💙

@Elizabeth35 ..... I love thrifting! Saving money is great, but really I find thrift shops so much more interesting than regular stores. It's the only kind of shopping I actually enjoy lol. I've found some amazing vintage items that you'd never run across in a modern box store.

Occasionally I do get an "odd feeling" about a specific item and of course I don't purchase it, but that's pretty rare... could probly count the times on two hands. And it's usually a book or something obviously tied to the occult like ouiji board or tarot. I don't think it's something we generally have to worry about if we are making prayerful purchases 🙏

 

[enril]

"the only power demons (and satan) have over us is the power that we give them"
~my youth pasor.

 

[Edify]

@ seoulsearch, & whoever needs it, there are some things to keep in mind if you feel that something isn't right.
First & foremost, as a christian, remember God's grace is sufficient. Remember the scripture ,"where sin abounds, grace does much more abound" . That last part of the verse means to 'super abound'.
So many christians know very little about God's grace, His "unmerited favor" He has towards all of us all the time.
Another verse: God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, & a sound mind(disipline).
The favor of the Father is a powerful thing. Love is the essense of who He is. A sound mind has to do with a self- disiplined heart that stand firm in the Word & His promises that are "yes & amen in Christ Jesus to glorify God".I don't know how else to say this, but if your in a church that sees a devil around every corner, get out of it because such a spirit promotes fear mongering.(just like the news does, but on spiritual matters). Such a place will keep you tore up spiritually so you will be completely dependent on their leadership(cult).