Have you had any supernatural experiences?

[krespeini]

We got to be careful talking about some, bc some are dangerous, like some orbs and shadow people (not in corner of eye either). I've experienced those. But I've had examples of where my guardian angel and/or God helped me too.

[1over137]

Welcome to the forum.

We also have Christian Testimonies thread one can share Christian stories.

Concerning me and my experience - when I became Christian and many times since then.

[RickD]

I once sent $1,000 to Benny Hinn, and I got a prayer towel in return.

Does that count?

[Fliegender]

fruitcake season is normally in December.

[Nessa]

I once sent $1,000 to Benny Hinn, and I got a prayer towel in return.

Does that count?

Depends, was the towel anointed?

[1over137]

fruitcake season is normally in December.

So much for the discussion on the topic in this thread...

[Fliegender]

fruitcake season is normally in December.

So much for the discussion on the topic in this thread...

This site is God and Science not God and Mystical Experiences.

Don’t blame me: RicardoD screwed up the topic with his post about Benny Hinn.

[Kurieuo]

That's a good joke FL, since when do you talk science?

Let me put a few stories of my own experiences out there...

I'm not sure where this would fit. I was in a car with my brother and his friend, we're going to the cinemas at night to watch a movie. I was in the back seat, felt close to God, and received a message that I'd see a girl who I'd be with. At the movies, I see a girl I recognise as someone who was in my lectures at uni, only she's at the movie with some guy and I chuckled, "yeah, good one God." Fast-forward to today, we've been married 15 years have four kids.

Or, if wanting something more mystical. I had OCD as a 9yo kid, washing myself over and over. In the shower, I'd come out, ran into my dad, and so had to go back and re-wash. We're talking showers that lasted an hour or so. And it's all ritual like and counting while washing parts of my body. Not pleasant, and I prayed in tears to God to give me strenth to just break through. I felt words that a "legend" (that's what I thought was said) of angels would help me. I then felt so strong and secure, and was able to just finish washing in a few seconds, dry off, go to my room and just get dressed. Later, I came to realise "legion", yeah, seems I "misheard". I didn't even know what the word meant at that age.

Or, something more mystical and freaky. I was around 11 or 12, and woke up one night. Outside my bedroom door was larger room with a sliding window. On the other side was the carport. At that window I saw a ghostly white impression of an old lady's face pressed up against the window. For some reason, I tied the apparition with my great grandmother who I remember visiting in an old people's home when very young. I prayed to Jesus for her to go away. I looked up, and she was still there. I prayed in Jesus name for it to go. Opened my eyes, and it was gone. Until I looked at the end of my bed and the apparition was there. I started banging on the wall and screaming out to my mum until she came down stairs to my bedroom... (I slept in a bedroom downstairs from everyone else, so...)

That's just a few of my own experiences I share. People can make of them what they will.

[krespeini]

That's a good joke FL, since when do you talk science?

Let me put a few stories of my own experiences out there...

I'm not sure where this would fit. I was in a car with my brother and his friend, we're going to the cinemas at night to watch a movie. I was in the back seat, felt close to God, and received a message that I'd see a girl who I'd be with. At the movies, I see a girl I recognise as someone who was in my lectures at uni, only she's at the movie with some guy and I chuckled, "yeah, good one God." Fast-forward to today, we've been married 15 years have four kids.

Or, if wanting something more mystical. I had OCD as a 9yo kid, washing myself over and over. In the shower, I'd come out, ran into my dad, and so had to go back and re-wash. We're talking showers that lasted an hour or so. And it's all ritual like and counting while washing parts of my body. Not pleasant, and I prayed in tears to God to give me strenth to just break through. I felt words that a "legend" (that's what I thought was said) of angels would help me. I then felt so strong and secure, and was able to just finish washing in a few seconds, dry off, go to my room and just get dressed. Later, I came to realise "legion", yeah, seems I "misheard". I didn't even know what the word meant at that age.

Or, something more mystical and freaky. I was around 11 or 12, and woke up one night. Outside my bedroom door was larger room with a sliding window. On the other side was the carport. At that window I saw a ghostly white impression of an old lady's face pressed up against the window. For some reason, I tied the apparition with my great grandmother who I remember visiting in an old people's home when very young. I prayed to Jesus for her to go away. I looked up, and she was still there. I prayed in Jesus name for it to go. Opened my eyes, and it was gone. Until I looked at the end of my bed and the apparition was there. I started banging on the wall and screaming out to my mum until she came down stairs to my bedroom... (I slept in a bedroom downstairs from everyone else, so...)

That's just a few of my own experiences I share. People can make of them what they will.

Thank you very much for the help.

[RickD]

Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, "Don't do it!" He said, "Nobody loves me." I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?"

He said, "Yes." I said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?" He said, "A Christian." I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?" He said, "Protestant." I said, "Me, too! What franchise?" He said, "Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?" He said, "Northern Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region." I said, "Me, too!"

Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912." I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over.

[Fliegender]

That's a good joke FL, since when do you talk science?
...

I don’t talk science because I’m not a scientist but I read science with interest. I don’t talk ghost stories because they always sound silly. Ditto for UFOs, Sasquatch, astral voyages, flat earth, time travel and Benny Hinn.

[Philip]

But what most people think of as supernatural is some inexplicable, miraculous event or experience. And as Christians sometimes claim such experiences, we should never automatically dismiss them as being merely a Benny Hinn-manufactured moment! We just need to use common sense and not buy in to just anything - by examining the available facts. Hebrew scholar Dr. Michael Heiser wrote an entire, scholarly examination of Scripture's supernatural elements and events, in his book, "Supernatural": https://www.amazon.com/Supernatural-Bib ... merReviews - and you can read some of the content here: https://www.amazon.com/Supernatural-Bib ... B016LT2YHA - in that last link, just look at a couple of astonishing and strange supernatural passages in 1 Kings and Jude.

Christians are often very uncomfortable with any other Christian suggesting a supernatural experience. Which is understandable because we know all kinds of made-up supernatural nonsense is universally put out there, and historically, all manner of made-up mythologies have always existed. And often, certain groups and individuals would have us believe supernatural occurrences are constantly occurring and common, as they claim THEY are the ones having the experiences - which are strangely absent for most of us. So, I get it - we need to be highly skeptical of things claimed. Especially because of lies that are typically attached to such claims, or the false, even hurtful, beliefs that they sometimes produce.

But we also need to realize that the Bible is FULL of supernatural stuff! Now, that doesn't mean occurrences of such things are common - even in Scripture. Because Scripture records things that took place over very long periods of time. But even in the Bible, supernatural / miraculous events are NOT the norm. But they ARE sprinkled across the entirety of Scripture's 16 centuries of writings. But even fantastical outcomes, while playing out via normal means, can be supernaturally produced by God. Even the Big Bang, while being described scientifically, was clearly a supernatural event on a massive scale! And God does NOT change - so the idea that we shouldn't occasionally encounter someone who has had an authentic supernatural experience does not square up with what Scripture teaches.

I think most Christians, over their lifetime, probably have at least one experience of God working supernaturally - which doesn't necessarily mean they actually SAW something supernatural, but that they EXPERIENCED some outcome that was supernatural and way beyond the norm or a rational explanation. So, per what is found in Scripture, no Christian should ever AUTOMATICALLY dismiss someone else's experience - because sometimes, we just can't know the truth of an experience.

[Kurieuo]

Some Christians chase after "supernatural experience", but really, such is like chasing the wind or the end of a rainbow. Chase after God krespeini, not supernaturalism.

I've found throughout living life that God tends to nearly always work within the bounds of the natural world he's setup, more shadowing such. It's rare (and I've never experienced) something miraculous that mightn't be explained in some natural way. Sometimes God has been more prominent and obvious in personal ways, sometimes the footprints are stamped more deeply in the sand if you will. Despite Israel's reported miracles which spanned over a millenia, and Jesus' own healings and what-not, I see God as a more natural working God, yet it's obvious to me God exists when I look at the world around me.

So then, any such experiences are not why I believe in God, nor the reason behind why I hope in Christ. It is really unfruitful (and dangerously opens yourself up to charlitans i.e. like Benny Hinn and snake oils), especially if as a Christian you place an extreme much emphasis upon having supernatural experiences and spiritual gifts.

My worldview and beliefs were rather had first, and are had for other reasons. People interpret their experiences according to their own worldview and beliefs. Non-Christians will explain my experiences according to their own. I see no reason after analysing my own experiences to not define such according to my own, especially after thoughtful consideration, and I believe them to be extra ordinary. They're not intended to justify supernatural, indeed one can explain such away naturally. So the experiences themselves are just what they are.

I see no reason not to dignify Krespeini's questions, rather than to seemingly mock them.

[Philip]

I've definitely experienced several miraculous things - each tied to the same life-threatening event in my life. And they were desperately needed as, at the time, I had no other possible solutions or answers. But that was 28 years ago - no supernatural stuff since then. But I think many Christians, when they experience such a thing, do so during some great trial or serious danger. And so God shows them that He's capable of delivering them out of some great calamity. And His doing so in such a dire circumstance will forever and powerfully sear that occurrence upon one's mind, while immensely building their faith and gratefulness.

[1over137]

I've definitely experienced several miraculous things - each tied to the same life-threatening event in my life. And they were desperately needed as, at the time, I had no other possible solutions or answers. But that was 28 years ago - no supernatural stuff since then. But I think many Christians, when they experience such a thing, do so during some great trial or serious danger. And so God shows them that He's capable of delivering them out of some great calamity. And His doing so in such a dire circumstance will forever and powerfully sear that occurrence upon one's mind, while immensely building their faith and gratefulness.

It was a miracle that me and Tomas (my love that passed away) did not have any argument over 15 years. Now I see he was a gift, our love was a gift.
Love that takes you through his passing away. Love that stays with him till the last moment, love that would die for him, and if he lived few more months I would pass away as well. Love that hospital's employees were amazed by us, love that they cried when seeing us. Love that even holds me now as I pursue my life further (and also to honor my love this way).

This Love was holding me all the time to be there for my love. And this strength went away next day after the funeral.
God put me on a rock and was holding me all the time.

(And I did not mention what I had been through even before this happened. It was God who was there and saved me.)
(And am not mentioning what happens in my life now... but many would not see or recognize... but God is there and pursue things...)