The thread on hearing from beyond the grave stimulated this post.
I met a Christian woman named Ruby a few years ago. Ruby is a nurse who works in a nursing home. She is very big on Bible study, prayer, meditating upon the word, and gifts of healing. She was charming, radiant, positive, loving, upbeat and very inspirational. I sincerely felt like she had the Holy Ghost. She sincerely believes the Bible, she happens to be Oneness (former ALJC), believes in the baptism of the Holy Ghost with speaking in tongues, laying on of hands, and all the “gifts of the Spirit”… and yet she doesn’t classify herself as an “Evangelical”, “Charismatic”, or “Pentecostal” Christian.
So I asked her what brand of “Christian” she was. Her answer troubled me.
Ruby classified herself as a “Christian Spiritualist” or a “Christian Mystic”. I was a bit taken aback, because I didn’t know exactly what that meant. She explained that most Christians are “religious” and not “spiritual”. They are wrapped up in the traditional dogmas of their church or denomination. While she believes that the Bible is the Word of God, she also believes that the Bible doesn’t tell us everything about spiritual things, some things have to be learned by “walking in the Spirit”. She went on to say most Christians define salvation according to a decision they made at one time to be a follower of Jesus. Or they define salvation in accordance to the sacraments of their church. However, she feels that once one has come to Christ and has received the baptism of the Holy Ghost they must spiritually progress into the fullness of spirituality, spiritual truths, and spiritual living.
I asked her if she believed in anything outside of the Bible like the book of Mormon, the Vedas, crystals, horoscopes, or any other spiritual source of information. She stated that she whole heartedly only believes in the Bible. However, she explained that she also believes that some things can be found in the Bible that the Christian religion rejects. For example she believes we can find the following in the Bible:
-Praying until one enters a trance wherein they commune with God directly through the Holy Ghost.
-Gifts of supernatural healing.
-The ministry of angels.
-Casting out of devils & demons, banishing.
-Speaking in tongues.
-Interpreting tongues.
-All the gifts of the Spirit.
-That (in a sense) we become angels after death.
-The Zodiac being something originally ordained of God and since distorted by Satan.
-That some spirits are reincarnated for a divine purpose.
-Hauntings.
-Prayer cloths, candles, and anointing oil.
-That there are prophets and seers alive today.
-That we are to strive to be one with God as Jesus was one with God.
Those are the only things that I can remember her talking about. In the thread on hearing from beyond the grave, we talked about being ministered to by angels and the possible role of loved ones who have gone on to be with the Lord. The conversation reminded me of Ruby.
What do some of you make of Ruby? Is it possible that there is some truth to her claims?
Your thoughts?