Help! Tormented dreams

[votivesoul]

For a long time now, I've come to understand the church to be like a network, each member directly connected to the next and the next and so on, through the Holy Spirit. I've even experienced and perceived the feeling of spiritual attachment given by the Holy Spirit, to other saints.

Each saint then, is a node, or hub, through which other spiritual connections are made. As such, we children of light become beacons of light for each other, and for the lost. The Lord draws all people to Himself, and those who obey Him by receiving the Gospel and standing firm in their faith, do so when the Lord immerses such people in the church through the Holy Spirit.

For this reason, God uses the Church as the means whereby the Gospel is preached, the Word of God is taught, souls are saved, and eternal life is found.

Therefore, as the Lord draws all people to Himself, people who are lost, afraid, in darkness, living in sin and bondage to their flesh and in many cases, to evil spirits, it's no wonder that these people, as they find themselves called by the Lord to salvation, come into contact with saints in the Body.

The devil knows that the church is the pillar and ground of the truth, and for someone to receive this truth means that person is made free by the Son of God, since God's Word is Truth, and continuing in that Word is how Jesus not only makes, but also keeps us free.

What I'm saying is, like bugs and insect drawn to light, it's not uncommon for spirits and whatever else there may be, to be drawn to us, too.

If the enemy can either 1.) Keep a sinner away from the Body of Christ, or 2.) Keep the Body of Christ from fulfilling its call to evangelize the world, he can succeed in taking more sinner to hell.

By attempting to short-circuit a saint, the devil keeps the Gospel hidden. He will try to get a saint so worked up over a distraction or issue that they cannot properly minister to the lost, because they become so inwardly focused on themselves.

Dreams can be troubling, even hard or shocking. It comes with the territory of being spiritually alive in Christ. As a node of the Holy Spirit network that is the church, and in being a Light-House beacon for those who are still dead in trespasses, it's completely normal for all kinds of spiritual activity to make blips on your radar. But that's all they are, unless you buy into what the devil is selling: a distraction meant to make you lose course so your light doesn't shine the way God wants it to.

[votivesoul]

This is a photo of a seine net used for fishing in the Sea of Galilee. These are the kinds of nets Simon and Andrew and John and James used. 1st century fishing in Galilee was not done with reel and rod.

The church is like this net, and we are fitly framed together to bring in the catch of souls the Lord intends to give us. This is what I mean when I say that saints in the Body of Christ are like nodes or hubs--it's where each piece of the seine net of God is tied and knotted together.

[ModestMama]

Originally Posted by votivesoul

This is a photo of a seine net used for fishing in the Sea of Galilee. These are the kinds of nets Simon and Andrew and John and James used. 1st century fishing in Galilee was not done with reel and rod.

The church is like this net, and we are fitly framed together to bring in the catch of souls the Lord intends to give us. This is what I mean when I say that saints in the Body of Christ are like nodes or hubs--it's where each piece of the seine net of God is tied and knotted together.

That's a beautiful analogy. Thank you for your reassuring and kind words Bro.

[votivesoul]

Originally Posted by ModestMama

That's a beautiful analogy. Thank you for your reassuring and kind words Bro.

You're welcome, Sis.

Do you remember when Jesus finds James and John and Simon and Andrew and calls them, telling them "I will make you fishers of men", what they were doing at the time?

They were cleaning and mending their nets. These large seine nets catch many fish, but they also catch other things, useless things, damaging things, things that don't serve any purpose or profit to the fisherman who use them.

These things have to be plucked out, cut out, washed off, and etc., and then, if the net has been at all damaged, the net needs to be repaired before it can be used again.

So, if the church really is like a seine net, there is going to be all kinds of detritus and debris that makes its way into the net and gets tangled up in the nodes where each piece of netting is knotted together. It's a natural part of what the church/net is used for by the Lord.

So when something comes your way, don't be surprised. It's part of going out into the sea that is the world in an attempt to land a catch and bring lost souls into the Kingdom of God.

Therefore, allow the Lord and His ministry to help pluck or cut out and wash you of any of these damaging, useless things, just as Simon and Andrew and James and John did with their nets.

Because for the most part, dreams are useless. Too much stock is placed in them, sometimes. God used Jeremiah to ask "What is the chaff compared to the wheat"? He was speaking about dreams versus the Word of the Lord. Most dreams are simply chaff, and like chaff, can be collected up and thrown into the fire, without further concern.

[Aquila]

I thought the following might be of value, since we were talking deliverance from evil spirits. When encountering these things Christians get afraid. There is nothing to fear if you have the Holy Ghost and understand the authority of the name and the power of the blood. Evil spirits are typically a nuisance. However, their activity can escalate into various problems. These fall into two primary categories (some break it down even more, but I don't find that to be useful). There is demonic oppression and demonic possession. These are the best definitions of each that I found:

1.) Demonic Oppression - Demonic oppression is the work of evil spiritual forces that urge us to sin, to deny God's word, to feel spiritually dead, and to be in bondage to sinful things. This oppressive work is performed by demons, which are fallen angels who resist God. They war against God, against God's people, and against unbelievers as well. Their goal is to bring as many people as possible into rebellion against God and condemnation in hell.

Demonic oppression could be experienced in various ways:

•Physical ailments such as sleeplessness, nightmares, strong anxiety, self-mutilation, addictions, and physical illness.
•Spiritual deadness that includes apathy and anger towards God, interest in false religious systems.
•Emotional upheaval such as regular outbursts of anger, high and low emotional levels, self-justification, fear, hopelessness, abnormal fixations, etc.
•Financial difficulties such as constant and unusual financial pressures. Sometimes numerous things go wrong all very quickly and it causes us great financial strain.

2.) Demonic Possession - Demonic Possession is when a demon enters and takes over the physical and mental capabilities of a victim, taking the soul and will captive. Satan acts through the victim without the victim's consent.

Signs of demonic possession can include anything listed under oppression but will also demonstrate all or some of the following:

•Extreme change in personality and/or identity.
•Loss of memory.
•The use of unknown human languages (xenoglossia).
•Total loss of control.
•Obsession with violence and/or perversion.
•Blasphemous rage.
•Violent aversion to that which is holy (Scripture, pastors, religious symbols, and church gatherings).
•Suicidal ideation.

I do not believe that a born again believer can be possessed. However, I've known born again believers to suffer from oppression. Full blown demonic possession is rather rare and is generally seen among unbelievers or those who follow the Christian tradition but are not truly born again. Demonic possession is something often associated with false religions and occult practices. So, you'll typically find it there.

Once a spirit is identified it can be cast out at the verbal command of a believer who is filled with the Holy Spirit and operating under the authority of the name of Jesus. We were taught to plead the blood of Jesus over ourselves and against any evil spirit because it renders them powerless. Some bind the spirit in the name of Jesus and then cast it out. This also renders them powerless. But I've seen a simple command issued by a man or woman of God send spirits packing without much resistance at all from the spirit. They really can't resist very long. It's normally over within minutes.

I've only encountered a person who I'm certain was "possessed" once, and it was only in passing. I was taking some Microsoft classes for my MCSA and on this particular day I had to take the bus due to car trouble. When preparing to board the bus home I passed a thin black woman who was totally bald. As she passed me she turned and screamed at the top of her lungs like she was being stabbed or something. I immediately turned to see what was going on. She took her finger nails and scratched two long scratch marks down the middle of her forehead and started screaming and pointing at me, saying, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form and void and darkness was over the face of the deep. PRAISE THE DARKNESS! PRAISE THE DARKNESS! MY LORD IS THE DARKNESS!" I had stopped and turned to face her when she first screamed because I thought she might be hurt. So, she was within just three or four feet of me screaming this stuff at the top of her lungs as we stood right next to the bus. I'll be honest, it really scared me. I walked backwards to get some distance between us and quickly turned and boarded my bus. She continued to scream profanities and blasphemies all conjumbled with Bible verses as the bus I was on pulled away and drove off. The people on the bus with me were looking out the window and as we pulled away they were shaking their heads and calling her crazy. I sat there quietly. I knew it was a devil. I felt sick and totally drained. As soon as I got home I dropped my bag by the door and passed out on the couch for a couple hours. Just those few short seconds had left me emotionally and physically exhausted. I told my wife about it and we prayed and pled the blood over us and our apartment. We put on some worship music, made dinner, and went to bed early. The next day I felt fine. I've known a few people that I thought "might" be possessed because of erratic behavior. But I think that woman was the only truly "possessed" person I've ever encountered.

Hind sight being 20/20, I wish I would have had the wherewithal to cast the devil out in Jesus name right there next to that bus. I was just so taken off guard and I wasn't going to miss my bus and be stranded with this lady. lol

[houston]

Oppression, possession, whatever. Doesn't matter. That demarcation does not exist in the scripture. The people are daimonizomai.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by houston

Oppression, possession, whatever. Doesn't matter. That demarcation does not exist in the scripture. The people are daimonizomai.

I believe the terminology is drawn from texts such as the following:

Acts 8:6-8
6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.

Acts 10:38
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

To be oppressed is to be subject to abuse. To be possessed is to be owned.

[votivesoul]

Originally Posted by houston

Oppression, possession, whatever. Doesn't matter. That demarcation does not exist in the scripture. The people are daimonizomai.

[Aquila]

The symptoms of demonic oppression can be rather extensive. Matt Burris, our team leader, had these printed on a sheet of paper as part of a small packet he'd give people who inquired about deliverance:

Have you had any of the following experiences?

1. Noticing a presence as in someone watching you.
2. A heaviness or fearfulness in a certain room of your home.
3. Sensing a cold spot in a room or cold feeling on part or all of your physical body.
4. Feeling someone touch you when you are all alone or no one nearby.
5. A burning sensation at the upper back just below the nape of your neck, potentially accompanied by the feeling of tingling.
6. Sensing frightening Shadows from the corner of your eyes.
7. Behavior and personality changes.
8. A loss of self-esteem and/or self-confidence.
9. Recurrent or frequent nightmares, such as unwanted sexual experiences, being raped, tormented, or tortured.
10. Major changes in clarity of thinking or analytical ability.
11. Memory lapses.
12. A drained feeling or fatigue without cause, as in a drain of vitality or physical strength.
13. Hearing harassing voices inside your mind, as in negative words, demoralizing and degrading you, and suggesting you do things you do not wish to do.
14. Illnesses that come on suddenly that a doctor cannot diagnose.
15. Sudden illnesses that cannot be explained, as in flu-like symptoms, headache, low-vibrational trauma inside your body.
16. Hallucinations.
17. Inability to sleep well without having to take sleep aids.
18. Waking up in the middle of the night sensing someone in the room.
19. Sleep-walking, conversations, or other actions during sleep that you cannot remember upon waking.
20. Difficulty coping with the routine of everyday life.
21. Sudden explicable inability to cope with responsibilities, such as hardship at work doing what used to be easy.
22. Depression without understanding why or knowing an apparent cause, and becoming chronic.
23. Sudden bouts of sorrow, sadness, fear, or dread without explanation.
24. Feeling trapped or helpless for no apparent reason.
25. Intrusive negative thoughts that insight feelings of anger, rage, or the desire to inflict physical violence upon yourself or others.
26. Compulsive immoral behaviors that fill you with feelings of shame, guilty, and condemnation.
27. Feeling isolated, and even wanting to be isolated.
28. Anxiety or unexplainable disinterest relating to attending religious worship or activities.
29. Feelings of fear or dread when preparing to read your Bible.
30. Sudden dislike for religious music.

Any one of these things, or a combination of these things, could indicate that one is under demonic oppression.

[ModestMama]

Originally Posted by Aquila

The symptoms of demonic oppression can be rather extensive. Matt Burris, our team leader, had these printed on a sheet of paper as part of a small packet he'd give people who inquired about deliverance:

Have you had any of the following experiences?

1. Noticing a presence as in someone watching you.
2. A heaviness or fearfulness in a certain room of your home.
3. Sensing a cold spot in a room or cold feeling on part or all of your physical body.
4. Feeling someone touch you when you are all alone or no one nearby.
5. A burning sensation at the upper back just below the nape of your neck, potentially accompanied by the feeling of tingling.
6. Sensing frightening Shadows from the corner of your eyes.
7. Behavior and personality changes.
8. A loss of self-esteem and/or self-confidence.
9. Recurrent or frequent nightmares, such as unwanted sexual experiences, being raped, tormented, or tortured.
10. Major changes in clarity of thinking or analytical ability.
11. Memory lapses.
12. A drained feeling or fatigue without cause, as in a drain of vitality or physical strength.
13. Hearing harassing voices inside your mind, as in negative words, demoralizing and degrading you, and suggesting you do things you do not wish to do.
14. Illnesses that come on suddenly that a doctor cannot diagnose.
15. Sudden illnesses that cannot be explained, as in flu-like symptoms, headache, low-vibrational trauma inside your body.
16. Hallucinations.
17. Inability to sleep well without having to take sleep aids.
18. Waking up in the middle of the night sensing someone in the room.
19. Sleep-walking, conversations, or other actions during sleep that you cannot remember upon waking.
20. Difficulty coping with the routine of everyday life.
21. Sudden explicable inability to cope with responsibilities, such as hardship at work doing what used to be easy.
22. Depression without understanding why or knowing an apparent cause, and becoming chronic.
23. Sudden bouts of sorrow, sadness, fear, or dread without explanation.
24. Feeling trapped or helpless for no apparent reason.
25. Intrusive negative thoughts that insight feelings of anger, rage, or the desire to inflict physical violence upon yourself or others.
26. Compulsive immoral behaviors that fill you with feelings of shame, guilty, and condemnation.
27. Feeling isolated, and even wanting to be isolated.
28. Anxiety or unexplainable disinterest relating to attending religious worship or activities.
29. Feelings of fear or dread when preparing to read your Bible.
30. Sudden dislike for religious music.

Any one of these things, or a combination of these things, could indicate that one is under demonic oppression.

Hi i sent you a pm.