Help! Tormented dreams

[Aquila]

Continued...

So, do what you want with it, but people have been warning you. The smart thing to do is step back and reconsider. But, you're a big boy, you can make your own decisions.

I'll step back and reconsider. But try to understand me. I'm not coming at this from a purely theoretical position that is only on paper. I've either been there or done that. It's an experience. I can't deny what I've personally seen and know.

And to the charge that I'm the expert on everything. I'm not. I get eaten alive on the eschatology threads. LOL I'd like to submit a possibility for you to consider as I step back and reconsider things. Is it possible that I primarily respond to things or post about things that I am rather familiar with? And as a result, I sound like a know it all? I mean, I can pretend I've never seen or experienced the things we talk about, but that would be a lie to join this "club" of sorts that seems to attack me from all directions. It wouldn't be honest. It wouldn't be truth.

For example, have you ever been involved with fishing out evil spirit in a home? Sure, you've said prayers rebuking "bumps in the night" and the "spirit of anger" or "lust" or "addiction" in your own home and for a couple other people. But this is different. It's a "deliverance prayer meeting". You're told that it might go on all night "if necessary". You have several brothers from a couple different churches who showed up with pop, tea, coffee, chips, and sandwiches. They greet each other and laugh and chit-chat like old friends, but this is your first time. You're introduced and they ask you if you've done this before and you say no. They look at each other and smile, "You're going to see the power of God, my brother.", they say to you. One quotes a Scripture, "The gates of Hell shell NOT PREVAIL.", in joyful voice. They others individually say, "Amen." One starts setting up snack trays, sandwiches, and drinks in the kitchen. You don't know what to expect. You feel like you're primarily an observer. The woman who lives in the home is divorced. She has her aunt (who says "Somethin' just isn't right in this house.") is at the house with her. Her kids are at her mom's. You're thinking, "Wow, they must take this kinda seriously to evacuate the kids." There's a box of a couple things the lady of the house had boxed up to be thrown out. All you see in the box is a few CDs, what looks like a paperback book or two, a roach clip, and the side of a dream catcher. Two brothers take it outside and dump the stuff into the garbage. Matt calls the group into the living room and introduces everyone. He explains that the goal is to "confirm and cast out" any evil spirit in the home. He shares that Rachel, the woman who lives there, has experienced: anxiety, nightmares, mood swings, had thoughts of suicide, and feels like she's being watched. She's afraid for her children. He shares that she occasionally hears something call her name, but nothing is there. She also states that she's heard something moving around, like walking or crawling on occasion. So Matt opens in prayer, everyone prays. Some speak in tongues others do not. There is praise, worship, clapping, and a few whoots and "Hallelujahs". People are pleading the blood over one another, in the name of Jesus. Matt has everyone take a seat. Some are on the couch, some are seated on a love seat, and the rest are on some folding chairs. You're thinking they must be from a church, they have that white plastic seat and back to them. Matt opens his Bible and starts reading in Mark 16:15-18, and then he re-reads verse 17 where it says, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils." Matt begins teaching on what evil spirits are (fallen angels) and offers some of the traditional verses to support that conclusion. He begins talking about Jesus and how many times he cast out an evil spirit in the Gospels. He gets into the church and the book of Acts where it describes devils being cast out. He reiterates, "The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the church." After the Bible study which lasts maybe 30 to 40 minutes, Matt closes the meeting with prayer and opportunity for repentance and the confession of sin, he talks about how the devil is a liar and is already trying to discourage people from casting out devils by making them feel unworthy and throwing their back into their faces. Matt then requests that we thank God for the victory ahead of time and then he speaks straight to any spiritual presence that isn't of God, telling it that it's days are numbered and that tonight will be the last night it will be in the house. Everyone praises and worships one last time. He then explains that we are going to have a deliverance prayer meeting. He asks that the lights be softened and that some praise and worship music be played on the living room stereo. Everyone gets up and begins walking around the house, in different directions, praising Jesus and praying for others and reminding any spirit in the home that it is already defeated. Rachel is praying and crying. Now, some time has passed. Rachel and her aunt are in the living room watching television and yawning. A couple brothers are walking the yard in prayer. You and Matt are in the dining room praying, rocking back and forth on chairs, another brother is in the kitchen praying. You're feeling board. And you're wondering why all the worship and praise just to fish this thing out...when you could have already said a prayer and gone out to eat? How did you feel when suddenly things get real strange... like a weird silence and a strange lull falls over the group... the lights flicker, and the two dogs that were in secured in the laundry room suddenly break into a dog-fight-to-the-death, with snarling, growling, and yelping. Rachel and her aunt get up to split the dogs up and that's when Matt says it, "There it is. Here we go..." and without warning he begins pleading the blood and commanding it out in the name of Jesus. A couple other brothers are praying similarly and are worshipping in the middle of Matts prayers. There are a few whoots, a shout, and people start clapping harder, Matt encourages everyone to keep worshipping, saying, "I rebuke you in Jesus name, I cast you out, you have no authority in this place!" A couple people stomp and shout rebuking the enemy in their own words, something breaks and soon there is this sense of peace and people start crying. Matt is in the living room praying with Rachel and her aunt while holding the dogs. Rachel is crying as Matt prays with her telling her it's gone and is affirming her identity in Christ. There are some more shouts of praise and worship, only now people are thanking Jesus for removing the spirit. Matt is walking the house and pleading the blood with Rachel in every room to insulate it from the enemy. He's fired up. Things die down and a couple brothers help clean up the kitchen. Everyone is happy and talking about how good God is as people start putting on their coats and gathering their things to leave. People walk by Rachel and affirm that she's going to be blessed now that the thing is gone. You walk out to your car and Matt waves before getting into his car. He rolls down the window and says, "Hey! Call me tomorrow, I know it's late. I want to know if you had any questions about what happened here tonight." You agree to call him the next day and then you look at your watch. It's after 3am. You get into your Jeep Liberty and drive home pondering the events of the evening.

Can you just sit that experience, and experiences like, them aside and think, none of that is real...but some criticism from a stranger on the internet is?