Real Life Ghost Story:

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by OnTheFritz

There's a new film out right now called Paranormal Activity that casts a very realistic light on the presence of evil spirits. It was actually made a few years ago for about $10K, but is just now seeing the light of day. Most of the footage is shot from a handheld video camera sitting on a tripod in a bedroom at night. It focuses on the presence of an evil spirit that has been following this girl her whole life. Of course it's meant for entertainment and shock, etc. But I can't help but think that a film like this might scare a few people into a church

LOL

Oh brother... I firmly believe that those scared into church don't stay. It's the goodness of God that leadeth to repentance... not fear.

[OnTheFritz]

My post was meant to be a bit TIC, by the way

[RevDWW]

I was working with my brother-in-law at an old log house somewhere near Duluth, MN. It was reported to be haunted by the owner, for whom we where doing some remodeling projects. The owner was a bit weird and I wondered if he had some bad spirits following him around. The told us that when his wife and kids had been there, before we took the job, that the kids where sleeping on cots and one raised up in the air and dropped to the floor while a kid was sleeping in it. The Wife and kids left, and I'm not sure if they ever returned.

One day I was up on some scaffolding at the second floor level, measuring and hanging lath, as my b-i-l cut it down on the ground and handed it up. I heard a conversation between a woman and a man going on inside the room I was working nearest on the outside. I couldn't make out what they were saying. There where no electronics on in that room. There had never been a woman on the premise the whole time I worked there and no one was at the house that day. I tend to think it was natural recordings, but am not sure. I didn't feel anything evil around the place.

[Pastor Keith]

Barb, Wow what a story.

I believe most of these things are familiar spirits, in that they are spirits/demons, something that is familiar enough with someone to mimic them. Very rarely do these encounters bring comfort, only confusion, fear and dread, therefore they are not of God.

[RevDWW]

Originally Posted by Pastor Keith

Barb, Wow what a story.

I believe most of these things are familiar spirits, in that they are spirits/demons, something that is familiar enough with someone to mimic them. Very rarely do these encounters bring comfort, only confusion, fear and dread, therefore they are not of God.

While I tend to agree with you on the familiar spirit aspect of these types of encounters, not all encounters with things of God bring comfort and are dread and fear free......

[Pastor Keith]

Originally Posted by RevDWW

While I tend to agree with you on the familiar spirit aspect of these types of encounters, not all encounters with things of God bring comfort and are dread and fear free......

One test to determine if something is of God is found in James 3

15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

While the responses of those that encounter a work of God are not necessarily fruitful or peaceful, the intial act of the Spirit does agree with purity, peace, gentle so on...

[Barb]

Originally Posted by Pastor Keith

Barb, Wow what a story.

I believe most of these things are familiar spirits, in that they are spirits/demons, something that is familiar enough with someone to mimic them. Very rarely do these encounters bring comfort, only confusion, fear and dread, therefore they are not of God.

Keith, I don't believe in ghosts, but does the manisfestation have to be demonic?!

Of course we have no way of knowing for sure, but as it relates to the incident I mentioned in my earlier post, what would be the purpose for a familiar spirit/demon to contact two small children, and in the image of their mother?!

Is it possible it could have been angelic?!

I don't believe for a second that my great grandmother was sitting in that rocking chair, but I'm not so sure I want to believe it was a demon either.

[rgcraig]

[John Atkinson]

On my weird story in 1976 we lived on the Ilsand of Malta (biblical Melitta). My Dad worked the oilfields in Libya. Back home my great uncle Jake was trying to sell some property out from under my great grandma in Houston out close to the then fairly new Houston Intercontinental airport, which made it pretty valuable. Great grandma didn't live there at the time she lived in the home my parents owned.

It had my mom pretty worried because she knew how uncle Jake was and knew that grandma would get taken for a ride and Jake woul get a bundle.

Anyhow, I was 14 at the time and was sitting at the table for breakfast when my mother told me that she had the strangest dream, that in it my deceased great grandfather came to her and told her that uncle Jake would never sell that property.

That afternoon we got the telegram that Uncle Jake had a massive heart attck and died the night before.

I think there is a lot we don't know. But I don't spend much mental time on it. Just weird and unexplainable

[Barb]

Originally Posted by rgcraig