Jesus, The Heart, And The Entry Level Spirit Thing...

by hillary_step 21 Replies latest jw friends

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  outnfree

  This question fascinates me also.

  I remember when I was in attendance at my best friend's [JW] baptism -- which occurred about 10 yrs or so before my own -- she told me afterwards that she felt all "aglow with the Spirit" the moment she came up from the water. Naturally, I looked forward to the same thing at my own baptism. But ... nothing.

  When fundamentalists have asked me if I've been saved, I've usually said, "yes, I was saved when I was in second grade." Partly just to shut them up, frankly, but also because I figured that a 7 year old who would take herself to church and Sunday school on her own must have had SOME special relationship with the Lord, and I did so I did, right?

  Now, I've been exploring tales of reincarnation and these seem to dovetail nicely with those above who have mentioned "instinct", "intuition", "gut feelings", and pre-sleep problem sorting with "dreamed answers." According to what I've been reading, our guides or our previously deceased loved ones reach out to us in these and other ways when we're puzzling out problems or upset or in danger. These guides might alternatively be called "guardian angels" and in the life between lives spent in a 'heavenly' realm there is a universal understanding that there is a Source or Creator who is extremely wise, has allowed evil to exist as a learning experience, and who dislikes being called "God" because man has created so many false stories and attributes to "Him." This also seems to fit rather well with the essay Sixy posted -- how humans "feel" the divine presence fleetingly from time to time, but that "God" told the author not to believe in "God."

  As the king in "The King and I" said, "Is a puzzlement!"

  out
• 

  siegswife

  Hillary, I had an experience. It happened right before I took the teachings of the borg to heart.

  I was at a point in my life when I was more confused than I'd ever been in my life. I'd always believed in God from the time I was a child. (I remember once when I was about 4 or 5 I was outside during the summer and it was very hot. I decided to do a "rain dance", but I clearly remember that while I was doing it I was thinking about God and Jesus. The next thing I knew it started drizzling, on a clear sunny day. It stopped in a matter of minutes, but I remember feeling like God was watching me and smiling. Strange, huh?)

  Anyway, on this particular night I was trying to read the Bible, but it seemed like all the bad stuff applied to me. I didn't feel connected to the message of hope, but the message of judgment. I was upset and turned off the light to go to sleep, praying to God that He would help me. Within about 10 minutes of turning off the light and starting my prayer, I saw a flame of fire in my "minds eye". It was accompanied by a "swooshing" noise. It freaked me out, and I turned on the light. I then picked up my Bible (it was the Jerusalem Bible) and started reading 2John. It felt like it was written for me. I'd never had that sort of connection to the Bible before. I kept reading, and I felt like it all was written for me!

  That night I had a "vision" (I didn't and still don't believe I was asleep) that I don't really want to get into at this point because I still don't fully understand what it meant.

  Anyway, the next day I called the JW I'd studied with off and on and started studying in earnest. The following years where spent struggling with the issues involving whether I should write off my "experience" and totally buy into the WTS' spiel regarding the "annointed" or putting trust in what had happened. As you can see by my presence here I decided not to dis God or putting faith in Him and I left them after I clearly saw that their teachings were "inspired of demons".

  I have the distinct impression that I was "handed over to Satan" in a sense, to learn discipline.

  Please don't flame me, people.

  Lea