Have you ever experienced God?

a reply to: LilithImmaculate2

yes, many times from both praying and intervention.

i can't tell you how many prayers that have been answered with yes and no, and how hindsight being 20/20, being able to see how that they worked out for the best.

then there was the time span between 16 and 30, i was a hellion, i'm talking extremely bad. done things that would have well landed me in very bad places and or killed me.

example just from my driving history nothing from the rest of my life cause that might could make some trouble for me in many different areas if anyone ever figured out who i am. from the time i turned 16 and got my driver licensee to when i turned 30 and got my second DUI, i have had 17 wrecks, all my fault. just my vehicle,never involving anyone else's vehicle or property,never anyone hurt, the most any passenger has ever been hurt were a couple of scratches and one cut, the last wreck i was thrown through the the drivers side window and the roof of the cab landed across my shins and turned they black and blue, i walked with a limb for about a month. the cab landed so hard you could see two dents across the door frame where my legs had been. i landed under the truck in some tall weeds and grass along side of the interstate and was able to wiggle my way out.
that was one of seven times that troopers, emts and firemen told me i was the luckiest person they have seen and that i shouldn't be walking away let alone not even hurt.

there is more, i could go on about. but it would all seem unbelievable unless you knew me back then. my family still has a hard time believing it and when we talk about those days there is uneasy laughter knowing what could have happened.

ever hear the saying God looks after drunks and fools, i was both back then. full of piss and vineger and a party animal that didn't know when it was time to go home. if it wasn't for the grace of God, i would have been dead a long time ago just from car wrecks, and that's not even touching some of the other stuff i did during those years.

believe it or not my licence has only been suspended 3 times. once for points, twice for DUI's.

as i said if i was to tell all the other stuff it would be a book, and what i know about when i prayed for certain things and outcomes of those prayers at the time and later hindsight, i have no doubt that he has been carrying me for a very long time.

a reply to: hounddoghowlie

Yeah, he looks after the fools cus theyre the best learner's, even if it takes them the longest

a reply to: LilithImmaculate2

I most certainly have, and argue that there has never been a being alive that hasn't. I apparently perceive it quite differently than you must have though, because there is no saving or salvation or damnation in my experience.

I'm the first to admit I may be wrong, but I believe you may still be applying your own notions onto what it is. I urge you to be open minded in your approach and consider you may have missed something.

In reply to Swanne not wanting to believe because you are not Christian.

You are in luck, because the two aren't mutually exclusive'! The part that must have been left out or misunderstood is that we all are the "father,son, and Holy Spirit". We are all of the single entity we call God, Creator, Nature, Reality, Chad, Susie, Jose, Lek, and any other name you can conceive.

We are all uniquely special in our unspecialness.

The responses in this thread have given me a great idea for a new thought-provoking discussion. Thanks everyone!

originally posted by: LilithImmaculate2
I have experienced God. I felt her omnipotent power. When you feel her, you feel her omnipotent love. When you feel God, you truly feel how infinite the universe is. It takes all my fears away. God is a female to me.

Did it make you change your view on the universe? It showed me how infinite the universe is. It's a little scary since you feel you are saved from hell only by the grace of God's intelligence and power.

Have any of you experienced God?

Please do not ever mis-quote mother nature, she is but a force not to be reckoned with, Weather can influence in every part of our being..... Now, lets get something clear, i'm not religious 1 iota, but i can tell you, with this many feckups, God has to be a man...

We need Aliens, just to reset crap, crap like religion.

Knowing God is being God.

God is all knowing.
What are you if you are not knowing these words that are appearing here?

All that appears can only appear because it is known. The appearance and the knowing of it are not two.

originally posted by: Observationalist
a reply to: Ghost147

Interesting part of the tree:
Christianity -> Scientific Method -> Quantum Mechanics

Edit: Interesting that Isalm also helps with Scientific Method.

Yes, both Christianity and Islam had major rolls in building what we now know to be the scientific method

a reply to: LilithImmaculate2

Okay so here is my story. First, a little background. I had she'd my religion of Christianity by this time in my life. However I still had many Christian friends and I still (and still do) believed in the teachings of Jesus. I still no longer consider my self religious.

That being said, here goes.

I went to a church with some friends after being invited. I had never been to this particular church but I had heard of it and I had heard some good things about the overall vibe from my friends.

Well as it happens they were doing anointing that night. I'm sure you have all seen it or heard of it. They call for anyone to come to the stage and be anointed. The priest anoints their forehead as he speaks words then pushes their forehead and they fall back as someone catches them, then they lay on the ground for a while. It seems as if the priest has some sort of power over them knocking them unconscious.

I really wanted to try this. I had been to church thousands of times in my life and never participated in such a thing (although it did take place on many occasions). My thought was that whatever was happening there was just some sort of show and I was determined to show myself and everyone else watching that I would walk down there, stand in front of the priest as he spoke his words, anointed my forehead then attempted to push my head back gently.....and I would just stand there somewhat defiantly and certainly not fall back and lay on the stage like the rest of those people embarrassing themselves.....

Wel guess what. I walked down there, the priest anointed my forehead, spoke some words and the next thing I know I was laying on my back on that stage in front of at least a thousand church members. And the last thing on my mind was how embarrassing I must look.

As I laid on that stage in my back I felt the best feeling I had ever felt before or since literally from the tips of my toes to to top of my head. It felt like pure comfort, pure content, pure love. It was as if God had held me in Her bosom. I didn't want that bliss to stop so I laid still and soaked up for as long as I could. No-one touched me or talked to me once I was laying down and no-one made any attempt to disturb me in any way.

Eventually the feeling faded enough for me to move and stand. That feeling lasted for days slowly fading.

I'm not a religious nut and I'm not attempting to push any religion or belief on anyone here so please don't think that that is what my telling this story is attempting to do.

Let me tell you something, if you get the chance and you want to experience this life in as my aspects as you can, I highly recommend you try this. It's not easy to go down there in front of that priest in front of everyone, it takes some guts but believe me it's worth it.

If any of you have had this same experience let me know.

a reply to: LilithImmaculate2

Experienced God.
Yes certainly, I experience Him 24/7, ever since I became a Born Again Christian.
Praise the Lord

originally posted by: Ghost147

originally posted by: Observationalist
a reply to: Ghost147

Interesting part of the tree:
Christianity -> Scientific Method -> Quantum Mechanics

Edit: Interesting that Isalm also helps with Scientific Method.

Yes, both Christianity and Islam had major rolls in building what we now know to be the scientific method

Reminds me of the tech tree from Civilization.

a reply to: LilithImmaculate2

Your reference to God being female got my interest. I had two out of body experiences, not my doing, two days in a row. First put aside the drug idea, I cannot do drugs, I have bottles unused, I have had joint replacements with no pain meds as they make me sick, I endure the pain.

One of these events, a knee was not healing well as I was under attack by a local township, a sociopath whom saw me as someone whom could truly see what he was. So I was in great pain each day dealing with great outside stress to the point of really getting tired of life, life itself from childhood on was one stress after another, I was truly sick of it all. Thus I meditated for relief.

I may have posted here of this in a brief mode. Day one. I found myself out of body during mediation looking up at beautiful woman whom was floating partially through a marble opening like a window, yet we were in a blue sky with clouds. She gave me a simple message and then I was back in body.

Things were still bad and worse the next day as I meditated, I had literally almost been defeated, I was being attacked unconstitionally by this sociopath in court, I could hardly walk or move. Again I was out of body standing beside or with a loving force, it was like the universe, I could not see it, I was like a child beside it. In front of me was my soul dressed in a white robe, huddled in pain, almost defeated, it's head down. It was experiencing what I was experiencing.

What is interesting is, I was there, my soul was there and my body was still in the 3-d as had been the case in a few other events. The scene before me was one of uncreation or like a plain of undulating texture and a world in its early stages before life formed. Beside me I watched a guasomer like fabric emanate from the force, it was blue and soft, abut three ft. Wide and floated through the air towards my soul in wavelike movements. As I watched, it circled the white robed soul, one and twice, but not touching it. I told the force the soul was angry and hurt, it might react if the cloth touched it.

Then the cloth tightened around the body and I felt such love and tenderness then as I had never experienced in my life and I allowed being wrapped in this love. As I watched the third wrap of cloth went over the head and face of myself like a mother would her baby and I was drawn into the entity or force and experienced such love it cannot be explained, it was almost too much for the physical part to endure. Yes, there is a force here and yes she is like a mother. I have no religion and never will, no church can do justice to reality .

a reply to: badw0lf

Bad wolf, your experience is mine, but hold true to what you are. My realization came one time after a rather gruesome accident scene in which I was in charge as usual being Captain of the Dept. I would always work with the members to reduce their trauma and pain. Yet, first responders go through a lot of grief at losing life at scenes, I was there to council. And like you, there for others when needed. I suspect also you were never truly given credit. At any point we did have a councilor in on this event and he asked me one question. Whom is there for you after you comfort others. My answer was, "no one". But like you, perhaps we are the strong ones that are needed. I have come to like myself well enough however. Being a teacher was pretty much the same, a social misfit helping students whom were being lost through the cracks, making myself once again on the outside. Stay happy, we are few, but needed.

I posted about an experience I had in another thread several months ago. Instead of retyping it all I'm just going to paste my experience. It certainly was something!

I had an experience last summer that changed my view from being atheist to believing in a higher power. My girlfriend and I had traveled home to attend the funeral of her grandfather, and were staying in our house we had recently purchased ( still pretty excited about it
).

This was after the funeral and she was having a nap due to being emotionally drained. I was pacing around, as I usually do, thinking about life, and the legacies we leave behind and such. As I was pacing, I was looking at pieces of furniture he had made, and some tools he had passed on me. I started feeling fairly sad, and sort of depressed ( not in a bad way ).

Out of nowhere I felt an overwhelming presence. It was something I had never felt before. I could not see anything, but was something there. Have you ever heard stories about people who say they have felt the presence of god, and it was an overwhelming, indescribable, unconditional love? Well, that is exactly what I felt. In fact it was so overwhelming I began to weep, and I mean uncontrollably weep. I was sure I was going to wake up my girlfriend so I went to the basement. For the first time in my near fourty years, I felt a presence that seemed to be made up of everything, the very air around me even. I also felt I was being give a much better, clearer understanding of the cycles of life. It was all so very personal, like it was specifically for me.

Shortly after the presence left, I heard my girlfriend getting up and walking around upstairs. I went up and she knew I was off and that something had happened. I'm sure she could tell I was crying. I took me until the next day before I could speak to her about it. Everytime I time I tried, I would get all choked up and couldn't talk.

Anyway, I'll leave it at that. I know that sounds absurd, crazy even. And to be honest, had it not happened to me I likely wouldn't believe it.

Rhodin

a reply to: LilithImmaculate2

Have you ever seen the rain?

wow, lots of awesome experiences being shared here. its nice to see that there are powers in play that can help those in need through some very dark moments in life or just inspire some deep questions through mind boggling encounters. supernatural or extranatural stuff is always fascinating to me because thats the closest any of us are likely to come to actual magic, something i have fantasized about for many years. out of curiosity is there anyone on these forums who has experienced some sort of higher power that isnt christian? surely there are accounts from the norse or aztec or celtic or greek spiritualists?

Every day. I experience God in the regularity and constancy of the universe. I experience God every time I look into a microscope or look up at the stars.

I experience God every time I see a plant seed grow out of the earth, every time I hear a baby cry or laugh.

I experience God every time I see a derelict building falling apart but the trees next to it are still healthy and strong.

a reply to: TzarChasm

The way I see that is filtered by subjective experience so much as it is of god. Kinda like how the saying goes, you get what you believe in when you die. I mean there are accounts of conversion, out of the blue. Where Christian's become hindus or vice versa. There have been quite a few people here already that expressed meeting or experiencing​something different than yhwh. In a way, thus is an excellent example of how our minds can come in between us and God. We only see what we see.

originally posted by: badw0lf

originally posted by: LucidWarrior
a reply to: badw0lf

I don't wish to presume sir but seeing as you and I are in the same boat? It's not Him but us.

"It is the glory of kings to search out a matter to it's end"

What jigher or better search than for divinity? Yes the road is hell but it climbs straight into heaven...

Then is it my role to be as I am. Because no matter where I seek things, I am always by my self. What glory is god going to grant me, what sanctuary, when it seems I am merely pain to others, so that they can be themselves, better off. I listen to problems, I protect where I can, yet like a tree providing comfort from a storm, I am the one left behind with only the sky and the wind as companions.

My insight has always proven me right, I know the minds of others before they really know it themselves. I've saved more than one marriage just by listening and offering insight. I've helped people who felt helpless. Yet my role is to always be on the outside. And that truth has jaded me. I am human, after all.

Tired of being a ghost, while so many others are apparently given life without begging. Rapture... denied.

Someone like me who believes, hearing something like that from someone who doesn't.... Id say... Wake up man! Open your eyes! You were the gift from God to all of those people you helped. Selfless caring!

Maybe that is YOUR gift. Maybe you're just looking at it the wrong way.

You know... I've been down your road for so long and there are many times I feel exactly like you do.
- Why am I cursed!
- Why does all this crap always happen to me!
- Why does my love life suffer always!
- Why do I destroy everything I love!
- Why am I so damn self destructive!

I... Me...

Then I pray and I am comforted and a way presents itself, until I... Me... pushes myself right back down that road to self made oblivion.

Like you, I was born and raised Catholic. I don't even like churches. To me they stand against everything God wants us to do for others around us. I dont follow any religion. I take from each that feels right to me. I don't like to be told how to believe and I dont like to tell people how to believe. I found my own path and it 'seems' to work ok for me. Not really great because I think me not being such a devout person might hinder that? Maybe I only get out of it what I put in? I don't have any of the answers. But... I search and searching seems to do well. Especially when my heart is really in to something and I feel like I cant breathe without it, even if I smash it all to hell out of fear and my natural way of screwing things up...

Over the years, it's gotten better. I guess I had to live it to learn it... With wisdom came very hard lessons I never wanted to live through. But when I learned it, I finally understood it. Every day is a lesson. Every day is a new question. Every day comes a new answer, maybe even for something I asked years before. You're taught with experience, not with words otherwise you'd never understand it.

It's like giving money to someone every day who has all the means to obtain it for themselves but rather just get it from you because you're giving it away. At some point you're going to stop and make them at least try.

It's like a parent who lets their children go when they're old enough but will always be there when they fall. Not all parents are like this, some are mean as hell but there is that ultimate parent that may not run after you to help you but they will be there when you really need them. They're going to let you live your own life, let you make your own mistakes so you'll understand. They wont always give you what you ask for but will give you what you need. Sometimes they give you exactly what you ask for. So be careful what you ask for. Sometimes you'll get it and it'll be a whole lot worse than you'd imagine.

Best wishes for you, my friend. May you find what you seek, but do seek.

originally posted by: Perfectenemy
Could someone please be so kind and answer one question. Why do you feel the need to believe in a god in the first place?

I dont know. It just seems real. Natural. Like it's meant. It's like breathing. I don't know how I keep doing it or why I need it.. It just happens and it feels normal if I do, sometimes it feels great to breath clean air... when I try to stop, it's painful, chaotic, scary, deadly.

All of what I said above and more. It's too big to describe. It's like the whole universe is full of reasons and I can only understand a grass blade's worth of them.

Trust me... I get it that it 'might' feel just as easy to some people to just simply not believe but I can't. I've tried. Seriously tried. It just doesn't feel right or natural when I did. It's empty, cold and very lonely.