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I believe the spirits who visit people are fallen angels (or demons). People have to invite them in, in order to have contact with them because they are kept on a leash by God. Sometimes they aren't invited, but indwell people who are vulnerable (lack relationship with the Lord through the Holy Spirit). I have an (acquaintance I should say) who is pagan and has fun with it. She has a spirit that she sees and talks to. This spirit recently informed her that it's been watching her for awhile. She doesn't seem worried about it.
I believe if you don't have a healthy relationship with the Lord through the Holy Spirit, which is the only true benevolent spirit because it's of God, other hostile spirits tend to want to occupy your mind. You can meditate on nature, entertain positive thoughts, practice love and service, but if you don't have the Holy Spirit indwelling, taking up space and feeding it with the Word of God, other spirits will come in.
Matthew 12:44 When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.
I believe the spirits who visit people are fallen angels (or demons). People have to invite them in, in order to have contact with them because they are kept on a leash by God.
I believe that fallen angels are chained in a 'deeper' (darker) level of Hades called the Abyss or pit. However, some of them may somehow wander off that area and stay in the human soul area where they can cast a stronger influence to humans on earth.
Revelation 17:8
The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
It describes that when a fallen angel once was in the Abyss, now it is not there, and it will some day come out again from the Abyss......
They are chained in the Abyss, somehow wander off, put again to the Abyss and will come out again.
Revelation 20:3
He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations...
They don't have much influence to earth when chained in the Abyss. Only when they come out, they can cast strong influence to humans.
I believe that demons can be something else. The Bible mentioned that "the sons of god" took humans' daughters as wives to give birth to the giants. The Book of Enoch also hinted (if I recall correctly) that demons may possibly be the souls of those human-like creatures.
Wicked souls refer to those unsaved in Hades.
Evil spirits may refer to those wicked souls or demons hired and trained by the escaping fallen angels. They may have some specialties (learned from fallen angels) in interacting with humans on earth.
I agree with you that they are generally strictly forbidden to show up to humans, unless somehow 'invited' by humans. As humans have the freedom to sin (breaking laws). God gives humans the freedom to choose to sin on earth, including the invitations of supernatural entities. Invitations can be achieved through the different means we may or may not be aware of, including things like playing demon board games, religious rituals, visiting psychics, practicing witchcraft, various kinds of meditations and so forth.
From my speculations and study, there could be 4 ways you may have a contact with those supernatural entities.
1. Invitation by humans, with or without their own awareness
As mentioned above.
2. Born to be so
You can contact 'ghosts' and the like basically because your soul somehow is not well combined with your body, that your soul can thus perceive stuff out of your body. I knew of guys who 'see ghosts' on a regular basis.
3. due to a health problem
When one's health (mentally speaking) has a problem, his soul may not be well contained in his body for a short while during which he may 'see the ghosts'. It's more like an accident.
4. well, God chooses to let you know
It's a supernatural experience granted.
Fascinating reply. I agree mostly with your comments. I believe man is made up of body, soul and spirit.
I said so because I saw so. I saw so even before I acquired the related Christianity concepts. I was raised an atheist with nearly zero biblical knowledge till the experience came.
I do believe in spooks. I do, I do, I do believe in spooks.
Yes, I believe in ghosts & spirits. As Shakespeare once wrote, "There are more things in heaven & earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." I can't say that I have SEEN a ghost per say, but I have felt presences. I have been told that our house is haunted but as of yet, we haven't noticed any thing unusual. But, we have only been here for about a month.
I said so because I saw so. I saw so even before I acquired the related Christianity concepts. I was raised an atheist with nearly zero biblical knowledge till the experience came.
Can you elaborate exactly what your experience was?
Can you elaborate exactly what your experience was?
It is commonly referred to as an NDE. But mine is a unique one because the main event occurred right after the NDE when I was fully conscious (as confirmed by 4 doctors).
2 Corinthians 12:2
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.
That's the situation. Not only that I heard the wicked talking, but also that I met with a cherub face to face over 40 minutes. I didn't have any biblical knowledge to tell what it is by then. I figured out later that it's a cherub, and I believe that most likely what I saw is,
Isaiah 14:15-17
15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.
16 Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble,
17 the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?”
To simply put, I was dead then raised back yet my soul wasn't fully combined with the body. Thus I was still half in Hades. At the same time I was left with a bunch of clues for me to figure things out which others may not be able to.
Has the Holy Ghost ever appeared onto you with a message?
No.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nezlie
Have any other departed ghosts/spirits, dearly or otherwise, ever made their presence known to you?
No.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nezlie
Has science found anything to show that such a thing exists?
To my knowledge.... extensive but still limited as it is.... no. Nothing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nezlie
tell us what you think about ghosts (aka spirits) in general.
Unsubstantiated nonsense that should be confined to fiction and film.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffbase40
I believe man is made up of body, soul and spirit.
But aside from the fact that you believe it.... does the notion have any substantiation whatsoever? Or you just believe it well..... "just because" like much of your writing on here?
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