So...this post might be a tad bit more heavy than I anticipated for my second entry...but I find myself pondering this topic frequently...So I figured what better topic to write about...I know that the topic is probably a bit uncomfortable for some...it's uncomfortable for me in some ways... but I think it is something that everyone has pondered at some point or another.. the supernatural.
If anyone is reading this.. unless you stumbled upon this randomly...you probably know me.. thus knowing my religious background. But just in case you are randomly reading this... here are the basics so you won't feel out of the loop. Pentecost is my religious heritage and preference. In the world of Pentecost...the supernatural is a daily occurrence... speaking of angels, and supernatural happenings are as common as eating 3 meals a day. You wouldn't find it at all odd or think twice about calling up your best friend to tell her about the anointed message your heard at church the night before..or the blessing you got during Sis.so and so's special that she sang, or the powerful move of the holy ghost at alter call. It is normal. The realm of the supernatural is normal. Miracles, people being healed, lives being changed, speaking in other tongues, feeling the power of God surge through your being..its expected. If someone takes off running, dancing or shouting in the middle of the service because they just got too excited or overwhelmed by God's presence you don't even notice. After all what else can you do when the spirit of the Lord moves upon you?
Growing up Pentecostal....you don't even think twice about these things...but I guess in the eyes of someone who was raised differently...our normal, natural service might seem a little odd. Which is what leads me to my topic I've been pondering....
I have been so exposed to certain elements of the supernatural realm...it is a comfortable area for me in a lot of ways. However....there are a lot of areas that I just don't know about. One of the shows I watch sometimes is A Haunting...I find it intriguing to hear about other people's encounters with the supernatural...I have to admit..I don't believe in ghosts... I believe in God and that angels, the devil, and demons are real. I don't believe that people get to haunt other people...I think that when you die you go to heaven or hell....no lollygagging in between. The main reason I believe this is because of the Bible story about the rich man in Hell asking for Lazarus to bring him a drop of water. Obviously...he was in eternity and not out and about haunting folks or stirring up any other trouble. However....how do you explain people seeing their loved ones or having experiences with "ghosts" that look or act like their loved ones that are passed... I think these instances or just demons manifesting themselves as someone you are familiar. After all...why in heaven's name would someone you love and that supposedly loved you come back and scare the living daylights out of you? Just doesn't make sense. The devil...on the other hand... he is just full of no good. So... say that there is no such thing as ghosts... and the devil is behind all of these ghost stories....I don't think I have ever heard a ghost story that wasn't related to darkness, or fear... sounds like the devil right? So...if the devil is out to torment us and destroy us...shouldn't we try to protect ourselves? It seems like when you have an enemy or someone who is trying to kill and destroy you...you try to find out about their tactics and their weapons.... I am quite comfortable talking about the weapons of God and the power to defeat the devil...but our adversary is often taboo to talk about. That is what I am wondering... I'm not saying we need to be devil fans or anything of that nature... but should we be more educated about his vices and tricks? I know that Hollywood makes things theatrical so that we will watch them... but the devil is real enough to not need theatrics. Sometimes I think we forget that... Sometimes I think we imagine the devil as a cartoon character and forget to realize that he is a bad, icky, fella that doesn't have any light or good in him. You know that person that you think is just terrible? Well...the devil is even worse... let that sink in.. and he probably smells foul...worse than a 2 week old diaper genie... just sayin. So... I am wondering..how do you learn more about your enemy without giving him unneeded credit or opening any doors for him to work. I have been taught that you shouldn't really even think of him...that that is almost like entertaining him. I wouldn't want that...but I do want to know my enemy so that I can fight him and recognize his snares and ploys. It seems like a tricky situation to navigate. So...Is the darker side of the supernatural...natural to wonder about..or is just the curiosity of such matters a trick of the devil within itself?
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