Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit and how did it make you feel?
370543
Well once you become bapitized the Holy Spirit is a permanent fixture in your being. It is a spiritual power that helps you to overcome sin. Once in a while some individuals will have a surge of this power. When I experienced it, I was overcome with a range of emotions, ranging from happiness and joy to complete comfort. Throughout the experience I could not stop crying and aftewards I felt as if I could take on the world. It really is an indescribable feeling; I'm postive I'm not doing it justice. It is something you just have to experience for yourself.
315027
I was invited a mate's baptism and the testimonies I heard there made me think,'These people really think they actually know Jesus.' Something about the peace they had made me cry. When the pastor brought a message about people of the world seeking answers through drink, drugs, sex and anti-depressants it struck a nerve because I was on anti-depressants at the time. He asked if anyone who would like to be blessed by Jesus would raise their hand and when I did I was instantly baptised in the Holy Spirit. In the course of 2 hours or so I went from being a sceptic to being a child of God......
741353
what does it feel like to you?----- Inner and outer love\nWhat does it make you think about?-----Nothingness\nWhat consists a spiritual/religious experience to you?---- Meditation
614354
Sarah,\nYou sound so much like me it's scary!  \n\nI recieved the Holy Ghost when I was 11 at a Pentecostal church.  I was a faithful Pentecostal for years after that, but eventually I also made some mistakes, sinned, and also left the Pentecostal church altogether.  I stopped feeling God and I believed I had blown it with Him. Years later I met a friend who was a strong Christain and he basically took me to different churches, taught me, and helped me come back to the Lord.  \n\nIn the process I learned that God never left me.  He was with me before I was born, then He filled me with the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit never left me either.  My problem was that satan was lying to me and I was believing him.  The truth is just because we are filled with the Holy Ghost and saved, it doesn't mean we will automatically become perfect or stop sinning.  We still make mistakes and when we do we need to repent and God will forgive us. Recieving the holy Ghost does change your life, but it is a process. You don't just get it and that's it. \n\nWhen God filled you with the Holy Ghost, you began a relationship with Him. It's like when a great guy asks you out.  Now you have a great new boyfriend, so what next?  Do you just ignore him and that's it.  No, you talk to him, spend time with him, build your relationship.  The two of you also make mistakes, fight, and forgive eachother.  All the while your relationship grows and so does your love.  That's how it is with God.  The problem is satan doesn't like that and the first thing he'll do is try to condemn you. You'll make a mistake and he will tell you how horrible and non spiritual you are. Those are lies. \n\nOne of the best bits of advice I have recieved is this, "Remember God is still God no matter what happens or how you feel." He created you and knew all about you before you were born.  He also knows all of your flaws and all of the good things about you.  Even still he created you and eagerly awaited for you to accept Him so He could fill you with the Holy Ghost.  He always has and always will love you and desire a personal realtionship with you. Even now, He has not changed. He is still the same God you knew before and He still wants you back.  Whatever sins you have committed, all you have to do is confess to Him and He will forgive you.  But you have to accept his forgivness and forgive yourself.  Don't hold on to the past or mistakes.  Don't accept condemnation. You don't have to be spiritual or even good because He is. Just let him give you his love and goodness. \n\nIf you want the "feeling" again, pray and ask Him for it. (I have lost it and he gave it to me again). But the more important thing to remember is that it is more than just the feeling. God is still God weather you feel him or not.  He is just as much with you no matter how you feel.  He said "I will never leave nor forsake you." Sometimes he tests our faith by not allowing us to feel him because he wants us to believe in and trust him no matter how we feel. We really can't always rely on our senses because God is so much bigger and our senses don't give us the whole picture.\n\nThere's so much more I can tell you if you want to email me.  Just remember God will never leave you no matter what you've done. (Don't believe the lie that he has.  He hasn't.) You can still run to Him and He will forgive every sin and take away all of the bad things. Always remember He has never left and He never changes. Also don't condemn yourself when you don't feel him. Everyone goes through that.  Even Jesus himself did! Those are just the times when you have to believe and trust in him more.\n\nHope this helps and God bless.
843838
I was born and raised Southern Baptist.  I never felt at home in that faith.  I always felt like an outsider looking in.  I went to church Sun morn, Sun eve and Wed eve every week without fail for my entire childhood.\n\nI graduated from high school and moved out on my own.  After a period of staying out of churchs completely, I felt empty in my heart.  After a lot of soul searching I figured out that the emptiness in my heart was due to my being out of the will of God.  In order to fill that emptiness I had to reconcile myself to God. \n\nI tried going back to the Baptist Church, but I still never felt like I was a part of that.  At the time I worked with two Catholics.  They had a peace about them that I wanted in my life!  They talked openly about being Catholic, they weren't ashamed of it.  And I could tell that being Catholic was a big part of their entire life--not just a trip to church twice on Sunday and once on Wednesday nite.\n\nSo I did some more research.  I liked what I read about the Catholic faith.  And I began to take instruction in the Catholic faith.  This has been one of the hardest things I've ever done in my whole life.  All my life as a Baptist I was taught that Catholics were going to hell because they worshipped Mary and the Saints.  That they prayed to statues.  That the Roman Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon mentioned in the Book of Revelation.  That you ask Jesus to forgive you, not a man---even if the man is a priest.  And so on and so forth, ad infinitum ad nauseum.\n\nIt took a lot of study and prayer to find the answers to all those bogus notions I'd been taught.  Catholics don't worship Mary or the Saints--we venerate them.  We don't pray to statues---that's just dumb.  I don't believe the Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon.  Jesus gave the power to forgive sins and cast out demons in his Name to his disciples.  And its ok to confess your sins to a priest.  \n\nI took instruction for about six months.  I joined the Catholic Church about 25 years ago and I've never regretted a minute of it.  I finally feel at home in a church.  I'm active in my local Church--I help out at Mass and I teach in our Parish School of Religion.  \n\nI have a peace in my heart and soul that I never felt when I was Baptist.   And I still hear the same bone headed things that I heard as a kid about Catholics.\n\nHas this cost me anything?  Yes.  My father, a die-hard Baptist, never accepted my conversion.  Until his dying day he still would not talk about it.  That hurt a lot.\n\nBut I have a church home now--and a solid faith in my Lord Jesus--who saves me from my sinful nature by his Grace alone.  I can't earn my salvation--its a gift from the Lord.  \n\nWould I do it over again?  Yes---although I probably would've not drug my heels so much and made the conversion much sooner.
700225
I have been on both sides of this issue. I was raised to believe, but rationally I could not except the idea that God was the judgmental insecure fruitcake my religion portrayed him as.\n\nSo I stopped believing.  Then this happened to me.\n\nSeveral years ago I had an unusual experience concerning an uncle, a distant relative who lived over a thousand miles away. \n\nWhile driving my car I suddenly felt the unmistakable presence of this relative that I hardly even knew. He was more like someone I had heard about than someone I knew. It was very strange; it felt as though I was momentarily lifted right out of my physical body. I seemed to be suspended somehow beyond space and time, bathed in a love so intense It felt like I could have just disappear into it at any moment if It would have let me. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it seemed to last forever at the same time. I realize how crazy this must sound. The experience was so strong that at first I was afraid I was loosing my grip on reality. I finally managed to chalk it up to an over active imagination.\n\nThree days later I got a call from my aunt telling me that this uncle we are talking about had gone into a coma and died the day I had the experience. It felt like ice water had been poured down my back when she told me this. I had lost any real ideas of God or faith and had become somewhat of an atheist. Needless to say this experience caused me to rethink some of the conclusions I had come to. \n\nI feel blessed to now understand that even in our darkest confusion something loves us so much that it went out of its way to assist me and bring me back to a state of absolute certainty about Gods love for us.\nDuring the experience it seemed like there was a vast amount of information that I was somehow allowed access to. One thing that I came away from this experience understanding beyond any shadow of a doubt was that any Idea that God is unhappy with us or would judge or allow us to be punished for any reason is simply impossible. \n\nI can’t explain the love I felt with words. They simply don’t make words big enough or complete enough to do this. The only way I can begin to convey this love to you is to say that there was simply nothing else there. Nothing but love. No hint of judgment, no displeasure of any sort. It is as though God sees us as being as perfect as we were the day we were created. It is only in our confused idea of ourselves that we seem to have changed.\n\n I hope this is of some help to you. Good luck. Love and blessings. \n\nYour brother don
611509
I have had near-mystical experiences (in addition to intellectual reasons) that have contributed to my commitment to God (through what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross).\n\nI have also had a hundred or more prayers answered by The Christian God (by his kindness and Grace).\n\nI used to be an atheist. Over a period of time however, I grew convinced of the existence of the Christian God, and ultimately committed my life to Christ. \n\nFor a draft-version of my journey from atheism to Christ, see http://www.godsci.org/gs/chri/testimony/seek.html\n\nThe near-mystical experiences are described at the link above (if you are interested).\n\nCordially,\nJohn
660770
Didn't get answers you liked from the last time, huh?   Your spirit was the one feeling it.  You may have been partially in you body at the time, so you felt it physically too.  During the night, the spirit tends to leave the body (connected by a silver cord).  You may have been returning to your body at the time that a healer sent by God was checking on your feet, like a doctor doing a follow up exam.\n\nIt's hard getting a serious answer on this sight.  Too many goofoffs out to make fun of people and hurt their feelings.
1074306
Two years ago I was in a church where there was a lot of bitter bickering. The pastor became a jerk and I never felt the Spirit move through.\n\nWe changed church and we feel alive! It is definitely worth the search!\n\nWhen we got there, they did not have a lot of children, so children and youth programs were limited. We now have 5 different youth/kids ministries (that I can think of off the top of my head). Our kids are great at missions and are VERY knowledgable in the Word of God.
1031928
go read the bible.... if any of it makes any sense at all... then you yourself have had an encounter with God's holy spirit.... \n\nEver had a shiver up your spine.... bam... personal encounter with god....\n\nEver been kicked when no one was there to kick you......personal encounter with god.....\n\nWho is god..... no one knows..... and someone is telling. \n\nWhat is the holy spirit.... that which exists around us but does not exist because we choose not to believe that it is there at all in the first place.
190624
Yes and yes.  On more than one occasion I have either seen, heard, or felt the spirit of someone who had passed.  A little boy use to visit me at regular intervals.  He would stand next to my bed until I would sense him and open my eyes.  He would smile, then disappear.  I haven't seen him since my second son has been born.  We smell smoke every time my wife's grandfather is near.  In our old house, there were cold spots that moved around the house.  Our cats would move around the spots like they were trying to avoid running into someone.  I watched two surgeries being preformed on myself and was even able to give details and repeat parts of conversations and actions of the doctors and nurses.
698377
Several years ago I had an unusual experience concerning an uncle, a distant relative who lived over a thousand miles away. \n\nWhile driving my car I suddenly felt the unmistakable presence of this relative that I hardly even knew. He was more like someone I had heard about than someone I knew. It was very strange; it felt as though I was momentarily lifted right out of my physical body. I seemed to be suspended somehow beyond space and time, bathed in a love so intense It felt like I could have just disappear into it at any moment if It would have let me. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it seemed to last forever at the same time. I realize how crazy this must sound. The experience was so strong that at first I was afraid I was loosing my grip on reality. I finally managed to chalk it up to an over active imagination.\n\nThree days later I got a call from my aunt telling me that this uncle we are talking about had gone into a coma and died the day I had the experience. It felt like ice water had been poured down my back when she told me this. I had lost any real ideas of God or faith and had become somewhat of an atheist. Needless to say this experience caused me to rethink some of the conclusions I had come to. \n\nI feel blessed to now understand that even in our darkest confusion something loves us so much that it went out of its way to assist me and bring me back to a state of absolute certainty about Gods love for us.\nDuring the experience it seemed like there was a vast amount of information that I was somehow allowed access to. One thing that I came away from this experience understanding beyond any shadow of a doubt was that any Idea that God is unhappy with us or would judge or allow us to be punished for any reason is simply impossible. \n\nI can’t explain the love I felt with words. They simply don’t make words big enough or complete enough to do this. The only way I can begin to convey this love to you is to say that there was simply nothing else there. Nothing but love. No hint of judgment, no displeasure of any sort. It is as though God sees us as being as perfect as we were the day we were created. It is only in our confused idea of ourselves that we seem to have changed.\n\n I hope this is of some help to you. Good luck. Love and blessings. \n\nYour brother don
126727
It is possible for people to experience messages from God as a voice.  I once met a man who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, and he had struggled for a long time to recognize the voice of the Holy Ghost in comparison to all the other voices in his head.  He said that the voice of the Spirit was always accompanied by feelings of peace.\n\nIn addition, remember that the Holy Spirit will never tell you to do anything that's inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ.\n\nYou can also pray to God and ask Him to help you recognize whether the things that you understand are messages from Him.  He cares about you and your mental health.\n\nThese are some keys you can use.
368687
It felt like this complete sense of awe and wonder at God and the Holy Spirit and I saw in the spirit everything was brighter and the air had color and it was alive, like electricity. I was overcome with the feeling to laugh and cry all at the same time. I wanted to bow but instead I fell face first to the floor. No one was near me to push me or to catch me! I didn't even have time to put my hands out to catch myself, but I wasn't hurt. All I could do was laugh and cry at the same time..
520605
It's always there, though they may not feel it as strong as before.  Once they come back to God, they may feel the annointing of the Holy Spirit on them again.
854737
Aparently something because this happened to me.\n\nSeveral years ago I had an unusual experience concerning an uncle, a distant relative who lived over a thousand miles away. \n\nWhile driving my car I suddenly felt the unmistakable presence of this relative that I hardly even knew. He was more like someone I had heard about than someone I knew. It was very strange; it felt as though I was momentarily lifted right out of my physical body. I seemed to be suspended somehow beyond space and time, bathed in a love so intense It felt like I could have just disappear into it at any moment if It would have let me. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it seemed to last forever at the same time. I realize how crazy this must sound. The experience was so strong that at first I was afraid I was loosing my grip on reality. I finally managed to chalk it up to an over active imagination.\n\nThree days later I got a call from my aunt telling me that this uncle we are talking about had gone into a coma and died the day I had the experience. It felt like ice water had been poured down my back when she told me this. I had lost any real ideas of God or faith and had become somewhat of an atheist. Needless to say this experience caused me to rethink some of the conclusions I had come to. \n\nI feel blessed to now understand that even in our darkest confusion something loves us so much that it went out of its way to assist me and bring me back to a state of absolute certainty about Gods love for us.\nDuring the experience it seemed like there was a vast amount of information that I was somehow allowed access to. One thing that I came away from this experience understanding beyond any shadow of a doubt was that any Idea that God is unhappy with us or would judge or allow us to be punished for any reason is simply impossible. \n\nI can’t explain the love I felt with words. They simply don’t make words big enough or complete enough to do this. The only way I can begin to convey this love to you is to say that there was simply nothing else there. Nothing but love. No hint of judgment, no displeasure of any sort. It is as though God sees us as being as perfect as we were the day we were created. It is only in our confused idea of ourselves that we seem to have changed.\n\n I hope this is of some help to you. Good luck. Love and blessings. \n\nYour brother don
562178
the Holy Spirit cannot die, there are many Beliefs out there that believe that the times of miracles have passed that that was only for the primitive church, but when you submit yourself to God and let the Holy Spirit take over the Spirit of God Moves around you.\n\nWhen you pray and you cry and you have faith that the prayer was heard that is the reassurance through the Holy Spirit.  When you are listening to a gospel track and you are listening to the lyrics and you begin to feel chills and you begin to cry, that is the Holy Spirit.  When you are praying and you hands move on their own into the air, that is the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit can be manifested in many ways.  These were only a few.\n\nAmen, \n\nGod Bless