Something a bit overdue
Well...considering I did put this off for a little short of a week, I guess I should explain....
Well...thats all yiou pretty much need to know. I've just been putting it off. In any case, I should write down my experience.
It was like any retreat, although for only 1 evening, 1 night, and 1 day. Pretty much, the first night and half of the second day was just talking about God and what are some likes and dislikes. There was this personality sheet in which there were things that we could come in contact that has the power of Satan in it. Well, the more advanced things anyways. Like Yoga or Martial Arts, the basics can be good exercise for you body and such, but in the more advanced classes, it could involve in methods that involve evil spirits. They knew a pastor in which used to be a Tai Chi master and when he called out to God, he said he could feel spirits leave his body. I'm stil a bit skeptical about this one, but I do know that martial arts and yoga derive from Buddhism and hinduism respectively. So I do expect something to do with those religions in the later area. Or at least some new age philosophy because times have changed. In any case, like any normal retreat, they have this part where they ask people to kneel and pray for the HOly Spirit to decend down on us. Well, I thought that since every retreat that I've gone to so far, I've always just stayed back from this part because I always had my heart closed up. I dunno, I suppose it was just being around familiar people before, placing myself in such a vulnerable position made me think too much that this could be used against me someday. I guess I'm just paranoid like that. Or maybe it was the voice of an evil spirit telling me this, because I have't really shared anything too personal with my parents as well. So I really wanted to change that, so I tried it. I stepped up with the rest of the people, I kneeled down, started to pray to God to let me experience the Holy Spirit. At first, I tried asking God to help me clear my mind, my heart, and open up my heart for me to experience him. well, imagine that, me squatting there for what seemed like an eternity. I just felt that I could do nothing in which I could let God forgive me for everything that I've done. But when one of theleaders came over and touched me one the back and started praying for me, I thought "this is it. Nothings going to happen for me." But as I listened to his prayer for me, the most powerful impact when he said, "God has not forsaken you." I suddenly felt as if my heart burst and was like a sponge swelling up. Those words touched my heart and it made me realize that even though I've sinned, I've been sinning in front of God. I've sinned against him, and instead of giving up on me, He just stood there and waited for me to call out to him. Even though I've done things in which normal parents would not enjoy and probably would turn away, but I just know that He stood there and waited for me. That feeling of him waiting for me, just hoping that I would come to my senses and just cry out to him made me feel his immense love for me. Then I realized on how amazing his power and love is, that I just couldn't forgive myself for this. I prayed and prayed, just praising his name and praying for another. I just couldn't stop praying for her. She was around fellow christians but like me before, couldn't come to see God's love for her. In a sense, I used to be her. I would go to church because my parents wanted me to, and becuase I had some friends there so I would talk to. But I was more into it before than her, so it hurts me to see her where she is now. So I jsut prayed and prayed that God would send an angel, no a legion of angels to go to her and just move christians around her to push her toward God. I just know that if I name who this is, she'll be more open to skeptism and not go, but I just want her to know that she's surrounded by Christians who want her to feel God's love.
Well...thats all yiou pretty much need to know. I've just been putting it off. In any case, I should write down my experience.
It was like any retreat, although for only 1 evening, 1 night, and 1 day. Pretty much, the first night and half of the second day was just talking about God and what are some likes and dislikes. There was this personality sheet in which there were things that we could come in contact that has the power of Satan in it. Well, the more advanced things anyways. Like Yoga or Martial Arts, the basics can be good exercise for you body and such, but in the more advanced classes, it could involve in methods that involve evil spirits. They knew a pastor in which used to be a Tai Chi master and when he called out to God, he said he could feel spirits leave his body. I'm stil a bit skeptical about this one, but I do know that martial arts and yoga derive from Buddhism and hinduism respectively. So I do expect something to do with those religions in the later area. Or at least some new age philosophy because times have changed. In any case, like any normal retreat, they have this part where they ask people to kneel and pray for the HOly Spirit to decend down on us. Well, I thought that since every retreat that I've gone to so far, I've always just stayed back from this part because I always had my heart closed up. I dunno, I suppose it was just being around familiar people before, placing myself in such a vulnerable position made me think too much that this could be used against me someday. I guess I'm just paranoid like that. Or maybe it was the voice of an evil spirit telling me this, because I have't really shared anything too personal with my parents as well. So I really wanted to change that, so I tried it. I stepped up with the rest of the people, I kneeled down, started to pray to God to let me experience the Holy Spirit. At first, I tried asking God to help me clear my mind, my heart, and open up my heart for me to experience him. well, imagine that, me squatting there for what seemed like an eternity. I just felt that I could do nothing in which I could let God forgive me for everything that I've done. But when one of theleaders came over and touched me one the back and started praying for me, I thought "this is it. Nothings going to happen for me." But as I listened to his prayer for me, the most powerful impact when he said, "God has not forsaken you." I suddenly felt as if my heart burst and was like a sponge swelling up. Those words touched my heart and it made me realize that even though I've sinned, I've been sinning in front of God. I've sinned against him, and instead of giving up on me, He just stood there and waited for me to call out to him. Even though I've done things in which normal parents would not enjoy and probably would turn away, but I just know that He stood there and waited for me. That feeling of him waiting for me, just hoping that I would come to my senses and just cry out to him made me feel his immense love for me. Then I realized on how amazing his power and love is, that I just couldn't forgive myself for this. I prayed and prayed, just praising his name and praying for another. I just couldn't stop praying for her. She was around fellow christians but like me before, couldn't come to see God's love for her. In a sense, I used to be her. I would go to church because my parents wanted me to, and becuase I had some friends there so I would talk to. But I was more into it before than her, so it hurts me to see her where she is now. So I jsut prayed and prayed that God would send an angel, no a legion of angels to go to her and just move christians around her to push her toward God. I just know that if I name who this is, she'll be more open to skeptism and not go, but I just want her to know that she's surrounded by Christians who want her to feel God's love.