I've written this post in my mind at least a dozen times. In fact, I have two saved posts regarding this aspect of my trip, each of them containing 2 - 3 sentences and copious amounts of empty space.
I'm having this conflict within myself. Do I tell you all exactly what happened, laying out there the logistics of the supernatural experiences I had or do I just give you bits and pieces, palatable excerpts that I think the majority of our American Church culture can tolerate?
Because the truth is, y'all, I faced some serious stuff. Stuff that American Christians generally don't talk about. Stuff that we should talk about because it's real, but it invades on our comfortable American lives, making us uncomfortable with the fact that there really is a spiritual realm that for the most part we don't even acknowledge.
For those of you who are regular readers, honestly, I think you can handle it. But my worry is that anyone new stumbling by may read that post and go, "Woah. This Christian lady is whack. Thanks but no thanks, Jesus." Then click away, even more turned off from the Christian faith.
But the truth is, Paul didn't hold back. Neither did John in writing Revelation. I'd wager a guess to say that none of the authors of the Bible held back the truth. And while I am certainly not putting myself in the same boat as the authors of the Bible I do know that God revealed specific truths to me about the Spiritual realm. In fact, He didn't just reveal it to ME, he revealed it to my friend Wendi and the others on our trip as well.
But, on the flip side, I don't want to give myself that much credit. The truth is, if the Lord desires to draw someone to himself, how arrogant of me to think that if they read one of my blog posts that they'd be turned away for good! I'm not that important.
So I guess what I want to know is:
Do you want me to lay it out there?
It's heavy stuff, y'all. And I don't tell about it lightly. I've only shared it with specific people. But it is truth. And not just truth from my perspective, but truth as confirmed in Scripture. The spiritual realm is all around us and God brought it to the forefront of my life while I was half a world away from everything and everyone I loved. I'm not talking about fat, fluffy angels with harps and bow and arrows. I'm talking darkness.
Do you think this is the space to share that? If so, why? If NOT, why? I value your input so much.
I'm having this conflict within myself. Do I tell you all exactly what happened, laying out there the logistics of the supernatural experiences I had or do I just give you bits and pieces, palatable excerpts that I think the majority of our American Church culture can tolerate?
Because the truth is, y'all, I faced some serious stuff. Stuff that American Christians generally don't talk about. Stuff that we should talk about because it's real, but it invades on our comfortable American lives, making us uncomfortable with the fact that there really is a spiritual realm that for the most part we don't even acknowledge.
For those of you who are regular readers, honestly, I think you can handle it. But my worry is that anyone new stumbling by may read that post and go, "Woah. This Christian lady is whack. Thanks but no thanks, Jesus." Then click away, even more turned off from the Christian faith.
But the truth is, Paul didn't hold back. Neither did John in writing Revelation. I'd wager a guess to say that none of the authors of the Bible held back the truth. And while I am certainly not putting myself in the same boat as the authors of the Bible I do know that God revealed specific truths to me about the Spiritual realm. In fact, He didn't just reveal it to ME, he revealed it to my friend Wendi and the others on our trip as well.
But, on the flip side, I don't want to give myself that much credit. The truth is, if the Lord desires to draw someone to himself, how arrogant of me to think that if they read one of my blog posts that they'd be turned away for good! I'm not that important.
So I guess what I want to know is:
Do you want me to lay it out there?
It's heavy stuff, y'all. And I don't tell about it lightly. I've only shared it with specific people. But it is truth. And not just truth from my perspective, but truth as confirmed in Scripture. The spiritual realm is all around us and God brought it to the forefront of my life while I was half a world away from everything and everyone I loved. I'm not talking about fat, fluffy angels with harps and bow and arrows. I'm talking darkness.
Do you think this is the space to share that? If so, why? If NOT, why? I value your input so much.
Absolutely share! I had an experience during a mission trip to India that put me too close for comfort to the dark spiritual realm. I was a Christian and grew up in church my entire life. NO ONE prepared me for what I experienced. The watered down version of Christianity talks all about Angels, love, and miracles but not so much about evil and demons. Fortunately my experience gave me even greater conviction for the cause I was there to serve, but only because I had some great spiritual leaders there to talk with me and pray with me about what I experienced. It is reality! If those of us who have lived it and can see God's love carry us through it don't share, then who will? I don't have to remind you that God desires boldness.
ReplyDeleteI would love to hear about your experience!
ReplyDeleteJess, Sometimes the Bible seems so distant, so unrealistic, so unapplicable. You lived it in the flesh, real life, real time. we all need a taste of it whenever we can get it. I say share it. In fact I say shout it. Afterall, you did have the victory in it, and that's the real story!
ReplyDeletePLEASE lay it out there!!! I stumbled across your blog right when you got back from your trip, and said a post would be coming soon...and I've been dying to hear ever since. I am a fairly new believer and would love to hear MUCH truth. I would be so thrilled to hear what you experienced.
ReplyDeleteHow could you NOT share it?
ReplyDeleteI say share, please! I'm tired of fluff and seek truth from God. We are to go to all nations by Jesus' commission (Matt 28:18-20). When you read the truth of the Gospel and all the situations that went on, why wouldn't there be still issues today? Are we to think that we are any different? That the authority be given just to the disciples?
ReplyDeleteHe who has ears to hear, let him hear! (from several of Jesus' words throughout the Gospel)
Love you!!
My quick two cents- Be obedient. I know you have prayed about this. What is God calling you to do? It matters far more what He thinks than what any of us think. He will handle any and all of the consequences of your obedience.
ReplyDeleteI think this is absolutely the place to share. This is YOUR blog about YOUR life and your family and experiences. I hope that when you go to Africa you WILL be real about the things you see and experience there. We're praying for you and we love to know what to specifically pray. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to hear from your heart.
Oh dear ...
ReplyDeleteyou want to share TRUTH with us?
I don't know ...
then I might have to stop pretending that Christians are called to live a Fairytale Life.
JUST KIDDING!!!
Yes.
Please.
I want to hear it ALL.
We have seen some deep, evil, dark, spiritual stuff in/through my children from Africa. It is HARD stuff to walk through, but we MUST acknowledge it.
Now ... please don't wait another 2 months to write this VERY IMPORTANT post.
Hugs!!!
Laurel :)
I say share it all! It still exists for real whether you share it or not. :)
ReplyDeleteI've been following your blog for several months...share...b/c I think sometimes it is hard for us "westerner" to fully comprehend that we are in a battle for the souls of everyone around us. We like to forget that principalities and powers clash overhead constantly. Bless you for opening up =)
ReplyDeleteJess,
ReplyDeleteYes please do share it all. I not only want to hear it but really NEED to hear it. And the date of your posting this makes it that much more important to me.
Sherry Gardner
I have been looking forward to reading your experiences in Guinea Bissau. My girls’ hairdresser is from Guinea Conakry (though she has lived in Guinea Bissau and has relatives there) and it will be interesting to hear her take on seeing her neighboring country thru your eyes.
ReplyDeleteI lived and went to school in a different African country from Guinea Bissau and my experiences cannot be applied with a broad brush to every other African country. However, I must admit I am always uneasy at how easy it is for westerners to experience the dark spiritual realm during mission trips to the “dark continent”. In my 25 years living there amongst the citizens – i.e. having them as neighbors, going to school and working with them (without the benefit of the usual segregation where missionaries tend to live in their own little “pockets” away from the “natives”), I never saw or experienced anything in the dark realm. It was actually very amusing having missionaries visit our girls boarding school and pray fervently against the witchcraft that was being practiced by my school mates and binding the evil spirits that had overtaken us! This was always news to us! The only experience with witchcraft any of my school mates ever had was what was found in the pages of western novels! My African friends would always be surprised that we had things like Wiccans in the west and not understand our fascination with the occult and eastern mysticism. I have always wondered if it is easy to experience the dark spiritual realm while in Africa based on the prissm through which we westerners view Africa – the dark continent where witchcraft and evil spirits run rampant! Thanks to national geographic, holloywood's depiction of Africa and missionaries war stories (nothing like hearing a missionary describe a month visit to a country you have lived in for years and you are not able to recognize the country they are describing).
I live in an area where perversions are publically celebrated and darkness abounds (huge public rallies by Wiccans and Satanists amongst other perversions that would put Sodom and Gomorrah to shame), but I never hear any preachers or Christians for that matter in my area speaking about experiencing anything in the dark realm even though church attendance is only about 6% of the population and the evil and sin here is so prevalent and in your face! People only seem to experience the dark underside when they go on mission trips either to Africa (especially Africa) or Asia. This even when they travel to countries that are predominately Christian, the majority of the people go to church and the Bible is a mandatory class from elementary to high school! Never have I heard anyone talk about this realm in relation to people in Eastern Europe where paganism and witchcraft is a way of life in some countries there. To me, it appears as though we westerners never look at our own sins through the prism of the spiritual realm, but somehow the same sins in the “dark” continent and in Asia can only be attributed to this realm and not man’s fallen and sin nature.
This is my own personal experience and in no way a judgment of anyone who has experienced darkness while on a mission trip. I totally believe the scriptures about the dark spiritual realm but can never find biblical evidence that it is only relegated to specific geographic areas in the world and the rest of us in the west are “safe”. Or is it possible that the dark spiritul realm becomes evident on mission trips to Africa because we are anticipating it while we are less in tune in the west because the western church is able to explain away our western sins through psychology. Anyway, this is something I ponder and have no answers to.
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteI've read your comment a couple times and I want to take an entire post to respond.
Just didn't want you to think I was blowing it off. ;) I value your input so much and I am looking forward to any discussion it might start.