Can a skeptic on the fence have a personal encounter with God?

[IoanC]

No. God is not relative and does not need us. God insists that one repents and obeys Him, for we need Him. This may attract "an experience of God", but such an experience cannot be an end in itself.

 

[SkepticOnTheFence]

So many people on here have said they were seeking but turns out they were more skeptic than seeking.

But, again, you didn't answer the question. What do you mean by "actively seeking"? Can you please provide a definition?

Read the Bible.

How does reading the Bible count as "God becoming real to me" or "God entering my conscious awareness"? I've already read the Bible once by the way, so I'm not sure how that's gonna help.

If you are waiting for that you will wait forever, as far as I know that was for Paul only. A real connection as I said is more likely be a understanding and awareness of your own sin and a 'fall on the face' repent.

Okay, I admit that Paul's conversion is an extreme example, but it was just that, an example. There are other examples. In the same chapter 9 of Acts we have the example of Ananias who heard the voice of Jesus giving him instructions, or in Acts chapter 8 there is the example of Philip the Evangelist who was guided by the Holy Spirit, or just look at the book of Acts in general, it's full of examples in which God makes his existence and presence evident to people, or at least to his closest servants/disciples.

 

[SamInNi]

What would a "personal relationship with God" look like?

If I'm a skeptic on the fence... What would I need to do? And what could I expect to happen?

A “skeptic on the fence”, or anywhere else people believe they are, is spiritually “dead” (read Ephesians 2), and intellectually blind (see 2nd Corinthians 4:4). To conquer death by becoming alive with Christ the skeptic must be born anew from above (read John 3). Those who pass from death to life have been made just by Christ’s blood and will be saved from wrath through Him (read Romans 5).

Nobody, regardless of where he claims to be, can come to Christ unless it has been granted by the Father who draws the spiritually dead person to the Son. Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Christ (read John 6).

Faith that saves and brings spiritual life comes by hearing the message of Christ; whoever by faith calls on His Name will be saved (read Romans 10). Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

When God draws you to Christ and you respond in saving faith, you can no longer be a skeptic. You are a new creation (2nd Corinthians 5:17).

---

From an 1881 Address by Charles H. Spurgeon:

Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (Matthew 3:7).

Let us think of the tremendous peril which overtakes all men who do not escape from it. That tremendous peril is the wrath of God. There is a wrath of God which abides on every ungodly man. Whether men like that truth or not, it is written, “God is angry with the wicked every day”; and also, “He that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”; and yet again, “He that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.”

This “wrath to come” is absolutely just and necessary. If there is a God, He cannot let sin go unpunished. If He is really God and the Judge of all the earth, He must have an utter abhorrence of all evil. It is fixed in the very nature of things that “for every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account in the Day of Judgment,” and for every sinful action they must appear before the bar of God.

Who do you think are the more honest men—those who tell you plainly what the Scriptures say concerning this wrath of God, or those who smooth it over or deny it altogether?

What will be the consequence if it should turn out that we are mistaken when we preach to you concerning the wrath of God? What losers will those of us be who have fled to Christ for refuge? But suppose it should turn out that we are right—where will you be who have despised the wrath of God? You must escape. If you remain where you now are, you will certainly perish.

Some people will recommend you to read books, which I am certain you cannot understand, for no living soul can. Or perhaps you may meet with persons who want to explain to you some wondrous mystery. Listen to them, if you like, at the Day of Judgment when the great business of your salvation is over, but just now you have not any time for mysteries, you have no time for puzzlements, you have no time to be confused and confounded.

The plan of salvation is not a thing that is hard to be understood. “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life,” and he shall never come into condemnation; for he as passed from death unto life. There is the gospel in a nutshell. Lay hold of it, and live by it. You have not time for anything else, and you have no need of anything else. So flee, “flee from the wrath to come.”

I used to think that if I once told this wondrous story of “free grace and dying love,” everybody would believe it. But I have long since learned that so hard is the heart of man, that he will sooner be damned than be saved by Christ. Well, you must make your choice.

I implore you to “flee from the wrath to come.” Escape by quitting your sins and laying hold on Jesus, and do it this very moment, for you may never have another opportunity to do it. May the Lord in His infinite mercy grant you grace to trust in Jesus!

 

[Berserk]

Try this 10-day experiment:
Days 1 and 2: Throughout the day meditate on God's promise:
"When you search for me, you will find me, when you seek me WITH ALL YOUR HEART (Jeremiah 29:13)."
As you meditate, listen for the flow of thoughts that come to mind when you contemplate all your beliefs, attitudes, and questions that make you seek with strong reservations rather than with all your heart. Write them down as they come to mind, so you won't forget them.

Days 3 and 4:
(1) Now imagine Jesus as a courting Lover, who is stymied by all the unconscious ways you remain close-minded.
As you do, imagine what it might mean and feel like for you to be gloriously ambushed by Jesus when you least expect it.
Then listen for any imparted thoughts of psychological barriers you might be unconsciously erecting to prevent such a divine encounter.

Day 5 and 6:
Claim Jesus' promise quoted below: invite the risen Christ to fulfill His promise and enter the door of your heart in a way you can gradually or suddenly recognize:
"Listen! I [Jesus] am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come into you and feast with you, and you with me (Revelation 3:20)."
Now imagine what self-authenticating experience might satisfy the promised poetic image of feasting on Jesus' presence.

Day 7 and 8:
Jesus may not convincingly respond if He senses that you are merely looking for a spiritual high analogous to a drug high. His self-disclosure to you may depend on your willingness to surrender your life in obedience to Him, if He makes Himself real to you. So look within to see if you are honestly willing to make that surrender, should He make Himself real to your satisfaction. This would be the ideal time to confess sins and repent to prepare for the entrance of the Spirit of Christ into your life. Then when you feel ready, promise Him with all sincerity that you will make Him the Lord of your life, if He is willing to establish an intimate personal relationship with you. Monitor your experience for the next few days to see whether and how Jesus reacts to your pledge.

Day 9-10:
This 10-day process will stir up many feelings and questions, some of which will threaten the success of your quest. So after 10 days, create a new thread here detailing those feelings and questions and testifying to what happened to you as you embraced the process of this 10-day quest. Be assured I will respond to your thread. I am a retired Theology professor and United Methodist minister.

 

[SkepticOnTheFence]

Try this 10-day experiment:
Days 1 and 2: Throughout the day meditate on God's promise:
"When you search for me, you will find me, when you seek me WITH ALL YOUR HEART (Jeremiah 29:13)."
As you meditate, listen for the flow of thoughts that come to mind when you contemplate all your beliefs, attitudes, and questions that make you seek with strong reservations rather than with all your heart. Write them down as they come to mind, so you won't forget them.

Days 3 and 4:
(1) Now imagine Jesus as a courting Lover, who is stymied by all the unconscious ways you remain close-minded.
As you do, imagine what it might mean and feel like for you to be gloriously ambushed by Jesus when you least expect it.
Then listen for any imparted thoughts of psychological barriers you might be unconsciously erecting to prevent such a divine encounter.

Day 5 and 6:
Claim Jesus' promise quoted below: invite the risen Christ to fulfill His promise and enter the door of your heart in a way you can gradually or suddenly recognize:
"Listen! I [Jesus] am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come into you and feast with you, and you with me (Revelation 3:20)."
Now imagine what self-authenticating experience might satisfy the promised poetic image of feasting on Jesus' presence.

Day 7 and 8:
Jesus may not convincingly respond if He senses that you are merely looking for a spiritual high analogous to a drug high. His self-disclosure to you may depend on your willingness to surrender your life in obedience to Him, if He makes Himself real to you. So look within to see if you are honestly willing to make that surrender, should He make Himself real to your satisfaction. This would be the ideal time to confess sins and repent to prepare for the entrance of the Spirit of Christ into your life. Then when you feel ready, promise Him with all sincerity that you will make Him the Lord of your life, if He is willing to establish an intimate personal relationship with you. Monitor your experience for the next few days to see whether and how Jesus reacts to your pledge.

Day 9-10:
This 10-day process will stir up many feelings and questions, some of which will threaten the success of your quest. So after 10 days, create a new thread here detailing those feelings and questions and testifying to what happened to you as you embraced the process of this 10-day quest. Be assured I will respond to your thread. I am a retired Theology professor and United Methodist minister.

Thank you for these very practical, actionable instructions. I will need to prepare myself first if I'm to follow these instructions conscientiously and thoroughly. Wish me luck.

 

[coffee4u]

But, again, you didn't answer the question. What do you mean by "actively seeking"? Can you please provide a definition?

Actively seeking means you are seeking his presence. Not an experience.
It means a longing to know, love, and follow God.

How does reading the Bible count as "God becoming real to me" or "God entering my conscious awareness"? I've already read the Bible once by the way, so I'm not sure how that's gonna help.

I became a Christian through reading the Bible, but this may not be how God calls you. But the Bible itself has power.

Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.​

Okay, I admit that Paul's conversion is an extreme example, but it was just that, an example. There are other examples. In the same chapter 9 of Acts we have the example of Ananias who heard the voice of Jesus giving him instructions, or in Acts chapter 8 there is the example of Philip the Evangelist who was guided by the Holy Spirit, or just look at the book of Acts in general, it's full of examples in which God makes his existence and presence evident to people, or at least to his closest servants/disciples.

The early church or apostolic age had a special task, and they were given specific gifts to do that.

The Holy Spirit does still guide us but most times it is more subtle and quiet, which is why I mentioned how God whispered to Elijah. If someone is expecting something large they will miss God completely.

There is a well loved church story of a man on his roof in a flood and a rescue helicopter comes along and he says "No Thanks, I am waiting on God to rescue me" He says the same thing to a large boat and to a raft. He drowns and asks God "Why didn't you rescue me? I was trusting on you!" God's reply, "I sent a helicopter, a boat and a raft and you turned them all away."
God works with the world as it is and often through people. This may be as simple as someone feeling like they need to give someone a call or go or not go to a certain place. Often later you understand that one thing happened so it could lead to another thing. The spiritually blind say coincidence, the spiritually awake understand that it was intentional.

 

[SkepticOnTheFence]

Actively seeking means you are seeking his presence. Not an experience.
It means a longing to know, love, and follow God.

Follow-up questions:

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "seeking his presence". Can you please define "God's presence"? How is "encountering" God's presence not an experience? What is your definition of "experience"?

More thoughts:

If I have a personal relationship with X, it doesn't make sense to me how that could possibly be the case without experiences with X. How could I possibly have a personal relationship with my wife if my wife is hidden in an underground bunker in China and there is no interaction, no shared experiences between the two whatsoever? It doesn't make sense at all. All the relationships I have involve experiences, including relatives, family, significant others, pets, etc. I don't know how a relationship could possibly exist without experiences.

The early church or apostolic age had a special task, and they were given specific gifts to do that.

Cessationist, right?

The Holy Spirit does still guide us but most times it is more subtle and quiet, which is why I mentioned how God whispered to Elijah. If someone is expecting something large they will miss God completely. There is a well loved church story of a man on his roof in a flood and a rescue helicopter comes along and he says "No Thanks, I am waiting on God to rescue me" He says the same thing to a large boat and to a raft. He drowns and asks God "Why didn't you rescue me? I was trusting on you!" God's reply, "I sent a helicopter, a boat and a raft and you turned them all away."
God works with the world as it is and often through people. This may be as simple as someone feeling like they need to give someone a call or go or not go to a certain place. Often later you understand that one thing happened so it could lead to another thing. The spiritually blind say coincidence, the spiritually awake understand that it was intentional.

Continuing with the examples at the end of the last paragraph, how do you distinguish between coincidences and divine interventions? Do you have a sixth sense or something that lets you know? I personally lack that sixth sense, so I have no idea if God is intervening right here, right now. As far as I'm concerned, everything looks pretty mundane so far.

 

[public hermit]

Is it possible for a skeptic on the fence to have a personal encounter with God?

What would such an encounter look like?

What would a "personal relationship with God" look like?

If I'm a skeptic on the fence, is there anything in my power that I can do to "elicit" or "prompt" such an encounter? What would I need to do? And what could I expect to happen?

How would I be able to tell the difference between "God is actually having a personal relationship with me" and "I'm just deluding myself with wishful thinking"?

Can God make his presence and interaction "obvious" to me beyond reasonable doubt? Can God reveal himself to me, a skeptic on the fence, in a powerful and life-changing way?

I think anyone can experience God's presence in an undeniable way. It can happen quickly or over time. It can happen to those that are seeking, and it can happen to those who are not. I don't think there are necessary acts that will ensure the experience of God or the lack thereof.

However, if you seek God with the intention to find God, the chances of finding become greater. I don't think that's a mystery. If you don't seek, they go proportionally down.

Followers of Christ assume that to seek Christ is to find Christ. How do you do that? This is my take: you do what he said and truly try to live as he loved us. As Gregory the Great said: Loving is its own kind of knowledge. Jesus said, If you obey my commandments, then you love me and I will reveal myself to you. The doxastiical breakthrough that enters another way of knowing is on the level of love if it's anywhere . Or, as St. John said: If you don't love, you don't know God.

Forget trying to grasp God with your mind. Grasp God with your heart, with your desire for good. If you find you don't have that desire. Pray.

 

[Berserk]

If I have a personal relationship with X, it doesn't make sense to me how that could possibly be the case without experiences with X. How could I possibly have a personal relationship with my wife if my wife is hidden in an underground bunker in China and there is no interaction, no shared experiences between the two whatsoever? It doesn't make sense at all. All the relationships I have involve experiences, including relatives, family, significant others, pets, etc. I don't know how a relationship could possibly exist without experiences.

Paul calls the Galatian Christians to abandon their spiritually deadening legalism and return to their powerful spiritual experiences:
"Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? DID YOU EXPERIENCE SO MUCH FOR NOTHING (Galatians 3:3-4)?"


how do you distinguish between coincidences and divine interventions? Do you have a sixth sense or something that lets you know? I personally lack that sixth sense, so I have no idea if God is intervening right here, right now. As far as I'm concerned, everything looks pretty mundane so far.

Let me give you just 2 of many examples from my own life.
(1) A few months ago, I felt a strong impulse to walk to a certain location in town at night, something I would otherwise never do. When I got to the corner of 2nd and Main St., I immediately encountered Clint, a new Christian with mental health issues. He had just found his 38-year-old son on his kitchen floor, dead from a drug overdose. Some kind soul had told him his son got what was coming to him, not what you say to a grieving father! Clint just needed someone who cares to let him pour out out his grief in that tragic moment.

(2) Back in the 1990s, I had just completed my teaching year as a professor on Friday. I felt burnt out and desperately in need of a vacation. But suddenly I was haunted by the pressing thought that someone would die that called on me to abandon my vacation plans. Would I be willing to do it? I tried to suppress this thought as paranoia, but the more I did, the more insistent it became. When I woke up on Monday, I decided to eat breakfast out and forget all this nonsense. But when I got to the door, an inner voice yelled, "Sit down! You are about to hear about the death!" Startled, I sat down on my couch by the door and the phone immediately rang. It was Dr. Whelan, the Chair of Graduate Theology Studies. She said that Dr. Corcoran had not shown up for his MA summer course on Pauline theology. So they went to the oncampus apartment where he was staying and found him dead in bed. His students were waiting for news. Dr. Whelan said I was the only one around trained to teach that course without notice. Would I do it? I reluctantly agreed because God had prepared me for this momen all weekend. Teaching that course was a most fulfilling experience.

I hardly think these 2 experiences can be dismissed as mere coincidences. Such examples from my life could be multiplied.

 

[SplendidSeraphim]

Yes, my friend. And I hope we can be friends so we can talk about that. Anyone can - and does - have an experience with God, whether they knew it was God or not. God is loving, and we live in a world pregnant with God's glory.

Please message me.

 

[coffee4u]

Follow-up questions:

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "seeking his presence". Can you please define "God's presence"? How is "encountering" God's presence not an experience? What is your definition of "experience"?

More thoughts:

If I have a personal relationship with X, it doesn't make sense to me how that could possibly be the case without experiences with X. How could I possibly have a personal relationship with my wife if my wife is hidden in an underground bunker in China and there is no interaction, no shared experiences between the two whatsoever? It doesn't make sense at all. All the relationships I have involve experiences, including relatives, family, significant others, pets, etc. I don't know how a relationship could possibly exist without experiences.

What you are asking is fair enough, but hard to explain and define. We are body, soul/mind, and spirit.
The relationship with your wife is with your soul/mind and body. That is an earthly relationship because your wife is flesh and blood the same as you. People may use phrases such as "connect spiritually with your partner" No, they are confusing the spirit for the soul/mind. They are closely connected and can be mistaken for each other but the spirit is not the soul.

Hebrews 4:12​

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

The soul and spirit are different. On the surface they seem to be the same thing and are often causally put together in conversation as if they were the same thing, but they are not the same. If they were they could not be divided.


The relationship with God is spirit then soul/mind and body last.
John 4:24
"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
So while your mind might reach out and try to find God, it is with your spirit that the connection is made.

God's presence with you is known in your spirit.
Your wife's presence is known with your soul/mind.

Before mankind fell into sin our spirit was awake and strong, after we fell it was 'dead' and weak. So our mind took over. Like a muscle not often used its easy as I said to confuse the mind with the spirit.

Cessationist, right?

Not necessarily, not if there is a reason. But just because, no.

God himself does not change but how he has reveled himself and how he has dealt with mankind and how he has had mankind deal together has changed. The Apostolic Age was just one age and one way of dealing. Just as before Mosses was one way of dealing vs after Mosses vs now.

Continuing with the examples at the end of the last paragraph, how do you distinguish between coincidences and divine interventions? Do you have a sixth sense or something that lets you know? I personally lack that sixth sense, so I have no idea if God is intervening right here, right now. As far as I'm concerned, everything looks pretty mundane so far.

We are fallen people saved by grace. Even though we have awakened and strengthened our spirit and some times we are sure, strong in God's presence, other times we might be unsure. Christians aren't suddenly perfect. As I said its easy to mistake the soul for the spirit. We might get busy and allow emotions to govern, or we might have been tempted by sin and so are ignoring the quiet whisper of God. The spirit like a muscle becomes weaker when we don't keep focused on God.
Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Weak in this sense means our flesh and mind/soul can easily take over. When connecting to God the mind/soul needs to be willing to step back to allow the spirit to come forward.
This is why I mentioned Peter walking towards Jesus on the water. It was his faith (faith comes from the spirit) that allowed this, but his mind took over seeing the dangers. If he had quietened his mind and kept his eyes on Jesus his faith would have remained. This is a good example of 'seeing' the difference between the soul/mind and spirit. Often people get caught up in emotions either good or bad. Sometimes when the emotions are good they mistake that for the spirit. This is why it often takes years for people to grow spiritually. The same way it can take years at the gym to develop the body physically.

The fact is we can only know God by his grace. By ourselves (our soul and mind) we can't.

Ephesians 2​

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Your mind has to be open and willing, but it the spirit that connects to God not your mind.

 

[SkepticOnTheFence]

Your mind has to be open and willing, but it the spirit that connects to God not your mind.

And how am I supposed to develop this "spiritual" sixth sense? How can I have "spiritual" experiences with God? What does that even mean? And how do you do that?

 

[Berserk]

I gave you a 1o-day program to accomplish just that. Following those steps might be the most important decision you've ever made.
Why haven't you accepted my testable challenge? I've also given you a biblical text where Paul challenges the Galatians to abandon their religious legalism and get back to their experiences of God's Spirit. Every seeker can experience God in a different way.

For example, in his book "Surprised by Joy," famed Oxford Classics professor C. S. Lewis was an atheist on a spiritual quest. He describes the decisive key moments this way: He was riding a bus, when this obsessive thought was presented to him--the image of himself as a lobster that wouldn't unlock his shell. Shortly thereafter, he was being driven to Whipsnade Zoo. When he got in the car, he didn't believe Jesus was the Son of God, but by the time he arrived at the zoo, he did! Yet, he muses, "I wasn't engaged in conscious thought about the matter during the ride."
The end result? Being surprised by the joy of God's self-authenticating presence!

 

[SeventhFisherofMen]

Is it possible for a skeptic on the fence to have a personal encounter with God?

What would such an encounter look like?

What would a "personal relationship with God" look like?

If I'm a skeptic on the fence, is there anything in my power that I can do to "elicit" or "prompt" such an encounter? What would I need to do? And what could I expect to happen?

How would I be able to tell the difference between "God is actually having a personal relationship with me" and "I'm just deluding myself with wishful thinking"?

Can God make his presence and interaction "obvious" to me beyond reasonable doubt? Can God reveal himself to me, a skeptic on the fence, in a powerful and life-changing way?

Jesus is all powerful, He's with you now, go ahead and ask Him for a sign, or ask Him to do something in your life that you know isn't coincidence. I believe He will do something. If not immediately something will happen that you can't explain away, and then it's up to you to make a leap of faith and cling to Jesus. He wants you to walk life with Him. Some day you'll look back and see all the times He was there and has been there.

Not only on Earth are there miracles on the daily big and small, but there's a whole Universe and Heaven that Jesus wants you to experience. Heaven and Space are something you can explore when you pass on and go to Heaven. The possibilities are endless, and all you have to do is choose Him. He knows you already, He wants you to know Him

 

[coffee4u]

And how am I supposed to develop this "spiritual" sixth sense? How can I have "spiritual" experiences with God? What does that even mean? And how do you do that?

Read the Bible, pray to God. Ask him to become real in your life. Do so in a quiet place away from hustle and bustle.

I am less inclined to say go listen to sermons, only their are many heretical and false teachers out there. Yet there are also wonderful preachers out there, but unless you already know the Bible and have a connection to God you won't be able to decern the difference.
If you know someone who can mentor you, someone who is a dedicated Christian who can guide you to a good church or to sermons, you can ask them. Still the Bible itself is above all, it is the one steadfast that does not try to deceive. But some people need to hear the word, need to hear someone preach the gospel.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Maybe it's just me and my failure to communicate well...

... but, does anyone else notice that attempted discussions in this forum for so-called "exploration" all too often go nowhere?

It's like, why try to have a discussion at all with anyone anymore?

 

[AbbaLove]

And how am I supposed to develop this "spiritual" sixth sense? How can I have "spiritual" experiences with God? What does that even mean? And how do you do that?

Cutback on involvement with worldly activiities (e.g. TV, movies, internet, junk food, wrong friends -- etc, etc, etc.) Find a nature trail (quiet place) for some excercise, meditating on His Word. Listening for His still soft whisper in your heart. Renew your mind from a skeptic to a believer.

Enjoy a heartfelt worship service, with praise music and annointed message this Resurrection Sunday. Enjoy the day from sunrise to sunset thanking the Lord for His goodness and blessings. The praises of our lips pleases the Lord.

 

[SkepticOnTheFence]

Cutback on involvement with worldly activiities (e.g. TV, movies, internet, junk food, wrong friends -- etc, etc, etc.) Find a nature trail (quiet place) for some excercise, meditating on His Word. Listening for His still soft whisper in your heart. Renew your mind from a skeptic to a believer.

Enjoy a heartfelt worship service, with praise music and annointed message this Resurrection Sunday. Enjoy the day from sunrise to sunset thanking the Lord for His goodness and blessings. The praises of our lips pleases the Lord.

But this brings me back to one of the questions I asked in post #1. How would doing all of that allow me to distinguish between "genuine spiritual experiences" and "I'm just deluding myself with wishful thinking, make-believe, group psychology, etc."?

I want to make sure that I'm experiencing something genuinely spiritual/supernatural and not just brainwashing myself into believing that I am.

 

[AbbaLove]

But this brings me back to one of the questions I asked in post #1. How would doing all of that allow me to distinguish between "genuine spiritual experiences" and "I'm just deluding myself with wishful thinking, make-believe, group psychology, etc."?

I want to make sure that I'm experiencing something genuinely spiritual/supernatural and not just brainwashing myself into believing that I am.

It sounds like you think God has to prove Himself to you with some sign before you will believe in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Maybe you're so into yourself (self-righteous) that you don't have need for God to invade your life (comfort zone).

Without Faith it's impossible to please God. You have to step-out in Faith. It sounds like you're actually indifferent to try my previous suggestion(s).

 

[Berserk]

I provided you with a testable 10-day plan designed to overcome your misgivings and set you up for a SELF-AUTHENTICATING experience of God's
Spirit and remove your concern about wishful thinking, and you refuse the experiment. I even offered you 2 of my personal experiences of divine guidance that I'm sure even you can't dismiss as mere coincidence. Why do you refuse my challenge?