Manifestations, demonic and godly

Do I believe in the Demonic?

Absolutely. Jesus cast them out, his disciples cast them out, various ones down through history have cast them out and I have cast out numerous ones.

The demonic is an ever present reality in our fallen world.

I can give numerous testimonies to casting out demons from demon possessed people.
I can give testimony regarding Christians who did things in the flesh and caused demonic attack upon themselves.
I can give testimony regarding demons oppressing Christians and unbelievers where there is terrible obsessions' and oppressions that occurred.
I have had demons speak through people telling me he was calling legion to kill me.
He will have to go through Jesus first...and that didn't go well.

I have not seen an angel, though I fully believe in their existence, ministry and presence in the Church.

I do not nor in the past delved it the occult, but I have had demon spirits attack my physically, where one of them sat on my chest (that's what it felt like) I was literally being smothered. I rebuked the Spirit in the name of Jesus and commanded it to leave and immediately I was relieved and delivered. This has happened 3 times over the course of my life.
My little son saw a spirit that looked like an old school samurai warrior standing in our hallway by the bedrooms. He put his head under the covers and asked Jesus to protect him. My wife and I prayed against any further returns.
This and other kinds of supernatural occurrences happened to me and my wife over the years.

I am not a devil hunter, I do not seek out demonic or supernatural phenomenon because of idle curiosity, neither does my wife nor do my children. But devilish spirits have tried to attack my family...and always unsuccessful in regards to pushing us away from Jesus or instilling fear into my life or my wife or my children.

Demons can inhabit the very old which I have prayed for, the very young (3 yrs old) and God completely delivered this little girl. The deaf-mute from birth, those who have engaged in the occult and those who submitted themselves to occultic ceremonies became the victims of demonic attack.
I prayed for a woman the the Philippines who when I got to her was almost dead, they wanted me to do a "last rites' prayer ceremony. Instead I cast out the spirit of death that came upon her from being prayed for and anointed by the local shaman. I told them specifically never, ever have that man pray over you or any of you again. About 20 minutes later the woman was up, and taking water, able to speak and praising God, the whole little village was praising God for what Jesus had done for her.

So, with this and many more like it, the demonic exists in this world because they have not yet been brought to judgment. But they will be brought to judgment and they will suffer the wrath and vengeance of God they deserve.

I certainly agree that angels and demons are real.

I am not sure why Bear is suggesting we don’t just because we look at strange signs/wonders with a skeptical eye.

Skepticism about such things does not equate to cessationism. I am no cessationist but I have experienced enough spiritual chicanery first hand to be skeptical. I have to trust that I will have the discernment to know the real thing when I see it.

Subsequent to Donna and I getting gemstones under our table at starbucks...I was invited to a meeting where this occurrence was supposedly happening. I was invited to speak at the meeting.

gems appeared on the floor, flakes of gold appeared on the floor, many were walking around looking for the little gems and for gold flakes.

Everyone there expected God to give these gems as 'signs' of his love toward us.

I'll cut to the chase. The leader of the meeting was dumping them out of his pant leg. Why? I don't know,
What was disturbing was the complete lack of discernment, the complete side-stepping of a Jesus focused meeting onto what we were to expect on the floor.

Were these people genuine Christians? I believe so, were they being duped and learning to follow after loaves and fishes? Yes, but God had another plan.

I was invited to a second meeting, where I reproved them for seeking these things and not Christ, for avoiding the cross of Jesus Christ in their lives and seeking after some vain sign from God that was unnecessary and is actually a distraction.

Like a broken record...that was the last time I was invited to speak.

Was my gems a real thing? I don't know. If someone were to say "Marv, are you kidding its a fake out". I wouldn't be bother in the least, I was never seeking their signs to begin with. If it were true, Thanks Lord for giving us a gem coinciding with the days of our crusades and outreaches.
Either way the gems were real...and nobody wants them back.

Bear you are correct that discernment is a better word than skepticism.

I have no problem whatsoever believing that Muslims are having visions in dreams if these bring them to the cross- if it is truly leading to salvation. It is possible to trust in the vision itself but like Paul we must be obedient to the heavenly vision.

When Im skeptical its because it doesn't fit my interpretive grid.
when Im cynical its because I was burned before and im not getting burned again.
When Im discerning, I am willing to be taught and humble myself to learning or unlearning what I had previously believed.

Judgment in the bible...
Judging: good or bad, right or wrong, truth or error.
Discerning: distinguishing the difference between holy and profane, truth and error by means of God's revealing of hidden things.
Weights and balances: putting to the test the claims made by some against known truth declared by God.

But unbelief...It is a strong judge, it has no need to discern or weigh out the claims...because unbelief has said "I am not advantaged by these events, circumstances or claims".
Skepticism and cynicism avoid judging and discerning, and only weakly lifts its hand to test the claims.

I have a question: has anybody on here ever experienced something very unusual, something that defies a logical explanation but is reluctant to share it because of the skepticism that is sure to come if told.

Sandra