Hi everyone! Welcome to Testimony Tuesday. I want to tell you today of my experience. I also want to use this as a teaching mot for each of us.
1. Introduction:
I can’t remember if it was High School or what, but in my teen years, I started watching the news and investigative documentaries with Grandpa. At this time, I was only getting intrigued. I didn’t really experience much worry or anxiety–or at least I think. We would talk through the shows together at comercial time, and we’d have a pretty good time.
2. High School Years
Some of that which I wrote previously happened during these years, but this was when things started spiraling out of control for me. At school, my friend Holly also watched these shows. She’d watch Investigative Discovery. These were on, I think, more than any other shows. I don’t blame her for liking them. This is not to throw people under the bus. I’m just telling my testimony so that it might help people who might even be reading this in their free time at class. Anyway, back to the topic.
When at home, I’d get addicted to these shows. Anyone here binge-watching The Chosen? Well, in a good sense, you know what I’m talking about–except these shows talk very little about the Lord (there are times when people talk of their faith in these shows, but very seldom).
At one point in my High School career, our band teacher at Halloween would play these scary stories, which, the ones he played were not that scary to me, like the Harry Toe. At Bookshare, I found a book which had these same stories. I started being intrigued at these types of stories as well. Then, I started going to YouTube and watching otheo scary stories and at one point even watched Haunted House types of shows. There would be shows where a lady got possessed by a demon (they think they’re ghosts, but this gives ample evidence that there is no such thing). Someone, mostly it seemed a Catholic Priest, would come in and exorcize the demon out of the woman. I’d think, “Man, that’s good.” It didn’t dawn on me that I had let the spirit of fear come into my life through these types of shows.
One day, as I had watched these scary shows, I found a true story on YouTube which I was going to post on here, but I’ll just tell you the gist of it: this girl and her brother were left alone for some reason. I cannot remember. Their mother told them not to open the door for anyone. Well, this person kept knocking annoyingly and finally, the sister goes downstairs and opens the door. Well, the brother doesn’t hear her after a long time. Well, he goes downstairs also, looking for his sister. He runs to the neighbor’s house after seeing that she’d been murdered by that annoying knocker. His neighbors call the police. I can’t remember, but I think that’s all of the story. There are also interviews with the brother that can be found on YouTube. I’m not suggesting that you go and watch the story, but just stating where I found it.
After I had watched this story, I was scared sick, for lack of better words. Mom and I have a family knock. After I had listened to this story, I had said, “I think we need to find another family knock.” Our knock was easy enough to guess by anyone. Mom and others had toldme that I need to stop watching these shows if they were scaring me. I was blind. I didn’t see the danger of what I was doing.
3. Worried Sick
I continued down this spiral for quite some time. I continued even watching testimonies of Heaven and Hell. I had even become fascinated with them. When we lived in Moore Oklahoma, I had been alone at home. Grandma had to go and do something–probably going to the stor. I needed her for something. I called and texted, called again and texted again. She didn’t answer. I was worried sick. Finally, that was my breaking point. I knew that worry for the Christian was not supposed to be normal. I had other days that were sorta my breaking point as I cannot remember at the time of writing this. However, at these points, I still loved this fascination. I loved watching those shows. I couldn’t stop, no matter how hard I tried. Finally, the Lord helped me to overcome. I finally put them down. I can’t even remember if I said a prayer directly to the Lord, although I do remember talking with Him at times like you would your best bud. Thank You Lord!
4. After Graduation:
After High School Graduation, I started to get into the Word more. I no longer had plans to go to College, especially considering the fact that no matter what you take, you have to take basic Math. I was going to go to Mid-America Christian University to be a minister. When I found that out through Mom when she looked it all up, and at the time when I didn’t have a very good score on my ACT testing, I decided against going to College, and I decided to wait upon the Lord for further instruction. We at times would watch Criminal Minds. Then they’d get a little weird so we quit. We started watching Hallmark Channel, which also has some murder mysteries as well such as Arora T-Garden Mysteries, Emma Fielding Mysteries and others. Grandma would watch and at times still does watch NCIS.
Whenever I watched the mysteries from Hallmark, if at night, I couldn’t sleep. Also, there would be 1 time that I can recall that we had NCIS on in the bedroom and I didn’t have nightmares, but the rest of the time, I had to overcome the anxiety that came with the nightmares. This is the testimony part of this blog. Now you know my experience and where I’m coming from. By no means do I intend to judge anyone when I post what I am about to. God bless!
5. Be Vigilant
On August 11, I let my guard down. I let Grandma keep it on NCIS as we slept. I am deaf in my right ear, which was the one that was on the pillow. So, therefore, my subconcious mind received all that was on TV. Let’s just say the nightmare was weird. Well, I went to the couch to talk it over with the Lord and then went in there at 1:24 AM, 12:00 AM being the time which I woke from the nightmare. I will not disclose everything except to say that I was still anxious when I got in bed and had to take something to help me sleep. That night, I didn’t have any more dreams at all. I say all of that to reiterate a verse we discussed in the past. On my blog where I took notes on Steven Furtick’s sermon When Anxiety Attacks, we covered 1 Peter 5:5-11. We discussed how anxiety can be as a result of pride. Also, that’s not always the case; for in my case, I had just woken up from a nightmare. However, the verse I’d like to address is 1 Peter 5:8.
“Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.”
1 Peter 5:8 AMPC
https://www.bible.com/8/1pe.5.8.ampc
Don’t let your guard down like I did. Also, be sure that you are feeding your spirit the right food. Don’t feed your spirit the “chips” or “candy” or “Pizza” or “burgers” or “fries” etc. of the devil. Feed your spirit the “fruits and vegtables and meat” of the Lord. Be careful not to worry or be anxious. If these shoes fit you, please sit before the Lord in prayer. Be aggressive about seeking your deliverance and don’t stop until it is found. If you have any questions or concerns or prayer requests, either:
1. Post the situation at the comments below, or for more personal purposes,
2. Email me at patelincogswell@gmail.com and thank you for your time reading this blog. No matter who you are, if you are watching these shows, sit with the Lord and ask Him what He thinks; for it is not my job to say you should or shouldn’t even based on my experience. Just because I had bad experiences doesn’t mean that everyone will. God bless!
Kingdom Advance 