Thursday, April 17, 2008

Friend experience

Hey hey! Havn't been on here for awhile. But today something happened that really needs sharing, and prayer. Thanks!
Go with God,

Brooklin

Back-up story: I go to, and am a part-time leader at, a teenage bible study in Thousand Oaks. It's an amazing oppurtunity.. about 25-30 kids from all around the area.. different churches, backgrounds, everything. God's definitely doing a lot through it. Almost two years ago, a kid named Rich started coming to the bible study. He brought forward some strange beliefs, and eventually stopped coming altogether. Now, most people would consider this guy "weird". He's kind of an outcast at my school.. people make fun of him, including his sister, no matter how hard he tries to talk to them. Since he left the bible study about a year ago, I've seen him several times at school events and such. Each time, I've tried talking to him about his beliefs. He no longer claims to be Christian.. in fact, he outright denounces Christianity and its followers. Now he believes in "the spirit world".."Vanhala"..and "positive and negative spirits". Basically, his beliefs are a combination of Wicca and other pagan belief systems that I do not pretend to understand. This kid's beliefs are really scattered, and I have a hard time understanding what exactly it is he believes in, where he learned it, etc.

So, there's the back up story. This is what happened today:
On thursdays, I usually have an English class with a friend (Jeff, who also goes to the same bible study). But today, it's cancelled. The teacher has chicken pox. (Sounds bad, right? Just wait and see how God works bad for good). My friend and I decide to go to my school's "park day" a sort of social gathering for us home schoolers who don't get any other social contact throughout the year. -) We get there, hang out a bit with some friends, and then are about to leave when we run into Rich. (My other buddy, Jeff, also knows him from the bible study). We started talking to him, catching up a bit. I ask him if he's thinking about coming back to bible study, and from there the conversation turns towards his beliefs. The converation lasts about ten or fifteen minutes, and then I have to leave. Brilliant. I get in the car, and start to drive away. You ever have the feeling that God is telling you something distinctly? Yeah, He tells me to turn around and go finish talking to Rich. I call my buddy, Jeff, and we agree to meet back at the park and find Rich. (Guess this goes to show that God does things on His time, eh? =). Well, we get there, and ask Rich if we can keep talking to him. Really, so far it has just been us asking questions about what he believes, why he believes it, etc. After another half hour or so, Rich has to go. That's the end of the conversation (for now). (Switching tenses now, sorry =p) It was great to be able to talk to him, learn more about his beliefs, and get him questioning them. I just have to say, God is pretty much amazing in the way that He works. Our English teacher told us a few weeks ago she might be getting chicken-pox. Sure enough, she got them. That made us able to go to a place that we wouldn't have other wise. Which in turn made us run into Rich again, which brought about the conversation.

Now, I don't really know how to describe this kid's beliefs. It isn't one set "religion" or cult.. just a combination of a bunch of them. That's kind of where I need your guys' help. I don't know much about pagan beliefs. Here's just some scattered things that were brought up in the conversation:
He mentioned Wicca's belief in the sun god and moon god, as well as the "book of shadows". He keeps sage in his pocket to keep away the "negative" spirits. He started to make a ouji board out of bark. He believes that there are "gods" of different things.. such as Thor. Of war, the ocean, etc etc. Under the gods, there are "spirits". These can either be "positive" or "negative". When I asked him what makes the positive spirits positive, or the negative spirits negative, since there is no *one* God to dictate it, he couldn't really give a straight answer. He believes the "spirit world" has been around for eternity, that it was not created, but he doesn't know who or what created the physical world. He thinks that Christ may have been sort of a spirtual leader, but not actually God. He actually called Him a "magnificent wizard", or something to that effect. I asked him if he thought Christ was a "positive" spirtual leader or a "negative" spirtual leader. He said positive. "But, Rich, why would He claim to be God if we was with the *good* spirits?" .."Oh, well he must have been negative then."

This guy really needs help. He's thrown out his bible, refuses to come to bible study anymore, has attempted to contact spirits, and is really confused as to why he believes what he believes. I've told him outright that he's being misled by Satan. He knows where both Jeff and I stand. Now only time, and God, will tell. Be praying please.