Before I ask these questions I also have some explaining to do in order to put it all into context. I am naturally, for good or bad, a skeptical person and I never really believed in a lot of the camp-fire stories that people tell but lately some very odd and unsettling things have been happening in my home.

It started when we moved into our new apartment and I was appointed to the managerial board. The apartment above us was empty but we always heard loud banging and very loud footsteps but could never hear them on the steps outside. When we would go up to check it out there was no sign of anything going on. Other neighbors also heard the same noises. After a while the noises began to include water running and doors slamming. I wrote all of this off as something natural.

Then the light switches in OUR apartment began to flip themselves on and off. We would turn out the light and when we came back into to the room they would be flipped on. Pictures would be slightly out of place and other little things. Again I thought nothing of this. Until the other day when my wife and I went out for a couple of hours. We left the apartment and locked the door, then I decided to check the apartment again and all lights were off. When we get back a light switch has been flipped on and our bedroom doors was closed. Nothing was moved or stolen. I still unholstered my Glock and did a check of the apartment. There was no other evidence that anyone was there.
So I did the penny test on the door and the paper clip to test to see if anyone was coming in, no movement. I sat up a trail cam in the house, nothing recorded. Things still move on their own.
Today I woke up and my wife had walked to the library and I could not find my car keys. I looked everywhere, outside, inside and in the car. I stepped in the shower, when I got out the keys were hanging on my computer. This has upset my wife and I tremendously.
We have gone over ever natural cause, called electricians and had them visit. Neither us nor the head apartment manager can figure this out.
Am I crazy? Can there be some type of supernatural thing happening in my home or am I being naive? No one else in the complex is experiencing anything like this or at least the won't say it if they have.

I know this sounds ridiculous but I would not be sharing if I wasn't very concerned.

__________________
Willie Grills
Trinity Presbyterian Church
OPC
Huntington, WV

Willie,

I wouldn't pretend to know what it is/isn't that's going on. Nonetheless, you can trust and rest in the fact that the Lord is good and sovereign over all these affairs, and rest in the fact that all things are a product of His divine decree. So I would simply echo James in his practical advice:

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

__________________
Josh Hicks, Chloë's Dad
Christ Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church, RPCGA
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It is God that multiplies our sorrows.... God, as a righteous Judge, does it, which ought to silence us under all our sorrows; as many as they are, we have deserved them all, and more: nay, God, as a tender Father, does it for our necessary correction, that we may be humbled for sin, and weaned from the world by all our sorrows; and the good we get by them, with the comfort we have under them, will abundantly balance our sorrows, how greatly soever they are multiplied. - Matthew Henry

Thanks Josh. Believe me it is a comfort. The past few weeks have just been so unsettling.

I can imagine, Friend. Nothing shall befall us not given by the Only Good Gift Giver, the Lord. We simply obey His commands, confess our sins, and believe His Promise. We need not act as the world would in such a situation. The Lord will preserve as He sees fit.

Here is a helpful thread from a few months back: Arguments against modern day demonic possession Especially if you scroll down to about post 23 or so and read Bawb's posts on the subjects.

__________________
Ben Franks

I attend: Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church (OPC)
in Purcellville, Virginia
I'm a member of: Heartland Community Church (PCA)
in Wichita, Kansas
I blog here (along with my Dad): http://rrfranks.blogspot.com/
And I'm a student here: www.phc.edu

"Remember the speeches we have spoken so often over our mead, when we raised boast on the bench, heroes in the hall, about hard fighting. Now may the man who is bold prove that he is."-Aelfwine at the Battle of Maldon

I'm wondering if some kids in the neighborhood are having a bit of fun with you. Kids are marvellous at finding ways to get in places. Are all the windows securely locked?

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Caroline
OPC
Schenectady, NY
Blog: The Unlikely Calvinist

You know, I am aware of a reformed, Christian family whose home did have some demonic activity in it. (I think I've mentioned this in another similar thread). I'm also very skeptical and am rarely convinced by such stories...but in this case, I do honestly believe that there was demonic activity there. The family was very reluctant to tell anyone because they thought no one would take them seriously. They had been praying about it for some time and it wasn't until they brought it to our church that anything changed! Our church prayed for that family and their home...and I can tell you that the demonic activity ended immediately! It seemed in their case that Satan used those things to frighten and intimidate and to distract them away from Christ. But, if you notice in the Scriptures how Christ dealt with demons...He never engaged them, instead he rebuked them immediately! If I were you...I would pay it no heed and go about your business as if nothing is there! And, I would definitely bring it to your church and have the church come alongside of you in prayer! I will be praying for you guys as well! Take heart, the Lord is far greater than he who is in the world!

__________________
Yvonne
Reformed Presbyterian
Currently seeking a Church

"A man's most glorious actions will at last be found to be but glorious sins, if he hath made himself, and not the glory of God, the end of those actions." -T. Brooks

The only thing I can think of in a practical sense is that if you live in an apartment, someone else probably lived there before you. If there is a balcony, it is fairly simple to get in through sliding glass doors. I would certainly use the camera to keep "watch" 24x7, and if you have several, you can do so in every room (if the lights come on with no body in the room, even I'd be getting a little weirded out). Of course, the other thing is to make sure you have the cameras take not only motion detect, but 1 second snapshots (so you have a time index for all events in the house). I have (for security reasons) cameras on the front and back of the house, and even the video motion detect doesn't take up a lot of room on the hard drive.

Changing the locks on the doors can help, getting a "dead bolt" for sliding glass doors and windows is also a help.

The main reason I think you may be dealing with a thief is that you heard the noises overhead (from an "empty" apartment) and then had problems in your house. That would have me thinking someone dropping down to your apartment from overhead (an easy task). The cameras would document the break-ins and would be useful in reporting an illegal entry.

Of course if you find that lights are going on with nobody there (1 second intervals would be very difficult to get in, change things (including the motion detect video) and get back out) then I wouldn't know what to say. My money is on someone breaking in for whatever reason (even identity theft could be possible).

__________________
Brian Withnell
Deacon, OPC
Leesburg, Virginia

You cannot train for war in the midst of a battle. Prepare before the battle starts; if the battle is long and hard, you will wish you had.

The demonic realm is very real. In developed or "enlightened" countries, open demonic activity is far less prevalent. Why make their presence actually known if they are already succeeding while remaining hidden within the shadows?

The fallen ones hate Christianity, and they hate God's children. Christians stick out like a sore thumb in this evil age. They like to play on our imagination and blow small things out of proportion to seem as though they have more power than they actually do.

There is nothing to be afraid of, even our Lord Himself was accosted by the prince of the demonic. Like Josh already said, God is sovereign over all things and nothing happens without His permission.

My wife and I have had strange things happen in our home, and when rebuked in the name of Jesus Christ, such things do not stay around for very long. They come back now and then, but at this point we just go about our Father's business, and pray that His will be done. They have no actual power over God's children, they can only attempt to frighten and steer us away from faith.

The demon's most diabolical sway over Christians is not in their overt manifestations, but rather in the quiet whispers that attempt to undermine our God given faith in Jesus Christ. They love to play upon our fleshly tendency to trust in our own righteousness for God's approval, rather than relying solely upon the perfect life, death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ for acceptance within the beloved.

__________________
Jon Adams
Member of Grace Bible Church
Pleasant Hill, CA

All good points and things we have considered. The way these apartments are constructed no one can get in from the top. As of last week the apartment above is now occupied.

The oddest things are the ones happening when we are here. Could it be neighborhood kids? Perhaps. But i'm still not so sure. Tonight I came in and did the paperclip test. The paperclip was in tact but now a couple of kitchen cabinets were open.
I know it sounds ridiculous.

At least if someone is somehow getting, they're only messing with our heads. Nothing seems to be stolen.

Get a camera in every room and find out what's happening. Oh and keep your Glock on you...

__________________
Ewen
1689 LBCF
Assemblies of God Bible College
Singapore

Great Idea!!

__________________
Jacob Peters
Layman
URC
Toronto
Canada

Willie, whatever you do, cultivate a fearless attitude toward what's happening. Study the verses that deal with God's sovereignty and Christ's authority.

The other necessity is that you avoid superstition and that includes Christian writings that teach responses based in experience and not the Word.

I have said over and over that the demons power comes from leveraging our fear and superstition. Don't be afraid and don't try and confront a demon directly.

Read through the thread that Ben mentioned. Someday, Lord willing I will write a book of our 'experiences' with a Biblical explanation. If you would like to PM me at anytime then feel free.

By the way, if this is demonic activity then the demon(s) doing this is a prankster, that's it. It still wants you to question Christ's authority and it may be trying to involve you in a bigger game but these are just pranks and hopefully you've seen the whole contents in it's bag of tricks.

__________________
Bob Vigneault C.O.L, L.E., G.E, Dr.O.P., O.U.T.
The Heartbeat of Heaven (blog)
Deacon/Christ Presbyterian Church, Janesville, WI OPC www.christ-opc.org

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the only thing i would worry about is if there are children in the home...
you and your wife pray... if it is demonic activity (as opposed to a more benign explanation ie: kids or a squirrel) they would hate that!
our God is a big God and He will rebuke (Jude 1:9)
whatever you do... DON'T call Patricia King

__________________
thomas harvey
husband & father
nashua NH
OPC

In a similar vein my daughter came through complaining of an animal growling in her bedroom. I went through and sat with her for a while before kissing her goodnight and going back through to the living room.

To be honest my imagination thought of all sorts of possibilities. I probably gravitate to the cats doing something or the hamster. I know the cats have occasionaly played with my keys and moved them.

__________________
Eoghan
member,Thurso Baptist Church
Scotland

specialist subject: Creationist Genetics (Bottleneck effect of the Ark)
interests: holiness (practical theology)
member of Biblical Creation Society (available as a guest speaker in the far north of Scotland)

Cats are pestilence at best and demonic at worst. They should be exorcised.

and that goes for the musical as well