Being outside the Orthodox Church is like being on the ocean alone, and not in the boat.
I don't think so at all. There are experiences in my life that unfolded in a way that I don't think are possible without the grace of God and my genuine faith. I don't want to get into my personal story but my life would be empty, I wouldn't have the wife, the kids or the sobriety I have without my faith. I don't feel I'm on a boat alone at all, the Holy Spirit is the captain and I'm not going to deny my real life experiences because some old church tells me I should because I'm not officially, in their eyes, one of them.
This is a brutaly honest statement!!
and it brings up a wonder question for me. How do we verify our experiances are the work of God is it purely subjective? Is there some other more objective way?
Correct. Personal or subjective experience is not reliable
Some Charismatic Christians claim that they experience the Great power of God and joy of God when they mocks the sound and the actions of animals,yells out some noise and horrible songs,losses the control and shakes of head or bodies and laughing loudly ,etc.
Just Remember and look at the fake lakeland revival in 2008. Many attendants claim that they experienced great power of God,got healed and delivered in that revival. The fresh fire ministry ( The ministry which start and organise the lakeland revival) claimed that there are millions of healings , deliverences and even more than 30 times of rescurrections . However, this ministry could not show just one medical certificate to CNN to prove that one of their attendants really have been got healed. THe (Fake ) revival was end and disappeared in the same year as well.
