Global Holy Ghost Infillings: Real or Fake?
 

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:" Acts 2:17a


"Perhaps the biggest news about charismatic or Pentecostal Christians is simply that they are no longer news. Not too long ago, charismatics were a point of fascination in our culture. Thanks to the media, they were widely viewed as a bizarre Christian subculture, a group whose beliefs and behavior embarrassed mainstream Christians.

But things have changed—dramatically. Today our survey results show that charismatics are part of the mainstream Christian culture. Relatively few Americans perceive charismatics to be on the lunatic fringe of beliefs or behavior.

Based on several national studies of charismatics conducted by The Barna Group, we have discovered that roughly one-third of the U.S. adult population claims to be a charismatic or Pentecostal Christian. That means up to 80 million adults in the U.S. characterize themselves as charismatic or Pentecostal. That's more than double the population of California and larger than the entire populations of Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Korea, Spain or Thailand.

The actual figure depends on how the group is defined. Because there is no standard understanding embraced by leaders within the charismatic community, we have examined charismatics using three different definitions. In our surveys with more than 1,000 adults randomly selected from across the country, we saw that figure range from 30 percent to 37 percent, depending upon the definition used.

When we recently released information about the magnitude of the charismatic population, the national media reaction was one of disbelief. "Where are all these people?" was a common question from journalists. The simple answer is that charismatics no longer stand out like the odd child in an otherwise normal family. They are now integrated into virtually every dimension of the Christian body in America, attending churches that are known to be charismatic in orientation as well as churches that are not known in that way.

Research shows that at least one in five adults in a wide range of denominations—Baptist, mainline, evangelical and nondenominational churches—claims to be charismatic. A substantial number of Catholic believers—perhaps as many as one-quarter of that group—also consider themselves to be charismatic Christians."

Re: Global Holy Ghost Infillings: Real or Fake?
 

Several questions.

Is the promised outpouring of the Spirit confined to those churches who hold a Oneness Pentecostal theology?

Can we conclude that all "tongues" experiences outside of Oneness Pentecostalism are fake?

What would it do to our theology if we could, somehow, conclude that a large portion of these experiences are real?

Re: Global Holy Ghost Infillings: Real or Fake?
 

No
No
Not a thing... only to make us more aware that God is moving as He promised and we must go and teach all nations baptising them in the Name.. as He instructed.

The Pouring out of the Holy Ghost is God's business, the teaching and baptising is ours.

Re: Global Holy Ghost Infillings: Real or Fake?
 

If these experiences are real....

how long before an unbaptized (in Jesus' Name) person loses the Holy Ghost?

Re: Global Holy Ghost Infillings: Real or Fake?
 

Well said.

Jesus said the Holy Ghost is supposed to lead us into all truth (John 16:13). Therefore we know that having full truth is not necessarily a requirement to receive the Holy Ghost.

Now if they choose to hold onto traditions and false doctrines after receiving the Holy Ghost (and obviously, there are many that do), then that's on them.

Re: Global Holy Ghost Infillings: Real or Fake?
 

I think that's between them and the Giver of the Gift.

Re: Global Holy Ghost Infillings: Real or Fake?
 

What if they are simply uneducated theologically?

What if they are never shown Jesus' Name baptism?

What if they do not have our Oneness understanding of holiness?

Would they lose the Holy Ghost?

Re: Global Holy Ghost Infillings: Real or Fake?
 

This wasn't addressed at me... but permit me to submit my answer.
The gift is given from God... it isn't something we can judge someone having lost. Although that wellspring can become plugged up with dirt in all of us... Oneness Apostolics and those who haven't been shown the way more perfectly alike. Timothy was instructed to stir up the gift that was in him.

Re: Global Holy Ghost Infillings: Real or Fake?
 

Bump
If the new convert chooses not to follow the Spirit into truth then yes , they can backslide...all of the questions above can and would be answered by the Holy Spirit...

Re: Global Holy Ghost Infillings: Real or Fake?
 

Is there a global revival, apart from Oneness Pentecostalism, going on right now?

How can that be?