Apostoic worship??

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I'm just saying that a lot of what you guys tear down used to be part and parcel with regards to Pentecostal beliefs.

Sorry, but I didn't have or still have brothers who believed in some soaking in prayer, soaking in the word, soaking in fasting. Things you had posted to me in times past. You are one soggy dude.

[Amanah]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I really can't say. All I am saying is that I still believe in the core teachings that he taught.

It seems as if you have left your roots and are searching for spiritual experiences in new age practices.

Does your current house church share your beliefs? in what ways does the spirit manifest in your current assembly?

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

You're right. Perhaps I should have said during my time in the UPCI. Times have changed. It seems like fewer people actually seek the ministry so many used to seek. Fewer people seek deliverance from evil spirits, prayer cloths for friends and family, etc. Prayer services are empty, all night prayer vigils for the sick are rare, many Pentecostal churches aren't having the tongues and interpretation they used to have. Things are changing.

Aquia, tell us more about your exorcist prowess?

Also you mention that prayer services are empty? Vigils for the sick are rare? Tongues and interpretations are ceasing? Chris, you need to think, think good and long before you post. Because you are explaining your world view, not ours. You stand on the deck of an ecclesiological sinking ship.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Esaias

This is very interesting:

Aquila, your problems are bigger than you realize.

You do nothing but accuse and twist what people are intending to say. You talk about me as though I never received the baptism of the Holy Ghost or was baptized in the name of Jesus. Salvation shatters every family curse. I've been a Holy Spirit filled Apostolic Pentecostal for over 25 years now.

Perhaps you should have read my entire statement, and then you might understand the crux of our disagreement...

However, once converted, they make very powerful and dynamic Christians because of their extensive familiarity with the spirit world. Often fellow Christians who are just “book worm Christians” will never understand them or their understandings because what they know is learned from experience not the writings or surmising of theologians or commentators.

I think your misunderstanding and desire to tear down, accuse, and slander anything that doesn't agree with you is much bigger than you realize. Did Michael deserve the berating that he received on this thread over the style of music he liked? Some folks around here act like a pack of wild dogs, lying in wait, to bite and tear apart anyone who disagrees.

That's a rather big problem. If one has Jesus, they'll defend the truth. But they don't go around "attacking" people.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Amanah

It seems as if you have left your roots and are searching for spiritual experiences in new age practices.

Does your current house church share your beliefs? in what ways does the spirit manifest in your current assembly?

Sadly, some are blown about by every wind of doctrine, fable to fantasy, then sadly to oblivion.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Aquila, do you have your typical crawfish gymnastics for us?

I've seen a number of people oppressed by spirits who have sought help. And I've been involved in a number of those deliverances. However, there is only one specific instance wherein I can honestly say that I knew for certain that the individual was actually "possessed".

Based on my experience, full blown demonic possession is not as common as demonic oppression.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

You do nothing but accuse and twist what people are intending to say. You talk about me as though I never received the baptism of the Holy Ghost or was baptized in the name of Jesus. Salvation shatters every family curse. I've been a Holy Spirit filled Apostolic Pentecostal for over 25 years now.

Perhaps you should have read my entire statement, and then you might understand the crux of our disagreement...
I think your misunderstanding and desire to tear down, accuse, and slander anything that doesn't agree with you is much bigger than you realize. Did Michael deserve the berating that he received on this thread over the style of music he liked? Some folks around here act like a pack of wild dogs, lying in wait, to bite and tear apart anyone who disagrees.

That's a rather big problem. If one has Jesus, they'll defend the truth. But they don't go around "attacking" people.

Chris, stop holding Mike up as a human shield. You get yourself in trouble, you post things to incite, and make yourself the lighting rod. We then end up losing site of the thread topic and start drowning in your posting gymnastics. Now your a Preterist? You no more believe in Preterism than I believe Sponge Bob Square Pants actually lives on the bottom of the ocean. Esaias doesn't twist your words or anyone else's words. He uses the information he is given and responds back to that information. You are an acrobatic crawfish, you skilled yourself in doing so, therefore the more honest posters no longer want to sit here and give you a pass. We already have Sean drowning us in his vomit, no need to have you top it all off with your month old cream cheese.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I've seen a number of people oppressed by spirits who have sought help. And I've been involved in a number of those deliverances. However, there is only one specific instance wherein I can honestly say that I knew for certain that the individual was actually "possessed".

Based on my experience, full blown demonic possession is not as common as demonic oppression.

Bro, this makes no sense with the previous post? You actually lead readers to believe you been involved personally in exorcisms. No you were only on the sidelines observing from behind the pews? Chris, Esaias pointed out old postings where you said you were only involved in one occasion? Chris, do you see what is happening here?

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Amanah

It seems as if you have left your roots and are searching for spiritual experiences in new age practices.

Does your current house church share your beliefs? in what ways does the spirit manifest in your current assembly?

I've been Pentecostal for over 25 years. I haven't abandoned the core Pentecostal teachings I learned after I came to Christ. I'm not out here "searching" for anything. In fact, I was talking to a friend of mine at work about having a living faith compared to having dead religion. He explained that he was reading about a form of prayer that he had never heard of and how it has blessed him. A couple days later he hands me a book on contemplative prayer. I read through a portion of it (in all honesty, it was rather boring) and I decided to look up more information on Contemplative Prayer independently. That of course led me to articles on soaking prayer, because the two are quite similar. If I had to draw a distinction between the two, "contemplative prayer" (as it's called) is more "Catholic". Soaking prayer is more "Protestant". As I read up on soaking prayer I realized something... we Apostolic Pentecostals have been doing this for generations. We just never called it "soaking prayer". We'd just call it something informal conversationally, such as "waiting on the Lord", or "tarrying in His presence". When I gave the book back to my friend I told him, "I'm Pentecostal. We've been meditating on the truths of Scripture and soaking in prayer for generations. Do they do this in your church?" He said they didn't, it was something he was looking into on his own. I invited him to come to a prayer meeting if he wanted to see and experience how it is done among Pentecostals.

That's all.

The house church we're currently involved in is an open house church. There are different perspectives present and we welcome them in our conversation. But we don't tear one another down if we disagree. We have what some might call an opening prayer before our meal and that is pretty general. After the Lord's Supper we will sing and worship. We clap, raise our hands, speak our praises aloud. Now, it is a house, so we aren't screaming at the top of our lungs or running. But we pray and worship openly and freely. We speak in tongues. Sometimes the gifts of the Spirit might manifest through an interpretation, word of knowledge, or word of wisdom. It's essentially very much like a home Bible study with Spirit filled believers who are seeking more of Jesus and less institutional church.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa

Aquia, tell us more about your exorcist prowess?

Also you mention that prayer services are empty? Vigils for the sick are rare? Tongues and interpretations are ceasing? Chris, you need to think, think good and long before you post. Because you are explaining your world view, not ours. You stand on the deck of an ecclesiological sinking ship.

I'm only sharing what I've seen locally here. If things are different for you in the churches in your area, rejoice.