Question about tongues

[AmazingGrace]

Originally Posted by MikeinAR

I'm an Assembly of God member and I'm sad to say this is becoming very common in our churches. Some offer "courses" on speaking in tongues while others will have an instructor "teach" you how to speak in tongues.

Thank God for the true, Baptism of the Holy Ghost with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues, that doesn't require any coaxing, instructing, or learning.

I went to an assembly of God school and this too was the case there. They did however hold a stronger standard of dress than any upc church I had ever been in in my entire life! But when they tried to Teach how to speak in tongues one night... me being the little smart mouthed kid I was... I just said ... yall dont have to do that come to our church and get the real thing! LOL I got in much trouble at school but it did pay off in later years as about 2 yrs later I actually had some ask me about that comment and come to our church and received the holy ghost!

[TRFrance]

Originally Posted by MikeinAR

I'm an Assembly of God member and I'm sad to say this is becoming very common in our churches. Some offer "courses" on speaking in tongues while others will have an instructor "teach" you how to speak in tongues.

Thank God for the true, Baptism of the Holy Ghost with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues, that doesn't require any coaxing, instructing, or learning.

Wow. Made me almost cringe to read that.
Very sad.

From what I've heard and read, the AG has really been on a downward slide the past several decades.

According to their own statistics, only about 20% of their new converts are receiving the Holy Ghost now. (That number still shocks me every time I think about it.)

The AG's Assistant General Superintendent, Charles Crabtree, is on record as saying "If we continue this trend, we will have a very small percentage of Pentecostals in the Assemblies of God."

[MikeinAR]

Charles Crabtree, unlike so many others in the AG today, gets it. He ministerd under the annointing of the Holy Ghost at our General Council last summer and had a message from God. He was very straight and direct about the direction our fellowship needed to take. The only thing that will "fix" us is a) preaching and identifying sin, b)repentance, c) an emphasis on the necessity of Baptism in the Holy Ghost with the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues, d) discipleship of new converts

It's my opinion that many in the AG have decided they can have church without the person of the Holy Ghost and everything be ok. They've calmed the gifts of the spirit down as to be "seeker friendly" and the fire has gone out.

Without a change, the AG will be the same as the Methodist church when it comes to loosing the true power of the spirit of God.

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by MikeinAR

Charles Crabtree, unlike so many others in the AG today, gets it. He ministerd under the annointing of the Holy Ghost at our General Council last summer and had a message from God. He was very straight and direct about the direction our fellowship needed to take. The only thing that will "fix" us is a) preaching and identifying sin, b)repentance, c) an emphasis on the necessity of Baptism in the Holy Ghost with the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues, d) discipleship of new converts

It's my opinion that many in the AG have decided they can have church without the person of the Holy Ghost and everything be ok. They've calmed the gifts of the spirit down as to be "seeker friendly" and the fire has gone out.

Without a change, the AG will be the same as the Methodist church when it comes to loosing the true power of the spirit of God.

I heard Charles Crabtree preach just a few years back at a conference for preachers in Maine. He's a great preacher!

I also heard Bro. Trask preach at the same conference and he was lamenting the fact that the numbers of people receiving the baptism of the Spirit has dwindled in the past few decades and preached the need for this baptism of power accompanied by the initial sign of speaking in tongues.

You usually get what you preach! Preach the essentiality and the reasons for the need for the baptism of the Holy Ghost in a positive way and people will begin to reach out and receive!

If the preachers don't see the need and don't preach it, then it should be no surprise people aren't receiving.

My 2 cents.

[ForeverBlessed]

Originally Posted by Felicity

I heard Charles Crabtree preach just a few years back at a conference for preachers in Maine. He's a great preacher!

I also heard Bro. Trask preach at the same conference and he was lamenting the fact that the numbers of people receiving the baptism of the Spirit has dwindled in the past few decades and preached the need for this baptism of power accompanied by the initial sign of speaking in tongues.

You usually get what you preach! Preach the essentiality and the reasons for the need for the baptism of the Holy Ghost in a positive way and people will begin to reach out and receive!

If the preachers don't see the need and don't preach it, then it should be no surprise people aren't receiving.
My 2 cents.

Absolutely... and that is what scares me about those that choose to preach that it isn't essential today...

I personally don't want to put anyone in hell for not speaking in tongues.. However, my question to anyone would be "why not" why not receive all there is to receive from God. The baptism of the Spirit is needed to overcome in this walk.. those who choose not to seek for it will lack the power they need.

[TRFrance]

Originally Posted by MikeinAR

Without a change, the AG will be the same as the Methodist church when it comes to loosing the true power of the spirit of God.

What would cause such a change though? The change must begin at the top. What's Crabtree, Trask and company doing to change things?

Originally Posted by MikeinAR

Charles Crabtree, unlike so many others in the AG today, gets it. He ministerd under the annointing of the Holy Ghost at our General Council last summer and had a message from God. He was very straight and direct about the direction our fellowship needed to take. The only thing that will "fix" us is a) preaching and identifying sin, b)repentance, c) an emphasis on the necessity of Baptism in the Holy Ghost with the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues, d) discipleship of new converts

While they're at it they would do well to start teaching baptism in Jesus name too, just like the first century apostles practiced and taught.

Too many AG preachers have fought/resisted Jesus-name baptism for decades (even though they see it in scripture), because they associate Jesus-name baptism with the Oneness movement!
Absurd, to say the least.

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by ForeverBlessed

Absolutely... and that is what scares me about those that choose to preach that it isn't essential today...

I personally don't want to put anyone in hell for not speaking in tongues.. However, my question to anyone would be "why not" why not receive all there is to receive from God. The baptism of the Spirit is needed to overcome in this walk.. those who choose not to seek for it will lack the power they need.

Absolutely.

Except we've got lots of people who've supposedly received the baptism of the Holy Ghost who are powerless and live pretty carnal spiritually unproductive lives, but that's not God's fault of course.

There are so many people who as soon as they talk in tongues figure they now have a ticket to heaven so just sit back, become pew warmers and don't really seem to understand what the purpose of the Holy Ghost in our lives is really all about. Something's wrong with that picture.

[ForeverBlessed]

Originally Posted by Felicity

Absolutely.

Except we've got lots of people who've supposedly received the baptism of the Holy Ghost who are powerless and live pretty carnal spiritually unproductive lives, but that's not God's fault of course.

There are so many people who as soon as they talk in tongues figure they now have a ticket to heaven so just sit back, become pew warmers and don't really seem to understand what the purpose of the Holy Ghost in our lives is really all about. Something's wrong with that picture.

true, they've taken it all for granted and it is sad. They are lacking the Word of God being taught..or they choose not to hear it. There has to be a progression of dying daily and walking in the Spirit.

[MikeinAR]

Originally Posted by Felicity

Absolutely.

Except we've got lots of people who've supposedly received the baptism of the Holy Ghost who are powerless and live pretty carnal spiritually unproductive lives, but that's not God's fault of course.

There are so many people who as soon as they talk in tongues figure they now have a ticket to heaven so just sit back, become pew warmers and don't really seem to understand what the purpose of the Holy Ghost in our lives is really all about. Something's wrong with that picture.

How true. I'm sure my wife and a lot of my friends get tired of hearing it, but there is a purpose to pentecost that isn't being stressed in a lot of our churches. Preachers have to stress that while shouting, running the aisles, dancing and celebrating in the presence of God is all wonderful, that's not the "purpose" of Pentecostal power. It's easier to judge true Pentecostal power outside of the walls of your local church than it is on a Sunday night. The purpose of being endued with power is to witness Christ to a lost world. True pentecostal power will bear fruit in a lost world.

I love the goosebumps and all the rest, but that's just the beginning, not the end of the road.

[Scott Hutchinson]

I understand some primitive languages have strange sounds that are actual parts of their language.
So when God baptizes someone in The Holy Ghost,who knows what language they will speak,as the Spirit gives them the utterance.