I'm not quite as far removed as Timmy and michlow. However, I'm not a christian. I've doubted everything and still doubt most everything.
I was baptized and spoke in tongues. I didn't feel much when I was baptized. Maybe relief. Maybe a little bit of feeling like I did something right and good. Baptism is not about feelings though.
As far as speaking in tongues, it was not repeated gibberish. My feelings at the time of speaking in tongues also confirms that it was not repeated gibberish. However, I doubt the legitimacy of any of my tongues experiences and since mine are just like everyone elses then I doubt theirs also. This does not mean I think they just repeat gibberish... One of the biggest confirmations for me that my tongues weren't legit is that to this day I feel that I could speak in them if I just closed my eyes, tightened up on the inside and let that tightness go up my throat and then began to speak. Heck, even the emotions that accompanied them somewhat return when I go through these motions and I'm not even a Christian.
Jfrog, my first experience with tongues was completely involuntary tongues. I have absolutely no doubt about their legitimacy. Tongues after that initial experience have been a mixture of voluntary and involuntary. I can understand your ddoubt because we can repeat these tongue experiences at will, but there are at least 3 occasions when tongues were completely involuntary and undeniable to me personally. I think you should seek a truly undeniable experience, but it takes being sold out to have it.
Jfrog, my first experience with tongues was completely involuntary tongues. I have absolutely no doubt about their legitimacy. Tongues after that initial experience have been a mixture of voluntary and involuntary. I can understand your ddoubt because we can repeat these tongue experiences at will, but there are at least 3 occasions when tongues were completely involuntary and undeniable to me personally. I think you should seek a truly undeniable experience, but it takes being sold out to have it.
I've heard of cases where the person couldn't stop speaking in tongues when they tried, and couldn't speak English when they tried. Was your experience like this?
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
I've heard of cases where the person couldn't stop speaking in tongues when they tried, and couldn't speak English when they tried. Was your experience like this?
no, my involuntary tongues only lasted a few minutes but it was just like a gush of water flowing from my spirit.
Timmy, I don't really understand your theory, my reading comprehension is not too good, unless the writing is clear. Are you saying that if there is doubt then it is not of God? And that epiphanies can be a natural occurrence of the mind? can u explain better?
Timmy, I don't really understand your theory, my reading comprehension is not too good, unless the writing is clear. Are you saying that if there is doubt then it is not of God? And that epiphanies can be a natural occurrence of the mind? can u explain better?
Sure, no problem. But later, when I have more time.
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Timmy, I don't really understand your theory, my reading comprehension is not too good, unless the writing is clear. Are you saying that if there is doubt then it is not of God?
No.
Quote:
And that epiphanies can be a natural occurrence of the mind?
Yes.
Quote:
can u explain better?
Probably. But now, TTYL.
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Michlow, I don't doubt your experience since God said to continue to seek him. I have a great book to recommend. It's free online. It's called "Release of The Spirit" by Watchman Nee. He basically talks about the inner man and the outer man. He says our inner man is our spirit and our outer man is our soul life made up of mind, emotion and will. He says that God leads us through experiences in order to break our outer man and let our inner spirit flow to heal and minister. It is an interesting book and where I am in God right now.
http://www.lsm.org/ - home page, click "online publications", then "collected works of watchman nee" then book #54 the breaking of the outerman and release of the spirit. You have to skip over to chapter 10 in the left column of the screen to see the beginning of the book.
Jfrog, my first experience with tongues was completely involuntary tongues. I have absolutely no doubt about their legitimacy. Tongues after that initial experience have been a mixture of voluntary and involuntary. I can understand your ddoubt because we can repeat these tongue experiences at will, but there are at least 3 occasions when tongues were completely involuntary and undeniable to me personally. I think you should seek a truly undeniable experience, but it takes being sold out to have it.
DM, I spoke in tongues at some point almost everyday for the first year or two that I was in church. I was in 8th or 9th grade at a public school. I remember having a shop class. My teacher often let me stay in the classroom and pray while everyone else went to the shop. In math class (actually in most of my classes) I would finish my work as quickly as possible so that I could have extra time to pray or read the bible. At lunch time I would often walk back and forth down the hall silently praying to God while everyone else talked and cussed and all that. I know what it means to be sold out to God. I also know what its like to have people compliment me over how I worshipped God during church. That's not to say I didn't have my own personal shortcomings. However, I did not have any experience with tongues during all that time that I can look back on without doubt. If I was going to have an undeniable experience then it would have happened during that time.
TTYL. 
Hybrid Mode
