Teaching To Speak In Tongues

[Rico]

The Holy Ghost is not someone we get. He is someone we receive.

[Sherri]

Originally Posted by Rico

The Holy Ghost is not someone we get. He is someone we receive.

'Splain the difference, please.

[Cindy]

I don't understand why people think they need to SEEK a gift. That's like asking people to give you presents. It's kind of tacky.

[Joie]

Originally Posted by cneasttx

I don't understand why people think they need to SEEK a gift. That's like asking people to give you presents. It's kind of tacky.

That's good! Bless you, Sis Cindy!

[Cindy]

Originally Posted by Joie

That's good! Bless you, Sis Cindy!

Thank you my sweet friend.

[Sherri]

Originally Posted by cneasttx

I don't understand why people think they need to SEEK a gift. That's like asking people to give you presents. It's kind of tacky.

In my church, we were taught to "tarry" for the Holy Ghost. I don't remember anyone receiving it easily, other than kids at youth camp. My aunt and uncle prayed for 18 years, I prayed for 7, and others somewhere in that range. I don't know why it was made to be so hard, but I get the feeling that if we had received it easily, they might have thought it wasn't the real thing. LOL!

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by Sherri

In my church, we were taught to "tarry" for the Holy Ghost. I don't remember anyone receiving it easily, other than kids at youth camp. My aunt and uncle prayed for 18 years, I prayed for 7, and others somewhere in that range. I don't know why it was made to be so hard, but I get the feeling that if we had received it easily, they might have thought it wasn't the real thing. LOL!

In all fairness, this is almost a thing of the past in the UPC as well.

[Sam]

How did people receive the HGB (Holy Ghost Baptism) in the Book of Acts?

Example no. 1,
Sunday May 30, A.D. 30 in Jerusalem,
about 120 of the 500 members of the infant church (1 Cor. 15:6), were in the temple praising and blessing God (Luke 24:53). "Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting ... and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts 2:1-4

Example no. 2,
winter AD 31/32 in Samaria
"Then laid they their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost." Acts 8:5-18

Example no. 3.
soon after example no. 2, in the desert, possibly at Wadi el-Hesi north of Gaza
"...they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch and he baptized him. and when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord fell upon the eunuch..." Acts 8:26-40

Example no. 4
Jan 28, AD 32 (3 days after Saul's conversion) in Damascus
Ananias, a devout law-keeping Jewish believer went in put his hands on Saul and and told him, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus that appeared unto thee... hat sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost." Acts 9:1-20

Example no. 5
AD 38 in Caesarea, 60 miles NW of Jerusalem
The Apostle Peter was preaching to a Roman Centurian named Cornelius plus some others who had gathered in the house, and "while Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the Word" Acts 10:34-48

Example no. 6
October AD 58 in Ephesus
Paul found about half a dozen Baptists who had not received the Holy Ghost Baptism. He preached Jesus, baptized them in Jesus' name and "when Paul his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them: and they spake with tongues and prophesied." Acts 19:1-7

That's all the examples I can think of right now where it speaks of people receiving what we Apostolic/Pentecostal/Charismatics call the Holy Ghost Baptism or the release of the Spirit. You may think of other examples like in Acts 13 on Paul's first missionary journey where it says that "the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 13:52) but doesn't give any description of how and when it happened.

So, the Holy Spirit filled or came upon, or fell upon people as:
they were worshiping and praising God;
they heard the Word;
he came up out of the water;
hands were laid upon them.

Notice: no word about grabbing and shaking, rubbing, shaking their chins, putting their hands into their mouths, spitting on them, or people hollering themselves hoarse. And notice also that some times it said they spoke with tongues and/or prophesied and some times tongues/prophecy are not mentioned (we all can, and do, read into that whatever we want)

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Sherri

In my church, we were taught to "tarry" for the Holy Ghost. I don't remember anyone receiving it easily, other than kids at youth camp. My aunt and uncle prayed for 18 years, I prayed for 7, and others somewhere in that range. I don't know why it was made to be so hard, but I get the feeling that if we had received it easily, they might have thought it wasn't the real thing. LOL!

No one was ever told to "tarry" (wait) for the HGB but those who were with Jesus in Acts chapter one just before He ascended. And they had to wait/tarry for 10 days until the feast day of Pentecost or Shav u 'ot before the promise of the Father was poured out by the Son of God.

[Sherri]

Originally Posted by Stephen Hoover

In all fairness, this is almost a thing of the past in the UPC as well.

I'm really glad to hear this. I think we were given a lot of false teaching. I'm not talking about UPC as a whole, just where I grew up in my little church.