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.
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
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.
jfrog, I didn't mean to belittle your experience. I just hope you don't give up on faith in God. Love you Bro.
I didn't take it that you were. I understand the need to question others experiences so I felt I should elaborate some on my experiences. Though I'm sure if you or anyone wanted to they could find fault with my experiences and claim that the problem was me all along. (I don't think you are trying to do that though).
I do believe in God but maybe I should call him the unknown God, for I know nothing about him.
Let's see. I attended a UPC church for a few months when I was 18, and was baptized. I went back about 6 years later, and finished the rest of the steps (I was later baptized a second time as well). I attend 3 different apostolic churches in 2 different states over the next 8 years. During the first half of that, I was quite conservative, I followed all the standards, didn't watch TV or movies. At one time I even believed in holy magic hair!
I'm a bookworm. So when I decided to become apostolic, I read all the literature I could get my hands on by apostolic writers, listened to thousands of sermons live and on tape, and read the bible through hundreds of times. I tithed, I taught Bible Studies, and I thought anyone who didn't follow the 3-steps was hellbound.
So I think you can safely say that I was pretty apostolic. If FCF & NFCF were still around you would be able to find posts where I argued FOR The things I now argue against. (Though I admit that I'm glad those things are gone, as I wouldn't want to read it!)
I admittedly had very bad experiences in a spiritually abusive church under a very controlling Pastor, which had a big impact on my spiritual outlook.
I came to the conclusion that standards were not salvational several years before I left. In fact, I continued to keep attending an apostolic church until God told me to leave. (I accept that 90% of the people reading this, would never believe that it was God).
Oh, as for speaking in tongues, I spoke in tongues after I received the Holy Ghost (several months after...but that's for a different conversation). And I in fact still do occasionally speak in tongues.
Ok, you just totally fried my brain. I'm just reading through this and maybe someone will ask, but.....wow. Knowing what I know about you.......well, you fried my brain.
Ok, I finished reading and I can't really say I understand, but I hear what you're saying. It's been many years since my last "tongues" and I can completely say that any "tongues" I ever experienced was strictly what I learned to do. I don't have any fond memories of anything that has to do with tongues, unfortunately.
Ok, you just totally fried my brain. I'm just reading through this and maybe someone will ask, but.....wow. Knowing what I know about you.......well, you fried my brain.
Can you explain?
Why did that "fry your brain"?
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His banner over me is LOVE.... My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
To be a servant of God, it will cost us our total commitment to God, and God alone. His burden must be our burden... Sis Alvear
That she's basically agnostic, or there-a-bouts, and still speaks in tongues. Of course, there are many religion forms that "speak in tongues" but she's not in any of them, to my knowledge.
My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. 
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