Allowing children to seek the Holy Ghost?

[Sherri]

We just had 43 little kids receive the Holy Ghost at our kid's camp for our church campuses. These kids were all ages 6-11, and they spoke in tongues, and were gloriously baptized in His Spirit. What in the world could be wrong with teaching kids about the Holy Ghost and encouraging them to receive it? Our kids are taught to pray in the Spirit daily, and it becomes a natural part of their life - not some weird one time experience at an altar.

We left UPC 20 years ago, but I don't ever want to walk away from the Holy Ghost experience.

[deltaguitar]

Originally Posted by Sherri

We just had 43 little kids receive the Holy Ghost at our kid's camp for our church campuses. These kids were all ages 6-11, and they spoke in tongues, and were gloriously baptized in His Spirit. What in the world could be wrong with teaching kids about the Holy Ghost and encouraging them to receive it? Our kids are taught to pray in the Spirit daily, and it becomes a natural part of their life - not some weird one time experience at an altar.

We left UPC 20 years ago, but I don't ever want to walk away from the Holy Ghost experience.

Well, I am not saying it was all bad. I do remember some good times praying and seeking God. I still pray and seek God, just in a different way now.

I would rather kids be in a church like yours that shows them grace and love and I know God works in all groups of people so I am not trying to put down the work of anyone else. Sherri, I also think that you guys don't teach that you will go to Hell if you haven't been baptized with the Holy Ghost. That makes it so much harder on a child and can be very traumatic when you can't receive the spirit.

[NorCal]

Originally Posted by deltaguitar

Well, I am not saying it was all bad. I do remember some good times praying and seeking God. I still pray and seek God, just in a different way now.

I would rather kids be in a church like yours that shows them grace and love and I know God works in all groups of people so I am not trying to put down the work of anyone else. Sherri, I also think that you guys don't teach that you will go to Hell if you haven't been baptized with the Holy Ghost. That makes it so much harder on a child and can be very traumatic when you can't receive the spirit.

Hmm, I had an uncle that thought just like you. Had never received the Holy Ghost with evidence in speaking in tongues. He sought it for years.

He only got it when he truly became humble in repentance. Not seeking after "The Gift", but in total humiliation, submitted himself to God.

You (and by that I do not mean specifically you) can be seeking salvation out of fear of not being saved, but that is not the state that Christ will enter. He seeks those that are truly humbling themselves in repentance that he will come in.

I think that is what ever one is trying to say (just beating around the bush).

Repent. Baptize. Receive. A lot of people truly have issues with the first!

[deltaguitar]

Originally Posted by NorCal

Hmm, I had an uncle that thought just like you. Had never received the Holy Ghost with evidence in speaking in tongues. He sought it for years.

He only got it when he truly became humble in repentance. Not seeking after "The Gift", but in total humiliation, submitted himself to God.

You (and by that I do not mean specifically you) can be seeking salvation out of fear of not being saved, but that is not the state that Christ will enter. He seeks those that are truly humbling themselves in repentance that he will come in.

I think that is what ever one is trying to say (just beating around the bush).

Repent. Baptize. Receive. A lot of people truly have issues with the first!

Well, I will absolutely agree that I wasn't saved because I never did truly repent and have faith in christ. When God did finally save me I didn't speak in tongues though.

I am remembering back. Friends of mine would get drunk in the spirit and speak in tongues for hours and all that. Guess what, I have no idea or proof that it was God because they never changed. Their hearts were hard and as soon as they stopped speaking in tongues they were the same old people they had always been. To this day they can go down to an altar, pray through, and speak in tongues and be back out doing all their sinning and nothing ever changes.

So are you telling me that these people are truly repentant? It just doesn't line up. Why would God fill somebody that he knew would turn their back on him the minute they got away from the altar?

Don't get me wrong. I wanted the Holy Ghost more than anybody you know. I wanted that feeling and I got real close and it always left me unsatisfied. Sure, I don't think I ever spoke in tongues but everybody around me thought I did. But I could hear myself. I know what it sounds like.

[deafdriscoll]

fear and the gifts from God never mix.god moves fear away from his precence.
satan is the one who places fear in you to confuse you.
i attend the pentecost church of God and have never been forsed to receive anything. before I started to attend that church in the past the were old time pentecost also. However, god matured the church to grow up.
All gifts from God to you are good and he gives them out when you are ready.

[Pragmatist]

I was never individually coerced to get the Holy Ghost but I do believe the UPC culture is coercive in that regard. I was 10 when I first spoke in tongues, it was my choice to seek it, but it was for all the wrong reasons. I did not want my children to feel the same way and that was a motivating factor in my leaving the UPC.

[trialedbyfire]

Originally Posted by Hoovie

Interesting ladyrev.

As asidenote perhaps I'll start a new thread. I know Catholics and Lutherans and some other churches embrace alcohol consumption more than most Pentecostals... I am curious whether there are more or less alcoholics in each church. I have no real hard evidence, but I tend to think churches who preach against alcohol may have a greater propensity to crawl inside the bottle when members do indulge. I think this is true on a greater societal level too.

Coming here makes me feel as though I must be insane.

Is this really worth a thread? Seriously? Have we really gotten to a point where we believe there are possibly more oneness pentecostals and holiness folks drinking then catholics and lutherans? When I was in the world I don't remember any Apostolics smoking weed with us and drinking, and fornicating, most of my friends were catholics, baptists, African Methodist Episcopal, or non-religious and didn't really know what they were. When I left the world, I left alcohol, drugs, fornication, etc. Maybe I'm the only one who did that?

Lord...

[Sherri]

Originally Posted by deltaguitar

Well, I am not saying it was all bad. I do remember some good times praying and seeking God. I still pray and seek God, just in a different way now.

I would rather kids be in a church like yours that shows them grace and love and I know God works in all groups of people so I am not trying to put down the work of anyone else. Sherri, I also think that you guys don't teach that you will go to Hell if you haven't been baptized with the Holy Ghost. That makes it so much harder on a child and can be very traumatic when you can't receive the spirit.

You're right - we teach that it's a precious gift for everyone. It can be presented in a wrong light, and that's how it was presented to me as a kid. I sought for the Holy Ghost for seven years, and was terrified every night, because I had not spoken in tongues and was afraid I would go to hell. That is NOT healthy. We don't believe that it's a requirement for heaven to speak in tongues, but we do believe that when you are baptized in the Holy Ghost, you WILL speak in tongues.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by deltaguitar

Do I really sound that bad? Are my questions not legitimate? I am not bashing or hating. I am just wondering if there are any who feel the need to protect their children from this type of environment.

You didn't just ask a question, if you even asked one, you made and have made statements. Yes dude, we get it. You are glad you left the UPC. Hello? You sound like a broken record

[kclee4jc]

Originally Posted by deltaguitar

Ok, well maybe I am just so far from apostolics/UPC folks anymore that I can't really relate.

I have heard this all before, "when it is taught properly". They used to have altar worker practice and class. I agree that some churches make it less painful.

I will never forget when my mother told me about these crazy ppl who spoke in tongues and fell on the floor. I coudln't have been more than 9 or 10 but it got my attention. I was a kid that loved God. When i was 13 i was filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues. My mom had fallen into the trap of the new age/ occult movement and i had just fallen deeper in love with God. I had never been to a Pentecostal church of any kind and had never heard anyone speak in tongues (unless maybe on television). Mark 16:17-8 was the scripture that really dealt with me as a child. I was walking my dog one evening and had gotten so hungry for God and to speak in tongues. So i asked him...if it's real i want it. God filled me with the Holy Ghost in an awesome way and i was changed from that point on. It took me quite a long time to realize that tongues was the enitial evidence of the Holy Ghost...not through anyone else's teaching, just the Word of God. And quite a longer time for me to work up the nerve to tell anyone i had spoken in tongues. Delta, I pray that your children are filled with the Holy Ghost. God is not limited to the Pentecostal church and if they will open themselved to the Word of God they may very well be filled with the Holy Ghost and speak with tongues without anyone but Jesus telling them they need it. The case was with my situation, what my mother was trying so hard to keep me from was exactly what God led me to. God is faithful!