Actscelerate.com

Public Manifestations of the Spirit

Acts-celerater Posts: 935 **1/6/16 11:08 am**

I have a serious question to which I would like some serious answers.

We have been having discussions in our movement nationally and within our local groups as to what role public manifestations of the Spirit have in our churches today and within that, how those manifestations should take place if at all.

My question is: In your churches, do you have during your main services (Sunday AM, Sat. Eve) do you have people speaking in tongues, interpreting those tongues, Prophetic Utterances, Words of Knowledge. Not concerned with praying for the sick but looking more at Utterances (Oral Gifts).

Second part: If you do have them, how do they manifest and when and how are they received by the congregation.

Third part: Have these manifestations caused the church any problems?

Thanks for your responses. I am doing a survey within our denomination on a similar track.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **1/6/16 11:18 am**

We have several who pray or worship in tongues, but messages in tongues, interpretations, and prophecies are unfortunately quite uncommon in the church where I now pastor. I grew up in AoG and CoG congregations, in which it was usual to hear at least two or three messages in tongues or prophecies in each service, so I find the present lack of them quite troubling. I personally am used in the oral gifts at times, but I find that when I am the pastor and am responsible for the entire service, I rarely feel the Spirit move upon me to prophesy or give a message in tongues. I think I'm too distracted by all the details involved (such as making the announcements, leading the singing, doing the offering, and keeping the sermon/message I've prepared in the forefront of my mind) to be in the proper frame of mind to receive a message in tongues or prophecy during services where I am the pastor.

Thanks

Acts-celerater Posts: 935 **1/6/16 4:16 pm**

looking for some more responses.............

In my church...

Acts Mod Posts: 25305 **1/7/16 12:08 pm**

You can expect glossalia during worship, tongues and interpretation, and a prophetic utterance. I've had visitors tell me that in the full gospel church they attend they don't see them nor are they wanted by the leadership.
_________________
Doctor of Bovinamodulation

Tom,

Acts-celerater Posts: 935 **1/7/16 12:52 pm**

Could you elucidate a bit? Not sure what you mean exactly. Are you referencing they'll all think you crazy or tongues are a sign to the unbeliever etc?

Thanks ,

Acts-celerater Posts: 935 **1/7/16 12:53 pm**

Rough. Your experience is very similar to what I'm finding hence our survey.

Re: Tom,

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **1/7/16 12:54 pm**

No, the part where the women keep silent. Wink

(just kidding)

we do

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1274 **1/7/16 1:52 pm**

...have people speak in tongues(in their worship) and every now and then we have folks speak in tongues(myself included) and it's interpreted.
The latter does not happen all that often but does at times in services where all can feel something amazing taking place in the service. The congregation(no matter who is in attendance) is very reverent and quiet during these times - even the kids.
We did have some folks come to our church for a while who thought they were supposed to speak in tongues all the time and I was supposed to interpret everytime. When the church stopped recognizing them, they left.

Thanks Wayne

Acts-celerater Posts: 935 **1/7/16 2:38 pm**

also (and I know this can be a sensitive subject for some for some reason, so I am not asking for specific numbers) would all of you share the size of your churches if you are willing (under 250, under 500, under 1000, over 1000)? Thanks so much.

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 15570 **1/7/16 2:42 pm**

Last Sunday we had what the ole timer thought was a MANIFESTATION. Come to fine out, somebody had a I-pad on watchin MANNA-FEST on it.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **1/7/16 3:20 pm**

In all seriousness, I know Tom will explain what he means, but in the meantime, I would venture to say he is talking about, in general, the instructions for orderliness and, in specific, the instruction that tongue talkers refrain unless there is an interpretation.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **1/7/16 3:31 pm**

As far as our church, which averages roughly 150 on Sunday morning, we don't have manifestations such as tongues and interpretation, prophecy, etc. very often. Most often would be tongues and interpretation. Usually that happens near the end of a service or at the end of the singing.
The church body is usually quiet and reverent, and I would say this is generally well received, although in the past, a particular person who spoke in tongues more frequently than anyone else was supposedly determined behind the scenes, if you will, to have been out of order.

Bonnie

Acts-celerater Posts: 935 **1/7/16 3:34 pm**

thanks for that but that orderliness scripture doesn't really have a bearing on whether there are manifestations or not unless you use it as an excuse for not allowing manifestations and if that's the case, that's fine but still would like to know if or if not there are manifestations occurring in classical Pentecostal churches. For a variety of reasons, we see most of the churches that experience these manifestations are in the smaller church category and frequently under 100 in attendance. Does allowing manifestations inhibit church growth or do they occur in smaller churches because of a more relaxed setting or better teaching on the subject? These are some of the issues we are trying to address.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **1/7/16 4:21 pm**

I think what the scripture might have a bearing on is whether you have 5 people "praising God in tongues" at one time.

Don't want to hijack my own thread

Acts-celerater Posts: 935 **1/7/16 4:34 pm**

but that is more of a theological interpretation of the COG. The AG and most if not all of the charismatic mvmt believes tongues given at the Baptism may be a "prayer language" and do NOT have to be interpreted. We distinguish that from the Gift of Tongues which must be interpreted. Some still "sing in the Spirit" without interpretation as well.

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **1/7/16 5:19 pm**

I encourage the private use much more than the public use of the gifts.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **1/7/16 5:48 pm**

The church I pastor averages 60 weekly attendees.

Re: Tom

Acts-celerater Posts: 935 **1/7/16 6:05 pm**

Not sure I'm reading well, but I will listen to your sermon asap. As to point about prayer for healing, I was assuming most do that in most services. If not, that would indeed be tragic. The point of the survey is merely to discover what percentages of our classical pentecostal churches still are experiencing the oral gifts during primary services. Has nothing at all to do with depth of experience individuals may or not have with the Spirit. More a question of expecting, allowing for and experiencing the gifts of the Spirit. Whether you like our traditional methods or not is not relevant, except that one could interpret that to mean you discourage these things in your church. That's fine. I'm more interested in if. Why or why not is important to but part of what we will discuss once we better understand where we actually are. Thanks for the input.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **1/7/16 6:46 pm**

Re: Tom

Acts-celerater Posts: 935 **1/7/16 6:47 pm**

Duplicate sorry. Will give an answer to your comments later, probably tomorrow, have a meeting now.