Christians answer this sincere please.?

Question

Ok I'm a devout none denominational Christian.
I attend a Pentecostal church even though I'm not a peni
now I have 2 questions

1. why is it every sunday there is crying and weeping from most of the congregation? and then when church is over and the music stops, everyone just goes on like nothing happened.
(the crying stops and everything, almost like a on/off switch)
It makes me question, are they just being emotional? or did they really have a Divine moment? keep in mind it's the same thing week after week month after month, so it makes me question the authenticity of this church

2. why is it when they speak in tongues it's always the exact same sounds and sylibles?
Shaa's, Rrrraaaa's, Laaa's, Be-lala-see-lala-see.
If it's supposed to be a heavenly language, why would you keep saying the exact same thing week after week. I mean the EXACT same thing. and to turn it on and off like a switch.

Serious answers only please

Answer 1

Our pastor is giving a series he has entitled, "Grace Robbers," and these are exactly addressed by him. I would STRONGLY recommend you listen to his sermons (parts 1-3 are available online.. part 4 ... the last part.. will be this coming Sunday). You will be very enlightened. (See link below)



The next recommendation would be to find another church that does NOT do these things. You will understand why when you listen to Pastor Levi's sermons. He's a wonderful speaker!



The weeping and such, they feel, is the "moving" of the Holy Spirit within them. They feel that they are not truly worshiping unless they are doing so. This is totally untrue and unBiblical.



The Speaking in Tongues is a mixed thing. While there IS TRULY a gift of Speaking in Tongues, there are 2 other "qualifications" that go along WITH it...



1. the Tongues are ACTUAL EXISTING LANGUAGES, that are recognizable as such. You would hear it and say, "Oh, she's speaking Russian, I think," or, "That sounds like Chinese!" The First Pentecost had the Disciples speaking in tongues, but there were others in the crowd who remarked on it... "What is it with these men? They are Judean but they are speaking in MY NATIVE LANGUAGE as if they were native speakers! How can this be that I can understand them in my OWN language?" (that's roughly what they said)



2. Along these lines, when someone speaks in tongues, there WILL ALWAYS be someone else RIGHT THERE to actually UNDERSTAND and translate what is being said. "God is not a god of CONFUSION, but of peace." God uses Speaking in Tongues as a tool to spread His gospel, and it praises and glorifies God.



These people who speak in tongues think that this is some sort of "heavenly" tongue and, again, it is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, and that you are not a "true Christian" if you do not speak in tongues... that you have not been baptized by the Holy Spirit.



This is utter nonsense and totally UNBIBLICAL. Again, what our pastor is teaching us is exactly this topic. So please... LISTEN to his sermons, and FIND ANOTHER CHURCH!





MARANATHA! Come, Lord Jesus, COME!

Answer 2

1. This question can not really be answered unless we actually attended your church to try and discern what is going on there. Perhaps your perception of what is happening could be incorrect? The other thing is that when church service is over most people naturally associate that as it is time to stop this and then go do something else. So it could be just a psychological shift to the change of events. Crying and such is just our emotional response to a stimulus. If that stimulus is no longer there or if our emotional response energy level is drained we will stop. The stimulus here is whatever is happening in your church.



2. Again, this is not something we can judge here. As far as someone above mentioned that the gift of tongues is not in the Catholic church is not true. It is true that it is not as visible as some other churches. But there are people in the church with that gift. As part of the charismatic movement in the Catholic church at one time I regularly experienced people with the gift of tongues in the Catholic church. If you are interested in this take a look at this video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-QDOcDGDWA ). There are some people within the Catholic church who do not like the charismatic movement but there are many who support it including pope John Paul II as does the current pope Ratzinger. These are gifts from the Holy Spirit called charisms. These gifts are a sign to the unbeliever and are useful for building up the church.



There are 2 kinds of tongues in the bible (although some say there is only 1 kind and interpret the scriptures differently). But there are 2 kinds that I see in practice. The first kind is for personal use and is for edifying oneself. The second kind is for public use and this is the kind the apostles had when at Pentecost. The bible says they spoke in foreign languages so that people from foreign lands could understand them. In order for this to work someone needs to either understand the language or have the gift of interpretation. There are examples of this in some Catholic churches where they regularly speak in tongues, even during the mass, and have used the gift of interpretation. There are documented cases of the second kind there. Anyone can speak nonsense, says the unbeliever, so the first kind is not really a sign for the unbeliever. But the second kind is where it can not be explained how someone can speak in a foreign language with no training such that the other person receives a prophetic message.



But the greater gifts of the Holy Spirit are Love, Joy, Peace, etc. The gift of tongues does not make someone any better than anyone else and does not make that person somehow more knowledgeable about the faith or any less prone to the flesh. It is simply a gift that can be used and if used for God's glory is beneficial. One of the criticisms of the charismatics by some was they did not have a good understanding of the faith. And sometimes they could appear to be prideful instead of humble. (Although I never experienced this). So charismatics need both the spiritual and maturity in their faith as do we all.



"So, (my) brothers, strive eagerly to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues." (1 Cor 14:39)

Answer 3

They have done studies on 'speaking in tongues', and they discovered that more often then not the person is merely repeating bits and pieces of different languages that they picked up from cinema and other forms of media that they don't normally remember. They get so wrapped up in the idea that they could have a 'Divine moment' that they force things they had long 'forgotten' to the forefront and make it happen.



That isn't to say that speaking in actual tongues doesn't occur and that everyone that does it isn't having a 'Divine moment' (I like that term, by the way. I'ma steal it kthx). It's just a 'more often then not'. And, when they didn't do that the scientists either couldn't figure out what happened or their brain waves went off the charts. Pretty interesting actually.



People in large groups emulate the people around them on average. It's not that they are necessarily 'faking' it (Even though, many of them are just rotely repeating and doing what they are told is right), but it's that they are able to let loose their joy because the group aspect makes it safe. Once the group aspect has left and they are all going home it's no longer 'safe' to be so boisterous.

Answer 4

Very good question. I'll not attempt to deal with whether today's "tongues" are real or not, but with the larger matter of why it seems to "turn off" at the door. Harvard theologian Harvey Cox has a great book out on the Pentecostals called "Fire From Heaven." I lost my copy (a Pentecostal stole it from me), but Cox suggests that the Pentecostal movement boils down to three basic needs, "Primal Language, Primal Spirituality and Primal Hope." In the flurry of the church service, those three needs are met, and if they are not met the Pentecostal feels that "church" hasn't really occurred.



Cox suggests that "Pentecostal theology" is an oxymoron. It isn't about theology, it is about feeling,and he makes a strong connection between the simultaneous growth of Pentecostalism and Jazz music.



The movement is and should be fodder for sociologists. The extreme mindless emotion of a Beatles concert and a Pentecostal worship service is a lot alike. It seems as though something is touching a part of the human psyche in both cases that had not been titillated prior to the experience. Religious "affections" are not new to Christianity. Paul seemed to be dealing with the problems caused by the "ecstatics" in 1 Corinthians. Jonathan Edwards wrote a treatise on "Religious Affections" in the aftermath of the Great Awakening.



When the rock concert is over, the lighters are extinguished and the faithful go home until next time. Many find little interest in studying the Bible and express a stern disapproval to systematic theology and context. They raise their hands in worship, but deny that they are doing it for show.



They suffer from a great ignorance of historic theology, but many also suffer this in non-pentecostal churches, so we can hardly fault them for that! They are willfully ignorant of many things, but do a lot of good in other ways -- they are zealous to win others to Christ, give unsparingly to world missions and are claiming almost a billion adherents. It is doubtful any other Protestant system could be as effective as the Pentecostals have been in Latin America and many other parts of the world.



It goes to show that God can make use of Christians even when they are goofy. In fact, He has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise ... I like the Pentecostals, and pray that they will not rant too much heresy in their ecstasy (at least no more than the rest of us commonly do).

Answer 5

Question One.



Take a quick look throughout the Old Testament and you'll see many men of God that expressed themselves and their praise through weeping, shouting, singing, and sometimes dancing. Just because someone gets excited this does not mean they are not in tune with God's will. Jesus, when praying to the Father, was even said to have wept and cried aloud. Sometimes, I even cry when I am praying to God because those are the emotions, and emotions aren't always bad, that I feel when talking to God. Sometimes, just an overwhelming sense of comfort and love come over you that the tears flow and you do not know where from.



Question Two.



This too is something I have struggled with, and am reading up on in the Bible. I have attended a Pentecostal church my entire life and have seen many people speak in tongues, but this is something that I struggle with even today. The best thing for both of us to do is read the Bible and see what happened here, and why.

Answer 6

It is a bit of both on this type of thing that you asked about in both questions.



1) Expressing one's self to God emotionally however is not prohibited, nor should it be.



2) Glossolalia was both understood, and not understood. In the upper room as mentioned in Acts, it was understood by those attending during Shavuot.



However in Corinth, we read where it was not always understood, or it was only understood with an interpreter, so it was allowed but regulated in the Corinthian church.



Then, there are those who give in to peer pressure, and think they have to speak in tongues, and make something up. That is not true glossolalia.



There have been those who have mentioned that there are a wide variety of beliefs and practices as well within the pentecostal movement, (this is also true for those churches who express being in the charismatic movement). Then amongst those, there are the individuals who have not studied much concerning the movement that they are involved in who have their own unfounded beliefs, which amount to many winds of doctrine.



I am going to leave you with a couple different sources of information that I have found through web sites.



The first one is from the Assemblies of God, USA. Study the web site and see what you can find, and do keep an open heart and mind to the Scriptures while doing so.



http://ag.org/top/



The second one is from an Orthodox Research Institute.



http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/misc/nicozisin_tongues.htm



The one from the Orthodox Research Institute gives a bit of interesting insight on this, and from a more ancient perspective. It is a very valid perspective in my own personal opinion.

Answer 7

Pentecostalism is a renewal movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit which is evidenced by speaking in tongues. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, a Greek term describing the Jewish Feast of Weeks. For Christians, this event commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus Christ, as described in the Book of Acts, Chapter 2, and Pentecostals tend to see their movement as reflecting the same kind of spiritual power, worship styles and teachings that were found in the early church. For this reason, some Pentecostals also use the term Apostolic or full gospel to describe their movement.



Pentecostalism is an umbrella term that includes a wide range of different theological and organizational perspectives. As a result, there is no single central organization or church that directs the movement. Most Pentecostals consider themselves to be part of broader Christian groups; for example, most Pentecostals identify as Protestants. Many embrace the term evangelical, while others prefer restorationist. Pentecostalism is theologically and historically close to the charismatic movement as it significantly influenced that movement and some Pentecostals use the two terms interchangeably. Furthermore, Pentecostals are theologically diverse with some groups being Trinitarian and others Nontrinitarian. African-Americans played an important role in the early Pentecostal movement. The first decade of Pentecostalism was marked by interracial assemblies, "...Whites and blacks mix in a religious frenzy," noted a local newspaper account, at a time when government facilities were racially separate and Jim Crow laws were in effect. While the interracial assemblies would continue for a number of years even in the segregated South, the enthusiasm and support for such assemblies eventually waned. After a while, interracial assemblies were nearly non-existent in most Pentecostal churches. However, this trend is starting to be reversed in many Pentecostal churches today.

Answer 8

This typifies the Pentecostal movement. Some will even tell you unless you speak in tongues you are not truly saved (ie filled with the Holy Spirit etc.). I'm not against the Pentecostal Church but there are somethings they say and do that hinders many Christians.



Speaking in tongues is Spiritual gift, but it is unhelpful to the church and believers unless there somebody has been given the ability to interpret what is being said.



With that said, if this is seriously hindering your spiritual growth maybe you should consider changing church's.

Answer 9

1. It may just be that its during those times when everyone is gathered in worship that emotion overwhelms. When the praising stops you can catch your breath and slow down again. The power of the Lord is strongest when there is a group of people gathered in His name.



2. Unfortunately, I dont believe that they really are speaking in tongues and I'll tell you why:

If the gift of speaking in tongues were active in the church today, it would be performed in agreement with Scripture. It would be a real and intelligible language (1 Corinthians 14:10). It would be for the purpose of communicating God's Word with a person of another language (Acts 2:6-12). It would be in agreement with the command God gave through the apostle Paul, “If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God” (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). It would also be in accordance with 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

Thus, the Bible doesnt teach of "a heavenly language" - the Apostles spoke in real earthly languages when they went out on the day of Pentecost, not in a language not of this earth.

Answer 10

1) More likely emotional, the evidence would be in how they live outside the Church and many are only 1 hour Christians. Their hearts may be right but is it helping you.



2) If no one is learning and it is just chaos.... perhaps you should find a Church where they study the Bible seriously.



In his sermon that became a book "The Greatest thing in the World", Henry Drummond talks about love and our relationship with God. There are many hearts that if we read Matthew 7 will not make it past the gates of heaven.

http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/16739

H.D. preached it over a century ago, you may learn from this.

Answer 11

There is no easy answer in how Christians practice their faith, so I let the bible do the talking.



My first answer is the Believer's Freedom 1 Cor 10:23. You must decide what is benefitful to you.



My second answer is that for me speaking in tongues is not repeating the same sounds. It help to have interpretation of tongues 1 Cor 12:7-11.



I assume you are familiar with the KJV and/or NIV, so I have quoted from the NLT which can be found in http://biblica.com



1 Corinthians 10:23 NLT

23 You say, “I am allowed to do anything”[a]—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial.

Footnotes:

1 Corinthians 10:23 Greek All things are lawful; also in 10:23b.



1 Corinthians 12:7-11 NLT

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice[a]; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.[b] 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,[c] while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

Footnotes:

a. 1 Corinthians 12:8 Or gives a word of wisdom.

b. 1 Corinthians 12:8 Or gives a word of knowledge.

c. 1 Corinthians 12:10 Or in various tongues; also in 12:28, 30.

Answer 12

BOTH- the people are getting the emotion out to a divine God

and Im sure you realize about the Holy Ghost, so if that is

how a person sounds, that is there deepest heart coming out

to God through His Spirit, why should there heart change

week after week? Maybe this person is saying Come Lord Jesus...



I sorta felt the same way, till I got the Spirit and when it happened to me, that did away with ALL doubt.

Let them lay hands on you, youll never be sorry.



1 Corinthians 14:23

If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

Answer 13

Question 1



This behavior has nothing to do with being a Christian and are mostly promoted by some churches for theatrics. Read the bible and the life of Christ- Jesus nor the disciples had one of these emotional wacky experiences.



Question 2



Be careful with any church that says it speaks in tongues, for the disciples did not do this as some gimmick or carnival, but was actually done for those around them to understand. Speaking in tongues serves no purpose if its not educating those around the speaker. Again, its all performance.



In general, I stay away from any church where the people act in such a way that they would be placed in an assylum if done outside of that church.

Answer 14

I agree with everything David said. I'm an ex-UPC member. I question the validity of speaking in tongues. I believe it may be what is called mass hysteria. One does it so everyone else does. People would gather around the altar "to get the Holy Ghost" and speak in tongues. According to the UPC you're not saved unless you do. These people would be kneeling at the altar with a lot of pastors and others gathered around them laying hands on them. Pastors would scream in their ears, open your mouth and speak. Let the Holy Ghost in. Of course you're going to comply to please the pastors and because you feel put on the spot, even if it's just gibberish. It doesn't help any either when you're told you're not speaking in tongues because you don't have enough faith. Nothing like heaping on a little guilt.

Answer 15

A lot of crying is because people are happy, But I have also seen fake crying & speaking in tongues, The gift of tongues is the least of the 9 spiritual gifts, But it is to edify the body of Christ, & God gives it to whom he will, & their gift is different from other people gift of tongues. In my 40 yrs as an Apostolic Pentecostal, I too have seen as soon as the music stops so does everything else But I also have seen that when the music stops, That many keeps on praising God either by crying, shouting or dancing in the spirit. As the bible says, Bodily excericse profit nothing, which means if you do all these things without the leading of God spirit & you don't have no Truth in your doctrine, then all that you have done was in vain.

Answer 16

First, let me say that I am a Christian, and I do believe in the gifts of the spirit. With that said, we don't know a follower of Christ by the gifts of the spirit, but by the fruits.



There are many who claim to speak in tongues, but do so falsely (or maybe they're filled with a different kind of spirit).



And then there are those that just get caught up in the moment.



If I were you, I'd start looking around for a different church that feels right to you, and that actually teaches from the Bible.



Try Seventh-Day Adventists, Baptists, Methodists, etc., until you find one that's right for you (though I am not affiliated with any one church, I prefer the Seventh-Day Adventists over the others because they keep the sabbath and believe as I do concerning the dead).

Answer 17

Worshiping God with a pure and clean mind the greatest of all worships. There are some people who believe in demonstrating their worship to convince themselves that they worship God. Making unwanted sounds makes no sense at all. Jesus has taught us to pray in silence to our father in heaven. I have also seen the blessing of "tongues" in almost every pentecostal church; they get it very easily. But they never get the blessing to heal, to prophesy etc. Everyone gets tongues so quickly. There may be a very few exemptions where truly some people get heavenly tongues, but in such case it should be interpreted by another. There is no meaning in a lot of people shouting in languages which they themselves do not understand. God is not moved by sounds, but by humbleness and love alone.

Answer 18

I'm a Christian and Pentecostals/TBN are far too emotional. To them emotion dictates the existence of a God. If they in their simple ways cannot fathom someone else's existence without being able to feel it. I would suggest most of it is fake. Especially the tongues. In the bible it says the the gift of Tongues is accompanied by someone who can translate it. Pentecostals never translate it, therefore it is fake.



Their works are boldly proclaiming their self righteousness, and acts of great religiousness. All of these are things that are looked down upon in the Bible. We are saved by grace not works!

Answer 19

what do you mean when you say serious answers only..... how can anyone answer this with seriousness.... I mean, who can give you that answer? I have been to pentecostal church... I dated one in my teens for three years and I know what your saying... my conclusion... acting.... each trying to outdo the other and make people in the congregation think they are special and the chosen people... that gets them invites to dinners, trips.... and membership if not the board.



You are wise to question this.... because your doubting... and doubt about facades is good. It annoys me that kids have to be part of this crap. I remember going to a big church dinner held in an arena.... we were all eating and down came this big screen and they played a show about these teenagers moving away from god... drinking and partying... I was eating my chicken when suddenly these kids all loud got in a car and drove drunk.... it showed the car getting into an accident and the kids were all thrown from the car... cut up broken and dying... and they were all seeing god..... but then god was leaving them.... they were screaming.... I remember thinking wtf.... this is nuts... here I am eating a dinner and I have to watch and hear this brainwashing... fear mongering..... well guess what.... I broke up with my boyfriend because I was not subjecting myself to that crap anymore.... moaning, crying, rolling, speaking in tongues... fear mongering... controlling ones behaviors.... and thank gawd..... I had enough growing up as a catholic... cant believe I allowed myself to experiece more child abuse.

Answer 20

1) Pavlov's dog all over again. It's basically a trained and conditioned response. Direct the expected stimulus (music, preaching), and the expected reaction (crying, weeping) results.



2) Tongues is a crock. If it were truly another language, it would be the same with everyone who uses it, and it could be grammatically studied. It is not and it cannot.

Answer 21

I cry in Sunday mass and I'm Catholic. I tremble in the presence of the Lord. What a great feeling. I also cry during a prayer asking for forgiveness of my trespasses.



I know nothing about the gift of tongues. Sorry, that's not a 'Catholic thing'. But I know the Holy Spirit gives that gift to some people.

Answer 22

I have never been to a Pentecostal service so I really cannot relate to you, though I would like to explain what the Gift of Tongues is. It is not when someone starts speaking in gibberish as you have described.



The gift of tongues is the phenomena where a Saint or holy person speaks in their own language, and others who speak other languages are able to understand the speaker without need of a translator. You may have heard of this miraculous phenomena in Scripture which took place with the Apostles in Acts 2:6. Other Saints since that time were given this ability as well.



For example, St. Anthony of Padua (d. 1231) was preaching one day before the Pope and Cardinals in a place where there were people from different countries; Greeks, Latins, French, Germans, Slavs, English and those of other languages. All there fully understood St. Anthony without need for a translator and all were amazed and acknowledged the miracle. In addition St. Anthony was known to have preached using the Italian language in Italy and the French language in France though he had never studied these languages.



St. Paul of the Cross (d. 1775) was also known to have the miraculous gift of tongues. On multiple occasions he was heard a full five miles away while preaching. In addition his Italian language was understood by members of different nationalities when he preached.



St. Dominic (d. 1221) was once on a journey to Paris with some companions when they ran into two German pilgrims. The Germans motioned for St. Dominic and his companions to sit and eat with them, though St. Dominic and his companions could not understand the Germans and the Germans could not understand them. St. Dominic then asked his companions to pray with him that they might be able to speak to the Germans about Christ. After their prayers they were able to converse normally with the Germans for the rest of their journey. St. Dominic asked his companions not to tell anyone about the incident "lest the people should take us for Saints".



St. Vincent Ferrer (d. 1419) was also known to be understood by multiple nationalities despite only knowing Latin. Many trusted sources such as Nicholas Clemangis, a doctor of the University of Paris, and Peter Ranzano, the bishop of Lucera, attested to St. Vincent's gift of tongues having witnessed it themselves. In addition it was said that sometimes as many as 10,000 people would come to hear him preach, with the people furthest away able hear as well as those near him.



Padre Pio (d. 1968) was known to have heard confessions from penitents who spoke in their own language (languages unfamiliar to Padre Pio). In some instances Padre Pio was able to converse in Italian so that both understood each other. Padre Pio attributed the interpreting to his Guardian Angel.



Many other Saints were known to have the gift of tongues including St. Louis Bertrand (d. 1581), St. Martin De Porres (d. 1639), St. Philip Benizi (d. 1285), St. Jean-Marie Baptiste Vianney (d. 1859), St. Franci Solano (d. 1610, and St. Bernadine of Siena (d. 1444) to mention a few.

Answer 23

many churches are founded on the Western Orthodox Churches Greek Translation.

on top off that there are many Aramaic idiom that are not defined as such but taken word for word.



tongues:

One of the words left untranslated is the Aramaic word 'naphsha.' Naphsha has been unsuccessfully translated as 'life,' 'soul,' 'self,' and 'itself' in English and Greek texts. All attempts to find an equivalent in the symbolism of English language has failed. The reason earlier translators have failed to understand its meaning is simple. Naphsha was the word Jesus used to describe a component of a complex philosophy that formed the basis of a highly developed system of what we now call psychology. Another untranslated term that is central to this system of spiritual psychology among the archaic Jews is 'rukha d'koodsha.' Rukha d'koodsha has been translated as the Holy Spirit. The Aramaic term 'rukh' has been translated as 'spirit,' 'energy,' and 'wind.' The terms 'magnetism' and 'electricity' can also be regarded as descriptive of 'rukha.' The commonality of these terms is in the fact that, while invisible, they produce visible effects.



The term 'koodsha' is the Aramaic ancestor of the Hebrew word 'kosher.' While kosher means 'proper' as delineated by the five books of Moses, koodsha is broader and means 'proper as determined by the will of God for man, both known and unknown.' It represents that which is divinely intended for man. It also represents an innate and undetectable, yet tangible force that can be transferred from one human being to another when the human will is aligned with the Will of God. When the two terms combine, they represent the most sacred core concept of archaic Hebrew psychology. Jesus defined denial of rukha d'koodsha as the unforgivable sin. Mary conceived of ruksha d'koodsha. Rukha d'koodsha descended from the sky in the form of a dove following Jesus¹ baptism. Rukha d'koodsha led Jesus into the wilderness to test his strength in the face of adversity. Following the resurrection, Jesus told his Apostles to "Receive rukha d'koodsha." At the Pentecost, the followers of Jesus describe the descent of rukha d'koodsha as "a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, that appeared as 'tongues' that divided into flames of fire that rested upon each of them, filling them and causing them to speak in various languages simultaneously."



snakes:

The KJV says: “They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”







Zorba translated many Eastern idioms and metaphors literally, not knowing their true meaning. For instance, ‘You shall handle snakes.’ Zorba didn’t know that the word ‘snake’ refers to ‘an enemy’.



A better reading for that section of the verse would be “they will handle their enemies”. This mistranslation has even cost the lives of many people. George Went Hensley, a former pastor of the Church of God, formed one such Pentecostal group, who drank poison and exposed themselves to poisonous snakes. He died of snakebite, as have many others.

Answer 24

i do not know a persons heart so i can not say if what they are doing is genuine or not

yes people when they come to worship can cry and weep when worshiping god





i do not know why it sounds the same when they speak in tongues

i am not that person and do not know what they are thinking



for any one to truly say would be guessing

Answer 25

"In the church, I would rather speak five words that can be understood, in order to teach others, than ten thousand words in strange tongues." (1 Corinthians 14:19)

Answer 26

Because it is all part of a big act. They're a bunch of fakers. Most of them probably know it but won't admit it to each other.



Obviously, you have no respect for these people, nor should you. If you're a Christian, find another church where they aren't so obviously faking their religion.

Answer 27

you can go on line and receive truth from the word of God type in (people to people radio) and when the page come up click on the little screen like tv metro and they are ct time zone metro fellow ship 10:15.ct time

Answer 28

maybe God is opening your eyes and ears. open your heart to HIM and the truth, look for the solid doctrine that scripture speaks of and also the fact that men will "turn away" from it. Don't be one of them. Turn towards it, because it is not a concept, truth is Jesus.

Answer 29

it depends what kind of church you are going to, because ive been to christian churches and ive never heard of this tougue that you speak of and people cry because they want to they have their reasons i have never like gone up to someone and asked them why are you crying? i think its a special moment that you have with your worshiper and the feelings and relationship is very emotionable. so when people act like you say that they just act like nothing has happend thats not true but if you think about it you wouldnt like bring up all that has happened,unless someone really wants to bring up the services. so thats wat i think.

Answer 30

I’m going to brush really close the racism line here hopefully without stepping over it. From what I’ve read, Pentecostalism wasn’t invented by an African American, but it was pioneered by African Americans and the majority of the people who first began the Pentecostal movement were African Americans. Not racist so far? Here’s the delicate part…from what I’ve seen of African religious ceremonies, it involves dancing around a fire whilst rhythmically and hypnotically beating on drums and people working themselves up into a trance-like frenzy of religious fervor. This is a lot like what goes on in Pentecostal churches, right? But they swapped beating on drums and dancing around a fire for rolling on the ground making gibberish noises and convincing themselves that they are filled with the “spirit if God,” right?

Answer 31

I'm a christion and you need to get the hell away from that church! really they are wack-O



go to a nondenominational one like calvery chapel...really!

Answer 32

people cry because they let all their sadness and anger out.. thats what ive been told.

Answer 33

1) It's like in a movie theatre, WHOA what a great ending...I'm awestruck..now lets gtfo.



2) Because they're doing it on purpose. Just like if you were to start gibbering right now...it wouldn't be complex like a real language. Because it's not.



Christianity is silly and can range from harmlessly stupid to outright dangerous.

Answer 34

Serious answers require serious questions. Sorry

Answer 35

you've actually answered your own questions...silliness and more silliness...