This weekend celebrates Pentecost, the Birthday of the Church.
This is what it means to me...
"My Pentecost Experience"
by Steve Sann
With shoulder length hair at the age of 16, in those early years of high school I prided myself a dedicated proponent of Eastern Thought: Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, Transcendental Meditation and the like. The Beatles, the Beach Boys and a host of others were evangelizing youth with these hip, new-age beliefs. As so many youth, Christianity had become a religion non grata. The effects were worldwide. Who could argue that Christianity was not the root cause of our corrupt Western civilization, I reasoned?
Meanwhile, I viewed myself as a New Leftist, a student activist, hailing the hip counterculture, while marching in anti-Vietnam and Civil Rights protests. (
The ABC documentary, "1968: A Crack in Time" on YouTube, does a fine job of capturing the destructive forces impacting America's youth at that time.)
Consequently, one rock concert, I recall getting in the face of the straight-laced churchgoers at the entrances, who were soliciting, witnessing and handing out church tracts. Passionately, I felt they were misleading others with thier pro-establishment Jesus-tripe. After grappling sharply with them over their doctrines, they labeled me a lost soul, and I labeled them hypocrites. Not much was resolved in those heated discussions.
Even though I had run for class president and was appointed the editor of the school newspaper (while, ironically, the editor and founder of the underground school paper), I reluctantly explained to my family that college just wasn't my bag. Instead, upon graduation I would hitchhike west and east until I found that one person who could point out to me where to find God, which I deduced was some kind of cosmic life-force that I needed to locate. To me, God's pronoun was "it". I was convinced that certainly there will be at least one person who could share with me that answer.
.
Little could I foresee that all this was about to abruptly come to an end. In 1971, as a 17 year old junior in High School, I was told about the class on Power for Abundant Living.
Having almost zero knowledge of what I had signed up for, I was mostly baffled why my older brother's friend Allen had suddenly become so animated about the Bible, of all ridiculous things! After all, wasn't the Bible the bourgeoisie tool Karl Marx had warned us about: the slave chain used by Churchianity; the "opiate of the masses"? At least, that was the ideology of the hipsters back then who, of course, have become the thought leaders of today's world.
In discussions that would have made the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi blush, Allen logically and confidently swatted down my frontal attacks on the Bible with the simple truths he had gleaned in PFAL. He shared stunning incidents of prayer power, miracles and healings. Although I still didn't trust the whole Bible, it had me at "hello."
The rest of the two week PFAL Class story is a history we are all familiar with: By the 6th evening, I was born again. At the 12th session I spoke in tongues for the very first time.
At that resilient young age, PFAL quickly catapulted me into the shocking realities of the heretofore unknown. The unfolding of creation up through the Great Mystery -- it was all making amazing sense. I'd never experienced that in eastern philosophies. With my world being turned upside down, my previous all-important beliefs and political activism faded more and more into insignificance. I began to see that the Word of God was the true counter-culture movement that our world desperately needed!
The evening of the 12th session was perhaps the most upending of all. Although Dr. Wierwille had introduced us to speaking in tongues, it didn't occur to me that I was going to be asked to do it myself. After all, I had attended with the attitude of an observer, not a participant.
.
And yet, I did it. I stood there and I spoke in tongues aloud. Most importantly, I knew that those foreign words were not my own. They had to originate from this new spirit inside me. There was no other possible explanation.
At that moment, speaking in tongues became to me the absolute proof in the senses realm that I was born again, heaven-bound, and all hell couldn't stop me from going -- just as the unseen teacher on the audio class tape had explained.
That was My Pentecost Experience! And that's what Pentecost means to me: when I broke through the final frontier into the fields of gold.
Such is the impact of the Power for Abundant Living Class.
And such is the impact of speaking in tongues.
The very next rock concert I attended was Rock of Ages 1971, after several days hitchhiking. This time at the entrance, the Christians who got in my face were older ladies (19 or 20 year old's) who were greeting newcomers with holy hugs and kisses.
Today, speaking in tongues has become more than just a one-off experience for most of us: it has become a closely-held and trusty tool in our weaponry. Fifty-seven years later, I can truly attest I am more blown-away by the many benefits of speaking in tongues than I was even on that miraculous spring evening of 1971. Proof of salvation is only one of the array of features that speaking in tongues holds for us.
For your convenience, we at the Way Corps Site offer this brief list of benefits, designed to inspire you to speak in tongues more and more.
Please remember: "Jesus said I should, and Paul said I could."
S. I. T!
a. We pray bypassing our earthly understanding. Praying by the spirit in another language, we are able to pray for needs beyond our understanding and perception (I Cor. 14:14-17);
While praying beyond your understanding, the spirit addresses your personal needs—for example, in your family, finances, spirit, soul, and body.
b. We intercede for others according to God’s will. The spirit searches the hearts and lives of others, making requests for needs which we, in our limited perception, are unaware. (Rom. 8:26,27);
This makes us global prayer warriors. Interceding for others, the spirit identifies and prays for the needs of your loved ones, and world-wide for all the saints.
c. God speaks to our spirit unfolding His mysteries, guidance and truths, spiritually renewing, strengthening and edifying you (II Corinthians 5: I Cor. 14:2,4; Jude 20; Eph. 3:14-19; John 14:25; 16:13);
When we speak to God in the spirit, He speaks back. He not only reveals spiritual and biblical truths, but opens your eyes to wisdom and insight in all aspects of your life, and of others, as well. In addition, He builds up your spirit, preparing and strengthening you in the operation of the other manifestations.
d. We praise and bless God by giving thanks well, speaking the wonderful works of God (I Cor. 14:16,17; Acts 2:11);
When we “bless with the spirit” we are energizing the Christ within us to bring forth perfect praise to God. If translated, we would hear a litany of the great things God is doing, His nature and His love for his people. So, by the spirit we “give thanks well”, we are “speaking the wonderful works of God.”
e. We offer the “true worship” the Father seeks. We “worship God in the spirit” (Phil. 3:3). Jesus Christ foretold: “…the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:21-24);
Man has always sought after various methods of worshipping God, most of which actually bring more glory to the “worshipper,” but little satisfaction to God Himself. God is spirit, and cannot be truly worshipped in the flesh. Rather, by worshipping in the spirit, scripture assures us we are pleasing Him, as we with confidence properly “worship Him in spirit and in truth.”
f. It engenders intimacy with the Father, sharing our heart’s secrets with Him (Rom. 8:15; Gal 4:6; Rom. 8:27; I Cor. 14:2).
On the surface, it is difficult to become acquainted with the heart of a man. But the inner desires and secrets of our hearts the spirit shares with the Father. We speak tenderly with each other, as a child with His Father.
g. The spirit continually reaffirms to us that we are the sons of God. (Rom. 8:14-17; Eph. 1:13,14).
Speaking in tongues is the absolute proof in the senses realm to you that you have received eternal life, are born-again and have received the spirit. It confirms to you that the promises of the Word are true.
Comments? Write us below. Or email Steve at allbusiness7711@gmail.com
......................
Kevin Carter was able to overcome cancer, using His knowledge of the Word coupled with alternative methods.
Please take a look at "My Healing Journey," link below:
.
Comments