Kriss, and RNDI do understand that you both have recieved bad experiences when it comes to Penecostal style churches.Most of these incidents Kriss that you mentioned earlier, where because of over Zealous people wanting so bad for that person to recieve the gift of the HolyGhost that they did foolish things!Every one in every church has it's share of Zealots that have good intentions but do more harm than good!I would like to share with you my bad experiences.When I was a young believer. I got saved in a Church of Christ. They taught me that these gifts were not for today! I believed them, but these were doctrines of men, just like so many here say about us pre-rapturist!I moved back home, and my mom was so excited that I was saved but she invited me to Charismatic Catholic meeting, where they sat me in a chair and prayed over me. I wasn't ready to recieve the gift yet. They all started praying in this weird language and then told me to just babble any thing to get the tongue moving. I got up and told them that it was all fake and rediculous! And it was!Then I had a friend of mine that invited me to his UPC church, I was still curious so I went. Every one was just running around yelling and praying out loud and it was quite a scary experience. Like you I thought this was totally out of order. Surley I thought God doesn't do things out of order.I wasn't ready to recieve it yet. I began to study more deeply concerning this matter. The more I read the more I saw that this was truly a gift that God had for me. Well I thought if I'm suppose to have it I want it!I literally got in my closet and I told God I'm going to stay here on my knees until you fill me with the HolyGhost. I just fell asleep.I was so frustrated.About six months later I was stationed in Berlin Germany, I started visiting a spirit filled church with a friend of mine.After fellowshiping there for a month or so, I had witnessed some things that I could not explain away. I began to really believe. One day the Pastor called me up to the front and told me that the Lord said that I would recieve the Holy Ghost today!I thought sure, I've been down this road before, but out of obediance, I went up. The pastor took some anointed oil and just touched my forehead.My knees got so week and I felt the power of God on me so strong I fell flat on my back on a concrete floor and it did'nt hurt!I remember thinking get up you idiot you look like a fool just laying here!I could not physically get up! It was as if a huge hand was holding me down.I just started praising God, then my tongue felt really slugish then I began to speak in an unknown tongue!Now I don't know what I would do with out it! It gives you so much power to live for Jesus! It's truly incredible!
