uummm.
im a charismatic, and i always will be.
well, i am a pentecostal. i dont want to agree to anyones stereotype of charismatic.
1. well, there is power in the name of jesus, great power. and if you only believe all things are possible. but "THE GIFTS" listed in 1 cor 12. are given by the holyghost as it clearly says, and i dont remember any time in the bible when those who were actually filled or baptised in the holyspirit did not at some time speak in tongues. speaking in tongues is the very evidence being filled with the holyspirt. but you do not have to be OPERATING IN THE GIFTS to do what those gifts symbolise.
as for example the
"GIFT OF FAITH",
all christians have faith, only through faith in jesus are we saved in the first place. so, you can have faith WITHOUT HAVING THE GIFT OF FAITH.
"GIFT OF HEALING"
many many christians have been healed by prayer, the blood of jesus, and confessing the name of jesus, when these christians were not yet filled with the holyghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues, leading to say they were not "filled or baptised" with the holyghost leading to say they were not OPERATING IN THE GIFT OF HEALING.
"GIFT OF WISDOM"
there are many wise men upon the earth, many are heathen men who have not even met jesus, so could not be "OPERATING IN THE GIFTS". yet they do have wisdom.
the point im trying to make is you do not have to be filled with the holyspirit to work in the power of god or do what the gift of the spirit symbolises. history and the bible prove it.
like, THE GIFT OF HEALING. symbolises healing. yet you can have healing through jesus' alone, apart from being filled with the holyghost.
so, just because there is a "GIFT OF HEALING" does not mean you cant be healed or heal someone else without speaking in tongues as those filled with the holyghost will do.
just as there is a "GIFT OF FAITH" it doesnt mean you cant have faith unless you speak in tongues.
so on and so on.
the diffrence between a "GIFT OF THE SPIRIT" work, and a work that is entitled to every believer in jesus name is this.
for example,
jesus was walking down the road, had no idea what was going on, had no idea some woman was going to touch him and be healed. HE SAID WHO TOUCHED ME? she touched him, and she was healed. it was the work of the holyspirit, the "GIFT OF HEALING". yet, we can ask "ANYTHING IN THE NAME OF JESUS AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN" that includes healing.
but jesus did not ask for this, he didnt even know it was going to happen.
the gifts of the holy are like that, if your operating in the gifts of the holyspirit your shadow may heal the sick, even when you had no idea anyone was in your shadow, or someone may touch you and be healed even though you had no idea a person was about to touch you.
or, you may not have enough faith to believe in something "like a person being raised from the dead" the human mind can not believe that, not in my opinion anyway.
so, then THE GIFT OF FAITH can operate. doing more than you could have done alone, or simply in the name of jesus.
the same with the other gifts,
they represent the holy spirit doing things through you that you could not have done by yourself in anyway at all.
"ephesains 3.20
he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all YOU COULD ASK OR THINK, according the POWER(dunamis) that worketh within you.
when DUNAMIS or power (what we receive when filled with the holyghost in acts 1) is working in you, things will happen around you that you could not have asked for, or even though were possible.
"AND YES, BEING SAVED IN THE NAME OF JESUS, IS NOT THE SAME AS BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLYGHOST".
paul once asked a group of people
HAVE YOU BEEN FILLED "SINCE" YOU FIRST BELIEVED?
he knew they were 2 diffrent things. as they are. the disciples had to tarry for it, we no longer have to tarry for it becuase it is here waiting on us now, but we do need to recieve it after being saved.
2. should every person speak in tongues?
it is possible for everyone too, jesus said that anyone who believed could.
speaking in tongues can be a PRAYER LANGUAGE, a WORSHIP LANGUAGE or the "GIFT OF THE SPIRIT" to edify the entire body. i can pray in tongues at home all alone, and it is not the same thing as the "MESSAGE IN TONGUES THAT CAN NOT BE DONE UNLESS THERE 2 OR 3 AROUND ME WHO CAN INTERPRET IT"
if it is to be interpreted, it is for everyone.
but sometimes, im just trying to pray, and i do not know what to pray, so the THE SPIRIT PRAYS FOR ME as the bible teaches he can do so.
the people came out of the upperroom speaking in tongues, people understood "but it was not interpreted" and it was speaking of the great works of god "not prayer".
SO, NOT ALL TONGUES NEED TO BE INTERPRETED as the "GIFT OF TONGUES" do. and the "GIFTS" are always for the edification of the entire body. and you certainly can pray in tongues, but how could my prayer to god edify anyone else? it doesnt. so, not all tongues are the gift of the spirit.
the ability to speaking in tognues as any holyspirit filled person will, is not the same thing as the "GIFT OF TONGUES".
3. are people who pray in the spirit missing out.
well, you do not have to "pray in the spirit" to know god.
moses knew god better than anyone alive on this earth today in my opinion, he saw him face to face. yet, i dont remember him "praying in the spirit" or praying at all in that situation. praying in the holyspirit is to accomplish something that is beyond your ability, maby you dont know what to ask for, and you let the holyspirit ask for you.
i myself do not see praying in the spirit as an intamicy thing, but as something that is meant to accomplish a certain purpose.
4. are people who mess up still working in god?
well, we all mess up. and even the greatest men and women of god need to CONFIRM EVERY WORD IN THE MOUTHS OF 2 OR 3 people.
even the greatest can miss the mark sometimes. we strive to be the perfect jesus, but do you know anyone whos there yet?
i really doubt it.
yes i believe that if you do not speak in tongues, then no you are not filled with the holyspirit. yet it doesnt mean you arent saved or love god any less than someone who is filled.
it may sound like pride for someone who is filled with the holyspirit to look at a godly person and say NO YOU ARE NOT FILLED YET.
but, would it be pride for bill gates to simply state that YES HE IS THE RICHEST MAN IN THE WORLD? no, its simply fact.
many deny that you must speak in tongues, because they simply are proud and dont want to admit that they dont have something someone else has. though im no less than bill gates, but i do not have the money he has, simply becuase i havent done what hes done to get it.
do what is required, and youll be filled anyone can be. but dont be proud and refuse to admit that you are not.
