JC4me

many apologies...I did kinda misinterpret..it was very late when I made my comments, and I had no coffee in my system! lol

You call Earth as being limited? what other planet would deem satan to deceive the inhabitants? Do you honestly believe that other human beings exist on other planets? Wouldn't that mean that there would have to be a Christmas and an Easter on all existing planets that would be hospitable for human inhabitation? EARTH, as we know it, is the only place that GOD formed man out of the soil..GOD did not send His Son planet hopping around to the billions of other planets in billions of other galaxies to be born of a VIRGIN and be crucified over and over again...

Uh...those fallen angels that were cast out of heaven now abide in the same 'holding tank' as us humans....it's called Earth...Yes....Earth itself...whether under, on the surface or in the atmosphere around it. JESUS certainly did not try to hide the fact that satan himself abounded around Him. Jesus spoke out loud to satan, and even acknowledge that satan was the one responsible for Peter trying to talk JESUS out of dying on the cross. Was JESUS tempted by satan in the wilderness for 40 days or not? Why would we need a NEW earth if this present one was not overcome by satan and his hordes of demons who followed him down as he was cast down from heaven 'as fast as lighting"? Get real, Christians...even atheists, agnostics and devil worshippers know that they can instantly get satan's attention because he is so close, walking around, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Satan cannot do that if he were trapped in some sort of atmospheric level, realm, or third heaven.

Are you and I 'saved" if we have yet to experience being 'baptized in the SPIRIT"? Take a look at the original Apostles and others who were with JESUS for at least 3 years...who followed Him, gave up their earthly vocations and more and were truly dedicated to HIM. What if they were to die before what happened on the Day of Pentacost. Were they 'saved"? Of course they were! John (the Baptist) was beheaded, James was murdered and several more followers of JESUS met death before being "baptized" in His Spirit. What makes you and I any different? Being baptized in the Spirit, to me, is an extra bonus, a confirmation on His part that we are extra special to Him. We are already 'in His Spirit", having His Spirit with us the moment we believe and confess Him. The outward 'act" or infusion of His Spirit that makes us dance, or sing , or cry, or move or fall in weakness, or speak in a different language is a reaction to flesh meeting it's Creator's touch in a profound way that forever bonds us to HIM. Imagine a good earthly father donating his kidney to save the life of his child. It simply does not stop there. The same father will guard, teach, give good gifts and more to that same child as the child grows. Same thing happens to God's own. They get all of HIM when they embrace Him, yet, JESUS CHRIST just keeps giving and giving!

Awesome! I was once a pianist in a local Pentacostal church. The minister there was always full of the Spirit and his sermons and messages included prophetic utterances, tongues, healings and more. Once, he looked directly at me in the sanctuary and asked if I had ever received the 'baptism of the Holy Spirit". I stepped forward and shook my head "No". He layed his hands on me, along with other members and they started praying. I did get very weak in my knees and started shaking, but it was not a scary ordeal..it was a refreshing, a recharging 'thing". I layed back, almost as if in slow motion and found myself layed out on the carpet, praying and crying. My verbal prayer, to me, sounded a bit 'foreign" or different than normal, but I did not shout out loud or dance or start uttering a loud salutation. All I knew was that I was at peace and God was dealing with me, one on one and getting some things straight in my spirit. Real peace prevailed over my mind and soon I sat up and walked back to my seat. It was as if GOD met me within my own realm and was coaxing, hugging and comforting me alone, although I was in a crowd. Other times, at the altar, I found myself dancing, singing, moving and swaying in rhythm to some sweet praise song. GOD meets me and has never given me more than I can handle or take in. Who knows, next time, I just may run all around the building as if it were on fire...all in His timing and all for His glory at that moment.

I understand from centuries of 'misunderstandings' of this single gift of TONGUES, you come up with this. Truly, it is just one of several things that old satan enjoys offering CONFUSION as a side dish. Yes, there are those who only try to validate one's salvation by the utilizing the gift of tongues only..which is sad. Our Father dispenses gifts upon His children as HE wills...knowing which is best for each individual. I have known some Christians who operate totally within perhaps ONE gift..and then I've known others who operate and utilize all gifts of the spirit...HE puts upon us only that which we can handle at a certain time or level. Keep in mind, Stephen, the first Christian martyr....was a teenager when he was stoned and look at the marvelous use of his spiritual gifts! I see all 9 gifts as being very personal .... a close connection between flesh being infilled and nurtured by His Spirit. One gift is no higher than another...and that seems to be the issue here with 'tongues' sadly.

oh, for sure, satan is always out there to distort, confuse and complicate things. The GOD given gifts are always under attack. All are bound up in LOVE....love for the ones desiring them, love from our Heavenly Father who gives them freely, and love from the ones who utilize them in their daily walk in CHRIST. When you think about it, historically, it is the man made ideologies that have always plagued and messed up the beautiful gifts to begin with! I have attended services where I witnessed a 5 yr old simply pray, pure and sweetly and innocently and layed his hands upon people that wanted a fresh infilling and healing touch from GOD and in faith, they were healed and got their hearts desires met! Is this so complicated to understand? All of us, one day, when in heaven, will speak another 'new' language and even have a new name in glory. How do you think we will sit down and chit chat with our BIBLICAL heroes? A private prayer tongue or a spoken word coming from another language is just a preview or dress rehearsal for what is to come. Hallelujah!!!!

Here are my thoughts and experiences with 'tongues" as far as observation...I was at a Perry Stone service. He was on stage right before the program was to begin, almost hidden behind the curtain. An elderly couple was on the first row, nearby. They had brought a recording device that night. They noticed he was praying and turned on their recorder to make sure that it was working right. Perry's voice was just loud enough for it to be picked up. Suddenly, Perry's prayer took a different pitch and tone and he went into what we call private prayer tongues...where our spirit is so grieved and concerned that we are at loss of words and the Holy Spirit takes over our groanings and moanings and takes them directly to the throne room of GOD! The couple didn't think anything of it at first and after Perry's prayer, they turned the machine off and later, recorded the rest of the service. A few days later, they took the recording to a friend who just happened to be a language professor. The professor got very excited when the couple started playing the initial prayer that Perry had spoken. "Where did you get this? Who is this person speaking?" The professor told them it was a very ancient language, not spoken in today's world. It preceeded the Tower of Babel! He was able to interpret the prayer and it was a salutation about giving blessings and pouring out His spirit and more. This makes me think that private prayer tongues is indeed used to confuse satan..because GOD made everything "GOOD" initially. We know the story of the Tower of Babel...where the confusion of languages took place and it divided the peoples. I believe that what a true CHRIST follower utters when praying in the SPIRIT is the pure, unadulterated language originally spoken by Adam and Eve and their offsprings pre-tower of Bable. I have heard this language spoken by all races and cultures as they privately prayed in the spirit and it does sound the same. I've attended pentacostal revivals and heard the same utterances..There is no way that all of these peoples got together and practiced speaking this HOLY Induced language!