How Does The Holy Spirit Intercedes?

[poorinspirit]

This stuff makes my head hurt.

Why is it so important to assign a role to the Holy Spirit? How is this actually useful?

So believers can discern between false spirits and the real Holy Spirit. False spirits seek the worship place and to share in the glory if not steal the spotlight in worship. The Holy Spirit in us would never do that as we are led to testify by the Spirit to glorify the Son and thereby the Father.

Paul wrote that he spoke in tongues more than you all. Your contention that tongues is only for interpetation would cause whoever was traveling with Paul to interpret more than you all, doesn't ring right, sorry.

You are walking a dangerous line when you suggest that the Holy Spirit in another person is a false spirit because you disagree (correct me if I'm misunderstanding you here) with anyone speaking in tongues without the presence of an accompaining gift.

Anyone glorifying God and acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, no matter how goofy they might be in other things (such as snakehandelers), I think we might get in a jam to disclude the grace of God to them, and I am certain that it is dangerous to start calling the Holy Spirit in another a devil, no matter how certain we are of our own doctrinal correctness.

Agreed. One should never declare that what is in them is of the devil, but yet what do you call something that is not in them, but keeps coming upon them again and again as if it is not received nor abiding in them?

How is it that the description of the role of the Holy Spirit is being ignored in regards to the event, but yet in defending the event, one refers to the Holy Spirit as being within even though that is not what they were describing as what the "Holy Spirit" was doing regarding the event?

He cannot come upon anyone if He is already in you and abiding in you for ever as promised for coming to Jesus. So I am not talking about the Holy Spirit within the wayward believers as He is in them, but I am talking about by His grace... what comes on them again and again. Going with the flow of the spirits is not testing the spirits as if testing them means checking them out if it feels good or not. There are seducing spirits. We cannot rely on feelings but on the Word of God to discern the spirits as not being the indwelling Holy Spirit... hence what is in the world.

And the real Holy Spirit cannot be received by seeing Him as the world receives other spirits again and again: hence new age channelers to spirit guide/ American Indians to their animal spirit guide, etc. Either the Holy Spirit dwells within as promised and abiding forever to fulfill the role of the Comforter or no one will be able to tell the difference between false spirits and the Holy Spirit if they look for Him in the world. You can only know the Holy Spirit personally by Him being in you; not outside of you.

I cannot be walking the dangerous line if I refer to that line that everyone else is crossing over, now am I?

Paul boast of speaking tongues more than them all was to emphasize the following statement... that he would rather speak five understandable word than ten thousands not understood. You left that important part of his point out. He would rather not speak ten thousand words not understood but five words if it meant edifying the assembly. And yet we have tongues running amok as a prayer language.

[dcampsart]

The core of the "debate" is not only the misuse of tongues, but how they got it.

So I may understand more clearly, would you tell me whether or not you believe that speaking in tongues is alive in the church today or do you believe that the operation, wrong or rightly handled, ceased after the apostles and that speaking in tongues should not even be going on now?

Tongues cannot be private prayer language that cannot be interpreted.

What do you mean by private prayer language? When I read how Paul admonished that if there was no interpreter, let him keep silent in church and let him speak to himself and God, I interpreted that to mean one can still pray in tongues but within himself and to God and not aloud. Are you saying that speaking in tongues should ONLY occur in an assembly of believers as long as their is an interpreter/interpretation because the chief goal is to edify the church? With that said, I 100% agree but if you believe that someone within the congregation is praying silently in tongues to himself an God, I would have to disagree.

1 Corinthians 14:27-28

27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.

It is never to operate as a stand alone gift without interpretation since all the manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit are to profit the body withal as 1 Corinthians 12th chapter would outline.

Are you saying here that if one is on top of a mountain, all alone and seeking God in prayer, if he starts praying in tongues, he then is operating outside of the will of God and has attempted to draw nearer to God through another door and may have even induced the activity of false spirits?

I am certainly moved by your focusing on everything being done in an orderly fashion within the assembly of believers. Personally, I've always believed that if there is no interpreter/interpretation within the assembly then one should not even hear tongues being spoken audibly or, at least seemingly, out of control but I can't be convinced that one cannot speak in tongues to himself and God silently.

All the verses in 1 Corinthians 14th chapter are not to be taken out of context to support the idea that there was a time set aside for prayer language because the whole chapter in context debunks that notion because when someone comes in to the assembly all speaking in tongues, they would think them mad.

What do you mean exactly by "time set aside for prayer language?"

If there is no one to interpret after two or three speak in tongues, then they are to be silent. This does not mean.. if no intepretation, then it is private prayer language time.

Tell me if I'm wrong but I get the picture that what you're saying is that people talking away in tongues without an interpreter/interpretation shouldn't even be going on irregardless of how long a time? If so, I would have to agree

So all this preparation and seeking after the Holy Spirit IS the rudiment found in the world in how they seek after other spirits and Why God the Faher gave only one Way to approach Him and that is through the Son for by the Son we have access to the Father and by the Son we have received the promise of the Spirit so we can rest in Jesus when we came to Him. That is the simplicity of the Gospel and to avoid false prophets and false spirits, we strive to enter through the straight gate by narrowing the Way to the Son.

I agree with you how we're not to "seek" the Holy Spirit as if our focus is entirely on him...as if we should somehow pray to him but I am thoroughly convinced that we are to simply be aware of his power and presence within us as our comforter, our enabler and, I'm sorry, one who helps us pray as we aught - ALWAYS pointing us to Christ and ALWAYS glorifying him. If I've ever been guilty of focusing on the Holy Spirit a little too much, it would be in the area of my concern as to whether or not I have GRIEVED him or not on occasion.

[stacey c]

Hi poorinspirit,

I think there is a couple of misreprenstations that you are under, correct me if I am wrong and clarify them please.

But first off, I have been a charismatic all my christain life, which has been 32 years. First off I have always believed once you are saved you recieve the promise of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and I have never heard it taught different no matter what church I attended.

Secondly, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not an on again off again expierience. In other words, the gifts of the Spirit in operation are not coming from an outside source. It is the Spirit within you welling up as you worship in the Spirit.

And I do agree that if you are in a church service and someone begins to give a message in tongues there is definately nedds to be an interpretation, and if not one needs to remain silent.

And someone praying in tongues in private is for that individuals edification and building up of there faith.

Lastly it is impossible, when you seek after more of the Holy Ghost that you are entertaining devils. The HOLY GHOST IS GOD. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost are all God. They are one. They all have the same mind, thoughts, and gifts. Therefore when You recieve a gift from the Holy Ghost it is from God, and Jesus is God.

So when you say someone who seeks more of the Holy Ghost is not seeking after Jesus is wrong because they are all one God.

[poorinspirit]

The core of the "debate" is not only the misuse of tongues, but how they got it.

So I may understand more clearly, would you tell me whether or not you believe that speaking in tongues is alive in the church today or do you believe that the operation, wrong or rightly handled, ceased after the apostles and that speaking in tongues should not even be going on now?

Tongues cannot be private prayer language that cannot be interpreted.

What do you mean by private prayer language? When I read how Paul admonished that if there was no interpreter, let him keep silent in church and let him speak to himself and God, I interpreted that to mean one can still pray in tongues but within himself and to God and not aloud. Are you saying that speaking in tongues should ONLY occur in an assembly of believers as long as their is an interpreter/interpretation because the chief goal is to edify the church? With that said, I 100% agree but if you believe that someone within the congregation is praying silently in tongues to himself an God, I would have to disagree.

1 Corinthians 14:27-28

27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.

It is never to operate as a stand alone gift without interpretation since all the manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit are to profit the body withal as 1 Corinthians 12th chapter would outline.

Are you saying here that if one is on top of a mountain, all alone and seeking God in prayer, if he starts praying in tongues, he then is operating outside of the will of God and has attempted to draw nearer to God through another door and may have even induced the activity of false spirits?

I am certainly moved by your focusing on everything being done in an orderly fashion within the assembly of believers. Personally, I've always believed that if there is no interpreter/interpretation within the assembly then one should not even hear tongues being spoken audibly or, at least seemingly, out of control but I can't be convinced that one cannot speak in tongues to himself and God silently.

All the verses in 1 Corinthians 14th chapter are not to be taken out of context to support the idea that there was a time set aside for prayer language because the whole chapter in context debunks that notion because when someone comes in to the assembly all speaking in tongues, they would think them mad.

What do you mean exactly by "time set aside for prayer language?"

If there is no one to interpret after two or three speak in tongues, then they are to be silent. This does not mean.. if no intepretation, then it is private prayer language time.

Tell me if I'm wrong but I get the picture that what you're saying is that people talking away in tongues without an interpreter/interpretation shouldn't even be going on irregardless of how long a time? If so, I would have to agree

So all this preparation and seeking after the Holy Spirit IS the rudiment found in the world in how they seek after other spirits and Why God the Faher gave only one Way to approach Him and that is through the Son for by the Son we have access to the Father and by the Son we have received the promise of the Spirit so we can rest in Jesus when we came to Him. That is the simplicity of the Gospel and to avoid false prophets and false spirits, we strive to enter through the straight gate by narrowing the Way to the Son.

I agree with you how we're not to "seek" the Holy Spirit as if our focus is entirely on him...as if we should somehow pray to him but I am thoroughly convinced that we are to simply be aware of his power and presence within us as our comforter, our enabler and, I'm sorry, one who helps us pray as we aught - ALWAYS pointing us to Christ and ALWAYS glorifying him. If I've ever been guilty of focusing on the Holy Spirit a little too much, it would be in the area of my concern as to whether or not I have GRIEVED him or not on occasion.

When the manfestations of the gifts are occurring, it is to profit the body withal in the assembly. The whole point of chapter 14 is from the very first verse. Reading the whole chapter in context declares that tongues are not to be sought after as it is today as the end all and be all of gifts to have nor used as prayer language within the assembly as it is today. If you do not know what I mean, then do take note in how some will defend this prayer language as a time set aside where all speak in tongues with no interpretation whatsoever in the assembly. Some will even declare that they are fighting principalities, pulling down strongholds of the devil in this manner even though they know not what they are praying. And some will even preach another baptism of the Holy Spirit to get this tongues. Tongues are not the attraction nor proof of the Spirit for the believers to seek after but what is gained from tongues is the profit as in the knowledge of Him. And yet many lose themselves in the destractions and the vainglorying of the moment without discerning the spirits, nor the tongues, nor how it is leading or changing the testimonies of those in regards to their salvation, and adding to the simplicity of the Gospel found in Jesus Christ as if something is missing... which there isn't.

If you agree that we are not to seek the Holy Spirit, then it cannot be done even for a moment if the indwelling Holy Spirit seeks to have our eyes on the Bridegroom for He shall be appearing soon. You cannot grieve the Holy Spirit if you are doing what you are led to do, keep your eyes on Jesus.

[dcampsart]

How can you be looking at the picture of your grandson on the fire mantle if he was not born yet?

Please forgive me but I'm not sure of what indicators I may have given in my testimony that told you he wasn't born yet. He was born 9/10/2005. His third birthday occurred this year 9/10/2008. The picture I included in my post was sometime before his second birthday. I hope you don't think that was the picture on the fireplace mantle I prayed over. He's now a few months over 3 years of age. I wish I could tell you the exact date I prayed for him but I can't. I remember it being somewhere around 2 years ago - give or take. That would've made his age somewhere around 18 monts old. Understand, that at the time of praying for him, he was a little guy. The picture of him on the fireplace mantle was one of him when he was just an infant. He had been around awhile before the time of prayer. I'm truly sorry if I stated anything that made the story seem amiss.

In any event, your description is kind of familiar but not quite to another one. He did not believe in tongues either and he went to this church one morning on the Day of Pentecost to honour the Holy Spirit. Then they prayed and the next thing he knew, it felt like liquid nitrogen seeping into his head. Then he began apologizing unwillingly for not believing in this Spirit moving in this way. He was not speaking in tongues, but he could not control his mouth as he was apologizing.

He - sounds like you.

Now let us get this straight. We are told not to quench the Spirit but if no interpretor, we are to be silent, but given the present day testimonies... how can anyone be silent if they have no self-control? Which I remind everyone that temperance is a fruit of the Spirit.

Couldn't agree more

All of this feeling the "spirit" coming over them... some scarier.. some enjoyable.. some just confusing... but all in all, it was felt as one taking over the body. I see that as a theif breaking through especially when they were believers all along.This is what I called suffering a thief to break through our house as Jesus called us to watch and stand guard in according to our faith in Jesus Christ.

As I read your remark here, I can't help but wonder what the apostles must have been thinking when they experienced what they did in the upper room but the key idea to me is - they received this wonderful blessing AFTER they were saved. Yes... the infilling had nothing to do with their position and rest in Christ. If they never received the "secondary" baptism they would still have been saved and seated with Christ sealed until the day of redemption but it sure seemed fitting to God to empower them from on high - even after salvation!

What about Cornelius? A devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always (I'm sure his words in prayer to God were intelligible).About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God (I wonder if he doubted whether or not this vision was of God or not or was he inviting a "false spirit" into himself)coming in and saying to him,

[poorinspirit]

Hi poorinspirit,

I think there is a couple of misreprenstations that you are under, correct me if I am wrong and clarify them please.

But first off, I have been a charismatic all my christain life, which has been 32 years. First off I have always believed once you are saved you recieve the promise of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and I have never heard it taught different no matter what church I attended.

Secondly, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not an on again off again expierience. In other words, the gifts of the Spirit in operation are not coming from an outside source. It is the Spirit within you welling up as you worship in the Spirit.

And I do agree that if you are in a church service and someone begins to give a message in tongues there is definately nedds to be an interpretation, and if not one needs to remain silent.

And someone praying in tongues in private is for that individuals edification and building up of there faith.

Lastly it is impossible, when you seek after more of the Holy Ghost that you are entertaining devils. The HOLY GHOST IS GOD. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost are all God. They are one. They all have the same mind, thoughts, and gifts. Therefore when You recieve a gift from the Holy Ghost it is from God, and Jesus is God.

So when you say someone who seeks more of the Holy Ghost is not seeking after Jesus is wrong because they are all one God.

I shall correct you where you are wrong by His grace since He is the Good Shepherd and only God can cause the increase.

To your First Point: If you believe that once saved, you have received the promise of the Spirit, then why act as if you have not received Him yet by seeking more of the Holy Spirit? You do not get a little bit of Him or alot of Him nor are you a leaky vessel as if an old wineskin where the new wine bursts and is spilled. You are either filled as promise for coming to Jesus, or you are labouring in unbelief in a practise that denies Him as being able to have you filled when you came to Him so you would not hunger nor thirst anymore so you can rest in Jesus. To ask for a refilling of the Spirit is to ask Jesus to save you again as if you became unsaved.

To your Second Point: Then why are people preaching "another baptism of the Holy Spirit that comes with tongues"? Why is it that when they described how the Holy Spirit came over them or as one testified,"like liquid nitrogen seeping through his head" as he loses control of his speech as he was giving an unwilling confession in apologizing for not believing the Holy Spirit would operate in this way... I cannot see this as welling up from within, but as a thief breaking through their house.

I am glad that you agree that there should be interpretation with tongues as that is the Biblical tongues, but because of the rudiment of the world, many churches believed they had tongues with interpretation but when they invited a linguist to record and translate, it was found to be the same tongue found in the world... which was gibberish. Churches really need to test the tongues as well as the spirits. Believers may be winging it with the interpretation... or lying. They shouldn't do that, but then people may be just babbling and not speaking in tongues at all as well. Some will drop on the floor and kick about. Although not all churches do that or permit it, still the temptation of vainglorying is there. Believers really should have their tongues checked to make sure they have the Biblical tongues.

The whole point of 1 Corinthians 14th chapter stems from the very first verse. "1Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. " Believers need to keep this persepective on "praying in tongues in private" topic as if that is okay to do when Paul was just acknowledging the use of it in the assembly and how in the worship place in regards to other spiritual gifts since all the manifestations of the Spirit are given to profit the body withal and tongues cannot serve as a stand alone gift. Paul may be edified by speaking in tongues, but it is unfruitful as he understood it not, thus leading to the emphasis that interpretation should always accompany the gift of tongues, but again, when none, he is to remain silent, speaking to himself and to God, but yet it is still unfruitful although he is edified by doing so. This is not to justify speaking in tongues without interpretation, but to declare how tongues are fruitful and thus profit the body withal when there is interpretation.

To your Last Point: By seeking after the Holy Spirit when He is in you as promised for coming to Jesus, allows the seeker to be seduced by spirits. If a christian is forbidden to go to a seyance, then what difference is there when one seeks after another spirit to receive when you had already received Him? This is preaching another spirit to receive even if they claim it to be the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 11:3But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

1 Timothy 4:1Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

Matthew 9:17Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

Believers are not leaky vessels. We are filled as promised.

So are believers to be the foolish virgins that have to go to the market continuously to get oil for their lamps or shall they be like the wise virgins that have oil in their vessels and were found ready when the Bridegroom appeared?

[stacey c]

A couple of points poorinspirit,

When someone says seeks "more" of the Holy Spirit, it's not that the Holy Spirit has left them. Scripture tells us in a few places, to draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you, Building up yourselves in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost,

It is a matter of me decreasing so that He may increase.

God is a Spirit, and we must worship Him in spirit and in truth. I must have my spirit more in line with His Spirit so the Daystar may rise in me. Salvation is not the only step in my christain life, it is the beginning. Jesus wants to control all my life. He is continually leading me and speaking to me, changing me into His image, but I must be intune to the Holy Ghost continually to know the will of my Savior for my life.

I think dcampstarts post about the "mist" and the "torrential rain" was a very apt description about the difference of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which has been pointed out in scripture several times already. It doesn't make anyones salvation less than another.

[Botz]

To your First Point: If you believe that once saved, you have received the promise of the Spirit, then why act as if you have not received Him yet by seeking more of the Holy Spirit? You do not get a little bit of Him or alot of Him nor are you a leaky vessel as if an old wineskin where the new wine bursts and is spilled. You are either filled as promise for coming to Jesus, or you are labouring in unbelief in a practise that denies Him as being able to have you filled when you came to Him so you would not hunger nor thirst anymore so you can rest in Jesus. To ask for a refilling of the Spirit is to ask Jesus to save you again as if you became unsaved.

Acts 13:52 And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of the people,

Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

I think the disciples loved to constantly be full of the Holy Ghost, and that G-d delighted to constantly fill them.

John 16:23

[nebula]

You keep denying what is written about what tongues is for. Why is that?

You keep skipping verses to exalt tongues again as if it is the end all and be all of all gifts AND to imply that it is oaky to be done in an improper manner by ignoring the other verses around it.

Wrong and wrong

I am not exalting tongues above any other gift. I am just pointing out the positive aspects of tongues that Paul mentions.

Everything you have to say about tongues demeans the gift. I'm irritated by that.

How is praying in tongues improper usage of the gift?

And how would you know how to use the gift if you have never used it? That's like telling me how to downhill ski without having skied yourself. I wouldn't take skydiving lessons from someone who has never sky-dived. Would you?

Again, I'm not ignoring the verses, just pointing out the ones you are glossing over as if they had absolutely no meaning to them.

1 Cor. 14 is not a Tongues 101 teaching. He is speaking to people who have the gift but are acting out of order with the gift - like they are acting out of order with many other aspects of their gathering. Pretty much all of 1 Cor. is telling the Assembly what they are doing wrong and how they should behave instead. Tongues is only one aspect of their discipline Paul addresses. Yet so many use this chapter to treat tongues like a plague.

Yes, your words give that impression across.

And if again - if you want to keep using the importance of prophecy in your argument to demean the use of tongues - I ask you again . . .

ARE YOU ACTIVELY SEEKING THE LORD FOR THE GIFT OF PROPHECY??????!!!

[dcampsart]

In any event, your description is kind of familiar but not quite to another one. He did not believe in tongues either and he went to this church one morning on the Day of Pentecost to honour the Holy Spirit. Then they prayed and the next thing he knew, it felt like liquid nitrogen seeping into his head. Then he began apologizing unwillingly for not believing in this Spirit moving in this way. He was not speaking in tongues, but he could not control his mouth as he was apologizing.

Again... I'd like to know if the he in your quote was you? If so, you were going to church to "honor the Holy Spirit"? If it was you, why were you apologizing... even "unwillingly" for not believing this move upon you was of God if you already didn't believe in this sort of thing in the first place - even up to this day? Who were you apologizing to if you thought it was wrong? So you believe that the uncontrollable mouth was an evil influence or "false spirit" taking control of your mouth without your consent?

I could have easily been misled by the supernatural experience of being pushed behind three time by an unseen hand, but Jesus had warned me prior a week ago to decide that day Whom I will seve, the Lord Jesus Christ or something else in His name. I answered.. You of course, but the sens of urgency did not go away until I prayed, "Help me to do it". Then the peace came. And so I thank Jesus for keeping me from falling to this movement of the spirit a week later (the holy laughter movement) in glorifying that spirit in that movement.

All experiences should line up with the word of God before being accepted! Amen! Are you absolutely sure it was Jesus who warned you a week prior? There are a whole lot of scriptures, and no, not taken out of context that would support what you may have been experiencing could have been from the Lord wanting to take you deeper into himself. You said the sense of urgency didn't go away immediately. How do you know if it wasn't God being patient with you? Are you sure the sense of peace you had was a sign that you were in God's will at the moment? What if the sense of urgency leaving was simply God no longer striving with you?

Like you, I had something come all over me, urging me on to speak, IN FAITH, the syllables that came to me. The only difference I see in you and I is that you believe you did the right thing by not going with what you were experiencing at the time and I did what I believed to be obedient. To this day, I don't believe I ever did anything wrong and against the will of God. If anything, I experienced a more fulfilling walk, more meaningful prayer life, a greater hunger for his word, etc. I've never even looked for a "refilling" since then but, at times, I've been moved to pray "in the spirit" as if an additional fillling came along for the time and circumstance. I don't believe for a moment I'm a leaky vessel. The Holy Spirit is here to stay but how he operates in me moment by moment is between the Father, Son and Himself.

Consider for a moment, could there be the slightest chance that what you were experiencing was the Lord, through the Spirit, was looking to bless you and move you into something far deeper than you could ever have imagined and - YOU WERE NOT WILLING - maybe because of unbelief? Please don't get upset. When I read... liquid nitrogen seeping into your head...being pushed from behind three times by an unseen hand...could it be that God, although a gentleman and loving Father would not force you into the 'deep end" of the pool but was doing what he could to almost push you in! Maybe... just maybe... up to the point of you going to church to honor the Holy Ghost, God looked upon you as a sincere child who is standing on the edge of the deep end of a pool asking his father to let him go out further into the deep. I can picture Jesus standing on the water waiting for you to "COME" I can picture the Holy Spirit on the side giving you three nudges as the Father looks on sitting at a poolside table declaring "Do not force him... let's see what he'll do in faith!"

I know... one could create any scene in his imagination to so-called reinforce his beliefs but - what if? What if you missed a chance? As I read your experience, I keep picturing the scene where the angel of the Lord appeared to Zacharias declaring unto him how God was about to do the impossible (maybe much like you feel about God willing to baptize you in the spirit). After the angel declared to him how Elizabeth was going to have a son, Zacharias replies:

Luke 1:18-20

18 And Zacharias said to the angel,