💥 The first church I attended after I was born again in 1975.

 

Comments by Joan Boney:

The first church I attended after I was born again was a non-denominational church in Dallas, Texas, called Believer's Chapel.  Their 2 main pastors were professors at Dallas Theological  Seminary.

The first week I started going there, they were having a special seminar called Tongues are of the devil.

At that time I knew nothing about speaking in tongues.  I'd never even heard of a "tongue".  I began attending the seminar.

But one day I was reading a scripture in I Corinthians 14:39 and realized the apostle Paul said, 

"Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues."  I Cor. 14:39

At Believer's Chapel, the church I was attending, not only were they "forbidding tongues" in the church but they were also teaching tongues were of the devil.

They were teaching opposite to what was written in the Bible.

Although I was a new Christian, I was not going to attend a church where they taught something opposite to that which is written in the Bible.

Also Paul instructed:

I Corinthians 14:26,27,28  How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

27

27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.

28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

💥💥💥

Paul said tongues in the church must be used in a proper way and there must be an interpreter.  

Immediately I stopped going to that church which was teaching opposite from what I saw in the Bible.

When this happens, a very serious conflict can occur.  Though I chose the Bible, those two professors had planted seeds in my heart by their doctrines.

At that time I was attending a local prayer group in my neighborhood.  Several people from different churches attended this prayer group.

One day, something terrible had happened to a child and it was reported in the newspaper.  One person from the group told us we needed to pray over this situation.  We began praying, silently.  Then I heard a low sound, sort of a murmuring.  Then someone would pray aloud.  Then there would be silence followed by one person praying aloud.  I realized these women were praying in tongues before they prayed in normal sound. I was terrified!  

I left the house as soon as possible.  One woman followed me to my car and said, "Joan ... don't be troubled by this."

I said, "Of course not."  But I was terrified!  I didn't want anything to do with things of devil and those ministers were teaching tongues to be of devils.  And even though I knew the same two ministers were not teaching what Bible said about tongues, they were saying tongues were of devils.

I decided I would stop going to the prayer group.

But I was also asking God to settle this in me.

I felt God was showing me to take the New Testament Bible and compare every scripture concerning tongues.  I really expected to learn from the Bible that tongues were from the devil. But that is not what I learned by comparing each of the scriptures.  I saw tongues were one of the spiritual gifts given by God to the church.  

I Corinthians 12  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

(God had been giving me both word of wisdom and word of knowledge which I would share with church groups ... so if God chose to give someone tongue and interpretation how could that be wrong?)

9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

11But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as HE (God) will.

We must accept all the Bible and not just parts of the Bible.  If something is told us in the Bible, we simply accept that by faith.

💥💥💥

God taught me what the Holy Spirit does for the believer to guide us into all truth and to teach us the will of God.   I was constantly receiving from the Holy Spirit words of wisdom in situations, works of knowledge, and discerning of spirits.  I knew I must accept tongues as being part of the church as God wills because of the things I had read in the New Testament Bible concerning the work of the Holy Spirit.  

When many in churches hear of the Holy Spirit they automatically relate to the subject of speaking in tongues.  They don't always know of all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in the Bible.

One of my friends was raised Baptist.  She told me this story.  She first saw her husband at a country grocery store.   Wynette heard this thought in her mind.  "You're going to marry him."  I rejoiced when she told me this and I said, "Oh Wynette.  What you heard was a word of knowledge from God.  One of the Spiritual Gifts from the Holy Spirit."

At mention of the Holy Spirit, Wynette became terrified!

As I thought about this, I realized Wynette had been taught against tongues at her Baptist Church.

I'm sure many churches teach negative things concerning the Holy Spirit.  And what they are taught at church causes them to reject many of the parts of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  

I'm terribly sorry for I know the gifts of the Holy Spirit are a great gift from God given to benefit individuals in the church.

In fact, by that which the Holy Spirit brings to my mind, I know those things given to me by God and I know God's will in various things of this present life.  I wouldn't want to go forward on this earth without the help and comfort of the Holy Spirit of God.

And I know some people don't even understand that the Holy Spirit of Jesus dwells in each believer.

I Corinthians 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

I Corinthians 2

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by HIS Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

💥💥💥

I'm afraid for those in church who reject the Holy Spirit of God.  For Jesus said this is an unpardonable sin.

Matthew 12:31 (Jesus says)  Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

💥💥💥

The Word of the Holy Spirit in the church:

Jesus says:

John 14:26   But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in MY name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you

John 16:13  Howbeit when HE, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of HIMSELF; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.

I would hate to live on this earth without the help and comfort provided us by God through HIS Holy Spirit.

And Jesus said the following concerning the Holy Spirit:

Acts 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto ME both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

💥💥💥💥💥