Author: Lois | Spiritual Abuse Blogs

Informational post on speaking in tongues #14: Almost Got The Spirit

This is just a little ‘did you know’ informational post on the subject of speaking in tongues, shared as some food for thought.

Another thing that often happens in Apostolic churches is people being told they “almost got the Holy Ghost/Spirit.” This is different from mainstream Pentecostal churches because Apostolics believe that speaking in tongues is the “initial evidence” of having received the Spirit. Because of this, if a person fails to speak in tongues, they are considered lost. Some will say this is not related to spiritual abuse, but I disagree. When you tell people that God “almost” gave them His Spirit, it leaves the person fearful and frustrated. Let’s look into this.

I don’t know how many times I have heard it said since the early 1980s that someone “almost” got the Holy Spirit. Perhaps the person expressed joy or had what some term “stammering lips.” Maybe they stumbled over their words (sometimes due to exhaustion). The person might be told this “almost” happened or, at the very least, people who are established in the church will think this or say it to someone else.

The person who was “tarrying” for the Spirit may walk away drained, tired and defeated in their spirit. Why didn’t God go all the way and just given them His Spirit? Why did God withhold? Is there something bad in their heart? Do they have unrepented sin? Do they lack faith? Could God be rejecting them? Maybe they need to stop some bad habit first? What if something happens to them before this happens? Oh, no, they don’t want to be lost! Many questions, doubts and fears can fill the mind of the person who “almost” received God’s Spirit.

Where did this belief come from? Can we find any instances in the Bible where someone “almost” received God’s Spirit? Can we find Jesus or any of the apostles teaching that this can happen? For those reading who have been subject to this teaching, have you taken the time to search your Bible to see if anything related to this is found there? This is a teaching that has been passed from person to person through the years and has been accepted by many. It causes unnecessary turmoil and fear.

One biblical incident that some might attempt to use in an effort to teach this is found in Acts 8, where the Gospel is delivered to the Samaritans, people believe and are water baptized, and yet they did not receive the Spirit right then. (There is not space to go into the other aspects of the incident in this post and so I am sticking with my main thought.) While this is true, they did not “almost” receive the Spirit as that was something absolutely impossible. Why? The Spirit had not fallen on any of them yet. Because of this, no one can use Acts 8 to prove that someone can “almost” get the Spirit.

Another incident some try to use is in Acts where Paul “almost” persuades Agrippa to be a Christian. This has to do with a person believing on and placing their faith in Jesus and has nothing to do with him “almost” being filled with the Spirit.

There is not one incident in all of the Bible where it is shared that a person “almost” got the Holy Spirit. Not one time do we find anyone teaching that a believer can “almost” receive the Spirit. I know this may be hard for some to realize, but it simply is nowhere to be found. If we cannot find trace of it in the Bible, why do we teach and accept this today? Has God changed? Has He lost some of his power and authority down through the years?

What the Bible does teach is that the Holy Spirit is a gift from God. Jesus shared that He is our Comforter. Believers are sealed with the Spirit. Why would God “almost” give a person this gift? How would God “almost” give a person this gift? If God so loves the world and God so desires us to have a relationship with Him, why would anyone “almost” be given His Spirit? Stop and think about this.

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Informational post on speaking in tongues #13: Praying Through

This is just a little ‘did you know’ informational post on the subject of speaking in tongues, shared as some food for thought.

One thing that often happens in Apostolic churches is “praying through.” This is stressed for when one sins (real or perceived), as well as for when one “backslides” and leaves one of these churches. Now, some will say this is not related to spiritual abuse, but I disagree. When you tell people that they are no longer saved or that God hasn’t accepted them back simply because you have not heard the person speak in tongues again, it causes harm to the person. It puts them in fear and they doubt their salvation. It causes some to have a distorted image of God.

This notion of “praying through” basically means that, since Apostolics/Oneness Pentecostals believe speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit, many in this group also believe that if a person sins or backslides, they need to “pray through” afterward until they speak in tongues again. Until the tongues are heard, the person is usually perceived as not right with God, not accepted by God and/or still has sin or unrepented sin in their heart. Faith is tossed aside in exchange for some type of tangible proof that God still wants that person.

Sometimes these people are able to quickly speak in tongues again. It is a relief to the person as well as to their fellow members. Sometimes the person never speaks in tongues again. Other times it takes days, weeks, maybe even months before it happens. During this time, the person often fears for their soul, wondering why God hasn’t accepted them. Their fellow members may keep their distance or they may regularly fast and pray for them. In their mind, the individual is holding back, doesn’t want to stop sinning, or has some sin for which they have not yet repented. Leadership may even say fearful things like, “If the rapture took place today, brother x isn’t ready and would be left behind.”

In unhealthy churches, fear is a main motivating factor behind a majority of what is taught and done. Causing someone to believe they have not been accepted by God is as bad as it goes. For a Christian, if you believe God hasn’t accepted you, what hope do you have? Your life is fraught with dread and fear and you spend your time searching yourself to discover just what is so bad that this is happening. You repent of all sorts of things, as well as the things that may be in your heart that you don’t see. Finally one day you manage to speak in tongues again and you are relieved (for the moment). God does really love you! If this happens at home, you may still be seen in the same way by fellow members until they hear you for themselves in a church service.

Where did this notion of “praying through” until you speak in tongues come from? Are you tormented by a teaching that can be found nowhere in the Bible? Are you beside yourself, thinking that God has not accepted you, all because some minister or fellow Christians told you this? Has anyone read where Paul was told by Silas he needed to “pray through” after having his heated disagreement with Barnabas? Did Paul tell Peter he had to “pray through” when Peter wrongfully separated himself from Gentile believers?

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Giveaway: C.H. Yadon & the Vanishing Theological Past in Oneness Pentecostalism

This is only open to those with a USA mailing address. We always provide these giveaways at no charge to our readers.

This is your chance to receive a new copy of C.H. Yadon and the Vanishing Theological Past in Oneness Pentecostalism by Thomas Fudge. It is the third book in his series on Oneness Pentecostalism. It covers Oneness Pentecostal history, and highlights the United Pentecostal Church, of which Mr. Fudge was once a member.

The emphasis is on the life of C.H. Yadon. Yadon turned in his UPC license in 1993 when the affirmation statement started being required of all ministers. Over the years, the UPCI has pushed people out of the organization as they took stands against various beliefs.

United Pentecostal General Superintendent David Bernard did not want this book to be published and his comments are included in Fudge’s work. His comments alone are a good reason to want to read this book as the UPCI doesn’t want aspects of their actual history known. This is what Bernard wrote:

“I do not recommend the book for publication, for the following reasons: (1) The audience is extremely limited. The focus and tone are too narrow to appeal to most scholars. The subject matter is of interest primarily to Oneness Pentecostals, but C.H. Yadon is not a well-known figure in the movement’s history, and those who would be interested could be repelled by the harsh anti-UPC rhetoric. Thus, the most likely readers are those who have left the Oneness Pentecostal movement or who are considering it. (2) The research does not meet scholarly standards. It doesn’t adequately engage the latest scholarship in the field. It doesn’t consider or interact meaningfully with opposing evidence or alternative views. It relies excessively on marginal, questionable, or unverifiable sources with inadequate attention to readily available, documented, and credible sources. (3) It is a mixture of historical analysis and theological debate, but doesn’t fully complete either task successfully. In any case, the author has already covered this ground in a previous book. (4) It gives excessive space and coverage to a little-known, insignificant work by a nineteenth-century, semi-Arian writer. Since that work doesn’t represent a significant position within Oneness Pentecostalism, it has limited historical or theological value. (5) The family of C.H. Yadon opposes publication.”

Some might be interested in a series of lectures by Thomas Fudge on the history of Christianity from the Roman Empire until the Reformation. https://youtu.be/WgTDplQabRk

This giveaway is a drawing. To enter, just leave a comment to show you wish to be included. The drawing will close on March 30, 2025 at 6pm (eastern time), after which I will draw the winner.

Don’t be alarmed if your comment does not immediately show as it may require approval.

Be sure to check back to see if you have won as in the past some people have not responded after winning and so a new winner had to be drawn. You will then need to email me your mailing address if I do not already have it, so be sure to watch your email and check the spam folder. If I know your Facebook profile, I will message you there.

In 2025, we’ll be giving away one copy of each of Thomas Fudge’s books on the UPCI/Oneness Pentecostalism (Christianity without the Cross: A History of Salvation in Oneness Pentecostalism and Heretics & Politics: Theology, Power, and Perception in the Last Days of CBC), plus plus Women and Worship at Corinth: Paul’s Rhetorical Arguments in 1 Corinthians and Unveiling Paul’s Women: Making Sense of 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 by Lucy Peppiatt and more.

You may want to subscribe to the email notifications of new blog posts in order to not miss these. While we try to share about our giveaways on social media, those platforms often do not show the posts to many people.

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Giveaway: The Uncomfortable Confessions of a Preacher’s Kid

This is only open to those with a USA mailing address. There is absolutely no cost to enter.

I apologize for not starting our monthly giveaways in January. To make up for this, there will be three posted in March. The final will post on March 28.

This is your chance to receive a new copy of The Uncomfortable Confessions of a Preacher’s Kid: A Memoir by Ronna Russell. This is the second release of her book, from 2023.

Ronna had a childhood filled with fear of her father’s quick temper, being lost, and being left behind in the rapture. This book is more than just her experiences being brought up in the UPC. It is about how she struggled and overcame many years of loneliness and obstacles in her life.

Ronna, one of Donald Fisher’s three daughters, shares her painful and lonely upbringing in the United Pentecostal Church. She longed to belong and fit in somewhere and not feel suffocated by her father’s rules and control. Some people envy PKs, thinking they have life great, yet many do not and reading this memoir will cause you to reconsider such a thought.

The late Donald Fisher held license for many years in the United Pentecostal Church. His influence on the United Pentecostal Church cannot be denied, yet at the same time his influence on his children was something quite different, so much so that Ronna has never missed him since his passing in 1995.

Some might also want to read Heretics and Politics: Theology, Power, and Perception in the Last Days of CBC by Thomas Fudge. Ronna was interviewed for it and it covers, in part, about her father.

This giveaway is a drawing. To enter, just leave a comment to show you wish to be included. The drawing will close on March 28, 2024 at 6pm (eastern time), after which I will draw a winner.

Don’t be alarmed if your comment does not immediately show as it may require approval.

In 2025, we’ll be giving away one copy of each of Thomas Fudge’s books on the UPCI/Oneness Pentecostalism (Christianity without the Cross: A History of Salvation in Oneness Pentecostalism, Heretics & Politics: Theology, Power, and Perception in the Last Days of CBC, C.H. Yadon and the Vanishing Theological Past in Oneness Pentecostalism), plus Women and Worship at Corinth: Paul’s Rhetorical Arguments in 1 Corinthians and Unveiling Paul’s Women: Making Sense of 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 by Lucy Peppiatt and more.

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Giveaway: Safe Church by Andrew Bauman

This is only open to those with a USA mailing address. There is absolutely no cost to enter.

I apologize for not starting our monthly giveaways in January. To make up for this, there will be three posted in March. The next will post on March 26.

This is your chance to receive a new copy of Safe Church: How to Guard against Sexism and Abuse in Christian Communities by Andrew Bauman.

This giveaway is a drawing. To enter, just leave a comment to show you wish to be included. The drawing will close on March 26, 2024 at 6pm (eastern time), after which I will draw a winner.

Don’t be alarmed if your comment does not immediately show as it may require approval.

In 2025, we’ll be giving away one copy of each of Thomas Fudge’s books on the UPCI/Oneness Pentecostalism (Christianity without the Cross: A History of Salvation in Oneness Pentecostalism, Heretics & Politics: Theology, Power, and Perception in the Last Days of CBC, C.H. Yadon and the Vanishing Theological Past in Oneness Pentecostalism), plus The Uncomfortable Confessions of a Preacher’s Kid: A memoir by Ronna Russell and more.

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Shop at our Amazon store! As an Amazon Influencer, this website earns from qualifying purchases.