Wait, did Linzey just move the goalposts? Are we now talking about the baptism in the Holy Spirit doctrine? Note by the way that Linzey is teaching that the confirmation of receiving the indwelt Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues. I knew a powerful Pentecostal pastor who did not speak in tongues for the first 20 years he was in ministry. According to this teaching, he never received the indwelt Holy Spirit and thus was never saved. Talk about wrecking someone's faith! Let's examine some of these verses he cites:
Joel 2 - this is a prophecy that God will pour out His spirit and we will prophesy and see visions. Absolutely nothing about tongues at all. Ironic that Linzey would choose this since it is clear that GOD is the one pouring His spirit out as opposed to Linzey's beliefs that we can control the gifts of the spirit.
Luke 24 - this is just a reference to the promise of the coming Holy Spirit and how we will be clothed with power from on high. No one disputes this. It just is not the power to speak incoherently for no particular reason.
Acts 2 - this is the story of the first Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was delivered to the world. The disciples all spoke in tongues that day but none of those tongues were gibberish. They were all known languages, contrary to the beliefs of James Linzey. We can do the same with every verse he references here. So, by all means, have a bible study so you can free yourself of self-centered doctrines that are not scripturally supported.
"Second, after reading these passages and explaining them as necessary, inform the initiates that you and others in the room who already speak in tongues will begin to pray and worship God together. Remind them what Oral Roberts said: "Get with those who are praying in the Spirit and enter in." It's that simple." - James Linzey
Initiates? Wow. Oral Roberts was heretical as well and care not what he had to say for he will answer when standing before Christ. Just keep asking yourself, whose gift is this to give? Why should you need to stand in a circle with people crying out in the ignorance of incoherence? Realize these people believe in teaching the gifts of the spirit. That is what this is. The gift belongs to God, not James Linzey.
"Third, inform them that when you lay your hand on their heads, they are to enter in with you in praying in the Spirit at that moment. Remind them that they already have the Holy Spirit because they are saved, according to Romans 8:9. So all they are going to do is manifest the indwelling Holy Spirit as a river of living water flowing out of them, according to John 7:37-39." - James Linzey
Beloved, the bible says that forces in this world are either drawing people to Christ or scattering them away from Him. There are other spirits in this world besides the Holy Spirit. Be very careful who you let lay hands upon you. I mean this very sincerely. You are not an "initiate." You are a child of the living God and if He really wanted you to babble uncontrollably, He would not need anyone's help to have hands laid upon you in order to impart such. Romans 8 merely confirms that when saved we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit without any mention of the need to confirm such through speaking like a baby. John 7 does reference rivers of water but no mention of tongues whatsoever. Are we sensing a theme yet?
"Fourth, inform them to speak out by faith. There is no such thing as gibberish, for every utterance has meaning with God, according to 1 Corinthians 14:10, which says, "There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance." If they worry that there may be a counterfeit tongue on the basis that they think Satan speaks in tongues, inform them that is not true. If Satan spoke in tongues, and if this was an issue with which we should be concerned, Jesus or Paul would have warned us. But nowhere in Scripture did they say Satan spoke in tongues. Therefore, Satan does not speak in tongues. Since they were not concerned about it, neither should we be." - James Linzey
