Speaking in tounges - A supernatural powerful gift
In my previous posts I wrote about eternal life, the being born again experience and the baptism of the Holy Spirit which I strongly recommend you to read first in order to get a better understanding. In this post I will be dealing with something that has caused a great confusion and division among the believers. The gift of speaking in tongues. I hope that the Word of God will enlighten your mind and help you see the great potential of this Godly given gift.
I believe that speaking in tongues is not THE sign of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I believe it is normal, it is natural, it is the right thing to do and if a person is not messed with by relegion and been put fear in them, I believe you would naturally speak in tongues when you receive the Holy Spirit.
Speaking in tongues is not of the devil and you don't become demon possesed:
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:13)
If you are seeking God and want this power of the Holy Spirit that the scripture is talking about, then He is not going to let the devil give you some demonic gift! If speaking in tongues is of the devil, why don't you hear people in bars speaking in tongues? Why don't you go into prostitution houses and hear all them speaking in tongues? It is amazing the arguements people come up with to talk people out of this! God does not give His Holy Spirit to those who beg or deserve it, but to those who ask. You have to by faith begin to start speaking and believe that it is God that is inspiring you.
"But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1Corinthians 2:14)
"...we have the mind of Christ" (1Corinthians 2:16)
We have to receive revelation of the Word of God through the Holy Spirit.
Some people, especially in the Pentecostal circles, say that they just speak in tongues and can't control it. This is not true:
"And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets." (1Corinthians 14:32)
The Holy Spirit does not force you to speak in tongues. He inspires you but YOU have to speak. The same goes with teaching. I believe that God is speaking through me but He doesn't force me to say it. This is why it all comes out through my personality. If you are waiting for the Holy Spirit to come and force you to speak in tongues, you will never do it! When you are speaking in tongues it makes zero sense to your mind and it is embarrassing. It takes humility to speak in tongues and pride was the first thing that broke down in me when I started doing it. I just felt totaly humiliated! You can just start with small words and syllables together. It will make no sense, you may feel foolish but if you keep on doing it more words will come out. Don't wait for the Holy Spirit to force you speak in tongues. You have to cooperate with Him. When He flows through you He will inspire you but YOU have to speak.
There are languages existing on earth that they don't use words. They use whistles in different pithes. There is another language that is just clicks of tongue. There are some translations of the Bible in these notes and clicks (Wycliffe translators): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wycliffe_Global_Alliance
And yet that's a known language people use to communicate. I guarantee you, you can't evaluate whether what you are saying is really a tongue or not just based on how you feel about it and what it sounds like, because there are some people that click their tongue to communicate. Others whistle and so on.
The same goes with a baby. When it starts talking people may say that it is not trying to say mama or daddy, but don't you dare tell that parent that! That dad knows what that child is trying to communicate. Fear, unbelief and listening to ourself trying to evaluate if it is God or not creates doubt and may hinder you. It makes no sense to our mind so you have to get into faith! Our mind rebels and says no, all our flesh resists speaking in tongues because it doesn't make physical, natural sense. And that's one of the reasons that makes speaking in tongues so powerful:
"But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life." (Jude 1:20-21)
Praying in the Holy Ghost is speaking in tongues.
"He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself. (1Corinthians. 14:4)
Faith goes against the flesh. It gets you into the spirit realm. When you pray in tongues and do it in faith, it is just like a switch that starts releasing your most holy faith.
In the book of Corinthians, Paul speaks about mysteries and the hidden wisdom of God:
"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world to our glory. (1Corinthians 2:7)
Paul was revealing these things that used to be mysteries prior to this time. So God explained to him these mysteries (like with John in the book of Revelation) and took them out of the realm of being mystery and made them simple to everybody else. Where did Paul get this? You can see a lot of these things in the book of Galatians, book of Acts starting with chapter 9. It talks about the apostle Paul. He had been a Jew, schooled under Gamaliel, one of the greatest teachers of the Law. He even persecuted christians, he gave his voice and consented to their death. Then he had his encounter with Jesus on his way to Damascus, with the bright light that made him fall off his horse.
According to Galatians first 2 chapters Paul said of himself he went down to Jerusalem one time and saw Peter, but other than that he went out into the deserts of Arabia and he stayed there for 3 years and when he came back he became the apostle Paul and bagan ministering and started all these missionary journeys and so on. Paul and most Jews of those days could quote the first 5 books of the Bible and have certainly read the rest of the books of the Old Testament many times. He knew the Old Testament scripture but he had the wrong interpretation of it. It was all through the eyes of the Law and not through the grace of God. And so I believe during these 3 years he was taking the things that he knew from the scripture but the Holy Spirit was revealing these mysteries that he wrote. He wrote half of the New Testament and he was revealing these mysteries. How did he get this mystery? He says that he was speaking the hidden wisdom of God in a mystery:
"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world to our glory" (1Corinthians 2:7)
And this same man, writing to the same group of people, in this same book of 1Corinthians, look over here what he says:
"Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and above all that you may prophesy.
For he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not to men, but to God: for no man understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries." (1Corinthians 14:1-2)
In a few words, when you are praying in tongues you are praying mysteries! It is not foolishness. It might not be something that you understand, but you are speaking in the tongues of men and of angels and it says here that you are speaking mysteries in the Spirit:
"For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful." (1Corinthians 14:14)
He also says that
"Why let him that speaks in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret." (1Corinthians 14:13)
So if you pray in tongues you need also to pray that you get an interpretation and this was talking about a gift of tongues that operates in the church. But in this same passage the scripture says
"I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all" (1Corinthians 14:18)
He spoke in tongues outside the church more than all of them together! And he didn't do it in church because he said:
"Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue." (1Corinthians 14:19)
The reason I am saying that is that some people say that you must only speak in tongues if you can also interpret that thing in church and they put all this in a church context, but here we see Paul spoke in tongues privately. It was not only in church. I believe the gift of tongues can operate privately the same way it can operate in the church and if you can ask God to give you an interpretation, I believe that you can do that privately too. Let's combine the following verses:
Your spirit is praying the hidden wisdom of God and you must pray that you interpret.
I believe one of the ways, not the only way but one of the ways that Paul got this revelation of God's grace that just escaped from other people was because he took the scripture and he prayed over them in tongues and he was asking God for an interpretation. He believed that in his spirit had the mind of Christ (1Corinthians 2:16) and he was praying that this spiritual wisdom that was deposited in his born again spirit would come out and educate his brain and help him understand and see how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament. How we were no longer under these laws and rules and regulations and how we had a new way of relating to God by grace!
So I believe one of the major ways he received all this revelation was by praying in tongues and asking for an interpretation. I am trying to say that speaking in tongues is not foolish. You don't do it just to have some goose bump up and down your spine. If you are speaking in tongues you draw out God's wisdom. You don't do it just to proove that you are baptized in the Holy Spirit and it will not do any good until you interpret it. You can take scriptures, pray over them in tongues and receive wisdom and revelation. Your understanding will come clear. And you also must pray for interpetation. The Spirit of truth will show you things to come (John 16:13).
It is also important to remember that when praying in tongues it doesn't mean that the first thing that comes to your mind is God. That's not good! You have to check everything by the Word. For example let's say you are praying in tongues about your marriage and ask from God for interpretation and wisdom and you come up with the first thought "I think I am going to divorce her". Well, the Bible says in Malachi 2:15 that God hates divorce. Sometimes divorce is better than murder. Might be better than other options, but this is not the way God wants you to deal with things. And if you are so new in the Lord that you don't know the Word of God, then go to someone who is spiritual and share those thoughts that came to your mind after praying in tongues. Ask this person if he thinks that this is God. Go to somebody who has already studied the Word and has that wisdom and let them judge and look at what you think is God speaking to you.
You can evaluate your thoughts by the Word, because the Word of God " is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
It will devide whether it is a God thought or whether it is your own fleshly thought.
Speaking in tongues is one of the most powerful things God has given us and I believe that's one of the reasons that the devil fights it so much.People may come against you for speaking in tongues, especially religious people. I am not afraid to talk about that because it is a powerful experience.
There are many benefits of speaking in tongues. If you don't have the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues it is like you are charging hell with a water pistol! You need to have power. You need to have this power that Jesus spoke about! Amen.
BY Argie Simonis
I believe that speaking in tongues is not THE sign of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I believe it is normal, it is natural, it is the right thing to do and if a person is not messed with by relegion and been put fear in them, I believe you would naturally speak in tongues when you receive the Holy Spirit.
Speaking in tongues is not of the devil and you don't become demon possesed:
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:13)
If you are seeking God and want this power of the Holy Spirit that the scripture is talking about, then He is not going to let the devil give you some demonic gift! If speaking in tongues is of the devil, why don't you hear people in bars speaking in tongues? Why don't you go into prostitution houses and hear all them speaking in tongues? It is amazing the arguements people come up with to talk people out of this! God does not give His Holy Spirit to those who beg or deserve it, but to those who ask. You have to by faith begin to start speaking and believe that it is God that is inspiring you.
"But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1Corinthians 2:14)
"...we have the mind of Christ" (1Corinthians 2:16)
We have to receive revelation of the Word of God through the Holy Spirit.
Some people, especially in the Pentecostal circles, say that they just speak in tongues and can't control it. This is not true:
"And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets." (1Corinthians 14:32)
The Holy Spirit does not force you to speak in tongues. He inspires you but YOU have to speak. The same goes with teaching. I believe that God is speaking through me but He doesn't force me to say it. This is why it all comes out through my personality. If you are waiting for the Holy Spirit to come and force you to speak in tongues, you will never do it! When you are speaking in tongues it makes zero sense to your mind and it is embarrassing. It takes humility to speak in tongues and pride was the first thing that broke down in me when I started doing it. I just felt totaly humiliated! You can just start with small words and syllables together. It will make no sense, you may feel foolish but if you keep on doing it more words will come out. Don't wait for the Holy Spirit to force you speak in tongues. You have to cooperate with Him. When He flows through you He will inspire you but YOU have to speak.
There are languages existing on earth that they don't use words. They use whistles in different pithes. There is another language that is just clicks of tongue. There are some translations of the Bible in these notes and clicks (Wycliffe translators): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wycliffe_Global_Alliance
And yet that's a known language people use to communicate. I guarantee you, you can't evaluate whether what you are saying is really a tongue or not just based on how you feel about it and what it sounds like, because there are some people that click their tongue to communicate. Others whistle and so on.
The same goes with a baby. When it starts talking people may say that it is not trying to say mama or daddy, but don't you dare tell that parent that! That dad knows what that child is trying to communicate. Fear, unbelief and listening to ourself trying to evaluate if it is God or not creates doubt and may hinder you. It makes no sense to our mind so you have to get into faith! Our mind rebels and says no, all our flesh resists speaking in tongues because it doesn't make physical, natural sense. And that's one of the reasons that makes speaking in tongues so powerful:
"But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life." (Jude 1:20-21)
Praying in the Holy Ghost is speaking in tongues.
"He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself. (1Corinthians. 14:4)
Faith goes against the flesh. It gets you into the spirit realm. When you pray in tongues and do it in faith, it is just like a switch that starts releasing your most holy faith.
In the book of Corinthians, Paul speaks about mysteries and the hidden wisdom of God:
"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world to our glory. (1Corinthians 2:7)
Paul was revealing these things that used to be mysteries prior to this time. So God explained to him these mysteries (like with John in the book of Revelation) and took them out of the realm of being mystery and made them simple to everybody else. Where did Paul get this? You can see a lot of these things in the book of Galatians, book of Acts starting with chapter 9. It talks about the apostle Paul. He had been a Jew, schooled under Gamaliel, one of the greatest teachers of the Law. He even persecuted christians, he gave his voice and consented to their death. Then he had his encounter with Jesus on his way to Damascus, with the bright light that made him fall off his horse.
According to Galatians first 2 chapters Paul said of himself he went down to Jerusalem one time and saw Peter, but other than that he went out into the deserts of Arabia and he stayed there for 3 years and when he came back he became the apostle Paul and bagan ministering and started all these missionary journeys and so on. Paul and most Jews of those days could quote the first 5 books of the Bible and have certainly read the rest of the books of the Old Testament many times. He knew the Old Testament scripture but he had the wrong interpretation of it. It was all through the eyes of the Law and not through the grace of God. And so I believe during these 3 years he was taking the things that he knew from the scripture but the Holy Spirit was revealing these mysteries that he wrote. He wrote half of the New Testament and he was revealing these mysteries. How did he get this mystery? He says that he was speaking the hidden wisdom of God in a mystery:
"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world to our glory" (1Corinthians 2:7)
And this same man, writing to the same group of people, in this same book of 1Corinthians, look over here what he says:
"Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and above all that you may prophesy.
For he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not to men, but to God: for no man understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries." (1Corinthians 14:1-2)
In a few words, when you are praying in tongues you are praying mysteries! It is not foolishness. It might not be something that you understand, but you are speaking in the tongues of men and of angels and it says here that you are speaking mysteries in the Spirit:
"For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful." (1Corinthians 14:14)
He also says that
"Why let him that speaks in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret." (1Corinthians 14:13)
So if you pray in tongues you need also to pray that you get an interpretation and this was talking about a gift of tongues that operates in the church. But in this same passage the scripture says
"I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all" (1Corinthians 14:18)
He spoke in tongues outside the church more than all of them together! And he didn't do it in church because he said:
"Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue." (1Corinthians 14:19)
The reason I am saying that is that some people say that you must only speak in tongues if you can also interpret that thing in church and they put all this in a church context, but here we see Paul spoke in tongues privately. It was not only in church. I believe the gift of tongues can operate privately the same way it can operate in the church and if you can ask God to give you an interpretation, I believe that you can do that privately too. Let's combine the following verses:
- "For he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not to men, but to God: for no man understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries." (1Corinthians 14:2)
- "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world to our glory. (1Corinthians 2:7)
- "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful." (1Corinthians 14:14)
- "Why let him that speaks in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret." (1Corinthians 14:13)
Your spirit is praying the hidden wisdom of God and you must pray that you interpret.
I believe one of the ways, not the only way but one of the ways that Paul got this revelation of God's grace that just escaped from other people was because he took the scripture and he prayed over them in tongues and he was asking God for an interpretation. He believed that in his spirit had the mind of Christ (1Corinthians 2:16) and he was praying that this spiritual wisdom that was deposited in his born again spirit would come out and educate his brain and help him understand and see how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament. How we were no longer under these laws and rules and regulations and how we had a new way of relating to God by grace!
So I believe one of the major ways he received all this revelation was by praying in tongues and asking for an interpretation. I am trying to say that speaking in tongues is not foolish. You don't do it just to have some goose bump up and down your spine. If you are speaking in tongues you draw out God's wisdom. You don't do it just to proove that you are baptized in the Holy Spirit and it will not do any good until you interpret it. You can take scriptures, pray over them in tongues and receive wisdom and revelation. Your understanding will come clear. And you also must pray for interpetation. The Spirit of truth will show you things to come (John 16:13).
It is also important to remember that when praying in tongues it doesn't mean that the first thing that comes to your mind is God. That's not good! You have to check everything by the Word. For example let's say you are praying in tongues about your marriage and ask from God for interpretation and wisdom and you come up with the first thought "I think I am going to divorce her". Well, the Bible says in Malachi 2:15 that God hates divorce. Sometimes divorce is better than murder. Might be better than other options, but this is not the way God wants you to deal with things. And if you are so new in the Lord that you don't know the Word of God, then go to someone who is spiritual and share those thoughts that came to your mind after praying in tongues. Ask this person if he thinks that this is God. Go to somebody who has already studied the Word and has that wisdom and let them judge and look at what you think is God speaking to you.
You can evaluate your thoughts by the Word, because the Word of God " is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
It will devide whether it is a God thought or whether it is your own fleshly thought.
Speaking in tongues is one of the most powerful things God has given us and I believe that's one of the reasons that the devil fights it so much.People may come against you for speaking in tongues, especially religious people. I am not afraid to talk about that because it is a powerful experience.
There are many benefits of speaking in tongues. If you don't have the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues it is like you are charging hell with a water pistol! You need to have power. You need to have this power that Jesus spoke about! Amen.
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