April, 2000
Speaking In Tongues
(PartII)
Speaking in tongues, as I stated before, is a language unknown to the person speaking it. It is the language of men or of Angels.
1 Cor. 13:1
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity,I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
Speaking in tongues may be a language thatonce existed and is no longer spoken, it may be a language currently spoke here on earth or it may be a language spoken in heaven; but it is none the less a language given to each of us by God through the gift of the holy spirit. We are not responsible for what we say when you speak in tongues; but that we say it. There is no guarantee that anyone will ever understand what it is that we speak when we speak in tongues. When and if someone does understand speaking in tongues it is a phenomena as God doesn't promise it to be understood. It is not a language that we can be taught. It is simply a language that God gives our spirit to give to our mind to speak. God does not possess the person who speaks. God NEVER possesses anyone. Only the devil possesses. God does not slay anyone in the spirit nor does He make a person dance in the spirit as some religions teach. Such would be possession and God Never possesses.
To speak in tongues a person must have received the holy spirit. The holy spirit is a GIFT received from God for those who accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour and believe that God has raised him from the dead.
Romans 10:9-10
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believein thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.[10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouthconfession is made unto salvation.
New birth (getting born again and receiving thegift of the holy spirit) is not something we earned because we were goodpeople. It is a gift we received because we believed.
Ephes. 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:it is the gift of God:
No one speaks in tongues until after they are bornagain and they have the holy spirit permanently inside of them. The holyspirit doesn't come and go; but is God's seed placed permanently inside abeliever once he is born again.
Devil spirits can counterfeit most of themanifestations; but they cannot speak in tongues. One can never speak devilishlywhile speaking in tongues.
1 Cor. 12:3
Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spiritof God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is theLord, but by the Holy Ghost.
Every verse in the Bible that deals with speakingin tongues says that the believer (the one speaking in tongues) glorifiesGod. Now how can that be devilish?
Speaking in tongues is only one nine manifestationsof the holy spirit given to believers when we were born again. Thebeliever chooses to believe God to operate the manifestation or not. We canspeak in tongues if we chose to. We can't expect God to kick us in the butt,slay us in the spirit or toss us around like a rag doll. We don't expecta bolt of lightening to strike us in the chest to get us started. Those arethe tricks of the devil. I do it. I start it. I believeGod and act upon my believing. This is abailable to anybeliever.
1 Cor. 14:32
And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
The gifts of God throughout the Bible are receivedby believing. God expects us to believe His Word and act upon thatbelieving.
Romans 4:3-5
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was countedunto him for righteousness. [4] Now to him that worketh is the reward notreckoned of grace, but of debt. [5] But to him that worketh not, but believethon him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Therefore by our own will do we speak intongues.
Acts 2:4
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak withother tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
As they were filled and began to speak who did thespeaking? They did. The ones filled. They simply spoke as the spirit gavethem utterance. They moved their lips, their tongues, their throats and theyspoke the wonderful works of God as the spirit gave them utterance.
Anyone who is saved can chose to pray in thespirit (speak in tongues) or pray with the understanding (pray with the nativetongue) which ever she prefers at the moment. All of us would benefit greatlyby choosing to speak in tongues much.
1 Cor. 14:14-15
For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understandingis unfruitful. [15] What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I willpray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I willsing with the understanding also.
Cor14:14
For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth.....
Who is praying? Paul...its his spirit. Each of uschoses by our own will. We simply have to believe.
John 7:38-39
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his bellyshall flow rivers of living water. [39] (But this spake he of the Spirit,which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was notyet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Acts 2:1-4
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with oneaccord in one place. [2] And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as ofa rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.[3] And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it satupon each of them. [4] And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, andbegan to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The term rushing mighty wind can also be translated"a heavy breathing"
Temple is house. The cloven tongues of fire wasa phenomena strictly for that special day of Pentecost and is not promisedto us. The disciples breathed in, and breathed out. They relaxed, they believedGod's word and they breathed in the breath of life.
They didn't beg God to receive the holy spirit.They didn't get all worked up. They were still. They knew that they wouldreceive the promise of God.
Anyone can receive that promise of God. God doesn't save and redeem according to genealogies or race. He saves whoeverbelieves to receive the His salvation as promised in Romans10:9.
Acts 10:34
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
God respects beliefs and hearts, not persons.
1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on theheight of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth notas man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD lookethon the heart.
You must believe that God wants you to receive.
Acts 2:38
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you inthe name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receivethe gift of the Holy Ghost.
Go ahead, sit in a comfortable position, thankGod for having received the promise of the new birth. Be still and talk tothe Father; tell Him of your desire to get born again and to speak in tongues.Speaking in tongues is the only proof that you are born again.
Relax and breathe deeply. To be inspired is to havein spirit action. It is also to breathe in. So breathe in and open your mouthwide.
Psalm 81:10
I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: openthy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
John 20:22
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them,Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
This verse can better be understood when we realizethat the word 'on' is the Greek word 'en', which is also translated in; hebreathed in. The word them was added and can be deleted as it was not inthe text from which the King James translated. So Jesus instructed the disciplesto breath in by his example. He breathed in and said to them, "Receive yethe Holy Ghost".
Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord andSaviuor? Do you believe God raised him from the dead and that he is now seatedat the right hand of God? Well, if your answer is yes then by God's graceyou are born again. Now thank God get quiet and breath in the holy spirit.Tell God your hearts desire. He loves you and wants you to cry Daddy, Daddyby speaking in tongues. You move your lips, your tongue and you sound thewords. Remember you are not responsible for what you speak; but that youspeak. The words may come only by one or two or they may flow from your mouthlike a river; just keep speaking. When you are sure that your speaking thenstop. Relax and praise God for the new birth. Now speak in tongues more forit is praying perfectly. You can speak in tongues at will, when ever youdesire to. Speak in tongues much.
1 Cor. 14:18
I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
Paul spoke in tongues much. The word“with” is better translated “by”. Paul saidhe thanked God by speaking in tongues more than all those who were in Corinth. We can aspire to do the same. Thank God by speaking in tonguestoday.
Ephes. 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
You are God's best. You are His perfect masterpiece.