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Hey Roger about your wanting tongues... First one must know the reason why they seek such a gift. If it's because your church encouraged you to seek it then that alone isn't enough. God searching the heart first if our motives and reasons in our hearts for something are against God's will then even with the best intentions we won't receive it.
I have wanting the gift of healing for so long I have asked God for it for ages because I can't stand to see others suffering and in pain I don't even care if I myself cannot be healed but I want others to feel the relief and soothing feeling of his healing touch however not once have I ever received it. Sometimes what we think we want and need is not his will whether you get tongues or not is up top God you can ask for it but whether he gives it to you or not try to trust him and accept his answer. Also just because he doesn't answer yes doesn't mean it's no sometimes it means wait. Also I would encourage you to do an in depth study on the purpose of the gift of tongues what it does and what symbolism it represents.
Honestly your church so far sounds very Charismatic which is fine to a point but I just worry because sometimes Charismatic churches go to far
I have wanting the gift of healing for so long I have asked God for it for ages because I can't stand to see others suffering and in pain I don't even care if I myself cannot be healed but I want others to feel the relief and soothing feeling of his healing touch however not once have I ever received it. Sometimes what we think we want and need is not his will whether you get tongues or not is up top God you can ask for it but whether he gives it to you or not try to trust him and accept his answer. Also just because he doesn't answer yes doesn't mean it's no sometimes it means wait. Also I would encourage you to do an in depth study on the purpose of the gift of tongues what it does and what symbolism it represents.
Honestly your church so far sounds very Charismatic which is fine to a point but I just worry because sometimes Charismatic churches go to far
If you had the gift of tongues, what would you do with it? I think a lot of people who think they have the gift of tongues use that “gift” for one reason: to show off how “holy” they are.
If you have some constructive purpose for this gift, pray for it. Otherwise you might pray for a gift that you can put to a better purpose.
If you have some constructive purpose for this gift, pray for it. Otherwise you might pray for a gift that you can put to a better purpose.
D
Yeah, I was told the same thing and then wasted 6 years of my life praying I could speak in tongues to prove I was saved.
I was saved. God proves that, not me. You're being taught dessert as if it is dinner. Find a church that teaches the Bible, not modern Christian construct, (like you have to speak in tongues to have the indwelling yaddayaddayadda). Save yourself six wasted years I can't get back. I recommend Reformed churches simply because they do teach Bible instead of whatever gets caught on the pastor's mind, instead of hearing tongues = proof of Spirit, instead of the do-do-do gospel that you'll just have to wash up from after you find out how muddy it is from God's word, and instead of having to constantly feeling the need to reinvent the wheel. Most of the stuff taught "anew" in the church today is really "we don't like what other generations came up with so we'll feel God to come up with something new." Also wasted time, since the reason the long-ago generations figured it out is a concentrated effort encompassing lots of effort studying the scripture and assuming it is a whole. And then arguing it until they agreed. They worked it out long ago, and it wasn't in hiding. You can read up on how they approached it, unlike the amount of stuff created by one guy today, and then bought by the masses.
(BTW, lots of people are going to get upset with me for daring to say this out loud, but if I don't say it, lots of people will tell you 20 other things you should do instead, so all you'll do is get even more confused.)
I was saved. God proves that, not me. You're being taught dessert as if it is dinner. Find a church that teaches the Bible, not modern Christian construct, (like you have to speak in tongues to have the indwelling yaddayaddayadda). Save yourself six wasted years I can't get back. I recommend Reformed churches simply because they do teach Bible instead of whatever gets caught on the pastor's mind, instead of hearing tongues = proof of Spirit, instead of the do-do-do gospel that you'll just have to wash up from after you find out how muddy it is from God's word, and instead of having to constantly feeling the need to reinvent the wheel. Most of the stuff taught "anew" in the church today is really "we don't like what other generations came up with so we'll feel God to come up with something new." Also wasted time, since the reason the long-ago generations figured it out is a concentrated effort encompassing lots of effort studying the scripture and assuming it is a whole. And then arguing it until they agreed. They worked it out long ago, and it wasn't in hiding. You can read up on how they approached it, unlike the amount of stuff created by one guy today, and then bought by the masses.
(BTW, lots of people are going to get upset with me for daring to say this out loud, but if I don't say it, lots of people will tell you 20 other things you should do instead, so all you'll do is get even more confused.)
Hello rdbseekingafterhim,
When you received Christ the Holy Spirit took up residency in you. The gift of tongues is just that, a gift. Though it was one of the outer signs at the on-set of the church, the gift of tongues is not the plum line to determine whether or not one has the Spirit. If that were so, Paul would not have said the following:
"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines."
"Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts."
The questions above demands a "NO" answer. If you are not speaking in tongues, then the Spirit has simply given you other gifts. It doesn't mean that you don't have the Holy Spirit, which we receive from believing in Christ. This teaching that we must speak in tongues as proof of having the Holy Spirit has produced churches where everyone is muttering gibberish and that because they have been taught how to speak in tongues. They have classes on how to do it. Speaking in tongues for the most part, would be to speak in a known language. How convenient it is for those who claim tongues as a must as proof of the Spirit, yet they never speak in a known language, but only spit out gibberish.
"Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
For those who are teaching tongues only as proof of having the Holy Spirit, how many have they destroyed who never spoke in tongues? You can see that this can and has been used as tool of Satan to destroy the faith of some.
When you received Christ the Holy Spirit took up residency in you. The gift of tongues is just that, a gift. Though it was one of the outer signs at the on-set of the church, the gift of tongues is not the plum line to determine whether or not one has the Spirit. If that were so, Paul would not have said the following:
"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in various tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines."
"Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts."
The questions above demands a "NO" answer. If you are not speaking in tongues, then the Spirit has simply given you other gifts. It doesn't mean that you don't have the Holy Spirit, which we receive from believing in Christ. This teaching that we must speak in tongues as proof of having the Holy Spirit has produced churches where everyone is muttering gibberish and that because they have been taught how to speak in tongues. They have classes on how to do it. Speaking in tongues for the most part, would be to speak in a known language. How convenient it is for those who claim tongues as a must as proof of the Spirit, yet they never speak in a known language, but only spit out gibberish.
"Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
For those who are teaching tongues only as proof of having the Holy Spirit, how many have they destroyed who never spoke in tongues? You can see that this can and has been used as tool of Satan to destroy the faith of some.
R
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
That's OK as far as it goes, butregardless of what cessationists (those who oppose spiritual gifts,easily refuted, groundlessly opining they ceased after Pentecost)pretend, Paul tells us the following:[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Read1 Cor. chapters 12-14. especially
14:5 "Now I wouldhave you all speak with tongues, but more that ye should prophesy"and
14:18 "I thank God, I speak with tongues more than youall:" and most frightening
14:21-22 "In thelaw it is written (Isa 28:11), By men of strange tongues and by thelips of strangers will I speak unto this people; and not even thuswill they hear me, saith the Lord. 22 Wherefore tonguesare for a sign, not to them that believe, but to the unbelieving: Mydear former pastor once warned us that God offends the mind to revealthe heart, following along this line, as happened with the Phariseesin Matthew 2 who knew where to tell the pagan wisemen where to findMessiah but failed to go themselves, like cessationists do today withhis holy spirit. Paul here clearly shows that and how God gaveand still gives tongues as judgment on unbelief. As anotherex-cessationist former pastor and theology professor observed to us(Sam Storms: Oklahoma City, OK > Enjoying God Blog), his problem with gifts wasn't primarilyBiblical/exegetical but pride, and I've never encountered acessationist, no matter how great the reputation, where that wasn'tclearly the case. They may impress the pride of one another and thevast ignorant masses, but as with Matthew 2's Pharisees, they areutterly tragic for those of us who [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]knowGod's Word in the original without translation and are [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]exegetically(rightly determining the text's meaning) and [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]hermeneutically(rightly interpreting the text's meaning, 2Tim 2:15 Make every effortto [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to beashamed, handling aright the word of truth.[/FONT])and [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]theologically(rightly studying the true nature of God) and especially [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]spiritually/pneumatically(Rom. 8:26 … the Spirit also helps our infirmity: for we know nothow to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself makes intercessionfor us with groanings unspeakable
informed.[/FONT]
That's OK as far as it goes, butregardless of what cessationists (those who oppose spiritual gifts,easily refuted, groundlessly opining they ceased after Pentecost)pretend, Paul tells us the following:[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Read1 Cor. chapters 12-14. especially
14:5 "Now I wouldhave you all speak with tongues, but more that ye should prophesy"and
14:18 "I thank God, I speak with tongues more than youall:" and most frightening
14:21-22 "In thelaw it is written (Isa 28:11), By men of strange tongues and by thelips of strangers will I speak unto this people; and not even thuswill they hear me, saith the Lord. 22 Wherefore tonguesare for a sign, not to them that believe, but to the unbelieving: Mydear former pastor once warned us that God offends the mind to revealthe heart, following along this line, as happened with the Phariseesin Matthew 2 who knew where to tell the pagan wisemen where to findMessiah but failed to go themselves, like cessationists do today withhis holy spirit. Paul here clearly shows that and how God gaveand still gives tongues as judgment on unbelief. As anotherex-cessationist former pastor and theology professor observed to us(Sam Storms: Oklahoma City, OK > Enjoying God Blog), his problem with gifts wasn't primarilyBiblical/exegetical but pride, and I've never encountered acessationist, no matter how great the reputation, where that wasn'tclearly the case. They may impress the pride of one another and thevast ignorant masses, but as with Matthew 2's Pharisees, they areutterly tragic for those of us who [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]knowGod's Word in the original without translation and are [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]exegetically(rightly determining the text's meaning) and [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]hermeneutically(rightly interpreting the text's meaning, 2Tim 2:15 Make every effortto [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to beashamed, handling aright the word of truth.[/FONT])and [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]theologically(rightly studying the true nature of God) and especially [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]spiritually/pneumatically(Rom. 8:26 … the Spirit also helps our infirmity: for we know nothow to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself makes intercessionfor us with groanings unspeakable
informed.[/FONT]