To comfort those who speak in tongues

[convallaria]

There is a very simple answer for unbelief... sadly the simple solution has been kicked into the corner as archaic and unnecessary.

Amen! Unbelief is not "I CAN NOT" but "I WILL NOT"

 

[peacefulbeliever]

All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
(1 Corinthians 12:11)
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the Spirit distributes these works as the Spirit determines. it is not as man determines. there is one subject in that clause -- the Spirit. you do not choose to be a prophet or a healer or an exorcist or a worker of miracles. it is not by human command. it is not according to human determination. that is why Paul says desire the greater gifts, not 'determine for yourself' the greater gifts.

You are correct man does not determine for himself which "gift" he receives. It is God that gives the gift but it is man that determines to "manifest" that gift. 1 Cor. 12:7 - clearly call "all these" a manifestation of the Spirit - the nine manifestation are then listed . . . man determines whether he utilizes what God has given . . . People are using these manifestations as gifts - they are manifestations of the one gift given by God - the gift of holy Spirit.

this is completely in harmony with what's also written here:

Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
(1 Corinthians 14:29-33)
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the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet in the sense that he can shut up when he ought to. not in the sense that he can determine for himself when he will have a prophesy to give, or if he will be a prophet in the first place. if man determined how the gifts were distributed, then it would not say "if a revelation is made to another sitting" -- but "when another sitting determines to have a revelation."

For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
(1 Peter 1:21)
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the origin - and the determination of prophecy and every other gift of the Spirit - is in the Spirit, not in human will.

Correct, which is basically the same thing I said - God inspires - we respond. God inspired holy men to speak and to write as He inspired them - Did He take their hand and make them write or did holy men speak and write due to God's inspiration? They determined to obey God and manifested that by speaking and/or writing . . .

we may be able to stop our mouths in order to speak in an orderly way, and restrain ourselves for the sake of proper conduct, but we do not determine to be given any gift, or to retain it, and we do not turn the Spirit "on" and "off" like a toy. we have a "pause" button. that's all. not "play" and not "stop"

But if I say, "I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
(Jeremiah 20:9)

I remained utterly silent,
not even saying anything good.
But my anguish increased;
my heart grew hot within me.
While I meditated, the fire burned;
then I spoke with my tongue
(Psalm 39:2-3)


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this is what happens when you think you can just stop. your heart catches fire. the Word then, is not subject to my determination to be spoken or not as i desire, but i can wait my turn to speak.

if the gift was according to human determination, Jonah would have made it to Tarshish.

"What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’ ”
And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
(Jonah 2:9-10)
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Yes, the word of God should dwell in us richly and if it does it burns within us so that we may speak and share with others . . . just as we should. If the gift was according to human determination, Jonah would have made it to Tarshish? . . . What gift did Jonah receive? Maybe I missed something. Jonah was told by God to go to Ninevah - He determined NOT TO GO . . . He paid the consequence of his decision . . when he repented the fish vomited Jonah onto dry land and Jonah determined to go to Ninevah.

What I am meaning seems to not be getting across - God gave us a gift; it is up to us to manifest that gift . . . Never meant that man decides or distributes "gifts".

 

[passing_through]

I do not need to stir up the gift of speaking in tongues, I can just do it.