TONGUES is a precious gift from God

If Pilgrim walked a thousand leagues, o’er coals and shards of broken pain.
If once to look the narrow way, with questioned hope and self restraint.
If right and left were set before, and straight the way made good and clear.
With ever thoughts of ease did labour on, refusing all the Cross to bear.

What profit in these things would find, a man with no distain for fleshy life?
What purpose in these things would show, if comprehending nought but certain woes?
To wink sweet vanity and self repose, discomfort all and looks of being shamed,
Take nothing more than foolish gain, and in it all be found alone?

To press with joy the narrow way, makes nothing sure its course ne’er run.
Nor left nor right but straight and true, will of itself accomplish none.
Except ye first conceive to know, what lies ahead this way to go,
And by such choosing grasp this truth, that Christ Himself bore man’s reproof.

To look ahead in purpose straight, a profit for our Lord to reap.
It will be found in certain measure, the fool has run himself to gain.
But gain for self and none for Christ, is gain not all but gain for one.
Though gain had been as He did gain, would gain for all and gain indeed.

Ahead the road is made “The Cross” and so The Cross is sought for hope.
Faith and Truth that in His body won, the cost of life was borne in full.
And there is set another measure, the scales of which weigh works and deeds.
Now will that man take more concern, to labour well by Christ indeed.

Walk on walk on a thousand leagues, we labour now no more concerned.
With worthless purpose vain conceit, with faithless thoughts and foolish faith.
Cast down to furrowed ground made good, where seed will die and broken, grow.
Thirty, sixty and an hundred fold, thy portion Lord thy harvest knows.

And when by faith at journey on, obedience still remains and hopes.
Ne’er left nor right but straight and true, the fullness of thy servant makes.
To look and then to comprehend, great weights and scales are set before.
In one last cry in Hope secure. to throw ourselves upon thy rest.

For though we walk ten thousand leagues, or bear The Cross as set before.
It is The Cross behind us now, that Christ our Lord and Saviour bore.
What count we now our little done, if done in strength and of our own?
If not His strength but ours we labour, we would have laboured not at all.

Tis all His gain tis all His good. Ours the chaff before the wind.
Would better yet to labour not, than labour false ne’er true to Him.
When harvest comes and wheat and tares, are by His word made clear,
We find that tares are we and sure. what wail and cry, what gnash of teeth.

Consider Christ and all His efforts, consider Christ His labours done.
Consider God His purpose known, to bring us all to Christ His Son.
With selfish thoughts and ease we see the loss which faithless labour proves.
Consider Christ in Truth and Hope, gave His life that we might choose.

Though choice by Christ will not in measure, of just one soul by foolish labour.
It will by many as the sand, which would not go that narrow way.
And having chosen Christ and all. let Christ and all be to our choice.
Made certain by our choosing Him. The narrow way of Christ at last.

Rhomphaeam

I want to express appreciation for your poem, and for your overall respect for the beauty of proper wording. I feel the poem does a good job of expressing your point of view both thoroughly and in a way that is melodic.

The line that stood out the most to me was this one:
The reason is that it concisely mentions two things I sincerely detest:

1. Doing little when we have "All Power" in Jesus backing us up. And...
2. Doing things in our own strength.

In my understanding of the situation there has NEVER been a conflict between what God is willing to do and how much his people can (and should) do. I think it a grave misrepresentation when people suggest that DOING something in the power of God is somehow wrong. And I similarly detest the idea that we should only do little things. Throughout the bible I see God consistently provoking his people to believe and do greater and greater things through faith in him... and expressing dissatisfaction (even wrath) when they suggest things like "We're just not good enough" or "We should have stuck with what we had instead of striving towards the greatest promises we've ever heard".

It's one of those things that to me is so wrong that I struggle to find the right way to express just how wrong it is, or in how many ways it is against the will of God....even though it SOUNDS correct.

I feel conflicted in telling you all this because I TRULY appreciate your love for wording and the way your poem expresses your viewpoint in a way that reminds me of the flow of a calming song or the way the waves move across a wheat field on rolling hills.(Yes, that's honestly what I pictured when reading it) even though I know some of the underlying assumptions produce bondage.

Not sure how to end this other than to tell you that I consider you a friend rather than an enemy. And to wish you well.

Love in Jesus,
Kelby

This account comes from Lester Sumralls book Pioneers of Faith. Sumrall relates how he met Smith Wigglesworth during the dark days of World War II and gives the following account:

"Shutting his eyes again, he said, I see the greatest revival in the history of mankind coming to Planet earth, maybe as never before. And I see every form of disease healed. I see whole hospitals emptied with no one there. Even the doctors are running down the streets shouting. He told me that there would be untold numbers of uncountable multitudes that would be saved. No man will say so many, so many, because nobody will be able to count those who come to Jesus. No disease will be able to stand before Gods people It will be a worldwide situation, not local, he said, a worldwide thrust of Gods power and Gods anointing upon mankind. Then he opened his eyes and looked at me and said, I will not see it, but you shall see it. The Lord says that I must go on to my reward, but that you will see the mighty works that He will do upon the earth in the last days. The idea that I would get to see this revival was almost overwhelming. And in the last decade or so, I believe we have seen this revival begin to sweep the earth. We have seen amazing moves of God in Africa Recently, I was in China and met with the underground church. I was told there are at least forty-five million Full Gospel Christians in China. I discovered a depth of prayer and integrity there that I have not felt anywhere else in the world So I believe we are seeing Wigglesworths prophecy begin to be fulfilled. We are seeing the first stages of it. Dear friends, let us devote ourselves to prayer and fasting and practical steps of obedience so that if possible, we could be included by God as co-workers in the great revival move of the Spirit that Smith Wigglesworth saw in that vision."

What is interesting to myself in this account is the reference to China as a personal comment by Lester Sumrall.

What is clear is that this vision is different to the earlier one reported by Norman Armstrong on Sunday the 16th of Oct 2011 recollecting his own childhood experience of meeting Smith Wigglesworth in his own home in the early 20th century and receiving the prophecy about Australia as the origin of that last end time revival.

I was only a very young boy when my Dad told me one day that a man called Smith Wigglesworth was coming to minister in our home, and that he was a mighty man of God. We were all very excited. The day came, and our house was packed out with people. I wanted to get a good look at him and the only place was the toilet seat, so I went in there to watch him preach.

Suddenly, Smith stopped preaching and told me (Pr Norm) to come out of the toilet. Then he laid hands on me and started prophesying over me.” He said, “Australia you have been chosen by God for a great move of the Holy Spirit. This move of God will be the greatest move of God ever known in mankind’s history and will start towards the end of the 20th century and move into the 21st century. This move of God will start a great revival in Australia, spread throughout the whole world and usher in the second coming of Jesus. This will be the final revival before the coming of the Lord.

God will rise up a man in Australia who will lead this move of God under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This man will bow down to no one other than God. He will have tremendous favour in the nation of Australia.

My son, my (Smith Wigglesworth) eyes will not see this man, but you (Pr Norm Armstrong) will meet this man before you go to be with the Lord. Now I will lay hands on you and pass on the mantle of God for this great mission. When you see this man place your hands on him and prepare him for this mission and pass on this mantle.”

It was shortly after this that Norman Armstrong went to be with the Lord [November 11th 2011] (Not the date on the video I posted) as I mistakenly stated above the video itself.

These two different accounts are separated by nearly 20 years in their spoken form - and yet they clearly contradict one another in one significant way. Personally for reasons I can't explain here - I would be inclined to take more note of the Lester Sumrall account to get any sense of validity.

I fervently love these servants of the Living God, what a legacy, what a testimony. But these prophecies come from the human heart renewed by the Holy Spirit.

The coming of the Lord is not ushered in by worldwide revival but by rebellion and apostacy, by hearts which have grown cold, by betrayal between brethren and the most evil persecution imaginable.

We will see great things and we do at present see great things in China and Africa and even India for we which our hearts overflow with praise and thanksgiving.

Do not I pray you read this as criticism of those glorious servants you have been talking about ... remember that they were men.

Can a person who partakes of a sexually perverted religion really teach anyone about God and his commands?

You must be born again and COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM.....is the command, for evil has no fellowship with good, just as light dispels the darkness.

For instance if a person attends or supports a church for men that love men or lgbt.....Can that person partake of the abomination of an infidel and still claim to understand God?

I know that having a born again experience we have a 180 change not a 360.
We go in the opposite direction that sin took us to the wages of sin.

well I can tell you this one person who comes to mind is Carlton Pearson. He has embraced the idea and tried to make it work by saying the Holy Spirit showed him no one goes to hell for eternal punishment. Now the Holy Spirit goes against the word of God? He too said homosexuals can be saved as long as they are not doing sexual activities. He has changed his position on that too.

There are those who have confronted him but those people have made concessions for his False teaching and apostasy. You will see in this video they are not holding to the word of God and suggest God is not through with Carlton, even though we are told once to confront the brother and HE WILL NOT REPENT LET HIM BE. all these other preachers here are now doing the greater wrong.

I want to express appreciation for your poem, and for your overall respect for the beauty of proper wording. I feel the poem does a good job of expressing your point of view both thoroughly and in a way that is melodic.

The line that stood out the most to me was this one:
The reason is that it concisely mentions two things I sincerely detest:

1. Doing little when we have "All Power" in Jesus backing us up. And...
2. Doing things in our own strength.

In my understanding of the situation there has NEVER been a conflict between what God is willing to do and how much his people can (and should) do. I think it a grave misrepresentation when people suggest that DOING something in the power of God is somehow wrong. And I similarly detest the idea that we should only do little things. Throughout the bible I see God consistently provoking his people to believe and do greater and greater things through faith in him... and expressing dissatisfaction (even wrath) when they suggest things like "We're just not good enough" or "We should have stuck with what we had instead of striving towards the greatest promises we've ever heard".

It's one of those things that to me is so wrong that I struggle to find the right way to express just how wrong it is, or in how many ways it is against the will of God....even though it SOUNDS correct.

I feel conflicted in telling you all this because I TRULY appreciate your love for wording and the way your poem expresses your viewpoint in a way that reminds me of the flow of a calming song or the way the waves move across a wheat field on rolling hills.(Yes, that's honestly what I pictured when reading it) even though I know some of the underlying assumptions produce bondage.

Not sure how to end this other than to tell you that I consider you a friend rather than an enemy. And to wish you well.

Love in Jesus,
Kelby

"Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." John 14:11-13

Unbelief hinders the operation of the Holy Ghost as seen in Acts 9:40-42:
"Peter made them all leave the room. Then he got down on his knees and prayed. He turned to her body and said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes and looked at Peter and sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then he called in the faithful followers and the women whose husbands had died. He gave her to them, a living person."

@Wansvic and @KelbyofGod Thanks for your replies. I am going to take some time to pray, think about, and consider your replies before thoroughly replying to them.

I'm not trying to discredit your experience but would like to understand it because I have heard others on platforms such as these say that they can speak in tongues any time they want.

My personal experience and what I've heard from people I know in real life are different. I was taught to pray and wait upon the Spirit and then be willing to let the Spirit have control.

Out of an abundance of caution, unless it comes from the Spirit, it is not coming from or out of my mouth.

There is way too much of that going on nowadays. People using their own understanding trying to do things that are only done by the Spirit. Getting within themselves and bringing a shame and reproach on the true gifts of God.

Paul said he thanked God that he spoke in tongues more than all of them. I don't believe this was because Paul was just doing it in and of himself. Paul lived close to God, was obedient, submitted himself to God, and in a way in which the Holy Spirit moved upon him more than all of them. And that is why the Holy Spirit used him more and worked through him more, in my opinion. Not that he was able to do anything on his own. He wasn't and none of us are it takes the Spirit.

And yes, people can be feeling the Holy Spirit at the same time and be speaking in tongues at the same time. That is why they are instructed to be quiet or in other words not take over service unless there is interpretation. We can all feel the Spirit at the same time and we can quiet down, but from my experience, I can't just make the Spirit begin to move on me at any time.

In response to this, I am actually amazed by some of the things I've been suffered to remain in the room to see.

Oh, I forgot to say in last posting that God was able to do mighty works through those few mentioned individuals (Which would also include Paul and Peter, etc.) WHILE they were still imperfect! So everyone needs to get off their high horse of "I'm so bad that God cannot use me" and start believing that God is greater than you and your sins. People only need to look at Samson to break that kind of thinking. His miracles were almost all performed right after sleeping with women out of wedlock (or some other failure)... Because he judged God's love for him and His people GREATER than their sins and failures.

On the other hand the children of Israel were destroyed in the wilderness because they REFUSED to believe that God was willing to look past their failures and was rather willing to work miracles for them (instead of destroying them) in EVERY time of need even if caused by their mistakes (and ultimately to bring them to glorious victory in the PROMISEd land).

Love in Jesus,
Kelby

And that kind of thinking cost the children of Israel dearly. That's why I'm speaking against it so fervently.

Love in Jesus,
Kelby

Out of an abundance of caution, unless it comes from the Spirit, it is not coming from or out of my mouth.

I was taught to pray and wait upon the Spirit and then be willing to let the Spirit have control.

And so what about Romans 6:6 and its outworking of Galatians 2:20 ? Paul was the only apostle who said be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Yet you say that your resist it fervently. Why is that?

Did he ALSO walk in miracles, etc? Yes, to the point that God worded SPECIAL miracles through him.