Riley322

Well it was a week after I Gave my life to the Lord, I was reading 1st corinthians 12-14, And I prayed for the gift, a minuite later I felt the Holy Spirit, and I was trembling, then I was praying to the Lord in a language I didn't understand. I've had the gift for 4 years, and it really does help me to meditate on the Lord. Sounds very simple. I've asked for it several times, but....maybe I'm making it more difficult than it is. Thanks Josh13!

Riley, I can only give you my experience on a personal level: in the mid 1980's while on a specularly assignment for the company I work for; and being away from home a distance of about 1,400 miles; someone came into our back yard and was making all kinds of noise. It was 2:37 in the morning on a moonless night when my wife was awaken by this activity. Her being a fearless Chickasaw Indian and having no fear to the point of no common sense she arose from bed and started looking out the window to see what all the noise was about. At this same time I was awaken from a sound sleep at 2:37AM and literally ejected into the floor flat on my face speaking in syllables that I could not understand....... I also was totally powerless to stop, along with being totally unable to get off my face. It lasted almost ten minutes; as it turned out the time that my wife was getting dressed to go outside and see what was going on.. (remember that lack of common sense sometimes)..... Just as she reached for the kitchen door handle she heard that voice in her head tell her to not do that...... understand that it is extremely unlike her to stop at the door. My non English speech stopped after the ten minute or so interval and I knew that my family was in trouble and continued praying in English for about 20 minutes..... after I felt they were ok I checked with my wife and she told me of the timing being so exact by us both checking the clock. Understand that I grew up being taught that tongues did not exist and I had no wish or even thought of being involved with it, so I don't mind telling you that as it started and for several minutes I was totally terrified of what was happening to me. I will say that it has happened dealing with other people over the years who were in pearl in some way, and sometimes just driving down the road I can just sing sort of that makes me very happy. So to all that read scripture and tell me that it isn't so........... you'll never convince me of that. You will also never convince me that my actions did not have some effect on what my wife was doing. Praying in tongues is between me and the Spirit and has nothing to do with other people, very very few people even know that I am involved.... I could tell you of other intercessory stories, but they concern others and It is not my place to share their situations that needed help. Is it necessary.... no it isn't, but it is. Can God handle the earth and all it's dealings without my help and interferance..... yep he surely can.... so why does he occasionally have me interfere in the spiritual lives of other people........ I don't have a clue, but I'm always available when it happens..... and it happened as late as yesterday. Sam Thanks, Sam! I wasn't raised in a Christian home but my first experience in church too was with a denomination that believes that the gifts of the Spirit have ceased. I started my Christian journey out like a lot of people, searching the scriptures feverishly for all the knowledge of God I could obtain. This went on for some time (and continues today). Anyway, I began to come across scriptures that just didn't seem to line up with some of the teaching that I was receiving. I ignored this for a while--until a friend invited me to a Bible study being led by what many would consider a "Charismatic" teacher. It was through attending this study that it began to dawn on me that the reason for my confusion was this: Scripture isn't supposed to line up the teaching we receive. The teaching we receive should line up with scripture. Anyway, I guess what I'm getting at is that my backgound, analytical nature and quite possibly some lingering unbelief have made it difficult to obtain the H.S. baptism. The reason for my question here was simply to gain a little insight into what that experience is like and maybe gain understanding of anything else that might hinder my ability to receive this blessing. Bless you for your testimony-very encouraging and insightful! Riley

Why ask "Why"? It is a gift available to us from God so why not desire and seek after it? I want ALL of God that is available to me. Besides, why do you assume I don't seek after healing, miracles or teaching? If it is of God, I want it! Hey seek after it, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened. Desire all gifts

I was not attending any Christian Fellowship or church. But recently I have started again - and it is exactly as though I had never stopped. I have an emotional sense of what I am saying but I do not know in my mind exactly what it is. I know when I am praising, intercessing, confessing, for instance, but I cannot literally translate the words. For me, speaking/praying in tongues is like bypassing the inevitable ignorance of a mind stuck in time and ignorance, and communicating in the Spirit in a way that transcends time and the limitations of my mind and knowledge. I know if I pray in tongues for a person that I will be praying for what that person REALLY needs and not what I may think they need. For that reason, praying in tongues was, and still is, a blessed relief inasmuch as one has an inner assurance that one is giving voice to the Holy Spirit within. Praise Jesus, Ruth This is against what Christ himself taught about prayer. Matthew 6 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. Praying in tongues is not necessary to get the message through of what you REALLY need. v. 8 says the Father already knows. v. 9-13 shows the proper way in which we are supposed to pray. 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. There is a noticable lack of scripture from those who support tongues....though there are refences to the "emotional experience." There is plenty of scripture on it. There is nothing wrong with the backing of experience. That is what our lives in Christ are all about! We experience Jesus! He loves to live through us and bless us with His fullness and His power for living! He works in us and through us to perform His will, and His wondrous acts. We are King's Kids, and we can do nothing without Him, and we do all through Him! Tongues is a mere drop in the bucket compared to all the wondrous power He gifts us with! Amen!

Yes, I'd like to describe it - mainly because I have just begun to re-use the gift of tongues after 25 yrs of putting it on hold. To start at the beginning.... I received the gift of tongues when, following acceptance of Jesus as Saviour, I prayed in front of my mother for my two year old daughter. I kind of knew what I wanted to pray but halfway through the Spirit took over and I found myself praying in tongues. After that I prayed frequently in tongues - in 2 different languages, as well, or so it sounded to me. I could (and still can) switch between them at will. However, about 5 years down the road I began to feel uncomfortable and wonder whether I was just kidding myself. So my praying and speaking in tongues just fizzled away. Needless to say, it was a time when I was not attending any Christian Fellowship or church. But recently I have started again - and it is exactly as though I had never stopped. I have an emotional sense of what I am saying but I do not know in my mind exactly what it is. I know when I am praising, intercessing, confessing, for instance, but I cannot literally translate the words. For me, speaking/praying in tongues is like bypassing the inevitable ignorance of a mind stuck in time and ignorance, and communicating in the Spirit in a way that transcends time and the limitations of my mind and knowledge. I know if I pray in tongues for a person that I will be praying for what that person REALLY needs and not what I may think they need. For that reason, praying in tongues was, and still is, a blessed relief inasmuch as one has an inner assurance that one is giving voice to the Holy Spirit within. Praise Jesus, Ruth Thanks so much Ruth, for your testimony! Blessings! Riley

You state things here which cannot be substantiated with Scripture (properly anyway). And yet, you also seem unwilling to hear any correction or differing opinions. Why would you not be open to hearing what other people believe? And why would you be unwilling to defend what you believe with Scripture? While I would agree that no one has the authority to question your motives, I would argue that as fellow believers we do have the obligation to hold one another accountable for our practices. Your judgment of me is incorrect and unjustified. However, I stand firm in my faith and shall not be moved. I am all for hearing the perspectives of others but will not waiver in my beliefs simply because someone else doesn't share them. The things that you state that can't be backed up with scripture (properly, as you say) very well can. Based on your response, however, your interpretation of those scriptures would likely be different than my own and presenting them here would likely prove to be a futile exercise. That's really the way it should be--we should all be standing firm in our faith. When we are wrong, the Spirit will guide us into all truth-if indeed truth is what we seek. And if we seek the truth, the truth shall set us free. Yes, I know that God sometimes uses others to teach us (or correct us if need be). When He does, my spirit bears witness with the Truth being presented.

[b]Again, I say--it's not for any one of us to judge another's heart or motives. I do believe that if we seek after His gifts instead of (or more so) than we seek Him, then we will find ourselves disappointed. As I stated in my previous posting, God searched Solomon's heart before releasing the gift he sought. Had He found impure or selfish motives I believe God would have rejected Solomon's request. I seek after Him and after His gifts because His gifts are of Him. His gifts are what He uses to glorify Himself in us. Our primary concern out to be about that--allowing God's glory to shine through in our lives-not out of selfish ambition but so that nonbelievers will witness His Light in us and come to know Him. The gifts of God are also used to edify the body. There is absolutely nothing wrong with seeking after anything that is of God as long as our motives are pure and as I've said before, that is a judgment call only God stands qualified to make.

Why ask "Why"? It is a gift available to us from God so why not desire and seek after it? I want ALL of God that is available to me. Besides, why do you assume I don't seek after healing, miracles or teaching? If it is of God, I want it! Some things are great to seek after, and I am Pentecostal so I believe in all the gifts, including tongues, but I think people get way too wrapped up in the whole tongues thing. Why do you seek that particular gift? We are not all going to have the same gifts. I figure if God grants me the gift of tongues some day, great, and if not, I'm not going to feel slighted, as He has gifted me in other areas that I can use at almost all times. I ask Him to help me use the gifts I already have to the best of my ability. That's enough for me to try and handle, because I don't do such a good job at that. I don't feel "slighted" in the slightest. However, Paul even instructed us to seek after the gifts. I forget exactly where it's found but it's in there I assure you. Also, consider Solomon. He did not have the gift of wisdom prior to his asking for it. When he did, he was not reprimanded. In fact, God saw his heart and knew that Solomon desired to do good with the gift he sought after (Don't write back and question my motives either. That is a job for God Himself, for only He knows the heart of any given individual). The gift of tongues allows us to commune with the Spirit in a way we wouldn't have before. I don't pretend to have a thorough understanding of tongues. However, I do know that a universal indication that someone has been baptized in the Holy Spirit is the evidence of speaking in tongues. Being baptized in the Holy Spirit (or being anointed by the Holy Spirit) further equips us with power for His service. Yes, I am aware that not everyone agrees with me on this and I'm not going to print scripture for scripture here to justify my belief. I'm well aware that not everyone has the same gifts as his neighbor. I also know that much more is available to us if we would simply ask in faith, believing.

Why ask "Why"? It is a gift available to us from God so why not desire and seek after it? I want ALL of God that is available to me. Besides, why do you assume I don't seek after healing, miracles or teaching? If it is of God, I want it!

You're right. Science and Faith can coexist (Or should I say could?). The problem, I think, is that science will never be able to confirm, beyond all doubt, creation or the existence of God. Where there is no room for doubt there is no room for faith. Our human minds want to reationalize things. We want things to line up with our best attempts at understanding the universe and the God that created it. When we can't explain how God could speak the earth into existence, our temptation is to come up with an explanation that fits into something we can grasp intellectually. This is where the separation comes in. The battle, it seems, is really Truth vs. flesh. Christians and nonChristians alike tend to feel unsteady or threatened when they are faced with something that seems to speak against their core belief system. Christians like the separation because they can't explain why God can't be explained. NonChristians like the separation because they can explain that God can't be explained. Riley

AMEN. Why must the Word of God be questioned? If it was possible for Jesus to resurrected, it was possible for God to make the whole ark story the truth. And it is the truth for the Bible tells us so. Nothing in the Word of God is fiction. I agree with you both. As for dinosaurs...well nothing in scripture indicates that Noah was disobedient to God's command. Therefore, if there were dinosaurs during that time, then there were dinosaurs on board. It was a supernatural event to be sure. As for feeding, well I believe that Noah packed exactly the types and amount of food he was told to gather. He may not have needed much. Consider what Christ did in feeding the 5,000! Riley

Amen! I encourage those who doubt to look at 1 Cor. 13:8-10. This is the only reference I've come across that spells out explicitly for us when the gifts will cease. "...But whether there are prophesies, they will fail,; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is imperfect will be done away." God uses the gifts He's planted within us to reveal Himself to others or to those that know Him, make Himself more intimately known. Until Christ's return we only know and experience Him in part. However, upon His return (the day of perfection, if you will) the gifts will then cease because there will no longer be a need for them. Riley

Thanks, you guys, for all the input. As I expected, there are varying perspectives on the issue. I think what it boils down to is some believe and some don't. However, you can't receive from God anything without faith, whether it be spiritual gifts or salvation. Those who don't believe God for salvation never receive it. Those who never believe God for the gifts He's promised will never receive those either. With my question, I was hoping to illicit more testimony of personal experience than debate. I am curious as to what the experience is like and about what I need to do to receive the gift. Riley

A spiritual language is something I've prayed for in the past but never experienced. Anyone care to describe what it was like when you first spoke in tongues?

Well, I believe the gifts of the Spirit are just as real today as they ever were (or at least I long to). I attend and awesome Word focused, Spirit-filled church. I cannot deny the Truth laid out plainly for us in the scriptures. Yet I do struggle with unbelief in this area. That probably sounds a little confusing. To answer your question, yes, I believe, but then I don't . Riley