Can any more edification be had through tongues that cannot be found in the Bible? Would it not be easier for the Lord to lead that person to the scriptures he or she needs to read in regards to the faith than resort to tongues and an interpretor?
I will admitte that prorhecy is the gift we should seek, and that tongues is the lest gift(selfish),of all the gifts.
Ezekiel 11:19 , 18:31 , 36:26 all talk of recieving a new heart, AND a new spirit.
Isaiah 28:11 FOR WITH STAMMERING LIPS AND ANOTHER TONGUE will I speak to this this people. 12 For whom he said, THIS IS THE REST WHEREWITH YE MAY CAUSE THE WEARY TO REST; AND THIS IS THE REFRESHING: yet they would not hear.
I admitt I can be a selfish person. I'm married, and some times I need more than the "i love you". I need hugs, & kisses. I need the personal relationship that sets marrage apart. As with the relationship of my daughter, I need to let her KNOW I love her, NOT IN WORDS ALONE, but withs hugs, and kisses. This also sets this relationship apart. They are both personal. If all you get are the I love yous, then some times you wonder, what then is love.
Just like I can keep running a marathon 24/7, 365 days. I need time to rest. It is the same in the life of a christian. The person no matter how hard they try, gets dicouraged, tired, wearied, persecutted, and ect, ect. How do I rest from a marathon? I stop and take time for myself to rest. How does a christian rest? I stop and take time to myself.
But how do I renew myspirit? By getting myself alone in personal relationship with my Lord Jesus. I will read his word, ask him queations about the things I don't understand, and in prayer. What about when I am in destress, and need a shoulder to cry on, and there is no one who is there for me? Jesus is always there, but how do I get the hugs, and kisses I need from him?
I have been so distrot that I had no one to talk to, get feed back, I didn't even know how to pray, I'd start, couldn't finish, try again unsucessfuly. I was crying so hard, no one to help, I needed answers. I went even to the bible seeking, but still distressed. It was a hard time in my life, I needed the hugs and kisses, where were they? I know God loves me, He died for me, the devils also believe, but where was my personnal relationship? When I am in a state such as this, what kind of help can I be to the body of christ?
You can phisically give me hugs and kisses when I'm down, but it's not the same. When a child recks on his bike, he wants his mother to hug and kiss the hurt away. I want the same thing, call me selfish, but I want my heavenly Father to give me the hugs and kisses that only His tough can love away. So how did I recieve this, by secerily seeking him with a broken and contrite heart. I'd prayed before in tongues for other people but this time it was my burden. I didn't feel the closeness of peace as before. I heard the words comming from my mouth just like before, forien sounding, but different in pronouncings, I stopped, whats happening? I even asked Jesus this, I prayed agian, again a more athoritive speach, I kept praying untill finished, then iI heard my native tongue telling me that I was His child and that He loved me, I could feel in the spirit the hugs and kisses that I so needed.
It is true a that a person doesn't have to speak in tongues to be saved. Salvation is the gift of HIS taking of my spot on the cross, and me acepting that I personaly put HIM there for me. But, as I said I get selfish from time to time, and need the hugs and kisses. If you are of the type that picks youself up after you fall from a bike, and don't need the hugs and kisses to feel better, than you probibly don't need this gift. But I myself am glad that as in Ezekial we've been given the new heart and spirit( ALL CHRISTIANS WITHOUT EXCEPTION) , and as in Isaiah the rest of refreshment (FOR THOSE OF US THAT NEED THE HUGS AND KISSES). As I stated earlier I'm of the latter kind.
As to the Unknown tongue I believe it is the personal one on one time with Christ Jesus himself, the personal relationship, no bible to back it, just my personal feeling. When I get my hugs and kisses they are for me, I can share if I want, but the benifit was mine to make me stonger to help you by renewing my spirit, inabling me to get back on this marathon race we run. How ever there is also the gift of 1 corinthians 12:10 the interpretition of tongues. 1 corinthians 14:13 says if we have the gift of tongues we should pray to interprt. So I think alot of corinthians had the gift of tongues, just not the gift of interprtation of the tongues.
I also heard of a church where thay went to another room to pray in tongues, as not to disturb the service. A man went there didn't believe in tongues, ask why was people going into the back room and if it was for anyone to enter. He was told it was were people went to pray, undissturbed, and yes anyone could enter. So he entered, as soon as he did a woman stood up faced him, spoke in this mans native language,(NO ONE KNEW HIM, AND HE KEW NO ONE THERE) . This woman told him things about himself that no one but him knew of things he'd done(GOD SEES EVERY THING THOUGH) . He spoke to her in his native language when she finished, he wanted to know how she knew these things, she didn't understand a word he spoke. When he relized this he graabed her by the are pulled her to the front of the chuch, and told everyone of this. He was also an unsaved man, and at that time gave his life to Christ. He wrote the book --When women speak in tongues-- , his story is in there.
Do I think tongues are still for today? I think I'd have to ask the question back " Why would they NOT still be in use today? When did he stop being the same yesterday, today and tommorrw? "
