Tongues what do you think? (MERGED TOPIC)

[johnz]

Do you speak in tongues?

If not, do you want to?

[Leonard]

I do.

[tah]

I do!

[johnz]

Praise God!!!

How did you guys first start speaking in tongues?

Edited May 18, 2006 by johnz

[tah]

Let me see...

My oldest son was about 3 I believe it was and we had been into the hippy culture for a while..

we moved into a house where some wonderful Christian folks lived and we knew God wanted us out of the life we were living and they invited us to church and our lives were altered forever..

and it was then they prayed for us and we began speaking in Tongues..

I had been to a Pentecostal Church once as a child with my parents ant it was then that I knew speaking in tongues was a manifestation of the Spirit..

I just knew in my heart what I saw and heard was of God...

it was not until an adult that I was able to move in that gift...

[johnz]

Let me see...

My oldest son was about 3 I believe it was and we had been into the hippy culture for a while..

we moved into a house where some wonderful Christian folks lived and we knew God wanted us out of the life we were living and they invited us to church and our lives were altered forever..

and it was then they prayed for us and we began speaking in Tongues..

I had been to a Pentecostal Church once as a child with my parents ant it was then that I knew speaking in tongues was a manifestation of the Spirit..

I just knew in my heart what I saw and heard was of God...

it was not until an adult that I was able to move in that gift...

Thats awesome. I had never even heard about it and was obviously not reading much of the bible. I was raised lutheran, and the most we heard about the Holy Spirit was "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."

About three yrs ago I started going to a church that really teaches the word. I bought a tape called "Questions and Answers about the infilling" Man it was good teaching, took everything right from the scriptures. The teaching was about 1 1/2 hrs long and I must have listened to that thing about 20 times. I believed it, I knew why I believed it, I could see it so clearly in the word, but everytime I got down to it fear talked me out of it.

I remember the scripture where it said "They spoke as the spirit gave utterance". I knew that the Holy Spirit wasnt going to force himself on me, that it was up to me to open my mouth in faith and believe that as I spoke the utterance would be there and I would speak in tongues.

Well after a couple months of frustation I had my friend ( I was too timid to do it myself) ask my pastor if he would lay hands on me so that I would recieve the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues.

And guess what, he wouldnt do it. I was so frustrated. He told me that he recieved by himself in his room one night without anyone laying hands on him and he said that I should do it the same.

MAN I was frustrated and dissapointed. Well, a couple more months go by and I am at home spending some time with my mother, we were talking about some things and I told her "Mom, the same way you recieved your salvation is the same way you recieve everything from God. You did see a vision of Jesus or hear the angels shout, you just believed even though you could not see the result, you believed that you were saved."

That night I was praying and I remembered what I had said to my mom that day. So I said "Father I believe what you said in your word about the baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. The same way that I recieved my salvation is the same way that I recieve this." I opened my mouth and started speaking in tongues. No goosbumps, no tears, just me speaking and not understanding a word that I was saying.

Praise God for teachers teaching the word of God!!!

Much love,

In Christ, John.

[johnz]

Dont get me wrong, I like goosbumps as much as the other guy. If you have them or if you dont; Praise God anyhow.

I remember how I almost questioned wheter or not I was saved because I kept hearing all these spectacular stories from people about when they got saved... All I did was believe

[EricH]

No I do not. I have been otherwise gifted

[tah]

No I do not. I have been otherwise gifted

Amen

[Guest Daave]

Tongues No More!

I recieved what is called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit back in1978. I recieved it at the alter in a church the third time I went forward for that purpose. A normal everyday Pentecosal church that still exhists in our town.

My speaking in tongues was a normal part of worship, prayer and I would allow it to simply roll out when ever the desire arose within me.

Those days are gone now. Not because of some teaching telling me they are wrong or of the devil, but because of the direction they were taking on their own. Being encouraged to speak in tongues for several hours a day, I did just that, and at first I started to enjoy, and wanted to reach the place in them were I would actually be lost and rather out of control as I would hear the varied sounds of different dialects and accents. I would simply continue until they would stop.

A little over a year ago as I was in this semi-trance, turning loose type of praying, I heard some very gutteral sounds and syllables begin to flow out and I closed my mouth and shut them off! The next Sunday, now a little wary of speaking in tongues, there were tongues and interpretation during a service where the interpretation of the tongues was that we were to listen to this man of God, referring to the pastor. The pastor wept as he was over whelmed that God would call him a man of God. I had to ask myself a question, who else was there that could verify that is what the interpretation was? No One! So many messages in tongues I have heard interpreted in a service and would start thanking God that he was there, and here is the proof, tongues and interpretation, and I would just weep and cry and be in awe. But now there are some serious issues I have with this, there is no verification that what is interpreted is actually what is being said in tongues.

OK......So now what do I do. I have this urge, or desire , feeling....what ever term we want to use to describe it, coming upon me to speak in tongues. One day I am driving along when the desire to speak in tongues shows up. I shout out... ENGLISH ONLY!!! , YOUR GOD RIGHT! THEN IT'S ENGLISH OR NOTHIHG!!! The desire subsided and went away.

Has the desire to speak in tongues ever returned? Yes as a matter of fact it has, and if English is the language that begins to pour out, I let it roll. That has happend only once in the past year or so.

I have sence left the Pentecostal church, and joined a Baptist chruch, and I will not be speaking in a language unknown to me again.

Matthew 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

32. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

33. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

34. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Focused on Jesus,

Daave