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Growth Gift of tongues and it's value

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Gen 11:1Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words.
Gen 11:4 They said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven
Gen 11:6 the Lord said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. Come let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech."

I was talking to the Lord one day and He was showing me the connection between this story of Babe and speaking in tongues. There of course was no way that building a tower, no matter how high, was going to get them into heaven. But in general, the Lord wants to give us what we want. He is like a father who has a child, and the child keeps asking for something. If the thing asked for is not a bad thing, sooner of later the father is going to give the child what he wants, but timing might be important. Perhaps the father gives it as a Christmas present. Giving heaven to men when the men were saying "for ourselves" would not have been the right time.

Ps 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

So we have a gift, that might be thought of as a Christmas, or more Christ, present. It gives us the access to heaven, that men wanted from way back and the time of babel. And it's just like God who at that time change the language of men from what they all understood to what we would call "babel", back from "babel" to what we could all understand. However lots of us are in or have not even yet started to understand.

Remember that when the gift first came and recorded in Acts, there were men from "every nation under heaven"? Acts 2:5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.

And when the Spirit came , "each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language" Well, they not only got the gift of tongues but also the gift of interpretation. We know that because even if three people who speak different languages come together, they can not all hear the other in their own language.

For example, if one spoke English, the other Spanish, and the other German, and the one speaking English suddenly started speaking Spanish, the German would still not be hearing them speak in his own language. But if they all could instantly interpret in their heart what was said into their own language, then all of them could hear in their own language even if the language sounded like "Babel" to someone that didn't have the gift.

AND THIS IS THE GREAT PART - we get access to heaven and now "nothing will be impossible".

Hear is the sad part. Tongues is a gift! It is a gift of the Spirit and requires the Holy Spirit, but a gift is something you ask for! We are told to earnestly desire it, but do we? If we did? God is setting their with a gift that comes from His Holy Spirit and this gift makes nothing impossible for us and we don't even ask for it! How sad is that???

And another sad thing is that we often treat it as a novelty. That is we ask for it to see what it is like, but we don't use it like we should!!!
 
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Gen 11:1Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words.
Gen 11:4 They said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven
Gen 11:6 the Lord said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. Come let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech."

I was talking to the Lord one day and He was showing me the connection between this story of Babe and speaking in tongues. There of course was no way that building a tower, no matter how high, was going to get them into heaven. But in general, the Lord wants to give us what we want. He is like a father who has a child, and the child keeps asking for something. If the thing asked for is not a bad thing, sooner of later the father is going to give the child what he wants, but timing might be important. Perhaps the father gives it as a Christmas present. Giving heaven to men when the men were saying "for ourselves" would not have been the right time.

Ps 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

So we have a gift, that might be thought of as a Christmas, or more Christ, present. It gives us the access to heaven, that men wanted from way back and the time of babel. And it's just like God who at that time change the language of men from what they all understood to what we would call "babel", back from "babel" to what we could all understand. However lots of us are in or have not even yet started to understand.

Remember that when the gift first came and recorded in Acts, there were men from "every nation under heaven"? Acts 2:5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.

And when the Spirit came , "each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language" Well, they not only got the gift of tongues but also the gift of interpretation. We know that because even if three people who speak different languages come together, they can not all hear the other in their own language.

For example, if one spoke English, the other Spanish, and the other German, and the one speaking English suddenly started speaking Spanish, the German would still not be hearing them speak in his own language. But if they all could instantly interpret in their heart what was said into their own language, then all of them could hear in their own language even if the language sounded like "Babel" to someone that didn't have the gift.

AND THIS IS THE GREAT PART - we get access to heaven and now "nothing will be impossible".

Hear is the sad part. Tongues is a gift! It is a gift of the Spirit and requires the Holy Spirit, but a gift is something you ask for! We are told to earnestly desire it, but do we? If we did? God is setting their with a gift that comes from His Holy Spirit and this gift makes nothing impossible for us and we don't even ask for it! How sad is that???

And another sad thing is that we often treat it as a novelty. That is we ask for it to see what it is like, but we don't use it like we should!!!

Great subject matter, and so needed in the Church today.

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Jude 20-21

  • building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit



JLB
 
The Lord has me working in a prayer ministry where people with problems come in for prayer. Before we get them, or even know anything about them, we ask the Lord for a word or vision for the person. Shorty after I started and was still getting used to this technique, the Lord told me that the person coming in didn't speak in tongues.

The person came in for prayer and explained that she was about to loose her house. She wanted to save her house, but didn't know how, and if that didn't happen she certainly needed somewhere to go. Her husband had recently left her and she and a couple of kids. She told us she had been praying to the Lord on this subject.

Rm 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered

Now while she was telling us her prayer request the Lord was talking to me about the above verse. She was praying but she was praying as she ought. So when I got a chance I told her that the Lord was telling me that she did pray in tongues. That was true, but since then I have gotten a little smarter on how I put information the Lord gives me to the person.

I thought He meant she didn't have the gift of tongues and that we needed to prayer that she gets that gift. But she told me that she did have the gift of tongues, which surprised and confused me a bit. But then she explained that she was not using it. So there are two problems with this gift of tongues.

First we don't want it!! And second, we don't want to use it even if we got the gift! Who wants to speak in a language that we can't understanding! That is just silly! But it is written that God's foolishness is better than our best wisdom. So what from God seems silly to you is better than you best wisdom. You don't know how to pray as you ought. So it is better to let the Holy Spirit pray thought your spirit and you mouth, than to pray the best thing you can think of!

This lady so badly needed to be praying the right thing, and she even had the gift to do it, but she wasn't even using it. Are we are not getting and using it like we should either!

Edward in the earlier thread on the gifts of the Spirit wrote that it is dangerous for Christians not to have and use the gifts of the Spirit. I had not consider the danger involved before. But he is right. Not having and using the gifts that God wants us to have and has told us to earnestly desire, can put us in danger. This lady needed a place for her and her kids! It would be dangerous for them if she would up with no place to go and would up on the street with her kids.
 
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Now I've shown where with the gift of Tongues, nothing is impossible for us. And how we not only don't ask for it, but often don't use it once we do have the gift. Yet there is another very basic and important thing to know. And that is that all these gifts of the Spirit are design to bring us closer to our Lord Jesus Christ!! And we get closer to someone by spending more time with them.

That is, the Father said this is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased, Listen to Him. Do that and you will be spending more time with Him.

So how does speaking in tongues cause us to listen to Him?

Well, if you are 'Babeling' via the Holy Spirit in a language you don't understand, aren't you going to want to know what you are saying? Maybe I don't need to know exactly what I am saying, but how is it you wouldn't think to seek the voice of the Lord on what was going on? There has to be some curiosity doesn't there. And since we should know that we can hear from the Lord Jesus Christ via that same Holy Spirit, we obviously should start asking Him what is going on.

AWH - So this babbling weird language that comes out of our mouth when we let the Holy Spirit use our mouth via our spirit, will at some point result in us seeking the Lord to "Listen to Him", and what He has to say to us personally. We are talking interpretation of tongues now! The first gift lead to a desire for the next gift of the Spirit.

So if we use the gift of tongues, because we don't know how to pray as we should, we will then start seeking the voice of the Lord to explain what is being said, and we will learn to even pray better when we don't use it. That is to say, it edifies us. We learn lots of wonderful things, if we do as asked and earnestly seek the gifts!
 
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Building yourself up for what?
Let me tell you a secret....jlb
Tongue Talkers are not Soul Winners, and unless you are a soul winner, you are "building yourself up" for nothing.
And that is the case with 99.97% of people (baby christians) who are obsessed or otherwise preoccupied with "spiritual gifts".
Most TV "preachers" are Charismatics, and all Charismatics are interested in 2 things...."Money and Health".
Here is the book that (Copland, Hickey, Creflo D, J. OSteen, J Meyers, TD Jakes), and every other "tongue talking" Christian or TV Preacher WILL NEVER WRITE...
"How to Win Souls".
"How to Win Souls"
You wont find that book being written by a Tongue Talker, as they have no experience with the subject.
= ZERO.
This is the one bible subject that a Tongue Talker has no clue about, as they dont do it, they dont think about it, and wont be thinking about it.
There is one soul winning Tongue Talker TV Preacher who is dedicated to Soul Winning, and he is alone, seemingly, within their camp,.....and He is Rodney Brown.

A Tongue Talker has exaclty one goal.
To grab a new Christian and get them filled with the phoney idea that they need to speak in tongues or worry about the 'Baptism with the Spirit", or as most of them misquote the verse, "tongues of fire".

There is a word that defines, in general, the entire approach to Christianity as practiced by a typical Tongue Talker.

"Malarky".


From what I have seen through personal experience, those that keep themselves built up on their most holy faith by praying in the Spirit, seem to operate in faith [obedience] more that those who blaspheme the things of God.


Just sayin.



JLB
 
The Lord has me working in a prayer ministry where people with problems come in for prayer. Before we get them, or even know anything about them, we ask the Lord for a word or vision for the person. Shorty after I started and was still getting used to this technique, the Lord told me that the person coming in didn't speak in tongues.

The person came in for prayer and explained that she was about to loose her house. She wanted to save her house, but didn't know how, and if that didn't happen she certainly needed somewhere to go. Her husband had recently left her and she and a couple of kids. She told us she had been praying to the Lord on this subject.

Rm 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered

Now while she was telling us her prayer request the Lord was talking to me about the above verse. She was praying but she was praying as she ought. So when I got a chance I told her that the Lord was telling me that she did pray in tongues. That was true, but since then I have gotten a little smarter on how I put information the Lord gives me to the person.

I thought He meant she didn't have the gift of tongues and that we needed to prayer that she gets that gift. But she told me that she did have the gift of tongues, which surprised and confused me a bit. But then she explained that she was not using it. So there are two problems with this gift of tongues.

First we don't want it!! And second, we don't want to use it even if we got the gift! Who wants to speak in a language that we can't understanding! That is just silly! But it is written that God's foolishness is better than our best wisdom. So what from God seems silly to you is better than you best wisdom. You don't know how to pray as you ought. So it is better to let the Holy Spirit pray thought your spirit and you mouth, than to pray the best thing you can think of!

This lady so badly needed to be praying the right thing, and she even had the gift to do it, but she wasn't even using it. Are we are not getting and using it like we should either!

Edward in the earlier thread on the gifts of the Spirit wrote that it is dangerous for Christians not to have and use the gifts of the Spirit. I had not consider the danger involved before. But he is right. Not having and using the gifts that God wants us to have and has told us to earnestly desire, can put us in danger. This lady needed a place for her and her kids! It would be dangerous for them if she would up with no place to go and would up on the street with her kids.


A beautiful example of operating in the Spirit, and being led by the Spirit.

Keep up the good work faithful man of God!!!



JLB
 
Tongues does seem an interesting gift in the context of the Western church today.I have hardly seen it. In many churches it is almost a taboo subject.

As long as there is interpretation, it is indeed a good gift (as all spiritual gifts are). I suspect also, that in our enthusiasm and desire for this particular gift, we must be careful. God chooses who He gifts a gift to. He may not give it to some.
 
From what I have seen through personal experience, those that keep themselves built up on their most holy faith by praying in the Spirit, seem to operate in faith [obedience] more that those who blaspheme the things of God.


Just sayin.



JLB
That makes sense, because we see Paul explained that he spoke in tongues more than all of them.

1 Cor 14:18 I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all

We know Paul was zealous for the Lord, and that by hearing from the Lord he operated in faith (obedience). And what happens, even when you do hear from the Lord often, you come into many situations where you just don't know how to pray as you should, so it is nice that you can just pick up the Spirit through your spirit and let Him pray through you. So you are seeking God whether first small voice, or His voice that speaks though you in tongues.
 
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Tongues does seem an interesting gift in the context of the Western church today.I have hardly seen it. In many churches it is almost a taboo subject.

As long as there is interpretation, it is indeed a good gift (as all spiritual gifts are). I suspect also, that in our enthusiasm and desire for this particular gift, we must be careful. God chooses who He gifts a gift to. He may not give it to some.

18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. 1 Corinthians 14:18-19

  • yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding

You are referring to the "gift" of speaking in tongues and interpretation in a Church assembly setting, such as prophecy.

What I am referring to is the spiritual prayer language, praying in tongues, that comes from being Baptized with the Holy Spirit, for personal edification, or building yourself up on your most holy faith.

13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding.
1 Corinthians 14:13-14

  • let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
  • For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.


It's all "speaking" in tongues, the difference is if you are by yourself with the Lord in prayer, or in the assembly with others to edify them.

You can "pray" [speak] in tongues if you are in a situation where you are with an individual in a prayer line, or praying for someone who has a need and you shift into your prayer language, quietly, while seeking the Lord as to how to pray for that person.


The main difference is speaking in tongues in prayer, verses speaking in a tongue with an interpretation for the benefit of giving a message for the Church assembly in a public setting.


There is other uses of this gift such as even preaching to a group whose language you don't know, the Spirit can move you to tongues, whereby the people hearing you can understand what is being said in the own language, even though the language is unknown to you.


The manifestation of the Holy Spirit through your spiritual language is amazing, however it manifests.

In my prayer time, I spend a considerable amount of time praying in the spirit, before I minister to the Lord in worship, and sometimes I will slip into a song of praise in tongues, which is called singing with my spirit.

  • I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.

What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 1 Corinthians 14:15


This all starts out by asking God for the Holy Spirit.

The Lord will not force you to have something you do not want.

Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:13

  • how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”


JLB
 
That makes sense, because we see Paul explained that he spoke in tongues more than all of them.

1 Cor 14:18 I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all

We know Paul was zealous for the Lord, and that by hearing from the Lord he operated in faith (obedience). And what happens, even when you do hear from the Lord often, you come into many situations where you just don't know how to pray as you should, so it is nice that you can just pick up the Spirit through your spirit and let Him pray through you. So you are seeking God whether first small voice, or His voice that speaks though you in tongues.


Soooooo true!


JLB
 
18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. 1 Corinthians 14:18-19

  • yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding

You are referring to the "gift" of speaking in tongues and interpretation in a Church assembly setting, such as prophecy.

What I am referring to is the spiritual prayer language, praying in tongues, that comes from being Baptized with the Holy Spirit, for personal edification, or building yourself up on your most holy faith.

13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding.
1 Corinthians 14:13-14

  • let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
  • For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.


It's all "speaking" in tongues, the difference is if you are by yourself with the Lord in prayer, or in the assembly with others to edify them.

You can "pray" [speak] in tongues if you are in a situation where you are with an individual in a prayer line, or praying for someone who has a need and you shift into your prayer language, quietly, while seeking the Lord as to how to pray for that person.


The main difference is speaking in tongues in prayer, verses speaking in a tongue with an interpretation for the benefit of giving a message for the Church assembly in a public setting.


There is other uses of this gift such as even preaching to a group whose language you don't know, the Spirit can move you to tongues, whereby the people hearing you can understand what is being said in the own language, even though the language is unknown to you.


The manifestation of the Holy Spirit through your spiritual language is amazing, however it manifests.

In my prayer time, I spend a considerable amount of time praying in the spirit, before I minister to the Lord in worship, and sometimes I will slip into a song of praise in tongues, which is called singing with my spirit.

  • I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.

What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 1 Corinthians 14:15


This all starts out by asking God for the Holy Spirit.

The Lord will not force you to have something you do not want.

Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:13

  • how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”


JLB
Well naturally. There would be no need for interpretation if you were only speaking in tongues by yourself.
 
Tongues does seem an interesting gift in the context of the Western church today.I have hardly seen it. In many churches it is almost a taboo subject.

As long as there is interpretation, it is indeed a good gift (as all spiritual gifts are). I suspect also, that in our enthusiasm and desire for this particular gift, we must be careful. God chooses who He gifts a gift to. He may not give it to some.

Now this is a very typical of our understanding, but it's our understanding and not the Lord's!!

I am about to start a thread on interpreting of tongues, which is a gift that seems to be much rarer that than the gift on tongues, but it shouldn't be!!!

When tongues first came as tongues of fire in acts, all the "devote" men were both speaking in tongues and hearing in their own language. So how come not all that have the gift of tongues are not also operating with the interpretation of tongues today.

Consider these verses:

1 Cor 14:13 Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret

Jn 15:7 If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, "ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

So we have a Scripture that tells us that if we speak in tongues we are to ask for the interpretation. That is an instruction from God through Paul, and is recorded in the Scriptures so we should know to do it. And we also see that if we have His words abiding in us, then we can ask for what we wish and it will be done for us. That is to say that if we speak in tongues, we are supposed to ask for the interpretation, and we will get it if we have His words abiding in us. And don't we have them in us? It is written His sheep hear His voice!

Still, I am going to cover this more on the next thread I do. And there is one other common problem address by Nick that I would like to cover. And that is the problem of thinking we have a gift and not gifts!!

Paul writes to earnestly desire the gifts!!! Which I already covered. Therefore where do we come up with the idea that we are to have a gift and not the gifts?

Well that is easy to explain. The Lord has different assignments, or what we sometimes call 'offices'. That is to say, you might have someone that the Lord uses to teach. Ok, that is wise of Him. If someone is especially talented at communicating, then it would makes sense that the Lord would use that person in a position of a teacher. But the gift of the Spirit is not that they are a teacher, but the gift would be the teaching the Holy Spirit would give them.

Still it is written that they will all be taught of God! And there is something written about how everyone knows in part. Thus we all have a part, a teaching personally given to us, if we are His sheep who are lead by is voice that comes through the Spirit. So the Lord may regularly use a particular person in the church for teaching, but all should at times get a teaching from the Spirit.

We miss the correct interpretation of the following few verse,s because we confuse the 'offices' (the fact that God regularly use a person a certain way) in the church with the gifts of the Spirit.

1 Cor 12:4-7 Now there are a varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are a varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.

To say we are to have a gift and not all the gifts is to deny the above verse. To conclude that because the Spirit wisely and normally uses some people in certain ways, that the Spirit can not "work all things in all persons" is not Biblical. But I have heard that said numerous times. It's a common mistake that happens when we lean on our understanding.

It happens because we see a certain person regularly used by God a certain way and think that we must all have a gift. So we unintentionally present a case for everyone having a gift, instead of telling people to earnestly seek the gifts, like Paul instructed. It's understandable. Isn't that why Paul specifically wrote the instruction. People then thought the same way and reproof was needed. God, though Paul had to tell them to seeking the Gifts, not just a gift.
 
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Well naturally. There would be no need for interpretation if you were only speaking in tongues by yourself.

Really, do you know what your are saying when you speak in tongues, or do you speak in tongues?

But if you want to know what God is doing when you don't should you not take that thought captive to Jesus Christ?

I would like to hear about your speaking in tongues. Perhaps a testimony or two, explaining what happens, how you know what you said, and so forth?

There is a reason interpretation is a gift of the Spirit, and the reason is that the Spirit interprets what is being said in tongues to you. So it you speak in tongues, there is still a need to have the Spirit interpret!
 
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Getting snarky?
I'm hoping not to. Still this part of the forum is " dedicated to spiritual growth and inspiration."

If and since the gift itself teaches us (edifies us) one must need to have it to understand it (have spiritual growth), and I am trying to inspire others to "earnestly desire the gift".

I used to surf when I was younger. I did it a lot and got fairly good at it. Later my daughter, who was in college, started dating a surfer and we meet and talked about surfing. He was amazed because we, despite our ages, could easily understand what each other was talking about. The terms had changed slightly. The surf boards had progress also. Yet surfing was still surfing and so we could talk. I could tell him how it was and he could tell me about the changes, and we both had no problem communicating with each other. We each loved talking about surfing. That was because we both had learned about surfing which is done by going surfing.

The point is that if someone really wants to learn about speaking in tongues, or interpreting tongues, they need to do it. I know lots of people who use tongues and have been doing it for sometime. They might know something I don't or I might have something that they don't, just like my daughter's boyfriend and I both had interesting information to share, but it is not a problem understanding each other.

Yet with tongues I have often run across people that have who do not have the gift, so communicating becomes a problem. They read the Bible. Come up with ideas about what is written, but they do not desire the gift so don't have it. So the gift never edified (taught them on the subject). So the question of whether they have the gift is relevant to whether they really understand what they are talking about.

I suppose a book on surfing could help a person learn, but they have not learned about suring until they start surfing and it takes a little while to get ok at surfing and really understand it. And I suppose reading the Bible on the gift of tongues could help a person to get started, but if you are not operating in the gift regularly you have not been taught (edified).

If you indeed have the gift of interpretation you indeed know that the Spirit is the interpreter, and not you. And if you were getting the interpretations from the Spirit you would know (from experience) that there is value in listening to the Spirit!! That should be no surprise to any Christian, but often we don't think about it. That is why Paul wrote "Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret." (1 Cor 14:13) And Paul added "For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful." That clearly shows that the value of interpretation is directly to the one speaking in tongues!

So how could anyone who regularly using the gift of tongues write "Well naturally. There would be no need for interpretation if you were only speaking in tongues by yourself." That doesn't make sense to me, because "naturally" the one speaking in tongues does need and interpretation to understand what is going on, sense I have not ever known what was being said when I was speaking in tongue unless the Spirit told me. Naturally that is the case. So I am shock that it was written. Thus the word "Really", leading off the post in question, and the request for information as to whether I am indeed communicating with someone who has been edified (taught) by the gift. It feels more like I am talking with a person that read a book on surfing, but never surfed.

How is anyone going to have spiritual growth unless they operate in the Spirit?????

So what good is this a forum dedicated to spiritual growth without this type of subject?

I hope I am not "snarky" with those questions. You can't learn how to surf without first getting in the water. In the same way, you can't grow spiritually without getting in the Spirit!
 
I see much discussion in many places about this gift. Strangely most comes from those denying and not comprehending it's use or value. Believers in the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the accompanying gift of tongues are attacked with vigor so many times that they hesitate to even comment or give testimony. Such things among believers ought not to be. Amen

The tongues spoken aloud in a church meeting are for interpretation. One person gives a message in tongues and the Holy Spirit gives the interpretation to another. This will be a prophetic word for encouragement, correction or whatever the Lord wants said. Believers in a service may pray quietly to themselves in tongues so as not to interfere with God's moving. Let everything be done decently and in order. Amen

The gift is primarily for the building up of the believer as brother Jude says in Jude vs. 20. Everywhere in the new testament "letters" that refers to prayer in the spirit is referring to prayer in tongues. This is the way that we who have this gift normally refer to it. Prayer in the spirit.

As I prayed in the spirit on Tuesday, October 29,1979 at my home I realized that the Holy Spirit was giving me the translation. In short He was telling me that my wife was pregnant. This was after fourteen years of a childless marriage and doctors had told us my wife could not conceive. After being saved and afterwards being baptized in the Holy Spirit with the accompanying gift of tongues the Lord had begun to tell us of the son He was going to send us. This was the ending chapter of many things. Our son was born about nine months later. We'd heard from God and it came to pass. Our son is a man of God.

When we pray in the spirit it is a wonderful pouring out of your spirit man to the Lord that the devil cannot understand. The enemy tries everything to hinder your praying in the spirit. Thoughts come, distractions, all sorts of things to try and stop your prayers. Anytime you are praying in the spirit it is as if you were dropping spiritual bombs on the darkness. God gave this gift not as some bauble or curiosity or for idle discussion but as a serious weapon and wonderful gift for building up your spirit man. It is a GIFT from God. Amen

Paul tells us that we "give thanks well" by prayer in the spirit - speaking in tongues. After prayer in the spirit for half an hour or hour your spirit is joyful and energized. Again we think back to brother Jude, verse 20. Keep yourself built up by prayer in the spirit. What of unbelievers?

Jude 1:18-19 (NKJV)
18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.
19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

There is so much more to this gift than I can discuss in a short time. I was not going to church when Jesus came for me (read Ezekiel chapter 34 where God goes to fetch His own sheep).He saved me, caused me to be born again them baptized me in His Holy Spirit. I had to search out what had happened to me in the Bible. I was 33 years old. This all happen outside church walls. No church people ever told me about God's love, just "come to our church". Remember that age of 33? Jesus chose to start living in me at the same age He gave His life for us. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift!

In the old testament there are many scriptures that pertain to this gift and it's use. I will just mention a few. These in Job are awaiting the gift of tongues.

Job 29:21 — Job 29:23 (NKJV)
“Men listened to me and waited,
And kept silence for my counsel.
After my words they did not speak again,
And my speech settled on them as dew.
They waited for me as for the rain,
And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain.

The following verses are regarding a call by the Holy Spirit to intercessory prayer in the spirit - tongues...

Job 32:18 — Job 32:20 (NKJV)
For I am full of words;
The spirit within me compels me.
Indeed my belly is like wine that has no vent;
It is ready to burst like new wineskins.
I will speak, that I may find relief;
I must open my lips and answer.

The internal pressure lessens as God's call to prayer is fulfilled. This is something that has to be experienced in order to deepen understanding of it.

These scriptures refer to the building up, the rest that comes as we pray in the spirit as brother Jude says...

Isaiah 28:11-12 KJVS
For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
[12] To 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.

We see that unbelievers are referred to in the last line.

The PURE language. The gift of tongues cannot be perverted as it is a pure prayer directly from our spirit man to God. No thinking is involved.

Zephaniah 3:9 KJVS
then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord , to serve him with one consent.

The pure language mentioned is praying in the spirit, tongues. Reference Jude, Ephesians 6th chapter, 1 Corinthians 14th chapter, Mark 16th chapter.


Job 37:19 KJVS
Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.

How long can you pray with your mere understanding? Not long. Not for hours on end. Only prayer in the prayer language, tongues, can continue without ceasing. The language may be either a known one or an unknown one. Tongues of men AND of angels Paul says in 1Corinthians 13.

"Forbid not" he states in 1Corinthians 14. This tells us that there were already present those false teachers attempting to throw out this gift of God. He was admonishing them to stop this discouragement of the gift. Amen

1 Corinthians 14:34, 38-39 (NKJV)
38 But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.
39 Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.

I have been praying in tongues - the spirit - for forty years this October. Often after praying for a good while (we are told by brother Paul to pray and sing both in the spirit, tongues that is, and with our understanding) in the spirit the Lord will give you scriptures, a word or insight to scriptures or some problem you've been dealing with or etc. It's a wonderful thing and I know that through this gift the Holy Spirit has us shown many things and brought down works of the enemy.

It really is distressing to see so much of the body of Christ deprived of the gift of the Holy Spirit and the accompanying gift of tongues by unbelief and tradition. The foolish things of the world it is written are used by God to pull down the fleshly wisdom of men. He takes ignorant men such as I was and he's them to broadcast his wonderful message. Denominational tradition and men having not the Holy Spirit or the gift, many not even saved, teach against the word of God. America's churches are in a sad state. We need Revival. When God's spirit sweeps in you won't have to ask if it's real. Amen

The Holy Spirit is the powerful helper Jesus promised us. Jesus is the baptizer. Every instance of men being baptized in the Holy Spirit in the new testament they are given the gift of tongues. All of those on the day of Pentecost were already believers. Those men in Acts chapter 19 that were brought to paul were already believers. Paul asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit SINCE they believed. They hadn't. They received the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues.

In Acts chapter 10 Cornelius and the gentiles with him, were baptized in the Holy Spirit (He fell on them as Peter preached) and began to speak in tongues. Afterwards they were water baptized. The Lord saved me at home, baptized me in the Holy Spirit at home and some time later I was water baptized when we joined a church that taught the Holy Spirit baptism.

As Paul, I can only speak the things I've seen and heard and experienced as they agree completely with the written word. Everything God gives us is for the good of the believer, is for us His children. I would urge all believers to simply follow these new testament believers in Acts 17 and not traditions of men or denominations.

Acts 17:11-13 (NKJV)
11 These were MORE FAIR-MINDED than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and SEARCHED the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
12 Therefore MANY of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.
13 BUT when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds.

Brothers and sisters, follow those in verse 11, not those in verse 13. Amen

And I think that I also have the spirit of God, Amen
 
I never could understand why the gifts of the Spirit are not taught in many churches. So many think they are not for today, how sad is that. There is nothing more personal between we and God as when we pray in the Spirit, sing in the Spirit and yes, even dance in the Spirit like David danced, 2 Samuel 6:14; Psalms 149:1-5, as it excludes Satan from interfering and draws us even closer to the Lord.
 
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