Some
Questions About Speaking In Tongues
One of the main dividing lines in the church today is over the issue of speaking in tongues. Friend, Jesus didn't send back the Holy Ghost to divide the church! He sent back the Holy Ghost to uplift Jesus and convict men of their sin. The Holy Spirit is God and brings with Him diversities in manifestations and ministries. One of these manifestations given to the New Testament believer is speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives the utterance. This is not an experience for the faithless - but for those who believe! Those who don't believe will not miss heaven but they will miss out on a tremendous blessing and experience the Lord paid for through His death. If we chose not to believe, we best not fight against it - or we will happily find ourselves fighting against GOD!
By Chris McDonald
The Bible must be the Christian’s final authority on
any topic or manifestation. It is the Bible that was given by inspiration of
God. Your denomination and church is not necessarily inspired by God. Your
opinion, former opinion or future opinion, is not necessarily inspired by God.
Your pastor may not be inspired by God even though he may speak eloquently and
sway the crowds with his brilliance. That’s good, but Hitler swayed millions
with his speeches too and most who listened to him wound up in concentration
camps gassed to death by his madness. It’s important to know the Bible, but ITS
FAR MORE IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE ONE WHO WROTE IT!
I’ve come to realize that if a person has legitimately made up their mind they are not going to believe in this experience (speaking with other tongues when filled with the Holy Ghost) then it may be wise to not waste your time or theirs in discussing this with them. If someone came back from the dead and talked to them, they would not believe. Jesus said, Blessed are those who HUNGER AND THIRST after righteousness. If you’re not hungry and thirsty for more of God, you will not be filled. Speaking in tongues will not catch you off guard. No one can make you thirsty and no one can make you hungry. The desire for us, just like the desire in the heart of Cornelius to find Peter and know more about the true and living God, must grow from the inside of us.
These Signs Shall Follow THOSE WHO BELIEVE, Not Those Who Don’t
Mark 16:17-20 - And these signs shall follow
them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with
new tongues;
Common Objectives to Speaking in
Tongues
The following part of this message is sharing eight common objections some people have about speaking in other tongues. Some of the eight are twisted scripture while others have no biblical basis whatsoever.
Objection No. 1. - Speaking in tongues is of the devil.
Some people say, “well, those people are not speaking in tongues. They are speaking in demonic gibberish. Some demon gets on them and rants and raves.” Or they say, “You are demon possessed,” or, “Tongues are strictly from the devil.” They believe this experience passed away when the writing of the Bible was completed.
First of all, man’s opinion that tongues are of
the devil has no scriptural basis whatsoever. There is, however a scriptural
answer to this objection. Some people who want to be filled with the Holy Ghost
with the evidence of speaking with other tongues but are afraid to respond to an
altar call where hands will be laid on them. , Usually use the excuse they are
fearful they will get a demon or maybe the devil will take advantage of them.
Jesus gives us a solid answer to this fear:
Luke 11:9-13 - And I say unto you, Ask, and it
shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you.
Jesus
personally guarantees that you cannot ask for the Holy Spirit and get a demon.
That’s as plain and simple as you can get it. A child can understand that. Yet,
Bible teachers and scholars with degrees from some of the leading theological
seminaries in America will argue that people speaking in tongues are receiving
this gift from Satan. Let’s look a little further at this same passage which
deals with another element of this objection.
Luke 11:14-23 - And he was casting out a devil,
and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb
spake; and the people wondered.
Matt 12:24-32 - But when the Pharisees heard it,
they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of
the devils.
Religious people who were teachers began to get jealous of Jesus. They did not
like the fact that the spotlight was on Jesus and off of them. They were being
shown up by Him, the new preacher in town. These same religious leaders tried to
deceive Jesus’ followers by saying the power which He was using to cast out
demons was by Satan. Jesus answered this claim with a serious warning to all who
would attribute the works of Satan to the work of the Holy Spirit. He told the
religious, “if I cast out devils BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, then the kingdom of
God is come unto you.” Then Jesus says that everything we do, be it word or
deed shall be forgiven but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. Then He makes
it even more clearer. We can speak against Jesus and be forgiven but when we
speak against the Holy Ghost, it is a sin that has no forgiveness neither in
this world nor in the world to come.
It is one thing to speak out of ignorance. Many of us do and I believe God is very patient and merciful to us. However, if a Christian KNOWS better (and most times this stance is taken by PREACHERS BEHIND PULPITS WITH DEGREES WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO KNOW THE WORD OF GOD) and takes something that is of God and says it is of Satan, that individual is in serious standing with God Almighty. If you believe speaking in tongues is not for you so be it. But, I’d strongly suggest you not equate this experience with being demon possessed or of the devil.
1 Cor 14:37-39 - If any man think himself to be
a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto
you are the commandments of the Lord.
Isa 5:20-21 - Woe unto them that call evil good,
and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put
bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Paul said if you think you are spiritual then acknowledge what he wrote as COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD. If you want to be ignorant of these things be ignorant, but covet to prophesy and forbid NOT TO SPEAK IN TONGUES. Isaiah gives a deeper warning when he says “Woe” to the who call darkness light and light darkness, evil good and good evil. Speaking in tongues is not of the devil
Objection No. 2 – Tongues Passed Away
Many believe that tongues (and prophecy too for that
matter) passed away after the Bible was completed and the apostles died. Those
who believe this objection acknowledge that believers once spoke in tongues as a
sign of supernatural occurrence in the Church while the Bible was being written.
Then, once the Scriptures were completed, tongues were supposedly no longer
needed.
Again, not to sound redundant, but if tongues passed
away then what are we going to do with the millions over the centuries since the
day of Pentecost who have spoke in tongues and are speaking in tongues even
today? Are we going to say we don’t believe people are really speaking in
tongues because we believe it all ended with the apostles? Peter’s message on
Pentecost, (as we’ve already pointed out) was a declaration that what was
happening was a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy of the last days. He said what
the people were seeing AND HEARING was the promise Jesus spoke of before He left
this earth. The Holy Ghost cannot be seen, but the INITIAL, not total, result of
one being filled with the Spirit is speaking with other tongues.
Acts 2:39 - For the promise is unto you, and to
your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God
shall call.
What promise? The promise of the Holy Ghost, which was shed forth and the people who were present on the day of Pentecost could see and hear. He said this promise was unto them, their children AND TO ALL THAT ARE AFAR OFF. The “all that is afar off” is us! That promise is just as valid today as any promise in the Bible. The promise never died out.
Objection No. 3 – Tongues Are Not For Everyone
Some believe that tongues are not for everyone, but
are for a special, select few. A few scriptures are generally used to validate
this objection:
1 Cor 12:10 - To another the working of
miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another
divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
When people read this verse they are always quick to point out that the Bible says to certain ones this gift is given to and others it is not. This leads them to believe some speak in tongues while others don’t. First of all, being filled with the Holy Ghost is NOT THE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION in these verses. The topic being discussed is spiritual gifts, or gifts of the Spirit. Only two of the nine gifts of the Spirit are unique to the New Testament – divers kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues. The other seven existed in the Old Testament. But all nine gifts, which are in manifestation in the Church Age, are taught in this chapter.
These are gifts for use in public settings and corporate gatherings. Not everyone is equipped to minister in tongues in public gatherings. It’s not that they are any less special than other members of the Body of Christ. It just means that the Spirit has elected not to use them in this area. It doesn’t mean that everyone should not speak in tongues. Paul said I wish you ALL SPAKE IN TONGUES.
Objection No. 4 – Tongues Shall Cease
The
basis for this objection is hung on one verse:
1 Cor 13:8 - Charity never fails: but whether
there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall
cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
There is
no argument that tongues shall cease. The Bible clearly says it. But the
question is “WHEN?”
1 Cor 13:9-10 - For we know in part, and we
prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall
be done away.
Some
people think that the “perfect” is the Word of God. They believe that upon
completion of the written scriptures, tongues were no longer needed because the
perfect had come. But, Paul didn’t stop there.
1 Cor 13:11-13;14:1-5
1 Cor 14:1 - Follow after charity, and desire
spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
Paul is not making an argument in this discussion for
tongues to cease. If anything, he is admonishing the church at Corinth to PURSUE
SPIRITUAL GIFTS, including prophecy AND TONGUES. His statements are merely
saying that when the church is perfected we will no longer need the Holy Spirit
to speak to us and through us any longer. Even with the Bible, the Church of the
Lord Jesus is FAR FROM BEING PERFECT. Do we know all the things that need to be
answered yet? NO! Do we even yet know EVERYTHING there is to know about God? NO!
Those questions, along with a ton of others, will be answered when Jesus comes
and raptures the church to heaven. It will be at that time that the Lord Jesus
will complete us as His Body and we will no longer need perfecting. He will make
all things known to us. Paul said, “we see through a glass darkly” but one day
we will see Jesus “FACE TO FACE.” It will be at that time and that time alone
that spiritual gifts will cease. In other words, we have not reached a point
where we do not have to depend totally on the power of the Holy Spirit to build
the church and keep the church out of darkness and delusion.
If we are going to take this verse by itself and say
this is a valid argument for not pursuing the baptism in the Holy Spirit, then
we need to eliminate our Sunday school programs because it says knowledge and
prophecies will cease too. Have we stopped learning? Has the Lord stopped
speaking to us today? Has knowledge ceased? NO! If anything, knowledge is
increasing and the Lord’s voice is growing clearer each and every day we exist
on this planet. Dreams and visions are on the increase like never before. Joel’s
prophecy of our young men seeing visions and older men dreaming dreams is coming
to pass right before our eyes. But to argue against tongues with this verse, you
have to argue against knowledge and the prophetic. The truth is, people who say
such things are clearly people who have been convinced in their hearts this is
not for them. Even if someone from the dead came back to tell them otherwise,
they would not believe.
Objection No. 5 – There is only ONE experience, not TWO
Some people teach that you receive the Holy Spirit
when you are saved and there is no need to seek the Lord for any further
infilling of His power. The common statement is “you got it all when you got
saved, you don’t need anything else.”
Acts 19:1-3 - And it came to pass, that, while
Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to
Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
When the Apostle Paul came to Ephesus he asked some new disciples a significant question; “Have you received the Holy Ghost SINCE you believed?"
These were believers who had been baptized by John the
Baptist (the baptism of water unto repentance) but who were completely unaware
of the Holy Spirit. Paul told them fully of the redemptive work of Christ, and
they were then baptized in water unto repentance. Following this, Paul laid his
hands on them and they were instantly baptized in the Holy Ghost, speaking in
tongues and prophesying. As in other recorded cases in Acts, the baptism in the
Holy Spirit was experienced SUBSEQUENT to salvation and accepting Jesus as their
Lord and Savior. There is a great controversy surrounding this question. The
proper answer to it is “yes” and “no!”
The responsibilities of the Holy Ghost in our lives are varied. One of the most important facets of His ministry to the believer is that of regeneration. The Holy Ghost is very active in bringing the sinner to conviction, repentance and salvation. So when a person truly accepts Jesus into his heart, that person does “receive” the Holy Spirit. But there is great difference in being BORN of the Spirit and being BAPTIZED IN the Spirit. A person is walking in the wilderness on a warm day. Off in the distance this person hears the bubbling of a brook. The sound DRAWS the person approaching the stream. At this point he has been “influenced by that “living water” and spiritually affected by it, but that person and the stream remain two separate entities.
Now if this person decides to ENTER that stream,
immerses himself in it, and swims along WITH the stream, (in effect becoming
PART OF THAT STREAM) the relationship of the stream and the man is a totally
different one. The Holy Ghost IS A FACTOR IN SALVATION – a major factor and must
be present for a person to be convicted and accept salvation.
John 6:44 - No man can come to me, except the
Father who hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
1 Cor 12:3 - Wherefore I give you to understand,
that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no
man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
So the
answer to this objection is “Yes, at salvation the individual does “receive” the
Holy Spirit, because it is the Holy Spirit who convicts and draws that person to
Jesus.” But, the answer is also “no,” because the person does not receive the
gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation because the deeper, more
permanent relationship of the baptism comes only AFTER salvation. At salvation,
life is imparted to someone who was formerly dead in sin. The baptism in the
Holy Spirit EMPOWERS someone who is already saved and transforms that person
from a weak, ineffectual Christian to someone fitted for God’s service. It is
clearly a mandate of God and a command of Jesus. Jesus instructed the disciples
to wait until they received the baptism before starting their ministries.
Salvation and the baptism in the Holy Spirit are two separate and distinct experiences. They are different as to source, time, and nature. A person may experience salvation without ever experiencing the baptism in the Holy Ghost. They can NOT, however, experience the baptism in the Holy Ghost without being saved. Only after the Holy Ghost has regenerated us and made us a fit temple for the presence of the Lord, can He endue us with power for service.
The Well and the River
John 7:37-39 - In the last day, that great day
of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come
unto me, and drink.
John 4:14 - But whosoever drinketh of the water
that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him
shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
John gives us two great examples of these
two experiences – salvation and the baptism in the Holy Ghost. Salvation is
likened to a well experience. Isaiah said it was out the “wells of salvation,”
that we would draw waters of life. Jesus told the woman at the well that if she
drank these waters, she would never thirst again. He was speaking of eternal
life. The Holy Ghost is very active and important in this event in the life of
an individual.
The other example is where the Holy Spirit is
typified as “rivers” of living water flowing of the innermost being. This
experience was NOT available to the disciples until AFTER Jesus was glorified.
The temple of man had to be made fit for God’s presence. The only way that would
be possible would be through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some 50 days
after Jesus was glorified, He sent back the Holy Ghost upon the believers
gathered at Pentecost. Those gathered were not gathered to get saved. They were
gathered to be endued with power from on high. Their lives would never be the
same again and the world would not either. Same Holy Spirit, two different
experiences here. When John said, “the Holy Ghost was not yet given,” he didn’t
mean the Holy Ghost was not around. The Holy Spirit has been active in the world
before creation. He is the third person of the God Head. What he meant was that
the fullness of the Holy Ghost had not yet been passed on to the disciples
because they were not fit vessels before Calvary.
The night Jesus saw them after He had rose
again, He breathed on them, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost,” and from that moment on
they were “regenerated.” On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was just not
“in” them, He had come “upon them.” Praise the Lord and “upon them” He came.
Great numbers of people are currently experiencing the baptism in the Holy
Spirit all over the world despite their denominations and ignorant pastors. God
is pouring out His Spirit upon ALL FLESH in this last hour. Many are
dissatisfied with cold, formal, dead religion. Their prayers are now being
answered. The Holy Ghost is more than just a vague symbol or a title to put on
our doctrinal statements to make sure we line up with the Bible. He is a Person.
He is God. He is bigger than the devil. He is the living dynamic power of Christ
who lives in our hearts. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is valid for today and
speaking in tongues has not passed away. It’s not all over at salvation, it’s
just beginning – just as it’s not over when you speak in tongues. Speaking in
tongues is just a door that unlocks a greater walk and revelation of the Spirit
that you need to be the type of Christian God is pleased with.
Objection #6 - I'm Spirit-Filled Even Though I've Not Spoke in Tongues
Some believers argue “I am filled with the Spirit and
I do not speak in other tongues. I don’t care what anybody says but I’m still
filled with the Spirit.” This is another one of those statements that usually
draws a line between many denominations and fellow believers.
Prior to the demonstration of the Holy Ghost power in
healings and miracles, the disciples exhibited the PRIMARY evidence of the
baptism, which was speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues is not the only
evidence, but it is the INITIAL evidence of one receiving the baptism in the
Holy Spirit after conversion. According to scripture, the Holy Spirit’s ministry
will sometimes produce other physical reactions in people varying from weeping,
trembling, shaking, and trances, to even physical collapse, or as we term it –
being slain in the spirit. Most Christian churches and denominations believe (to
one degree or another) in the Holy Spirit. This doesn’t create any major
problem. The controversy erupts when you say “to be filled with the Spirit, you
will have the initial physical evidence of speaking with other tongues.”
Initial Evidence
This matter of glosjsolalia or speaking in
other tongues is a valid scriptural evidence of one receiving the initial
infilling of the Holy Spirit. It has been a proper manifestation from the day
of Pentecost to now. We believe this:
·
We believe and teach, from the Word
of God, that speaking in tongues is a valid, scriptural expression as given
by the Holy Spirit. As such, it is relevant to this day and age because the Holy
Spirit is STILL relevant to this day and age.
·
· We do not believe or teach that a person has to speak in tongues to be saved. This experience is for the believer. The sinner who has never experienced salvation through the born-again conversion can never receive this gift. Salvation is through faith in the blood of Christ and repentance. The Holy Spirit is a gift to those who have experienced repentance and faith in Christ.
· We do not believe that speaking in tongues has anything to do with a person making heaven his eternal home.
· We do not believe or teach that speaking in tongues makes a person 'more saved' as a result of that experience. There are no experiences out there be it "tongues" or "prophetic unction" or "visions" that make one perfect. Spiritual maturity comes through a daily walk of consecration and repentance in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
· We DO BELIEVE speaking in tongues is ordained by God and not of Satan. The Holy Spirit IS GOD. He is not divided!
· Speaking in tongues is a valid manifestation and demonstration of the INITIAL infilling of the Holy Spirit
· Speaking in tongues is a great help to the believer, a given of strength, and a builder of faith
· Speaking in tongues was a common manifestation in the early church and is just as widespread and proper even today.
Listen to me. Gods acceptance of them was
documented by an outpouring of power into this previously ineffectual group of
believers. Every where that this same experience is mentioned, including the
events at the house of Cornelius which we will get to later, the participants
and those involved always spoke with tongues. Is tongues the only evidence a
person is walking in the fullness of the Spirit? Absolutely not. Sad to say,
most Pentecostal and Charismatic churches have shied away from this teaching and
are not longer actively seeking to see people speak in other tongues. But the
Bible is clear in its portrayal of this experience.
The first occurrence of the Holy
Spirit’s outpouring was on Pentecost – THEY SPOKE WITH TONGUES
Acts 2:4 - And they were all filled with the
Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance.
This needs no further explanation. It is
concise and clear. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak
with other tongues.
The
second occurrence of believers who are filled with the Spirit
speaking with tongues takes place in Acts 8 when Peer and John went down to
Samaria and prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit. After miracles
took place during a revival under the ministry of Phillip, a sorcerer by the
name of Simon was saved. Peter and John immediately went to Samaria to pray for
the new believers to be filled or receive the Holy Ghost. Were these people
saved when Peter and John arrived? Yes, they were already saved. “(For as yet he
was fallen UPON NONE of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus.) Now, it doesn’t say anyone Peter and John laid hands on spoke in tongues
verbatim. However, when Simon saw what was happening, he offered money to Peter
and John so he could lay hands on them so that they might receive the Holy
Spirit. If nothing external was happening (TONGUES), then why would Simon offer
money and jeopardize his soul to buy it?
Acts 8:16-23 - (For as yet he was fallen upon
none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
The third occurrence
was in the life of the apostle Paul. Walking on the
road to Damascus he’s struck blind by the light of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Looking up, he in confronted by Jesus Himself who asks Paul why he is
persecuting the Church. The minute Paul said, “LORD,” that signified that Paul
had become a believer. Three days Paul was blind until the Lord led him to
Ananias who prayed for Paul that he might receive his sight and be “filled with
the Holy Spirit.’ Paul received his sight in Acts 9. Again, it never says in
Acts 9 he spoke in tongues. However, in writing three chapters in his epistles
to the Corinthians, Paul clearly says, I SPEAK IN TONGUES MORE THAN YE ALL.
Paul received this gift the day Ananias laid his hands on him. He was not
laying his hands on Paul to be saved, he was laying his hands on Paul that he
might be ”filled with the Holy Ghost.”
Acts 9:17-18 - And Ananias went his way, and
entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the
Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent
me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
The fourth occurrence is 40 years after Pentecost in our text we are studying now which we have discussed in detail already at the house of Cornelius. (Acts 10:44 )
The fifth
occurrence happens nearly 60 years
after Pentecost when Paul is walking up the Ephesus coasts and encounters
believers who were baptized by John the Baptist but “who had never even heard
that there was a Holy Ghost.” Paul lays his hands on them and they began to
speak with other tongues.
Acts 19:1-7 - And it came to pass, that, while
Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to
Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
The
passage says, “they spoke with tongues and prophesied.” Now, in three of the
five occurrences, the Bible states verbatim, “they spoke with other tongues.”
The other two occurrences does not take a rocket science to figure out that
speaking in tongues occurred because the Bible clarified itself in a later
passage. Any honest seeker of truth and one who is hungry for more of God can
see that SOMETHING happened to these individuals when they received the Holy
Spirit. That something as they spoke with other tongues
Objection No. 7 – Jesus Never Spoke With
Tongues
Some people rationalize, “Since Jesus didn’t speak in
tongues, why should we?” Well, there are two answers to this objection. Jack
Deere, former Old Testament Professor at the Dallas Theological Seminary in
Dallas, Texas, states in his book Surprised by the Spirit of God, that
saying Jesus never spoke in tongues is what is termed in theological circles as
an “argument from silence.” He said even though the Bible never says Jesus never
spoke in tongues we cannot automatically say He didn’t. There are many things
that the scriptures did not record about the life of Jesus simply because, as
John said, if it had, there would not have been enough books in the world to
record them.
John 21:24-25 - This is the disciple which
testifies of
these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.
Just as the gospels didn’t record everything Jesus
did, neither did Acts record everything the apostles did. There are spans of
years where the Bible is silent on activity in the lives of Peter, Paul,
Barnabas and the other disciples. Does that mean then that if we don’t see an
experience in the Bible, then we rule it invalid? For most people, that answer
is an emphatic yes. However, you can’t argue something is not valid scripturally
because of that reason because quite honestly there are a LOT of things the
Bible is silent on. That’s why we have the HOLY SPIRIT – to LEAD us into all
truth.
John 16:13-14 - Howbeit when he, the Spirit of
truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of
himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you
things to come.
The second part of the answer to this objection is
more theological. Jesus ministered under the Old Covenant. Speaking in tongues
was not available under the Old Covenant even though Isaiah had prophesied there
would come a day when God would speak to man through “stammering lips and an
unknown tongue.”
Isa 28:11-13 - For with stammering lips and
another tongue will he speak to this people.
The New Testament brought with it tongues and the interpretation of tongues. By the time the Holy Ghost came and tongues were manifested, Jesus was with the Father in heaven. He had done all that was necessary to save us and give us both the indwelling presence of the Spirit and the enduement of power upon us by the Spirit.
In Closing
You need the HOLY SPIRIT! The Baptism in the Holy Ghost is a valid experience for the believer today. Since I married Lisa in 1999 I have heard a tremendous amount of criticism and negative preaching against this experience from mainly Baptist pastors in the greater Knoxville area where we live. I just shake my head and sigh wondering how Satan has blinded these men, who are supposedly college and seminary-trained, to a truth that could quite possibly revolutionize their churches for all eternity? That's the key - Satan doesn't want our churches revolutionized - he wants them DEAD and without any life.
Folks, hear me good. Life is NOT having great numbers of a lot of religious activity going on in your church. People getting saved, healed, delivered, filled with the Spirit, rededicating their lives to the Lord - THAT'S LIFE. And that Life becomes contagious and brings other to the Savior. Stop fighting the Holy Ghost! The Holy Spirit is GOD just as God the Father is God and Jesus the Son is GOD. He is just part of a triune Godhead in heaven seeking our total deliverance from the workings of the enemy. This is what Jesus came to do - destroy the works of Satan. How does He do that?? THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST.
Acts 10:38 - How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all
that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Celebrate the FEAST OF PENTECOST! Receive YE THE
HOLY GHOST! and be blessed!
Read Our Other Journals On The Holy Spirit:
Ruth: Preparation - A Prophetic Word Concerning The Last Days Harvest
Ruth, The Holy Spirit And The Harvest Part One
Who Is This Damsel? Ruth Part Two
Handfuls On Purpose: Ruth Part Three
Filled With The Holy Ghost Part One
Filled With The Holy Ghost Part Two
The Ministry Of The Holy Spirit To The Believer
Which Have Received The Holy Ghost As We
Some Questions About Speaking In Tongues
Stammering Lips and Unknown Tongues
Our Children Will Be Our Judges