Speaking in Tongues

Comment

Comment by Charles Burwell on January 7, 2012 at 9:45am

Dear Marica

 

You are among many , myself included, who seemed to have been frustrated by trying to understand the " speaking in tongues and when it is 'appropriate' ( for lack of a better word). 

 

I received Christ in a 'Pentecoastal' church that even went so far as to say you can't go to heaven if you don't speak in tongues.  It frustrated me for a long time because I was then a babe in Christ and wanted anything that would draw me closer to Him.   I even attended a large church with some friends , and this church had a room in back to ' teach ' you how to speak in tongues .

 

I went back to the room with several others with , what I believed, an open mind.  When they started to tell us to start making some noises ( and other things I can't recall ) I felt such a fear come over me and I asked God what was going on.  I just began praising Him and He allowed a peace to settle over me and I just got up and left. 

 

He let me know , as I heard many times afterwards , that I needed to seek Him and let Him decide when , where or even if I would 'speak in tongues. I stopped believing ( as i had been taught ) that you wouldn't go to heaven if you didn't speak in tongues because there is no scripture support for it.

 

The Bible clearly states that the people spoke in tongues ' as the spirit gave the utterance'.  I f we seek God first , as Jesus states in Matt. 6:33 , I believe God will give us all that we ' need' in our walk with Him.

Ihave have heard pastors say for everyone to start praying in tongues and was very confused by it because the words kept coming to me about  " the Spirit giving the utterance".

 

Paul gives some excellebt guidlines in I Corinthians the 14th chapter.  In this chapter he compares the importance of prophesy in relation to the speaking in tongues.  This 'prophesy that he's refering to here is not foretelling future events , but receiving a special 'revelation' ( for lack of a better word) concerning the scriptures.

 

He makes several statements that I pray may help clarify things for you.

   verse 2-3    For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him, however in the spirit he speaks mysteries.

                          But he who prophesies speaks edification and exortation and comfort to men.

 

I'm running out of time on my computer here so I can't continue making my point , so I ask you to please read the chapter as I believe it will give you a little clearer understanding of the teaching about tongues.  Especially verse 18-19.  But please read it all.

 

God blessyou as you seek all that He has for you.

Comment by Marica Branscum on January 5, 2012 at 11:04am

I know right?  I'm not going to give up on it but if ever God gives me this gift, I won't throw it around.

I may need to clarify this also: I have been prayed over by a pastor who prayed in tongues with just me, that I feel is ok. or if I hear someone sitting beside me at church praying in tongues to themselves, I think thats ok too.  It's just the speaking it out of turn, so to say, that bothers me.  It's like they do it to try to prove to people they are real and I just sit and wonder if they had to practice on it all morning before they got there! :/