Subject: speaking in tongues |
Bible Note: Hi Ken John, along with what Prazn has answered, the Holy Ghost that was poured out on souls in Acts is the same Holy Ghost today. What has changed is the church. The in-dwelling of the Holy Ghost - the Spirit of God living inside the believer - empowers the believer to do the ministry that God has called him/her to do. Also, the Holy Ghost empowers the believer to serve God spiritually as opposed to doing what one thinks is right, or the best one can do (Acts 1:8). I've visited churches where people go through the routine sermon, sing some songs, take the offering, and go home. There's no power in religion. But I pray that you get a chance to get a relationship with God - one that's above knowing all of your Bible and theology (the devil also knows the Bible), but a genuine relationship where you actually get to know Him. He's a living Being! You'll find that the presence of God is unlike anything else in the world! Today, most of the time people speak in tongues is when they are rejoicing and praising and letting God have His complete way with them! It happens to me! There are believers, today, who have the gift of tongues and believers with the gift of interpretation. There's just no way you can have the presence of God Almighty and all you do is nod and clap your hands. God says in 1 Thessalonians 5:19, "Quench not the Spirit" and that's what has happened today. The Holy Ghost, that Fire, has been put out in many of the souls today. These walk around with their theology and knowledge of what the Bible says, dignified and prompt, but no real knowledge of who God is. They only know what the "book" says, they've never experienced anything. Although many teach that 2 Timothy 3:1-4 is talking about unbelievers, it is actually speaking of those who claim to believe. Verse 5 says, "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." Verse 7 of the same chapter says, "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Jesus says in John 14:10-12: "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." Notice He says, "he that believeth on Me" which refers to all who believe (commit to, trust, accept). We as believers have to choose to grow spiritually, God won't MAKE us do anything. We, as children of God, are responsible for bringing souls to Christ and the Holy Ghost is willing to empower us to do so, if we are willing to allow Him. (I guess this is why I was called a "false teacher" by many in this forum because I told of binding and loosing and casting out devils. I understand, now, that without the Holy Ghost, none of this can even be understood, let alone performed. Anyhow, I pray for the souls of all and say, "Let God be true and every man a liar") Your Sister in Christ, WalkingTalkingBible |