Speaking in Tongues

[Pastor Gary]

Tongues are a sign to the unbeliever…

More than one reference in my library suggests that tongues are a NEGATIVE sign for unbelievers.

[Pastor Gary]

That's right, Gary. The passage in Isaiah from which Paul quotes is speaking of the judgment of God that is about to come on the disobedient.

Thanks, Tim. I couldn't put my finger on the references right away, and you eleoquently and accurately reflected what I have studied.

[Brenda]

Trying to understand this.

What you are saying then, is, when these unbelievers heard the church speaking in tongues, they thought that doomsday was there... judgement?

It showed to be different tho, after the deciples received him they turned the world upside down with their preaching.
They preached the word with boldness. Peter being so full of the Holy Ghost that people were being healed even when his shadow over shadowed them.
Whereas before they feared the people the Holy Ghost gave them Power for service.
The healings!! Lame man healed at the temple by Peter and John. Paul's ministry.
There's not a doubt that these men were changed, their ministry was changed after they received the Holy Ghost.


Vs. 23 says that the unbeliever will call those who speak in tongues as being mad.
In the last 100 years since the Zazu street revival there has been a lot of unbelievers that think we are/were mad and tried to stop it.

[Who new]

I'm thinking over my last thirty-three years as a tongue talker. The manifestation of the Holy Spirit mostly brings about the sense that "God is in us of a truth". Those watching from the outside who HEARD about it were the ones that said we were mad. Second hand knowledge is...SECOND HAND KNOWLEDGE. And that's what they talked about. It's always a reversioning of someone's spiritual experience. Not the spiritual experience itself that gets dumbed down into religion. Tongues, like all our experiences, wash through us and then they are gone. We're left with a responsibility to do something with it. It's then that the religion and politics set it. We don't NEED to do religion and politics by the way. We could learn something from God's character when he's there and carry it away with us. We could have our character informed by his washing through us. "He that speaketh in tongues edifieth himself"

[Brenda]

Thanks Tim.

Its good to see you back!

Were you not in Canada at one time?

[Joey]

I remember praying for the Holy Spirit to let me receive this gift of tongues as a child, and to my amazement, ....it happened.
But I also remember going up the next evening of the revival and asking to be Sanctified, and the evangelist said I have it out of order and I had to go back and sit down. Apparently, I must have got "santified" in all the praying and laying, and I didn't know what I had.
30 years later I still don't know what I have...., still speaking in tongues on occasion, (probably more my stretching for it when it happens so I'll look holy to others - being WAY TOO honest here) but I still don't understanding all of His intended purpose in the use of tongues in our services.
I am afraid I just would not be capable of understanding if it were explained to me anyway.
I do know that my experience was real as a child and other times, but I can't say why God gave me something that He refrains from giving to others, any more than I can explain why He allows one child to be crippled and another healthy.
He just does.
But I do know the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are One & the fruit of the Spirit goes out from Kenya even though she has never spoken in tongues....like others here who may be dealing with a second class feeling.
DON'T! God desires our faith in Him to go beyond signs or works and He gives us what we need.
Do you treat each one of your children the same?

[dalebert]

Centrist, could you help me with understanding this statement? Thanks

The apostles were motivated by the very belief that the end was at hand. That's part of what empowered them and why their preaching was so effective.

[Brenda]

Centrist

The apostles were motivated by the very belief that the end was at hand. That's part of what empowered them and why their preaching was so effective.

I think that might of been "part" of why they preached like they did.
But I don't think that was what empowered them. The Holy Ghost is the power.. for service.

Jesus said, And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. St. John 24:49--Acts 1:8
They received that power on the day of Pentecost. That power is what enabled them to speak the word with boldness, not fearing for their lives. And they had a lot to fear from all the opposition that was against them...
the same oppostion that was, a few days earlier against Jesus.
Before Peter received him he was a fearfull individual. But afterwards he preached a great message that caused thousands of souls to be added to the church.
They were willing to lay down their lives for the gospels sake. And they did.

[Sherry]

Were you not in Canada at one time?

Yes, I left and was glad to get out of there. I'm not too happy with Chicago, either. Give me a home where the antelope roam. Next move: Montana, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Alaska, northern California, Oregon, or Washington. Ya'll can have everything east of the Mississippi.

Off subject: Tim, where in Chicago are you? (BTW: good to have you back, I enjoy your posts very much!)

[Sherry]

I moved to Elgin, a NW suburb, in December; I was in East Rogers Park, a far north neighborhood of Chicago, before that--drugs, murders, etc. But I decided to change my ways.

I grew up in Burbank, South Side Suburb....so I was curious. I have heard how much things has changed there. I'll be visiting family in Chicago in Oct. for a good ole' Irish Catholic Wedding!! It'll be my first time back since '83. I'm getting excited to see the old place.

Thank you.

Your welcome!

[Pastor Bill]

Hey all these Chicago people, small world, I grew up in Wilmington (not really a suburb actually out in the cornfields just south of Joliet)

[Kenya]

Daddy pastored in Aurora, IL for about 5 years and I lived there with the girls for a little while too.

[Sherry]

I knew people from both the churches in Aurora and Wilmington, it is a small world....

[eyeswideshut]

I was in this church once and somebody stood up and started speaking in tongues and the pastor totally ignored the person so she did it again and I forget what the pastor said but it was along the lines of being rude. This happened at one of the Mt.Paron churches in Atlanta.. Mt. Paron North I believe.

[Blended]

I was in this church once and somebody stood up and started speaking in tongues and the pastor totally ignored the person so she did it again and I forget what the pastor said but it was along the lines of being rude. This happened at one of the Mt.Paron churches in Atlanta.. Mt. Paron North I believe.

Everything in it's time and in order

I would give the pastor the benifit of the doubt that he was descerning enough to know it was not God

The Pastor is the authority of the house and one should submit to him.