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First of all, let me preface by saying that I am not ruling out speaking in tongues, which may be the possible perception some will have.

I was born in Michigan, and my mother took us to a pentecostal church, so I grew up with speaking in tongues and just accepted it growing up. When I was old enough to understand, I began to study. There was a difference between what I was hearing in church and what Tongues and Interpretation really are.

Today we have people in certain pentecostal circles talking about the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and that the INITIAL EVIDENCE of the baptism is Speaking in other tongues.

Okay pentecostals, wake up. IT does NOT say that ANYWHERE, nor is it implied ANYWHERE in the Bible. In fact, speaking in tongues is way down the list on the gifts of importance.

Acts 1:8 says you will receive POWER (not tongues) after the Holy Spriti comes. Power for what? It's found in the same verse, to be witnesses.

It just so happens that when the 120 men in the upper room were filled with the Holy Spirit, they were filled with power to be witnesses. There were people from other countries in Jerusalem at the time, and those in the upper room were given supernatural ability to speak the languages of the people who were in Jerusalem. It was not jibberish. God did not annoint the listeners to hear, it was real languages being spoken, proclaiming the gospel. Those who were listening were the interpreters.

Today, speaking toungues has become an excercise in jibberish. It has become a tool to edify oneself, and is often followed by an interpretation that is just as confusing. How does one interpret jibberish anyway?

Now, I'm not talking about what you do in your private prayer time. The Bible tells us very clearly that God understands our moanings and our groanings. We don't have to have words to communicate with God, entirely.

Now, hear is a concept, Paul wrote in I Corinthians 13 that the greatest of the gifts, is Love. Without LOVE, everything else is in vain. John the Apostle wrote that if you love NOT, you do not know God (I John 4:8). We also know that in another place that says Perfect Love casts out ALL fear. Love is POWERFUL.

It is my feeling, as of right now anyway, that the POWER that comes from the Holy Spirit, is LOVE, and that LOVE is the initial evidence of the baptism/indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Does speaking in tongues exist today? I cannot rule it out. God can do whatever He wants to do. But what good is tongues in a church where EVERYONE is a BELIEVER? The Bible clearly states that tongues is a SIGN TO THE UNBELIEVER. Just as in that day when they began to speak in tongues, the tongues were for the UNBELIEVERS to hear the gospel in their own language. That was the SIGN TO THE UNBELIEVER.

SO then, what good is tongues in a church service where everyone speaks only one language, ENGLISH? It serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever.

There has been so much emphasis on speaking in tongues in pentecostal circles that it has rendered those denominations INEFFECTIVE. What about all the other gifts that Paul writes about in I Corinthians 12 and 14?

I believe in the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I desire spiritual gifts.

Unlike our friends who may have graduated from colleges like Bob Jones, I do not believe that any of the gifts have passed away. They use the scripture in I Corinthians 13 that Tongues will pass way. In the same context it says Knowledge and Wisdom will pass away.

Well, if Tongues has passed away, so has knowledge, so has wisdom. And if all that is passed, then that means we are all idiots and the only one who knows what they are talking about is northton.

Now, with this post if I have offended any who are pentecostal, GOOD. Now at least you're thinking.

SIPEDO SEZ

Speaking In Tongues

sipedo

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