Tuesday, April 24, 2007

TEARING DOWN STRONGHOLDS IN THE BODY OF CHRIST: SPEAKING IN TONGUES

INTRODUCTION: I RECEIVED THE GIFT OF TRADITIONS FILLED WITH MY FAMILIES "RELIGIOUS" BELIEFS AS A LITTLE CHILD. AS I GREW OLDER PHYSICALLY, I REALIZED THAT I COULD NOT GROW OLDER SPIRITUALLY UNTIL I TOOK GOD AT HIS WORD AND OVERLOOKED THE TRADITIONS OF MEN AND THEIR COMFORT ZONES!


(For some of you; this may be hard, but I present the truth. )

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PART ONE

For years, many people said that people who spoke in tongues were of the devil. Jesus said believers would do it so how did the devil get in there? Well, the Bible says "Satan" is the author of lies.

Don't take another man's word for whether you ought to speak in tongues; take God's Word.

Jesus said in Mark 16: 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

DO YOU BELIEVE? THEN WHY AREN'T SIGNS FOLLOWING YOU?

You made a choice to follow God. Now you have to make a choice to accept all that He freely gives you.


THIS IS WHY:

Speaking in tongues allows us to pray out the perfect will of God for our lives and those around us. That exercise will change your life dramatically. It will build you up personally and it allows you to commune with God. It is the first outward sign that you have been baptized with the Holy Ghost. It gave me confidence that I can get things done in the spirit realm and get my prayers answered.

That gift makes me "feel" powerful.

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PART TWO



If your dandruff is up about the prospect of speaking in tongues; don’t feel bad. I felt the same way myself. I am now certain that speaking in tongues may be one of the most misunderstood “benefits” available to believers.

Over the years, I have changed my mind about a lot of things. I’m pretty stubborn sometimes, so my mind was locked solid on a couple of things when it came to God and the church. Here goes:

(These were things I did not like or vowed never to deal with or do.)

1. I thought speaking in tongues was absolutely ridiculous and that it wasn’t real.
2. I thought people falling out by the power of the Holy Ghost were fake.
3. I loathed: “singing preachers.”
4. I didn’t like noisy churches.
5. I used to say that the one kind of writing that I would never do would be “religious” writing.
6. I did not like the idea of men not going to church; but I especially didn’t like the fact that most churches didn’t do enough to get men into the church.



Today, I’m going to tackle the issue of my apprehension and lack of understanding around the ability to speak in tongues.

I did not come from a Pentecostal background. My mother sent us to church as children, several blocks away. That only happened because the minister kept knocking on the door to invite us and my mother felt bad for him because he wouldn’t give up and he was so nice. In the meantime I’m sure my grandmother had already covered us in prayer.

We came from a long line of Baptists. The family was very comfortable with that. After coming off of a long illness; I was led to a nearby Pentecostal church. I didn’t go there to examine them or take an application. My requirements were simple. I needed a connection with God, direction and to find a way to get my healing. In the midst of my search I found out about the “power” of speaking in tongues.

Here are some things that the Bible says about tongues: And He said unto them, "Go ye into the entire world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." MARK 16¨ 17


It’s amazing that Jesus says that tongues are a sign that you believe. I didn’t write it; Jesus did! What am I inferring? No, what is Jesus inferring? That’s the question.

WAS IT HARD? I was surprised that learning to speak in tongues was just a question of the heart and not anything else. I just asked God for the gift and began to speak.


The Spirit of God helps those that speak in tongues, making intercession for us, knowing what we are to pray which is the perfect will of God.
"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

In the book of Acts; when the members of the early church gathered, they were all in one accord when the Holy Ghost fell. This is important.
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."
I Corinthians 14:2

Tomorrow, I will continue this discussion; I hope you'll join in as we tear down this stronghold!


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