striktlymi: Good evening,

It's great that you speak in tongues but it is not a must for every Christian. And really, speaking in tongues is the least of the gifts of the spirit.

I believe you should concentrate on those things that can lead you to heaven instead of making trivial things very important. Speaking in tongues cannot take anyone to heaven.

I am really happy that you have been blessed with the gift of tongues but I wonder whether you can speak my dialect...


Thank you!

Bidam: You may be right.The baptism of the Holy Spirit is absolute perfection.It will not be babblings and that was my experience.A lot of things that are called speaking in an unknown tongue,is not the Holy Spirit.They are a discredit to the One who is perfection.The Holy Spirit is not ignorant.When it is the Holy Spirit,it is a perfect language.

anukulapo: @op
"you don't pick out only what suit you in
scriptures leaving out the other."

If you really believe your statement as quoted above, then you should read 1 cor 14:4 that you quote in full and not just the first part.
Seek rather to edify the church than yourself (though I forbid not to speak in tongues) for self is a member of the church not vice-versa and christ died for the church not and individual self.

Just passing by though.

Bidam: Ten Reasons Why Every Believer Should Speak in Tongues


I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
— 1 Corinthians 14:18

The apostle Paul wrote and spoke much about the subject of speaking in other tongues, and he apparently practiced what he preached for he said, "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all" (1 Cor. 14:18). I, too, thank God that I speak in tongues regularly, and I wish every believer would make this his habit and enjoy this same blessing and source of power in his everyday life.

The purpose of this particular lesson is to set forth ten reasons why every Christian should speak in tongues, and to help believers see the blessings that can be theirs through daily appropriating the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Reason Number 1
The Word of God teaches that when we are filled with the Holy Ghost, we speak with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives utterance. As we have seen, speaking in tongues is an initial evidence or sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit:

"And they were all FILLED WITH THE
HOLY GHOST, and began to SPEAK WITH OTHER TONGUES, as the Spirit gave them
utterance" (Acts 2:4).

In Acts 10, the brethren of the circumcision who had come with Peter to Cornelius' household were astonished when they saw that the gift of the Holy Ghost was poured out on the Gentiles too. They thought salvation and the baptism in the Holy Ghost were just for the Jews.How did these Jews know that Cornelius' household had received the gift of the Holy Ghost?

"For they HEARD THEM SPEAK WITH TONGUES, and magnify God ..." (Acts 10:46).

Speaking in tongues was the supernatural sign and initial evidence that convinced them that the Gentiles had the same gift they had.


Reason Number 2
Paul, in writing to the Church at Corinth, encouraged the Corinthian Christians to continue the practice of speaking with other tongues in their worship of God. He also encouraged them to speak in tongues in their individual prayer lives as a means of spiritual edification or building up. The Bible says, "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue
edifi-eth himself. . ."(1Cor. 14:4).

Jude 20 also links praying in tongues with building yourself up spiritually.

JUDE 20
20 But ye, beloved, BUILDING UP YOURSELVES on your most holy faith, PRAYING IN
THE HOLY GHOST.

Howard Carter, who was one of the Pentecostal world's most renowned teachers on the subject of spiritual gifts, said we must not forget that speaking with other tongues is not only the initial evidence of the Holy Spirit's infilling, but is also a continual experience for the rest of one's life.For what purpose? To assist us in the worship of God. "Speaking in tongues," Rev Carter said,"is a flowing stream that should never dry up, and that will enrich one's life spiritually." '

The Apostle Paul said that speaking with tongues will edify or build us up spiritually. "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries" (1 Cor. 14:2).

Moffatt's translation of this verse says, ". . . he is talking of divine secrets in the Spirit." Paul
was saying here that God has given to the church a divine, supernatural means of communication with Him.

Paul also stated in First Corinthians 14:14, "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, MY SPIRIT PRAYETH, but my understanding is unfruitful." Notice he said, ".. . my spirit prayeth. ..."

The Amplified Bible reads, ". . . my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays. . . ." God is a spirit. When you pray in tongues, your spirit is in direct contact with God, who is a Spirit. When you speak in tongues, you are talking to Him by divine, supernatural means.

Reason Number 3

The third reason people should speak with other tongues is that tongues keeps us continually aware of the Holy Spirit's indwelling Presence. Not only is speaking with tongues the initial sign or evidence of the Holy Spirit's infilling, but continuing to pray and to worship God in tongues helps us to be ever conscious of His indwelling Presence. And if you are conscious of the indwelling Presence of the Holy Ghost every day, that is bound to affect the way you think and live.


I once heard an evangelist tell of an experience he had in a pastor's home. As he walked into a room unexpectedly, he heard the pastor's twelve-year-old daughter just throwing a fit. She had lost her temper and was bawling her mother out.
Suddenly she looked up and saw the evangelist. She stopped and put her head in her hands and began to cry. She said, "I am so sorry you saw me act this way and heard what I said."He said to her, "Honey, there is One who is greater than I am who heard you and saw you act that way. You are a Christian, aren't you?" "Yes," was her tearful reply.

"Filled with the Spirit?" he asked."Yes," she answered."Well, the Holy Ghost is in you, and He knows what you said and how you acted," he told her."Just repent and the Lord will forgive you." They prayed together and she repented. Then in a
little while she began to worship God in tongues.This evangelist then said to her, "There is one secret that will help you curb your temper. If you will just pray and worship God every day in tongues, it will help you to be conscious of the
indwelling Presence of the Holy Ghost.

Then he said, "If you will remember that the Holy Spirit is in you, you won't act that way. You were ashamed because I saw you lose your temper. You were embarrassed because I heard you talk the way you did to your mother. But the Holy Ghost is greater than I am, and He saw and heard you too."

Some years later when this same evangelist returned to preach at that church, the pastor's daughter told him, "I have never forgotten what you said. Every day for the past few years I have prayed and worshipped God in tongues, and I have never lost my temper again."

Unfortunately, we all know people who have been filled with the Holy Ghost, yet still lose their temper and say and do things they shouldn't. It is because they have been walking in the flesh instead of in the Spirit, and they haven't been fellowshipping with God as they should have been.

It is so easy, when you are not conscious of God's Presence, to become aggravated and easily exasperated, and to allow yourself to lose your temper. But if you will take time to fellowship with God by speaking in tongues, you can continually be conscious of God's indwelling Presence.


Reason Number 4

Speaking in tongues eliminates the possibility of selfishness entering our prayer life. For instance, if I pray a prayer out of my own mind and out of my own thinking, it may be unscriptural. It may be selfish. Too many times our prayers are like the old farmer who always prayed, "God bless me, my wife, my son John, his wife — us four and no more."

Paul wrote to the Church at Rome, ". . . we know not what we should pray for as we ought. . ."
(Rom. 8:26). He didn't say we didn't know how to pray, because we do know how we are to pray. We are to pray to the Father in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:23,24). That is the correct way to pray. But just because I know how to pray doesn't mean that I know what to pray for as I ought. So Paul said, ". . . we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself [ Himself] maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Rom. 8:26).

P. C. Nelson, a Greek scholar and the founder of Southwestern Bible Institute, said that the Greek in Romans 8:26 literally reads, ". . . the Holy Ghost maketh intercession for us in groanings that cannot be uttered in articulate speech."Articulate speech means your regular kind of speech. He went on to point out that the Greek stresses that this not only includes groanings escaping your lips in prayer, but also praying in other tongues. That agrees with what Paul said in First Corinthians 14:14, "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth. . . ." The Amplified Bible says, ". . . my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays. . .."

People should be careful making fun of tongues, because when people make fun of tongues,they are making fun of the Holy Ghost. When you pray in tongues, it is your spirit praying by the Holy Spirit within you. It is the Holy Spirit within giving you the utterance, and you are speaking from out of your spirit. You do the talking; the Holy Spirit gives the utterance.

By praying with groanings and with other tongues, the Holy Spirit is helping you to pray according to the will of God — to pray as things should be prayed for. This isn't something the Holy Ghost does apart from you. He doesn't groan or in tongues apart from you. Those groanings that cannot be uttered in articulate speech come from inside of you — from your
spirit — and escape your own lips.The Holy Ghost is not going to do your praying for you. He is sent to dwell in us as a
Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby (John 14:16 Amp.).

The Holy Spirit is not responsible for our prayer life. He is sent to help us pray. Speaking with other tongues is praying as the Spirit gives utterance. It is Spirit-directed praying. It eliminates the possibility of selfishness in our prayers.

Many times when people have prayed out of their own minds, they have prayed for circumstances to change that were actually not the will of God and were not best. If God's people want things a certain way, even if it isn't best for them or is not God's will, He will often permit it.

For example, God did not want Israel to have a king, but they wanted one, so He permitted them to have one (1Sam.8:4-7). But a king was not His perfect will for them.Therefore, speaking in tongues eliminates selfishness and praying outside of the will of God because when we pray in tongues, we are praying the perfect will of God.

Bidam: Yes,you re absolutely right,but i received mine when hands were laid on me.

booqee: just seeing d topic alone and wat came to my mind is "ridiculous"

ChEkWaS IyKe :


my Bible tels me dat: dis signs shall follows dem dat believe. So as a Christain u need dis sign, else u're stil a baby Christain

ifeness:

Everything you wrote here....none of them was written by an African. Buy africa brother....about time we stopped this mentality of slaves. You wanna speak in tongues......pls speak your African languages!

striktlymi:

Good evening,

I don't believe that I atributed the comment about 'tongues taking one to heaven' to you. It's meant to show that it is not important for every Christian. And the comment that every Christian should speak in tongues is not correct. The spirit gives the gift of tongues to whomever he wills and this gift is not given to everyone.

And frankly I am of the opinion that some people who claim to have the gift of tongues do not have it.

Thank you!

striktlymi: Good evening,

[size=1pt]It's great that you speak in tongues but it is not a must for every Christian. And really, speaking in tongues is the least of the gifts of the spirit.

I believe you should concentrate on those things that can lead you to heaven instead of making trivial things very important. Speaking in tongues cannot take anyone to heaven.

I am really happy that you have been blessed with the gift of tongues but I wonder whether you can speak my dialect...[/size]


Thank you!

striktlymi:

Good evening,
[size=1pt]I don't believe that I atributed the comment about 'tongues taking one to heaven' to you. It's meant to show that it is not important for every Christian. And the comment that every Christian should speak in tongues is not correct. The spirit gives the gift of tongues to whomever he wills and this gift is not given to everyone.

And frankly I am of the opinion that some people who claim to have the gift of tongues do not have it.[/size]

Thank you!

striktlymi: Good evening again Bidam,


[size=1pt]I want to believe that you are sincere in your resolve to following the word of God. It is in this light, I make the following comments:



The passage of sacred scriptures you quoted:

Acts 2:4

"4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak."

did not explicitly say that every believer would receive the gift of tongues as suggested by your post. That part of sacred scriptures only revealed what happened to the apostles at Pentecost.

However, sacred scriptures was very explicit when it affirms that the spirit gives various gifts which should be used for the good of all:

1Corinthians12:4-7

"4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. 5 There are different ways of serving, but the same Lord is served. 6 There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for their particular service. 7 The Spirit's presence is shown in some way in each person for the good of all."

It is also very clear in sacred scriptures that not everyone is given the gift of speaking in tongues:

1Corinthians 12:10-11

"10 The Spirit gives one person the power to work miracles; to another, the gift of speaking God's message; and to yet another, the ability to tell the difference between gifts that come from the Spirit and those that do not. To one person he gives the ability to speak in strange tongues, and to another he gives the ability to explain what is said. 11 But it is one and the same Spirit who does all this; as he wishes, he gives a different gift to each person."

Paul also went ahead to say:

1Corinthians14:23-24

"23 If, then, the whole church meets together and everyone starts speaking in strange tongues—and if some ordinary people or unbelievers come in, won't they say that you are all crazy? 24 But if everyone is proclaiming God's message when some unbelievers or ordinary people come in, they will be convinced of their sin by what they hear. They will be judged by all they hear,"

Hence though the gift of the spirit includes speaking in tongues but it is not compulsory that everyone should have it, and not having it does not imply that the individual does not have the spirit of God.




Your quote:
Acts2:39


"39 For God's promise was made to you and your children, and to all who are far away—all whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

really does not support your claim that every believer should speak in tongues. The comment was made by Peter when he spoke to the people about Jesus being the messiah. That he came to the world and died for us and that he has risen as he said he would. I don't see how this passage supports your claim.



I really do not post in order for you to acccept my opinion but if you say you believe sacred scriptures then read through scriptures very well and make your decision.
[/size]

Thank you!

Joagbaje:

Polygamy is not a sin. It's only not advisable because of its problems ,wars which will definitely cause distraction .

Lovine: Yes,you re absolutely right,but i received mine when hands were laid on me.

Whose hands?

Maximus85: And they will continue to be blind and deaf. They will continue with wrong interpretations. Let me ask you....can u translate when someone speaks in tongue? If you can't then...stop deceiving urself.

Speak in tongues means speaking in different LANGUAGES. In Penticost 33ce when the disciples were speaking in tongues (Languages) Onlookers were saying "ha...that's my language ooo, how come they can speak my language?" To show you that at that time...people do understand what was said when the disciples were speaking in Tongues.

Shabaraski lu s bara kasha.....e get meaning? Abeg make I rest jor.

anukulapo: @op
"you don't pick out only what suit you in
scriptures leaving out the other."

If you really believe your statement as quoted above, then you should read 1 cor 14:4 that you quote in full and not just the first part.
Seek rather to edify the church than yourself (though I forbid not to speak in tongues) for self is a member of the church not vice-versa and christ died for the church not and individual self.

Just passing by though.

anukulapo: @op
"you don't pick out only what suit you in
scriptures leaving out the other."

If you really believe your statement as quoted above, then you should read 1 cor 14:4 that you quote in full and not just the first part.
Seek rather to edify the church than yourself (though I forbid not to speak in tongues) for self is a member of the church not vice-versa and christ died for the church not and individual self.

Just passing by though.

soledadd: I am not against speaking in tongues. Infact i earnestly pray that i will be given the gift by the holy spirit. But what i hate most is seeing poeple who pretend to speak even when they are not led by the holy spirit. Its only when i recieve the gift that i will speak. I can't force myself. Besides i will continue to work with gifts God have given me.

striktlymi:

I believe you are the one getting sacred scriptures wrong and applying what you think. This people you baptised, how many spoke Igbo without a previous knowledge? How many spoke Ibibio? How many spoke Uwano? Or better still was there anyone who understood what they said just like people understood the Apostles when they spoke in tongues?

If you tell me that they all spoke in strange language without anyone being able to understand the language they spoke then this is what Paul has to say:

1Corinthians14:4
4 Those who speak in strange tongues help only themselves, but those who proclaim God's message help the whole church.

pappyrose: I ve a simple question to ask, *Did Jesus speak in tongues when He was here?
Note: I need biblical references. Thanks

Rich4god: So what happens to christians that dont speak in tongue. Are they short of the Holy Spirit.