Facing the intense expectation to speak in tongues left an indelible mark on my faith journey, an experience that many from Pentecostal and Charismatic backgrounds can relate to. We open up about this deeply personal struggle and the broader implications it has for understanding the role of spiritual gifts in our lives. Through heartfelt narrative and scriptural exploration, we untangle the misconceptions that have pressured so many into seeking a singular sign of the Holy Spirit's presence. Sharing from the trenches of my own story, we invite listeners into a candid discussion about the diversity of spiritual gifts, as expressed in 1 Corinthians 12, and the true indicators of a vibrant spiritual life.
Venturing beyond my own experiences, we also recall a transformative encounter in a southern Indiana church, where the specter of manipulative control loomed over its congregation. This episode isn't just about the personal; it's an urgent call for discernment and an examination of how spiritual gifting can either unite or divide us. We stress the potential of a church that embraces the full spectrum of gifts—not for self-aggrandizement, but to advance the Great Commission. As we reflect on the importance of every gift, the power of unity, and the necessity for collaboration, we envision a future where diverse expressions of faith come together to create a profound impact on the world. Join us for a conversation that will challenge, inspire, and embolden you to appreciate the unique work of the Holy Spirit in your life and in the lives of those around you.
Facing the intense expectation to speak in tongues left an indelible mark on my faith journey, an experience that many from Pentecostal and Charismatic backgrounds can relate to. We open up about this deeply personal struggle and the broader implications it has for understanding the role of spiritual gifts in our lives. Through heartfelt narrative and scriptural exploration, we untangle the misconceptions that have pressured so many into seeking a singular sign of the Holy Spirit's presence. Sharing from the trenches of my own story, we invite listeners into a candid discussion about the diversity of spiritual gifts, as expressed in 1 Corinthians 12, and the true indicators of a vibrant spiritual life.
Venturing beyond my own experiences, we also recall a transformative encounter in a southern Indiana church, where the specter of manipulative control loomed over its congregation. This episode isn't just about the personal; it's an urgent call for discernment and an examination of how spiritual gifting can either unite or divide us. We stress the potential of a church that embraces the full spectrum of gifts—not for self-aggrandizement, but to advance the Great Commission. As we reflect on the importance of every gift, the power of unity, and the necessity for collaboration, we envision a future where diverse expressions of faith come together to create a profound impact on the world. Join us for a conversation that will challenge, inspire, and embolden you to appreciate the unique work of the Holy Spirit in your life and in the lives of those around you.
My website is https://www.godslovingsacrifice.com
Speaker 1:
Today we're going to talk about speaking in tongues and the gifts of the Spirit. I want to first tell you a story. When I was in my 20s, I was in church and I went to an assembly of God church and, of course, I grew up in a four square church, which was a church that they spoke in tongues and gave messages, interpretations, and I always thought that was just the most wonderful thing I'd ever seen, but it wasn't something I never really thought that I wanted or needed to do. Then, when I got older and I got into the church, everyone kept telling me you got to speak in tongues. You got to speak in tongues, you've got to receive the Holy Spirit. And it seems so strange because I thought the Holy Spirit was always with us, but they kept telling me you got to speak in tongues. You got to speak in tongues.
Speaker 1:
I would pray and I would beg and I would do everything trying to figure out why God didn't give me this gift of speaking in tongues. I felt like I was different somehow, or like I was not as good a Christian as they were, and a lot of them kept after me and kept after me and I prayed and I prayed, and when I would pray I'd say God, just give me the faith. Just give me faith, because that's what I thought I was lacking. And as I prayed for faith, my faith grew and I got more and more faith, but I didn't speak in tongues. Finally, one night at the altar I was praying and I got this little phrase, just a few syllables, and I felt like I got it. That was when I'm in my 20s. This is 50 years later, when I still only have that little phrase. I call it my prayer language, because when I don't know what to pray, that's what I call out. But I was made to feel really bad that I didn't just start speaking in tongues like other people did, and I thought that was the only way that you could give the Holy Spirit. Well, when that happened, I decided to find out if me not speaking in tongues like all the rest of the people were telling me I should, that there was something wrong with me.
Speaker 1:
And as Pentecostal or Charismatic or evangelical or full gospel whatever type of Pentecostal church you go to, I think we concentrate sometimes too much on tongues and I think that we run some people away and I think some churches don't like tongues because people throughout the years have made them feel guilty because maybe that wasn't what they desired. And it wasn't what I desired. I wanted to have a faith that could take me through anything, a faith where I could move mountains. I always love the scripture. It's just a mustard seed, the smallest of seeds, but it can grow into a tree. And if you just have that much faith, you could tell the mountain to be moved, thrown into the sea and it would go into the sea or the tree would grow in the sea. Not sure exactly which one it is, but it's one of those. And God gave me Holy Spirit, gifted me with faith. There is nothing that goes on in my life that faith doesn't get me through. I see God in every aspect of my life and I wouldn't want it any other way.
Speaker 1:
So sometimes you'll see people saying, oh, I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. They're not saying they were baptized in the Holy Spirit. They're saying I spoke in tongues. And I think that's wrong. I think that's really wrong If you want to really know what the scriptures say about it. 1 Corinthians 12, 1-11.
Speaker 1:
Say now, concerning spiritual gifts brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore, I make it known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus a cursed and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. There are diversity of gifts, but the same spirit. There are differences of ministries the same Lord. There are diversities of activities. It is the same God who works all in all, but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all, for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another by the same Spirit to another. Gifts of healing by the same Spirit to another. Working of miracles to another. Prophecy to another. Discerning of spirits to another. Different kinds of tongues to another. Interpretation of tongues, but one in the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as he wills. Nowhere did that say that the Spirit gives everyone tongues. And I love the second part of this chapter because it really shows us there that we don't all have to speak in tongues to have the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1:
1 Corinthians, 12, 15 through 31 said If the foot should say, because I am not a hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And if an ear should say because I am not an eye, I am not of the body and is therefore not of the body, if the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? And if the whole were hearing, where would be the spelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as he pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now, indeed, there are many members, yet one body and the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you. Nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary, and those members of the body which we think to be less honorable. On these we bestow the greatest honor, and un-presentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. God composed the body, having given greater honor to the part which it lacks, that there should be no schism in the body, that the members should have the same care for one another, and if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. Or if one member is honor, all members rejoice with it. So when you have someone that's praying for the Holy Spirit and they're not speaking in tongues, does that mean they're less, or is God giving them something else to work in the church? Maybe he has enough people in the church speaking in tongues, maybe he needs somebody to prophesy, maybe he needs somebody with discernment, and those are just as important.
Speaker 1:
I'm going to tell you another story about me. I had a friend who went to a church in southern Indiana and if you look it up you guys might find out who it is, but I'm not going to give names Not my friend, but the church. It was a bit of a cult and this woman was telling people who they should marry and who they should marry and who should divorce and marry this one and sign up your houses, and her friend just wanted us to go. So bad. So my husband and I, being in the ministry, we knew what kind of church this was and we decided to go. And as soon as we walked in the door we knew this was wrong and we sat down and I held his hand and I said we have to pray. So the lady came out, started talking and we said they're praying. We didn't have our eyes closed, we just silent prayer. And she made her way to our side of the church, stood in front of where we were sitting and said I cannot go on because I have people here who are working against me and I will not have it. They know who they are and I want them to leave. So we grabbed our kids, we stood up, we walked out the door. Our friend walked out with us and as we're walking away, said the lady, said I knew, they knew who they were. We discerned that that was not a place for us, that that was not a place for our friend. We left it. We spoke with her, we ministered to her. She got saved. She started coming to our little chapel that we were pastors of. We need discernment.
Speaker 1:
Speaking in tongues would not helped me in that instance. Dissernment would have. So, as Pentecostals, let's not put so much emphasis on whether you speak in tongues or not. Like I told you, it wasn't something I wanted. I wasn't what didn't mean a lot to me. Faith was much more what I wanted to have. But in our little chapel we had a message in tongues and we waited and waited and no one interpreted.
Speaker 1:
I did receive the interpretation one time and I've never done it again because that wasn't what I desired. If you look at the rest of that chapter, I'm sorry, I stopped at 26. We're going to do the rest of that. First the first Corinthians, 12, 15, 231,. I stopped at 26. I got carried away, so now let's go to the rest of it. Now you are the body of Christ and the members individually, and God has appointed these in the church First apostles, second prophets, third, teachers. After that miracles, then gift of healings, helps administrations, variety of tongues Are all apostles, are all prophets, are all teachers, are all workers of miracle. Do all have the gifts of healing, do all speak in tongues, do all interpret, but earnestly desire the best gift. And yet I show you a more excellent way. I desired the gift of faith, I wanted faith, I got faith.
Speaker 1:
Not speaking in tongues Doesn't mean I don't believe in it. I believe in it and I'm proud of those who do it. I'm proud of those who give messages. I'm proud of those who interpret. They're needed by our church. But the ones who don't are not lesser. They're not the feet and you're not the head. We all work as one body. And another thing that I feel that the cost of churches do is churches do or spend a lot of time talking about speaking at tongues.
Speaker 1:
And there's only three times in the New Testament where speaking in tongues came with the Holy Spirit. Only three times there's a lot of people getting saved, but only three times did they speak in tongues In Acts 2.4, where it said they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. And Acts 10.44-46, where it says while Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all of those who heard the word and those of the circumcised who believed were astonished as many came with Peter because of the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also, where they heard them speak in the tongues and magnify God. And then in Acts 19.6 it says and when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them. They spoke with tongues and prophesied.
Speaker 1:
Nothing says in the Bible that you have to speak in tongues to be filled with the Spirit. In fact, when you accept Jesus Christ, you're filled with the Spirit. The Spirit and Jesus are one. When you ask Jesus into your life, you get all three. It's not a second act, it's not where you might be saved, but first you got to speak in tongues. That's not the rules, that's not the way it goes, and I'm very passionate about this.
Speaker 1:
I hope you guys can tell, because of what I went through and because I'd heard a conversation in the last little bit talking about this. I just felt like this was something that people needed to know. Tells you a little bit more about me. I am Pentecostal. I do believe in speaking tongues. I believe in prophecy, I believe in healing, believe in laying on a pants. One day I'll tell you some of the stories of the healings and stuff that's happened in my life and in my children's lives. But right now let's go back to talking about the Holy Spirit's gifts and which ones are the most important, and I can give you the answer to that right now. One is not more important than the other. Your hands help you, your feet help you, your legs help you, your back helps you. Your head, your eyes, your nose, your ears, every part of your body is important and every part of the body of Christ is important.
Speaker 1:
There is nowhere in the New Testament where it says that speaking in tongues is the only evidence that a person has received the Holy Spirit. In fact, it teaches you just the opposite. We are told every believer receives the Holy Spirit. Romans 8-9 says but you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you now. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. So if we are gods, if we are Jesuses, we have the Holy Spirit. When we ask Jesus into our heart, we have the Holy Spirit to make people feel that, unless they speak with tongues, they don't have that Holy Spirit. Who drew you Christ? Holy Spirit who intercedes for us, the Holy Spirit who gives us that feeling that don't do that. The Holy Spirit, he's our Comforter, he's our Guide, he's our Intercessor. He's not just someone to make you speak in tongues. Romans 1 13-14 says in him you also trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom, also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. Prays to his glory.
Speaker 1:
There's one other thing I don't want you to think I've beaten up any church that tries to get people to speak in tongues. I'm not, because now I'm going to talk about the churches who do not believe you speak in tongues because the perfect has come and they seem to think that the perfect was the Bible. That's not the way I interpret that and I don't know how you interpret it, but I'm going to tell you what I think. The perfect is perfect Bible. It's wonderful, it's the living word of God. But if it were perfect, we wouldn't have a Catholic Bible and we wouldn't have a regular Bible and we wouldn't have a King James Bible. We wouldn't have a new international version which takes out verses from the King James. That's not perfect, you know. It's perfect. Heaven, god, jesus, holy Spirit, that's perfect.
Speaker 1:
It talks about in 1 Corinthians 1310 says when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away with. Okay, when perfect has come, that which is in part, what is in part. Think about it as humans, we're in part. We will not be made whole until we are in heaven. That's when the perfect comes. We will not need tongues in heaven. We will not need prophecy or healing or any of the things that the Holy Spirit gives us here in this imperfect world. When we're in heaven, we all are looking for the perfect. Living our lives in heaven with Jesus Christ. We won't need those things there. It says in 1 Corinthians, 1311 through 12 says when I was a child, I talked as a child. I thought like a child. I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only reflection in a mirror. Then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I am known. That's when we get to heaven, when we see God face to face, when we know what he knows, when the perfect arrives, when we arrive at heaven, we'll be in the perfect.
Speaker 1:
I don't know if I insulted anyone in this, but as Christians, I don't care if you're Catholic or Baptist or Methodist or Lutheran or Episcopalian, charismatic holiness, what you are, when we do things that cause someone to fall, you're wrong. I don't care what your doctrine is If you cause others to fall through your actions, whether it's telling people you have to speak in tongues, or telling people if you do speak in tongues, you're of saint. By the way, that is the unforgivable sin when you attribute things of God to the Holy Spirit, when you attribute things from the Holy Spirit to something evil, that is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. But we need to realize that we need each other.
Speaker 1:
Speaking in tongues will not save the church, but if we all work together, with all of the gifts that the Holy Spirit gave, with all of the things that he has to offer, with all of the spiritual gifts that he gives, when you take those spiritual gifts and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are two different things some of them overlap, they are two different things and we work as one in a church or one as a body of Christ, then miracles happen, miracles happen, salvation happens. The world changes. We can change this world, and that's what the Great Commission is all about going to the world and preach the gospel to every creature, but don't go in the world and preach your gospel. The gospel that is needed is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
