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 Corinthians 14:2, KJV
I remember my first encounter with a group of people speaking in tongues. In fact, I remember it quite well–I had been brought up in a denominational church that did not encourage (nor did they go out of their way to discourage) the spiritual practice of speaking in tongues. We all agreed that speaking in tongues was something mentioned in the Bible, but no one thought it was for believers to practice today.
I remember coming into a new, different, and very passionate church for the first time and being utterly taken aback by what I saw and heard. People were actively speaking in tongues, but it wasn’t as weird as I thought it would be. It was a little weird; don’t get me wrong!
They were raising their hands in worship. They were dancing. They were singing about how much they loved God, but in contrast to much of my experience in church worship, these people actually seemed to believe it. People were laying hands on each other and actually believing that the person would be healed. They seemed to have a relationship with God I had never experienced before. I wondered if they had something I didn’t. I was about to find out how correct that musing was.
Even though they were doing things that were strange to me, I could readily tell they were doing these things with pure, holy hearts. I was completely speechless. I had never seen such displays of emotion,
let alone during a church service!
After attending for a few weeks and realizing that there was more to this “tongues and power of the Holy Spirit” business than what meets the eye, I did a deep-dive into the Word of God for myself. I determined to find out if these people were out of line with the Bible, or if, in fact, they had something that I didn’t. Just the thought that they had something that I didn’t have sparked up a flame inside me to find out the truth for myself!
As I studied the Word with an open heart, I quickly found that God has a great deal to say about tongues and the power of the Holy Spirit that is released on a believer through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit! After a few weeks of diligent and intensive study, I had no choice but to agree that the Word of God does, in fact, teach that speaking in tongues–as well as the separate, post-salvation experience of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit–were not only for us today, but are essential elements of the victorious, powerful, and Spirit-filled Christian walk!
Just as Crazy as the Rest of Them, and My Life’s Calling!
It wasn’t long before I gladly received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues for myself, and the indescribable power of God started flowing in my life like a waterfall that I never wanted to shut off. I was dumbfounded that more people weren’t speaking in tongues, after all the Word of God has to say on the subject. Over the years, I have come to learn that most of the opposition to these things comes from inaccurate teaching from within the Church.
That is why, my friend, I feel it is a large part of my life’s calling to bring solid, Scriptural teaching along these lines to anyone and everyone whom God grants me the influence to speak into. Man, I tell you what, I would preach this to a bullfrog if he could get born again and receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit!
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, along with speaking in tongues, are absolutely essential to living a victorious, powerful, and effective Christian life after receiving salvation.
It is so important that we, as the Body of Christ, learn to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and regularly speaking in tongues, that I have dedicated the next several podcasts to this very subject.
Questions to Consider
But for today, friend, I encourage you to take a good look at your own life. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I ever feel lacking in my ability to pray in my native tongue? Am I ever left feeling like I never “got everything out” after a time of prayer and intercession?
- Do I ever feel like I simply cannot praise God enough in my own tongue–that I yearn deeply for another way to express my praise and worship to God freely, without the restriction of my natural understanding?
- Do I wish I were walking in more of a degree of the supernatural power of God in my witness? Am I seeing the results that Jesus said would follow believers in Mark 16:17-18?
If any of these simple questions resonates with you, then you, friend, are ready to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. You desire the enduement of power that only Jesus can bring through this wonderful Baptism.
Friend, the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14:2 (AMPC), “For one who speaks in an [unknown] tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the [Holy] Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things [not obvious to the understanding].”
Speaking in tongues, something I will teach on in the podcast and future blog posts, is a direct, unhindered line of communication to God. Can you imagine anything more powerful? That your prayers, perfectly aided by the Holy Spirit Himself (for it is He who gives you the utterance in the spirit) are a means of direct personal communication with the Father, and that you can know with absolute certainty that you are praying out the exact and perfect will of God?! It really is almost too good to be true. But I am here to tell you friend, that is exactly what the Bible teaches.
I encourage you today– wherever you stand on the concepts of speaking in tongues and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit– to have an open mind towards the things I’m going to be teaching on in this new series.
Go straight to the Word of God for yourself!
Many people don’t let the Bible get in the way of what they already believe–
don’t be one of those people! Let the Bible change your thinking. Let the Word of God be the final and ultimate authority in your life. As you live this way, I can guarantee you, you will begin to see the impossible take place as God’s supernatural touches your natural and changes your life forever–equipping you with unstoppable power and transforming you more and more into the image of Jesus Christ!
Photo by madeleine ragsdale on Unsplash