Speaking in Tongues.

I have been asked to explain the phenomenon known as speaking in tongues. This is sometimes a very emotional charged subject. Christians many times find their relationship with Christ and their Christian life in general as “plain” and uneventful and the seek something more intense.

This search for a deeper spiritual life is commendable and the yearning to be “closer” to God is good but, sometimes our motive sends us into the wrong directions. We are called to grow as Christians. Our Christian growth comes through communion with God through prayer and Bible study and is cemented in by our actions.

The chase after something more than gospel reveals that we misunderstand what the gospel is. What Christ has done is sufficient nothing can be added to what He has done.

Now, let us look at the phenomenon of speaking in tongues.
Firstly let me kick off by sharing part of my journey.

I also frequented charismatic churches and groups and was attracted by what I perceived as a deeper faith. One night I answered the alter call and experience what they call “baptism with the Holy Spirit” and started praying in tongues. I loved it but, something wasn’t right for me, and only practiced it a few times.

When we investigate anything we must go to the Bible as our source.

So what does the word “tongue” mean in scripture?

When the Bible speaks about “tongues” it plainly means language, a language that is spoken and understood by people.

Genesis 10:20

“These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.”

   The best place to start looking in this study is in the book of Acts. When we study the Bible the best way to find out what the Bible teaches about a specific thing is to look at different passages and then let them help interpret each other.

Acts 2:3-6

“And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.

And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.”

If no one would have told you about speaking in tongues would you think that these were languages spoken of in Acts 2 is strange languages or would you understood that they are already existing languages? Jerusalem was filled with foreigners. These foreigners spoke different languages and God through the Holy Spirit gave the Christians in the upper room the ability to talk languages they never heard or learned before.

This gift was given to the Christians as a sign that the Holy Spirit which Jesus promised has arrived. It further indicated that the Gospel is for everyone not just for the Jew but for every “tongue” meaning every nation.

Many things have been said about the fire that descended on the Christians when they received the Holy Spirit. Let me remind you of what John the Baptist said about the coming of the Holy Spirit and Fire.

Luke 3:16

  John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Remember why John the Baptized people. He baptized them with water as a visible sign of people being cleansed and leaving their old life behind. The Baptizing with Holy Spirit is basically the same thing being cleansed and washed.

In the following passages it is evident that when the Bible speaks of “tongues” it is speaking of a known language and not some Angelic language. It is also not used to talk about some revelation form God.

John 5:2; Revelation 5:9; Revelation 9:11; Ezra 4:7

The gift of tongues was a declaration that the Gospel will be going out to all nations. Never is there spoken of tongue as a tongue that is not understood by someone. These “tongues” was not just strange sounds like it is claimed to be today. No, it was actual languages spoken by actual people groups. The wonder was that Christians was speaking languages they never learned. These Christians was not just saying “hi” in some strange language, they were preaching the gospel.

Act 2:9-12.

  Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,

 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians--we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God."

 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?"    

The non-Jews also received the gift of speaking in tongues to confirm that the Gospel was also for the gentiles. The gift was not just a tool to evangelism but, a sign to confirm that all nations were welcome at the Lord table.

The sad thing is it is clear to many that the gift of speaking in tongues practiced today is not the same as what we find in the book of Acts. They recognize that many of the “speaking in tongues” is well nonsense. It’s just a whole lot of letters blustered out and none can translate it. So they claim that the there’s actually two gifts of speaking in tongues the one in Acts and the one in Corinthians.

They will explain that the one spoken about in Acts is a genuine man spoken language and the kind we find in Corinthians was something different and an interpreter was needed.

1 Corinthians 14:27-28.

Clearly in this passages it is instructed that there should be an interpreter, it is also clear that the Gospel and the evangelization of the listeners was the focus.

The reason for the speaking in tongues was so that people of all nations could hear the Gospel. It was not the bringing of a word of wisdom or some prophecy, the aim was evangelism of all nations.

Acts 10:45-47.

And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.

 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared,

 "Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"

Now let us look at the tuff question. We have now established that the gift of speaking in tongues was an existing language.

The gift of speaking in tongues was a “sign” gift”.

Let me explain while it had a purpose namely communicating the gospel to strangers it was also a sign that things were changing.

Think of the miracles that happened in Egypt, they did not continue, they strengthen the Israelites in their faith. When they had to through the Sea before they went into the Promised Land it was a sign to them that God was still with them the same way He was with their fathers when they left Egypt.

When Jesus was on earth He preformed many signs and wonders to confirm His deity and that which He was teaching. When the apostles went out they also preformed signs and wonders confirming this new work that was done. These things were meant as evidence that they were preaching the same truth as Christ.

The sign gifts were never meant to be permanent.

Check your time.

In this crazy beautiful world we live in everything is changing. We as Christians have a constant, an anchor, God.

Today everything is seen as relative. Every person believe that what they think is right is right. The freedom of speech is a good thing. The freedom of thought is a very good thing.

Asking questions is the only way we develop as man. The problem comes in when we believe that more than one answer is the right answer.

We say that there is many ways to skin a cat. The thing is we ask questions like “What is a skinned cat?” We build a case that questions the meaning of the very words. We would question if there is really something like a cat. We will question and ask what it means when we say “skin the cat”. We ask ourselves so many questions even questioning the answers of the answers.

In the end we would say it is all relative, who says the cat, if it is a cat? Is not skinned already?

Today as every other age Christians should know what they believe and why they believe it. If we are to stand, if we are to grow in faith, if we are to answer the question posed to us, we cannot just pitch at church on Sunday and listen to the sermon and hope it is enough to face the tuff questions.

Our time is filled up with so many things, work, hobbies, school, family, friends, Facebook, blogs, net-browsing, movies, TV shows and all other kind of activities, we never dust the Bible cover off.

Our knees is bruised not because of praying but, because we bumped when we texted our friend as we are leaving his house.

The sense of community is fast being eroded by our technology. While we have the best communication networks today, nobody really knows anybody else.

In this vast disconnected world we find ourselves alone in a crowd.

We have access to the word of God but, we don’t know what we believe and how to explain why we believe it. We have access to a multitude of friends but, do we have any?

We say we are richer, but are we really?

The most precious thing we have is time, and we received it freely. The problem with time we never can get it back. How do we invest our time? Do we make wise choices when we decide how to spend it?

Is the time spending watching great movie worth more than a boring hour with the kids? Is a quick text to someone you hardly know worth more than eye contact with the person you speaking too.

Our frantic search for that illusive “Meaning of life”, our unquenched thirst for that deep satisfying relationship leads us to this over stretched life.

We compound as much things into the shortest, thinking maybe that will for fill my life maybe that will fill this void.

Christians also fall into this trap, chasing riches, cheap thrill that best life now. While quality goes out the window.

We have fallen victim to the “Fast Food” life.

Everything now, very fast and tasty (sort of) no matter what the results are.

That is not the Christian life. The pay-off is not now. This is time of investments, some fruits will follow now but, most will only be visible later.

Quality time is a “myth” there is no substitute for quantity.

If you don’t put in the time you won’t get a dime.

If you start off and start doing just a little each day you will over time accomplish a something big and it will last.

I wanted to learn a few things, my wife bought me a series of books and I have read about 12000 pages in that series. Some will say wow. Others will say so what I read that in a few months.

You see I never read much, I think I only read two or three of my prescribed books I had in high school.

How did I get through those books? By reading 20 pages a day.

Doing a little each day goes a long way and normal then it will be of better quality than the little quickly rushed things.

The most important thing in life is your relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Set yourself a goal, set a schedule stick by it, cut time off all the other little thing you do, beg borrow steal but, make time.

     

   

The Gospel.

Ht Frank Turk

The Bad news in the Bible is that God is Good.

HT Mongernism

Martin Holdt's funeral.

I will not be able to attend but here is the time and directions to Martin Holdt's funeral.

Repentance.

This is word ignored by many and unknown by some.

This state of affairs is most probably the saddest thing on earth. In this day and age all still feel bad about their sin and their mangled sense of love.

True repentance is what saves you. Don’t get me wrong, we are saved on the grounded of what Christ has done. You are also saved by your faith in Him. (The faith by the way also is a free unmerited gift from God)

The question is which kind of faith saves you? A repentive faith is what saves you. Your faith is a faith of action; you do something on the ground of your faith. Do not for one moment think that you are saved by works. A true faith which saves you sprouts work, the work of repentance.

True repentive faith is you turning from one love to the love for Christ. Obedience to Christ is repentive faith. You obeyed your own lusts and chased after them, now that you are saved by repentive faith you chase Christ, He becomes your all.

Many people will and have accused this as just another form of works righteousness. It is not, I do not have the time to go into it here but. Think about this.

If you feel guilty about something and ask the person you wronged forgiveness but, continue doing it, are you really sorry you did it or not?

Repentance only comes when we are confronted. God calls us out through His scripture. The only way we are ever going to repent is, if we are called out and confronted by our sin in the light of what God thinks of it.

In today’s church the preaching of the law has been replaced by sermons about feeling good about ourselves and how we can have a best life now.

Actually if you think about it, the best way to have your best life now is to have a life of continual repentance, of continually turning away from your sinful desires towards Christ, which is called sanctification.

You see we mustn’t just repent the day we come to Christ, but true repentance is doing it daily, making the choice for Christ, moment after moment.

Only when we live the sanctifying life will it be great, only when we search the scriptures and through it we see our camouflaged sin and turn from it will we become what we already are in Christ.

Repentance is not just our birth but our growth.

A Good and a Bad start to the year.

Let me start with the bad news. Here in sunny South Africa we have lost a great father in the faith Dr Martin Holt.

About Martin Holdt

Martin Holdt was born in South Africa and has travelled to many parts of the world to speak at various conferences. In his forty-one years in the ministry, he has planted four churches and been pastor of four others. He has also been a regular speaker on a national Christian radio station for over twenty-five years. He is married to Elsabe and has five children and seven grandchildren.

He died on the 31^st of December; we attend Constantia Park Baptist church the last church he served on a full time basis before “retiring”.

You see he didn’t really retire he got involved in church planting and was still rector at the Seminary where I studied.

He impacted more lives than anyone will ever know.

We were late Sunday morning and missed the first 20 minutes of the service so we didn’t hear the news. (We attended another church service the night before with a friend and got home very late with our kids, I just love double headers)

We went back on the 3^rd to go and look for my sons shoes and found them, thanks to the friendly cleaning lady.

I wanted to get a book for my friend from the book shop, Augustine’s Book room and the lady their told me about the news.

Now for the good news, my friend, yes the same one invited me out for breakfast, see he is going through a tuff time and wanted to chat. So I got all prepared, flipped through a few books, looked up a few relevant passages, prayed and trusted in God for the right words.

In the car it dawns on me that he has a totally different need, Oeps. A much deeper question with no short answer so I decided to buy him a book.

Later in the conversation he turns the tables on me and offers to pay for further studies. Jaw drops and God gets praised.

http://eardstapa.wordpress.com/2012/01/01/martin-holdt-goes-home/