Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
We started to meet at one place this summer, and after the recent bible study, I was chatting with the minister, and he goes off on how "tongues have ceased." I could tell he had given that "message" a million times. Then my wife walks up, and I tried to warn him, and change the subject, but he was already "in motion," and could not stop.
Things were going fairly well at this new congregation until that night.
Now it seems, that was the end of that!
Now ... I'm neither a tongue suppressor nor a tongue supporter ... to me it's a non-issue,
Her last meeting in the LC was when the elder out of the blue mocked all tongue-talkers. What could he do, that's how he was trained.
Anyone have some wisdom for facing this issue? It seems to me that tongues is today's equivalent of circumcision. Acts 15 never solved that issue, so I have little hope for tongues. It basically now divides the body of Christ right down the middle.
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Here I am !
Like you Ohio, I'm neither a tongue suppressor nor a tongue supporter. On occassion BY FAiTH, I will pray in tongues. I say by FAITH, because I have never had a 'spontaneous' experience as many seem to have had where out of no where they began to pray/speak in an uncomprehensible language which many call a 'heavenly language'. I have to BELIEVE the Holy Spirit is praying in this heavenly language and I usually ask HIM to before I begin. When I pray in 'tongues', I usually take this route when I don't know HOW to pray for a particular situation.
Most of us who left the LC left with one more 'attitude' on tongue speaking. We didn't speak / pray in tongues so 'it's not of the Lord because we were told the same thing the pastor said, 'tongues have ceased'. Like blind sheep, we believed it.
I am 'open' to pray in tongues but I do not like going to corporate prayer meetings where the entire session is tongue praying. That is how it is at the church I last attended for several years. They're kind of double speak. On the one hand they don't 'force' anyone to pray in tongues but will make you feel guilty if you don't. The pastors' made a big hup dee doo about praying in tongues for hours & hours & hours and how 'enlightened' they became by the Holy Spirit. Maybe.
BUT.......I look at the FRUIT. If people do not know how to pray the Word of God, if they are not trained to speak the Word of God, if their messages are recycled messages, I don't care how much time a person 'prays in tongues' I don't know if it's reaching the Throne Room ! How do I KNOW they are truly praying by the Power of the Holy Spirit if they don't know the Word of God.
To those who strongly endorse tongue praying, I ask WHERE is the interpretation ? No one I know has ever interpreted a tongue but everyone sure can speak it ! On occasion, I have asked God to give me the gift of interpretation because there have been times I have heard a person pray in tongues and it sounds like it is a LANGUAGE ! Very, very beautiful. I have also heard of people praying in tongues and it actually IS a foreign language and someone understands exactly what is being said.
Now the Word says that tongue praying is to edify yourself only. So why the 'corporate' tongue praying ? I really hate that.
On the other hand, when I hear someone say 'tongues have ceased', I keep my arms length from them too. They're wayyy too set in their ways.
So if you want to pray in tongues, ask the Holy Spirit to pray through you and believe you are if you don't spontaneous do it.
Either way, we ought to be training ourselves daily to speak the Word of God, that we might wax strong in the power of His Might. I don't know if tongues will strengthen our innerman but I know for a fact the Word of God does !
