Has God ever told any tongues-speaking believer that they are speaking gibberish

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Thank you for your response.

Yes, that was definitely a counterfeit. I've had a lot of counterfeit experiences. I won't go into details, but I've had to cast out hundreds of demons and break a lot of curses. I was practicing witchcraft as a teenager and I was like the man with Legion before I was saved. It's as you say, if it doesn't show the fruits of the Spirit, it's not of God. If the body starts shaking and jerking, that's definitely not the Holy Spirit, nor if it feels aggressive in any way. Same with prophecy. Sometimes, I'd get this intense snake-like stare, and it would feel really good and like "light" and this demon would try and get me to speak something as if from God. I'd ignore it and attack it, because that's what I was like as a witch. But I've seen it in other people. Even on here, I can almost feel it in some comments.

That's interesting that you say we have to ask for gifts. I have the gift of discerning of spirits, but I didn't ask for it. God just revealed it to me with time until I understood it. I've asked for more of it though, and I have received it, and training and Biblical revelation to understand it. But my situation may be different from most.

That one time where I think I prayed mentally in tongues, I did ask for it I think. I think I'll ask again, because it seems like a wonderful experience.

Thanks for that. You have put your counterfeit experience into context. Neil Anderson wrote a book called "The Bondage Breaker" and if you haven't already read it, I suggest you do. This will be a great help to you personally and for those who are ministering to with your genuine gift of discerning of spirits.

If you have prayed mentally in tongues, it links with the experience of a friend who was seeking the gift. He said that these strange words came to mind. He was encouraged to speak them out and when he did so, he started speaking fluently in tongues after a short while. Maybe you could try it. If the words are in your mind, it is a short step to speak them out. When you do it in private before God, there is no embarrassment. When I want to use the gift for intercession, I ask the Lord to guide my tongue. It is interesting the words that come out when I do that. So, ask the Lord to guide your tongue and then start praying in faith.

 

[ewq1938]

.


2) Whenever a Believer who does not necessarily have the GIFT of speaking in Tongues, is in the privacy of his own Prayer Closet, he is speaking only to God, he is speaking in the Tongues of Angels.

I understand this, I just don't agree it is from God.

I see these:


There are two different categories of Tongues.
1) Tongues of men which the Holy Spirit can cause men to speak and people hear it in various other languages. Miracle.

2) Tongues of men which is a person who can speak in many languages and needs no translator, or someone who speaks in one language and needs it translated to a language of a group of people that can't understand what the person is saying. Non-miracle.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

I do but within the context of Pentecost. I believe when Paul writes of "unknown tongues" he is speaking of "foreign languages" not a angelic or spiritual sounding language.

There certainly have been testimonies of a person speaking out in tongues in church, and someone interpreting it, and another person who recognised the language being spoken was able to say that although the interpretation was not a direct translation of what was said, it was pretty close. There is the testimony of a person who was confronted with a group of Italian people who needed to hear the gospel and she didn't know the language, so she asked God for help. She then started speaking in faith in what she thought was tongues, but it was the Italian language and they understood it. The amazing thing about it is that she understood the Italian as well, and never lost the ability to understand and speak Italian! Figure that one out! But these events are usually rare.

On the negative side, there were early Pentecostals who believed that they could go over and be missionaries to China and when they spoke in tongues they could speak Chinese. They were well meaning in their "faith" (which was actually presumption), and when they got there no one could understand them, so they had to return home broke and with their tails between their legs, or if they decided to stay they had to learn the language in the normal way.

I heard of a nasty incident, akin to lying to the Holy Spirit, where a cessationist went to a Pentecostal meeting and spoke out in classical Latin. No one there knew the language and a person faithfully interpreted it. Then the nasty person used the incident to rubbish the gift of tongues and tried to prove that tongues and interpretation was fake. I think it was a nasty insult to those good people, and to the Holy Spirit. It wouldn't surprise me if that hockey puck didn't experience the consequences of his actions in some way.

 

[JIMINZ]

I understand this, I just don't agree it is from God.

I see these:


There are two different categories of Tongues.
1) Tongues of men which the Holy Spirit can cause men to speak and people hear it in various other languages. Miracle.

2) Tongues of men which is a person who can speak in many languages and needs no translator, or someone who speaks in one language and needs it translated to a language of a group of people that can't understand what the person is saying. Non-miracle.

.
To be honest with you, what you are expressing sounds like you have been taught what you believe, rather than coming to this understanding through the Holy Spirit, because He will not deny Himself.

Oscarr used a verse, let me expound on it by posting the last part of the verse.

Luke 11:13
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

This verse isn't just about receiving the Holy Spirit, because we all receive when we are Baptized, you don't need to ask, it's what and how we become Born Again.

Once someone has the belief it only works one way, or that it has to happen in this manner, it then becomes very difficult to ask in Faith believing, when you don't have the Faith to believe in the first place.

 

[Emli]

Thanks for that. You have put your counterfeit experience into context. Neil Anderson wrote a book called "The Bondage Breaker" and if you haven't already read it, I suggest you do. This will be a great help to you personally and for those who are ministering to with your genuine gift of discerning of spirits.

If you have prayed mentally in tongues, it links with the experience of a friend who was seeking the gift. He said that these strange words came to mind. He was encouraged to speak them out and when he did so, he started speaking fluently in tongues after a short while. Maybe you could try it. If the words are in your mind, it is a short step to speak them out. When you do it in private before God, there is no embarrassment. When I want to use the gift for intercession, I ask the Lord to guide my tongue. It is interesting the words that come out when I do that. So, ask the Lord to guide your tongue and then start praying in faith.

Thank you for confirming my gift. I've been met with a lot of doubting and persecution when talking about it before. But that isn't gonna stop God.

I have that book at home. I bought it months ago, but actually started reading it recently and what is said in the first chapter is exactly to the point what God has been teaching me. It was all the confirmation I needed. I'm planning on reading it soon, but I actually love just listening to and learning from God so much, I hesitate to do read anything other than the Bible right now. And I think that may be God stopping me, so I really learn to listen to Him instead. But I'm planning on reading it soon.

I am going to ask the Lord to help me pray in tongues. Thank you for all the advice. It's much appreciated. Lord bless you!

 

[DominicBaptiste]

I have started this thread in response to a discussion on the Charismatic/Spirit-filled forum which got a little off topic, and I was quite happy to continue the discussion, but I didn't want anyone to get into trouble for debating on a forum when they did not identify themselves as Pentecostal or Charismatic. That is why I started this thread.

Now, let's see if anyone is prepared to answer my question in the title.

Some of my family are Pentecostal or at least used to be. Some of them have switched to baptist. I think the whole movement of Pentecostalism in the Southern United States was born out of baptist churches where the people got a little more into the spirit-filled part, so them going back to baptist doesn't seem that odd. My impression is that people make up sounds, and other people make educated guesses as to what the person speaking is saying and feeling. I'm sure there have been people who afterwards felt like they really weren't seriously into it and admitted to themselves later that they were making it up for the show of it. On the other hand, I think some people really are moved to speak in tongues, and I have heard interpretations of people speaking where I was very moved by what the second person said the first one meant. I personally think I'm a good interpreter as well. Sometimes the more extreme religious people are with their emotions, the more they need a translator to state what they were actually feeling in less religious language. Some people can only express themselves fully if it comes out wild and woolly or irrationally. Also, I have been moved to hear people speak in tongues even when I didn't know what it meant because I knew that it meant something very deep to them. But, to answer your question more directly, I'm sure God has told people before that they were full it.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

I understand this, I just don't agree it is from God.

I see these:


There are two different categories of Tongues.
1) Tongues of men which the Holy Spirit can cause men to speak and people hear it in various other languages. Miracle.

2) Tongues of men which is a person who can speak in many languages and needs no translator, or someone who speaks in one language and needs it translated to a language of a group of people that can't understand what the person is saying. Non-miracle.

I have a couple of questons:

How come intepretation of tongues is listed as a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12, if interpretation in a church service is just ordinary translation of an understood language? Wouldn't you think that if that was so, interpretation of tongues wouldn't be listed as a supernatural gift. Is there two gifts of interpretation of tongues? If it is naturally translated from a trained interpreter, why would Paul call it a gift?

Also, how do you explain Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 14 when he says that when a person speaks in tongues he is speaking mysteries in the Spirit to God because no man understands him. Now, if he was speaking in understandable languages, wouldn't that make Paul's statement nonsense?

So, when Paul talks about the need for an interpreter of tongues in a church service, what type of interpreter would that be? A professionally trained translator, or one using the 1 Corinthians 12 gift of interpretation of tongues?

Your view of tongues being understandable human languages that are translated by someone who understands them raises these knotty questions which I am looking forward to your answers.

 

[NothingIsImpossible]

I find that MOST "tongue" speakers just pretend they are speaking tounges. Sometimes for attention, sometimes because they don't understand how tounges works.

For example there was a woman at our church who a few times a year during service would suddenly start yelling loudly gibberish. Some people were praising God an what not. Others knew that she was a pretty eccentric lady who had some "issues". Including being the center of attention at times. Actually I notice a few people I've seen speak tongues seem to have issues of some sort where they tend to be eccentric or "out there"...etc.

They often believe if they to yell outy gibberish just to do so, they think its tounges and they are special. Thats what the lady at our church admitted. When she feels great about a message being preached, unlike some who shout "Amen!" and what not, she decides to say gibberish.

Problem with all of this is they must have forgotten the part about if your in church (for example) and you were TRULY speaking tounges. Then it means you are giving a message. Which means someone will ALSO be filled with the Holy Spirit and suddenly be able to translate the "tounges" you spoke. Because after all why would God have someone speak an important message to the church if no one can understand it?

The lady at our church when confronted about it didn't really know what to say. She said maybe God was having her speak in tounges out of praise. She didn't seem to get it.

To me a big problem with the various christian denominations today is many of the VERY out of control or wild things they do that they believe is divinely inspired. The first church my parents went to, I was a child at it, they got a new pastor from up in Canada. Well we had been gone about two months from the church do to issues at home. When we went to a sunday service, during worship people would be in the aisles pretending to be barn animals. Some were chickens, they walked around like chickens with wings. The clucked out loud. Some were on all four like pigs oinking...etc. Not just a "Few people". Like half the church. When we told the new pastor of our discomfort since it felt almost corrupt or evil. He said how they act was a blessing from God and the people were being controlled, such as with tounges.

So needless to say I am VERY skeptical of tounges. And by tounges I mean the one where you speak it and someone translates it. I have only seen that happen once. I think its a SUPER RARE event.

Now of course there is the other tounges. Like being able to suddenly speak in another langauge (or something alone those lines) to reach out to people for example when doing missions. Sort of like the poster two posts above me said.

There is one last area people say where sometimes when they are praying, they "can" (notice not will) speak in tounges. This I am not sure if its something that is even legit. I don't really recall that being in the bible. Anyways why would God grant you the ability to speak in some holy type langauge when he can understand any current langauge you speak just fine? Then again maybe these people are also the type that are confused about what tounges actually is and isn't.

I should point out I grew up in evangelical churches. Usually non-denominational. Though we did try a presbyterian church for a long time. And briefly a pentecostal (this group felt..... off, no offense of course).

 

[JIMINZ]

I sought after the Gift of Tongues for 3 years after I got Saved, no one ever mentioned I needed to be Baptized before that would happen, and as it turned out, when I was Baptized, I literally burst out of the water speaking in Tongues, have spoken in Tongues ever sense.

Speaking in Tongues is part of the Kingdom of God, you must be Born Again of water and of the Spirit, to both See and Enter the Kingdom.

Without being Baptized first, it is a waste of time seeking the Gift.

 

[Francis Drake]

In answer to the OP, although many Christians have made that accusation,

God has neve told me that my tongue speaking is gibberish.
I might add that there are occasions when the Lord has told me other home truths, especially when I've been pleading and whining about things that don't suit me!​

I started speaking in tongues in 1974 and haven't stopped since.
I believe that tongues is one of the most powerful gifts that God has given the body of Christ, but is nevertheless being constantly maligned and misunderstood.

In many ways, instead of eating and drinking from the Tree of Life, the church has eaten and drunk to its fill from the Tree of Knowledge of Good or Evil.
Like Adam, we have decided that knowledge rather than spirit, is the best source of life. We have placed our human understanding at a higher level than our spiritual communion with God.

And direct spiritual communion with God is the amazing beauty of the gift of tongues!
With tongues, it is my spirit alone that speaks, my intellect being sidelined or bypassed. (My intellect being my own personal store of the Tree of Knowledge)

1Cor14v14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

Like all mankind, I am used to directing my life according to my own understanding. But no matter how perfect I become as a Christian, my mind is still at odds with the Spirit and frequently gets in the way of what the Lord wants to get done or said. Speaking in tongues puts a halt that mental pollution of the stream of life! My mind is on the side lines just listening for a change.

 

[1stcenturylady]

On Pentecost it was supernatural and everyone understood what was said. What Paul writes about is simply speaking in a tongue/language that is unknown to the hearer. That is not supernatural, at least most of the time.

1Co 14:2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue/foreign language speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

So obviously if you speak in English to a group of ppl that can't understand you, you are speaking only to God because one else understands you.

The antiquated English in the KJV makes it seem like some new special holy language is being spoken but that is a misunderstanding.

No, the verse says that you are not speaking to man, you are speaking to God, for no man understands. You are still letting your human reasoning of the Day of Pentecost dictate to you an erroneous meaning of 1 Corinthians 14:2 when the rule should guide you to look further into a story for what really happened.

 

[1stcenturylady]

.
Just how does that happen?

What do you mean? Were you always a Christian out of the womb? If you just go to church, but are never born again, those pews can't save you.

 

[1stcenturylady]

.
Maybe I can explain it this way.

There are two different categories of Tongues.
1) Tongues of men.
2) Tongues of Angels.

1) Whenever a Believer, with the "GIFT" of speaking in Tongues, (as was demonstrated on the day of Pentecost), speaks in the Church, he is speaking in the Tongues of men, (Known Languages).

This is done for the Edification of the Church, through an Interpreter, or as an evidence to the Non-Believer present at the time.

2) Whenever a Believer who does not necessarily have the GIFT of speaking in Tongues, is in the privacy of his own Prayer Closet, he is speaking only to God, he is speaking in the Tongues of Angels.

He speaks unto God,where the Holy Spirit is Praying for his Edification.

Personally I do not have the "GIFT" of speaking in the Tongues of men, I have never been prompted to speak in the Church. but I do Pray in the Spirit every night.

I take it on Faith, that what is being Prayed is for my Edification by the Holy Spirit.

It's like having God Pray for me those things He needs to hear before He is able to move in my life, these are things I cannot pray for myself because they are things which I am unaware of, things in my spirit, things that need to change.

Again, 1 Corinthians 14:2 is the rule. You are only right in the fact that there are two types of speaking in tongues, but those two types are the SIGN and the GIFT.

Sign - Mark 16
Gift - 1 Cor. 12

Only the GIFT requires interpretation, but the gift of interpretation of tongues may also be seen for the SIGN but is not always required.

The SIGN is our prayer language, and is God's perfect will. We are to be obedient to partner with God to pray His will, and they are so vast, they are mysteries to us. The SIGN is also for perfect praise and declaring the wonderful works of God. This is what happened on the Day of Pentecost, but the crowd of devout Jews were amazed that each person could understand all of them even though they themselves spoke different languages. Their understanding was supernatural.

The GIFT of tongues cannot be understood naturally either, but it always requires supernatural interpretation because these are for the purpose of revelation, knowledge, teaching, or prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:6) and are for the benefit of the Church to know.

All language is created by God, whether the languages of man or angels. God utilizes both, but no one present naturally understands the language being spoken without the benefit of the gift of interpretation of tongues. And that supernatural gift is for interpreting the manifestation of tongues (always for the gift, and sometimes for the prayer and praise language, the sign), and NOT for interpreting natural languages of foreigners - another man made definition.

 

[1stcenturylady]

There certainly have been testimonies of a person speaking out in tongues in church, and someone interpreting it, and another person who recognised the language being spoken was able to say that although the interpretation was not a direct translation of what was said, it was pretty close. There is the testimony of a person who was confronted with a group of Italian people who needed to hear the gospel and she didn't know the language, so she asked God for help. She then started speaking in faith in what she thought was tongues, but it was the Italian language and they understood it. The amazing thing about it is that she understood the Italian as well, and never lost the ability to understand and speak Italian! Figure that one out! But these events are usually rare.

On the negative side, there were early Pentecostals who believed that they could go over and be missionaries to China and when they spoke in tongues they could speak Chinese. They were well meaning in their "faith" (which was actually presumption), and when they got there no one could understand them, so they had to return home broke and with their tails between their legs, or if they decided to stay they had to learn the language in the normal way.

I heard of a nasty incident, akin to lying to the Holy Spirit, where a cessationist went to a Pentecostal meeting and spoke out in classical Latin. No one there knew the language and a person faithfully interpreted it. Then the nasty person used the incident to rubbish the gift of tongues and tried to prove that tongues and interpretation was fake. I think it was a nasty insult to those good people, and to the Holy Spirit. It wouldn't surprise me if that hockey puck didn't experience the consequences of his actions in some way.

The incident in Italy I would categorize as a miracle, another gift of the Spirit. Though it concerned their language, it wasn't the classical speaking in tongues. Especially since she never lost the ability to speak and understand Italian from then on.

 

[Heart2Soul]

In answer to the OP, although many Christians have made that accusation,

God has neve told me that my tongue speaking is gibberish.
I might add that there are occasions when the Lord has told me other home truths, especially when I've been pleading and whining about things that don't suit me!​

I started speaking in tongues in 1974 and haven't stopped since.
I believe that tongues is one of the most powerful gifts that God has given the body of Christ, but is nevertheless being constantly maligned and misunderstood.

In many ways, instead of eating and drinking from the Tree of Life, the church has eaten and drunk to its fill from the Tree of Knowledge of Good or Evil.
Like Adam, we have decided that knowledge rather than spirit, is the best source of life. We have placed our human understanding at a higher level than our spiritual communion with God.

And direct spiritual communion with God is the amazing beauty of the gift of tongues!
With tongues, it is my spirit alone that speaks, my intellect being sidelined or bypassed. (My intellect being my own personal store of the Tree of Knowledge)

1Cor14v14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

Like all mankind, I am used to directing my life according to my own understanding. But no matter how perfect I become as a Christian, my mind is still at odds with the Spirit and frequently gets in the way of what the Lord wants to get done or said. Speaking in tongues puts a halt that mental pollution of the stream of life! My mind is on the side lines just listening for a change.

Thank you for being so honest and forthright in replying to this thread....I agree with you 100%. Sometimes when I am praying and interceding I just don't have any knowledge of what to pray for...but, then, the Holy Spirit starts praying and it is OK with me....eventually I have peace and even some understanding of what was just prayed for.

 

[Heart2Soul]

In answer to the OP, although many Christians have made that accusation,

God has neve told me that my tongue speaking is gibberish.
I might add that there are occasions when the Lord has told me other home truths, especially when I've been pleading and whining about things that don't suit me!​

I started speaking in tongues in 1974 and haven't stopped since.
I believe that tongues is one of the most powerful gifts that God has given the body of Christ, but is nevertheless being constantly maligned and misunderstood.

In many ways, instead of eating and drinking from the Tree of Life, the church has eaten and drunk to its fill from the Tree of Knowledge of Good or Evil.
Like Adam, we have decided that knowledge rather than spirit, is the best source of life. We have placed our human understanding at a higher level than our spiritual communion with God.

And direct spiritual communion with God is the amazing beauty of the gift of tongues!
With tongues, it is my spirit alone that speaks, my intellect being sidelined or bypassed. (My intellect being my own personal store of the Tree of Knowledge)

1Cor14v14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.


Like all mankind, I am used to directing my life according to my own understanding. But no matter how perfect I become as a Christian, my mind is still at odds with the Spirit and frequently gets in the way of what the Lord wants to get done or said. Speaking in tongues puts a halt that mental pollution of the stream of life! My mind is on the side lines just listening for a change.

Thank you for being so honest and forthright in replying to this thread....I agree with you 100%. Sometimes when I am praying and interceding I just don't have any knowledge of what to pray for...but, the Holy Spirit starts praying and it is OK with me....eventually I have peace and even some understanding of what was just prayed for.

 

[Heart2Soul]

.
Maybe I can explain it this way.

There are two different categories of Tongues.
1) Tongues of men.
2) Tongues of Angels.

1) Whenever a Believer, with the "GIFT" of speaking in Tongues, (as was demonstrated on the day of Pentecost), speaks in the Church, he is speaking in the Tongues of men, (Known Languages).

This is done for the Edification of the Church, through an Interpreter, or as an evidence to the Non-Believer present at the time.

2) Whenever a Believer who does not necessarily have the GIFT of speaking in Tongues, is in the privacy of his own Prayer Closet, he is speaking only to God, he is speaking in the Tongues of Angels.

He speaks unto God,where the Holy Spirit is Praying for his Edification.

Personally I do not have the "GIFT" of speaking in the Tongues of men, I have never been prompted to speak in the Church. but I do Pray in the Spirit every night.

I take it on Faith, that what is being Prayed is for my Edification by the Holy Spirit.

It's like having God Pray for me those things He needs to hear before He is able to move in my life, these are things I cannot pray for myself because they are things which I am unaware of, things in my spirit, things that need to change.

THumbs up!

 

[Heart2Soul]

I have started this thread in response to a discussion on the Charismatic/Spirit-filled forum which got a little off topic, and I was quite happy to continue the discussion, but I didn't want anyone to get into trouble for debating on a forum when they did not identify themselves as Pentecostal or Charismatic. That is why I started this thread.

Now, let's see if anyone is prepared to answer my question in the title.

God has never spoken gibberish to me or through me...I hear His voice CLEARLY and no other voice will I follow...when I am in prayer and have a burden on my heart to pray for someone or something and am not clear on what to pray then the Holy Spirit prays through me.....Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
But afterward I pray for the understanding of it. So to each their own I suppose...it is given to those who are able to receive.... and to those who can't then they have a Pastor or teacher to help them along.

 

[salt-n-light]

From your description, it certainly sounds to me like a counterfeit! The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, gentleness, etc. If a manifestation does not have those attributes, I would reject it without hesitation. You never know what might jump into you and cause you to need deliverance later. There is the experience of a guy who had a prophecy over him which did not relate to anything, so he put it on the back burner. Then he experienced serious back pain, and had two unsuccessful operations until it was revealed to him that he had received a spirit of divination attached to the false prophecy. As soon as he renounced the prophecy, the back pain disappeared and never came back.

Usually, a false manifestation such as tongues will happen if the person is pressured into it, or tried to do it in the flesh because he thinks it is the thing to do. There is a set of faith steps to receive a genuine gift from God.
1. You have to know for sure that the gift is God's will for you. "Do all speak in tongues?" Paul asked, implied that not all people receive that facility.

2. You need to ask for the gift. "Everything by prayer and supplication make your requests known to God."

3. You need to accept it by faith. "He who asks, receives." "If we ask for anything according to the will of God (see my point 1), he will receive it."

Then, you can take the step of faith and speak in a language you never learned, but it usually is not accompanied by any bodily or sensual experience. If one looks for sensual experience, the devil is always there to give them one.

When people approach the gifts of God in this faith way, then people are not going to be forced into something that may be a counterfeit. The Scripture says, "If a son asks for fish, would a good father give him a snake? If the son asks for bread, would he give him a stone? So if a human father would give his son what he asks for, wouldn't our heavenly Father do the same?" So, if we approach the Lord using the Scriptural steps of faith for asking and receiving, would the Lord allow us to receive a counterfeit. I really don't think so.

Oh, by the way, if some type of force tries to take over your mouth, lips and tongue, reject it immediately because it is false. Faith is you voluntarily doing something you couldn't do before, on the basis of the steps of faith that you took. We do the speaking, not some spirit forcing us to speak.

That's cool and all, but how many people actually took a step back and discern what they were saying? 99.9% of them so far, don't. They just automatically assume because it came out of them, that God had something to do with it. Even though they don't know what they are saying and for who, they still defend it.

Faith ain't blind to discernment.

 

[salt-n-light]

I can understand that, because during my time with the Pentecostal church I was going to, there were many who spoke the "ba ba ba ba" type of tongues with not much else. Also they spoke with little "direction" and tried to work up some emotional feeling with it. Then we got a speaker who said that we needed to speak from our hearts when we prayed in tongues. He termed it "speaking from your belly". What he meant was to pray to God with expression. When I took that advise and applied my mind to what to pray for, and then expressed that in tongues to the Lord, I found the language became a lot deeper and richer and found that different languages happened for different types of prayer - like intercession had a language, praise had another language, and just walking along chatting with God had another language. Through that, praying in tongues became a blessing and an adventure with God.

Of course, when we are in the presence of the Lord in glory, we won't need tongues to express ourselves, so it will vanish away.

One funny episode that happened when I was encouraging folks to receive the gift (ie: those who asked for my help), I took them through the steps of faith and then said to think of someone who needs real prayer and then speak "from their belly". One guy started speaking like a Japanese sumo wrestler having constipation! It was an amazing language, but after a little while he complained of a sore stomach. It then occurred to me that he was literally speaking from his belly and was straining his abdominal muscles. I had to stop him and tell him that I mean that he should speak from his heart!

"speak from your belly" and this "speak from your heart" stuff ain't scriptural.I don't know why they keep saying these catchy phrases, and put that above encouraging actual worship, which can only be done through spirit and truth, not expression.

Got people yelling out in vain.