Everyone seems content to agree with each other here. But it doesn't make a very exciting debate this way
I propose a completely counter opinion, In that I believe that what modern day charismatics are calling tongues, Is nothing more than Glossolollia(Turning off the thinking part of the mind, And letting the tongue run wild).
This practice has been around for thousands of years, And has nothing to do with christianity. It was most commonly used in rituals, Where the speaker sought to obtain power by becoming possessed. So through the use of meditative techniques, Drugs, And Drinks, This person was possessed, By opening themselves up to the spirit.
Now before I continue, Let me explain myself. I am a christian, And I do believe in the gifts of the spirit. I have also seen them work on many occasions. But I also know the difference between the real thing, And the counterfeit. And I've seen the fake versions of all these gifts running rampant through the churches.
There is a real speaking in tongues, That you rarely see in use. On the day of pentecost they spoke human languages to the crowds, Even though they didn't normally speak those languages. That was cool. But there is are also tongues that no human knows, This is where the problem is, Because as humans we have no way of knowing wether this is an authentic angelic language, Or just some fool babbling in meditation.
And since nobody knows if the tongues are real, Then nobody has a clue wether the interpretation is real, Or just recently read out of a fortune cookie. I think you see where i'm going with this.
The answer to this problem, Would be to use christians with the gift of discernment, To try and tell if this is for real, Or if these imposters should be taken aside, And "reeducated".
There is also the gift of prophecy, Which is useful for fixing problems in the congregation. The definition is "The gift of
prophecy is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ to receive and communicate an immediate message from God to His people through a divinely appointed utterance, and to reveal truth and proclaim it in a timely and relevant manner for understanding, correction, repentance, or edification."
The problem I see in the churches, Is that nobody has a clue what is real, And what is fake. And the only ones doing anything at all, Are so anxious for something to happen, That they are willing to accept a counterfeit spiritual gift as the real thing, Even though some of them know in their hearts that it didn't feel real to them.
I'm sure by now, Ive made about 300 million people mad at me, But that's ok, We live in a world of scams, And it's about time the church took a good long look at itself, And fixed the problems. Weve got an endless string of people going to hell at break neck speeds, Because of all of the foolishness thats going on in the church today. Ok enough ranting.
I've seen the actual gift of speaking on tongues at work, And the spirit agreed with it, Meaning that there was so much power that accompanied the tongues, That you knew there was an interpretation. And the person that gave the interpretation actually had no idea that she did it. She was terrified to speak out in public, And hid her face in the alter. Her prayers changed without her knowing it, And she spoke the interpretation loud and clear to the whole congregation. And with no memory of anything, but her own prayers.
Now you say this happens all the time in church, No it doesnt! What you are seeing is mostly false. The gifts of the spirit are to be allowed to work, As long as the spirit bears witness that they are real. Now by spirit, I don't mean adrenaline. Anyone can fake a gift, And get excited, And even dance, And roll around. This is not the Holy Spirit! When the spirit of God empowers you, It is like being buried alive in Holy fire. All the emotionalism is gone, And there is nothing but love, And reverence for our father.
But, How are we supposed to deal with it, When we know its fake. Everyone knows someone thats faking it!
It's not your job, Unless your the pastor! The pastor should have a close network of true spirit filled christians, That know when the Holy Spirit is operating in the church. He should only need to glance at them, To get an answer about wether this is for real, If for some reason He can't figure it out for himself. Guess what? That's what elders are for! Not for counting tithes.
I know i've angered quite a few people, And I'm sorry for this. But we really are down to the end now, And theres no more time for foolishness.
The lame are tired of their wheelchairs, The deaf don't want hearing aids, And the blind still can't see to cross the street.
It's time to step up to the plate, And show the world what were made of.
If I have to anger the whole planet, I'll still tell the truth. I'm done with this so called church, And I'll seek the face of my creator, Even if I have to stand alone, Until he touches people with his true Holy Spirit.
No more games!
