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Is tongues proof of being filled with the Holy Spirit?

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Is tongues proof of being filled with the Holy Spirit? Empty Is tongues proof of being filled with the Holy Spirit?

Post  liberated Fri 18 Jul 2008, 8:02 am

Fenny West wrote:
First of all it is important to establish that every believer has the Holy Spirit in a measure.

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. ( Ro.8:9)

However that measure is different from the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” ohn7:38

The difference can be pictured when you look at a glass that has water and that which has been submerged in a bucket full of water.

True, on the Day of Pentecost the disciples who were baptized with the Holy Spirit spoke in the languages that the people around them understood but as has been shown, there are different types of tongues:

The one you use to thank and glorify God as you speak mysteries (1Cor14:2), the one you use to build yourself up (Jude 20); the one given for the building up of the Body of Christ in a Church setting requiring interpretation ( 1Cor12:) the tongues of men as was evidenced on the day of Pentecost.

Doctrinal basis

Acts8:14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

:18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money 19and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

It would be instructive to ask: What did Simon see when hands were laid on those who received the Holy Spirit.? There was an external manifestation that convinced him. What was it?

Peter had to rebuke Simon who wanted the power of the Holy Spirit to showoff because he was ego-driven.

Again when Peter responded God’s direction to go to the house of Cornelius to show him the way to salvation we are told that as he was speaking the Holy Ghost fell and they received the Holy Spirit. Here again how did they know that they had received the Holy Spirit.” 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46For they heard them speaking in tongues[ and praising God.

Then Peter said, 47"Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." 48So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

Paul arrived at Ephesus and found some Christians who only knew about baptism in water. They were ignorant about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Paul laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues, clearly spelled out.

Testimony

I confess I had problems with speaking in tongue not longer after giving my life to the Lord. The people around me spoke in tongues and I felt uneasy and the sound of the tongues also put me off. Initially I did not want to have anything to do with it. But I had to search the scriptures and humble myself.

Later I decided that if speaking in tongues were of God, I wanted it. However,. I still struggled because I did not know how to receive. I thought the Holy Spirit will do the speaking so I waited in frustration. My eyes were later opened to the fact that I would do the speaking but the Holy Spirit would give me what to speak. There was no need to worry about what will come out. I had to believe that when I was prayed for to receive the Holy Spirit I would receive the ability to speak. I also realized that just like in little babies who are learning to speak , what will come out of my mouth could be short syllables but it did not matter, with time as I practiced it will flow.

There was also the concern that I may receive something from the devil if I accepted the evidence of speaking in tongues as a sign of being baptized with the Holy Spirit.

11 What father among you, if his son [sup][[url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2011;&version=77;#fen-HCSB-25585l#fen-HCSB-25585l]l
]
asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, (Q) know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father (R) give [m] the Holy Spirit (S) to those who ask Him?"[/color] This helped to renew my mind to expect the best from God.

This was my struggle in 1982, about June, during the Pentecost season. I went to church and the sermon was on the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I went for prayer and nothing happened partly for the reasons given above. However after I had my mind renewed and desired that evidence I got it while waiting on the Lord in my bedroom.

Over the years I have used this gift to build myself up, like recharging my spiritual battery. I consciously do it by faith according to God’s word and I know it is working for me. In my closet I have occasionally prayed in tongues and interpreted it for myself and the experience is awesome. God has spoken to me through the exercise of this gift. Of course I had to ensure that any divine direction from this exercise agreed with the word of God because God is not the Author of confusion.

I have also been privileged to interpret tongues uttered in a church setting.

There have also been occasions where during my prayer I just resort to praying in the spirit ( or in tongues) because I knew it was the best thing to do at that time, especially if I did not know what to pray for or how to pray for it. I knew that letting the Holy Spirit pray though me amounted to praying according to God’s perfect will. At other times during my prayer, I run out of words and then go into the ‘overdrive’ or another level, which is praying in the spirit of speaking in tongues. It is all by faith.

I have no doubt that the baptism in the Holy Spirit plays a great part in my writing hundreds of songs and poems over these years and multiplication of my gifts and talents and living the Christian life. He reminds me of these songs as and when He wants me to use them to minister to the Body of Christ. Often when I marvel at my ability to recall the songs, I remind myself that it is the Holy Spirit at work. I would have short-changed myself if I did not renew my mind about the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

I have also discovered that the miraculous eludes those who do not embrace the baptism with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Paul who wrote to admonish the Christians who were abusing the use of tongue also said

I thank God that I speak in [other] languages more than all of you;1Cor14:18

Paul’s concern was that everything should be done in order. he did not forbid speaking in tongues.

“Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in [other] languages. 40 But everything must be done decently and in order.”

Why have I embraced baptism with the Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues?

I want to recharge my spiritual batteries which go flat from time to time. 20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.

How marvelous it is to speak mysteries to God from time to time praising Him or thanking him.
2For anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.[b] 3But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.[/font][/color]

Praying according to the perfect will of God is important to me.
It is wonderful to have the Holy Spirit praying through me with groaning that cannot be uttered.
26 In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, (A) but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us (B) [a] with unspoken groanings. 27 And He who searches the hearts (C) knows the Spirit's mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.[/font][/color]
Rom.8:26,27


it is awesome to be able to pray in tongues and interpret and receive Rhema word ( what God is saying to you at the time) to meet my needs.

It is great to be able to discern the spirit operating in an individual- God’s, man’s or the devil.

to another, distinguishing between spirits, 1Cor12:10

My gifts would have been dormant to another, distinguishing between spirits, or very limited but for exposing myself this type of baptism.

(1Cor12:4-11,Eph4.:111Tim4:12-16)

It is true that there have been excesses in the use of this gift in the early church and even now, but let us not throw the baby away with the bathwater because of this.

So if you want to be baptised with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, the Holy Spirit will enable you , but if you don’t want it, He will not force it on you.

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them

[1] you are right, Every Born again child of God has the Holy Spirit through the rebirth, but not every born again Christian has bee baptised in the Holy Ghost. But every born again Christian can and should be baptised in the Holy Ghost.

[2] again you are right, if the baptism in the Holy ghost and speaking in tongues is of God, [and it is] every Christian should want, and ask God for Him.
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