SPEAKING IN TONGUES

SPEAKING IN

TONGUES

In Africa where I spent over 20 years of my life, there had been a lot of droughts, and people have needed to know, how to get water from under the ground, otherwise they'd die of thirst. Water produces life and can be lifted from the depths by bucket, which is a long slow process, or by the use of a borehole with a pump. Boreholes don't produce water naturally, they have to be powered up and the water drawn out of the ground.
The bible likens the Holy Spirit to water, and if we want to really live as a Christian, then we need this water of the Spirit in our lives. The Spirit produces life. My home country of New Zealand may be a very wet land physically but in the Spirit it can be dry in places. We need this water of the Spirit in our lives as well as the word to keep us refreshed. We need the Spirit and the Word. The Reformation died because Church leaders were people of the word, yet they rejected the moving of the Holy Spirit. Even today you find Churches drying up when they resist the moving of the Holy Spirit, for it is their water their life. Water produces power and we need the water of the Spirit to have the power of God in our lives.

Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

I could see this clearly once, when I had a garage door with rollers on it, that had seized. When these doors were dry the door was very hard to push across. But when it had been raining you could push it across with one finger. When the anointing of the Spirit is in our lives, things that were once hard become easy. i.e. witnessing and being used in the gifts of the Spirit.

Isaiah 10:27 “It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.”

The anointing breaks the bondage of the enemy. There is power in the anointing. It's God's will for us to have an anointing on our lives, and not just a little drop of the Spirit. In Ezekiel's vision we see that the will of God was for the Prophet to go right out into the River of God, and not be just on the edge.

Ezekiel 47:2-5 “He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side.3 And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. 4 Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. 5 Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed.”

We see here that it was God's will for the Man of God to go right out into the river until he could not touch the bottom anymore. Many Christians today are standing on the bank of the river and have not entered into the anointing of God. They are only holding onto the things they understand and are not letting go as their minds are in the road. They only do what they understand (with their reason), and don't step out in faith. God always wants us to go on in Him, but it takes some effort on our part to come to the place where we have to let go and are completely relying on God. When we are Born Again God puts in us a Well of His life, His water.

John 4:13-14 “Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

But there is more for God's children. We see in John 7:37-38 that God wants there to be a river flowing out of His children.

John 7:37-39 “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

We see here that when we are filled with the Spirit, that there is not only a Well, but a River flowing from the hearts of God's people. There are occasions that God's Spirit flows automatically from us, but as a whole we have to draw from God's Spirit within. It's the same in drought situations. Sometimes water springs from the ground, but most of the time it has to be drawn from the earth. It requires effort to get it out. I believe that speaking in tongues is a way to draw "Rivers of Living Water" from the wells of Salvation. Tongues are like a primer to release the Spirit within. Jesus didn't speak in tongues, as He had the Spirit without measure, but we aren't in that position and need to draw the anointing out.

Some ask me. Why does God use tongues in the release of the Spirit? I believe it’s because the tongue is a very important part of our lives. James says it's a rudder that steers our lives like a ship, small yet powerful.
Proverbs says that Life and death is in the power of our tongues. This is why God uses the tongue. Many of us get a flash of tongues when we are first filled with the Spirit, but eventually it dies out, and we hardly ever speak in tongues again. Many say it’s boring. I have found that there is a need to get a revelation of what tongues is all about and this will give us greater motivation to speak. I feel that it’s a lot like a person training for the Olympics, in running or swimming. To train, the swimmer goes up and down the pool again and again. It can be boring doing it over and over, but the swimmer knows that it's for their own good and that it's building up their muscles and stamina. We need to realise that praying in tongues is like this too. We seem to be saying the same things over and over again, but its building us up spiritually.

1 Corinthians 14:4 “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.”

After awhile one begins to see the benefits and enjoys the repetition. In Isaiah we see a very important verse that helps us to understand one of the benefits of speaking in tongues. It’s not just us speaking to God, but Him speaking to our spirits. Look at this verse in the KJV.

Isaiah 28:11 “For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, 12 To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear.”

It says here that He will speak to His people. When we speak in tongues, God speaks to our spirits as well as us speaking to Him. I believe that this is one of the reasons why Paul got such wonderful revelations from God. He said to the Corinthians that he spoke in tongues more than them all. I have found that when I walk about the streets privately praying in tongues, God gives me revelation. I pray that I might interpret the tongues I speak. We spend hours each week working on our minds and bodies, and need to realize the need to spend time on our spirits as well. Praying in tongues does this. It can be hard work, but isn't all exercising that is worth anything, like this. The biggest obstacle though, is our mind, for it doesn't understand what is going on. Paul explained this in these verses.

1 Corinthians 14:14 “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.”

It says here that our minds don't understand what is going on, but our spirits do and are being blessed. We need to have our minds renewed to understand these spiritual things. Ephesians 4:23. Romans12:1-2.

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;”

We see even in this verse that we are to look to our spirits more than to our minds. It's from the Spirit that the Rivers of Living Water come. Begin this week to discipline yourself as a spiritual athlete and pray in tongues for at least 5 minutes each day. Build up the time as your heart is enlarged and you'll see more blessing flowing from your life.

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INTRODUCTION 2

INTRODUCTION: 2

As I've said on numerous occasions, tongues are a gift that are highly underrated even in Pentecostal circles as we have this blessing from God and don't realise what we have nor do we use it as we should. I believe the devil hates us talking in tongues and attacks the use of it right from the start. I don't know how many times I've seen people begin to speak in tongues and by the next morning they doubt and think it was just them speaking and soon renounce this gift that they’d been given by God. We have to remember that when the Spirit speaks through us it’s through our souls and sounds just like us. Is God's voice higher or lower than yours, when it comes through you?

It says in Acts 2:4 that the disciples did the speaking and the Spirit gave them the words.

Acts 2:4 (KJV) “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

The disciples were not taken over like a medium in a séance, they were given the words in their spirit and then had to speak them out. We speak and God gives us the words to say. Paul devoted a lot of space to the subject of speaking in tongues - much more than most people realise. Tongues are first mentioned in the New Testament in Mark 16:17. It is a gift for believers and not just some special Christians. Are you a believer, then tongues is for you?

Mark 16:17 “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”


Paul shows us that tongues can be used in public i.e. in a meeting with someone interpreting or for ones own personal edification. These verses show that it’s for your own edification.

1 Corinthians 14:4 "He who speaks in a tongue improves himself." (Berkeley)
"He that speaks in a tongue ...may strengthen his own faith." (Knox)

These translations agree with the teaching of Jude's epistle.

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on (“in”, Greek) your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.” Jude 20

These verses teach that the private dimension of tongues builds up your faith. It’s a special kind of prayer directly inspired by the Holy Spirit. In the New Testament the word “tongues” is always used the same. The Greek root word means "Language". It’s the ability of a Born Again Spirit filled Christian to talk, pray, sing and praise in a supernatural language they've never learned before. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:14 that it's your spirit that is praying.

1 Corinthians 14:14. “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.”

In the Amplified Bible it puts the word "unknown" in brackets indicating that it is not in the Greek. These languages spoken by Spirit-filled Christians are real languages spoken somewhere on earth or in heaven.

1 Corinthians 13:1 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels.”

Acts 2:11 On the day of Pentecost the disciples were understood by the devout Jews "from every nation" in their own "tongues" (or "dialects” in Greek.) This verse states that when a believer speaks in tongues his understanding is unfruitful for OTHERS, not himself. Although the believer does not know the meaning of the words he is uttering in prayer to God, he is aware of the truths the Holy Spirit reveals TO HIM as a result of communing ‘in’ the Holy Spirit, as we shall see later on. When speaking in tongues the Christian is not limited by his conscious mind in the worship of God. He is enabled to express the desires and knowledge of the indwelling Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14: 2 “For he who speaks in a tongue does NOT SPEAK TO MEN BUT TO GOD, for no one understands (“hears” Greek) him; however, IN THE SPIRIT he speaks mysteries.”

We know that as Christians the Holy Spirit dwells not in our minds but in our spirits.
(1 Corinthians 6:17) Jesus reminded the woman at the well that true worshippers render divine service to God "in spirit and in truth". And what higher privilege could be afforded a human being than the ability to speak to God directly from ones spirit, without the interference of our fallen intellects which are all too limited in understanding, while under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit. "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4)
In the light of these facts it is easy to see why we are exhorted to pray in the Spirit by the writers of the epistles. It ministers grace to us as perhaps nothing else can. Tongues are not limited to the conscious mind. The bible often calls praying in tongues, “praying in the Spirit.”

Look at theses verses below.
1 Corinthians 14: 2 “For he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not unto men, but unto God: for no man understands him; howbeit in the spirit he speaks mysteries.

v15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?

John 4:24 “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Jude 20 “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.”

To sum up, praying in tongues is very simply, praying "in the Spirit". In 1 Corinthians14:2, Paul says that one is speaking mysteries "in the Spirit". In 1 Corinthians 14:15, he defines praying in tongues as praying "with the spirit". And in 1 Corinthians 14:16, he speaks of blessing or giving thanks "with the Spirit" as blessing in tongues. The phrase "WITH the Spirit" is actually "IN the Spirit" in the Greek text. Hence according to Paul, praying, speaking or giving thanks "with" or "in" the Spirit, is the equivalent of doing the same in other tongues. Let us praise God for the opportunities that are ours to minister to Him "in the Spirit"

TONGUES Extra

TONGUES : Extra

Ephesians 3:20 (Amplified) “Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams] —“

All through the Old Testament we read of a people struggling under the weight of the law, traditions and rituals. Millions of animals died to cover over the sin of Israel, yet the blood of bulls and goats were powerless to take away sin. All of this was pointing to the answer to the problem – Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He came with a whole new attitude of life and that was to set people free. John 10:10 says that He came to bring an abundant life. The trouble was Jesus only ministered for 3 and half years and then died. If that was it then all the good that had been achieved in that time would soon have been lost. Jesus spoke of someone who would come and carry on the work when He left to keep everything alive. He spoke of the coming Holy Spirit.

Luke 24:49 “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

Luke 11:11-13 tells us that the father wants all His children to have His Holy Spirit, and all we have to do is ask. Galatians says that we receive the Holy Spirit by the hearing of faith and not through our own effort or good works. Galatians 3:2.

He said that the Holy Spirit would primarily come as an online Teacher who would glorify Jesus.

John 14:26 “But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came and hasn’t left since. This was a fulfilling of Joel’s prophecy that God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh in the Last Days. We notice that whenever the Spirit came on people in the book of Acts they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
This is the way it was then and I believe it’s the way God wants to do it today as well.
Many of us today like the idea of having the Holy Spirit but don’t like the idea of tongues. There is so much opposition to this manifestation of the Holy Spirit that even in the Daily Mail last week a reporter was commenting that London’s Chief of Police was attending ‘Alpha’ and went on to say that they are those who babble on in mindless tongues. One thing we need to realise is that the Devil hates tongues as it is the key to Christians entering the supernatural.
Paul speaks a lot about tongues in 1 Corinthians 14 and mentions Isaiah 28 in his dialogue.

Isaiah 28:11 “For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, To whom He said, “This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest,” and, “This is the refreshing”; yet they would not hear.”

The prophet Isaiah says 600 years before Pentecost that there would be opposition to stammering lips (tongues) and that they would not hear of it.
For many of us tongues today tongues is just a reminder that we are filled with the Spirit and we only use it once in a Blue Moon and often have a flutter on Sundays during the choruses. This is not how it is meant to be, for tongues is something that we should be using all the time. It’s a way of communicating with God all day long without using our minds, for it’s a Spirit thing. In other words you don’t need to go into the prayer room to do it.

1 Corinthians 14:14 “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.”

Paul said that He spoke in tongues all the time. Verse 18 “I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all.” He said he spoke more in tongues than all the Corinthian Church and they weren’t a conservative bunch, yet he doesn’t seem to use it in the Church. When you look at what he says in 1 Corinthians 14 he discourages tongues being spoken in public unless it is interpreted. From what I can see and have experienced myself, tongues is to be used by Spirit filled Christians as a source of inner strength and illumination. There is a power that can be stirred up in God’s Children that is an inner source of strength. It says that we must stir up the gift that is within. 2 Timothy 1:6.

1 Corinthians 14:4 “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself.”
Knox' translation says,” May strengthen his own faith."
Beck renders the verse, “when you talk a strange language, you encourage yourself."
The Berkeley translation says "He that speaks in a tongue improves himself".

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.” Jude 20

Praying in tongues not only edifies and builds us up but strengthens our faith, as we see in Jude 20. I often get people asking me to pray that their faith would rise and I say that I know of only 2 ways of doing this. Jude 20 tells us that praying in tongues builds up our faith and also by the hearing of the God’s word. Romans 10:17 “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”

Hearing God’s word build up our faith and even though we don’t understand what is being said when we pray in tongues it doesn’t mean that tongues isn’t the word of God as tongues are the words of the Holy Spirit. If a Chinese man read out the word of God and you didn’t understand it, doesn’t mean that it’s not God’s word, does it? This is why tongues builds up our faith and ministers to our spirits for it’s supernatural words from God.

Isaiah 28:11 “For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people.”

One of the other things that I have really benefited from by speaking in tongues is the way in which the Spirit teaches me by revelation after I speak, especially when I mix faith with what I do. I often go for long walks just praying in tongues and I can remember exactly where God gives me a sermon or an idea that has come to me by revelation.

Paul said that he spoke in tongues a lot, yet he would rather speak with intelligent speech so that he might teach others also.

1 Cor 14:18-19 “I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.”

Paul is inferring here that he receives teaching from the Holy Spirit as he speaks in tongues and then teaches others what he has learnt.

John says that when we are baptised in the Holy Spirit we have received an anointing from God. 1 John 2:20-21 “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.” Verse 27 “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”

Yes we have received power since the Holy Spirit came on us as it says in Acts 1:8 but it needs to be constantly stirred up by speaking in tongues.

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MORE ON TONGUES

MORE ON TONGUES

For many Christians, speaking in Tongues is just a reminder that we are still filled with the Holy Spirit or that we have one of the Gifts to use in the Church once in a Blue Moon. If you are lucky and we are not having ‘bad hair day’ we’ll have a flutter during the choruses on a Sunday morning otherwise all is quiet on the northern front, week after week. This is definitely not what being filled with the Holy Spirit is all about. If we have this casual attitude like those above, we’ll barely be able to fight our way out of a wet paper bag let alone any spiritual opposition that comes our way. We need to remember that this opposition comes from Satan and not be ignorant of his devices for when Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit in the River Jordan we see that immediately afterwards He was tempted of the Devil.

There is even a lot of opposition to tongues in Pentecostal circles and to get some people to speak in tongues is like drawing teeth and even when it happens it is an on again off again type of experience. This opposition comes not only from without but within. Satan hates us speaking in tongues and the most obvious reason is that when we pray or groan in the Spirit we are praying a perfect prayer unpolluted by man’s desires.

Romans 8:26-27 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.”

Another reason for Satan’s opposition is that speaking in tongues enables us to enter into ‘The Rest’ as we see in Isaiah 28:11 “For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, To whom He said, “This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest,” and, “This is the refreshing”; yet they would not hear.”

The beauty of praying in tongues is that you can pray continually in the Spirit and not have to use your mind, for it says that the understanding is unfruitful. This frees us up to pray all through the day and still stay refreshed in the Spirit with the confidence that we are spending time with God. It delivers us from serving God with our minds all the time. Some say that the Devil can’t understand us when we are praying in tongues, but I don’t find any scriptural evidence to back this up, in fact He most likely does know what we are saying as it says that we can speak in the tongues of men and of Angels and Satan is a fallen Angel.

So many Christians are looking everywhere else for the answer to the victorious life when the answer is right under their nose, even in their mouths – tongues.
Christians are sitting on a nuclear power plant within when they are still using paper and sticks to light their fire. We have been given a gift through the Holy Spirit and yet we are not using it because we don’t understand its worth. It can be because of ignorance, unbelief or rebellion. Whatever it is, it shuts us down and makes us go backward. God is moving on towards Canaan and could be left behind craving the old way instead of embracing the new. Many will just not hear of this “speaking in tongues.”

Isaiah 28:11 “And, “This is the refreshing”; yet they would not hear.”

Satan whispers in our ears all sorts of lies to block the flow of the Spirit.

1. There isn’t a 2nd experience of the Spirit, it all happened when you were Born Again.


2. OK, there is a 2nd experience but tongues aren’t the sign.


3. OK tongues is the sign but its only for the beginning but afterwards it’s prophecy


4. Tongues is of the Devil


5. It can’t be right for I don’t understand what I’m saying – it’s Gobbley Gook.


6. It’s just you speaking and not the Holy Spirit.

On the Day of Pentecost 1000’s were filled with the Spirit and not only spoke in tongues but prophesied as well. They weren’t as well educated as we are today and this was probably to their advantage for not many of the wise are called into the Kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him.”

These Bible people just believed the words of the Apostles. They were not so filled up with unbelief as we are today and most likely only read the Torah. Today we have so much unbelief being pumped into us everyday from the radio, TV, books and newspapers that it’s hard to be a people of faith. We lean too much on our own understanding and not on our spirits for these are days when there is a lot of knowledge around and most of it is bad. Men are ever learning and not coming to a knowledge of the truth.

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; “

The bible also says that unless you are like a little child you will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Children believe what they are told. They aren’t as clever as us adults so they just accept what those who they trust tell them. If you say there is a Santa Claus or a Bogey Man then they believe you. We are to have a faith like little Children concerning the promises of God and not lean on our own understanding, the trouble is we are just too clever for our own good.

When many of us speak in tongues for the first time our minds say that it is stupid and childish. It may seem that way to us but I think that God is dealing with our pride. I personally started speaking in tongues with just one word. “Daa, daa, daa.” The lady next to me was ecstatic and was overflowing with “shund-eye lars and buncey koos.” I sensed the presence of God in my life and knew something had happened but this “tongue” was not what I was expecting and I wanted my money back. Anyway why should that woman be so blessed and I only get baby talk, didn’t God know who I was? (That’s pride talking.)
The next morning when I awoke the Devil came and said that it was just me and that I wasn’t filled with the Spirit at all. My future could have been changed right there and then by my rejecting the Holy Spirit’s Gift, but I went to the Pastor again and sought council. He said to accept what God had given me and be faithful with the little and I would be given more. He prayed for me again and I went off to the park and used my “daa daa daa” (quietly of course as I didn’t want to be committed.) Soon I had “Daa Dee Daa” flowing from my lips and then “Daa Dee Doe Daa” and we were away. I now have many types of tongues and love to sing in tongues as well. I have progressed a lot since those “daa daa daas” days and can now “Shund-eye Laa” with the best of them.

We need to remember that the Spirit of the Prophet is subject to the Prophet. 1 Corinthians 14:22. In other words we can control how we speak. We are not taken over like we see Spirit Mediums in a Séance. We can make the tongue fast or slow or be used in song or just a moan groan or sound. On they day of Pentecost is says that ‘they’ did the speaking and the Spirit gave them the words. How they spoke was up to them. I find extroverts speak loudly and shy people whisper when they speak in tongues for the first time.
Acts 2:4 “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

There is so much more to be shared on this subject and I have some notes called the Benefits of speaking in tongues if you want me to send them to you by email. There are 9 documents in all and are not light readings.

Be blessed and may you have tongues coming out your ears - what a thought?

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ADORATION

ADORATION

One of the first benefits from speaking in tongues is the increased ability it gives us to worship God. We were created to fellowship with the Creator, so it should not seem strange that the first practice the newly Spirit-filled Christians engaged in was worship. What was it that the 120 were saying in tongues on the day of Pentecost?

"We do hear them speak in tongues the wonderful works of God." (Acts 2:11)

When the household of Cornelius received the Holy Ghost, the Jewish Christians were astonished but realised the Gentiles had received the same experience they had,

"For they heard them speak with tongues, AND MAGNIFY GOD." (Acts 10:46)

We may be sure that the anointing of the Holy Spirit will enable us to express our love and adoration of the Heavenly Father in ways beyond the limitations of our finite human minds.
I often enjoy going for a walk and singing and speaking in tongues in praise to God.

"And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." (Eph 5:18-19)

The phrase "Spiritual songs" in this verse is literally, "Songs of the Spirit", or songs directly inspired by the Holy Spirit, i.e. songs in tongues. Paul told the Corinthians that he not only prayed in tongues, or in the Spirit, but sang in tongues too. (1 Corinthians 14:15-19).

“What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. [16] Else when you shall bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupies the room of the unlearned say Amen at your giving of thanks, seeing he understands not what you say? [17] For you verily give thanks well, but the other is not edified. [18] I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all: [19] Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.”

It was his desire that the entire congregation follows his example, with the Spirit's guidelines which he gave them in his letter (1Corinthians 14:5).

In 1 Corinthians 4:17, he declared that he taught the same truths in all the Churches. So it should not seem odd that he would admonish the Ephesians (Eph 5:18-19) and the Colossians (Col 3:16) in corporate singing in the Spirit in their worship along with the singing of psalms and hymns. In discussing blessing God in tongues in 1 Corinthians 14:16-17, Paul writes, "For thou verily give thanks well,"
Spencer's translation renders the phrase, thou verily give thanks EXCELLENTLY."

How wonderful that today, in this age of the Spirit, we can sing, bless and praise God while under the DIRECT INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT as we sing, bless and praise God in tongues.

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RELAXATION

RELAXATION

1 Corinthians 14:2 Berkeley translation. It says "He that speaks in a tongue improves himself". What an encouragement to pray in the Spirit. When you pray in tongues you can claim improvement in prophecy, witnessing, boldness, etc. You will improve in the things of the Spirit as you pray in tongues. In our last notes we saw that tongues are used for Adoration, this time we look at.

The spirit of man craves rest. Every week 1000s of troubled persons visit the offices of psychiatrists and psychologists seeking peace. Is this God's will?
The Lord has provided for us in the Baptism of the Spirit and Prayer in the Spirit, a deep, abiding rest for spirit, soul and body.

Isaiah 28: 11 “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: “

Jesus reiterated this promise hundreds of years later in Matthew 11:28.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."
Moffat's version translates the last phrase of this verse “and I will refresh you."

There is abundant provision in the grace of God for this heart-hunger of man for rest. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ. But we must understand HOW the gospel meets this need. It is through the ministry of The Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul quoted the above passage from Isaiah in his discussion of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14:21-22. Clearly, in addition to the obvious references to the language of the Assyrians, Paul saw an application, prophetically, to the New Testament manifestations of tongues. As we pray in the Spirit our mind and emotions enter into a deep peace. We are enabled to commune with the Father spirit to Spirit, while bypassing our conscious understanding. It is not that we become unconscious as the practises of spiritualism or other demonic religions, but rather we relax mentally, and cease from our own thoughts while allowing the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide and frame our petitions. Most of the time we are not even consciously aware of the source of our problems. We don't know what we need. But the Spirit does. Praise God, we have "help" from within!

"And in the same way, the Spirit is a help to our feeble hearts; for we are not able to make prayer to God in the right way; but the Spirit puts our desire into words which are not in our power to say." (Romans 8:26, Basic English)

What exquisite rest and refreshing are ours as we cease from our own works and turn all our problems and difficulties over to the indwelling Holy Spirit and allow Him to present our petitions for us before the throne of Grace according to God's will. Problems disappear as if by magic. But more than that, we are enabled to enter into a God-directed life. We are released from the prison of our own mental limitations. We are set free to sour in the Spirit into the unlimited provision of the Heavenly Father. Here we can find our rest beyond anything tranquillisers, eastern religions or the occult can offer. Here is reality: man in fellowship with the Creator of the universe under direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Truly, this is the rest, and this is the refreshing. This was the intention in his letter to the Hebrews; among other things, to urge his readers to enter into this marvellous rest.

"There remains therefore a REST to the people of God." (Hebrews 4:9)

Notice this verse does not relate the rest of the unsaved, but to the saved. This wonderful rest is to the people of God.

"For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from his." (Hebrews 4:10)

Here we are told that the Spirit filled believer who has entered into God's rest has stopped relying on his own thoughts, plans and ideas. He has moved over from dependence on the flesh to faith in the power of God.

"Let us LABOUR therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." (Hebrews 4:11)

Here we are commanded to "labour" to make this rest ours in experience. Once again, it is clear that salvation is not in view, as some would interpret this verse, but service. Not eternity in Heaven, but our time here on earth. And it is clear we must "labour" or exert spiritual force to enter in. Apparently a struggle is to be expected before one can experience the "Rest" of God. Needless to say, we do not "struggle" to be saved.

The example of unbelief referred to here is the failure of the children of Israel to enter the Promised Land and their subsequent murmurings in their wilderness wanderings. The Promised Land could not be a type of heaven for us, as there will be no enemies there. There were however enemies for the Israelites in Canaan. Yet Paul says their failure was an example. The Promised Land represents the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and the higher Christian life. It is a life of blessing and victory - rest and refreshing - but not without "labour and struggles". There are "enemies" in this land - principalities and powers of the devil who will oppose us every step of the way.
Is there no provision? Praise God there is! There is a rest and refreshing amidst the trials of this present life. Isaiah prophesied it; Jesus promised it; and the Holy Spirit produces it! How do we enter this rest?

Hebrews 4: 14 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

We enter into this rest by recognizing the reality of our Great High Priest; by holding fast our confession of faith in Him as Lord of our lives; and by approaching Him for help by prayer. What kind of prayer produces this rest? Isaiah prophesied that it would be prayer in the Spirit.
By means of prayer we can trade our weakness for the strength of Jesus. We can trade His defeat for victory. We can move over from the natural to the supernatural, from the carnal to the spiritual.
Let us labour to enter this rest. Let us stay in our place of prayer and persevere until we have "prayed through" all the interference of the Adversary and the peace of God rules in our hearts. Let us enjoy the rest and the refreshing.

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EXHORTATION

EXHORTATION

Through the public dimension of speaking in tongues, we may serve as the voice of God to the local congregation. In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul tells us that in a particular congregation the Spirit gives "to one", as "He wills", "divers kinds of tongues". Moreover, he admonishes us to "Earnestly desire spiritual gifts."

1 Corinthians 14:5 “I would that ye all spoke with tongues, but rather that you prophesied: for greater is he that prophesies than he that speaks with tongues, except he interpret, that the Church may receive edifying.”

As we have already noted, when interpreted, speaking in tongues may yield: revelation, knowledge, prophecy or doctrine. (Teaching, Greek)

Here we have a means of exhorting the Church with a present tense "word of the Lord", by seeking to speak in tongues publicly and then interpreting the utterance for the edifying of the body. What a blessed privilege and responsibility to be used of God.

When studied closely, verse 5 of 1 Corinthians 14 sheds a great deal of light on the entire matter of the manifestation of spiritual gifts. A more literal rendering reads: "I want you all to be speaking in tongues, but rather IN ORDER THAT you may be prophesying."

And the Greek clause translated "but rather" is translated elsewhere as "even more", or "but especially”, etc. In other words, Paul is here desiring that we speak in tongues not only for the purpose of a public utterance in tongues followed by an interpretation, but "even more" "especially" IN ORDER THAT ("Ina" Greek) we may be prophesying. His implication is that speaking in tongues in an undertone during services, leads to prophesying. Praise God! Here is a way to "stir up" all the gifts of the Spirit in our lives - praying in the Spirit privately before and during services, quietly, to ourselves and to God. (1 Corinthians 14:28)

The 9 gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 are not "permanent" abilities or ministries as are the gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4:11. Rather, they are "manifestations" of the Spirit, given IN THE PRESENT MOMENT, to seeking believers.

For example, verse 8 of 1 Corinthians 12 reads, literally: “For to one IS BEING GIVEN by the Spirit the word of wisdom." The verb is the present tense, applying an "on again" "off again” manifestation of the gift. Had Paul desired to show a believer had been given, permanently, a gift of the word of wisdom, he would have used the aorist or perfect tense in Greek. Likewise, all the verbs in verses 7, 8 and 11 of 1 Corinthians 12 in English and in Greek are in the present. Any one or more of the 9 gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 may be manifested by any Spirit-filled believer who desires to be so used.

As we wait on God in obedience and consecration to His will, as we pray quietly in the Holy Ghost devotionally before the service in undertone during services (1 Corinthians 14:28), we become candidates for other manifestations of the Spirit to edify the Church and minister to the world. Prayer in the Spirit is the "missing link" in the spiritual gifts.

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EDIFICATION

EDIFICATION

Prayer in the Spirit is probably one of the single most effective means of edification available to the Child of God.

"He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself." (1 Corinthians 14:4)

Knox' translation says,” May strengthen his own faith."

Beck renders the clause, “when you talk a strange language, you encourage yourself."

The words translated “edifies” in this verse comes from the Greek meaning to “build up” or strengthen, to encourage one in the spiritual life. It was used in non-spiritual contexts of building a brick wall, brick by brick. When you are praying in the Spirit, you are building up your spiritual man. Here is a divine means of building up or increasing the spiritual power and effectiveness of the Spirit-filled Christian. Before we can edify others, we must first be edified ourselves. One of the greatest spiritual giants who ever lived said.

"I thank my God I offer thanksgiving to God in private, speaking in tongues....more than any of you." (1 Corinthians 14:18)

This verse remains an eternal monument to the spiritual value of prayer in the Holy Spirit as a means of self edification. If a man of Paul's spiritual stature depended on this type of prayer, can we ever hope to give less emphasis and be spiritually successful in fulfilling the will of God?

The heavenly Father is dwelling in us through the person of the Holy Spirit. Is there any problem, trial temptation or situation that He is not equal to? We can have help from within. The anointing abides. Let us allow our indwelling intercessor to minister to us and through us in that inexpressibly personal manifestation of prayer in other tongues.
We shall find as a result of praying in the Spirit that we are immeasurably helped. We need never be discouraged in the light of our human limitations. We have a comforter! We need only allow Him to "help" our infirmities by praying in tongues. (Romans 8: 26-28)

Through prayer we can trade our weakness and defeat for the power, victory and overwhelming mastery of the indestructible Life and Energy of the Son of God. He is our Great High Priest, enthroned at the highest place of power in the universe, and touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but more than that, able to lift us out of them into the unlimited resources of the Triune God of the ages.

Jude 20 “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21Keep yourselves in the love of God.”

We have in this verse God's means of developing ourselves in the faith. The bible teaches that faith COMES by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) However we are built up in our faith by means of prayer in the Spirit. The word translated "building up” in the above verse are the same Greek root word rendered "edifies" in 1 Cor 14:4.
As mentioned, it means to charge, encourage, strengthen or build up. Praying in the Spirit will do for our inner man what physical exercise does for our body. Notice the amplified translation.

"But you, beloved, build yourselves up (founded) on your most holy faith, make progress - rise like an edifice higher and higher, praying in the Holy Spirit,” (Jude 20, amplified)

Notice the shades of meaning included in the following translations of Jude 20.

“But you my beloved build up yourselves anew in the holy faith through the Holy Spirit, by means of prayer." (Jude 20, Lamsa)

"But you, dear friends, building yourselves up in your most holy faith, through praying by the Holy Spirit," (Jude 20, Adams)

"But you, beloved, grow strong in your holy faith through prayer in the Holy Spirit."
(Jude 20, New American)

The picture is breathtaking! As the world sinks lower and lower in the natural realm, the saints are provided with a means of growing stronger and stronger in the inner man - praying in the Holy Spirit! For centuries Christians have sought for a really successful aid to strength and power in the spiritual life. We have been filled with the Holy Spirit, yet no one has told us how to yield to the power within us. Perhaps we just assumed things would work out automatically.

Ephesians 2:20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,”

Notice Rotherham's rendering of the last clause of this verse

" the power which does energise itself within us."

There can be no doubt that God's power is WITHIN US. We have been looking for it almost anywhere else! There, in your inner man, in the depths of your being dwells the power of God. That power wants to work in us. But it will not happen "automatically". We must intelligently yield to the motions of the Holy Spirit in prayer. We shall find that we are greatly edified thereby.

Let us take our place, allowing the indwelling Intercessor to take us onward and upward into the unexplored vistas of the strength and power available to us through the Lord Jesus Christ in the person of the Holy Spirit.

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CONFRONTATION

CONFRONTATION

Perhaps one of the most revolutionary benefits of prayer in the Spirit is its relation to spiritual warfare. It's impossible to be a Christian for any length of time without becoming aware that we are engaged in a battle. To ignore it or to simply attempt to deny it is to be deceived and set upon by spiritual forces currently engaged in warfare against us. We need to realize who our enemies really are. The word of God makes this very clear.

Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Here we see the real source of our difficulties. Things are not what they seem to be to the spiritual eye. We need to look at the real source of the problems; the demon hosts of darkness motivating what we perceive in the natural order of things. We need to discover our weapons.

Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

If we are engaged in spiritual warfare we must utilize spiritual weapons. That is why we are admonished to take the "Whole armour of God."

The Apostle Paul describes the "spiritual armour" in Eph 6:10-18. However if you look at the margin of most any study Bible, in this portion of scripture you will be directed to Isaiah 59:16-21. It is the book of Isaiah that Paul received the imagery for the weaponry of the Christian soldier. We will gain a tremendous insight into that weaponry, including the real truth about the "Sword of the Spirit", by first examining these verses.

"And He saw NO MAN, and wondered that there was NO INTERCESSOR.” (Isa 59:16)

We shall see here that God looked down on the plight of His people and recognizes that they need someone to "stand in the gap" for them. The need is a "man" or an "intercessor."

"Therefore His arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him." (Isa 59:16)

This verse reflects the fact that God Himself will be that man. He will fight the battle for them. It is a liberating truth to think that God does not really want to help us with spiritual battles...He wants to fight them for us!!

Isaiah 59:17 “For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.”
Here we see that God Himself is putting on the armour in order to fight the battle for His people. Notice the similarity between this verse and Ephesians 6:14-17.

Isaiah 59:18-19 “According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, fury to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; the coastlands He will fully repay. So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun;”
Notice here that the Lord will fight the battle for His people against their enemies. In the time of Israel the enemies were foreign nations. However as we have seen, in our day, the enemies are spiritual ones - THE DEVIL AND DEMONS.

Isaiah 59: 19 “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall put him to flight.” (margin)

A tremendous revelation is given here. The Lord will fight the battle against our enemies in the person of the Holy Spirit. In verse 21 we see that the battle will be fought by the Spirit being upon His servants, and His words being in their mouth. The Holy Spirit being "upon" God's people always has reference to an anointing for service in the scriptures, never to the Spirit's indwelling in salvation. In the New Testament it would refer to the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

What are we to conclude from this chapter study?
First God is aware of the oppression of the enemy against His people. (Isa 59:16)
Second, God, Himself will put on the armour and fight the battle for them. (Isa 59:16)
Third, He will wage this warfare against the real enemies of His people. (Isa 59:18-19)
Fourth, this warfare will be waged in the person of the Holy Spirit. (Isa 59:19)
Fifth, this will be accomplished by the Holy Spirit being upon His servants, and HIS WORDS being in their mouths. (Isa 59:21)


How does what we have discovered blend with Paul's words in Eph 6:10-18?
First, we notice that in Isaiah's prophecy God is the one who puts on the armour. Yet in Ephesians, WE are commanded to take up the weaponry.
The apparent contradiction however disappears, when we look at Romans 13:12-14.

Romans 13:12,14 “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

According to this portion of scripture Jesus is the armour. Let us now direct our attention to Paul's description of the "spiritual armour" in Ephesians.

“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth.” (Eph 6:14)

This involves an understanding of and obedience to the word of God and the Spirit of God.
“Having put on the breastplate of righteousness.” (Eph 6:14)

Not only are we to wear TRUTH as a belt, but we are to wear righteousness as our breastplate.
This is 2 fold. We are legally declared right-standing with God through our justification by faith in the Lord Jesus; and we actually BECOME righteous in our conduct through the indwelling of the Spirit of the Righteous One, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus our righteousness is both, IMPUTED TO and IMPARTED IN us.

“And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;” (Eph 6:15)

This verse reminds us that the very feet that took us on errands of sin are now employed in sending us forth as messengers of the Gospel.

“Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” (Eph 6:16)

In this verse the Apostle reminds us that by taking FAITH as our shield, we will completely overcome all the machinations of the adversary. But what is this?
It is not faith in God, in general; nor is it faith in a specific promise of God.

1 John 5:4-5 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Here is the almost identical language as that found in Ephesians 6:16.

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SUPPLICATION

One of the difficulties that have plagued believers for centuries is the prayer problem. We have marvelled at the numerous statements of Jesus regarding the certainty of answered prayer, and how often we have failed to see it become a reality in our lives. We know the difficulty does not involve God. We must re-examine our own understanding of prayer in the light of the Bible and see just where we have missed the mark. In a word we need "help". And that is just why the Lord sent the Holy Spirit, to help us in prayer.

Roman 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Here indeed is our missing link in our communication with God. Here is the solution to the "prayer problem". The man who gave us much of the New Testament said, "We don't know how to pray." The early Church admitted that it didn't know how to pray. There are several interesting facts we should notice about Romans 8:26.

First we are told that the Spirit helps our infirmities. The word "infirmities" means a weakness or flaw in any area, spiritual, mental, emotional or physical. And then the Bible tells us here that the Spirit "helps" our infirmities or weaknesses. According to Dr. T J McCrossan, a Greek scholar of another generation, in his book, ‘Christ's Paralysed Church X-Rayed’, the Greek word translated "helps" in Romans 8:26, comes from a compound Greek verb meaning, "to take hold together with, against."