Tongues4

Tongues either in prayer or praise is for fellowship with the
Father and the development of the spiritual life.
Its peculiar to the new testament.
Many(believers) do not speak with tongues based on wrong
information.
We shall address a few in order to help our brothers in the
faith.
1Cor12;1- Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not
have you ignorant.
The only cure to ignorance is to be taught.Many of us are
either not taught or taught the wrong things about the things
of the Spirit.
Its as the Spirit wills!You cant speak in tongues at will!
Is this true?
The term spirit oftentimes confuse many as been "mysterious
and unpredictable".
But the "Spirits actvities" are within our choices
We are to walk in the Spirit-
Gal5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not
fulfil the lust of the flesh.
This is our responsibility.
We are to be filled with the Spirit
Eph5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be
filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Its our responsibility and our willl is involved too.
Hence we must not confuse "the spirit" with that which our will
is excluded.
Back to tongues.
All who spoke with tongues in Acts had a prior information
about The things and Person of The Spirit.
Acts2:1- And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they
were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a
rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were
sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire,
and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to
speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
This may appear 'sudden",unexpected..The Spirit just moved
without human cooperation.
Not so.
Peters response shows(ed) he had some prior information.
Acts2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet
Joel;
17 -And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will
pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see
visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18- And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour
out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
He knew it had been prophesied by Joel.
Acts2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted,
and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy
Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
He knew this came about because Jesus had been raised from
the dead and exalted.
How did he know?
Acts2:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I
spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must
be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the
prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
45 -Then opened he their understanding, that they might
understand the scriptures
Jesus had taught them extensively the meaning of all the
feasts of the Old testament.
He taught them what the feast of pentecost meant.It was a
foreshadow of Newness.The Holy Spirit.He taught them from
the Book of Joel.
He gave them instructions in that regard.
Luke24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon
you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued
with power from on high.
Acts1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is
come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the
uttermost part of the earth.
They knew the Spirit will be given.
They knew about tongues-Mark16:17
They knew it was the day of pentecost.
Acts1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his
passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty
days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of
God:
He taught them for 40 days.
It wasnt sudden to them.They were expecting.
Acts10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost
fell on all them which heard the word.
45- And they of the circumcision which believed were
astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the
Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46- For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.
Then answered Peter
Peter had spoken of the Annointing of the Spirit.
Acts10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and
healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with
him.
They knew Jesus was annointed with The Spirit.
Another one was the Acts19 experience.
Acts19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the
Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and
prophesied.
He had just spoken to them about the Holy Spirit.
Acts19:2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost
since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so
much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3- And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized?
And they said, Unto John's baptism.
4 -Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of
repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe
on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
He explained from Johns ministry.John had earlier spoken of
this.
Luke3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed
baptize you withe water... he shall baptize you with the Holy
Ghost...
So the Spirit came on them.They had been told.
Why is information neccessary?
The things of the Spirit work with desire.
1Cor12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with
tongues? do all interpret?
31 _But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you
a more excellent way
They key here is desire.Covet means to go after.To want.
1Cor14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but
rather that ye may prophesy.
We are to desire the gifts.Willing to prophesy.
1Cor14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of
spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the
church.
13 -Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue
pray that he may interpret.
Zealous means to be boiling over with passion for it.To "pray"
is the greek word for desire. here it means to want .
1Cor14:32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the
prophets.
Spirits here mean 'things of the spirit"(Pneumatikos in greek)
not the Spirit.but gifts of the spirit.
If i can be quiet with tongues,orderly with prophecy and be
instructed on the things of The Spirit,it means my will is
involved.
1Cor14:39 So [to conclude], my brethren, earnestly desire and
set your hearts on prophesying (on being inspired to preach
and teach and to interpret God’s will and purpose), and do not
forbid or hinder speaking in [unknown] tongues.
This instructions arent to "the Holy Spirit".They are for us.We
have and possess the gifts of The Spirit.
Its within our will.We can stop.We can desire.We can forbid.
Pauls instructions to Timothy are helpfull.
1Tim4:14 Do not neglect the gift which is in you, [that special
inward endowment] which was directly imparted to you [by the
Holy Spirit] by prophetic utterance when the elders laid their
hands upon you [at your ordination].
2Tim1:6 That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the
embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious]
gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying
on of my hands [[a]with those of the elders at your ordination].
We can neglect the gifts of The Spirit.Its within our choice.
We can stir up the gift of The Spirit.Its within our will.Choice.
All who spoke with tongues in Scriptures did so willingly.
The "key" to the things of The Spirit is desire.Desire is
preceeded by knowledge.
1Cor12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame
Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
This refers to the distributions of The Gifts of The Spirit.Upon
such distributions ,we are in control of its use.
We speak in tongues as we will.
Hence the instructions of Paul are helpfull.
1Cor14:15 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.
I will!Because i can.
1Cor14:18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye
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.
I Do the speaking.I make the choice of how to speak in the
church
1Cor14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together,
every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue,
hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done
unto edifying.
I can come to church with tongues.
Sice tongues edify us,we can choose how often we desire to
be edified.
1Cor14:4He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth
himself.
Jude20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most
holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.
We edify ourselves by praying in The Spirit.
This is praying in tongues.
1Cor14:14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit
prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
15- 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.
1Cor14:2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh
not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him;
howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
When we pray in tongues we pray in the spirit.
How often?
Eph6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the
Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and
supplication for all saints;
Always.As often as we want to.
Speaking in tongues doesnt happen to us unconsciously.Its a
conscious effort of ours to worship God,Pray to Him in The
Spirit.
Knowing this fully well.We can boldy say like paul
1Cor14:18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye
all:
Blessed?I willingly yield myself to The things of The Spirit,i
speak with tongues,am edified.