Spiritual Gifts?

[The_8th_Person]

I was just wondering how many people on these forms now there own spiritual gift? I am just asking to share what your gift is and tell us how you came to find it out.

I discovered my gift of speaking tounges at a Christian summer camp in California called "Hume Lake". This camp opened my heart to Jesus and made me feel what I hadn't felt since I was a child. Anyway at this camp a friend and I ended up one night helping a girl that had come down with our church. She was struggling with excepting Christ. My friend and I talking to her about Jesus opened up my eyes to God also. So back in our cabin that night everyone in our cabin prayed for her. Then when we were all done I just sort of sat on my bunk silent basking in the warmth of the holy spirit inside me I could feel it growing. Everyone else was playing and running around the cabin while I remained on my bunk then I began to shake wondering what was wrong with me I sort of stretched then my jaw begin to shake. Then the most joyice feeling ever came over me as the mumbles uttered from my mouth I could not stop them nor did I want to. When I tried to stop and tell everyone, what happened, I just kept babbling. When I was finally done I told everyone what I did none of them heard me speaking this language of the holy spirit because I was pretty quite when I did and on top of it they were all running around the being loud. But I automatically knew what had happened I had spoken in tounges. That night I prayed for who knows how long just giving praise to the lord and that was also the day that I was saved PRAISE BE TO GOD. I spoke with my pastor the next morning he thought it was awesome (he also can speak tounges) I found out many things about tounges from him and study more when I got home. Thank you for listening to my story I encourage all of you to share yours I am interested.

[AVBunyan]

The Gifts

All right – tongues – easy if you take the Bible as it stands and understand how God deals with Israel as a nation. Most make issue of prayer languages, interpreter or not and never cover what tongues are really for.  Let’s get down to the basics.  Remember, God deals with Israel as a nation differently than he deals with the body of Christ today.  

According to the Bible tongues are for a sign (1 Cor 14:22  Wherefore tongues are for a sign,…).  The verse didn’t say tongues were for your personal edification, prayer time, public worship service, etc.  Tongues are for a sign.  Now, who require signs in the Bible?  The Jews require a sign (1 Cor 1:22  For the Jews require a sign,….).  Why did the Jews require a sign?  It was a part of their history.  When God and Moses had their conversation at the burning bush Moses said (and I paraphrase), “They are not going to believe me.”  The Lord said, “I will give you some signs to authenticate your ministry.”  Moses went to them and did signs and wonders and they believed.  When the Lord came to Israel in the gospels he came with signs to authenticate his ministry and some believed. In fact the Pharisees came seeking a sign - Mat 12:38  “Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.”  After Christ arose he gave the apostles the signs to authenticate their ministries they went about doing signs and wonders.

Next, tongues were not for believers but for unbelievers – “not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: - I Cor. 14:22.  This is the clincher.  Moses went to Jews who were unbelievers of his ministry.  Jesus went to an unbelieving Israel with signs.  Paul went to unbelieving Israel with signs.  Also, the Jews were “unbelievers” in the sense that they did not believe that God would not bless the Gentiles.  In Acts 2 where the signs and wonders took place Peter preached to thousands of “unbelieving Jews” and they believed after the message with signs and wonders (Acts 2:43).  

Today tongues are used in churches for believers – in other words done for the edification of the speaker or hearer, which is contrary to I Cor. 1:22 and 14:22 (note both verses are 22 – can’t beat the book!)

Now, when you use your “tongues” in your church service are there any unbelieving Jews there?  Maybe and maybe not but most likely not.  When you are using “tongues” in your private prayer closet are there any unbelieving Jews there?  

Let’s wrap it up – When God deals with Israel as a nation he uses signs and wonders as authentication.  God is not dealing with Israel as a nation today – God is dealing with individuals.  Tongues are for a sign and to unbelievers, not believers.  Tongues are a sign of judgment to the unbelieving Jews.   Also, unbelievers are “believing “ Jews in Acts who were didn’t believe the Gentiles could get in on the blessings.

Tongue speakers are not following this today one bit.  I really don’t care about how good tongues feel to you and how excited you get when you utter your “tongues”.  When you pray and speak in tongues are you doing it as a sign to unbelieving Jews?  I don’t care if you saw millions at once speaking in tongues.  What you saw were millions of deceived people led by an unclean spirit.  They may be nice, polite, Bible-quoting people but they were deceived while they were nice, polite and quoting scripture.

I know you have a lot of verses you get from I Cor 14 but remember Paul is rebuking a carnal church of a misuse of a doctrine to the point where he calls them children in malice.  Why you think you can find anything positive there to support your tongues beats the fire out of me.

Don’t judge tongues by your experience – judge your experience by the Bible.  Anybody can think they speak in tongues.  I’ve even seen people “practicing” their tongues so they wouldn’t lose them!  Please, people!  The great men of God of old wouldn’t and didn’t mess with that stuff for a minute and God used any one of them more then 10,000 tongue speakers today.
But you say, “Yes, but I still know what I know and I speak in tongues and others do so that proves it!”  Fine, base your doctrine on feelings and experience and ignore the plain teaching of scripture.
Again, one last time with feeling – UNTILL YOU UNDERSTAND THAT GOD DEALS WITH ISRAEL AS A NATION DIFFERENTLY THAN HE DOES WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST TODAY THEN YOU CAN FORGET UNDERSTANDING THE GIFTS!

May God bless

[Shammu]

To tell the truth The_8th_Person, I really don't know, what my gift is........  

[The_8th_Person]

In reply to your false doctrines it is not I who speak by an unclean spirit but you whose heart is hardened by one. Also no matter how much you would like to discredit 1 Cor. 14 it is still part of the word of God and is truth.

1 Cor. 14:27-28 "If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God."

This obviously states that tongues is meant to be used for personnel prayer. Tongues strengthens your spirit and helps better your relationship with Christ.

1 Cor. 14:23-25 right after 1 Cor. 14:22 (which you quoted) it states

"Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convicted by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you." 1 Cor. 14:23-25

These verses state that prophecy should be used for unbelievers but it is used also to strengthen believers just as tongues are. Also to correct an earlier statement by you; I do not think it is good to speak tongues in church that is why I speak it with God and myself as the word says. I ask that we take this no further so that it will not become a debate. In closing I shall pray that God softens your heart and opens your eyes to the truth and possably even gives you the experience of speaking these tongues you speak out against.

[The_8th_Person]

Sorry DW I was posting right when you were. But back to the point  I don't know if this is your spiritual gift but I know that I hold in high regard your words for you speak the truth and are straight forward I know I respect your words very much and I'm sure others do to. I'll pray that you find the spiritual gift you've more than likely been searching for.

[AVBunyan]

1. I ask that we take this no further so that it will not become a debate.
2. In closing I shall pray that God softens your heart and opens your eyes to the truth and possably even gives you the experience of speaking these tongues you speak out against.

1. Don't worry - I will certainly honor your request - wasn't planning on a debate here.  Based upon your reponse you have no understanding of my initial post so I would think of carrying it any further - dealt with you folks to long to this issue.  Most of you folks need to get justification settle first anyway.

2. Thanks but don't bother - the Lord answers prayer based upon  truth.

You have a nice day now  

[The_8th_Person]

AVBunyan thank you for that and I urge everyone to post there spiritual gifts here thanks bye.

[MalkyEL]

AV Bunyan,
   PRAISE THE LORD!!!!  You cannot know how much your post blessed me.  You have a total handle on the entire tongues issue.  
   Every time tongues was given in Acts, it was for witnessing the gospel to unbelivers [Jews, possibly gentiles or else why would the Corinthians be doing it? - just thinking]
   Anyway, I would like to thank you so much.  I am keeping your post to refer to.  I have tried myself so many times to help others see the deception, but they will not.
   This is a topic that is SO close to my heart.  I have been free from this unclean spirit for over a year and a half now.  I was a tongue talker for 8 years.
    I was also caught up in the Word of Faith/charismatic /pentecostal/fullgospel movement.  So I was under a tremendous amount of deception.  I was a fullblown prosperity, divine healing, demon casting out, confessing the Word, tongue spewing chrisitian.  God slowly showed me the truth, but it was a very long arduous process.  I had to be deprogrammed, because I had been brainwashed by teachers, pastors, and leaders to believe a lie.
     Thankfully God sent someone in for me who spent 3 months with me almost day and nite.  I never met him, we talked via email and IMing.  But I praise God for sending this friend into my life to show me the truth of His Word.
      Tongues was the last part to go and it really hurt, until I realized that what I had been babbling all those years were junk words given to me by an unclean spirit.  Praise God for His forgiveness and mercy.   I had believed it improved my relationship with God, that God was working through my prayers, and that I was praying for people around the globe.  I was also taught that by praying constantly in tongues I was fulfilling a Biblical mandate to pray continually cause I could blab away no matter what I was doing. I thought I was SO spiritual. And caused God to "bring things up out of my Spirit that He had placed there".
      None of what I believed is Scriptural.  None of it.
      Which brings me to another problem - the point of this thread.  God wills who is empowered by His Spirit.  Those gifts are not ours.  We cannot do with them what we choose or what pleases us.  They are gifts that do not become part of us, they belong to God. They may come and go.  You may have a gift for one moment in time and never again.  Gifts of healing, miracles, tongues, interpretation, prophecy, and the like are overused, misused, and downright perverted by satan who has come masquerading as angel of light.
      The problem with listing your spiritual giftings is that it becomes a boasting session.  Jesus said, do not let your right hand know what your left is doing/giving and do not seek for the glory of man, cause that is all you will get.
      I think that walking in the Spirit is walking in love, letting God bring forth His fruit of the Spirit, and reaching out to others as He instructs - being His hands and feet however He has chosen for you to accomplish it.  We are just the pile of dirt    [Heb 6:7]

Shalom, Nana

[bluelake]

I was just wondering how many people on these forms now there own spiritual gift? I am just asking to share what your gift is and tell us how you came to find it out.

I discovered my gift of speaking tounges at a Christian summer camp in California called "Hume Lake". This camp opened my heart to Jesus and made me feel what I hadn't felt since I was a child. Anyway at this camp a friend and I ended up one night helping a girl that had come down with our church. She was struggling with excepting Christ. My friend and I talking to her about Jesus opened up my eyes to God also. So back in our cabin that night everyone in our cabin prayed for her. Then when we were all done I just sort of sat on my bunk silent basking in the warmth of the holy spirit inside me I could feel it growing. Everyone else was playing and running around the cabin while I remained on my bunk then I began to shake wondering what was wrong with me I sort of stretched then my jaw begin to shake. Then the most joyice feeling ever came over me as the mumbles uttered from my mouth I could not stop them nor did I want to. When I tried to stop and tell everyone, what happened, I just kept babbling. When I was finally done I told everyone what I did none of them heard me speaking this language of the holy spirit because I was pretty quite when I did and on top of it they were all running around the being loud. But I automatically knew what had happened I had spoken in tounges. That night I prayed for who knows how long just giving praise to the lord and that was also the day that I was saved PRAISE BE TO GOD. I spoke with my pastor the next morning he thought it was awesome (he also can speak tounges) I found out many things about tounges from him and study more when I got home. Thank you for listening to my story I encourage all of you to share yours I am interested.

8th ,
Thank you for sharing.
May I ask you, at what point in your experience do you think you were saved?
Did your pastor tell you that not all people speak in tongues? (1Cor.12:29-31) (Acts2:41,) 3000 believers were saved, they didn't speak in tongues. Also in (Acts4:4) 5000 more were added, no tongues.
1Cor.12:13 reads, "For we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we are all given one Spirit to drink."
One more question, who is the Holy Spirit?

God bless you,
bluelake

[Soldier4Christ]

Everything that I am and everything that I am able to do is a spiritual gift from God.

[bluelake]

AV Bunyan,
   PRAISE THE LORD!!!!  You cannot know how much your post blessed me.  You have a total handle on the entire tongues issue.  
   Every time tongues was given in Acts, it was for witnessing the gospel to unbelivers [Jews, possibly gentiles or else why would the Corinthians be doing it? - just thinking]
   Anyway, I would like to thank you so much.  I am keeping your post to refer to.  I have tried myself so many times to help others see the deception, but they will not.
   This is a topic that is SO close to my heart.  I have been free from this unclean spirit for over a year and a half now.  I was a tongue talker for 8 years.
    I was also caught up in the Word of Faith/charismatic /pentecostal/fullgospel movement.  So I was under a tremendous amount of deception.  I was a fullblown prosperity, divine healing, demon casting out, confessing the Word, tongue spewing chrisitian.  God slowly showed me the truth, but it was a very long arduous process.  I had to be deprogrammed, because I had been brainwashed by teachers, pastors, and leaders to believe a lie.
     Thankfully God sent someone in for me who spent 3 months with me almost day and nite.  I never met him, we talked via email and IMing.  But I praise God for sending this friend into my life to show me the truth of His Word.
      Tongues was the last part to go and it really hurt, until I realized that what I had been babbling all those years were junk words given to me by an unclean spirit.  Praise God for His forgiveness and mercy.   I had believed it improved my relationship with God, that God was working through my prayers, and that I was praying for people around the globe.  I was also taught that by praying constantly in tongues I was fulfilling a Biblical mandate to pray continually cause I could blab away no matter what I was doing. I thought I was SO spiritual. And caused God to "bring things up out of my Spirit that He had placed there".
      None of what I believed is Scriptural.  None of it.
      Which brings me to another problem - the point of this thread.  God wills who is empowered by His Spirit.  Those gifts are not ours.  We cannot do with them what we choose or what pleases us.  They are gifts that do not become part of us, they belong to God. They may come and go.  You may have a gift for one moment in time and never again.  Gifts of healing, miracles, tongues, interpretation, prophecy, and the like are overused, misused, and downright perverted by satan who has come masquerading as angel of light.
      The problem with listing your spiritual giftings is that it becomes a boasting session.  Jesus said, do not let your right hand know what your left is doing/giving and do not seek for the glory of man, cause that is all you will get.
      I think that walking in the Spirit is walking in love, letting God bring forth His fruit of the Spirit, and reaching out to others as He instructs - being His hands and feet however He has chosen for you to accomplish it.  We are just the pile of dirt    [Heb 6:7]

Shalom, Nana

Hello Nana,
Thank you so much for your testimony. It's an example of how folks can be so easily lead into despair when they want something for themselves. We are called to worship the Lord.
Praying in tongues edifies the person, but they don't understand what they're saying. I would rather praise God with my own understanding than be babbling away in tongues, which are repititious and vain.
A more excellent way is found in 1Cor.13, It begins with, "if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. Please read verse 8 "Love never fails...I'll let you be blessed as you finish the passage.

May the love of God bless you,
bluelake

[AVBunyan]

AV Bunyan,
   PRAISE THE LORD!!!!  You cannot know how much your post blessed me.  You have a total handle on the entire tongues issue.  

Thank you and Silver also for those kind words and I'm glad you see what the scriptues say.  I don' normally stir this up but it goes much deeper than tongues for the majority of tongue-speakers believe one can lose their salvation and this is a very serious issue.  

I trust you are settled on the issue of justification - if not please let me know if there is anything you think I might assist in.

I firmly believe that if one vehemently believes, teaches, and defends this doctriine of "lossing one's salvation" then I believe they are not truly resting in the rightesouness of Christ alone.

They need to get justification settled first and then the gifts will fall by the way side.

May God bless

May God bless

[The_8th_Person]

Thank you bluelake and to answer your questions I knew I was saved right before I began to speak in tongues because I had silentley, in my heart, asked Jesus to come into my life. But believe me I prayed about it out loud also. My pastor did tell me that not everyone speaks in tongues and that it is a unique gift which I pretty much already knew. But I never used to think people could speak in tongues and thought they were lying. The Holy Spirit dwells in all christians who except Jesus and is our concious are reason and are way to eternal life. I hope I answered all your questions and I have to also say thank you to Pastor Rodger for the great post.

[Jemidon2004]

OK...here's my two cents in answer to the original question. I do have spiritual gifts. I have the gift of teaching, preaching, counseling, leadership, pastoring, and caring. I do not have the gift of tongues...i have never spoken in tongues and I do not feel the Lord has bestowed upon me that gift. I have prayed about my gifts and I am quite certain what I have listed above are my gifts according to Scripture...again I do not have the gift of tongue...and I never have spoken in tongues...so I am still a Child of God...and am still saved for those who believe if you do not speak in tongues you are not saved. Anywho...just answering the question...i got something i got to work on typing up. God Bless

Joshua

[Allinall]

My spiritual gifts?  Hmmmmm...lemme just say that I think we tend to limit the gifts God has given us via the passages He uses to explain them to us.  I think we tend to focus so much on the gift that we forget the purpose of those gifts.

I personally don't think that the gifts the Holy Spirit bestows upon us can be limited to the passages listing the gifts that we find.  That is to say, I think there are far more gifts given than we give God credit for.  The passages that list gifts are very general in nature.  Some gifts are no more (sorry 8th, not trying to debate just simply express  ) for example.  I believe that God gives us special gifts upon salvation, and that He takes the abilities and skills He has also given us prior to that point and uses them as well.  I have the gift of teaching I'm most certain.  At times, I have the gift of giving.  But I also have abilities that I can't take credit for that God uses as well.  Regardless of the gift, it's not the "our" in the phrase "our spiritual gifts" that's the focus.  The focus is on how those gifts are used:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Interesting, isn't it?  How Paul puts this most familiar passage right smack dab in the middle of his dissertation on the gifts God gives us.  It doesn't matter what we have, if we fail to use what we've been given in love to the edifying of one another in Christ.

So, if you have the gift of teaching, or the gift of serving, or the gift of giving, but you fail to use these gifts in love for each other...what have you got?  You have noisy nothingness that does you, and everyone around you, no good.
 
Just a thought...