I want to encourage you to keep praying in your heavenly language. Rom 8:22-23 say that the Spirit of God interced for us with groaning that can not be uttered. so while you are praying in the Spirit, your enemy can not understand what your are praying

Haha yep :) Our pastor even said "The devil knows he's in trouble when he can't understand what you're saying." I kinda thought of it like this

Demon 1: What's he saying?

Satan: *shrug* I don't know..

[quote=ThatGuy;98172]Speaking in tongues is probably the most contraversial topics in the church today, and it saddens me to see so many bible believing Christians completely ignorant to what the word says about this.]

I agree its one of the most controversial topics. I think because people focus on it. Unfortunately, there are churches that teach you're not baptized with the Holy Ghost unless you speak in tongues; and even some say you're not born again unless you speak in tongues. Then there are teachings out there in the Body that say you must seek to speak in tongues by saying certain tongue-twisting phrases repeatedly until you lose control of your tongue, and then- halleluia! You have it!

While there are biblical examples where speaking in tongues was a part of the intitial physical evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures say that tongues, as well as the other gifts of the Spirit are distributed to whom HE (God the Holy Ghost) determines, and according to HIS purpose. The Greek word translated "gifts" is karismata. The readers of the Greek understood that karismata did not rest upon an individual like a mantle. The Giver of the gifts would look for the yielded vessel, and manifest Himself in the form of one or more of the karismata through that yielded person to fulfill HIS purpose. But individuals don't keep karismata. They are a manifestation for the moment.

A brother in the Lord once asked me, "How do I speak in tongues?" I told him he might not like my answer; but I was teaching a Bible study on the subject, and so he valued my thoughts on the matter. I said: "Stop seeking to speak in tongues. Instead, completely yield yourself to God's purpose. Ask Him to remove anything of you that hinders your service to HIM, and to enable you to be a profitable servant for the Lord. Then, if He wants you to speak in tongues, or prophesy, or whatever is needed for you to be used by Him, He will give you." Unfortunately, he belongs to a church where the focus seems (at least to me) to be more on the gifts than the Giver AND His purpose for the gifts. I know some Pentecostal believers (by the way, I am one) who can name the gifts of the Holy Spirit (there are more than the nine. Look a few chapters over. i.e. helps, administration, etc.), but if asked why God gives these gifts, they would be stumped.

God is not arbitrary. There is purpose for everything He does, and its not to make us feel good. Why would the Lord bestow the gifts on a believer who may be yielded to manifestation, but not the purpose?

Thank you jiggyfly, this helped clarify a few things for me too. I know what speaking in tounges is, but it was still a bit confusing for me.

Your welcome Jennie, I am glad it helped Praise Jesus

I believe there is a broader message in what Jesus said about snakes and poison: Do not fear death, or the things of this world that can be deadly. I don't believe our Lord wants us playing with snakes or deliberately drinking poison (or anything else like that). That seems to me to be trying to manipulate God, saying: "Okay God, I'm going to do this thing that I know is really dumb and won't do anything to fulfill Your purpose, but I'm going to do this and You HAVE to save me, because I believe!" No, He doesn't HAVE to save us from the natural consequences of our own foolishness, and often He doesn't because He wants us to LEARN. Besides, if we can dictate to God what He MUST DO, then He's not God, we are. Hmmm... sounds sort of like a discussion with a snake once in a garden, doesn't it?

An interesting thing to consider about the "fruit of the Spirit". In context, Paul has just enumerated several of the works of the flesh and warned that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Then he says that, if we walk according to the Spirit, we won't be doing those things. Paul says that the natural result of walking according to God's Spirit will be the fruit of the Spirit. Please notice that the Scriptures do not say "fruits", but "fruit". While that word can be a plural unity (i.e. "church", "body", "fish"), but the Apostle Paul did not express them as individual and separate items. Consider this:
If you walk according to the leading of God the Holy Spirit, you will not be indulging the lust of the flesh, and here is a picture of what you will be like: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. After all, Galatians 5:22 says: "But the fruit of the Spirit is..."

My brother,
I see that its been some time since you posted this, but I hope that you are still around.
I am of the Pentecostal persuasion, however, you might find me a little different. Please permit me to explain the way that I understand the "speaking in tongues" issue.

First of all, it is a shame that this issue is so divisive in the Body of Christ. To those who make it such, I direct them to the Scripture (they can find it on their own) where the disciples came to Jesus concerned about some people who were going around preaching, teaching, and doing miracles, all in Jesus' Name, but these people were not in their inner circle. Jesus said, "Leave them be. If they're not against us, then they are for us." If I may put it in my words and hopefully not take liberty, these others had likely heard Jesus preach and teach, and were so moved by Him, they just had to act upon the inspiration. So, they were responding to God, whether it was within the structure the disciples were in, or not, God honored it and used those others.

So, here's my point about the controversial issue. Jesus told the disciples and all who read the Word thereafter and believe, that they and we would do greater works than He did. The greatest miracle of all is something that so many people don't even see as one- A CHANGED LIFE BY THE POWER OF GOD. That is the core of the Gospel. We can be changed, and when we are changed, we can then be used by God to fulfill His purpose. And if we are submitted to His purpose, we will do great miracles as the Lord empowers and enables us to do His work. His work will not fail, and He supplies WHATEVER we need in order to fulfill it.

So, if God the Holy Spirit decides that we need to speak in a foreign language that we never learned in order to fulfill that purpose that we are submitted to, then HE manifests it at the time of need, according to HIS wisdom. Or any other karismata, or whatever HE decides is necessary. Our job as believers is to first, be submitted wholly to God and His purpose. (By the way, His purpose has never changed, and does not change) And secondly, to be willing to be used by the Lord in whatever way HE wants to fulfill that purpose.

We need to lay aside our theologies, ideas, and many of our towers need to be torn down. Traditions may not apply, and can keep us from the things God wants for us to do. Again, I state that God's purpose does not change. However, if God wants to use a different method of achieving it, it would not be the first time in history, and is not inconsistent with Who He is.

But the Karismata ("gifts" of the Spirit) are not even a new method. They've been around for 2,000 years. They were a new method on the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.

In conclusion, I believe that God is God. If He wants someone to speak in tongues, (whether a prayer language, heavenly language as a sign to unbelievers, or an unlearned language to reach the lost, or any other various kinds of tongues), prophecy, words of knowledge, words of wisdom, interpretation of tongues, faith, healings, miracles, discernment of spirits, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors who are teachers, helps, administration, or any other way HE wants to manifest His presence and power in the life of a yielded believer in order to fulfill HIS purpose, who are we, the clay, to tell God, the potter, how to use us?

I hope you haven't been discouraged by some of our brethren who might have suggested that you're not a Christian because you believe that the manifestations of God are not for His church today. I want to suggest that they are zealous for you to experience a fulness of God that they know (that's not to say you don't know a fulness of God, but rather a different experience).

To my Pentecostal brethren, I want to caution you of something: Jesus said many would come to Him saying, "Lord, Lord, didn't we [then they list several things that we Pentecostals do] in Your Name?" [In other words, they were believers, and did these miracles in the Name of Jesus] and on that day, the Lord will say to these: "Depart from Me. I never knew you, you doers of lawlessness!" Now, there was nothing wrong with the miracles they had done, or how they were done in the Name of Jesus. The issue that caused the separation between them and the Lord was lack of relationship (He didn't know them). Jesus said several times that those who do the will of His Father are His. What's the will of His Father? To reach the lost unredeemed of the world and restore them to Him. What is the biblical reason for the baptism of the Holy Ghost (which Scripturally, results in the manifestations, or gifts)? To empower and enable believers to reach the lost unredeemed world and restore them to HIM. What's the purpose for the existence of the church of Jesus Christ (not a denomination) in this world? Guess what- same purpose. It has never ever changed. Now back to these poor believers... They thought that all these miracles and signs were evidence that God was in their midst and working through them. They focused on the miracles and signs and gifts, as is evidenced by that being the thing they say to the Lord. When the gifts become the focus, and the purpose for those gifts loses importance, maybe even gets laid by the wayside, then are we still doing the will of the Father, or are we putting on a show? This is a very serious concern that I have for my Pentecostal brethren. STOP FOCUSING ON THE GIFTS AND FOCUS ON SUBMITTING TO GOD'S PURPOSE. LET HIM DECIDE WHAT YOU NEED TO FULFILL IT. HE'LL GIVE WHATEVER IS NEEDED TO THE YIELDED VESSEL, THEN USE IT FOR THE PURPOSE IT WAS DESIGNED FOR. IF YOU DON'T DO THIS, YOU ARE IN DANGER OF BEING ONE OF THOSE MANY BELIEVERS WHO CALL JESUS LORD AND DO MIRACLES AND SIGNS IN HIS NAME, BUT DO NOT DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER, AND THEREFORE JESUS DOES NOT KNOW YOU!

I know this is a slow response to this post but I wanted to comment on it anyway.
Concerning God's main purpose, the scriptures are clear, it is to establish the preeminence of His Son, period. Look at what Paul says in Colossians 1:18-20.

18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

i din't understand spiritual gifts, thanks a lot.