2 Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Yes I believe in speaking in tounges. I have done it, and I have the faith to know it is real.

John 14:16
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—

it never says it ends! if fact it says the contrary

I believe some speak in tongues but also think that the bible is very very clear that not everyone does. Like the bible says not everyone is an eye. Not everyone is an ear. not everyoone is a foot.

I think it is not something we should seek after. If is happens it happens. but we should seek after God not some gift.

Just my two cents.

I suppose I'll jump in on this. Many an evening while driving from Omaha to Wahoo after different meetings that I had attended, I would pray to the point of tears, to be given the gift of tounges! I would go to different gatherings and feel so alone because I didn't speak in tounges! One night I drove out in the country and parked on top of a hill and prayed. Along with praying for tounges, I also prayed that I would not be one of the people that the bible warns about being deceived! Remembering that "If it were possible, even the elect could be deceived"! Since that time (about 10 yrs. or so) I got into the Hebrew roots movement and Abba has shown me much! I believe in tounges, but it is being done; for the most part, out of line with God's Word. I know of several stories that would take too long for me to write now, but they prove tounges to be real! If you want to hear them, call me at (402) 443-4841 and I'll be more than happy to tell you the stories! As far as most of the tounges speaking going on in modern churches today, it's part of the "last days" deception. I no longer weep because I haven't received that gift, after all, it's the least of the gifts and Abba has given me a gift that means much more to me, and that's"Love"! Love is truth; amoung other things, and to attain it we have to crucify our own sacred cows! I no longer believe a lot of things that I was taught as fact as a Lutheran. Anything that I believe now, has to be proven to me by what is written in the Bible from a Hebrew perspective with The Torah as the foundation! I've found that to be a real good filter for me in my spiritual walk. If you study all the history on tounges, you'll discover that it's whole purpose is for the glory of YHVH in the teaching others that Messiah Yahshua has come as our Passover Lamb and His return! If the tounges crowd go beyond that, then they're dabbling with cultic practices. By the way, I have many friends that disagree with me, but we all love each other in spite of our difference of opinions! Some do agree! I've even had people come to me years after a disagreement and thank me for what ever I said and tell me that they now agree with what I said. I believe when that happens, it has nothing to do with me, but it's YHVH's spirit doing it! My mind gets changed often by the same process through other people at times! I have a personal experience that I witnessed that help me with this topic and I'd be happy to share that too, but you'ld have to call me! Blessings,    Les (efrayim)

@Lamb - I do think it is a gift to desire, I think though our desires need to be kept in check.

I find it particularly helpful when I don't know what to pray, but I know I should pray- I kinda like this because it saves me from asking God all things I think he should do and accept his help/input however it comes.  Or when I am frightened and need a lot of help.

Prophecy is one I am trying to swing back from a pendulum swing- I don't see that the gifts are not for today, but I also think a lot of what goes on in the Body is left of center as well.

x

@wherever_we_go@xanga - I agree (with things needing to be balanced and kept in line with God's word), it's things that haven't lined up with God's word that have kept me so turned off for so long.  

I hope your cry was a peaceful one! Sometimes that will bring you closer to Abba! If my comment troubled you, I'm very sorry as that was not my intent! I would love to talk to you and your husband sometime. I know I spoke with him once, in fact that's when my daughter called me on my other phone while I was speaking with him and told me about her brain cyst. Nothing has happened yet, but her doctors will make a decision by Feb. on when the operation will take place. I guess part of the problem is because she has diabetes and that's why nothing has happened yet! Blessings!   Les

Hey FBP... oops.. sorry a slip. LOL
I did a scripture study on it.  I know people have many different "experiences", and I can't say anything to that one way or the other... but I can look at it in scripture and let His Word be the lamp unto my feet... Here goes, it is long... I apologize ahead of time!

I will try to "net" what I know about the subject of "tongues" in
scripture. It is hard to be brief on such a controversial topic but I
will try.

First of all for the most part I think there are two ways that people
view the term "tongues" either as another bonafide language, or as a
completely unknown by mankind "spiritual language", some would refer to
this second type as "ecstatic utterances."

Let's look at the "bonafide languages" first...

In the O.T.  the first instance of different languages of course
occurred at Babel, (Gen 11) and this was a "judgment" against the
people. But notice that God in His mercy made different languages to
follow the family lines, (so interestingly enough these "linages" were
made even more distinct by this act of God.   See Gen 10:31!   He also
scattered them across the earth. (Forced them to do what His original
intent was in the first place. see Gen 1;28) Also, it is interesting to
notice that immediately after the account of Babel there is a
genealogy, (again speaks of linage) that begins with "Shem, (whose name
means literally "the name"... Think "original intent" here... God was
carving out a people for His Name Sake!

Follow me on this... I am building a context and a foundation.

 In OT tongues is spoken of as a "judgment" as in Is. 28:11-12 "For
with stammering lips and another tongue will he 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. "

Perhaps this is why the tongues appeared as cloven tongues of "fire"? 
(Usually fire represents some type of judgment.)  Israel had rejected
Messiah and now the message was about to be opened to "whosoever will"
as we will see later in Acts.

But what was judgment for one was opportunity for another and the
"lineage of the faithful" was becoming more defined... this linage will
not only involve those who are of the bloodline of Shem son of Noah,
but it will now include others. The definition of  the "Children of
HaShem" is changing! God is building for himself a nation for His
"namesake", His "inheritance", in an unexpected way.

There is also another interesting OT passage in Zeph 3:9 “For then I
will restore to the peoples a pure language, That they all may call on
the name of the LORD, To serve Him with one accord."  I am not positive
if this is speaking exclusively of the Pentecost event or if this is
future, (or perhaps both) but it does seem to be a reference back to
Babel. God is essentially saying He is going to "undo" that judgement of
Babel, but it will be so that people can call upon the name of the
Lord.  To me this sounds very much like what happened at Pentecost in
Acts 2. (BTW, there are several "judgements" that the Lord is going to
"reverse" in the end so the end will look rather like the beginning...
Try comparing Genesis chapters 1-3 and Revelation the last three
chapters only going from back to front... in other words comparing Rev.
22 with Gen 1, and Rev 21 with Gen 2 etc... incredible study!! But I
digress. )

So let's go straight to Acts 2... it says they were in one place and of
one accord... (interesting that it says concerning Babel the people
were "one" also. Gen 11:6)... then of course we know the story
sequence.  The disciples spoke the gospel with other "tongues" and
people were amazed that they all heard it in their own language, and
many were added to the church.  In this instance tongues is obviously a
"language" and not just ecstatic utterances, but what is interesting is
what happens to this gift of tongues in the book of Acts as time goes
on.  In Acts chapter 10 a gentile centurion named Cornelius received a
vision to send for a man named Peter.  About the same time Peter has
this dream of being commanded to eat unclean animals.  He wanted to
tell the Lord no, but God told him "what I have cleansed you do not
call unclean."  Then as the story unfolds Peter goes to Cornelius and
shares the Gospel with him, (vs 37-40).. and now here is the kicker....
vs 44-47

"44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell
upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who
believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift
of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For
they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not
be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”

You see the tongues were a "signal" or sign of confirmation that indeed
the Gentiles were to be included in the plan of salvation.  Later on as
Peter is explaining what all went on before the "circumcision" in
Jerusalem he says  in Acts 11: 15-18

"15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us
at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He
said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with
the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He
gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I
could withstand God?”

18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified
God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to
life.”

The tongues were a much needed sign to the early church that God had
indeed granted repentance to the Gentiles.  Without this obvious sign
from God the "circumcision" would never have stood for Gentiles being
"included with the beloved" as Paul later talks about in Ephesians.  It
is interesting to note... If Peter had remembered it and if indeed he
had heard Christ say it like Mark did in his Gospel Chpt. 16:17 "And
these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast
out demons; they will speak with new tongues;" He could have used this
in defense of his ministry to Cornelius also. This was directly
prophesying of what was to happen in Acts.

So now let's fast forward a few years to the fledging church in
Corinth.  Paul the apostle to the Gentiles is trying to set some things
straight in that particular congregation.  There were divisions and
conflicts, they were following different leaders and acting all high
minded even though they were very immature.  There was blatant
immorality among them, but they were proud of the fact they were so
"open minded" about it all.  They were also suing one another... they
were a mess.  As a church they were essentially straining at the gnats
of obedience but swallowing whole camels of immorality!  Well, so you
can imagine what their church service was like.... hmmm... I bet it was
pretty "interesting", especially considering the fact that not that
long ago they were worshiping idols as total pagans!

Well, Paul starts to unravel all of the dysfunction and in Chapter 12
begins to talk about "spiritual gifts" and how they are to be used in
the church. He introduces them to the truths that they are to be "one"
in the Spirit, but having different gifts. In the example of those
gifts he lists "tongues and their interpretation".  There is no reason
here to believe that Paul is not talking about the tongues that were
actual languages used to share the Gospel with those of another land.
Then in Chapter 13 Paul gets into the details of "how" these different
gifts should be exercised... essentially "with love".   He opens the
famous chapter with this statement.. "though I speak with the tongues
of men and angels but have not love I have become sounding brass or a
clanging cymbal."  This is obviously only a figure of speech because he
continues the flow with "And though I have the gift of prophecy and
understand all mysteries and all knowledge..."  No one is going to
understand ALL the mysteries and ALL knowledge.  Paul is just
exaggerating here to make a point.  So for those who claim this says
that tongues is "angel language" I would beg to differ with them.

Now in 1Cor chapter 14 Paul really digs into the nitty gritty
especially concerning Tongues, there must have been a lot of confusion
over the issue for him to take a whole chapter on it.   To quickly
bottom line it... my take on this chapter is that since they seemed to
be a "self-important" bunch, several were trying to duplicate what the
apostles did at Pentecost.  Now, granted since Pentecost had not been
that long ago, there may have still been the manifestations of the sign
gift of tongues being displayed at conversions, I do not want to
discount that at all.  Also, since the "Wycliff Bible Translators" had
not come on the scene yet there may have been many times when there was
a need for the gift of tongues to continue to spread the Gospel. The
definition of tongues here being the miraculous speaking of a different
language that you had never learned and indeed do not even know. This
is obvious from vs 10 "There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages
in the world, and none of them is without significance."  I also
imagine the exercise of tongues was a rather "showy" gift, and of
course it was one that the "big" guys.. (the apostles) originally did,
so I can understand why they were thinking that tongues was the
"special" gift to have.  Paul sets them straight  however and
essentially says the most important thing is to "prophesy" or declare
the Word of God so that everyone understands.  He said he would rather
speak five words that could be understood than ten thousand in a tongue.

This is the last that we see of the "gift of tongues" in scripture. 
Obviously one can not argue with another person over their
"experiences", but we can look at scripture and try to come to an
understanding of correct doctrine concerning church matters and
especially spiritual gifts.  I hope maybe I have shed a little light on
this gift of tongues.  Please feel free to dig around for yourself and
let me know if you come up with something interesting that I have
missed... I do enjoy a good study!!

Love, Bee

I love Neil's book bondage breaker. Probably one of the best extra-biblical sources on spiritual warfare I've read.

@BeeyondSight@xanga - The thing that always stuck with me about that particular gift was it needed a translator and several people who "practice" tongues today say it's a form of worship, but there is no translator.