Spice up your communication with God

Enjoy a spirit-to-spirit conversation with the Creator of the Universe

A recent issue of Christianity Today carried an article about the rather controversial gift of speaking in tongues. The headline said 'Assemblies of God asks whether its distinctive teaching is being lost in outreach efforts’. An interesting article and one of the many discussions about this topic.
I like to keep things simple and searched for a biblical point of view based on 1 Corinthians 14. In the first verses of this chapter three things stand out in particular and I like to share them with you:

1. When we speak in tongues we speak to God!

Now, who wouldn’t want to enjoy spirit-to-spirit conversation with the Creator of the Universe? We would be out of our minds to deny the opportunity to be in close contact with God. Millions of seekers and doubters all over the world are desperately trying to be in contact with a God they’ve never seen by means of nature worship, sacrifices, meditation etc. while at the same time laughing and criticizing the very thing the Bible says will work!
2. When we speak in tongues we utter mysteries.

So cool! We utter mysteries that only God can translate into common sense. 1 Corinthians 4:1 states that we are servants of Christ entrusted with the secret things of God. Some translations say the secret truths or mysteries of God. Every time we open our mouth to utter mysteries we make use of the trust given to us. We are setting the secret things of God free, releasing mysteries into our atmosphere. Now you might wonder what good that will do to anyone. Nothing, if not translated. 1 Corinthians 14:13 therefore says, For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. God will give us the translation, whether in some kind of revelation, knowledge, prophecy or instruction.
3. When we speak in tongues we edify ourselves.

It is good to stay under the word, to join bible studies, to visit conferences and read books and in this way learn from others, but we also need to edify ourselves! It is no coincidence that Websters dictionary says that to edify is to build or construct, a dwelling, house or temple, to instruct or improve morally or spiritually. I feel free to say that if we do not work on improving our temple, it will decay and eventually crumble.

Speaking in strange tongues, whether uttering a known or unknown language, is a gift the Holy Spirit has for every believer. God desires not only to communicate on an intellectually and emotionally level with us, but also on a spiritual level because God is Spirit and He alone knows the importance of the decoding of the mysteries, which are needed to edify and instruct the believers! Let’s not be ignorant about the gifts or fall into temptation to debate the gifts.

Let us desire them eagerly!