It seems like everywhere I turn I am having people ask me about the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. It reminds me of the early 70's when the Charismatic movement swept across the nation and people everywhere were experiencing "glossolalia". That was the term the newspapers gave to speaking in tongues. It was written about in Times, Newsweek, and newspapers all across the nation. I was in high school at the time and had been raised in a Southern Baptist church. My mother had been going to a prayer group where the lady that led it had received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. It wasn't long before my mom did, then my dad. Speaking in tongues had been one of those things that only Pentecostals did and rated right up there with handling snakes. So my parents new-found gift was not well received in our Baptist church. We finally had to leave the Baptist church for a Full Gospell Church. It was very hard to do but necessary at the time. My parents became "God chasers" and we drove all over the south to hear good speakers. I was privaledged to sit under some of the patriots of the faith like: Katherine Kullman, Rex Humbard, Derek Prince, Bob Mumford, and many many others. I finally received the Holy Spirit's baptism and began speaking in tongues when I was in the 11th grade. I had been praying for it for over a year and thought it was only for the "super spiritual" of which I was certainly not. I finally realized it was for everyone, and given unconditionally to all who asked. So why do we want this gift? Jesus thought it was a must-have. He told his disciples to wait in the upper room and hide until the Holy Spirit came. They did and when they received it they had power to go out and witness to every Jew in town. Three thousand were won to the Lord in a day.
I was thinking today about the power of tongues and what it accomplishes and this thought came to me. God created the world by the power of his voice. It was not until he "spoke it" that it acctually happened. Creative life is in the power of the tongue. So since the Holy Spirit is the intercessor he needs a mouth to speak out his purposes. We cannot know the mind of the spirit.
Ro. 8: 26-27 says, "The Spirit helps our infirmities; for we do not know what we should pray for as we should; but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." So it is like the Holy Spirit is roaming the earth looking for a mouth he can create his purposes through. We have been given this incredible opportunity to be used by the Holy Spirit to intercede in his behalf and birth his plans. We may never know what great thing we have accomplished by praying in tongues, but one day we will. If you are seeking this gift, ask and you will receive.
"If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children;p how much more shall the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" Luke 11:11
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