A SPEAKING IN TONGUES BIBLE STUDY

"All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." -- Acts 2:4

You need to watch this youtube video first, and then do this Bible Study if you'd like to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and do not yet have a prayer language from the Spirit. Make sure you read every verse of Scripture, do not overlook any of them, you must part from old beliefs and be willing to let God speak to your heart through His Word. In 2008 I believe the University of Philadelphia examines people who speak in tongues with a MRI and proved the speech center is not working when you do it. After many years of comments answering these questions in emails, I felt it was time to add this article to Mayim Hayim Ministry web site, we hope it will be of help to you.

After you watch, come back and do the bible study. Then pray the prayer below and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Click the link now and watch this, then return to do the bible study.:

Speaking in Tongues Medical Study at Univ. of Phil. Proves Holy Spirit Praying

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SPEAKING IN TONGUES

Speaking in tongues, or glossalalia (from the Greek glôssais lalô), was considered by New Testament Christians as a God-given SIGN accompanying the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4; 10:45-47; 19:6]. This Biblical pattern for the Spirit-filled life is still valid for us TODAY. [Remember God is the same today as He was the day of Pentecost.]

TRUE SPEAKING IN TONGUES

(1) Tongues as a manifestation of the Spirit. Speaking in tongues is a supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit, i.e., a Spirit-inspired utterance whereby Believers (Christians) speak in a language (Greek - glossa) they have never learned (Acts 2:4; 1Cor 14:14-15). It may be in existing spoken human languages (Acts 2:6) or in languages unknown on earth (cf. 1Cor 13:1). It is not "ecstatic speech," as rendered in some translations, for the Bible never uses the term "ecstatic utterance" to refer to "speaking in tongues." [Have have use the term "ecstatic utterance" in the pass, but refrain from doing that now because it is not in the Word of God.]

(2) Tongues as a SIGN gift. Speaking in tongues is an "inspired utterance" whereby the Believer's spirit and the Holy Spirit join in verbal praise and for prophecy. God linked speaking in tongues with the baptism in the Holy Spirit from the very beginning (Acts 2:4), so that the 120 Believers on the day of Pentecost, and Believers thereafter, would have an "experiential confirmation" that they have indeed received the baptism in the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 10:45-46). Thus this experience could be objectively validated as to place and time of reception. Throughout the history of the Church, whenever tongues as a confirming sign has been denied or lost from view, the truth and experience of day of Pentecost has been "distorted or ignored entirely." [Many churchs tell people to leave if you have this gift of the Holy Spirit and use it in "there church building." I know that is for a fact, it has happened to someone very close to me. This is never a good thing when it happens.]

(3) Tongues as a gift. Speaking in tongues is also described as a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Believer (1Cor 12:4-10).

This gift has two main purposes:

(a) Speaking in tongues accompanied by interpretation is used in public worship to communicate the content of the utterance to the Congregation of God, so that aid may enter into Spirit-directed worship, praise or prophecy (1Cor 14:5-6,13-17).
(b) Speaking in tongues is used by the Believer to speak to God in his or her personal devotions, and thus to build-up one's spiritual life by doing it (1Cor 14:4). It means speaking at the level of the spirit (14:2,14) for the purpose of praying (14:2,14-15,28), giving thanks (14:16-17) or singing (14:15). [All of which I have done now since August 10th, 1986 when I in a Sunday night service got filled with the Holy Spirit as I was singing out to my Lord. And from that night I can tell you I have never been the same. For me the Holy Spirit of God is my staying power.]

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FALSE SPEAKING IN TONGUES

The mere occurrence of speaking in "other tongues," or any other supernatural manifestation, is NOT uncontestable evidence of the work and presence of the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues can be counterfeited by human initiative or demonic activity. The Bible therefore cautions us NOT to "believe every spirit," but to examine whether our spiritual experiences really do come from God (1John 4:1).

[I have seen people speaking in false tongues with my own eyes. Devil worshipers do it all the time. But if you ask the Lord God to give you this GIFT of the Holy Spirit, He will ONLY give you a "Good Gift." So never fear getting something that is not of God if you are a true worshiper of the Living God, the King of Israel.]

Here are three things to take note of:

(1) In order to be valid, speaking in tongues must be "as the Holy Spirit enabled" (Acts 2:4). To follow the norm in the book of Acts, speaking in tongues must be the spontaneous result of the initial filling of the Holy Spirit. It is not a learned phenomenon, nor can it be taught by instructing Believers to speak incoherent syllables.

[Nonetheless, if you pray, ask the Lord God for this gift, and then like a baby full of faith yield your tongue to God, and He will surely fill your mouth with His goodness. Then the river in your inmost being will start to flow out of you... I have instructed many people in gaining this gift from God by simply yielding their "unruliest member of their body, which is their tongue" to the Holy Spirit's will (James 3:5).]

(2) The Holy Spirit explicitly warns that in the "Last Days" there will be within the Church hypocrisy (1Tim 4:1-2), signs and wonders from satanic powers (Matt 7:22-23; cf. 2Thess 2:9), and deceitful workers disguising themselves as God's servants (2Cor 11:13-15). We must heed these warnings about counterfeit spiritual manifestations and signs today abound (Matt 7:22-23; 2Thess 2:8-10].

[We are never to look for a sign; we are to have "trusting faith" in God's Holy Word. Yes, we are to look at every jot and every title in His Word, just as Yeshua taught us to do and did Himself (Matt 5:18).]

(3) In order to discern whether our speaking in tongues is genuine, i.e., truly from the Holy Spirit, we must look for the Biblically defined results of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. If someone claiming to speak in tongues and is not committed to Yeshua Messiah (Jesus Christ) as God and the Authority of Scripture, and is NOT attempting to OBEY the WORD of GOD, then whatever manifestations he or she may have, are not really from the Holy Spirit (1John 3:6-10; 4:1-3; cf. Matt 24:11,24; John 8:31; Gal 1:9).

[Here we have a plumb-line we must hold fast too. Yes, you can be filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, and still disobey the Lord, but not for long. If you grieve the Holy Spirit, He will withdraw from you for a season until you repent, and get right with God again. This has happen to me in the passed, He got very quite in my life, and it may me very sad. However, once I repented of my willful sin, His flow opened up for me again.]

If you are ready and you have confessed your sins to God, then pray this Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I am a Believer. I am Your child and You are my Father and Yeshua (Jesus) is my Lord. I believe with all my heart that Your Word is true. Your Word says, that if I will ask I will receive the Holy Spirit from You. In the name of Yeshua the Messiah, my Lord, I am asking You to fill me to overflowing with Your Precious Holy Spirit. Yeshua, please baptize me in the Holy Spirit for Your glory and fill me with Your power from on high.

Because of Your Word Lord, I believe that I now receive from You and I will obey You by opening my mouth so that You may fill it for me. I thank You for it now Lord. I believe the Holy Spirit is lives within me, and by Faith I accept Him and speak. I pray Holy Spirit, rise up within me as I praise my God. I fully expect to speak with other tongues as You give me the utterance.

In Yeshua's Holy Name I pray. Amen

[He will surely fill your mouth with His goodness, and the river in your inmost being will start to flow out of you... Simply yielding that unruliest member of their body to Him, your tongue now, and speak by faith whatever comes out. It may be fast or it amy be slow. It may be one word over and over again, or it may be many words you never heard before. Just get it going and you'll see the flow is come-up out of your belly, out of your gut. You are in control of the flow. You stop and you can start becaise it is you yeilding your voice and spirit over to God's.]

Your comments both pro and con are always welcomed. Just no hate email, those will never be answered: barbara@mayimhayim.org

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