THE GIFT OF SPEAKING IN TONGUES IS FOR EVERY BELIEVER
(i) Speaking in Tongues is the initial sign of the Holy Spirit baptism.
Acts 2:4 – When the power of the Holy Spirit came upon the early church, the first sign was the gift of speaking in Tongues.
Acts 10:44-46 – In Cornelius’ house, as Apostle Peter preached, the Holy Spirit’s power fell on them, and the first indication was the gift of speaking Tongues.
Acts 19:6 – When Paul laid his hands on a group of believers in the city of Ephesus, the first confirmation was the gift of speaking in Tongues.
(ii) Speaking in Tongues is given for every believer
Mk 16:17 – These signs shall follow all those who believe; they shall speak with new tongues.
Notice that it is for all those who believe.
Acts 2:3-4 – On the day of Pentecost, the flame of fire sat upon each of them, and the scripture says they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in Tongues.
1 Cor 14:5 – “I wish you all spoke in Tongues” – Paul pens these words as he wrote to the Corinthian Church. But interestingly, this was a church full of errors and moral compromises. They had fights and hatred among them, some of their members were committing sexual adultery with prostitutes, and a few were getting drunk during the Holy Communion. Yet Paul does not disqualify them or forbid them from speaking in Tongues. On the contrary, he encourages them to do so all the more, but in an orderly manner.
(iii) The Ministry-Tongues is not for everyone
When you talk about how the gift of Tongues is for every believer, this one passage among a few can steal your confidence: 1 Cor 12:28-30 – In this passage, Paul, as he describes a few ministry callings that God grants to operate in the church, asks this question – Do all speak in Tongues? The obvious answer is NO! But before you jump to any conclusion that might suggest that not every believer can speak in Tongues, check the context. As skillful Bible students, we ought to interpret every passage in its context. So, clearly, this “Tongues” is different from the believer’s gift of Tongues – this passage is talking about a specific gift of tongues that operates only in certain situations for certain people in ministry. This is what we will all “Ministry-Tongues,” and this is not for every believer.
->Here’s a true story: A group of missionaries went to China for ministry. They didn’t know the language or how to reach the people of the nation. One night, they all gathered and were praying, and at that time, a certain group of the locals entered their room to disrupt their work and to cause harm, but they were stunned as they listened: the prayer of the Missionaries in Tongues because God caused the locals to hear in their own language the message of the gospel. This is an example of the Ministry-Tongues in action.
->Another time, there was a man of God who preached on secular Television. One time, as he prayed, he ventured to pray in the Spirit in Tongues which is rather unconventional when on secular TV. After the program was over, a woman contacted the minister to say, “I wanted your prayer program on TV, but all of a sudden, during your prayer, you spoke to me in German, calling out my condition and my healing.” She testified that she was healed supernaturally. This is another example of the Ministry- Tongues in action.
- TONGUES – THE KEY TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT
It is blatantly clear that we need the power of the Holy Spirit to live a victorious Christian life and to be effective witnesses of the gospel. And a sure way to be filled with the Holy Spirit in the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:18-19 is this: And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (NKJV).
“Spiritual Songs” here refer to songs of the Spirit: to pray and sing in the prayer language of Tongues. The essential truth is that when we give ourselves to praying in Tongues we shall be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit as a result.
You see, the statement “Be filled with the spirit” is in the Present Passive Imperative – in other words, though it is a command, it is something that you don’t make happen. And the following phrase “Speak to another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” is in the Present Active Participle, which goes to show that when you actively praise and worship and pray in the gift of Tongues you are filled with the Spirit.
- WINE VS. SPIRIT – COMPARISON
Now we cannot but wonder why Paul would use being drunk with wine as an allusion to expound on being filled with the Spirit. When you think about it, there are indeed similarities that can be drawn between the two for the sake of teaching. Here are a few fascinating comparisons:
-> Getting drunk with wine does not happen automatically. One needs to first open their mouth and gulp it down. In the same way, you have to open your mouth and speak in Tongues to be filled with the Holy Spirit. You cannot keep your mouth shut and expect the Holy Spirit to fill you.
->Those who get drunk with wine become bold and loud. In the same way, those who are filled with the Holy Spirit become bold and loud for Jesus.
->Whoever is filled with wine happens to be led under its influence. In the same way, those who are full of the Holy Spirit will be led by the same.
Point to Remember: What you are filled with is what you are led by.
->All those who drink wine want more! In the same way, those who partake of the spirit’s infilling, his manifest presence and power want more!
- FEW RESULTS OF BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT
Here are a few things that happen when you are filled with the Spirit of God.
You will be filled with –
- Acts 4:31 – boldness
- Acts 4:33 – great power
- Acts 13:9 – authority
- Acts 13:52 – joy
- Acts 6:3 – wisdom
- Acts 6:5 – faith
- THE GREATEST OF ALL BENEFITS IS “LIFE”
In John 7:37-38, we read about Jesus’ grand invitation to receive the Holy Spirit – He says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of the belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Notice that living waters flow out of the belly: The belly is the region that primarily gets affected by stress – Speaking in Tongues counterattacks stress, anxiety, and depression of all kinds. This is why Isaiah writes that speaking in Tongues is the rest and the refreshing (Isa 28:11-12). “Out of the belly” also indicates that, as you speak in Tongues you can believe God for the healing of the womb and of any abnormalities in it.
Above all, did you notice that the Holy Spirit is called “Living Waters”? This is amazing. This goes to prove the all-important truth about Tongues –
Point to Remember: Speaking in Tongues releases the river of life in you. This life in turn leads you to health, prosperity, and victory.
6.THE POWERFUL STORY OF DR. JOHN G LAKE
Dr.John G. Lake said, “Speaking in Tongues is the making of my ministry”.
As a powerful missionary of God’s healing to the world, Dr. Lake practiced a life of the Spirit, carrying the power of God everywhere he went. His Healing Rooms in the city of Spokane led to the healing of hundreds of thousands of people, and it caught the attention of the nation during his time. Officials who made a visit to check on the news admitted “not half reported”. In the city of Spokane, one of the two hospitals closed because of the lack of sick people in town. Because of the healing ministry of Dr. Lake, Spokane was declared the healthiest city in America.
One time, there was a medical convention that presented 5 people with so-called “incurable” sickness. Dr. Lake, who was present in the audience, spoke out and said that if allowed, he can pray for them and he will demonstrate that these were indeed not incurable. He came onto the stage and prayed for each of the sick persons, and 4 among them were instantly healed, and one got healed after a few hours. Such was his faith in the ability of God and the power that manifested through his life.
During his time, a highly infectious epidemic called the Bubonic Plague spread and killed thousands of people. It was highly infectious, and even the medical professionals were hesitant to bury the dead. It was so until Dr. Lake arrived on the scene to volunteer with this team of faith ministers to do what they wouldn’t. It seemed that the plague wouldn’t work on him or his team, and rightly so, the medical world was puzzled. They were in awe, and they asked him how come none of his team was affected by the disease. He asked them to take a little froth from one of the corpse’s mouths and to check it in the microscope – it showed the presence of many microbes, and he then did something shocking. He asked them to put the froth on his hand under the microscope – when they did that, to their shock and amazement, all the microbes, the moment they touched his hand, they shriveled up and died! They asked in amazement as to what this power was. He answered, saying, “This is the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus!” He was quoting Rom 8:2 “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.”
Beloved child of God, the Bible says that the power of life is in the Tongue (Pro 18:21). Why don’t you surrender your tongue to the Holy Spirit and let him touch you with his fire and fill you with the gift of Tongues? When you do that, I believe and declare that just as the Word promises in Isa 32:15, When God pours living waters from heaven, you will be filled with the desert will become a fruitful field because of the living waters in your life, in Jesus’ Name!