Tongues

[JoeHardy07]

I know this is something like a double post, but here goes.

After reading the Holy Ghost accounts in John 20, Acts 2, 8, 10, and 19, and reading what Jesus and Paul had to say about Holy Ghost, Tongues and Salvation. I've come to a conclusion.

The Holy Ghost via tongues is not personal salvation as I have been fed for so many years. The Holy Ghost via tongues LED to the salvation fo others. The whole point of the Holy Ghost is for believers to be empowered to serve Jesus by being about his Father's business. That means we are to be doing something. I find that many Apostolics have a greater desire to be "filled" over and over and over and over and over again with the Spirit. Few have taken that single infilling and used it as Christ intended. The whole walk ain't about us. It is about what we can do for Christ and how we can lift up the body. When you accept Christ and desire to serve him. You will need comfort and strength. Enter the Holy Spirit. IF you get the Holy Spirit and do nothing but bask in it, or what you think is it, you do nothing for the furtherance of Christ's Kingdom that God has promised him. As God sent Jesus, so Jesus has sent us. Not to tell others about Holy Ghost and tongues, but to introduce them to love and faith. Jesus wants us to serve him and be co-heirs with him. It's all about Jesus Christ.

Not one time was the Holy Ghost poured out on a believer in the Bible that led to personal salvation or personally spiritual gain. It is not there. All who were used of the Spirit to lead to salvation through Jesus, not the Holy Ghost experience. In Acts God used tongues (earthly languages) to reach the lost. His focus was not on saving those in the upper room. His focus was on reaching the lost so they could be saved. Using a bizarre experience like that would grab their attention and Peter (not dancing and shouting and thrashing about) stood and preached to them, yes, you guessed it, Jesus. Jesus is salvation.

Before Acts 2 we see the Holy Ghost was given to men in John 20:21-23. Tongues were not present, because there was no need for them. There was not thrashing about and emotional confusion. There was no sense in it. These apostles had a job to do. They couldn't waste time babbling and involve themselves in extreme worship. They had to preach Jesus.

In Acts Chapter 8, Philip did not come to the Samaritans preaching Holy Ghost and tongues as salvation. He came to them with the message that Jesus was salvation. Then, after salvation, Peter and John prayed that the Samaritans would recieve power to reach other nonbelievers. Here the Holy Ghost fell. It is not recorded that tongues were present, because tongues were not needed. The message had already been preached by Philip and had been accepted. There was no need for the use of miracles. Philip had already done the miracles. All that was left was power to preach Jesus, not Holy Ghost and Tongues. Not once is it recorded that Philip preached Holy Ghost and Tongues in Acts 8. I seems also that he did not even have the power to pray it down. His purpose was fulfilled. When Philip met the eunuch, he did not scream Holy Ghost and tongues experience. He told the eunuch about Jesus. The eunuch was baptised in Jesus name and saw Phillip no more. The eunuch experienced no tongues because they were not needed. Salvation is in Jesus, not tongues and emotional worship.

In Acts 10, Jesus was preached. Holy Ghost and tongues was not preached. The Holy Ghost fell and tongues were present, so the Jews would know that the Gentiles were also welcomed into Jesus service. When they believed in Jesus the Holy Ghost came down. Automatically. There was none of this seeking nonsense. It came when they accepted Jesus. Start preaching Jesus, and stop preaching tongues.

In Acts 19 Paul met some fellow dicisples. Key word here: disciples. These men were about John's work. How else would Paul have known that if they had not been spreading the word. I'll tell you one thing, it was not how they dressed and if they danced and shouted. Apostolics want to spread the word by how they look and by what laws they obey. Very few want to tell others about Jesus. Onward! These DISCIPLES were preaching old doctrine. Paul new that they needed the new doctrine and new strength. He spoke to them about Jesus name baptism and they were all filled with the Spirit and spake in tongues and prophesied. I cannot argue why tongues were present here. I can say that with the tongues came prophesy, and it was not unintelligible speech or extreme worship and confusion. Now these DISCIPLES were empowered and could spread the Gospel of Christ with strength and comfort. Jesus servants need this peace and comfort. Salvation is in Jesus, not tongues.

Paul clearly tell us how to act in church, regardless of how we act outside or how we feel we need to act. God is not the author of confusion. Paul spake in tonges more that them all, but that was in his own company. In church we come to be used of the Holy Ghost to strengthen each other, not ourselves. Extreme confused worship does nothing for the believers encouragement, nor do uninterpreted tongues do anything for the UN-believer. The Holy Ghost manefests itself when we have a desire to encourage each other or reach the lost. The typical Louisiana church has niether of those desires. We spend our whole lives trying to save ourselves through tongues and the Holy Ghost experience when Jesus has been our salvation all along. IF we are always fighting for our own selfish desires, we cannot possibly help others. By faith we are saved, not by tongues and extreme worship. Now, let's get out there and tell others about Jesus, and let Him do the work, not our emotions, no matter how sincere we may be. When the Holy Ghost wants to fall, just as it did in the Acts, it will fall. We do not have to bring it down with 30 minutes of extreme emotional abandon or thrash about for it and fake it. It will fall when it sees a need, be it salvation, deliverance, healing, etc. And by salvation I do not mean that the Holy Ghost with tongues is the salvation. It will lead to or follow salvation of others, just as it did in Acts. Jesus is Salvation.