Dear beloved:
When the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on the apostles in the second chapter of Acts, an amazing thing happened when the apostles received and began speaking in tongues. Those living in Jerusalem, devout men, from every nation under heaven (Acts 2:5) began to hear them. Acts2:6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because they were each one hearing them speak in their own language. v7 And they were amazed and marveled, saying, "Why, are not all those who are speaking Galileans?" v8 " And how is it that we each hear them in the language to which we were born?" v11...-we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God" .... So God not only gave the apostles the gift of tongues, but in addition to that, those in attendance heard them speaking in their own native languages.
Several years ago I encountered a similar situatio n while ministering to indigenous people in southern Costa Rica. God had showed me in a dream that I would receive an attack from the enemy and it would come from within my own camp of the mission team. On the day when I expected the attack, I fasted and prayed and just as expected, the attack came. The result of the attack was that my interpreter quit and I was forced to preach a message to the people without being able to speak their language. Most of the message I spoke to them was in the language of the Holy Spirit, plus a little Spanish. As I preached the message, which by the way was on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, I kept asking the Cabecar people if they understood, by saying " te comprende?" (they understand some Spanish), and they kept nodding yes. So I kept preaching in my Spirit language, and I am confident they received in Cabecar just as did the men from many nations in Acts 2. Isn't God good, He meets our ever y need!
In 1 Corinthians 14:21 Paul cites a scripture passage from Isaiah 28:10 Indeed, He will speak to this people through stammering lips and a foreign tongue. v12 He who said to them, "Here is rest, give rest to the weary," And, "Here is repose," but they would not listen. Paul goes on to say in 1 Cor.14:22 So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe (they who receive have already believed), but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers, but to those who believe. So God uses tongues not only to edify the individual believer in his prayer life (v4 One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself), but also as a sign to the unbeliever when ministering in a corporate setting. Another unique aspect of it is that tongues bring rest. Look again at the passage from Isaiah, v 12. "Here is rest, give rest to the weary," and, "Here is repose". As you speak in tongues you will fin d there is rest in speaking them. Where can you go for rest, where can you go for repose? What would be better than to have a conversation, a counseling session with the God of all creation; just go ahead and pour out your heart, your praise, your burdens, your intercessory requests to the One who can do something about it, and at the same time, enter His rest and get restored and built up in the process. Go ahead and ask God for it, James 1:6 But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. v7 For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord. .... So beloved, ask in faith and expect to receive what you ask for.
God bless you this day, in Christ,
Jim www.gathertheoutcasts.com
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