THE GIFT OF SPEAKING IN TONGUE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY MARCH 19, 2023.

SUBJECT: THE GIFT OF SPEAKING IN TONGUE! 

Memory verse: "For he who speaks in tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries." (First Corinthians 14 vs 2.)

READ: First Corinthians 14 vs 2 - 5:

14:2: For he who speaks in an unknown tongue does not speak to men, but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.

14:3: But he who prophesies speaks edification, and exhortation, and comfort to men. 

14:4: He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but he who prophesies edifies the church.

14:5: I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that prophesied: for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.

INTIMATION:

Speaking in tongue is a special prayer language, and a legitimate gift of the Holy Spirit. It is a heavenly language unknown to anyone, and considered as languages of angels. The gift of speaking in tongues that continues throughout church history and is so widespread today is the Spirit-prompted ability to pray and praise God in a heavenly dialect, possibly even an angelic language that is not related to anything spoken on earth such as English or French or German or Latin. 

The Holy Spirit personally crafts or creates a special and unique language that enables a Christian to speak to God in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. This gift is not a human language that one might encounter in some foreign country, but a Spirit-empowered capacity to speak meaningful words that are only understood by our Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God can also provide the interpretation through the one speaking or through another believer. 

It is noteworthy that speaking in tongues is not a sign of spiritual superiority nor the invariable sign of Spirit-baptism or Spirit-filling. There are numerous instances in Acts of true conversion and Spirit-baptism where no tongues are mentioned. No one should put down those Christians who do not speak in tongues. The apostle Paul made several points about speaking in tongues: (1) It is a spiritual gift from God; (2) it is a desirable gift even though it isn’t a requirement of faith; (3) it is less important than prophecy and teaching. Speaking in tongues primarily benefits the speaker. 

The exercise of the gift demands some guidelines so that the purpose of the gift—to help the body of Christ—is not lost. Those who speak in tongues should follow the guidelines. Those who do not speak in tongues ought not seek the gift as a sign of salvation or for special closeness with God, for it is neither. It is a gift of God, given only to whomever God chooses. If a person has not experienced the gift of tongues, he or she ought not seek it but seek what gifts God has given.

The gift of speaking in tongues is of no value to the congregation as a whole, only to the person who speaks to God in the unknown language. But if the person also has the gift of interpretation, the tongue could be used in public worship if the one praying (or someone else with the gift of interpretation) would then interpret what has been said. This way the entire church or congregation would be edified by the gift. 

The apostle Paul says that the one who speaks in a tongue “speaks not to men but to God” (First Corinthians 14 vs 2). This means that tongues is a form of prayer: “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.” (First Corinthians 14 vs 14.) 

Tongues is also a form of praise: “What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.” (First Corinthians 14 vs 15.) 

It is also a way in which we give thanks to God: “Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the room of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.” (First Corinthians 14 vs 16 - 17.) 

Tongues is also a way in which we edify or strengthen ourselves: “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.” (First Corinthians 14 vs 4.) It is noteworthy that self-edification is a good thing, as we are commanded in Scripture to edify ourselves: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,” (Jude 20.) Self-edification is only bad if it is done as an end in itself. It is good to take whatever steps you can to edify yourself, to build up and strengthen your soul, so that you might be better able and equipped to build up others (see First Corinthians 12 vs 7). 

The self-oriented use of the gift of tongues by believers must be carefully practiced in order not to pursue self-development at the expense of broken, lost people. When we give too much attention to our own needs, ideas, and spiritual expression, we may push aside the Spirit’s true desire and abandon those who need encouragement. 

Spiritual gifts are beneficial only when they are properly used to help everyone in the church. We should not exercise them only to make ourselves feel good. No matter what gift(s) a person has, all spiritual gifts are distributed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit decides which gift each believer should have. We are responsible to use and sharpen our gifts, but we can take no credit for what God has freely given us.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for Your manifold spiritual gifts in the body of Christ. I crave for the gift of speaking in tongues that can enable me communicate with You directly; praying, praising, and giving You thanks, and edify myself; building myself up in the most holy faith, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

A Six-Point Summary of the Gospel

 

Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. (1 Peter 3:18)

Here’s a summary of the gospel to help you understand it and enjoy it and share it!

1) God created us for his glory.

“Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory” (Isaiah 43:6–7). God made all of us in his own image so that we would image forth, or reflect, his character and moral beauty.

2) Therefore every human should live for God’s glory.

“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). The way to live for the glory of God is to love him (Matthew 22:37), trust him (Romans 4:20), be thankful to him (Psalm 50:23), obey him (Matthew 5:16), and treasure him above all things (Philippians 3:8; Matthew 10:37). When we do these things we image forth God’s glory.

3) Nevertheless, we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “Although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him . . . and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images” (Romans 1:21–23). None of us has loved or trusted or thanked or obeyed or treasured God as we ought.

4) Therefore we all deserve eternal punishment.

“The wages of sin is (eternal) death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Those who did not obey the Lord Jesus “will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46).

5) Yet, in his great mercy, God sent his only Son Jesus Christ into the world to provide for sinners the way of eternal life.

“God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

6) Therefore eternal life is a free gift to all who will trust in Christ as Lord and Savior and supreme Treasure of their lives.

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).

Why We Must Hold Fast Our Hope

 

When God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. (Hebrews 6:17–18)

God is not inconsistent. He does not exert himself with promises, and oaths, and the blood of his Son, simply to anchor down one end of our security while leaving the other to dangle in the air.

The salvation Jesus obtained by his blood was everything it takes to save his people, not just part of it.

So, we are prone to ask, Why does the writer encourage us to hold fast to our hope (Hebrews 6:18)? If our holding fast was obtained and irrevocably secured by the blood of Jesus — which it was (that’s the difference between the new covenant and the old) — then why does God tell us to hold fast?

The answer is this:

What Christ bought for us when he died was not the freedom from having to hold fast, but the enabling power to hold fast.What he bought was not the nullification of our wills as though we didn’t have to hold fast, but the empowering of our wills so that we want to hold fast.What he bought was not the canceling of the commandment to hold fast, but the fulfillment of the commandment to hold fast.What he bought was not the end of exhortation, but the triumph of exhortation.

He died so that you would do exactly what Paul did in Philippians 3:12, “I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” It is not foolishness, it is the gospel, to tell a sinner to do what Christ alone can enable him to do; namely, hope in God.

So, I exhort you with all my heart: Reach out and take hold of that for which you have been taken hold of by Christ, and hold it fast with all your might — which he mightily works in you.

RETURN GOOD FOR EVIL! - PART 2

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY MARCH 18, 2023..

SUBJECT : RETURN GOOD FOR EVIL! - PART 2

Memory verse: "You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD." (Leviticus 19 vs 18.)

READ: Matthew 5 vs 38 - 44; First Peter 3 vs 10 - 12:

Matthew 5:38: "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

5:39: But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 

5:40: If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.

5:41: And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

5:42: Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

5:43: You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

5:44: But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

First Peter 3:10: For "He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.

3:11: Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

3:12: For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil."

INTIMATION:

One of the Pharisees, a lawyer, asked Jesus a question to test Him, saying, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him: ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” The Scripture in Matthew Jesus said, “This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22 vs 37 - 40.) 

If you love God, you would obey His word (John 14 vs 23). The Scripture says, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." (First John 4 vs 7 - 8.) 

When you do not love, you do not know God, you are clearly a child of the devil. All the devil does are evil; there is no good with him. But God is love, and He is associated with all that is good: "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." (Acts 10 vs 38.)

The Scripture recognizes the devil as the evil doer, and those who do evil as children of the devil; "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He is a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." (John 8 vs 44.)

As I said yesterday, It is often our desire to return evil for evil, tear people down verbally or get back at them, if we feel hurt. God encourages us to pay back wrongs by praying for the offenders, to seek peace and pursue it. If we love life and desire to see good days, we should eschew evil and do good. "For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil." 

In God's kingdom, revenge is an unacceptable behavior, and therefore, is ungodly. Rise above getting back at those who hurt you. Instead of reacting angrily to these people and speaking guile words, pray for them. When our speech is motivated by Satan, it is full of bitter envy, selfish ambition, earthly concerns and desires, unspiritual thoughts and ideas, confusion, and evil. But when our speech motivated by God and His wisdom, it is full of mercy, love for others, peace, consideration for others, submission, sincerity, impartiality, and righteousness.

Too often we see peace as merely the absence of conflict, and we think of peacemaking as a passive role. But an effective peacemaker actively pursues peace by building good relationships, knowing that peace is a by-product of commitment. The peacemaker anticipates problems and deals with them before they occur. When conflicts arise, they are brought into the open and dealt with before they grow to unmanageable level. Making peace is hard work—you have to search for it and work to maintain it—and it results in God's blessing.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with Your spirit of love, and help me to tame my tongue, that I may manifest the fruit of the Spirit at all times, in Jesus' Name I prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Prayer’s Exclamation Point

 

All the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Prayer is a response to promises, that is, to the assurances of God’s future grace.

Prayer is drawing on the account where God has deposited all his stores of future grace.

Prayer is not hoping in the dark that there might be a God of good intentions out there. Prayer banks on the promise of God, and goes to the bank every day and draws on stores of future grace needed for that day.

Don’t miss the connection between the two halves of this great verse. Notice the “that is why”: “All the promises of God are Yes in Christ. That is why (therefore) we pray Amen through him, to God’s glory.”

To make sure we see it, let’s turn the two halves around: When we pray, we say Amen to God through Christ, because God has said a decisive Amen to all his promises in Christ. Prayer is the confident plea for God to make good on his promises of future grace — for Christ’s sake. Prayer links our faith in future grace with the foundation of it all, Jesus Christ.

Which leads to the final point: “Amen” is a full and precious word in times of prayer. It doesn’t mean primarily, “Yes, I have now said this prayer.” It means primarily, “Yes, God has made all these promises.”

Amen means, “Yes, Lord, you can do it.” It means, “Yes, Lord, you are powerful. Yes, Lord, you are wise. Yes, Lord, you are merciful. Yes, Lord, all future grace comes from you and has been confirmed in Christ.”

“Amen” is an exclamation point of hope and warranted confidence after a prayer for help.

RETURN GOOD FOR EVIL! - PART 1

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY MARCH 17, 2023.

SUBJECT : RETURN GOOD FOR EVIL! - PART 1

Memory verse: "See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all." (First Thessalonians 5 vs 15.)

READ: Matthew 5 vs 38 - 44; First Peter 3 vs 8 - 9:

Matthew 5:38: "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

5:39: But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 

5:40: If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.

5:41: And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

5:42: Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

5:43: You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

5:44: But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

First Peter 3:8: Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;

3:9: not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

INTIMATION:

Evil is associated with the devil, and good is associated with God. "Devil" is a translation of the Greek word "Diabolos," that means; an accuser, a slanderer, a maligner. "Devil" is one of the names of Satan, the malignant enemy of God and man. He accuses man to God (Job 1 vs 6 - 11; 2 vs 1 - 5; Revelation 12 vs 9 - 10), and God to man (Genesis 3). He afflicts men with physical suffering (Acts 10 vs 38).

Satan, the devil, is himself sinful, and never practices righteousness, that is, never just or right. Anybody who does such things enumerated above is of the devil; "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning..." (First John 3 vs 8). Satan, the devil, instigated man to sin (Genesis 3), and tempts man to do evil, and encouraging him thereto by deception:

"In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others." (Ephesians 2 vs 2 - 3.) 

It is often fashionable, in this our fallen world, to tear people down verbally or get back at them, if we feel hurt. God encourages us to pay back wrongs by praying for the offenders. In God's kingdom, revenge is an unacceptable behavior, and therefore, is ungodly. Rise above getting back at those who hurt you. Instead of reacting angrily to these people, pray for them.

In our memory verse, the apostle Peter warns us against returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling (abusing, maligning, belittling, defaming, or deriding). But, on the contrary, we should bless our offenders, knowing that God called you to this, and in so doing, we inherit a blessing: "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." (Matthew 5 vs 44).) 

It is difficult or near impossible, in this fallen world to love your enemies, or bless those who curse you, or do good to those who hate you. When we are wronged or feel wronged, often our first reaction is to get even. Instead, Jesus said we should do good to those who wrong us! Our desire should not be to keep score but to love and forgive. However, this is not natural, but supernatural! 

If you love your enemies and treat them well, you will truly show that Jesus is Lord of your life, and this is only possible for those who give themselves fully to God, because only Him can deliver people from natural selfishness. Only Him gives us strength to love as He does. Instead of planning vengeance pray for those who hurt you. Our praying for our offenders rather than revenge helps us not to take laws into our hands and we then overcome evil with good.

Jesus, our Messiah, and 'role model,' prayed for His enemies, His accusers, His persecutors, who abused, maligned, belittled, defamed, and derided Him, even on the weight of excruciating pains as He hung of the cross; "....Father forgive them, for they know not what they do...." (Luke 23 vs 24.)

To be continued!

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to live justly and practice righteousness. Strengthen me to pay back evil with good, above all, to obey Your Great Commandment, "to love my neighbor as You loved me," in Jesus' Name I prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Jesus Will Finish the Mission

 

“This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)

I don’t know any more inspiring missionary promise than this word from Jesus.

Not: This gospel should be preached.
Not: This gospel might be preached.
But: This gospel will be preached.

This is not a great commission, nor a great commandment. It is a great certainty, a great confidence.

Who can dare talk like that? How does he know it will? How can he be sure the church will not fail in its missionary task?

Answer: The grace of missionary service is as irresistible as the grace of regeneration. Christ can promise universal proclamation because he is sovereign. He knows the future success of missions because he makes the future. All the nations will hear!

A “nation” is not a modern “country.” When the Old Testament spoke of nations, it referred to groups like Jebusites and Perizites and Hivites and Amorites and Moabites and Canaanites and Philistines. “Nations” are ethnic groups with their own peculiar language and culture. Psalm 117:1: “Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!” Nations are peoples — people groups, as we call them.

As the sovereign Son of God and Lord of the church, Jesus simply took up this divine purpose and stated as an absolute certainty, “This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations” (Matthew 24:14).

The cause of world missions is absolutely assured of success. It cannot fail. Is it not reasonable, then, that we pray with great faith, that we invest with great confidence, and that we go with a sense of sure triumph?