Dear Pastor John,
Thank you for your answer to my question concerning the kingdom of God and OT saints.
To your final greeting “May God bless you and all the saints there with you!”, I am at this point have no believers that I come together with on a regular basis. I’m not attending any church and the brothers and sisters that I am in contact with do not agree with this decision of mine and that created some distance between them and me. I keep praying that the Lord would strengthen me and build me up in His truth and give me wisdom and guidance in how to share what I received from Him with those that I know. I live with my Mother, by the way, who has faith in Jesus but has not received the Spirit so far, and she always loves to listen when I share with her what the Lord has been speaking to me.
Recently I wrote an e-mail to many of my friends and acquaintances in which I explained that I believe the experience of baptism in the Holy Spirit is the new birth and that those who have not received this experience should seek it. I received some encouragements from some of my friends, but some of the leaders of my former church told me that what I’m saying is heresy. It’s a very interesting experience though that the Lord seems to give me an ability to discern the spirits that are working in those that respond. When someone sends me a word of encouragement I really feel that it is the Lord who speaks through them. But in some of the negative responses I sensed spirits of pride, anger and even religiousness. Actually in none of the negative responses did I sense that the Lord would lovingly try to correct me, even though I am opened to it. The strongest attacks of the enemy came through people who passionately told me that they are really concerned for me and that they will be praying for me.
The question that came up in me is concerning speaking in tongues in the assembly. When I watch the meetings in your house online I see that at times everyone is praying out loud and everyone is praying in tongues. It is always uplifting for me and I really feel the Spirit moving in those meetings, but I am always reminded of what Paul said about this to the Corinthians:
“If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?”
“How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.”
What do you think about the whole matter of speaking in tongues “in the church”?
Lastly, I would like to let you know that last night I was watching the February 11 meeting of yours online and I was really touched and my spirit was lifted up, and I needed it so much! It was so good to hear the testimonies of different people and feel that gentle, loving spirit that spoke through ALL of them, and how you guys were discussing the terrible spiritual condition of God’s people and just feel the compassion and the love in you guys. I prayed to the Lord while I was watching it: Lord, this is what I want in my life! That the love for the people of God would be so much greater than any fear (fear of rejection, fear of failure), that I would be absolutely free to love my brothers and sisters and speak the truth to them.
So, this is my prayer and I know the Lord is working in me, but I’m also aware that I need so much more of His love, His Spirit and His truth. Thank you for taking the time to read all this. Many blessings to you and all the saints there in Burlington!
Your brother,
Zoli
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Hi again, Zoli!
If you are open and honest about the light Jesus is giving you, then you will certainly suffer rejection (and even pity) from the very ones the truth is for: God’s children. It has always been that way; it is unavoidable once you hear and believe the truth. I marvel at it, every time Jesus shows someone the truth and that person loves it (which is not often). You are a rare person! As you no doubt are beginning to realize, the truth creates within us a deeper measure of love for God’s children, even though most of them do not understand this love, and many are suspicious of it. When Paul felt these things, he told some saints, “The more I love you, the less I be loved,” and asked, “Am I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” To be willing to suffer for the good of God’s people is part of the process of being crucified with Christ, but it is the small price we are asked to pay for the greater honor of having our eyes opened to the truth of the gospel of Christ.
Now, as for the issue about speaking in tongues “in the Assembly”, I believe that exhortation from Paul concerns speaking to the assembly and not simply speaking in tongues during a gathering of the saints. I don’t consider myself or the others here to be “speaking in the Assembly” just because we are speaking in tongues while we are praying or praising God together. In my view, we are doing as Paul said we should be allowed to do at the end of his instruction: “but if there be no interpreter, let him be silent in an assembly, but let him speak to himself and to God.” I jokingly tell people who complain about us speaking in tongues in the meeting not to interrupt us; we are only doing what Paul said to do; we are speaking to ourselves and God. Besides, sinners need to hear people speaking in tongues because it is God’s appointed sign of where to find eternal life (1Cor. 14:22).
Once, many years ago, a Baptist man told our Uncle Joe that we were out of order in our meetings if we spoke in tongues without an interpreter because Paul said not to speak in tongues without an interpreter, to which Uncle Joe replied, “Is that how you all do it in your services?” The man then angrily said, “Absolutely not!” His Baptist church did not believe in speaking in tongues at all, and yet he was instructing Uncle Joe in how his congregation ought to do it! I think it is important also to note that Paul himself does not say the saints are insane when they all are speaking in tongues; he says that unbelievers and those who are ignorant of the things of God might think so.
Many times, I have heard Christians criticize the saints in ancient Corinth because, they say, the Corinthians were out of order in the exercise of their gifts. Would to God that His people now had enough gifts of the Spirit to have some problems with them! From what I see, the body of Christ is suffering from a lack of spiritual gifts and power, not the misuse of them.
Pray for us and all the saints,
Pastor John