The Rest and the Refreshing

Acts 2:4, 11

Many things have been said against the biblical practice of speaking in tongues. It is often chided as having passed with the apostles, linked with cultic activities or even as being from the devil himself. Religion often links things that it does not want or understand, as being from the devil. John the Baptist was said to have a devil in him (Matthew 11:18), and Jesus’ miracles were attributed, by the church of that day, as being from the devil as well (Matthew 12:24).

Isaiah first prophesied that God would use tongues as a means of speaking to His people (Isaiah 28:11), and that they would deem speaking with other tongues as a “rest” and a “refreshing” (Isaiah 28:12). On the Day of Pentecost, when the church was empowered by the Holy Spirit, all 120 that were present, “began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). This is not to insinuate that one must speak in tongues to call themselves a Christian, but it does show us that this wonderful gift is available to believers because of the arrival of the Holy Spirit.

A frequently used criticism of speaking in tongues is the argument that tongues were only necessary to minister the gospel to the many people who spoke various languages. I have even heard it argued that tongues should only be used when the Holy Spirit overtakes the tongue of a missionary in a foreign land, who has no interpreter, so that he can preach the gospel in the native tongue of the land. This attack against the biblical gift of tongues is from no other source but Satan! He does not want God’s people experiencing the rest and the refreshing.

In Acts 2:11, the Bible records that all of the nationalities represented on the Day of Pentecost could hear their own tongue being spoken by the 120. They do not say that they hear the gospel, only the “wonderful works of God”. It is not until verse 14 that Peter stands up and preaches to them of Jesus Christ and His finished work, and there is no indication that he preaches this message in tongues. To argue that tongues are for the presentation of the gospel in any form is outside of the Word of God. This gift is not for gospel preaching, but for saint edification!

Paul wrote that when you speak in tongues you are not speaking to men, but to God (1 Corinthians 14:2). He further wrote that when you speak in tongues you edify, or build up, or repair yourself (14:4). He said that it is your choice, as a Spirit-filled believer, to pray in tongues or not. It is also your choice to sing in tongues, or not (14:15). He told young Timothy to stir up the gift that was in him (1 Timothy 1:6), and Jude told the church to build themselves up on their most holy faith. How? By, “praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 20).

Ask God today for a fresh revelation of this truth. He will freely give His children all things (Romans 8:32), and, as a good Father, He wishes to give you liberally of His Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). A beautiful part of God’s abundant grace is how the Holy Spirit ministers in you and through you, helping your sicknesses of body and soul, and interceding for you in areas that you have no direction (Romans 8:26).

Live free in His love today!

The Rest and the Refreshing

Isaiah 28:11, 12

This marks the first prophecy in the Bible regarding speaking with other tongues. We know that the “stammering lips and another tongue” refer to this beautiful gift because Paul quotes this passage in 1 Corinthians 14:21, “In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord”. The translators added the words “men of”, taking the original meaning away from the text, but Paul is referring to men speaking with unknown tongues (1 Corinthians 14:1-22).

When a believer speaks with other tongues, they are not speaking to someone else, for no one else would understand what they are saying. They are speaking things that are mysteries to themselves, but they are being directed at God (1 Corinthians 14:2). This speaking can be done as prayer or even as a song (14:14, 15), and it is always done to edify the speaker (14:4). To edify means “to build or repair or to grow in wisdom”, so by speaking with other tongues, the believer is building up themselves.

The Apostle Jude instructed us to do as much, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 1:20). How do we “build up” or “edify” ourselves? We do this by praying in the Holy Ghost which is praying in tongues. Paul told young Timothy to “stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6). The gift that is inside of us that we can stir up at will is the unknown tongue. It is ours, so let’s use it!

Isaiah tells us that speaking with other tongues will be both a rest and a refreshing, but that many people “would not hear” (Isaiah 28:12). Paul envisioned as much when he said, regarding spiritual gifts, “But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant” (1 Corinthians 14:38). Let us that have ears to hear pay close attention to what the Spirit is saying to us as He gives us instructions for our rest.

Each believer can walk in and function in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. You received the Comforter when you invited Jesus into your heart, but there is always more fullness to be had. Paul told the church at Ephesus to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), denoting that there is more filling to be done, even after we are saved. Even the disciples and apostles, who had been present out the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, needed a re-filling of the Spirit from time-to-time, as Acts 4:31 bears out.

Don’t let detractors discourage you from using your prayer language. If you wish to use tongues as edification and you are not sure about it, ask the Father and He will freely give the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13), but don’t shy away because you think that it is not for you or even that it is off-limits for the church in general. Some site Acts 2 as evidence that tongues is only to be used to preach to people of other languages, but a close examination of that chapter will show that when the strangers in Jerusalem heard tongues they heard of “the wonderful works of God” (Acts 2:11). When it came time to hear the gospel message, which led 3000 to salvation, they heard Peter preach a message to them; with no indication that he preached in tongues (Acts 2:14).

You have instant rest and constant refreshing at your disposal; believe it or not.

The Rest and the Refreshing

Acts 2:4, 11

Many things have been said against the biblical practice of speaking in tongues. It is often chided as having passed with the apostles, linked with cultic activities or even as being from the devil himself. Religion often links things that it does not want or understand, as being from the devil. John the Baptist was said to have a devil in him (Matthew 11:18), and Jesus’ miracles were attributed, by the church of that day, as being from the devil as well (Matthew 12:24).

Isaiah first prophesied that God would use tongues as a means of speaking to His people (Isaiah 28:11), and that they would deem speaking with other tongues as a “rest” and a “refreshing” (Isaiah 28:12). On the Day of Pentecost, when the church was empowered by the Holy Spirit, all 120 that were present, “began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). This is not to insinuate that one must speak in tongues to call themselves a Christian, but it does show us that this wonderful gift is available to believers because of the arrival of the Holy Spirit.

A frequently used criticism of speaking in tongues is the argument that tongues were only necessary to minister the gospel to the many people who spoke various languages. I have even heard it argued that tongues should only be used when the Holy Spirit overtakes the tongue of a missionary in a foreign land, who has no interpreter, so that he can preach the gospel in the native tongue of the land. This attack against the biblical gift of tongues is from no other source but Satan! He does not want God’s people experiencing the rest and the refreshing.

In Acts 2:11, the Bible records that all of the nationalities represented on the Day of Pentecost could hear their own tongue being spoken by the 120. They do not say that they hear the gospel, only the “wonderful works of God”. It is not until verse 14 that Peter stands up and preaches to them of Jesus Christ and His finished work, and there is no indication that he preaches this message in tongues. To argue that tongues are for the presentation of the gospel in any form is outside of the Word of God. This gift is not for gospel preaching, but for saint edification!

Paul wrote that when you speak in tongues you are not speaking to men, but to God (1 Corinthians 14:2). He further wrote that when you speak in tongues you edify, or build up, or repair yourself (14:4). He said that it is your choice, as a Spirit-filled believer, to pray in tongues or not. It is also your choice to sing in tongues, or not (14:15). He told young Timothy to stir up the gift that was in him (1 Timothy 1:6), and Jude told the church to build themselves up on their most holy faith. How? By, “praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 20).

Ask God today for a fresh revelation of this truth. He will freely give His children all things (Romans 8:32), and, as a good Father, He wishes to give you liberally of His Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). A beautiful part of God’s abundant grace is how the Holy Spirit ministers in you and through you, helping your sicknesses of body and soul, and interceding for you in areas that you have no direction (Romans 8:26).

Live free in His love today!

The Rest and the Refreshing

Isaiah 28:11, 12

This marks the first prophecy in the Bible regarding speaking with other tongues. We know that the “stammering lips and another tongue” refer to this beautiful gift because Paul quotes this passage in 1 Corinthians 14:21, “In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord”. The translators added the words “men of”, taking the original meaning away from the text, but Paul is referring to men speaking with unknown tongues (1 Corinthians 14:1-22).

When a believer speaks with other tongues, they are not speaking to someone else, for no one else would understand what they are saying. They are speaking things that are mysteries to themselves, but they are being directed at God (1 Corinthians 14:2). This speaking can be done as prayer or even as a song (14:14, 15), and it is always done to edify the speaker (14:4). To edify means “to build or repair or to grow in wisdom”, so by speaking with other tongues, the believer is building up themselves.

The Apostle Jude instructed us to do as much, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 1:20). How do we “build up” or “edify” ourselves? We do this by praying in the Holy Ghost which is praying in tongues. Paul told young Timothy to “stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6). The gift that is inside of us that we can stir up at will is the unknown tongue. It is ours, so let’s use it!

Isaiah tells us that speaking with other tongues will be both a rest and a refreshing, but that many people “would not hear” (Isaiah 28:12). Paul envisioned as much when he said, regarding spiritual gifts, “But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant” (1 Corinthians 14:38). Let us that have ears to hear pay close attention to what the Spirit is saying to us as He gives us instructions for our rest.

Each believer can walk in and function in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. You received the Comforter when you invited Jesus into your heart, but there is always more fullness to be had. Paul told the church at Ephesus to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), denoting that there is more filling to be done, even after we are saved. Even the disciples and apostles, who had been present out the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, needed a re-filling of the Spirit from time-to-time, as Acts 4:31 bears out.

Don’t let detractors discourage you from using your prayer language. If you wish to use tongues as edification and you are not sure about it, ask the Father and He will freely give the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13), but don’t shy away because you think that it is not for you or even that it is off-limits for the church in general. Some site Acts 2 as evidence that tongues is only to be used to preach to people of other languages, but a close examination of that chapter will show that when the strangers in Jerusalem heard tongues they heard of “the wonderful works of God” (Acts 2:11). When it came time to hear the gospel message, which led 3000 to salvation, they heard Peter preach a message to them; with no indication that he preached in tongues (Acts 2:14).

You have instant rest and constant refreshing at your disposal; believe it or not.

The Rest and the Refreshing

Acts 2:4, 11

Many things have been said against the biblical practice of speaking in tongues. It is often chided as having passed with the apostles, linked with cultic activities or even as being from the devil himself. Religion often links things that it does not want or understand, as being from the devil. John the Baptist was said to have a devil in him (Matthew 11:18), and Jesus’ miracles were attributed, by the church of that day, as being from the devil as well (Matthew 12:24).

Isaiah first prophesied that God would use tongues as a means of speaking to His people (Isaiah 28:11), and that they would deem speaking with other tongues as a “rest” and a “refreshing” (Isaiah 28:12). On the Day of Pentecost, when the church was empowered by the Holy Spirit, all 120 that were present, “began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). This is not to insinuate that one must speak in tongues to call themselves a Christian, but it does show us that this wonderful gift is available to believers because of the arrival of the Holy Spirit.

A frequently used criticism of speaking in tongues is the argument that tongues were only necessary to minister the gospel to the many people who spoke various languages. I have even heard it argued that tongues should only be used when the Holy Spirit overtakes the tongue of a missionary in a foreign land, who has no interpreter, so that he can preach the gospel in the native tongue of the land. This attack against the biblical gift of tongues is from no other source but Satan! He does not want God’s people experiencing the rest and the refreshing.

In Acts 2:11, the Bible records that all of the nationalities represented on the Day of Pentecost could hear their own tongue being spoken by the 120. They do not say that they hear the gospel, only the “wonderful works of God”. It is not until verse 14 that Peter stands up and preaches to them of Jesus Christ and His finished work, and there is no indication that he preaches this message in tongues. To argue that tongues are for the presentation of the gospel in any form is outside of the Word of God. This gift is not for gospel preaching, but for saint edification!

Paul wrote that when you speak in tongues you are not speaking to men, but to God (1 Corinthians 14:2). He further wrote that when you speak in tongues you edify, or build up, or repair yourself (14:4). He said that it is your choice, as a Spirit-filled believer, to pray in tongues or not. It is also your choice to sing in tongues, or not (14:15). He told young Timothy to stir up the gift that was in him (1 Timothy 1:6), and Jude told the church to build themselves up on their most holy faith. How? By, “praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 20).

Ask God today for a fresh revelation of this truth. He will freely give His children all things (Romans 8:32), and, as a good Father, He wishes to give you liberally of His Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). A beautiful part of God’s abundant grace is how the Holy Spirit ministers in you and through you, helping your sicknesses of body and soul, and interceding for you in areas that you have no direction (Romans 8:26).

Live free in His love today!