The Heresy of "Tongues" and all things charismatic

Dear friends, brothers and sisters in Christ,

Scripture is clear that the signs performed then was for the Jews then to believe. Our Lord Jesus summed it up nicely when He warns us about a wicked generation seeking signs, and that the antichrist will deceive many with signs and wonders. Indeed, blessed are those who believe without the need for such signs. Those who hanker after any such signs are those who are most likely to be duped.

But every so often, the heresy of tongues rears its ugly head, and usually, "churches" who indulge in such practice have deviated very far from sound doctrine. After all, if they cannot get this one simple thing right, you have to wonder what else is compromised. This link gives a summary on "tongues" in Acts and Corinth (http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Doctrines/Speaking%20in%20Tongues/speaking_in_tongues.htm), and I am puzzled that even though scripture is clear on this, many people and many churches still succumb to the carnal "tongues" being touted as the Holy Spirit moving. It tells me that they do not know scripture well enough and/or they refuse to abide by scripture. In these end times, everything will be conveniently Christianized and everything will be attributed to the Holy Spirit/God/Jesus/angels depending on the fashionable heresy/blesphemy of the moment, much to to profit of the false teachers. We must be very careful and test everything by scripture. Just because it is a spirit moving does not mean it is the Holy Spirit.

With the bona fide gift of tongues, the divisiveness of multiple languages that God inflicted on mankind when they attempted to build their tower and city of Babel as an affront to Him is now reversed by God to become an inclusiveness in His Kingdom. Thus, the bona fide gift of tongues outlined in Acts is when a believer is able to speak in one or more foreign languages known to foreign people, in order for them to hear the gospel in their native tongue so that they can believe on Jesus for forgiveness of sins. Yes, thousands of people getting saved by believing on Jesus for forgiveness of sins after hearing the gospel in their native language - this is what being Pentecostal is all about. It is not about attributing the spouting of gibberish to God to fool the feeble-minded into thinking one was somehow specially anointed. I can teach non-believers to babble - are they anointed? Of course not. Furthermore, If you do understand your own psychobabble when you could have just used plain English or whatever language it is you normally speak, then why the silly roundabout? And if you don't understand your own psychobabble, how is spouting gibberish to your own self edifying? I might as well put on a broken record for background noise and be edified 24 hours a day.

Friends, God's Word, not anyone's gibberish or interpreted gibberish for that matter, is edifying for self and for community. May we strive in obedience to study and live His Word and may we warn everyone we care for about the heresy of tongues and anything capitalizing on signs and wonders to wow the masses.

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For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son Jesus that whosoever would believe in Jesus for forgiveness of sins shall not perish but would have everlasting life (John 3:16)