MM>What is the gift, spoken of here?  Salvation?  No, salvation is the gift
  >of God, through Jesus Christ.  What had just grabbed everyone's attention?
  >It was the miracle of speaking in tongues--the gift of the Holy Ghost.
  >And now for the big question, "Who is this gift promised to?"  Look at
  >Acts 2:39, again.
Hello Michael
I was an Ordained Minister within a Pentecostal Holiness Church.  I am 
well aware of the meaning of speaking in tongues, as I had practiced, 
and advocated it to many myself.  While I was a part of this 
organization, I was in genuine service unto my Savior.  I loved Him and 
His word with all my heart.  I was, and am even now, willing to do 
anything necessary to please the MessYaH in all things.  No matter what 
I had believed, or what was believed by my fellow brothers and sisters, 
I was determined to know truth, the whole truth, and at all costs.  I 
refused to live a luke warm life, as is also true today.
Brother Michael.  I spoke in tongues more than most.  I did not 
intentionally speak falsely, but I was always unsettled when I did 
speak at all.  The manner in which it was done, was the "approved" 
manner as dictated by the church.  I saw many others who spoke in 
tongues, often times step outside the church and, either, be involved 
in squabbles, or become "down" emotionally, or just out and out sin by 
various means.  I could never understand how one could be so "touched" 
by the Creator of 80 billion galaxies, then, within 10 minutes turn 
again to the sins of the flesh.  I feel that when you are touch by 
YaHshua's Holy Spirit, the effect will last many moons.  Time and time 
again, this wasn't the case.  There were never any divine 
interpretations either, neither, when I spoke, or anyone else.  I have 
also been in many charismatic churches throughout the United States, 
and found them to be the same concerning tongues.
There are those today who assert that every believer, to be truly 
regenerated, must have "a Pentecostal experience," which they further 
characterize as a "baptism of the Holy Spirit."  They point to the 
present-day so-called "tongues movement" as evidence to sustain their 
contentions.  This oral phenomenon is also called Glossololia; that is, 
speaking in "unknown tongues."
In the first place, Christendom is in the midst of a great apostasy.  
The infiltration of modernism into Christian churches to a tragically 
alarming extent has succeeded in destroying the effectiveness of the 
Bible as the Word of YaHVaH since many of modernism's adherents are 
occupying the pulpits of our land.  This has created a spiritual vacuum 
into which Satan has stepped to perpetrate what is perhaps his greatest 
deception striving, if possible, to deceive the very elect (Matt. 
24:24).  Disguising himself as "an angel of light," there is every 
reason to believe he is engaged in a special drive to counterfeit the 
work of the Holy Ghost.  Paul informs us:
   "For even Satan himself masquerades as a shining angel.  So it is 
    nothing strange if his servants also masquerade as servants of 
    uprightness.  But their doom will fit their actions."  (II Cor. 
    11:14-15, Smith and Goodspeed Translation.)
Numbered among those who are being deceived into becoming recipients of 
an experience that is accompanied by uncontrolled tongue utterances are 
many Christians who become convinced that the sense of power and 
emotional elation which overwhelms them is the MessYaH.  It may indeed 
be a baptism but, if so, it is a spirit baptism, resulting in 
spirit-speaking.  Our appraisal of the Satanic source of this so-called 
"gift of tongues" is borne out by the fact that those who speak in this 
manner often appear to be in a trance, with no personal control over 
the utterances of their own lips.
It is of value to note that some of those who have become involved in 
this "tongues movement" testify to their spiritual emptiness and lack 
of holy zeal prior to experiencing the physical sensations which gave 
impetus to their emotional reactions and uncontrolled speaking.  It has 
been further shown that prior to submitting themselves to the 
experience whereby their vocal organs are seized and controlled by a 
spirit, the individuals involved were, or had been, in the presence of 
charismatic counsellors or such a counsellor had been standing over 
them at the time.  It is utter folly to place oneself in the way to 
receive a false experience and thereby come under the influence of the 
powers of darkness.  Surely this should cause true believers in YaHshua 
to understand why Paul counselled us to put on the whole armor of 
YaHshua so that we may stand against the wiles of the Devil:
   "For we wrestle no against flesh and blood, but against 
    principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
    of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
    (Eph. 6:12.)
There may be those who need to be reminded that speaking in an "unknown 
tongue" is not confined to the Christian era alone.  It was a 
psychological phenomenon known in ancient times, Plato, Virgil, 
Plutarch and Egyptian writers all refer to it.
Michael.  The "tongue," singular, that was spoken on the day of 
Pentecost by all 120 persons, was Hebrew.  The 15 nations that heard 
this one language being spoken, had it translated by the Holy Ghost, 
into their own language.  It was as much a miracle of hearing, as it 
was speaking.  I would like to talk more with you on this subject.  I 
can show you scripturally the facts concerning this.  I know there are 
those who can start throwing all their defence scriptures at me, but 
remember, I know them all.  I used to teach them.  Now let me tell you 
the truth.
(Continued to next message)
 * 1st 2.00 * Blessed is He who comes in the name of YaHVaH-Oshua!
--- Michiana Mail Center
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