November
For the sake of saving typing space on this BBS (since this post is quite
lenghty), I hope that anybody who seriously wants to find out about this
issue, please have the Holy Scriptures (KJV) at hand to look up some of the
verses that I may not quote directly.
                       The Gift of Tongues
                      (By Sandy J. Hooper)
Hello.  For some of you who may be involved with the Charismatic movement, it
might have taken a few days to get the courage up to read this article if you
have seen it sitting here at this web site. For others, it might be more
information to gather for those who are concerned about a friend or relative
caught in the false teachings of the Charismatics.
Now that you have decided to read this article, I will begin by telling you
I was very  involved in the Charismatic  movement. For a number of years I
attended the Charismatic Mass while I lived in Florida, and attended meetings
with Protestants who were Charismatics. Since the time of my conversion to
Jesus Christ, I had  always been involved with the movement until recently.
Before I continue, I know there will be people who would assume I never
experienced the baptism of the Holy Ghost and speaking in unknown tongues.
Therefore my efforts to explain anything would be futile since one would
assume I do not know the glorious experience of the baptism of the Holy
Spirit.   I do want to say I did experience the so-called baptism of the
Holy Spirit and speaking in unknown tongues.  So what I am about to share
with  you, I can tell you by what I have *experienced* as well as what I was
involved with for 18 years, so you will know I am not misguided by what
Charismatics (older term Pentecostals) really believe.
What I am going to begin with are two words which are very important in the
Bible and are related with each other..  The related terms are "Jews" and
"Signs."  And along the same line comes the word "tongues".
"Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that
believe not..."
The Bible also tells me who requires a sign.
"For the Jews require a sign" (1 Cor. 1:22)
So tongues are for a sign, and signs are for the Jews.
When I go back there to the Old Testament, the first mention of the word
"sign" is given to Israel.  Please read (Exodus 4:1-8)
Here is the first mention of the word "sign".  Also notice in Exodus 4 we
have for the first time anyone recorded with physical sickness (v. 6) who
is healed.  So, not only can we say that the sign can be traced all the way
back here in Exodus, but also the "gift of healing" which began with Moses as
a "sign to the NATION of Israel."   Why?  Well, we just read above that the
Jews require a sign.  So starting back at the beginning of the scriptures, I
have found the signs begins with Moses and the beginning of the NATION OF
ISRAEL.  And when we continue reading through the Old Testament, we find God
deals with Israel with MANY SIGNS (Ex. 31:17; Num. 16:38; De. 28:46; Jos.
4:6; Jd. 6:17, 1 Sam. 2:34; Isa. 7:14; Isa. 38:7,etc. etc.).
Now, at this point someone brought to my attention  Matthew 16:4. The
question was, "If Jesus said that, then the Jews shouldn't require a sign."
However, did you notice something?  Jesus immediately said, "No sign...but
the SIGN of the Prophet Jonas."
Jesus is STILL going to give a sign!  Why? Because the Jews require a sign.
Jesus must give a sign to Israel, a nation that began with signs and lived by
signs  (Exodus 13:9, 31:13; Num. 16:38; Deut. 13:1; 2 Kings 19:23; Isa.
7:11,  7:14, 38:22, etc. etc. etc. etc.).
Okay, now that we have some foundation in which to work with, let's jump over
into the New Testament where we are still "dealing with Jews." But first
let's examine the practice and preaching of these faith healers of our day.
Sometimes we hear these faith healers say a person must have faith, and claim
faith in order to be healed. Is all this Biblically true? Please read read
Mark 6:4-6 which states:
Continue...
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