The New Apostolic Reformation NAR cult have recently exposed the origins of their theology. The NAR is governed by the end-times Apostles (NARpostles) and Prophets. Brian Houston is the governing NARpostle of his Hillsong movement and Bill Johnson is the NARpostle of his Bethel movement.
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NARpostle Bill Johnson recently denied that he had any official ties to the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). He even went so far to say that he wasn’t even sure what the NAR is.
Bill Johnson blatantly lies to ChristianityToday
Below is an advert for a NAR conference that both NARpostle Brian Houston and NARpostle Bill Johnson are attending:
This is CLASSIC New Apostolic Reformation gospel theology.
When Jesus bridged the expanse between Earth and Heaven, He empowered us to live like He did–tapping into the power and glory of His Kingdom. What is God’s has become ours! As Heaven permeates our lives, the extraordinary becomes ordinary, and the supernatural becomes natural.
Join us October 4-6 at the Redding Civic Auditorium for our Open Heavens conference. Speakers: Brian Houston, Shawn Bolz, Bill Johnson / Worship: Bethel Music Collective
Register online! http://www.ibethel.org/events/open-heavens/
Source: Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/bethel.church.redding/videos/10153654536386824/, Published 04/06/2016. (Accessed 04/06/2016.)
Earlier, the advert included the New-Age term (since edited out):
As above, so below.
When Jesus bridged the expanse between Earth and Heaven, He empowered us to live like He did–tapping into the power and glory of His Kingdom. What is God’s has become ours! As Heaven permeates our lives, the extraordinary becomes ordinary, and the supernatural becomes natural.
Join us October 4-6 at the Redding Civic Auditorium for our Open Heavens conference.
Speakers: Brian Houston, Shawn Bolz, Bill Johnson / Worship: Bethel Music Collective
Register online! http://www.ibethel.org/events/open-heavens/
Source: Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/bethel.church.redding/videos/10153654536386824/, Published 04/06/2016. (Accessed 04/06/2016.)
. This exchange occurred with ‘Bethel Church, Redding’
Taylor Adams I wouldn’t use that phrase “As above, so below” …it’s a new age term and is very dangerous.
Taylor Adams I’ve learned it’s a term used by the new age movement.
Taylor Adams Bethel I would love it if you could respond to this.
Toni Roberson Where do you see that??
Taylor Adams It was in the post and they edited the word out. It’s still in the video and the website.
Bethel Church, Redding We did not know this was a new age term, we are editing as needed. Thanks for your input!
Taylor Adams Thanks! Sorry that I came at you guys like that!
Bethel Church, Redding Taylor Adams Totally ok! You were one of a few to bring our attention to this so we are fixing the issue promptly! We always appreciate input!
Taylor Adams I noticed you removed the term…any explanation to that? Not trying to be harsh just wanting to discern the teachings of churches to the Word of God.
Source: Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/bethel.church.redding/videos/10153654536386824/, Published 04/06/2016. (Accessed 04/06/2016.)
AS ABOVE SO BELOW
The phrase “As above, so below” is a New Age phrase. This is evident in the below book ‘As Above So Below: Paths to Spiritual Renewal in Daily Life’ by Ronald S. Miller.
Source: From Amazon
Miller writes,
“Thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt, the great master alchemist Hermes Trismegistus, believed to be a contemporary of the Hebrew prophet Abraham, proclaimed this fundamental truth about the universe: “As above, so below; as below, so above.” This maxim implies that the transcendent God beyond the physical universe and the immanent God within ourselves are one. Heaven and Earth, spirit and matter, the invisible and the visible worlds form a unity to which we are intimately linked.”
Think about that statement in light of what is being advertised about the conference. This strikes at the heart of the pagan teachings of the NAR and why it is so necessary to have shaman-like Apostles in geographically located areas around the world and regions.
| New Apostolic Reformation: “When Jesus bridged the expanse between Earth and Heaven, He empowered us to live like He did–tapping into the power and glory of His Kingdom. What is God’s has become ours! As Heaven permeates our lives, the extraordinary becomes ordinary, and the supernatural becomes natural.” | New Age Reformation: “This maxim implies that the transcendent God beyond the physical universe and the immanent God within ourselves are one. Heaven and Earth, spirit and matter, the invisible and the visible worlds form a unity to which we are intimately linked. |
| Hillsong:
“Touching heaven, changing earth…” |
Bethel:
“When heaven invades earth…” |
| The teachings behind the NARpostolic movement and the New Age movement are VERY similar. Let the NAR “Global Awakening” begin… |
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Hillsong Church Watch 
I wrote this over on the other post, but I wanted to write it here as well, because it is relevant. What are these guys, like Brian Houston and Bill Johnson? They are new agers, they are occultists, they are people that believe the “law of attraction”, they are pagans. They don’t believe the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.
You know they don’t believe the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, because both Hillsong and Bethel have met with the pope, and speak highly of him. The pope who is also an occultist, a pagan that rejects the true Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ.
If someone doesn’t call out catholicism and the pope as having a false gospel that leads to hell, then they are telling you that they don’t believe the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, and they are therefore not saved.
Lately all the goats love gathering at the trough and exchanging ideas.
These Nimrodic groups appear to be building their own modern-day, abominable Tower of Babel together.
Hillsong United uniting with the devil.
Whats wrong with all these people? How come they so dense?
“WHO: Confirmed speakers and artists include: Hillsong United, Kari Jobe, Francis Chan, Lecrae, Nick Hall, Passion, Crowder, Kirk Franklin, Ravi Zacharias, Jeremy Camp, Andy Mineo, Michael W. Smith,… and more”
http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/confirmed-pope-francis-will-join-hillsong-united-39-others-laodicean-lovefest/
Worship leaders forget that it was Lucifer who was a lead worshiper in heaven. He knows how to lead people to worship in spirit and error.
Bethal has a “supernatural school” where for a small fee you get the anointing of the Holy Ghost,learn to walk through walls,raise the dead e.c.t.There was a character Who asked for the gifts of the spirit and was willing to hand over cash, his name was Simon magus the sorcerer.Bethal obviously does not get what irony is.
Sorry If I post my question here but I couldn’t find a proper section.
I’d like to know what’s your take on the Pentecostal belief.
I saw in one of your articles that you were ridiculing people who believe in speaking in tongues or were posting testimonies of people who ridiculed them.
So I’d like to know what’s your Biblical view on people speaking in tongues (worship), the gift of tongues (plus gift of interpretation) and the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for your answer.
Question: “What is the gift of speaking in tongues?”
Answer: “The first occurrence of speaking in tongues occurred on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4. The apostles went out and shared the gospel with the crowds, speaking to them in their own languages: “We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:11). The Greek word translated tongues literally means “languages.” Therefore, the gift of tongues is speaking in a language a person does not know in order to minister to someone who does speak that language. In 1 Corinthians chapters 12–14, Paul discusses miraculous gifts, saying, “Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?” (1 Corinthians 14:6). According to the apostle Paul, and in agreement with the tongues described in Acts, speaking in tongues is valuable to the one hearing God’s message in his or her own language, but it is useless to everyone else unless it is interpreted/translated.
A person with the gift of interpreting tongues (1 Corinthians 12:30) could understand what a tongues-speaker was saying even though he did not know the language that was being spoken. The tongues interpreter would then communicate the message of the tongues speaker to everyone else, so all could understand. “For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says” (1 Corinthians 14:13). Paul’s conclusion regarding tongues that were not interpreted is powerful: “But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue” (1 Corinthians 14:19).
Is the gift of tongues for today? First Corinthians 13:8 mentions the gift of tongues ceasing, although it connects the ceasing with the arrival of the “perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10. Some point to a difference in the tense of the Greek verbs referring to prophecy and knowledge “ceasing” and that of tongues “being ceased” as evidence for tongues ceasing before the arrival of the “perfect.” While possible, this is not explicitly clear from the text. Some also point to passages such as Isaiah 28:11 and Joel 2:28-29 as evidence that speaking in tongues was a sign of God’s oncoming judgment. First Corinthians 14:22 describes tongues as a “sign to unbelievers.” According to this argument, the gift of tongues was a warning to the Jews that God was going to judge Israel for rejecting Jesus Christ as Messiah. Therefore, when God did in fact judge Israel (with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70), the gift of tongues would no longer serve its intended purpose. While this view is possible, the primary purpose of tongues being fulfilled does not necessarily demand its cessation. Scripture does not conclusively assert that the gift of speaking in tongues has ceased.
At the same time, if the gift of speaking in tongues were active in the church today, it would be performed in agreement with Scripture. It would be a real and intelligible language (1 Corinthians 14:10). It would be for the purpose of communicating God’s Word with a person of another language (Acts 2:6-12). It would be in agreement with the command God gave through the apostle Paul, “If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God” (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). It would also be in accordance with 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”
God most definitely can give a person the gift of speaking in tongues to enable him or her to communicate with a person who speaks another language. The Holy Spirit is sovereign in the dispersion of the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11). Just imagine how much more productive missionaries could be if they did not have to go to language school, and were instantly able to speak to people in their own language. However, God does not seem to be doing this. Tongues does not seem to occur today in the manner it did in the New Testament, despite the fact that it would be immensely useful. The vast majority of believers who claim to practice the gift of speaking in tongues do not do so in agreement with the Scriptures mentioned above. These facts lead to the conclusion that the gift of tongues has ceased or is at least a rarity in God’s plan for the church today.”
http://www.gotquestions.org/gift-of-tongues.html
Cheers, Team ChurchWatch.
Question: “What is praying in tongues? Is praying in tongues a prayer language between a believer and God?”
Answer: As a background, please read our article on the gift of speaking in tongues. There are four primary Scripture passages that are cited as evidence for praying in tongues: Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 14:4-17; Ephesians 6:18; and Jude verse 20. Ephesians 6:18 and Jude 20 mention “praying in the Spirit.” However, tongues as a prayer language is not a likely interpretation of “praying in the Spirit.”
Romans 8:26 teaches us, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Two key points make it highly unlikely that Romans 8:26 is referring to tongues as a prayer language. First, Romans 8:26 states that it is the Spirit who “groans,” not believers. Second, Romans 8:26 states that the “groans” of the Spirit “cannot be expressed.” The very essence of speaking in tongues is uttering words.
That leaves us with 1 Corinthians 14:4-17 and verse 14 especially: “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.” First Corinthians 14:14 distinctly mentions “praying in tongues.” What does this mean? First, studying the context is immensely valuable. First Corinthians chapter 14 is primarily a comparison/contrast of the gift of speaking in tongues and the gift of prophecy. Verses 2-5 make it clear that Paul views prophecy as a gift superior to tongues. At the same time, Paul exclaims the value of tongues and declares that he is glad that he speaks in tongues more than anyone (verse 18).
Acts chapter 2 describes the first occurrence of the gift of tongues. On the day of Pentecost, the apostles spoke in tongues. Acts chapter 2 makes it clear that the apostles were speaking in a human language (Acts 2:6-8). The word translated “tongues” in both Acts chapter 2 and 1 Corinthians chapter 14 is glossa which means “language.” It is the word from which we get our modern English word “glossary.” Speaking in tongues was the ability to speak in a language the speaker does not know, in order to communicate the gospel to someone who does speak that language. In the multicultural area of Corinth, it seems that the gift of tongues was especially valuable and prominent. The Corinthian believers were able to better communicate the gospel and God’s Word as a result of the gift of tongues. However, Paul made it abundantly clear that even in this usage of tongues, it was to be interpreted or “translated” (1 Corinthians 14:13, 27). A Corinthian believer would speak in tongues, proclaiming God’s truth to someone who spoke that language, and then that believer, or another believer in the church, was to interpret what was spoken so that the entire assembly could understand what was said.
What, then, is praying in tongues, and how is it different than speaking in tongues? First Corinthians 14:13-17 indicates that praying in tongues is also to be interpreted. As a result, it seems that praying in tongues was offering a prayer to God. This prayer would minister to someone who spoke that language, but would also need to be interpreted so that the entire body could be edified.
This interpretation does not agree with those who view praying in tongues as a prayer language. This alternate understanding can be summarized as follows: praying in tongues is a personal prayer language between a believer and God (1 Corinthians 13:1) that a believer uses to edify himself (1 Corinthians 14:4). This interpretation is unbiblical for the following reasons: 1) How could praying in tongues be a private prayer language if it is to be interpreted (1 Corinthians 14:13-17)? 2) How could praying in tongues be for self-edification when Scripture says that the spiritual gifts are for the edification of the church, not the self (1 Corinthians 12:7)? 3) How can praying in tongues be a private prayer language if the gift of tongues is a “sign to unbelievers” (1 Corinthians 14:22)? 4) The Bible makes it clear that not everyone possesses the gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:11, 28-30). How could tongues be a gift for self-edification if not every believer can possess it? Do we not all need to be edified?
Some understand praying in tongues to be a “secret code language” that prevents Satan and his demons from understanding our prayers and thereby gaining an advantage over us. This interpretation is unbiblical for the following reasons: 1) The New Testament consistently describes tongues as a human language, and Satan and his demons are well able to understand human languages. 2) The Bible records countless believers praying in their own language, out loud, with no concern of Satan intercepting the prayer. Even if Satan and/or his demons hear and understand the prayers we pray, they have absolutely no power to prevent God from answering the prayers according to His will. We know that God hears our prayers, and that fact makes it irrelevant whether Satan and his demons hear and understand our prayers.
What do we say, then, about the many Christians who have experienced praying in tongues and find it to be very personally edifying? First, we must base our faith and practice on Scripture, not experience. We must view our experiences in light of Scripture, not interpret Scripture in light of our experiences. Second, many of the cults and world religions also report occurrences of speaking in tongues/praying in tongues. Obviously the Holy Spirit is not gifting these unbelieving individuals. So, it seems that the demons are able to counterfeit the gift of speaking in tongues. This should cause us to compare even more carefully our experiences with Scripture. Third, studies have shown how speaking/praying in tongues can be a learned behavior. Through hearing and observing others speak in tongues, a person can learn the procedure, even subconsciously. This is the most likely explanation for the vast majority of instances of speaking/praying in tongues among Christians. Fourth, the feeling of “self-edification” is natural. The human body produces adrenaline and endorphins when it experiences something new, exciting, emotional, and/or disconnected from rational thought.
Praying in tongues is most definitely an issue on which Christians can respectfully and lovingly agree to disagree. Praying in tongues is not what determines salvation. Praying in tongues is not what separates a mature Christian from an immature Christian. Whether or not there is such a thing as praying in tongues as a personal prayer language is not a fundamental of the Christian faith. So, while we believe the biblical interpretation of praying in tongues leads away from the idea of a private prayer language for personal edification, we also recognize that many who practice such are our brothers and sisters in Christ and are worthy of our love and respect.
Recommended Resources: Are Miraculous Gifts for Today – Four Views edited by Wayne Grudem and Logos Bible Software.
http://www.gotquestions.org/praying-in-tongues.html
Cheers, Team Churchwatch.
Hey friends, what is Christianity without LOVE? If there’s anything Jesus died for, it’s nothing other than his love you you and me! I then encourage you all to simply love ❤ like the commandment goes, Love the Lord your God… And the second Love your neighbour! There’s no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus… But neither should they condemn others. Rather, we simply need to understand the reasons why everything has taken a different direction. So many of the seeds that have been sawn here seem to be hatred seeds! And that’s what I’ve observed from my reading. Paul, whose letters make up half of the new testament was a non believer, and more to that, a persecuted of the faithful. It took Ananias a huge chunk of courage to go open his eyes at Damascus… But in respect of Jesus and love for his enemy, he managed introduce Saul to Jesus and all of you today can feel the impact of Pauls words. Friends, if only we just choose to LOVE, it’s amazing what we can make of this world!
Now let’s stop ✋ for a moment… How much love have you responded with???
God Bless you all
How can one have love if one has no truth in them? That’s why we exist. If the people that we are exposing love God and neighbor, why don’t they have the Spirit of Truth in them?
Exactly the right answer.
Without “Truth” there is no “Love”. It is a love of the devil if it is based on lies and no love on all.
It is like being “saved” without the heart of repentance. There is no salvation. Just empty words. If a believer just wants forgiveness without a penitent heart he is fooling himself. If a “shepherd” doesn’t exhibit repentance and/or teaches it; He has not Truth in him and neither loves the sheep. He is a wolf then teaching another gospel.
Love without Truth is no love at all.
OK Frankie, excuse the length!
Imagine a scenario: A patient who’s been feeling sick for a while goes to two specialists:
First one tells him “you’re just a bit rundown – take my special vitamin concoction every day [$$$$$] – I’ve got so many success stories… my patients say they feel so much better…”
Second one tells him “you’ve got a serious cancer- you need to have chemotherapy that will have some bad side-effects (including feeling very sick for a while) but you’ll definitely be cured if you take the full course.”
That patient protests: “But the first specialist promised I would only need to buy his/her special blend of vitamins to feel better!!!!”
The second specialist has two options:
1. “oh that’s right…. that is an option that you can take if you want to feel better…” (Thinks to him/ herself ” I don’t want to be accused of not supporting another medical colleague… I think we’re on the same team…what might this patient think of me if I say something negative that sounds judgemental?”)
2. “First, you need to read for yourself from serious medical websites about how that particular therapy only removes symptoms short-term but there is an 100% failure rate.
Second, you need to know that so-called doctor got his/her credentials from an extremely poorly rated pseudo-university, every highly respected cancer specialist condemns him/her for giving false hope to cancer patients, and he/she’s even under criminal investigation [for unrelated matter] right now….”
Surely even YOU would say that the second response is the loving one, no matter how upsetting it may be to the patient? Why then do you have higher standards for medical professionals (temporary life) than spiritual ones (eternal consequences)?
$piritual con-artist$ are so successful because naive people like yourself have fallen for their “real Christians only say nice, positive, non-judgmental words… real Christians don’t judge EVER” propaganda.
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
http://www.gty.org/blog/B160606/the-problem-with-gods-love
http://www.canonandculture.com/true-love-instructs-corrects-and-warns-a-plea-for-churches-to-admonish-one-another/
“Hey friends, what is Christianity without LOVE?”
That’s the wrong question.
What you should be asking is “What is Christianity without CHRIST?” The answer to this is: “It is a demonic deception that leads unwary people to an eternity in the flames of hell”. So you should be advised no one here is your “friend”; your friends are Brian Houston and his god, of whom you may have heard – his name is Satan.
“It took Ananias a huge chunk of courage to go open [Paul’s] eyes at Damascus …”
That is a lie. It did not take courage; it took the obedience that comes from faith – something about which you clearly understand nothing.
“There’s no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus …”
Which is really, really bad news for people like you and Brian Houston, since you are not in Christ Jesus, and the day on which you will be called to account is rapidly approaching…
” I then encourage you all to simply love ❤ like the commandment goes, Love the Lord your God…”
Why are you telling people here this? They already do. Brian Houston is the one you need to explain this to.
“But neither should they condemn others.”
Since when is “telling the truth” equivalent to “condemning others”?
“Rather, we simply need to understand the reasons why everything has taken a different direction. So many of the seeds that have been sawn here seem to be hatred seeds! And that’s what I’ve observed from my reading.”
What I’ve observed from reading your post is the reading you have not done is the reading of the Bible, because you don’t seem to understand the Scriptures nor the purpose of this website and others like this one.
Also the only “different direction” that’s been taken.. is Brian Houston’s direction. Which is 180 degrees in the opposite direction from true biblical teaching. Therefore, it is Brian Houston who is the “hater”, he “hates” the Bible with all his heart. Because he does not do what it says, and he does not teach what it teaches.
“Friends, if only we just choose to LOVE, it’s amazing what we can make of this world!”
That’s the false “LOVE” gospel. Even the WORLD loves their own. John 15:19 “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own”. Also the WORLD chooses to love to SIN. So it depends what you LOVE. Friend, if only we just choose to ****LIVE BY THE WORD OF GOD****, that’s something you and Brian Houston need to understand and try.
Thank you so much for your extensive answer.
I completely agree and understand your view on the gift of tongues.
However, I have to disagree with your take on praying in tongues.
You say:
“What, then, is praying in tongues, and how is it different than speaking in tongues? First Corinthians 14:13-17 indicates that praying in tongues is also to be interpreted. As a result, it seems that praying in tongues was offering a prayer to God. This prayer would minister to someone who spoke that language, but would also need to be interpreted so that the entire body could be edified. This interpretation does not agree with those who view praying in tongues as a prayer language.”
Not necessarily true. We agree with your interpretation of verses 13 to 17 regarding the whole body being edified. But that simply doesn’t exclude the possibility of praying in tongues as a personal edification.
Paul here is indeed saying that a prayer in an unknown tongue that cannot be understood it is unproductive for the mind of the outsiders and the rest of the church. Therefore the need to pray for interpretation (v.13).
However, he is not belittling nor nullifying the spiritual origin of such prayer:
– v.14 AMP “For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays”
– v.15 AMP ” I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me], but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding”
– v.16 AMP “… if you bless and render thanks with [your] spirit [thoroughly aroused by the Holy Spirit] … ”
He is clearly stating that praying in tongues comes from the Holy Spirit that is within us, since we accepted Jesus in our heart and received the Holy Spirit upon us.
It seems clear to me that this is of a spiritual nature and not a earthly “learned behaviour” as you state (even though I do acknowledge that an environment with a particular atmosphere has some subconscious influence over the mind of the individual.)
Paul doesn’t disqualify praying in tongues. He rather invites the believers to pray “intelligently”, especially in public worship, knowing that a prayer that it is not understood it is not edifying (for the others). In verse 19 he says that he would rather say five understandable words to instruct others than ten thousand in a strange tongue. We can assume he kept the speaking in tongue a private activity (v.18) for the aforementioned reasons.
Given that praying in tongues comes from the Holy Spirit and not from the man being overwhelmed by the emotions of the moment, let’s move on.
You give a brief description which is accurate in my opinion:
“This alternate understanding can be summarized as follows: praying in tongues is a personal prayer language between a believer and God (1 Corinthians 13:1) that a believer uses to edify himself (1 Corinthians 14:4).”
Then you move on to explain why it is “unbiblical”. (Please notice that from here on you base your thesis on what the Gift of Tongues is – not on what praying-in-tongues or speaking-in-tongues is):
“This interpretation is unbiblical for the following reasons:
1) How could praying in tongues be a private prayer language if it is to be interpreted (1 Corinthians 14:13-17)? ”
The GIFT of tongues needs interpretation to edify the church. Not praying in tongues. That’s why it could be defined as a “private prayer” (which is why Paul says he’d rather not do it publicly.)
“2) How could praying in tongues be for self-edification when Scripture says that the spiritual gifts are for the edification of the church, not the self (1 Corinthians 12:7)?”
Because it is not a spiritual gift for the good of the church, but it’s a personal blessing we can all receive. We can all speak and pray in tongues, yet we can’t all prophecy in unknown tongues and we can’t all be able to translate them, for those are gifts.
“3) How can praying in tongues be a private prayer language if the gift of tongues is a “sign to unbelievers” (1 Corinthians 14:22)?”
The gift of tongues could be “meant for a supernatural sign for non believers on the point of believing” – but it’s not necessarily just that. The private prayer in tongues that comes from the Holy Spirit that Paul talks about in verses 4,14,16,18, etc., definitely it is not a sign to unbelievers.
“4) The Bible makes it clear that not everyone possesses the gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:11, 28-30). How could tongues be a gift for self-edification if not every believer can possess it? Do we not all need to be edified?”
The gift of tongues it’s a gift, just like the gift of prophecy or healing, and not everybody possesses it. To be honest I can’t truly understand how God distributes his spiritual gifts nor is this the subject of this discussion.
On the other side, praying in tongues it is indeed a blessing for self-edification and yes, we all need to be edified. That’s exactly why we all need to be looking for it and ask for it and pray for it and let the Holy Spirit within us take control, and let go of the mind for just a short moment that feels incredible long and lasting and blissful.
It sure is a supernatural experience that makes you feel “closer” to God and that I highly recommend to everybody. (Yes, it does release endorphins, but don’t all of God’s blessings find a way through our human body? How would we experience His spiritual blessings without a related human response? Don’t we all feel loved? Don’t we feel joy? Are those feelings real or just mind delusions? And if they are real, don’t they all originate from some sort of neurochemical reactions?)
Ultimately I think it’s just a matter of distinction between the gift of tongues (public; for the edification of the church; not everybody possesses it) and worshipping the Lord praying in other tongues (private; for self-edification; accessible to everyone).
I would be careful not to lightly dismiss it as an earthly emotional-triggered nonsense.
But at the end of the day it’s all wrapped up in verse 26: “What then, brethren, is [the right course]? Let everything be constructive and edifying and for the good of all”.
Cheers,
Luca.
N.B.: Please don’t pay attention to mistakes. English it’s not my mother tongue.
Here is my biggest problem with “praying in tongues” being for today.
Too much emphasis has been placed on “praying in tongues.”
When someone supposedly “prays in tongues”, many people contend it is absolute proof the person is a Christian (the Gospel is NOT the criteria being used). In fact it gets even worse, many people in the United Pentecostal ‘Church’ (CULT) contend that if one does NOT “pray in tongues”, they are NOT saved. Huh???
Well, here is just one example of pontificating blowhard Kenneth Copeland “praying in tongues” FALSELY. Furthermore, many of us within the Body of Christ do NOT consider this blowhard Kenneth Copeland to be a real Christian, so what’s going on here? Furthermore furthermore, the person he is pontificating over, is the satanic pontiff Pope Francis. Huh???
So what does this say about automatically making these positive assumptions about “praying in tongues”?
Notice how many Christians in the audience are being fooled by this nonsense!
Here are TD Jakes and Paula White, known false prophets/teachers and multimillionaire frauds from soiling the Name of Jesus, “speaking in tongues.” It is not the best video clip, but it shows Copeland’s not the only liar who “speaks in tongues” to impress his audience.
More fake tongues. Yep. Something is rotten in Denmark:
“The phrase “As above, so below” is a New Age phrase. This is evident in the below book ‘As Above So Below: Paths to Spiritual Renewal in Daily Life’ by Ronald S. Miller.”
In fact this “as above, so below” phrase is an occultic/witchcraft saying, and is often accompanied by hand signs, used by practicing witches to identify themselves to others who may be in the crowd…