Greetings -
Below are some excerpts from the postings of Pam Sheppard, a licensed
Christian counselor who does deliverance mentoring/counseling. She has a
Master’s degree in social work and is retired from NY state government.
Prior to becoming born again, Pam was an atheist involved in the
occult. After being born again, she became an ordained minister and was
in that position for twenty-five years.
It's a certainty that some occult practices have made their way into church buildings...
There are times that we rush to judgment relative to disagreements.
Surely, it isn’t wise to be open to any wind of doctrine or teaching nor
is it wise to outright reject information without being sure that we
don’t need to alter our beliefs. It’s reasonable to seek the
Lord…examine, study, research, etc. We can be wrong and we can be
right. Only GOD is never wrong.
For sure - without love..., we are nothing. Love is action and walking in truth and love certainly pleases our Lord.
3 John 4 - KJV
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
###
That said, if you’re inclined, please read Pam’s excerpts below and if
you’re further inclined, please go to my post directly below
this one and click on the various links to read more fully what Pam has
expressed relative to the speaking in tongues issue.
Thank you.
Pam’s excerpts:
Sept. 25, 2011
My Personal Experience with Tongues
Another good question. So, until recently, I never suspected that
tongues could be “of the devil.” Even so, I would not be the first to
share such a supposition. Tongue talkers have been accused of “having a
demon” by countless professing Christians and non Christians. So what is
going on “today?” In terms of “what is going on in my life today, this
week, I cast out 8 Hindu deities from one former yoga practitioner who
is a Christian: Shiva, Hakini, Savashiva, Isha, Vahni, Vishnu, Rakini
and Brahma in the name and by the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Practically each of these demons came out ranting at me using its
captive to speak in tongues—a very similar sound to the tongues that I
have heard uttered among those who profess to be speaking “a prayer
language.”
Sunday September 25, 2011
The Purpose of Tongues
Along these lines, a general statement of warning is in order, relative
to taking scriptures out of context without connecting the selected
verse to the “who, what, where, how and why” of the entire book. With
these general statements made and without throwing out of context
scriptures back and forth in a useless debate, I think we can all agree
that God is a God of order, and within his order, there is always a
divine purpose.
June 15, 2012
Why the Enemy Needs Tongues
I believe that tongues have ceased. The reason I believe that all
tongues spoken today is a counterfeit is based on simple logic and basic
commonsense. I found that as I conducted research for the book “the
fake Jesus,” tongues actually DID cease as Paul told the Corinthians
that they would. History reveals that tongues ceased for 19 centuries.
Think about it. No Christian needed or ever heard of “a prayer language” for 1900 years!!!!!.
Why did tongues cease?
Well, because its purpose had been fulfilled.
Has Tongues Ceased?
ReplyDelete"When the perfect has come" tongues will cease - the perfect is the Lord Jesus Christ... I know you will probably take this comment off like you did my other one....I began thinking "tongues were of the devil" and our Lord Jesus did one thing after another - miracle after miracle and then gently - in His timing and answering all my fears one by one - gave me His gift....again, the enemy can only counterfeit - he doesn't create and there has to be an original for the enemy to mess with a counterfeit.... 2 Timothy 1:12
ReplyDeleteFor this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
We definitely get to agree to disagree on the tongues issue....
Marijo
Hi Marijo -
ReplyDeleteOh, you posted a comment on Facebook NOT on here relative to what I posted yesterday on here also. I posted the same topic here and on Facebook.
On Facebook, I removed the entire post which included your comment. I do removals of posts on Facebook often and then I re-post them because of how Facebook moves along. So I re-post the same ones over on some days...
Some months ago, you shared with me how you do repeat posts on Facebook because of how it moves posts along and folks may miss what is posted...
So to be clear, Marijo, I didn't specifically remove your comment. I removed the entire post...
That helps me understand the process better.... thanks!
ReplyDeleteSure, you're certainly welcome, Marijo.
ReplyDeleteThe comment below was sent to me at about 3 p.m. today, via e-mail, from Phyllis. She gave me permission to post it here.
ReplyDeleteFrom Phyllis:
Just this past week our Sunday School class studied 1 Corinthians 14. In Chapter 12, gifts were discussed, ending with an admonition to covet earnestly the best gifts - but the more excellent way, Chapter 13, is defined as LOVE - the Greek agape, translated in KJV as charity, but truly is LOVE. After that comes a deeper discussion regarding gifts and tongues, so the same subject is retained across three chapters. The gift of tongues has no value with someone hearing that can interpret. The best display of such a gift is at Pentecost - where the disciples spoke and the hearers heard their own language. That gift edifies God, lifts attention away from the one "speaking in tongues" and is biblical as shown in scriptures.
For anyone to bring attention to themselves, edifying themselves only, by speaking in an unknown - or prayer - tongue, I can find no biblical scripture for such to occur within a worship service, without detracting from God's message.
Please study these three chapters to see if my interpretation is correct?
Phyllis, you expressed, "...For anyone to bring attention to themselves, edifying themselves only, by speaking in an unknown - or prayer - tongue, I can find no biblical scripture for such to occur within a worship service, without detracting from God's message."
ReplyDeleteMy response:
What is your belief, Phyllis, relative to speaking in an unknown tongue outside of worship service, such as in private devotions?
Thanks for reposting what I sent by mail - and one small correction. I had a typo. I know you copied it exact and this sentence is in error:
ReplyDelete"The gift of tongues has no value with someone hearing that can interpret." To be correct, I should have typed: "The gift of tongues has no value without someone hearing that can interpret."
As for private devotions - I've not found a scripture that addresses that. What we say to God is strictly personal, and not addressed in scripture. God knows the desires of our hearts, and when He is our greatest desire, we will reach Him.