MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20
1 Corinthians 14:20-28
Mark 12:30

“Great peace have they
which love thy law…”

TONGUES THEN AND NOW (III)

Today’s Charismatic tongues violate God’s truth in three vital areas:

(a) They by-pass the mind: By their own leaders, Charismatics are taught that their “gift of tongues” requires the tongues speaker to abandon conscious, rational control. He must by-pass the mind, holding it in abeyance during the exercise of tongues. The advice given is: “We will not understand the words we are saying, nor should we expect to.” Such doctrine is directly contrary to God’s Word. God never intended at any time that His people by-pass the understanding in any sort of communion or worship. On the contrary our Lord laid down the most important commandment: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart… soul… mind… strength.”

(b) Charismatics manipulate these tongues: Everywhere Charismatic leaders urge novices and new converts to open their mouths, relax and roll their tongues. “Help the candidate to see that the gift is already given and that all he has to do is receive it… that he is to expect the Spirit to move his vocal cords, but he must co¬operate... to open his mouth wide and breathe as deeply as possible…” (AOG handbook). Charismatic tongues are manufactured by man, not by God.

(c) They interpret by “imagineering”: Both tongues speaker and interpreter do not know what they are saying. Their “interpretation” is pure self-delusion and deception of their hearers. The same “tongues” have as many interpretations as there are interpreters. A missionary recited the Lord’s prayer in an African dialect. The so-called interpreter declared that Christ’s second coming was imminent! A Chinese student in England spoke her native dialect and was welcomed by the Charismatic group as another tongues speaker!

THOUGHT: Tongues speakers are deceiving and being deceived.
PRAYER: Lord, help me to serve Thee with all my heart and mind.