Speaking In Tongues...Does anyone believe like I do?

I do. I know many others who do as well. The fact is that people are afraid of the miraculous, because it is hard to explain. People are so preoccupied by looking sophisticated and sounding intellectual that they will not let God do what he does.

Hang in there. Remember that the prophet Joel proclaimed that in the last days God would pour out his Spirit. I still believe that the best days are coming.

Speaking in tongues is just one of many gifts from the Holy Spirit. Your whole life should be evidence that you have God (Holy Spirit) in you. One little gift is not THE EVIDENCE for having the Holy Spirit. There is a false doctrine that implies that some Christians has the Spirit and other don't. HUH??? You may recall that the person who speaks in tongues may only do so if there is someone there who can interpret it! We (all Christians) receive the Holy Spirit the moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. The Holy Spirit remain within us and is not some mystical force that we "receive" every Sunday at the church service.

I always wanted to know why it is only the Charismatic denomination who speak in tongues? I have NEVER seen someone from the traditional, reformed (Dutch-reformed) churches doing this. Correct me if I am mistaken...

Ok, well God most definitely can give a person the gift of speaking in tongues to enable him/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 didn’t 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 form 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.

My beliefs are similar to yours, as they pertain to the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

It was explained to me this way:

When you "receive" (not when you are baptized by) the Holy spirit, it is like you receive a drink of water. The water is in you, and you can feel the water filling you.

When you are baptized in the Spirit, it is like being tossed into the ocean. You are in the water. You are overcome by it, surrounded by it and immersed in it.

You receive the "drink" when you accept Christ as your savior. Being baptized in the Spirit is something that you have to pray for and be willing to submit to. You have to allow God to work supernaturally through you as an intercessor, healer, etc.

And yes, I believe that speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of receiving the baptism in the Spirit.

Speaking in tongues-- no. I believe it is psychological (and yes, I have been to churches that do it).

Like those psychology experiments where they give you some whipped cream with chocolate sauce and ask you to rate their new strawberry yogurt-- 8 out of 10 people will believe it is actually strawberry yogurt, and even argue about it when they are told that it wasn't.

The mind is a powerful thing. A roomful of people tell a person who believes a certain way that this is something of God, and they all start doing it, your brain makes you do it.

Here's one for you... there is no reliable study or documented proof that anyone speaking in tongues is speaking a verifiable language to which they had never been exposed, nor do the people who utter jibberish utter the same things in a pattern that can appear like a language.

It's most likely the mind.

The bible says that speaking in tongues meant everyone could understand what was being said!!! It is no wonder they look at you as if you are crazy - psychiatrists already say it is mass hysteria at best but in most cases a psychological problem!!

Modern mumbo jumbo spouting is nothing to do with speaking in tongues!!!

Yes, I am a New Ager, NON-christian...yes this is possible. True Masters can speak a 100 different languages but that comes from decades of energy cultivation. It doesn't happen just b/c of some pastor.

When the bible talks about being baptized in Jesus' name, he was talking about baptism with FIRE, not necessarily the Holy Ghost. In fact, the New Age Word for Holy Spirit is Sacred Fire

Even John writes: he who is greater then me, he shall baptize you with Fire.'

Speaking in tongues can be a good thing, or it can create confusion and disorder. It is not necessary to salvation as Paul clearly taught that not all speak in tongues. It is only one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

1Cr 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

1Cr 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

1Cr 12:29 [Are] all apostles? [are] all prophets? [are] all teachers? [are] all workers of miracles?

1Cr 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

1Cr 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

The more excellent way is, of course, the waay of love, as desribed in the unspeakably beautiful prose of 1 Corinthians 13.

Dear me, young grasshopper, you either have a poor sense of humor or you are in the most serious spiritual delusion.

A person who had gifts of the Holy Spirit such as you mention - speaking in tongues, prophecy, healing, etc, would have such a close relationship with Jesus Christ that the mere mention of possessing these things to another person would seem like the grand ultimate adultery to God.

That is, these things are given in the context of an intimate relationship, they are given as a lover would to his affianced in private, and here now we are blabbing away.

Even worse, we are bragging as if we have not received it, as if we are something special and not God who has all authority and power and dominion.

Even the saints of old would be frightened at the thought of doing these things for fear of being praised, or even worse, out of fear of knowing their unworthiness.

Be careful, insanity lies at the doorway...

Yes. I was confirmed in a charismatic Episcopal church.

Speaking in tongues is biblical.

Laying hands on the sick is biblical.

And of course, so is baptism.