Originally posted by aardvarkhomeSo, the first question is how do I hear God. God speaks to us in different ways.
Do you hear god / cheeses speaking to you, as a clear voice, in tongues or your native language?
1. I believe the the bible is the inspired word of God and that God does speak to us through His word. John 1:1 says this: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God". When we read the bible we are hearing from God. As stated in earlier posts some things are metaphors used to get a point across and others are facts.
2. I'm sorry, but right off hand I don't know the scripture reference, but the Bible talks about in us we can hear a still small voice (which is God). I read a book regarding this and it really opened my eyes to what this meant. Have you ever prayed for some answer t a question and then hear an answer in your head??? It sounds like you right? It happens to me. Anyway, This book stated that this is God talking to you through your spirit. This sounds "weird", but is very true. I didn't realize it until I actually started listening. The Bible states in John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice..." Some might say that it is just you thinking to yourself how could that be God. Well, sometimes it might be, but that is where faith comes into play. You have to get used to hearing Gods voice and recognizing when it is actually God and when it is just you. I've taught this before: When I call home and my youngest son answers the phone I say hi son and he immediately says hi daddy! Why, because he knows my voice. If someone else called he would know it wasn't me and not listed to them if they said they were daddy. Get my point?
3. Last we hear from God when in church there is a message given in a tongue and then immediately it is interpreted by someone in your own language.
So I hear God in His word, I hear God with my spirit (inside) and I hear God in messages. Can God speak to me in an audible voice, yes! Has He ever done that with me, no. That is spoken of throughout the Bible.
Hope that answers your question.
I really appreciate you all asking questions and giving me the opportunity to share with you what I have learned.
Originally posted by Bosse de NageYou begin by first believing! You would pray and ask God to reveal this truth to you and then ask Him. The Bible talks about being baptized and the initial evidence of being born again is speaking in tongues.
How would I begin?
You begin by believing, being baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit and wanting to speak in tongues.
I just got off work and I'm going to bed now, but if you want to know more I will try and get more answers for you.
Originally posted by safetymanIf it's just a language like other languages (you compared it to English), why is believing a requirement for learning it? If it's not just a language like other languages, how is it different? Does it have a vocabulary and grammar like other languages? Can you write it? And why does God prefer to use that language rather than a language most people present at a service understand?
You begin by first believing! You would pray and ask God to reveal this truth to you and then ask Him. The Bible talks about being baptized and the initial evidence of being born again is speaking in tongues.
You begin by believing, being baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit and wanting to speak in tongues.
I just got off work and I'm going to bed now, but if you want to know more I will try and get more answers for you.
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Originally posted by safetymanDo theists sometimes "post" in tongues? I sometimes find myself unable to decipher a theist's post, is it because they have posted in tongues and I lack the spiritual gift of interpretation?
You begin by first believing! You would pray and ask God to reveal this truth to you and then ask Him. The Bible talks about being baptized and the initial evidence of being born again is speaking in tongues.
You begin by believing, being baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit and wanting to speak in tongues.
I just got off work and I'm going to bed now, but if you want to know more I will try and get more answers for you.
RBHILL seems to do this quite often and he is a particularly spiritual guy, so it would not suprise me if he possessed the spiritual gift of posting in tongues.
Originally posted by TheSkipperYou're doing it now and you don't even know it.
Do theists sometimes "post" in tongues? I sometimes find myself unable to decipher a theists post, is it because they have posted in tongues and I lack the spiritual gift of interpretation?
RBHILL seems to do this quite often and he is a particularly spiritual guy, so it would not suprise me if he possessed the spiritual gift of posting in tongues.
Originally posted by NordlysFrom the Wiki article on the subject (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossolalia)—
If it's just a language like other languages (you compared it to English), why is believing a requirement for learning it? If it's not just a language like other languages, how is it different? Does it have a vocabulary and grammar like other languages? Can you write it? And why does God prefer to use that language rather than a language most people present at a service understand?
Glossolalia (from the Greek “glossa,” tongue and “lalo,” I speak) comprises unintelligible utterances, often as part of religious practice. Glossolalia is claimed by some to be an unknown mystical language; others claim that glossolalia is the speaking of an unlearned foreign language (see xenoglossia).
The syllables that make up instances of glossolalia typically appear to be unpatterned reorganizations of phonemes from the primary language of the person uttering the syllables; thus, the glossolalia of people from Russia, the United Kingdom, and Brazil all sound quite different from each other, but vaguely resemble the Russian, English, and Portuguese languages, respectively. Many linguists generally regard most glossolalia as lacking any identifiable semantics, syntax, or morphology.
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I have also read of studies that show that a specific example of glossolalia was interpreted differently by people who claimed to have the gist of interpretation.
I have no more issue with glossolalia as a spiritual practice than I do with silent meditation or Hasidic niggun or Zen koans. It seems a way to “by-pass” the discursive, concept-making activities of the mind.
Again, from the Wiki article—
In 2006, at the University of Pennsylvania, researchers, under the direction of Andrew Newberg, MD, completed the world’s first brain-scan study of a group of Pentecostal Practitioners while they were speaking in tongues. One of the study's authors is a practicioner of glossolalia and a born-again Christian herself. The study concluded that while participants were exercising glossolalia, activity in the language centers of the brain actually decreased, while activity in the emotional centers of the brain increased.
During this study, researchers observed significant cerebral blood flow changes among individuals while exercising glossolalia, concluding that the observed changes were consistent with some of the described aspects of glossolalia. Further, the researchers observed no changes in any language areas, suggesting that glossolalia is not associated with usual language function.
safetyman: Anyway, my first point is this: Speaking in tongues is something that you have to do for yourself. It isn't some mystical thing that takes over your body that you can't control.
This coincides with my classing it as a spiritual practice. As far as it being a “gift of the spirit,” I have no thoughts on that whatsoever.
Tongues in not "just" another language. It is a spiritual language. There are at least two types of tongues that one can speak (that I know of).
1. personal language. This is tongues that you pray for your own edification. This is a direct prayer to God in a spiritual language. The Bible states that when you pray in tongues to God you are praying the perfect prayer. Many times when we pray with our mind and our thoughts it is selfish. I need more money, I need help with my marriage, please help my kids ....me, me, me, me. right. I've been there and still do it because we have needs. But the spiritual language you do not understand but God does.
2. Tongues for the edification of the church. This is a gift where an individual will stand in the church and give a message in tongues. Then another individual will receive the interpretation of that tongues message (received from God) and then give that message in a language that everyone will understand.
This is not a language that you go to school and learn. It is not written (that I know of. I don't know how anyone could do that but...)
believing would be a requirement, because many people are afraid of the unknown. If you don't believe that it is a real language, if you don't believe that anyone can do it etc, etc. then you will not do it. There has to be some faith involved or it won't happen. You will get in the way of it. You can control anything that you want to do. God is not going to make you do anything. So, if you don't believe then YOU won't do it. Hope that makes sense and answers your question.