Babbling in Tongues
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Cherry Lou Tan
In this hub, I am going to be discussing an encounter I had, revolving around the gift of tongues, with a Christian woman who I met in an online Christian chat room, and how this encounter changed her life.
Ungodly Tongues
I met Cherry Lou Tan in a Christian chat room on Yahoo chat. After having a few conversations with her and getting to know her, she informed me that she was experiencing the babbling form of the gift of tongues, theologically termed glossolalia. She said that it was something she underwent often. I told her to be careful because glossolalia is a Satanic counterfeit. I used the following arguments for support:
- God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), so He is not going to have us babbling in a confusing language that others cannot understand.
- The Holy Spirit comes to give us self-control (Galatians 5:16), not to cause us to lose control of ourselves and fall to the ground, writhing (which is a common occurrence when someone receives the babbling form of the gift of tongues).
- Language experts have examined glossolalia and discovered it follows no recognizable language pattern. In other words, it is not even a valid language. It is just a bunch of gibberish.
- Many tongue-speaking pastors have been asked to translate a recording of someone speaking in tongues and have come up with completely different interpretations.
Ask, and You Shall Receive
Cherry Lou Tan was reluctant to believe me because of the power that attended her "gift" of tongues. I told reluctant Cherry, "Just does this: the next time you pray, ask God to take the babbling form of tongues you are experiencing away from you if it is not from Him." She contacted me the next day, telling me that that night she followed my suggestion. Her mouth began making the motions of babbling but no words came out. Then she got the strangest, most indescribable feeling. It convinced her that the form of tongues she was experiencing was not of God!
Persistence unto Victory
She asked me, "What do you suppose that means?" I replied, "God answered your prayer. You asked Him to take your tongue-babbling away from you if it was not from Him, and He prevented the devil from speaking through you. But the devil is not giving up without a fight." She said, "What do I do now?" I answered, "Keep praying until you gain the complete victory. Jesus is more powerful than the devil, and He will give you the victory."
We agreed to keep her struggle in prayer. I even contacted many people I know, including the Amazing Facts ministry, and asked them to pray for Cherry. Shortly afterwards, Cherry cheerfully announced to me that she was no longer “babbling” in tongues.
Understanding Tongues
Tongues of God
Moreover, for clarification, in case you got the idea that I am against the gift of tongues from this hub, that is not so. I am just against the babbling form of the gift of tongues, which I believe is unbiblical and a Satanic counterfeit. The authentic gift of tongues is a miraculous ability to speak in languages foreign to the one receiving the gift, as demonstrated during Pentecost in Acts 2:1-11.
Cherry Lou Tan was confused about her "gift" of tongue-babbling. I gave her some arguments to dissuade her, but she was reluctant to accept them. Then she gave the matter over to the Lord in prayer. Her sincere entreaty paid off. What the words of a man could not accomplish, the power of God did. God revealed to her that her "gift" of tongue-babbling was not from Him, and Cherry is no longer fooled by that deception.
More Christian Hubs by Greg Sereda
The Ten Commandments do everything from reflecting the holy character of God to identifying what sin is. That being said, should Christians keep them today? Read this hub and decide for yourself!
America started out as a nation founded on Christian values; however, Revelation tells us it will end up speaking like a dragon (the devil)! Find out what else Bible prophecy has to say about the future of the United States by reading this hub!
The supreme authority of the Pope over the church, mandatory celibacy for Catholic priests and Mary worship are only some of the reasons I finally decided to leave the Catholic faith. Read this hub to discover more unbiblical practices and beliefs of the Catholic religion!
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Brenda Durham - Thanks for the comment. Feel free to share this with others.
Good stuff, Greg, thank you!!!
Indeed. I had the unfortunate experience of attending a couple Pentecostal revivals a number of years ago. It was shameful to see these so-called Christians acting the way they did, throwing their arms in the air and babbling incoherantly, some even jerking and contorting "in the spirit".
I used to study Islam, many years ago, and I was aware that within the Sufi sect, they get themselves into a trance-like state ("intoxicated by the spirit"), and begin to babble in tongues. They say that when they are in this state of consciousness, the "Babbling Spirit" is able to come unto them and work through them. Scary stuff.
The problem with tongues is that many Christians are superstitous and want signs and wonders to prove they are filled with the Holy Spirit. This is, therefore, a sign of deficient faith in some and a sign of excessive pride in others.
The Almighty would never give someone the gift of tongues unless it was absolutely necessary AND there was, in attendance, another who was able to translate what was being said truthfully and accurately.
Speaking in tongues was done for practical reasons, not for self-edification. Having said that I have known quite a few Pentecostals over the years and some of these people lived like heathens six days out of the week, but come Sunday morning they could speak in the "tongues of Angels"?! Give me a break!
There is also a well-known account of an African gentleman who was visiting the United States. He was attending a Pentecostal church and was dumb-founded at what he saw there.
These loose tongued, babbling Pentecostals were babbling away, which is their claim to fame, but what they didn't know was that the "Babbling Spirit" was using them to defame and curse God IN THIS MAN'S NATIVE TONGUE!!! He told them exactly what they were saying and encouraged them to stop the practice at once. Unfortunately this is easier said than done.
Best wishes and thanks for the great hub - L.R.
Lone Ranger - You make an interesting point about Islamic sufi's speaking in tongues, because in my research I have discovered that the practice of speaking (or rather, babbling) in tongues dates back before Pentecost and has pagan origins.
"The recorded cases of glossolalia go as back as far as 1100 B.C. On that occasion a young Amen worshiper attracted historical infamy when he became possessed by a god and began to make sounds in a strange ecstatic tongue." - http://speaking-in-tongues.net/
Hi Greg, great hub. Very unique - voted up
Take care
John
John Sarkis - Thanks!
Wow!!
Brenda Durham Level 5 Commenter 3 months ago
I agree. Good stuff. Thanks Greg.