MANIFESTING KINGDOM CULTURE

Acts Chapter 2







Today we are walking in: Manifesting Kingdom Culture







Joel 2:28




And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit H7307 upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:





SPIRIT






Today we look to the word-SPIRIT- H7307-RUWACH-wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being:—air, anger, blast, breath,







The Torah Testifies……………………….




Genesis 1:2




And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit H7307 of God moved upon the face of the waters.






Genesis 6:3




And the LORD said, My spirit H7307 shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.





Exodus 28:3




And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit H7307 of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.










The Prophets Proclaim……………………….





Isaiah 31:3




Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit H7307. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.





Ezekiel 2:2




And the spirit H7307 entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.






Haggai 1:14




And the LORD stirred up the spirit H7307 of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit H7307 of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit H7307 of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,









The Writings Witness………………………..




Job 10:12




Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit H7307.





Psalm 34:18




The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. H7307





Proverbs 15:4




A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit H7307.




Manifesting Kingdom Culture




The absence of an internal government always demands more external law.




As we have seen, every nation manifests itself in unique cultural and social expressions. There are specific ways that people from certain countries act, speak, and look, so that you can recognize, “That’s a Bahamian,” “That’s an Italian,” or “That’s a Russian.” After you have been around people from various countries or regions long enough, you begin to recognize their distinguishing mannerisms, attitudes, and speech.




The previous teaching emphasized that, as citizens of the heavenly kingdom, we should begin to take on the distinguishing characteristics of our new country. While we are still surrounded by the kingdom of darkness, we are to live from the inside out rather than from the outside in. Since we’re not used to living in this way, we depend on the Governor to instruct and empower us in all the ways of the kingdom—its mind-set, lifestyle, and customs—so that what is within us can be manifested in our attitudes, words, and actions.




In this teaching, I want to explore an aspect of kingdom culture that is vital to all other aspects of it; in fact, it often leads to and is associated with the gifts of the Spirit, which we will discuss in more depth in the next teaching.




To begin, let’s look at the characteristics of all human nations, or kingdoms.




Characteristics of All Nations




There are certain characteristics that nations must have to become established and to maintain themselves as nations. They must have...




1. Land (territory)




2.Culture (what the nation stands for; its ideals)




3.Values (the standards the people of the nation live by)




4.Language (a common form of communication)




For example, what makes the United States of America a nation is not a particular ethnicity or standard of living. It is the land, the foundational beliefs and tenets found in its Constitution and other important national documents, the values that are drawn from those foundational beliefs, and its common language, English.




The Power of Language to a Kingdom




Of the above four characteristics, language is the primary and greatest manifestation of a nation’s culture.




Why is language so important to a nation?




Language Is the Key to National Identity




First, language is the key to national identity. When the British Empire took over the Bahamas, the first thing they did was make the people learn to speak English. Language is powerful because it gives people a shared perspective not only on life, but also on how that life is expressed. It could be said that culture is contained in language, because it shapes it. If you and I can’t speak the same language, we can never have the same culture because we can’t communicate with one another. So the key to community is language. A country is really not a country until all the people speak in the same tongue.




Language Creates National Unity




Second, language creates national unity. When a nation doesn’t have a common language, the unity of the people begins to break down. In fact, the United States is currently facing a challenge with this issue. Some of the people want the nation to be officially bilingual because of the many immigrants who have come from Spanish-speaking nations. A number of these immigrants don’t seem to want to learn English, so signs and literature are being printed in Spanish.




In past generations, when immigrants came to America, such as those from Ireland and Italy, there were also segments of the population who spoke another language. However, most of these immigrants wanted to learn English, and they wanted their children to speak English, too, so the situation was somewhat different. They were not asking that their languages be recognized officially but were interested in assimilating into American culture by learning English. The current question of a bilingual nation has prompted some in the Congress of the United States to propose legislation declaring English the official language.




Historically, Americans have agreed that their language is English, the French have agreed that their language is French, and people from Spain and Latin American countries have agreed that their language is Spanish. If you emigrate to another country, it’s supposed to be your responsibility to make sure you adopt the country’s language. Otherwise, it encourages disharmony. Therefore, every nation embraces a common language because it is the key to unity.




Language Is the Key to Effective Communication




Third, language is the key to effective communication. National culture, values, history, goals, needs, and desires can be transmitted only if a nation’s leaders and citizens are able to effectively communicate these things to each other and subsequent generations. A common language is essential to accomplish this, especially in helping to ensure the accuracy of the transmission.




Language is the Key to Effective Expression




Fourth, language is the key to effective expression. You won’t be able to articulate what you desire to say if you lack the words to do so. Such a lack makes it difficult for people to participate in a nation as full-fledged citizens.




Language Signifies a Common Heritage




Fifth, language is the key to common heritage. It identifies the original home country of those who speak it. For example, if a man from Portugal met a man from Brazil, they would recognize their common heritage because they both speak Portuguese, even though there might be regional differences in their respective expressions of the language.




Language Is the Key to Generational Transfer




Sixth, language is the key to generational transfer. When families emigrate from a nation, and the parents preserve the language and customs of the home country but their children do not, you eventually have situations in which grandchildren are unable to speak with their grandparents and lose contact with their heritage. This means that, if I want to pass along my values, beliefs, and family traditions to my children, I have to be able to communicate with them in a common language. Language therefore preserves family heritage throughout generations.




Loss of Unity and Communication with the Kingdom




These points about the power and value of language have implications for kingdom culture on earth. When human beings rebelled against their King and lost the Governor, the clear lines of communication between the heavenly kingdom and the inhabitants on earth were disrupted. In this sense, we could say that heaven and earth no longer had a “common language.” Human beings then tried to use their human language to further disassociate themselves from the King. Let’s examine how this transpired.




The book of Genesis records, “Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.” We learn in Genesis 3 that after Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden of Eden, the entrance to the eastern side of the garden was specifically guarded so they couldn’t return there. Apparently, they left from the east side, and humanity continued to move eastward as the earth’s population grew.




In Genesis 11, we find that the people were still spreading out eastward, and that they had retained a common language. This is the chapter that describes how the people decided to build a city with an immense tower. The incident shows the power of language. The people wanted to build a tower that would reach to the heavens, and they said, in effect, “We will build a tower and make a name for ourselves.” Yah’s response was, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.”




Note that he said, “If as one people with the same language,” indicating that a key to power is language.




The people’s desire to build, however, was an indication of their separation from the home country. When you build something just for your own honor and purposes, even while using the mind, talent, and material the King gave you, and you call it your own, this is the same as idol worship. Anything that is more important to us than the King is an idol. So the people were about to build a tower that was more important to them than their Creator-King was.




The King was not against people building cities or towers. In fact, he wants us to build the dreams that are in our hearts, which he put there. Rather, he was against their selfish pursuit of fame, and their arrogance. We are to do everything for the sake of the King’s glory, not our own. If it’s not for his glory, it will eventually be to our detriment.




Again, the key to their ability to build this tower was their unified language. “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.” The power of language is its ability to produce. Today, we see that the language barrier prevents many countries from working together on projects, and it can cause communication problems for companies who try to build in other nations.




Since the whole world at that time had one language, we can say that the whole world had powerful potential. But they used that power of language to build something for themselves, and the King said, in essence, “This is wrong. Everything you’re using is mine. The ground is mine. The water is mine. The straw is mine. The nails and the hammers are all made from materials I created.” And so, his response was, “Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” He didn’t say, “Let us destroy the tower,” because that wasn’t necessary. If they couldn’t talk to one another, the tower couldn’t be completed.




The Genesis account continues, “That is why it was called Babel—because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world.” This incident is where we get the word babble. Babble means “confusion.” When we say someone is babbling, we mean that what he is saying is incomprehensible. The tower was not originally called the Tower of Babel. That was just what it was called after the King destroyed the people’s ability to communicate with one language.




Confounding humanity’s language was the King-Father’s way of protecting us until he would one day restore our unity and communication with him and one another through the return of the Governor. Expelling human beings from the garden had protected humanity from eating from the Tree of Life and living in an eternal state of rebellion and separation from Yah, with no hope of redemption. Similarly, confusing humanity’s language helped to guard human beings from the self-destruction of pursuing their goals only for selfish pursuit. The action was for their ultimate good.




If the key to power is one language, then the key to weakness is many languages. I believe this is one reason why the United Nations is so ineffective. Different languages, and the cultures they create, inevitably promote misunderstanding and disunity, and it isn’t possible to change this fundamental issue, even through well-meaning organizations.




The rebellion of human beings, therefore, damaged their unity and communication with Yah and one another until the King-Son could put them back in the position to reconnect once again through the Governor. Significantly, this restoration of communication and unity was characterized by a capacity to speak in heaven-given languages, an ability given by the Ruach HaQadesh. Once again, we can see why the key to bringing back kingdom culture to earth is the Governor.




Heaven-Given Languages




One of the first things the Governor gives us after we receive his infilling is the ability to speak in heaven-given languages. He may give an earthly language that the speaker does not understand. Or he may give a heavenly language that is unknown on earth. Through heaven-given languages, the Governor enables human beings to once more share a “common tongue,” so to speak, with the heavenly King, showing they belong to his kingdom. After Yahusha had accomplished his mission of restoration, he told his disciples, “You will receive power when the Ruach HaQadesh comes on you.” But he also said, “These signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;... they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Yahusha was outlining the evidence of lives that have been connected to the heavenly kingdom.




The promise of the Father was not just for kingdom power, therefore, but it was also for kingdom language. According to Yahusha, when you receive citizenship, you receive “new tongues.” The Governor gives you languages from the heavenly kingdom. Let’s review what happened when the Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost:




When the day of Pentecost came, they [the one hundred twenty followers of Yahusha at that time] were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Ruach HaQadesh and began to speak in other tongues [or languages] as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem Yah-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Hebrewism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of Yah in our own tongues!”




“All of them were filled with the Ruach HaQadesh and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Sud- denly, those one hundred twenty people, who had gathered together to worship the King-Father and wait for the outpouring of the Spirit, were enabled by the Governor to speak in other languages. In this particular case, the Yah-given languages included human languages that the international crowd could understand. The King was communicating his plan of restoration through a special gift of language given to his kingdom citizens. This was a sign of the fulfillment of his promise. It showed that the communication lines between heaven and earth were open once more through the return of the Governor. It was also an indication that Yah desires to restore unity among the people of the world.




Peter told those who witnessed their speaking in tongues, “Yah has raised this Yahusha to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of Yah, he has received from the Father the promised Ruach HaQadesh and has poured out what you now see and hear.” When the Governor indwells our lives, we’re supposed to hear his presence, not just see it. It’s supposed to be manifest in the evidence of language.




Let’s note the beauty of this occurrence. At the incident of the Tower of Babel, Yah confused the people with multiple languages so he could weaken them. Here, he gave his people the gift of languages in order to strengthen them in their new kingdom life and enable them to communicate the promise of the Spirit to other inhabitants who needed to hear this message. This gift of languages also served to unite kingdom citizens as one people belonging to the King-Father.




I have traveled to over seventy countries, mostly to speak at conferences but sometimes to visit. I don’t understand the languages of many of these nations. However, when I have attended conferences in a number of these places, something unique has happened that illustrates the oneness between people that comes from receiving heaven-given languages.




For example, I was recently ministering in Ukraine, where twenty thousand people had gathered in an auditorium. I don’t understand Ukrainian. However, we started worshipping, and the whole place seemed to explode with heaven-given languages. When I heard twenty thousand Ukrainian-speaking people begin to speak in tongues, and I joined them, I thought, “We’re one now!” I suddenly felt at home. This reminded me again that the power of unity is in language.




In a similar incident, I went to Germany some years ago, and we went to a Pentecostal church where I was to speak. Of course, everybody was speaking German. Then they started worshipping and speaking in tongues. All of a sudden, I had that same feeling of being home. To hear them speak in tongues was to feel, “We are one family.” The barriers dropped away. We realized that we are all citizens of the kingdom, and that we have a common heritage. It was tongues that did it. Then, when the worship portion ended and the people began to speak in German, I didn’t understand a word anymore and I felt more like a stranger again. Heaven-given languages are more powerful than many of us realize.




Purposes of Speaking in Tongues




The purpose of the Governor is to train us in the ways of our home country; and language, as we’ve seen, is the most crucial characteristic of a country. Let’s review several ways in which speaking in tongues is important to us.




Provides Kingdom Identity




Speaking in tongues is a key element of our kingdom identity. Again, following our reconciliation with the King, our being given the ability to speak in heavenly tongues means the Governor is enabling us, as it were, to share a common heavenly “language” with our King-Father.




Gives Direct Communication with the King




Tongues also enables humanity to once more communicate directly with the King-Father. For example, there are times when we find it difficult to express our desires and needs to the heavenly government while speaking in our earthly languages. Paul wrote that, at these times, the Governor speaks for us and through us to the Father, through spiritual communication.




In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with Yah’s will.




The Governor provides us with heaven-given languages so that, along with other communication, it becomes possible for us to express our crucial needs and requests to the King.




A Sign We Are Connected with the King




When Yahusha’ followers first spoke with “new tongues” as the Ruach HaQadesh was poured out upon them, it was a sign to the thousands of people gathered for the feast of Pentecost that these disciples were connected to the heavenly kingdom. As Paul taught, “Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.”




An Evidence of Our Citizenship in the Kingdom




There is an incident in the book of Acts where the Ruach HaQadesh was poured out on new kingdom citizens in the city of Caesarea as Peter was explaining the gospel of the kingdom to them. Peter and the other believers recognized that these were fellow citizens, “for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising Yah.” Their speaking in tongues was clear evidence of their citizenship in the heavenly kingdom.




Common Questions about Tongues




Inevitably, in a discussion about tongues, people have cer- tain questions, such as...




√ Are tongues real?




√ Were tongues only for the time of Yahusha and his early fol- lowers?




√ Is it necessary to speak in tongues in order to live the life of a kingdom citizen?




Let’s address these questions.




Are Tongues Real?




Tongues are actual spoken communications between heaven and earth. Many people wonder if tongues are real because speaking in tongues has been put into a context of something that is strange or abnormal. The early followers of Yahusha spoke in tongues, as Yahusha had said they would. Kingdom citizens throughout the last two millennia have spoken with the King using this means. If we realize that tongues are what comes natural to citizens of the kingdom, their strangeness disappears and their true purpose becomes clear.




Were Tongues Only for the Time of Yahusha and His Followers?




Tongues were given to kingdom citizens to assist them in kingdom purposes, and we are still living in a time when we need this assistance on earth. Their value to the first-century kingdom citizens is their value to us today—communication with the King-Father as we carry out his will in the world.




Yet some misunderstanding and conflict between people concerning speaking in tongues is not surprising. We read in the Genesis account concerning the tower of Babel,




The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth,




As we just discussed, when people don’t understand each other, they tend to separate themselves. We all like to be with people we understand. This is why, generally, all the English- speaking people group together, all the French speakers stay together, all those who speak Spanish join together, and so on. Language creates differences, and differences can create feel- ings of competition, pressure, and conflict. When you come down to it, war is often created by language differences.




Therefore, when some kingdom citizens don’t understand the value of the gift of tongues and have not received it, then conflict and misunderstanding inevitably occur between them and other kingdom citizens, and this is regrettable. I believe that heaven-given languages are a powerful unifier among those who have received them, and this is why Lucifer fights against the baptism in the Ruach HaQadesh and the outpouring of heavenly gifts to the children of the King. He encourages some kingdom citizens to create doctrines against the gift of tongues; in this way he tries to make sure that not all kingdom citizens will speak a common, unifying “language.” This is, to a large degree, why we have theological positions against tongues, such as that tongues are not real or that they were only for the first followers of Yahusha. We have seminaries that teach that these Yah-given languages don’t exist anymore. Unfortunately, these schools are teaching ignorance. But the real damage is that this opposition to the baptism in the Spirit and tongues prevents some citizens of the King from having all the power they need to exercise the kingdom life.




The devil knows that he is in trouble when we start speak- ing in tongues. Tongues are our key to overcoming obstacles in many areas of our lives. For example, I used to be an F student. After I started speaking in tongues when I was in high school, I became a top student in the school and even graduated at the head of my class. Tongues, therefore, are given for renewing the lives of individual kingdom citizens and enabling them to exercise power for kingdom purposes.




Is It Necessary to Speak in Tongues to Be a Kingdom Citizen?




You can be a kingdom citizen without speaking in tongues. However, you will have problems communicating with the kingdom and, as I said, you will lack the power you could have in living the kingdom life. Here is an illustration to show you that the gifts of the Spirit, and tongues, in particular, are very practical.




In my church, I have members or visitors who come from a variety of countries. There are people from the Philippines who speak Filipino. There are people from Haiti who speak Creole. There are people from Mexico who speak Spanish. If a woman from the Philippines prayed the Lord’s Prayer in Filipino, most of us wouldn’t understand her. However, would she be making sense? Yes, to other people from her original country. If a man from Haiti spoke a psalm in Creole, he wouldn’t make any sense to us, but he would make sense to people in Haiti. The same thing would apply to someone from Mexico who spoke in Spanish.




Now, just because we wouldn’t understand them, would that make their languages invalid? Would you be able to say that their languages weren’t real? Or, would your belief or disbelief in what they said change the fact that their languages were genuine? No. Whether we understood or agreed with them, the languages would still be authentic. Paul wrote,




Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me.




Now, suppose one of those church members or visitors learned English. Since it is not his country’s language, when he picked up the phone to call relatives at home, he would shift into

his country’s tongue. Therefore, if he wanted information from the Bahamas, he would speak English, but if he wanted information from home, he would speak the language of his homeland.




In a similar way, when you speak in tongues here on earth, it’s as if you’ve picked up a phone to call your home country and are speaking in your original language. The Scripture says, “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to Yah. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.” In regard to prayer, we are to pray in tongues more than we pray in our human languages. This is because we don’t want a weak communication of our intent when we’re speaking to heaven. The Scripture tells us that the Governor knows the mind and will of Yah. Therefore, when we pray in the Spirit, we know that the King hears us and that we have the things we have asked him for, because the Governor helps us to pray according to the will of the government. We need a direct line to heaven, and tongues are that direct line. When you are filled with the Ruach HaQadesh, you can speak in tongues at any time of the day, any time you need to communicate with your King-Father. This is why you and I should earnestly desire spiritual gifts, as Paul said. They are important resources from the heavenly kingdom.




Some people refer to speaking in tongues as babbling. In fact, the reverse is true. Heaven-given languages communicate the thoughts and requests of the heart more clearly than any earthly language. With tongues, we’re not speaking with our minds but through our spirits, and the Spirit communicates every need. For me, speaking in English can interfere with my ability to pray. That’s why I pray in tongues much of the time. I love praying in tongues because my prayers don’t have to be “translated.”




I would even conclude that speaking in tongues is not really an option for a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. Perhaps you grew up in a church where speaking in tongues isn’t believed in or practiced. Your theology or your church doesn’t give you a relationship with Yah, however. It is the sacrificial work of Yahusha and the Ruach HaQadesh within you that enable you to have this relationship. The Ruach HaQadesh brings you into the kingdom and gives you the ability to speak in tongues so that you can communicate with your King-Father.




Different Manifestations of Tongues

Two distinct forms of tongues are described in Scripture. These differences only demonstrate the versatility of language, as well as how communication changes depending on those with whom we are communicating.




For Direct, Personal Communication with the King




For the most part, what we have been discussing in this chapter is the first type of communication in tongues, which is for direct, personal communication with the King. Paul wrote, “Anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to Yah. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit [or, by the Spirit].”




For Heavenly Communication to Other Kingdom Citizens




The second type of communication in tongues is not for personal but corporate communication. Paul taught the first- century kingdom citizens that ministry spiritual gifts, in contrast to personal spiritual gifts, are for the building up of all those in a local gathering of kingdom citizens. They include the public declaration of the King’s will in a heaven-given language(s), with accompanying interpretation in the language of the people who are gathered, to assure that everyone understands the message. Paul wrote,




Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom...to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.




Now you are the body of Hamachiach, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church Yah has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?




When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret.




For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says.




Paul was teaching that a special gift for communicating the will of the King through heaven given language is given to some- one whom the Governor helps to speak the mind of the King, in order to present it to the citizens. Notice that Paul said this gift is for the “common good” rather than individual edification. It is to help all the citizens to know

the will of the King and to be comforted and encouraged by his words. Paul concluded, “Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” We should encourage public declaration of tongues and interpretation, as long as it is done according to the guidelines set forth in the Constitution of the kingdom.




Ten Reasons to Speak in Tongues

There is more to being filled with the Spirit than speaking in tongues, but tongues are an integral and important part of the manifestation of the Governor’s presence in our lives. Speaking in tongues is a flowing stream that should never dry up. It will enrich and build up our spiritual lives. In my experience, speaking in tongues is a critical key in releasing and using other gifts of the Spirit. This, of course, applies to the gift of interpretation of tongues, but also to the other gifts, particularly prophecy, wisdom, and knowledge because they involve language.




Let’s briefly look at ten reasons why every kingdom citizen should speak in tongues.




1. A Sign of Connection to the Kingdom




Tongues are often the initial supernatural evidence of the indwelling and filling of the Spirit. We see this first in the experience of the followers of Yahusha at Pentecost. We also see it in the kingdom service of Paul of Tarsus. The physician Luke wrote, in the book of Acts, “While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples.”




Notice that they were called disciples. They were actually followers of John the Baptist, and Paul said to them, in effect, “You are on the right track, but you need to hear about Yahusha, the one whom John was referring to, and you need the promise that he provided for you. You need the baptism in the Ruach HaQadesh.”




These disciples had said to Paul, “We have never even heard of the Ruach HaQadesh.” They are not very different from many people in churches today whose theology has excluded the active working of the Ruach HaQadesh in their lives. They believe in the King and his kingdom, but they are unaware of the full role of the Governor in their lives.




When these disciples heard the gospel of the kingdom, which John had pointed them toward, and which Paul fully explained to them, they were baptized in water in the name of the Lord Yahusha. When Paul placed his hands on them and prayed for them, the Ruach HaQadesh came upon them, and they immediately spoke in tongues and prophesied.




An evidence that we are connected to the home country is that we receive heaven-given languages.




2. For Edification




Speaking in tongues builds up, or recharges, our spirits. We are personally strengthened as we interact with the King through the Governor. As Paul wrote, “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself.” Tongues are given to us so that our communication with Yah can be as it was for Adam—with no interference.




3. To Remind Us of the Governor’s Indwelling Presence




Tongues make us aware of the indwelling presence of the Ruach HaQadesh, and when we are conscious of his presence, we are encouraged and comforted. Yahusha said,




And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.




4. To Keep Our Prayers in Line with the King’s Will




Praying in tongues will keep our prayers in line with Yah’s will and prevent us from praying in selfishness. As I quoted earlier from the writings of Paul,




In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with Yah’s will.




5. To Stimulate Faith




Praying in tongues stimulates faith. When we know the Spirit is fully communicating our needs, we are enabled to trust Yah more completely. Having faith also leads to praying in tongues as we go to the throne of the King-Father in purpose and confidence. The author of the New Testament book of Jude wrote about faith and speaking in tongues: “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Ruach HaQadesh.”

6. To Keep Us Free from Worldly Contamination

Tongues keep us in constant connection with the culture of the kingdom, even as we live in the midst of the culture of the world. We can speak to the King-Father when we are on the job, at home, or anywhere. Our connection with the King through the Governor helps to keep our minds and actions pure. We can also encourage not only ourselves, but also others in the ways of the kingdom through heavenly communication. Paul wrote, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.”

7. To Enable Us to Pray for the Unknown




The Spirit knows things we know nothing about; therefore, through heaven-given language, we can intercede with peace and confidence. Again, “we do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”




8. To Give Spiritual Refreshing




Tongues are a type of spiritual therapy for anxiety, turmoil, and perplexity. Paul wrote,




Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to Yah. And the peace of Yah, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Hamachiach Yahusha.




9. To Help Us in Giving Thanks




Tongues help those who are unlearned in spiritual things—and all of us, in fact—to offer the kind of thanks and praise to the King that he deserves. A combination of praying in human and spiritual language helps our minds and spirits to express our gratitude, in addition to other communication, to the King. Paul wrote, “I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.”

10. To Bring the Tongue Under Subjection

Last—but not least—speaking in heaven-given languages places our tongues under the control of the Spirit of Yah, something that is much needed in all of our lives. We read in the New Testament book of James, “But no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison....Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” Only as the tongue is yielded to the Gover- nor can it be controlled to speak words of life in keeping with the King and his kingdom.

Tongues Are Meant for the Entire Human Race

To conclude this chapter about the manifestation of king- dom culture, I want to emphasize

that speaking in tongues does not

“belong” to charismatic or Pen-

tecostal Christians. It is meant

for the whole world because it is

a gift the King-Son came to pro-

vide for all the inhabitants of the

earth. It is intended for the close

to seven billion people on earth

right now. It is meant for all ethnic groups—Chinese, French, Sudanese, Australians, Danes, Mexicans—no one is excluded from Yah’s intentions.

At Pentecost, Peter said, “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our Yah will call.” It is our job as kingdom representa- tives to help people from all backgrounds enter the kingdom of heaven so they may receive this gift and other gifts from the Governor, which will enable them to live the kingdom life on earth.




Remembering the Purpose of Tongues: Communication




Tongues are beautiful, but they’ve sometimes been made into a doctrine, a denomination, even a whole religion. We’ve lost sight that tongues are heaven-given languages that are a means to an end: providing communication between heaven and earth.




We’ve been treating tongues as if they are a religious issue when they are really a governmental one in terms of the kingdom of Yah; through tongues, the Governor communicates our requests to the King, and the King’s will to us. We can’t pray effectively without the Governor, because he knows the mind of the King and how our requests fit with the purposes of the kingdom.

Speaking in tongues is as natural as speaking your own human language, whether that is English, Spanish, French, or Swahili. Paul spoke in tongues frequently. He said, “I will pray with the understanding, and I will pray in the Spirit.” As citizens of the kingdom of heaven, we are to do the same.