dyl (02/01/83)
After I was baptized, I did not speak in tongues for several months. There must be several reasons but I will just talk about the one I consider most important. I did not want to speak in tongues. Not that I did not believe but rather I was *ashamed* of it. My cool was important. I thought praying in tongues, raising of hands, clapping, dancing in the spirit, or showing any form of emotion was strange, embarassing and quite unnecessary. I could not see past the flesh and denied the Holy Spirit at works. This shameful feeling is basically *selfishness*. I only wanted to do what I wanted and not what Christ wanted. I am guessing that many Christians do not speak in tongues because there are times we only want to believe only in the scriptures we want to believe and refuses to sacrifice areas of our lifes to Christ. Here is a self-fulling prophesy. If we deny the Holy Spirit and its works, we cannot be saved by the Holy Spirit. Mark 3:28-29 I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.