Speaking in Tongues, Acts 2
“Zaaba, zaaba, zaaba,” Stan repeated, over and over again. It hardly sounded like another language, but Stan was speaking in tongues. It was Thursday morning at 6:00am and better than one hundred men gathered in the fellowship hall at Melodyland Christian Center, my home church.
We all were on our knees praying, worshiping, and I cautiously looked up, violating what I perceived to be a rule of prayer time, to watch and listen. Some men had their hands raised in the air, eyes fix on heaven, ecstasy in the faces, worshiping God. Stan’s monotone bi-syllabalic utterance sounded more like stammering compared to the beautiful romantic flowing verse that rolled off the tongues of others.
Suddenly one bearded man began to sing in that language that sounded so foreign but so familiar. Soon another, then, like fire, the song spread; everyone was singing, harmonizing, like a thousand angels, most in undistinguishable words, other praising God in English, punctuated by random “Hallelujahs” and “Praise the Lord.” Louder, and louder the sound grew, then, suddenly, as on cue… it stopped. There was a brief moment of silence… then…the prophesy came, forceful, bold, powerful…
“Thus saith the Lord… I am about to do a new thing in the world and amongst you. I am pouring out my Spirit, like in the days of old. No longer will your hearts be heavy in you. No longer will you wonder, ‘Where is the Lord,” for my power will be revealed in you and through you. You will be my Warrior People and your words will strike the hearts of men and women. Indeed, you will be like giants among them. I will mark your forehead with love, so that all people will see and know that you are my servants, my agents of power and love. And when you speak life will flow from your mouth. Demons will flee in your presence. Sickness and disease will disappear. I will make my home in the hearts of people and my Kingdom will be fully released in your lifetime. This is my will, this is my doing, I am the Lord and I will accomplish it, Thus saith the Lord!”
Shouts of praise and adulation and songs of praise would follow. Then the pastor would speak a few words of encouragement and we would be dismissed to go to breakfast and begin our day.
Those days seem so long ago to me, yet I can remember them with such clarity. I remember how strange and how wonderful it seemed. I remember wishing that God would use me like that. I know that he has.
This coming Sunday is Pentecost Sunday in the Christian Church calendar. It is the day we celebrate the coming and the abiding of the Holy Spirit among us. And I wonder what the Holy Spirit would say to the world, the church, even to you? I wonder what powerful thing the Spirit will accomplish in your heart? I want to encourage you to look up, look around, and see what God is doing, who he is doing it through, and to open your heart to the new possibility that God’s Holy Spirit will move through you.
I love you – Bryan Martin
