False Doctrine: My Personal View on Tongues

I believe that running neck and neck with being slain in the spirit, speaking in other tongues is at the top of the list of doctrinal controversy. Shortly after I got saved in 1977, I knew about the baptisms of water and fire, but I had not yet heard that tongues was believed to be the “initial evidence” of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, as taught by Pentecostal, Charismatic and Word of Faith Believers.I write about tongues in 4 of my 6 books. With the completion of “Faces of the Religious Demon,” I had suspicions that something was clearly wrong. In counseling, I was put in contact with too many demonized, tongue speaking Christians. By the time I wrote my 6th and last book, the New Idolatry,  I was convinced that this practice is demonicly inspired.

Getting back to my story, a few days after I was saved, I received supernaturally the name of a pentecostal church that was on Ferry Street in my town. I searched the yellow pages, and to my amazement, there it was. At that time, I had never even heard the words “pentecostal,” “tongues” or even being “baptized” in the Holy Ghost. So accompanied by my friend Vivian, we headed for Ferry Street to St. Johns Church of God in Christ.

When we entered the church, the service was already in progress. The thing that I found so astounding was the music. It seemed like the sounds of the musical instruments were actually coming through the walls. It was there that I first got introduced to what I believed then was “the presence of the Holy Ghost.” It was absolutely awesome!

No words were ever spoken to either one of us. Yet right in the middle of the service, a group of the members gathered together, walked to the back of the church and encircled us. To my amazement, Vivian fell to the ground and began to roll around on the floor. She began to froth at the mouth, jerk, twist, appearing as though she was having a seizure. Apparently pleased with this manifestation, those who encircled us also went into a kind of ecstatic experience which ordinarily would have frightened me, but I was feeling so much peace from the power than seemed to be both inside and upon me, that I was in no way disquieted.

Yet, the ecstasy left me when the gathered group and the rest of those assembled all turned to me, with the unspoken expectation that “it was my turn” to fall out and roll on the floor. I didn’t want to be disrespectful but once Vivian “came to her senses,” we quickly eased our way out the door,while the worship service continued without missing a beat. Not one word was ever spoken between us and them. For thirty years, I have marked that day as my”baptism in the Holy Ghost”, yet without tongues as the initial evidence.

Even though I myself have spoken in various tongues fluently since 1983, I have had serious reservations about this practice for almost two decades. As I continue to persevere to “try the spirits” in my own very supernatural spiritual life, I have placed several dreams, signs,miracles and wonders to the test. Simply put, I seek God continually to expose the truth, no matter the results or the consequences.

It turns out that some of my most treasured spiritual experiences, when examined or “tried,” have proven to be sent by a religious demon. Am I hurt or disappointed? Not at all. For as a result of “trying the spirits,” I not only have been liberated by truth, but I have been flooded with an abundance of knowledge and wisdom since 2004, particularly in the year 2007. If 2012 will be more revelatory than 2007, I pray for continued peace and strength to continue to adjust to the stark reality of unadulterated truth.

I believe that the reason why I have not been troubled by recent spiritual exposures of error and deception is because truly, I have had nothing to lose. Each day that yet another deception is exposed, I am reminded of the words of the Lord about building your foundation upon the solid rock. My salvation experience that occurred on March 29th, 1977 at 4pm on a Monday afternoon is MY SOLID ROCK. When I came into the kingdom, I had nothing else built into my “religious” foundation. No church background at all. No doctrine. No memorized scriptures. No prayers. Nothing. I was at ground zero. A hardened atheist. No religion to lose. At ground zero, the Holy Ghost was able to reveal in the twinkling of an eye what would last and become in me “a solid rock.. It was so simple yet so unforgettable.

I knew that I knew that I knew that Jesus Christ paid for my sins in His death and that He also defeated death by being raised from the dead. That was it!!!! Therefore, my rebirth experience has been my anchor, my solid Rock. Surely I experience a feeling that is difficult to describe. It is not disappointment exactly. The closest word to describe what truth brings is a sense of awesome humility. I suspect what I feel is “the fear of the Lord.” Truly, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. For with every revelation I receive about error and deception, my foundation  continues to remain unmoved. Therefore, outside of any personal revelations received from the Spirit of God or from the religious demon masquerading as God, all that I have lost are the traditions and doctrines of men.

Looking back over 32 years, without a doubt, I know that it was a religious demon who sent us to the Pentecostal church on Ferry Street.

Related articles

• Freedom From the Charismatic Movement Part 1 (settingcaptivesfree.wordpress.com)
• The Charismatic Movement Part 2: Tongues (settingcaptivesfree.wordpress.com)
• The Charismatic Movement Part 1 (pamsheppardpublishing.com)