| It's a subject that fascinates people everywhere. Even | | | | said Newberg. |
| people in the media, like ABC's Nightline, for instance. | | | | "Whatever is coming out of their mouth is not what |
| Some say it's of God while others say it's demonic. A | | | | they are purposefully or willfully trying to do. And that's |
| Nazarene preacher told me that, when he was in | | | | in fairly stark contrast to the people who are — like |
| preparation to teach about the gifts of the Spirit, he | | | | the Buddhist and Franciscan nuns — in prayer, |
| was not sure how to handle the gift of tongues. "My | | | | because they are very intensely focused and in those |
| denomination doesn't believe in that...personally, I'm not | | | | individuals the frontal lobes actually increase activity." |
| so sure." | | | | Pastor Stoltzfoos himself did not hesitate in agreeing |
| A woman from a Church of Christ phoned me one | | | | to participate in the study. "I don't think faith has |
| day to say she wanted the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. | | | | anything to be afraid of from science. Science |
| We dropped everything to meet with her at mid-day. | | | | validates faith, so bring it on, whatever the facts are, |
| Though she didn't speak in tongues - not yet anyway - | | | | bring it on...you don't really care what anybody else |
| she wrote later to say that she felt she'd had a double | | | | thinks. It is personal in the first place; it is something |
| espresso and a B-12 shot. | | | | between you and God," said Stoltzfoos. "...we don't |
| Another woman, raised Baptist, recently requested to | | | | really care if it is validated or not, but it is fascinating |
| receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. She had never | | | | when it is..." |
| heard it presented as the Spirit "coming upon" an | | | | YOU SHALL RECEIVE POWER! |
| individual as was the case with Jesus Himself. Again, | | | | I was pleased at the handling of the subject by the |
| though she said she didn't pray in tongues and the | | | | secular media. I couldn't help but think of what the |
| Earth didn't move, the level of her boldness has | | | | world was saying when the crowd came out of the |
| radically increased. She prays with a power and | | | | Upper Room, speaking in tongues, and were heard in |
| authority she never had before. | | | | public for the first time. That night, via Nightline, millions |
| ON THE AIR! | | | | heard the same thing. |
| A recent ABC Nightline presentation was on the | | | | Where tongue-talking is concerned, let us never forget |
| subject of Speaking in Tongues. I was actually | | | | that the ability to do so is not a badge of achievement |
| impressed in that the practice wasn't belittled, mocked | | | | and not anything for which one should get prideful. The |
| or frowned-upon. The only comments they made | | | | Bible reveals that Jesus told His disciples, "...you shall |
| regarding the spiritual gift itself was this | | | | receive POWER (ability, efficiency, and might) when |
| less-than-derogatory remark: "The origin of the | | | | the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be |
| practice is believed to be the miracle of Pentecost | | | | My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria |
| — as told in the New Testament book of Acts | | | | and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth," (Acts |
| — when Jesus' apostles were said to be filled with | | | | 1:8 AMP). The Greek word for "power" that was used |
| the Holy Spirit and spoke in languages foreign to | | | | here is the word "dunamis" from which the word |
| themselves. And a gifted few are said to have done it | | | | "dynamite" is derived. |
| in early Christian congregations. Saint Paul called it | | | | Power? Power to do what? To be His witnesses, the |
| "speaking in the tongues of angels." The practice is | | | | verse tell us. Witnesses comes from the Greek word |
| widely embraced by Pentecostals but looked at | | | | "martus" from which we get our English word "martyr." |
| askance by many other Christian denominations. And | | | | Though some Christians have, and will, literally lose their |
| to outsiders, it can seem downright freakish." | | | | lives for their faith, ALL true believers are expected to |
| Even the minister they chose to interview, a man who | | | | set their lives aside for the sake of the Cause of |
| had been raised Amish, Pastor Gerry Stoltzfoos, was | | | | Christ. We must decrease so that He might increase. |
| a good Christian representative - articulate, intelligent | | | | I've heard many non-Christian people talking about why |
| and handsome. The piece wasn't presented as a | | | | they tried this religion or that one, Satanism or no |
| snake-handling cult where the members had more | | | | religion at all. When you read between the lines, all |
| tattoos than teeth. In fact, the people they interviewed | | | | they're really looking for is power to live life |
| were decent and normal-looking and acting (whatever | | | | successfully and power to stop winding up as so |
| "normal is these days). | | | | much collateral damage all the time, seemingly with no |
| One of the most intriguing aspects of the segment | | | | control over their own lives whatsoever. Christ offers |
| was when they introduced the viewers to the scientific | | | | that "DY-NO-MITE!" power to whosoever will come |
| work of Dr. Andrew Newberg of the University of | | | | after Him. |
| Pennsylvania. The narrator said, "Newberg is | | | | I speak in tongues myself and do my best NOT to |
| determined to unravel the relationship between faith | | | | allow the enemy to use it as a means of division. I'm |
| and science by studying what happens in the brain | | | | quite often alone when I do this and God is often |
| during the deepest moments of faith. He's recently | | | | gracious to provide an interpretation for these |
| published a study looking at the brain activity of eight | | | | utterances. Many of these message I've written since |
| Americans who speak in tongues." | | | | 1999 have come as a result of the inspiration I |
| "If we are really going to look at this powerful force in | | | | received from God while praying in tongues. I believe |
| human history of religion and spirituality, I think we really | | | | that many Christians do not pray in tongues because |
| have to take a look at how that affects our brain | | | | of the spiritual environment in which they've been |
| — what's changing or turning on and off in our | | | | immersed. It's the same reason we don't see the |
| brain," Newberg said. | | | | same number of glorious healings as other parts of the |
| Newberg was asked if he was skeptical about what | | | | world. On the Faith-O-Meter, we in the Western world |
| he'd find when he decided to study the brain while a | | | | are several quarts low! Some of us were raised |
| person spoke in tongues. He answered, "If... the | | | | hearing that all the spiritual gifts died-off with the death |
| question is, is this a real phenomenon? Is this really the | | | | of the last apostle. Others were taught that tongues |
| voice of God speaking through them? That's a much | | | | are demonic. Others can't stand the thought of |
| more problematic question, I think, and something that | | | | appearing foolish or maybe even being thought of as |
| I'm not sure if we have specifically answered just by | | | | "drunk" as others might suppose. Still others are so |
| doing our study." | | | | concerned that it might merely be "them" talking and |
| Newberg performed CT scans in order to view what | | | | not God, that they won't step out on the water and |
| happens in the brain's control center when one speaks | | | | give it a try. |
| in tongues. One study participant named Donna | | | | I've been told by some that, if a conference was going |
| Morgan, said, "When I heard about the study, I already | | | | to have a "Charismatic flare" to it, we should make |
| knew, in my spirit, that it was going to be proven that | | | | that known in our promotional material. Should one who |
| there was a part of our brain that we have no control | | | | speaks in tongues wear a bright orange T-shirt that |
| [over]," she said, "that when the Holy Ghost is | | | | "WARNS" others that he might experience a |
| interceding for us we are out of control." | | | | "Charismatic flare-up" at any moment? It may not be |
| Newberg had previously studied the brain scans of | | | | speaking in tongues. God may give him a Word of |
| Buddhist monks meditating and Franciscan nuns | | | | knowledge, a Word of Wisdom, a vision, a dream, a |
| praying. The results were quite different from what he | | | | prophetic word, etc. Perhaps each church can have |
| observed in the brains of those speaking in tongues. | | | | their ushers provide such individuals with an |
| The tongue-talker brains went quiet in the frontal lobe, | | | | adhesive-backed lapel sticker with a big "C" on it. |
| the part of the brain right behind the forehead that's | | | | Seriously, lest the gift of tongues become the basis for |
| considered the brain's control center. | | | | some ungodly caste system within the Church - those |
| "When they are actually engaged in this whole very | | | | who DO vs. those who DON'T - let's remember that, |
| intense spiritual practice … their frontal lobes tend | | | | aside from the Gifts of the Spirit, it's the FRUIT by |
| to go down in activity. … It is very consistent with | | | | which we will all be known (Gal 5:22). Now THAT is |
| the kind of experience they have, because they say | | | | the gift the world needs to see manifested through us |
| that they're not in charge. [They say] it's the voice of | | | | all - the evidence that God is with us! |
| God, it's the spirit of God that is moving through them," | | | | |