Hayford The Beauty of Spiritual Language

My Journey Toward the Heart of God
1. Auflage 2023
ISBN: 978-1-956943-19-1
Verlag: Gateway Press
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet/DL/kein Kopierschutz

E-Book, Englisch, 380 Seiten

The journey toward God's heart can take you to unexpected places. Some people may be unfamiliar with what a spiritual language is, while others may think it's strange or irrelevant. With gracious understanding of the stigmas of speaking in tongues, Pastor Jack Hayford presents a fresh and honest conversation about one of the most controversial gifts of the Holy Spirit. He invites you to forgo fear and doubt as you closely examine Scripture with an open mind. As a bridge-builder, he eliminates emotionalism, reaches across denominational lines, and encourages you to simply seek God's face. Theologian, best-selling author, and much-loved pastor to many, Pastor Jack's balanced approach to this Holy Spirit gift has changed the lives of thousands. His wisdom and insight have inspired believers of all generations to discover the joyous, inexhaustible well of God's fullness. If you've ever questioned speaking in tongues or wanted to discover how to engage in this beautiful gift, this book is one of the most comprehensive and endearing works you'll ever read. Begin your own journey toward the heart of God today!

Autoren/Hrsg.

Hayford, Jack

Leseproben

1
The Beauty of Spiritual Language
You shall keep them … from the strife of tongues. Psalm 31:20 THE JANGLING OF the telephone had invaded the sanctuary-like stillness of our living room where I was studying, relishing the privacy of my place of escape. I arose and walked to the phone feeling mildly irritated at the interruption, having no way of knowing that the conversation that would follow would open an entirely new arena of friendship and communication. “Hello,” I intoned, trying to veil my frustration. “Jack!” the voice on the other end of the line exclaimed. “Please forgive my calling you at home. I hope I haven’t interrupted you or spoiled an opportunity for rest.” Then the caller identified himself—he was one of America’s most widely known and broadly accepted evangelical leaders. He explained that he had seen me in a television interview the evening before and had called the interviewer (a friend of his) who, knowing his trustworthiness and the reason he wanted to contact me, had given him my private number. “I hope you don’t mind,” the caller apologized, “but I felt very constrained to call and to extend an invitation to you.” I was a little surprised. The topic of the interview had been speaking in tongues, an often-volatile subject. For some it is a source of curiosity while others approach it with animosity. Between those poles, diverse opinions exist among both participants and detractors of the practice. He continued, “I’d like you to come speak at a Bible conference I’m hosting in just a few months. Ten thousand people will be there, most of whom are from a background that has traditionally been either hesitant or resistant toward the matter of speaking with tongues. In fact, some of us were taught that such ‘goings on’ were a sign of demonic influence.” I winced inwardly even though I knew he was not affirming those accusations. (A near-lifetime of facing such criticism tends to bring on a defensive response.) “Jack, would you come to our conference? I’ve never heard a Pentecostal or charismatic talk about tongues the way you do. I’m inviting you to address that theme in the interest of broadening understanding and neutralizing some of the bigotry that exists on both sides of the matter. I think you could help bring a great deal of light and health.” I fumbled for words, hoping not to betray the extent of my amazement. Not only did I feel humbled by the generosity of the approach being made by such a widely respected leader, but also heart-warmed by the possibility he was opening to me. I had decades behind me of trying to walk with an openness to the workings of God’s Holy Spirit, always being careful to join those to a steadfast obedience to the truths of God’s Word. But it had always been a sore point with me that the experience I shared with others of speaking with tongues was so frequently distorted as being the domain of either the brainless or emotionally overwrought. Speakers in tongues were often cast as a band of babblers, indifferent to—if not ignorant of—solid faith in God’s Word and a sound-minded walk with God’s Son. In fact, I had never been preoccupied with the experience of tongues. It had simply come about as one result of a growing body of experiences that had gradually been acquired during the years following a simple decision: I wanted to know the heart of God. By knowing God’s “heart,” I am not referring to some search for a mystical consciousness or an inner quest for some “otherness” at the seat of the human personality. Nor do I refer to an occult, astral, or cosmically oriented seeking for Someone “out there.” By “God’s heart” I mean the one and only true and living God—our Creator, our Father—who gave His Son, Jesus, to be our Savior. And by “heart” I mean what our language generally intends when we use that term. Just as the heart is the seat of our affections and is used poetically to describe our highest aspirations and deepest commitments, I felt committed to knowing our Creator in this way (as we say, “with all my heart”). If He has made anything clear, it is not only that He is fully “knowable” in this dimension, but He has also unfolded clear guidelines to chart the pathway to knowing Him personally and intimately. Contrary to much popular belief and some theological speculation, God is not a veiled Person, holding Himself at a galactic arm’s length or watching us from a distance—out of reach. Having found this out through a profound yet simple encounter with His salvation on His terms, I had years before begun my acquaintance with Him. It was in this environment that I had been introduced to a dimension of prayer that, upon first hearing, I feared exploring. Since childhood, I had heard horror stories about “tongue-speakers.” A few instances of exposure to the weirdness in unwelcomed instances of fanatical disarray had been enough to stifle my early inquiry. But the quiet voice of wisdom prevailed over my fears for two reasons. First, in many more instances, I had seen the sane and sensible exercise of speaking with tongues. Second, I also had the opportunity for a careful, unprejudiced examination of the Scriptures on the subject. Thus, I had come to know the place and value of this biblical experience and, when asked, was always glad to speak about it if the inquiry was non-argumentative. So it was with a warm readiness that I accepted the caller’s invitation to the conference. Perhaps—just perhaps—my sharing in such a setting could assist other earnest souls in removing fears and dissolving stereotypes, and even possibly lead them to realize the benefits of something I had found to be verified as absolutely beautiful. It was in that idea, the “absolutely beautiful” aspect of this order of communication with God, that I captured the theme of my message for that evening. Thus, when several months later as I stood on the center platform of a giant arena, having been introduced to thousands as the man who was there to speak on the subject of tongues, I announced my topic: “The Beauty of Spiritual Language.” The reason for selecting that phrase to describe my remarks was not so much an effort at persuasion as it was an attempt to recast the image many seem to have of tongues. A stereotype persists, one which suggests that the practice of speaking with tongues is taken from the mold of a backwoodsy tent meeting. You’ve seen it on television documentaries: a bevy of snake handlers mouthing gibberish while stringing reptiles over their shoulders like necklaces. But that is certainly an image far removed from the beauty and the order that I had discovered during times of private communion in the presence of a loving God. Over many years of experience, speaking with tongues was something too often viewed as an aberration, a self-induced state of excitement—an escape into unreality. And in no uncertain terms, some Christian preachers seemed to revel in describing tongues as an experience pursued only by the gullible. Their notion seemed to be that tongue-speakers were people who, on the slightest suggestion, might be cast into a hypnotic trance. They supposed it was a state accompanied by a tongue-twisting burst of syllables more slobbered than spoken, and likely attended by eyes rolled up into a head now peculiarly cocked backward and upward! Hardly “beautiful.” In that arena, however, something else seemed to be beginning in the minds of thousands. I had selected the words “the beauty of spiritual language” in hopes that I might assist the hearers in their response. And it worked. The overall effect at that event indicated that people could reframe their stereotyped images of speaking with tongues. Anyone wanting to make an honest inquiry into the nature of such communication in prayer deserves to be assisted toward the image of its beauty. And “beauty” is an idea fully supported by the viewpoint of no less than the apostle Paul himself. It’s perfectly clear that the apostle Paul—not only a university graduate but also one of history’s most respected thinkers—saw speaking with tongues as desirable and worthy of respect in devotional exercise. As the man Christians acknowledge as second only to Jesus Himself in securing the global establishment of the faith, Paul not only expresses personal gratitude for the continuity and clear significance of that kind of prayer in his own life, but he also expressly disallows others from discouraging it: “I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all.… Do not forbid [others] to speak with tongues” (1 Corinthians 14:18, 39). So it was to this apostle’s writings I turned to begin my message. The apostle Paul saw speaking with tongues as desirable and worthy of respect in devotional exercise. Beginning with words that are among the loveliest in our language, I read from my text as I began addressing the large crowd. The passage I chose was originally meant to adjust the thinking of another group of sincere Christians who needed instruction on the subject of tongue speaking: the Corinthians. That early group of urbane believers, raised in the classic culture of ancient Corinth’s Greek lifestyle, were in the grip of a sorry distortion of their viewpoint on “spiritual language” (that is, tongue speaking). Even though the Corinthians had proven readily accepting, as opposed to being passive or rejecting as is the case sometimes today, their problem was not so much in their...