Recently I was reminded of something that I haven’t done a lot of in public lately.
Namely this thing we call “speaking in tongues”

At our Snow Camp over the weekend, I had the opportunity to share some thoughts on what God wants to do with this generation.
Part of that was God releasing his anointing in a new way that this generation could clearly identify as coming from God.
I had the opportunity to pray for each person at camp.
But I felt it right to pray over them mostly in tongues…

I went away thinking about that.
I wondered if it seemed strange to those present that I would do such a thing?
Because it is not something you hear as much as we used to in Church circles.

For those of you wondering what I am even talking about…
“Speaking in Tongues” is very simply a prayer language that the Holy Spirit gives us when we are baptized in him.
You can read at the start of the Book of Acts the following…

Acts 2:1-13
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."

Even after all the history we have had between then and now, it still sounds strange to many people.

I love what the Apostle Paul taught on the subject!

1 Corinthians 14:5
I would like every one of you to speak in tongues

Paul is real clear that this is for all of us!
The Prophet Joel said that God would pour out his Spirit on ALL flesh.
All the believers who were first filled with the Spirit of God at Pentecost were able to do it.
It wasn’t something for some special group only!

1 Corinthians 14:18
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.

It was something Paul encouraged we should do as much as possible. He even seems competitive about it?
One of the reasons being, that it encourages our spirit. It gives you things to say to God when your human words run out...

1 Corinthians 14:22
Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers

Paul even says that it is something we should not hide away. That it is ‘right’ to be public with it. That it is a sign that God is doing something in our generation.
At the very least people will ask questions….and that is a good thing!

1 Corinthians 14:39b
...and do not forbid speaking in tongues

From time to time over history, people have tried to stop Christians from speaking in tongues…
You won’t get that from us!

So if you filled with the Spirit, please pray...please pray in tongues
Let your prayer language grow and develop.
Don’t let it die!

If you think that you are not filled the Spirit of God, talk to us. It is for you!
We would love to talk to you about it and pray for you...and see God fill your life in this way.

God wants you to think!

Why do I say that?
Well firstly I believe God gave us all a brain.
Secondly, God wants us to use it to all it’s designed ability. That bit he leaves up to us!

Last week I was looking up some trivia questions on the net and found a site that told me the names of the “3 Wise Men”. I was shocked! Who was able to work this out?
What amazed me even more is that I haven’t been able to find any record in the Bible of “3 Wise Men”. What it does say is that there were a group called the ‘Magi’. No mention of 3 men…

It reminded me to always know for myself what the Word of God says…
Yes listen to what is taught and be teachable, while always checking it out for yourself and coming to terms with it yourself.

I love quoting that passage in Philippians 2:12
“continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling”

I think God wants us to understand. He wants us to think.
God is not so much interested in out religious stories or folk tales that can be passed down.
He wants you and I to understand personally what he thinks.
He wants you and I to know what he has done and what he is about to do.

That is again the beauty of the time we live in.
A time where most of us can read and most of us have access to the Word of God.

Please understand that I am not encouraging you to be cynical about everything that is taught you. That would be swinging the pendulum too far. Instead, I want to encourage you to learn about our faith for yourself. Ask questions, wrestle with it.
Then you will feel more connected to it and understand better how to explain what you believe to others.

I heard a Dad on the radio the other day talking about his kids…
He talked at length about what each one was like and what they had achieved.

This man was in his late 40’s I guess and the age range of kids was quite pronounced.
What really stood out to me was what he said about the youngest...

His youngest kid has dwarfism.
And you got the distinct impression that this son held a special place in his Dad’s heart.
He spoke about how cool this kid was. In fact he said “he doesn’t even know he is different!”
He never treated him as weird or different. He loved him all the more!

It reminded me of what we do as humans.
We tend to judge so much by what is visible in a persons life. Like the clothing they wear or the ‘weird’ little differences they might have from us.
And then a phrase starts coming to mind, that they are not “normal”

But what is normal?
Is normal simply what is similar to us?
Or am I not normal…

Thousands of years a go a man was asked by God to anoint a new king for Israel.
He visited a family as directed by God and proceeded to look at the possible heirs to the throne.
He wanted to anoint the oldest as that seemed the most logical to him...what was normal.
God had other ideas. He wanted the youngest anointed.

God knew who this little guy called David really was.
He knew his insides, he knew what he was really about and how God had designed him.
It was to be ‘his’ normal that David though young, was to grow up to be an awesome King.
In fact God says latter that David was a man after his own heart! WOW.

Don’t worry if you are ‘normal’ or not!
What really matters is what your Dad thinks of you. How God sees you…

You are normal to him and are all that he wants you to be.

If you are struggling with your self worth, then look to him and what he thinks…
Nothing else matters!

I regularly head to Queen Street in Auckland City to meet up with people or even just to have some time to think.
There is something about wandering around a city’s main street, hanging out in its main square, that really helps you connect with what is happening in the city.

This week I was supposed to be meeting someone for lunch on Queen Street.
The thing is, that at the same time a parade was going to be happening.
Now normally that wouldn’t bother me except this parade was a little different.
It’s title should tell you everything...“Boobs on Bikes”.
For those not familiar with the term ‘Boobs’, it very simply means topless ladies on the back of motorbikes.
Apparently it is promote women’s equality, but most of us know it was to promote the Erotica Show happening a few days later.

It really challenged my thinking.
Could I go to Queen Street for legitimate reasons and not be caught up in this?
If someone saw me, would they conclude I was there for the parade?

I realised again that it didn’t matter what my honorable intentions were or how pure my motives…
If someone saw me they would make judgments. They might even think I was there for the parade.

It reminds me of a few passages of scripture…

1 Corinthians 10:23
"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial.

1 Timothy 4:16
Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

The Bible also goes on to say that I shouldn’t do something that might cause others to fall over.

Part of the challenge for us a disciples is that our lives are not one of isolation.
What we do and the choices we make can have a dramatic affect on other peoples lives.

When I was a youth pastor many years a go a learnt this lesson.
I used to work long hours and had very little time to myself. Generally that time was a Saturday afternoon.
To help unwind I would sit down in front of the TV and watch whatever was on.
One of the programmes screening at the time was Beverley Hills 90210. Please don’t think I was a fan, it was just something to watch (before they started sleeping with each other).
I never told anyone what I did on this afternoons. Didn’t think there was anything to report.

Then one day a girl from the youth group had a fight with her mum.
It was over what she watched on TV on Saturday afternoons. Her mum didn’t want her to watch 90210. To which the girl replied...“if Locky can watch it, then I should be able to as well!”
I never told anyone I watched it, but people knew. People notice things in our lives that we think don’t matter.

So with all that in mind I changed my plans. I asked to meet somewhere else.
Yes it was going to make it harder, but at least I could have a clear conscience over what I was doing!

Recently I shared about someone in the Bible who is not looked at in the best of ways…
That person didn’t commit a crime, didn’t do harm to another living soul, but is still held up as someone less than perfect.

That person is Martha.

She lived in the same time and place as Jesus.
She was part of a family and did all the normal things that Jewish ladies of her day would do.
She took pride in what she could do for others.

Let’s look at what is written about her.
The passage you are about to read is the most commonly referred to about this lady.

Luke 10:38-42
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

The picture would appear that she did wrong.
That she didn’t understand what Jesus was looking for.
It would appear that working hard and serving Jesus was not what he wanted...
That worshipping at his feet is all that matters.

Later we can read that Martha’s brother was sick and dying. (John : Chapter 11)
You will not read that Mary, the more ‘spiritual one’ went to Jesus asking for help! It was Martha.
Martha told Jesus “I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask”
She demonstrated an amazing faith for someone supposedly second class because she was always busy.

Martha was never just serving.
Making meals, looking after Jesus and his disciples needs were not a job to her. It was actually her way of
worship. It was her way of expressing her feelings towards her Saviour.
Martha always took care of things, so that people like Mary could have the opportunity to sit at Jesus feet.

For me serving at church has never been about a Job!It has always been about serving Jesus. It has always be part of my
expression of worship.
When there have been times time I haven’t served, I have felt
very disconnected from what is happening.

Sitting at the feet of Jesus is the best thing to do...just not the only thing to do!
The Bible encourages us to worship God with what we do, not what we don’t do...

Matthew 20:28
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many

Ephesians 6:7
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men