Why can't I speak in tongues?

[Tiffany Faith]

So I went to a pentecostal church last sunday. I was raised southern baptist but I like to consider myself non-denomination as I take church traditions with a grain of salt and hold only unto the truth of the Bible. Didn't know this church was pentecostal. Thought it was non-denom. WHen we got inside though people were jumping up and down and the preacher was speaking in tongues and he put his hand on this girl and prayed and she passed out. It was different thats for sure. We had a great time however and the preacher had a really good sermon so afterwards I asked him why he spoke in tongues and if everyone could do it. He said yes all believers can speak in tongues and it is a gift which comes with the baptism of the Holy SPirit. After reading in the Bible where it speaks of this I have come to agree with him.
So why can't I do it? I have prayed that God baptize me with the Holy Spirit and I have confessed my sins and I just.. I don't know it doesn't work. Nothing happens. I don't fall on the floor or cry or start speaking in tongues. Why can't I do it?
Do I need the pastor to lay hands on me? What if that doesn't work?
Am I just supposed to start making noise? I tried that and i just felt foolish. And again didn't feel anything. Someone help

[Brother Mark]

1 Cor 12:27-31

27 Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. 29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? 30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? 31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts.
NASU

Because not all speak in tongues. As Paul said earlier in the same chapter...

1 Cor 12:14-15

14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
NASU

We are all part of the same body but we are not all the same part of the body.

[Tiffany Faith]

They equate speaking in tongues with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Saying that not all Christians speak in tongues but that is only because they have not asked for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Thats why they say we can all do if we are open to it and ask for it. But I have and nothing has happened.

[tango]

They equate speaking in tongues with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Saying that not all Christians speak in tongues but that is only because they have not asked for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Thats why they say we can all do if we are open to it and ask for it. But I have and nothing has happened.

The Bible clearly says that not all will speak in tongues (as Brother Mark already listed). Some churches get - shall we say - a little carried away with the significance of tongues. Tongues are one of many ways the Holy Spirit's presence may manifest itself but certainly not the only one.

[Tiffany Faith]

hmm i see where yall are coming from. but see the pastor had verses too. wish I knew them...

[Butch5]

hmm i see where yall are coming from. but see the pastor had verses too. wish I knew them...

Taken out of context.

[Slug1]

hmm i see where yall are coming from. but see the pastor had verses too. wish I knew them...

As has been brought out in all the posts so far... Tongues is one of 9 Gifts of the Holy Spirit. God divvys them up within any Body of Christ (a church) so that church can be used "in power" by God. If all they do is speak in tongues, then it seems that such a church is in need of correction just like the Corinthians were when God sent Paul to them to make that correction.

Any church that only experiences a single gift, and that gift is tongues... they are lacking. All the gifts will be manifest in a Body of Christ if they are allowing the Holy Spirit to move freely.

edit... in the final days, the enemy will imitate the gifts of the Holy Spirit with false signs and wonders. Some Christians will even tell you that all the gifts have ceased. If they have, then the Body of Christ will not be able to discern true gifts from the false imitations. To assist himself in gaining strength over the Body of Christ, satan has blinded Christians into believing that the gifts of the Holy Spirit have ended. Thus rendering them helpless against his use of false signs. Any Christian operating in the Gift of Discernment, Knowledge, Wisdom, Prophecy and even Tongues when translated and God gives direction to a Body of Christ, He can warn of these false signs... will recognize/ID/expose satan's false works. God has not allowed His children to be powerless, nor has He left us unable to complete all elements of the Great Commission that we are all to follow. Some Christians will do all they can to convince you that the Holy Spirit will not empower you to do God's will. Beware of this.

[Tiffany Faith]

As has been brought out in all the posts so far... Tongues is one of 9 Gifts of the Holy Spirit. God divvys them up within any Body of Christ (a church) so that church can be used "in power" by God. If all they do is speak in tongues, then it seems that such a church is in need of correction just like the Corinthians were when God sent Paul to them to make that correction.

Any church that only experiences a single gift, and that gift is tongues... they are lacking. All the gifts will be manifest in a Body of Christ if they are allowing the Holy Spirit to move freely.

Well I don't think they believe that tongues is the only gift. In fact they believe that you can have a spiritual gift and speak in tongues and in fact that speaking in tongues is just a universal sign that you have been baptized with the Holy Spirit

So does everyone think they are faking it? Because how could the entire church speak in tongues? Yall think they are faking it huh?

[tango]

Well I don't think they believe that tongues is the only gift. In fact they believe that you can have a spiritual gift and speak in tongues and in fact that speaking in tongues is just a universal sign that you have been baptized with the Holy Spirit

Tiffany, my gifting is primarily prophetic in nature. On a number of occasions God has given me a message which has spoken into someone's situation in ways I couldn't possibly have expected based on things I couldn't possibly have known. On one specific occasion God gave me something to speak over someone which had very dramatic results (I won't go into detail on that one because the details aren't relevant here, and I don't want the discussion to derail onto the specific ways God uses specific people).

I don't speak in tongues.

[Slug1]

Well I don't think they believe that tongues is the only gift. In fact they believe that you can have a spiritual gift and speak in tongues and in fact that speaking in tongues is just a universal sign that you have been baptized with the Holy Spirit

Well, we all can believe but do any operate in any of the other 8 gifts besides Tongues. Concerning Tongues, if they are all yelling out loud and no translation... they are in need of correction as the Corintians were.

As Tango posted about his operation in the gift of prophecy, the Lord has used me in manifesting the gifts of knowledge and wisdom for 3 years now in our church and I have never spoke in tongues because that is not the gift God has given me. I have also prayed in my capacity as an elder in the church I serve God at and these prayers have resulted in the healing of those prayed over and laying on of hands.

[Tiffany Faith]

Well, we all can believe but do any operate in any of the other 8 gifts besides Tongues. Concerning Tongues, if they are all yelling out loud and no translation... they are in need of correction as the Corintians were.

As Tango posted about his operation in the gift of prophecy, I have been operating in the gifts of knowledge and wisdom for 3 years now in our church and I have never spoke in tongues because that is not the gift God has given me.

They do healing^^^^^read above^^^^^^

[Slug1]

They do healing^^^^^read above^^^^^^

I made an edit to that post of mine... the healing I have experienced is the complete removal of disease from a body, the repair of joints, cripples walking again.

Not anyone being knocked down and caught.... this to me is not "healing".

[Tiffany Faith]

so you believe you can actually heal illnesses by touch? aren't you a pentecostal? they believe that illness cannot affect you if you are saved.

[Slug1]

so you believe you can actually heal illnesses by touch? aren't you a pentecostal? they believe that illness cannot affect you if you are saved.

By faith and God's will a person will be healed. Am I pentecostal , I laugh because the answer is no. God has placed me in a church that is pentecostal but I go where ever God sends me to serve him. Presently the church I serve is Hispanic and I don't even speak Spanish so God's will does surprise me. I have seen very faithful Christians suffer illness and even pass away. We are not "immune" from illness as long as we live in this flesh.

What scripture do they support their belief that a saved person cannot be ill?

If a saved person cannot be ill, then a church would not need the gift of healing and would only be able to heal unsaved. Many churches today like the one you seem to be describing will cease all manifestations the moment they venture outside the walls of the building that they call a church. If so... beware. The Holy Spirit DOES NOT stop operating once a person leaves their church.

In the streets is WHERE the Holy Spirit wants to lead Christians and do the Great Commission and this means bringing Christ to the lost, healing, tongues, casting out of demons etc. If the only signs such a church has are the ones that they hang on walls that says "Jesus Saves" but no "signs and wonders" that follow them as they go out and bring Jesus to the lost... I'd beware.

[BroRog]

Will someone find a passage in the Bible describing a case in which someone asked for the gift of tongues?