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These signs shall follow...

Mark 16 states that one of the signs of believing the Gospel is speaking in tongues. I had never heard that we were to receive the Holy Ghost or that we should speak in tongues. The catholic church did not teach the we should receive anything except what they told us. We never read the bible so this was never discussed. Ask a catholic about the Holy Ghost and they'll start to tell you about the trinity and how God is one and three and each other and different and the same. It won't take long for their confusion to effect you.

Immediately upon coming to Water Of Life, I started to hear about the gospel. I was taught that I should receive Jesus, be born again, and receive the Holy Ghost. All of this is in the bible, but no one had ever told me. The Gospel was shut up to me because the priests had no revelation of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection.

I started to read the bible and within a few weeks was born again. That took place my couch without ceremony. My wife and I were talking and I asked her about speaking in tongues. She asked if I was born again and I asked her what that was. She told me that If I believed that Jesus was raised from the dead, and had confessed Him Lord? I though for a moment and then said "Yeah". That was my born again experience. No trips to the front of the church. No big crash of lightening.

After that, I knew that I needed to receive the Holy Ghost. I was afraid that I would not speak in tongues. That was the doubt, ministered by the catholic church surfacing. Back then, Doyle used to end the service by asking if anyone wanted to receive the Holy Ghost. I knew that God wanted me to do this, but was afraid. At the end of the service, Doyle asked us and I wanted to go up and ask for the Holy Ghost, but I was still afraid. When the service ended I knew that I had Missed it. I knew then that I would also not let that happen again. The following service, Doyle ended it by asking us if there was anyone who wanted to receive the Holy Ghost. I immediately put up my hand. He said to come up front. When I got there, he prayed for me and laid his hands on me. I had read in Acts that people had received the Holy Ghost by the apostles laying hands on them. As Doyle prayed I felt the doubt going, I spoke in tongues but it was not much. He told me to go back to my seat and said to my wife that we should pray together. My wife was not real excited about that. When I got back to my seat, she asked me if had spoken in tongues. I said yes, and started to speak some more right then. We never had to pray together. I spoke fluently from that point on. The bible says that it should "flow" and it sure did.

Corinthians talks about diversity of tongues. I know that this is something that comes out of me. My tongues change. There are times when they are hard and strong, and other times when the language changes. I have no idea how many different tongues I have spoken in, but I know it is quite a few. There seems to be a particular language that is most common. It is contrary to the natural mind to speak in a language that we do not know. If you believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to) the Gospel, you will speak in tongues. In Mark 16, Jesus didn't say that they were optional. He said we would speak in tongues. If you think they are not for everyone you are deceived. They have not passed away. It is not for the weak minded. Tongues are a result of believing the Gospel. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (the Gospel) is the key. Trust in it. Ask God for understanding and grace to believe.