Introduction: The Danger of a Wrong Doctrine
Introduction: The Danger of a Wrong Doctrine
In twenty twelve, I was in Enugu State, Nigeria, serving the mandatory national service required of every university graduate. During the year, I joined the Nigeria Christian Corps Fellowship, the Christian community for the corps members, and I was appointed a regional coordinator. (We were usually referred to as Papa, a term that is supposed to remind us that we have a spiritual fatherly responsibility under God to look after other corps members within the region.
Part of our role was to welcome new members, provide them with food and shelter, and guide them both physically and spiritually. Through this, we met a young woman named Joy. She was a committed Christian and belonged to an orthodox church in Nigeria. As we prayed, we sensed that God wanted Joy to become my assistant's successor. We spent time getting to know her and her faith journey. We discovered that Joy did not speak in tongues, and she believed that because she had asked and prayed for the gift in the past without receiving it, God must not have wanted her to have it. We quickly saw that her main obstacle was a lack of understanding. We chose to teach her, and thankfully, she was open to learning.
That night happened to be our monthly prayer vigil, so we invited Joy to join us. During the meeting, we prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill everyone who was willing. Without anyone laying hands on her or anyone else, people began to pray in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Joy also started to prophesy, sharing many accurate words of knowledge and prophecy. It was a wonderful display of God's power and grace.
After the incident, one thing became very clear to me: there are so many people out there carrying potential prophetic and apostolic mandates who may never fully manifest what they could become in Christ, simply because they were taught wrong. I have since met with many people in similar situations, and in most cases, especially when they open their hearts to the new light, they receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.
Sadly, there are only so many people I will have the opportunity to encounter in my lifetime, which is why this book becomes a necessity. That somehow, as many people who are able to lay their hands on it can open their hearts to revisit any doctrinal beliefs that might be hindering them from stepping into the fullness of this privilege of the spirit and call them into the light of a new day in their spiritual walk.
It breaks my heart that for long, the Church has wrestled with one of its most misunderstood treasures, the gift of speaking in tongues. To some, it is a mysterious and unnecessary practice reserved for "charismatic Christians." To others, it is a relic of the early Church that has lost relevance in our modern faith. Yet to those who have encountered its reality, tongues are neither strange nor optional; they are a vital expression of the believer's communion with God.
Speaking in tongues is not a side note in Scripture. It was present when the Church was born in Acts two, reaffirmed in Acts ten when the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit, and encouraged in Paul's letters to the Corinthians. It is the one gift that directly edifies the speaker, building up the inner man in a way no other spiritual discipline can. It is heaven's language on human lips; a supernatural dialogue between the redeemed and their Redeemer.
Sadly, what was once a mark of power has become a subject of debate. Many believers are taught about the Holy Spirit but never experience His fullness. And even those who are speaking in tongues still lack understanding of what they carry. It is my hope that this book will bridge that gap; to make a clear, biblical case for why every believer should speak in tongues and to restore confidence in what God has freely given.
Over the next couple of chapters, I will attempt to strip away some of the misconceptions and uncover the beauty, necessity, and transforming power of this glorious gift. We will see how tongues strengthen our faith, unlock revelation, fuel our prayer life, and align us with the purposes of heaven.
This is not merely a theological argument; it is a call to encounter. My desire is that as you read, something stirs within you a hunger to know God more deeply and to experience the Spirit without limits. The gift of tongues is not strange; it is sacred. It is not for a few; it is for all. And as you will soon discover, it is one of the greatest gifts God has given to help us live victorious, Spirit-filled lives in a world that desperately needs God's power.
Chapter One: The Promise
Chapter One: The Promise
When Jesus prepared to leave the earth, He did not leave His disciples powerless or confused about what was to come. Instead, He made them a remarkable promise-a promise that would forever transform how believers relate to God and express their faith in the world. He told them to wait for "the Promise of the Father," which He described as the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
"And, being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which, He said, you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
(Acts one: four to five, NKJV)
This promise was not a New Testament invention. It had been spoken about for centuries. The prophet Joel had declared, "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions." Through the ages, the Spirit had come upon men and women for specific tasks-prophets, kings, and judges-but never had there been a promise that the Spirit would dwell in all who believe.