Mastering the distance from the head to the heart 515-2 - 20 - 4

How have I mastered the distance from the head to the heart; I’m still very much a work in process. I have an absolute knowing that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. This comes not only from years of study but from within, something I can’t really explain. I’m working at becoming a Christian apologist, however, I don’t always have patience when dealing with people, a heart problem. 

Anne Graham Lotz has written, “In almost thirty years of ministry, I have observed many good Christians — but very few great ones. And the difference is the same eighteen inches — the distance from the head to the heart. While there are many good Christians who have a head knowledge of Scripture and are comfortable with prayer, there are relatively few Christians who are in love with Jesus, who put Him first in their lives when doing so demands that they sacrifice their own time, money, and desires”.

Here Mrs. Lotz was referring to a quote by Tom Landry, the head coach over the Dallas Cowboys. “On several occasions, I heard Coach Landry say that during his career he came across many good athletes — but very few great ones. He said the difference between a good athlete and a great one is eighteen inches — the distance from the head to the heart. Good athletes have exceptional ability and a thorough understanding of the game, but great athletes have heart — a passion to play that drives them to selfless sacrifice, brutally long hours of practice, undivided focus, and ultimately, to achieve extraordinary accomplishments.”

[Graham Lotz. Fixing My Eyes on Jesus: Daily Moments in His Word]

When I selected this discussion question, I recalled a book I read years ago “Like A Mighty Wind.” The book is about the Indonesian revival that began in 1965 and according to author, “the Lord has restored the spiritual gifts in our churches, and I thank God for that.” The author goes on to say, “The trouble with most of us is that we have to figure out everything with our minds, our little computers, instead of with our hearts.”

Does the manifesting of the spiritual gifts involve the heart or the head or a combination of the two? Can the head block the impartation of the spiritual gifts? What of baptism in the Holy Spirit?

More basic, are the spiritual gifts for today or did they end with the passing of the first century apostles? CM has a commentary on "The Spirit Gifts" listing divine wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, and tongues.

At the first Pentecostal people spoke in tongues but they spoke a foreigner language understood by foreigner. Fast forward to the present, I attend a Pentecostal church that strongly suggest that speaking in tongues means one is filled with the Holy Spirit. Several people will be speaking at once with no interpretation which sounds to me like babbling. So, is this a reaction of my head rather than the heart? I don’t speak in tongues, rather I feel the presence of the Comforter. I Often get confirmation through “goose bumps.”

Again, my mastering the distance from the head to the heart is a work in process. Perhaps the head rules when it comes to speaking in tongues rather than the simple heart acceptance of it as by Mel Tari, Mel, the author of “Like A Mighty Wind.”

Oh That Waging Tongue! 533-1 - 2 - 8

James 3:5, “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!”

Winters I attend the local Assembly of God Church and have repeatedly failed the speaking in tongues test. Therefore in accordance with the following I haven’t been baptized in the Holy Spirit.

"Though many non-Pentecostals teach a baptism in the Holy Spirit without speaking in tongues, the position of the Assemblies of God is clearly declared in Section 8 of its Statement of Fundamental Truths: "The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is witnessed by the initial sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance (Acts 2:4)." The evidence always occurred (and still does today) at the time believers were baptized in the Spirit, not at some indeterminate future time."

http://ag.org/top/Beliefs/topics/gendoct_02_baptismhs.cfm

Nevertheless, according to CM and other Christian Apologists the Spirit’s baptism occurs once for each believer at the moment of salvation.

1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” Jesus spoke the word and the person was healed. Peter’s shadow would fall across the afflicted person and he or she would be healed.

We read in Act 2:4, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” When the apostles spoke in tongues on the day of Pentecost it was not some kind of babbling, rather it was in a language and/ or dialect understood by those present in Jerusalem. This was a corporate type of tongues spoken in an orderly manner unlike the sense of confusion I experience at church.

Our church is very involved with the Spiritual Gift of healing. Several members of the church will surround a person needing healing prayer and lay hands on him or her. Then most will start praying out loud and several in tongues with no interpretation. The same people will ask for healing prayer for the same condition again and again

It is my understanding that in addition to corporate speaking in tongues, there is private prayer that is accompanied by speaking in tongues. It is my further understanding that in this case the Holy Spirit is conveying the prayer to God in a language He will understand even though to it sounds like babbling. Also, it would seem to me this to be better done in one’s prayer closet.

I agree with Paul. 1 Corinthians 14:19, "Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue."