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The banal and truculent Rev. Wade is back at it, expending 1757 words (minus quoted material) in a vain search for a point. He is attempting explain his doctrine regarding tongues, and though he actually manages to quote a couple of relevant Scriptures, he negates other Scriptures in his attempt to explain.
The thing about this is, we actually agree with some of what Rev. Wade raises here, which is a surprisingly rare occurrence. But he prattles on and on, making all sorts of assertions and accusations, none of which come to bear on the matter at hand.
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"2. Relax. In Acts 2:2, it shows us the disciples were not striving, or kneeling and praying they were sitting. Sitting is a relaxed position. Speaking in tongues is the Holy Spirit being released through you. It's about surrendering. Rest in His love for you." - Vladimir Savchuk
Wow, that is some breathtakingly bad bible interpretation. It does indeed use the word sitting in verse 2, even though it says standing in verse 14. Does the presentation of Acts 2 indicate the apostles just lounging around in the love of Christ, resting? What this really is from Savchuk is the influence of Eastern Mysticism on Charismatic leaders. Bethel teaches their false prophets and their worship leaders to empty themselves and allow whatever pops into their wickedly deceitful hearts as having come straight from the throne room of God. This "rest" or emptying actually makes you drop your discernment.
"3. Your choice is involved. The Scripture says, "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to speak" (Acts 2:4). It does not say the Spirit spoke they spoke in tongues. The Lord will not override your free will." - Vladimir Savchuk
This is an interesting twist by Savchuk. Mind you the apostles were not speaking gibberish but rather known earthly languages. Since Peter for example could not speak Persian, it was the Spirit that enabled him to. That is what this verse actually means. It is true however that God will not override our free will. The verses do not indicate possession by the Holy Spirit but rather enablement. So Savchuk is correct even though he took an incorrect path to get there. Oh well, broken clocks and all. That aside, the set up here is transparent. Savchuk is implying that because your free will is required, that the same applies to speaking in tongues. Nonsense. You can want a gift all day long but only the giver decides will you receive it. (Rev. Wade swerves into the truth, refuting his prior statements.)
"4. Your faith is needed. Some people believe something just comes over you and you begin to speak in tongues. That's not the case; it takes faith to trust that God will add meaning to the sounds you release." - Vladimir Savchuk
Meaning? Have you listened to the tongues in your churches? Do they have any meaning at all? Shin-to-ra-ba- ashonday! The point Savchuk is making here is that you need to use your free will to choose to speak in tongues with the faith that God will add meaning to them? Say what? Beloved, this is simply being made up as he goes along. Once again, I do not necessarily blame Vladimir Savchuk as I assume he was taught this garbage. Unfortunately, he saves his worst point for last.
"5. You must remove every fear that the tongues spoken are not from God. Luke 11:13 shows your heavenly Father is not going to give you a stone. He won't fill you with a demonic entity when you ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Trust in God and in His Scripture." - Vladimir Savchuk
The final step is casting all discernment away. Just assume everything is from God even though the bible promises us that our hearts are wickedly deceitful above all else. (The Bible does not promise this. We are new creations [2Co. 5:17, Ep. 4:23], and no longer do we possess deceitful hearts. He has given us a new, circumcised heart [Ro. 2:29, Col. 2:11].)
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Another area of abuse is regarding speaking in tongues. This abuse has been sanctioned and encouraged by well-intended pastors across the evangelical landscape because it is simply how they were taught. Heck, it was how I was taught, being saved in a Charismaniacal church. Something funny happens though when you do the work of a Berean and read the bible for yourself. (This is a frequent rhetorical technique employed by Rev. Wade. He often includes something about how anyone who reads the Bible knows < ... >, but he so rarely quotes the Bible.)
God always shows you what you have right and what you have wrong - if you are willing to listen. The above linked article is a very short attempt by a pastor to teach people how to speak in tongues. Let that sink in for a second while you read the following two verse sets that explain the essentials of tongues:
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. - 1Corinthians 12:4-11 (ESV)There are two distinct manifestations of what we commonly refer to as tongues. (Rev. Wade never comes out and tells us what those two manifestions are. We think they might be 1] speaking in real languages, and 2] private prayer language.)
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. - Romans 8:26 (ESV)
The verses from First Corinthians describes all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and cannot be clearer that it is the Spirit who decides when, where and through whom these gifts will be apportioned. While to each a manifestation is given, it differs from person to person. The bible expressly says that not all will prophesy or speak in tongues. This fact makes it impossible to teach someone how to manifest a gift of the Spirit. (Rev. Wade jumps to a conclusion not justified by his largely correct explanation of how the gifts are distributed. Rev. Wade does not tell us why the Holy Spirit would not distribute His spiritual gifts via someone teaching about them.)
Remember what we discussed earlier about usurping the power of God? The verse from Romans describes what we refer to as our heavenly prayer language. It describes how sometimes in prayer we can reach our end but the Holy Spirit will intercede on our behalf with groanings too deep for words. This is not one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit but it is often conflated with such that most people are too confused about the subject to weigh in. The bottom line is what occurs in Charismaniacal church services every week is not a gift from God. This random hodgepodge of illiterate mumblings is not the biblical manifestation of tongues. At Pentecost, the scripture makes plain that these were other worldly languages. Every visitor heard the apostles speak in their own langue, not some heavenly version of gibberish. Now people have been taught this for so long and so wrong, that they feel they can teach you how to fake it. Let us reason once more through this article. (Sigh. We were barely able to wade through this paragraph of disjointed thoughts, unconnected statements, and rambling prose. He doesn't explain in any way why a prayer language is not a spiritual gift. And, we are at loss to explain how this has anything to do with reasoning through the issue.)
It is the will of God for every believer to speak in tongues. First Corinthians 14:2-4 shows us one of the tongues that is your prayer language. For those who say, "This doesn't belong to me," then my question would be, "Does edification belong to you as a Christian?" Of course. So how can you receive this gift of speaking in tongues? - Vladimir Savchuk
What Savchuk does here is how tongues is often presented. He mixes the gift of the Holy Spirit interchangeably with the prayer language. Let us start however with his false foundation. You may want to sit down for this, but it is not God's will that every believer speak in tongues. We already know from the verses regarding the gifts that not everyone gets all the gifts and that they are apportioned as the Spirit wills. Therefore, the notion that it is God's will for everyone to speak in tongues is not supported biblically. (For some reason Rev. Wade doesn't bother to quote the relevant Scripture that documents his point. 1Co. 12:29-30:
It is the will of God for every believer to speak in tongues. First Corinthians 14:2-4 shows us one of the tongues that is your prayer language. For those who say, "This doesn't belong to me," then my question would be, "Does edification belong to you as a Christian?" Of course. So how can you receive this gift of speaking in tongues? - Vladimir Savchuk
What Savchuk does here is how tongues is often presented. He mixes the gift of the Holy Spirit interchangeably with the prayer language. Let us start however with his false foundation. You may want to sit down for this, but it is not God's will that every believer speak in tongues. We already know from the verses regarding the gifts that not everyone gets all the gifts and that they are apportioned as the Spirit wills. Therefore, the notion that it is God's will for everyone to speak in tongues is not supported biblically. (For some reason Rev. Wade doesn't bother to quote the relevant Scripture that documents his point. 1Co. 12:29-30:
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues?
Paul is making a point by asking a rhetorical question with the implied answers being "no." So Rev. Wade is correct that the Holy Spirit distributes the gifts, but in the very next verse Paul tells us:
But eagerly desire the greater gifts. 1Co. 12:31
So while not all speak in tongues or prophesy or teach, Paul nevertheless tells the Corinthian church to desire the greater gifts. How is that possible if, as Rev. Wade says, the only way to get a gift is by the Holy Spirit's choice?)
Wait a minute preacher, (He's a preacher? We pity the congregation that has to sit under his pointless ramblings.)
what about the prayer language? What about it? Read that verse from Romans carefully. Is there anything we need to do for this to happen? Absolutely not. (We presume he is referring to Romans 8:26, but there is no mention of "prayer language" here, or in the entire letter.
There is no small dispute as to what this verse is referring. Charismatics have claimed this is evidence for tongues, while cessationists claim that it is simply the Holy Spirit articulating our groanings on our behalf. But we have never seen someone combine the two in the way Rev. Wade explains it, that is, a cessationist non-gift private prayer language.)
The indwelt Holy Spirit will decide when or even if, it is necessary for Him to intercede for us in our prayers. (There is no Bible verse that says the Holy Spirit chooses which prayers to involve Himself in.)
I have made 1Corinthians 14:2-4 the key verses today to show that they do not even mention tongues as our prayer language. (The phrase "prayer language" is not found in Scripture. And unfortunately for Rev. Wade, the two cited verses are not all that the Bible has to say about the topic.)
In fact, this section is God pleading with us to not pursue tongues as much as prophecy, which is far more edifying for the church. (Actually, Paul is telling the Corinthians that he wished they all spoke in tongues [1Cor.14:5], but his preference is that they would prophesy. Rev. Wade attempts to flip this toward discouraging the speaking in tongues, but that is not what the text says.)
This chapter goes on to insist that your tongues is speaking to God and no one will know what you are saying. (And Paul offers the remedy. 1Co. 14:13:
For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says.
The interpretation of tongues is the spiritual gift that comes to bear in the assembly.)
Our private prayer language should indeed be private. (He seems to want to switch back and forth between tongues and prayer language.
The is no Bible verse that says anything about being private. Rather, tongues is to be interpreted. And tongues do happen in the assembly. 1Co. 14:22-23:
Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. 23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?
This is clearly happening in the assembly.)
Savchuk gives up the game here as he admits his five steps are to encourage believers how to falsely speak the gibberish that passes for tongues today and not the private prayer language, which he could not teach either! Man is so arrogant in pretending to be God it is just staggering. The bible specifically says that only the Spirit, which is God, decides what gifts and when but we come along and think we can teach people when to manifest the gift. (Rev. Wade repeats himself.)
The bible also says that the spirit decides when He needs to intercede in our prayer life but we think we can teach that too. (The Bible does not say this.)
Man is forever committing the sin of Lucifer. The same sin that Eve committed in the garden. Let us now see these five easy steps to commit blasphemous heresy from Vladimir Savchuk.
"1. You have to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. The Bible says, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living waters" (John 7:38). It doesn't say these rivers will flow out of the throne of God. Instead, you have this well, "a river of living waters," that wants to be released through your mouth." - Vladimir Savchuk
Vladimir was clearly raised in the apostate church system that prioritizes our decision in receiving Christ. Like Jesus is some wallflower at a Junior High prom hoping you will ask Him to dance. (There is no hint of this in the Savchuk quote.)
"1. You have to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. The Bible says, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living waters" (John 7:38). It doesn't say these rivers will flow out of the throne of God. Instead, you have this well, "a river of living waters," that wants to be released through your mouth." - Vladimir Savchuk
Vladimir was clearly raised in the apostate church system that prioritizes our decision in receiving Christ. Like Jesus is some wallflower at a Junior High prom hoping you will ask Him to dance. (There is no hint of this in the Savchuk quote.)
We will put that aside for another devotional because the really egregious statement is the absolute butchering of the term living waters. It is true that John 7:38 states that believers will have rivers of living water, which is Jesus, flowing from their hearts. This of course is through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Nowhere in the John context or other biblical sources does God suggest that the living waters will be released through our mouths. That is patently absurd and biblically offensive. (Rev. Wade takes issue with Savchuk's flowery phrasing by simply denying it with no explanation. While we would not have employed such language ourselves, nor linked it to tongues, there is certainly Bible precedent for what proceeds out of the mouth:
Lk. 6:45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
Mt. 15:18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man `unclean’.
Ja. 3:9-12 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig-tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
So while inelegantly expressed, Savchuk' statement is in no way "biblically offensive.")
"2. Relax. In Acts 2:2, it shows us the disciples were not striving, or kneeling and praying they were sitting. Sitting is a relaxed position. Speaking in tongues is the Holy Spirit being released through you. It's about surrendering. Rest in His love for you." - Vladimir Savchuk
Wow, that is some breathtakingly bad bible interpretation. It does indeed use the word sitting in verse 2, even though it says standing in verse 14. Does the presentation of Acts 2 indicate the apostles just lounging around in the love of Christ, resting? What this really is from Savchuk is the influence of Eastern Mysticism on Charismatic leaders. Bethel teaches their false prophets and their worship leaders to empty themselves and allow whatever pops into their wickedly deceitful hearts as having come straight from the throne room of God. This "rest" or emptying actually makes you drop your discernment.
"3. Your choice is involved. The Scripture says, "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to speak" (Acts 2:4). It does not say the Spirit spoke they spoke in tongues. The Lord will not override your free will." - Vladimir Savchuk
This is an interesting twist by Savchuk. Mind you the apostles were not speaking gibberish but rather known earthly languages. Since Peter for example could not speak Persian, it was the Spirit that enabled him to. That is what this verse actually means. It is true however that God will not override our free will. The verses do not indicate possession by the Holy Spirit but rather enablement. So Savchuk is correct even though he took an incorrect path to get there. Oh well, broken clocks and all. That aside, the set up here is transparent. Savchuk is implying that because your free will is required, that the same applies to speaking in tongues. Nonsense. You can want a gift all day long but only the giver decides will you receive it. (Rev. Wade swerves into the truth, refuting his prior statements.)
"4. Your faith is needed. Some people believe something just comes over you and you begin to speak in tongues. That's not the case; it takes faith to trust that God will add meaning to the sounds you release." - Vladimir Savchuk
Meaning? Have you listened to the tongues in your churches? Do they have any meaning at all? Shin-to-ra-ba- ashonday! The point Savchuk is making here is that you need to use your free will to choose to speak in tongues with the faith that God will add meaning to them? Say what? Beloved, this is simply being made up as he goes along. Once again, I do not necessarily blame Vladimir Savchuk as I assume he was taught this garbage. Unfortunately, he saves his worst point for last.
"5. You must remove every fear that the tongues spoken are not from God. Luke 11:13 shows your heavenly Father is not going to give you a stone. He won't fill you with a demonic entity when you ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Trust in God and in His Scripture." - Vladimir Savchuk
The final step is casting all discernment away. Just assume everything is from God even though the bible promises us that our hearts are wickedly deceitful above all else. (The Bible does not promise this. We are new creations [2Co. 5:17, Ep. 4:23], and no longer do we possess deceitful hearts. He has given us a new, circumcised heart [Ro. 2:29, Col. 2:11].)
It is true that God will not fill you with a demonic spirit but that does not mean you are not dealing with one anyway. Savchuk's direction is dangerous and stupid. Relax, empty your mind, choose to speak in tongues, just start speaking nonsense having faith that the Lord will somehow add meaning to what you speak and never even consider that all of this is not actually from God.
I know this can be a hard lesson for us. I have been there. Something always struck me as off when someone would start elevating their voice to speak something no one could understand. We all stretched out our arms assuming it was from God but it wasn't. While tongues may not be the most straightforward topic in the bible it is not unclear. We have the gift of tongues which are known earthly languages (Rev. Wade drops this bomb at the end without proof or even discussion.)
I know this can be a hard lesson for us. I have been there. Something always struck me as off when someone would start elevating their voice to speak something no one could understand. We all stretched out our arms assuming it was from God but it wasn't. While tongues may not be the most straightforward topic in the bible it is not unclear. We have the gift of tongues which are known earthly languages (Rev. Wade drops this bomb at the end without proof or even discussion.)
and this gift is only apportioned as the spirit allows. We have an intercession on our behalf during private prayer time by the Holy Spirit but this is described as groanings too deep for words. What we see manifest in churches today is neither of these and should be removed from our services. What Vladimir Savchuk posits here should be anathema to Christians. We cannot teach the gifts of the spirit or how to mimic the intercession of the Holy Ghost. The sin of Lucifer. The sin of Eve. Stop trying to be God. The job is taken.
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