Working On A Building

Have you ever been involved in a new construction?  Building your first house?  The frame work goes up so quickly, doesn't it?  There is a period of time that everything seems to take on new life to the house.  Then it seems like everything slows down to a CRAWL.  That finish work - while important - seems to drag on! The carpenters may have worked all day but when you go in to check on the progress you find yourself thinking, "what did they do today?"  But there were details that needed attention that you may not have realized needed doing.  In fact people have been known to get impatient, move in their home thinking they will finish those last little details, and the little details never get completed.  Have you experienced that?

Last week we looked at how a group of people who were united in thought, purpose, and language came together to build a tower to reach the sky so they could build a name for themselves.  Their purpose went against God's purpose of spreading out and making His Name known.  We can see from looking at this Old Testament account of the first mention of language how important one language was to the building of the tower.  In fact, in order for God's purpose and plans to be fulfilled it became necessary for Him to confuse the languages.

Acts 2 we see the first corporate prayer meeting, at the instruction of Jesus to wait until they received the promise of Holy Spirit.  In 1 Corinthians 10:32 we see there are now 3 people groups: (1) Jews (2) Greeks or Gentiles or unbelievers  and (3) church of God.  At the beginning of the church its building was so important that through Holy Spirit, God released the language of heaven to those who were waiting on Him.  This language of heaven would enable the believers to pray in one language for the building of God's temple.  God's temple on earth being you and I, the church.

I believe as important as the language of heaven was in the beginning of the building of the church, it is ever bit as important in the finishing work of the church.  Holy Spirit is able to pray out mysteries that concern you and I individually, as well as mysteries that will enable the church to be completed as that glorious church with spot or wrinkle.  Because of its importance, satan has brought in deception, lies, doubt, and unbelief to the body of Christ regarding this beautiful language.

I have some dear friends who are bi-lingual.  They speak Korean.  I have another friend who I don't get to see anymore and she speaks Spanish.  Oh how they love Jesus!  I love hearing them talk of Jesus.  But when they speak in Korean or Spanish I am unable to understand that language.  The language sounds strange to me, yet beautiful at the same time.  When I was around Stella it made me want to learn Spanish.

Have you ever been to a Spanish speaking church?  One time my mom and I went to a conference not knowing that it was going to be mostly a Spanish speaking conference.  There was an interpreter, thankfully.  But when the speaker spoke in Spanish, she would say something that was so good the Latinos would erupt in praise and we couldn't hear the English interpretation.    

Have I digressed?  My point is that when we receive the gift from Holy Spirit of a prayer language it enables us to communicate with God at His level so to speak.  We are able to pray in His heavenly language.  It sounds strange to those who have not spoken in tongues before, yet beautiful at the same time.  Praying in tongues enable us to pray in unity with the Father's will, in His language.  Praying in unity with the Father is important to the building of His dwelling place.  His temple.

We know from John 14:16-17 that Jesus referred to us as the place Holy Spirit would come and dwell.  Other scripture references that refer to us as God's building are

• 1 Timothy 3:15, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Hebrews 3:6, Ephesians 2:21-22, 1 Peter 2:5 

Many precious believers in Jesus Christ, who are my brothers and sisters, whom I love dearly, recognize the work of the Holy Spirit.  They know that He has come to live inside of them.  I have learned a great deal from these men and women. I am thankful for how Holy Spirit has used them in my life.

However, many have not understood the purpose or the reason behind the praying in tongues.  Receiving this gift is valuable to the building of each of us individually, as well as corporately.  I believe there is going to be another wave of the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues much like there was at the time of Azua Street and in the 1970's only to a greater degree.  Why?  Because Jesus is coming back.  He will not come back to an unfinished church.  He is coming back for a glorious church without spot or wrinkle.  Somedays to me that seems like an impossibility.  But I know with Jesus all things are possible.  (I AM NOT saying that if you don't speak in tongues you are not part of this building.  Please do not misunderstand what I am saying)  But I do believe this finish work is going to take a supernatural work beyond our natural ability.  It is going to take each of us doing our part of what we can do in the natural along with the working of the Holy Spirit.  I believe praying in tongues is an important part of this building and completion process. 

Today I leave you with this scripture.

"One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself."  (1 Corinthians 14:4)