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The Gift of Tongues

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  First Corinthians chapters 12, 13, and 14 address spiritual gifts, with particular emphasis on guidelines for the proper use of the gift of tongues.   What is the gift of tongues?   This gift empowers a believer to speak in a language previously unknown to them. For example, a person raised in England naturally acquires English as their native tongue through everyday interaction. In the apostolic age, when the gift of tongues was active, that same person might have spoken fluent Arabic, a language completely foreign to them. Because the speaker did not understand Arabic, the content of their speech remained unknown to them. However, if an Arabic speaker were present, they could interpret what was spoken. This interpretation would then benefit the entire church, as outlined in 1 Corinthians 14:27-28. This establishes a crucial point: the unknown tongue is a recognizable earthly language, not a so-called 'heavenly language' as some assert.   Is the gift still pr...

The Extent of God's Grace

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Mat 19:23  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.    Mat 19:24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.    Mat 19:25  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?    Mat 19:26  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.    Everyone desires to emigrate to an ideal country, even though our time on Earth is limited. While the only truly ideal country is in heaven, many people are not seriously applying to go there for various reasons.    One common reason is that they are unsure such a place exists. Some believe that if heaven exists, God's grace will be so extensive that everyone except criminals will be welcomed into His...