Evidence for Speaking in Tongues: Fanning the Flames of Revival

By Billy Prewitt

If there is one thing that we need, it is a mighty move of the Spirit to revive the Church and sweep countless sinners into the Kingdom. This is ultimately the end goal of Evidence for Speaking in Tongues: Fanning the Flames of Revival. In this book, you will learn answers to these and other questions:

Is the Baptism in the Spirit separate from conversion?
What is the evidence for the Baptism in the Spirit?
Why is speaking in tongues important?
How does a person receive the Baptism in the Spirit?
Why didn't many of the great preachers in history speak in tongues?
What is the difference between praying in tongues and the gift of tongues?
How can I lead my church to experience revival?

Then you will also learn the intimate connection between the Baptism in the Spirit and the spiritual gifts and spiritually empowered ministry. This connection leads to a spiritually empowered Church which in turn leads to revival. If you have ever wondered why you do not see the gifts of the Spirit manifested in your church, then you must read this book. In it, you will read testimonies of modern miracles that will inspire you to believe for miracles around you.

Many people have legitimate questions about the validity of speaking in tongues in the present day. Others, have been dogmatically taught against tongues. In this book, Billy Prewitt, shares from personal experience how to handle criticism related to speaking in tongues. He also answers many of the common arguments that are raised against tongues.

Have you met someone who encountered problems when attempting to receive the Baptism in the Spirit? Pulling from over twenty years of experience, Billy Prewitt also identifies common obstacles that people experience when seeking the Baptism in the Spirit and provides reasonable solutions.

The book also provides helps for leaders that are seeking revival. These inspirational helps include chapters on how to increase faith through study and also in the Church, how to preach toward revival, and a very personal appeal to seek God on a higher level.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Billy Prewitt
• Release date: Sep 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370920495

Billy Prewitt

Billy M. Prewitt holds a PhD in Biblical Studies, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership, a Master of Arts in Theology, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sacred Music. His most recent accomplishments include authoring three Pentecostal Commentaries: Matthew, Galatians, and Acts 1-12. Additionally, along with his professional teaching experience in both the private and public sectors, he has served in the Church as a youth pastor, associate pastor, and currently serves as the pastor of Family Fellowship Church in Lake City, Florida.

Book preview

Evidence for Speaking in Tongues

Fanning the Flames of Revival

by

Billy Prewitt

Published by SpeakToMeToday.com

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2017 by Billy and Rebekah Prewitt

All rights reserved. The use of short quotations or occasional page copying for personal or group study is permitted and encouraged. Other permissions will likely be granted upon request.

Unless noted, all Scripture references are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version.

Please discover these other titles by Billy and Rebekah Prewitt:

You Can Be a Happy Wife by Rebekah Prewitt

Eternal Security: What if John Calvin Was Wrong? by Billy Prewitt

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit by Billy Prewitt

Help! I Am a Teacher! by Billy Prewitt

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4).

C o n t e n t s

Introduction

Chapter 1: Endued With Power

Chapter 2: What Is the Promise of the Father?

Chapter 3: Is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit Separate from Conversion?

Chapter 4: What Is the Evidence for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?

Chapter 5: The Three Functions of Tongues

Chapter 6: The Nature of Tongues

Chapter 7: Why Is Speaking in Tongues so Important

Chapter 8: External Experience

Chapter 9: Internal Experience

Chapter 10: The Prayer of Faith

Chapter 11: Dispensations of the Spirit

Chapter 12: Mighty Men That Didn't Speak in Tongues

Chapter 13: The Baptism as a Gift

Chapter 14: Increasing Faith Through Study

Chapter 15: Increasing Faith in the Church

Chapter 16: Preaching Toward Revival

Chapter 17: A Higher Level of Christian Experience

Chapter 18: How to Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Conclusion

Connect With the Author

Introduction

As I write this book, I am hungry for an outpouring of the Spirit of God fresh and new. If there is one thing that we need it is a mighty move of the Spirit to revive the Church and sweep countless sinners into the Kingdom. It is to this end that I submit to you my findings. I hope that far in addition to bringing understanding, that you will be awakened to a fresh experience with God and that your experience will be contagious.

The materials you are about to read are materials that the Lord has prompted me to study and research for the past fifteen years. Early on in my ministry, I realized that it was of great importance for me to study and understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit. With that aim, the Lord has led me on a wonderful journey of faith and discovery. Ultimately, in the process, I have become convinced that a revival of the Spirit and the charismatic gifts is substantially necessary in the modern American church.

It is my hope and prayer that this material will provide a spark that will ignite into a burning flame of revival. May your heart be a ready tinder box to bring this vision into reality.

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Chapter 1: Endued With Power

As Jesus was preparing to ascend back into Heaven, He said, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8). These are the words that He used to describe the soon coming experience of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The point was simple: Power. The power to live a life of holiness had been already given (John 20:22). This was a new power that was specifically purposed for witness.

Dunamis

The Greek word for power in Acts 1:8 is dunamis. This dunamis power is specifically the power for the miraculous. Jesus had demonstrated this kind of power throughout His ministry and was basically telling the disciples, Now, it is your turn. The context in which the power was given is witness. This power, though enormously personally edifying, is primarily for the advancement of the Kingdom. The Book of Acts is literally a commentary on this power. The displays of power are the mark of the entire narrative. The persons involved were supernaturally gifted with this power and Acts is the living record. What happens when this kind of power is displayed? Well, we could almost turn to any chapter in Acts to find the answer. We will look at a few examples just to prove the point.

Once when Peter was traveling around the various districts of the Church, he paid a visit to a town called Lydda. When he arrived, he found a man named Aeneas that had been paralyzed for eight years. Apparently, without any hesitation, Peter said to Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole (Acts 9:34), and just like that, the man was completely healed. How hard do you think it was for Peter to convince the residents of Lydda that the resurrection of Jesus was real? Many of them probably knew Aeneas. Many of them had probably cared for him and helped his family over and over again. The Biblical record does not say that Peter preached, but I would imagine he probably did while he was there. Just imagine the sermon. Peter stands up, points to Aeneas who is also standing up. Peter says, Jesus did that. Does anyone here want to get saved? Even if we are adding a little to the text here, the result is nothing surprising. Over and again, when people saw what Jesus could do, they were ready to hear what Jesus had to say. The Bible records their reaction: And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him [Aeneas], and turned to the Lord (Acts 9:35).

On Paul’s first missionary journey, he was faced with a direct confrontation with a sorcerer named Barjesus. Apparently, this man’s tactics were persuasive and effective. He was no match for the Spirit-filled apostle, however. Paul rebuked him soundly and then told the man he would immediately go blind, and immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness (Acts 13:11). Now that is a sermon! Again, Paul could have said, Now that you see what Jesus can do, what do you think? The demonstration of power cleared up the confusion in short order. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord (Acts 13:12). Again, we see the same result as Peter had. There was a demonstration of God’s power and immediate kingdom advancement.

Although much of the Book of Acts concentrates on Peter and Paul, these supernatural displays of power were not limited to them. All of the Apostles performed miracles (Acts 2:43). Not only Apostles but also Stephen (Acts 6:8) and Philip (Acts 8:6) performed miracles. It is readily assumed that signs and wonders followed wherever the Gospel was preached regardless of who was doing the preaching (Mark 16:20). There was simply too much charismatic phenomena to record all of it, and as a result, people turned to God. The miracles took place, the power of God was demonstrated, and the conversion of souls resulted.

For those that are concerned about using the Book of Acts as a pattern for practice, Paul made sure to include this concept in his instructional material. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). Paul recognized the necessity, the absolute vitality, of a demonstration of power in the presentation of the Gospel.

Modern Miracles

Many people claim that God does not do miracles in the modern day. Well, just because He hasn’t done one in their church, does not mean that He can’t or won’t if people will have faith to believe. God still operates in the miraculous. He never stopped, and never will. He is a miracle working God. He loves to show His power and bring to our remembrance example after example of the demonstrations. Just look through the Old Testament at how many times God reminds the people of Creation and the crossing of the Red Sea.

Within the last few years, a pastor who is a very close friend of mine related this story. He had recently spent time with a close friend of his that is a pastor of a church in South America. This man’s denomination traditionally does not believe in tongues, healings, or any such like gifts, yet this man received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with evidential tongues. Shortly after his experience, there were two blind girls that came to his church and were healed of their blindness. His denominational leaders looked into the matter and like the Sadducees in Acts 4:14, they could not refute the evidence that a miracle had taken place.

Now, I know that we live in a day of gimmicks, fakes, phonies, and everything else. We have heard and seen so many healers that operate with questionable methods and poor motives that it is sometimes hard to believe something real when you hear it. Even so, I am going to list a few miraculous events that have happened in modern times. In each of these events, I was either a direct witness or personally know the person that was. None of these examples come from hyper-exaggeration oriented people.

I have a close friend that was healed of skin cancer. He had skin cancer on his nose and had already gone through a few procedures. I saw the problem myself. His nose was a mess. Cancer had been confirmed and the problem wasn’t going away, that is till he visited a church that was experiencing revival. They prayed for him, and the cancer was gone. He went to his doctor who was skeptical and insisted he do another biopsy. When the biopsy came out negative, the doctor didn’t have any other choice but to admit that a miracle had happened. The skin on his nose healed up gradually after the cancer was healed.

My dad traveled from the United States to India to preach. The crowd was quite large and the Indian pastor told him that he should pray for each person that wanted prayer, so the prayers needed to be brief. People lined up for prayer, and quickly, one by one, he laid his hands on each person. After returning to America, he received this testimony. There had been a man in the congregation that was having significant difficulty with his knee. The doctor had put a pin in his knee, but there were still problems. During that service, the man went forward for prayer concerning the problem. He felt something happen in his knee, and he knew that he was healed. One problem remained. The pin was still in his knee. He wondered what he was going to do about it. The next morning he woke up and found the pin lying in his bed. There was no exit wound.

My mother was at a large convention. She felt impressed to give an utterance in tongues. The size of the gathering was quite intimidating, but she mustered the courage and spoke what she was impressed to speak. The message was then interpreted by a man on the other side of the auditorium. After the meeting, there were two men that came up to her. One of them was not a believer. He was from Italy and spoke the Italian language as well as English. He had questioned his friend as to why the lady had spoken in perfect Italian and another person had said the same thing in English. She had never spoken a word of Italian in her life. Imagine how surprised both she and he were when they learned the facts. As I understand it, that Italian man became a Christian that week.

We used to do outdoor services. On one occasion it was supposed to rain. We looked at each other and wondered what to do. Well, we decided to pray about it and go anyway. I must unfortunately confess, that I doubted somewhat and tried to set up our equipment in a weather safe location. It did not rain. I was happy but terribly disappointed that I had been doubtful. The next chance we got for the same scenario I determined to be confident and trust God. The clouds hung black over us, but we set up our PA equipment, my acoustic guitar, and everything else right out in the open. When I started to preach a mocker yelled, You’re going to get wet. I answered back in the microphone, It won’t rain a drop while we are here. Strangely, there were a few large drops of rain that did fall harmlessly. Maybe those were to test my faith. The downpour started as we left the parking lot. This same situation happened several times, but we never got rained on while doing an outdoor service at that location.

A skeptic could call that a coincidence, but this next one is nothing short of amazing. My father-in-law tells this story. He was a new believer in Guyana, South America. There was a big crusade going on in a stadium, and lots of people were gathered to hear the evangelist. During the service, it was obvious that rain was approaching the area. The evangelist was concerned for the people, the equipment, and everything else. He told the congregation to pray and watch what God would do. That whole stadium watched as the rain approached. They saw the rain divide in the middle. Part of it passed on one side of the stadium and the other part passed on the other side while the entire crowd sat dry in the middle.

Not long ago, a lady came to our church. She was a first time visitor, so I did not know her. She had broken her leg twenty years before and had limped badly ever since. At the end of the service, she requested prayer for her leg. Later that week, we learned that she was completely healed. We also learned later that she had previously gone through surgery on that leg. During the surgery, the doctor put a piece of metal in her and fastened it with screws. She said that she had been able to feel the screws by rubbing her finger across them for the last twenty years. After the healing, she said that she wasn't sure if she could feel them anymore. What happened to those screws?

A young man in prison was diagnosed with liver cancer. He requested prayer. We sent him a prayer cloth anointed with oil and told him to pray as he rubbed the cloth over his liver. When he was sent to the medical facility of the prison to be checked, there was no cancer to be found.

What Do We Do?

I hope that the last section has made you hungry to see the power of God demonstrated in a far greater capacity than you ever have. I am hungry. I have gotten to the point that I just simply can’t be content to do church as usual anymore. I am so tired of endless