I am grieved to say that the gifts of the Spirit, words given in a spiritual tongue with an interpretation are the exception and not the norm in Pentecostal churches today because we have rejected it. We think that it might be offensive to a guest, to someone who’s never been to church before.
But we need to explain to them the scriptural basis for this, because Scripture is clear about the instruction for the use of this gift in public services.
We live in a day when the church does not want the spiritual gifts operating and it offends God and makes Him feel rejected, so He doesn’t manifest His presence as He did at one time because He’s offended!
How would you feel if you called a friend, but every time he picked up the phone he heard your voice and hung up on you; and each time you called back he hung up every time he heard your voice?
This is what we do to God when we shut down the prophetic word, and tongue and interpretation in our services! We shut Him down and reject Him, and by that we are offending Him!
And He will only take it for so long before He’ll stop manifesting His presence because He knows that you don’t really want Him.
It’s time to wake up, Church!
God is really offended by how we’re doing church in America right now.
But there is something else that offends and deeply grieves Him.
Dr. F. Dean Hackett has served in full-time Christian ministry since October 1971. He has ministered throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, serving as pastor, conference speaker and mentor. He has planted four churches, assisted in planting 15 others, and currently serves as lead pastor of Living Faith Church in Hermiston, Oregon. Dr. Hackett founded Spirit Life Ministries International in 2001 to facilitate ministries in Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina and to open a training center for workers in those nations. You can find him at F. Dean Hackett – Foundational, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
