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Bring Back the Joy --- B B t J . O r g
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THE WALK OF THE SPIRIT--THE WALK OF POWER by Dave
Roberson
(A Book Review by Virginia H. Lane) In my hand, I have a copy of Dave Roberson's book The Walk of the Spirit--The Walk of Power. I could ask myself "What is walking by the Spirit? What does that have to do with Power--and what kind of Power?" A clue is given by the subtitle: The Vital Role of Praying in Tongues. I thought I knew about praying in tongues; see my articles Tongues: Why do I Need it? and Tongues: How do I get it? I now know that there is more to the subject. Not to be taken lightly, it is something that we should indeed make a part of our daily lives and prayers. It is advocated in most Christian circles that Believers should read God's written Word, the Bible, in order to learn about God, Jesus and His plan for mankind. However, the Bible does not necessarily speak to an individual about personal situations. Roberson's premise is that God has a plan for our lives and "tongues" is the method by which the Holy Spirit transfers knowledge of God's plan us to our human spirit. While I state disagreement that God pre-planned every little detail of every person's life eons before the creation of the world, I do believe that God does have a direction and a plan for every person as they appear on the scene, and that he is involved in the on-going details of our lives and if we yield ourselves to him, he will guide us. While we still retain our right to do things our own way, if we are submitting to him, then our desires will become his desires for us. We will want to do the Good Things that he wants for us. My disagreement is with the timing of when God planned the details of our life. I also believe that details of God's plan may have to change and adjust as our free will messes up what he had in mind. But God still knows the beginning from the end because he is taking us there. Where one person fails another succeeds, and God's will marches on. You see if he had planned every detail at the outset, then he would be responsible for all the suffering and he is not. This is consequences of choices made despite God's advice to the contrary! Roberson was a Believer for many years before he was called to full-time ministry. At that point was when he discovered the power of speaking in tongues. As he had quit his full-time secular job, he decided to spend his 8 hour day praying, just as if he was going to work. He prayed about everything he could think of in the first fifteen minutes. Then he switched to praying in tongues. The day dragged--as did future days. However, he kept at it. One day a woman asked if he would attend a Bible Study with her. He jumped at the chance to get out of the prayer closet. That day, he reaped the fruit of the prayers. At that study, he received revelation of a woman's ailment and asked if he could pray for her. Her healing was immediate. That evening, she took him back to the church where being led by God, a number of miracles and healings occurred and people were baptized in the Holy Spirit. The experience of that day led to Roberson's quest to understand the benefits of speaking in tongues. The Holy Spirit later told him "you have uncovered a spiritual law: praying in other tongues for your personal edification. That law carries with it an ironclad guarantee to build you up on your most holy faith in your spirit--that part of you from which faith comes." Roberson says "I immediately began to take advantage of what I learned that day. And as I continued to pray in the Spirit and study the Word, more revelation came. But the more I learned, the more I came to realize that speaking in other tongues was not only a spiritual law uncovered; it was also a spiritual foundation upon which everything else regarding spiritual gifts and their operation rested. " Roberson explains (p.38): "The Holy Spirit is a Person just as each of us is a person. When we were born again, we received Him in the creative process that caused us to become new creations. But we didn't receive Him in His fullness until we were baptized in the Holy Ghost. Now He lives inside us, partnering with us in prayer, empowering our lives, and bringing revelation of the Word as we walk in obedience to God." Roberson tells us of the night that he was filled with the Holy Spirit. His chin, mouth and tongue began to quiver. He believes this was the stammering lips of Isaiah 28:11. He ceased fighting the urge to speak out and gave sound to the urging. Not all of us experience receiving it this easily. Some actually have to work at it in faith over time before it starts to flow "naturally", sometimes only a few syllables repeated over and over until eventually it becomes a full language. This language is made up of the supernatural words which the Holy Spirit creates in our spirit. As said above, one reason for speaking in tongues (as a prayer language) is for personal edification. Meaning what? He answers this on page 39. The Holy Spirit brings us revelation knowledge of Jesus and what the Cross signified. We are given spiritual authority, the means by which we "overcome torment, worry, fear, and the hopelessness that can take over our lives when we move from one overwhelming situation to another." And the revelation that comes through our use of tongues gives us power to eliminate character flaws that keep us in opposition to the victory God has for us. Praying in the Spirit, also known as speaking in tongues, goes along with study of the Word. In addition to just reading the written word, through the Spirit, we receive revelation knowledge that illuminates the Word in a way that understanding comes as well as application to our lives. This is not a case of "new truth" but of comprehension of God's Truth. By this revelation from the Holy Spirit, we begin to understand the Mysteries of God. That is, we begin to understand God and his plan for mankind and for ourselves. As mere babes in Christ, we are not able to understand these things but we can as we become mature in Christ and with the Holy Spirit as our prayer partner. We also begin to understand the four different diversities or manifestations of tongues. Roberson clarifies the use of tongues for personal edification, interpretation, intercessional groanings, and as a sign to the unbeliever. Roberson also explains I Corinthians 12:28-29. The question "Do all speak with tongues?" is not an implication that people are meant not to speak in tongues. I leave you to read page 57 to find out the answer. Roberson contends that Satan has removed tongues from the church because it separates us from one of the primary means by which we can learn the mind of Christ. "Prophecy causes the mind of Christ to be manifested collectively into the church. On the other hand, praying in tongues caused the mind of Christ to be manifested in you as an individual, for the Holy spirit will begin to take the mysteries you have been praying before the throne of God and communicate them back to you by revelation. That's why you are edified through praying in tongues!" Through this edification, we begin to change because our spirits are listening to God. We take on the mind of Christ. When these two work together, then our "flesh" has to follow. We realize we have to deal with the root of the problem. When we do, then our carnal flesh must change. I believe that Roberson takes the his comparison of the spirit man to the physical man a little too far when he says that the spirit man has all the body parts of the outer, physical man. However, his point is that the Spirit Man wants to be with God And tongues is the channel through which God communicates with our Spirit Man which is inside our physical man. When our spirit mind knows something, it communicates it with the physical mind. How do we go about having all this happen? Is it just speaking in tongues? No, it's the overall attitude of worship including the use of tongues. In Chapter 14, Roberson suggests dividing prayer time into three parts: 1. Worship and praise (which supplies the sustaining power needed for the duration of our trials, trading our weaknesses for Christ's strength) 2. Confession of God's word (speaking to the "mountains" in our lives that need to be removed--sickness or pain, finances or torment, worry or fear, etc. about our God, not to God about the mountains) 3. Praying in tongues (the supernatural language that not only edifies but supplies revelation knowledge, none of which contradicts scripture) A suggestion is to read the Bible while praying in tongues. When concentrating on a section of scripture, one may receive special revelation. "You see, when you read a book of the Bible over and over, you set yourself up for day-and-night mediation. You are feeding your spirit the raw material that the Holy Ghost needs to illuminate the entire book for you! Eventually the central theme will be born in you. Then all satellite verses will be pulled in , along with the understanding of how they relate to each other." Appendix 1 discusses hindrances to receiving the Baptism of the Holy Ghost which naturally includes speaking in tongues. While from personal experience, I know that immediately speaking in tongues is not the definitive sign that a person has received this baptism, I also believe that tongues is something one should seek to exercise, because they did come with it. Appendix 2 gives a prayer asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit. While I took exception to some of the theology given in this book (probably the product of religious thinking as yet unquestioned by Roberson; we all have areas like this and I could be wrong), I am excited about the overall theme, and many of the details. I learned a lot about speaking in tongues. Roberson explains it in an easily understood fashion that leaves the reader wanting to put thought into action. I highly suggest reading The Walk of the Spirit--The Walk of Power. It can be read online with Adobe Acrobat at http://www.bbtj.org/reviews/materials/WOSWOP.pdf or purchased from Amazon though the link on this page or in the right bar of any page on this web site. |
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