Tongues on Fire A TOUCH FROM GOD Ark House Press PO Box 1722, Port Orchard, WA 98366 USA PO Box 1321, Mona Vale NSW 1660 Australia PO Box 318 334, West Harbour, Auckland 0661 New Zealand arkhousepress.com © Pastor Leslie Barnett 2018 No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any way without written permission from: [email protected] .. except in the case of brief quotations for articles and reviews. Cataloguing in Publication Data: Paperback: Title: Tongues on Fire ISBN: 9780648371939 Subjects: Christian Living; Holy Spirit; Other Authors/Contributors: Barnett, Pastor Leslie Design by initiateagency.com Cover photo by Exodus design. OVERVIEW Tongues on Fire are a must-read for those who want to experience the bap- tism of the Holy Spirit with the gift of speaking in tongues. Authored by Pastor Leslie Barnett who writes from experience having been involved in the 1970s “New Prophecy Movement” Pastor Barnett’s story begins with 18th century evangelist John Wesley, who paid heed to visions and supernatural encounters that occurred in the lives of Methodists of his day. Throughout his life he gathered stories of how God was revealing Himself in the lives of His people, and gave much thought to their meaning. The author explains; that when the Holy Spirit was being poured out with the speaking of tongues families were reunited, long-severed friend- ships reconciled and hearts flowed together in true fellowship in the Lord. And even more than that, along with the spirit of unity and love came the spirit of sacrifice and the wondrous spirit of liberty. “But in today’s modern church tongues is considered unnecessary leaving many to question whether or not Mark 16:17 (the hallmarks to Pentecostalism) should be deemed ‘spurious’ in many modern Bibles. This has led to a noticeable decline in spiritual gifts among Pentecostal and char- ismatic worship services”— says Pastor Barnett. Leslie explains how the New Apostolic Reform movement is caus- ing a schism within the Assemblies of God churches prompting concern that this may emulate the second century Montanist movement when prophecy became presumptuous by self appointed apostles, prophets, and prophetesses. Pastor Barnett exposes many who claim to be God’s anointed and dis- misses the notion that a third wave outpouring of the Holy Spirit is very much alive due to the many ethical problems facing the Pentecostal church in our day. To sum up the problem Leslie had this to say: “The very soul of Christ’s church, embodied in prophetic utterances, discernment, worship, healing, deliverance, and hospitality has slowly diminished leaving a lifeless institutionalised religion with highly paid works of men.” (2 Timothy 3: 1-3). Of special interest is chapter seventeen were Pastor Barnett provides a spiritual explanation as to why Brett Peter Cowen was involved in one of Australia’s most horrendous crimes against Daniel Morcombe and how it may have been avoided. And in chapter twenty five how a couple survived 9/11 by obeying God rather than man. Last but not least is chapter thirty three which is dedicated to “the Mysterious Messengers”-the angels of God, who have played a vital role in producing this work. A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR Dear brethren, welcome to the world of apologetics. By choosing this pub- lication you must be a person who is searching for answers. I commend you for your curiosity and openness in desiring to learn more about the one true God whom you serve. I pray that that in reading this book your eyes will be open and your ears attuned in unveiling of the mysteries of the Godhead bodily. The King James Version of Mathew 13:16 puts it nicely; “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear”. Disclaimer: Regardless of whether you are an advocate or a critic of Pentecostalism my intention in writing this book isn’t to judge or condemn any religion by exposing what I believe to be theological errors. On the contrary, I have no animosity toward my fellow Christians, only gratitude for the opportunity to learn from their many diverse tenets. Pastor: Leslie Barnett. “Thank you, Pastor Leslie, for the encouragement and teaching on true prayer. Praying without ceasing --some days I seem to be doing that, as you describe.” —Christina, of Adelaide SA Australia. “The church is a training ground? -It sure is!” Pastor Barnett I am going to read your book a second time. I personally am being led deeper into the Spirit of Pentecost. I can’t explain this to family and friends. Your book has given me much to think over. I attend an AOG megachurch. But where has their public acknowledgement of the ministry of the Spirit gone?” —Pastor Dan, of Minnesota USA. “I love the prayer lines—it is wonderful to pray, occasionally in tongues, with anonymous brothers and sisters in Christ.” —Peter, of Sydney Australia. Contents Chapter 1 Technology the Age of Knowledge .....................................1 Chapter 2 Can the Church Ever Unite? ..............................................4 Chapter 3 Tongues – The Sign of a Believer ........................................6 Chapter 4 What Cessationists Say About Tongues .............................10 Chapter 5 Are Apostles / Prophets Relevant to the Church? ..............17 Chapter 6 Seven Facts about the New Prophecy Experience ..............37 Chapter 7 Codex Sinaiticus Denies Tongues ....................................41 Chapter 8 Is Speaking in Tongues Demonic? .....................................46 Chapter 9 The Spiritual Awakening ..................................................50 Chapter 10 God’s Full Measure Flourished ..........................................55 Chapter 11 Are Anointed Gifts Irrevocable? ........................................60 Chapter 12 Who are Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing .................................64 Chapter 13 Where is the Perfect Church? ............................................68 Chapter 14 Institutionalised Church Vs. Home Church .....................73 Chapter 15 Testing the Spirits .............................................................84 Chapter 16 Can a Church Become Contaminated? .............................88 Chapter 17 Using the Gift of Discernment .........................................92 Chapter 18 Where is the Third Wave Outpouring? ..........................100 Chapter 19 The Counterfeit Tongue .................................................108 Chapter 20 Who Needs God When You Have Money! ....................112 Chapter 21 Televangelists are Celebrities ...........................................117 Chapter 22 Can the Pulpit be Questioned? .......................................123 Chapter 23 Paper Not People ............................................................133 Chapter 24 Is Suffering a Christian Virtue? .......................................137 Chapter 25 Teachers Vs Facilitators ...................................................143 Chapter 26 Can a Christian Suffer from Anxiety? .............................150 Chapter 27 Does God Have a Sense of Humour? ..............................155 Chapter 28 Touch Me Not! ...............................................................163 Chapter 29 Can the Body of Christ Suffer? .......................................167 Chapter 30 Humility Builds Faith .....................................................170 Chapter 31 How should a Christian Tithe? .......................................173 Chapter 32 Healing and Deliverance .................................................181 Chapter 33 My Encounter with an Angel ..........................................192 Chapter 34 Conclusion ..................................................................... 200 Chapter 35 About the Author..............................................................207 CHAPTER 1 Technology the Age of Knowledge Dear brethren, would you not agree that in this technological age of knowl- edge and enlightenment, ignorance can be no excuse for anyone who is literate? (Ephesians 5:7) As in keeping with the prophecy in Daniel 12:4, starting at Pentecost 33 CE man’s understanding of scripture began to increase. Church histori- ans tell us that early church fathers such as Irenaeus, Tertullian, Eusebius, Chrysostom of Constantinople and Augustine of Hippo were among many who experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit speaking in tongues in accordance with 1 Corinthians 14. But by the end of the fifth century due to schism within the church these gifts waned. It was during this period of time that due to the lack of scholarship, textual flaws in the reproductive process of the original text lead to erroneous interpretations which con- tinued on into the medieval period. Many of these errors became dogmas rendered from the apocrypha and the infamous Alexandrian text which, according to church law, were only available to authorized persons. 1 PAStor LESLIE Barnett John Wycliffe defied Catholic law. But in the thirteenth century John Wycliffe defied Catholic law by mak- ing copies of church documents. With the help of his followers, called the Lollards, his assistant, Purvey and many other faithful scribes, Wycliffe pro- duced dozens of English manuscript copies of the scriptures. They were translated from the Latin Vulgate, which was the only source text available to Wycliffe at the time. The Pope was so infuriated by his translation of the Bible into English, that he ordered his bones to be dug-up, crushed, and scattered in the river forty-four years after Wycliffe’s death! Not long after Wycliffe came John Hus who