A Pastoral Letter Concerning the Gift of Tongues

A PASTOR'S HEART ON THE GIFT OF TONGUES To My Beloved Congregation at First Harvest, I want to take a moment to speak to you from my heart about something that came up in our recent conversations—the gift of speaking in tongues. As your pastor, I feel the weight of shepherding you toward truth while never making any of you feel "less than" in your walk with the Father. Let me be clear from the start: Speaking in tongues is NOT the evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit. I've written an entire book on this subject, and I stand by every word. The requirement found in Acts 2:38 is simple —repentance, baptism in Yahshua's name, and receiving the Holy Spirit by faith. Nowhere does it say you must speak in tongues to prove you have the Spirit. That doctrine has caused more harm, more pain, and more feelings of spiritual inadequacy than almost any other teaching in modern Pentecostalism. But here's where my heart as your pastor comes in... I Want to PUSH You—Not PUNISH You The Apostle Paul asked a rhetorical question that should settle this matter: "Do all speak in tongues?" The expected answer is "No." Not everyone in Paul's church spoke in tongues, and yet he never questioned whether they had received the Holy Spirit. They were saved. They were filled. They were his brothers and sisters. But in that same breath, Paul also said: "I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all." And he encouraged the believers to "earnestly desire spiritual gifts." So here's what I want you to hear: I'm not going to condemn you if you don't speak in tongues. But I'm also not going to stop encouraging you to seek this beautiful gift. Why I Want You to Have This Gift Sister Jan said something powerful in our conversation: "Who wouldn't want the free gift of speaking in a heavenly language when we know we don't know how to pray?" That's the heart of it. This isn't about proving you're saved. This is about partnering with the Father in prayer when your own words fail you. Romans 8:26 tells us that the Spirit helps us in our weakness, interceding for us with groanings that cannot be uttered in our native tongue. When you don't know what to pray, when the burden is too heavy, when the situation is too complex—your prayer language becomes your lifeline. That's why I wish all of you would speak in tongues. Not because I question your salvation without it, but because I want you to have every tool, every weapon, every gift that the Father offers freely to His children. Overcoming the Fear of the Fake Now, let me address something that holds many of you back—the fear of "faking it." I get it. We've all seen the fake. We've seen people manipulate others with false manifestations. We've seen the counterfeit. And because we've seen the fake, some of you are so afraid of accidentally producing something false that you've completely shut down your participation with the Spirit. But think about this logically: If you're a truth-seeker, walking in obedience to the commandments, pursuing righteousness—why would Satan want to give you a fake gift that you don't even believe is evidence of salvation? You're not in a Pentecostal denomination that makes tongues the litmus test for the Spirit. You're in a Hebrew roots ministry that values truth above experience. And here's another truth: You're not going to hell if you accidentally produce something that wasn't genuine. (Well, you're not going to hell anyway if you're in covenant, but you understand my point.) The Father knows your heart. He sees your sincerity. He honors your seeking. The Holy Spirit is a Gentleman One more thing you need to understand: The Holy Spirit will not force Himself upon you. If you buckle your knees when I pray for you, you're not going to fall. If you clench your jaw and keep your mouth shut, waiting for something to "take over," nothing will happen. The Spirit is a gentleman. He waits for your cooperation. This gift requires participation. It comes as you worship, as you yield, as you open your mouth and let sounds come forth even when they feel strange at first. Many people receive the gift while actively worshipping— moving their lips, using their vocal chords, surrendering their tongue (which Scripture calls our most unruly member). The Father doesn't make His gifts difficult. He just asks for your willingness to let go of control and trust Him. A Practical Word for Seekers If you earnestly desire this gift, I want to encourage you in something specific: When the waters are being troubled in our assembly and you feel His presence—in those moments when the Spirit is moving, when worship is alive, when heaven feels close—find an Elder or our Bishop, someone who HAS the gift, and have faith. Have faith that when they lay their hands upon you, they have the authority to transfer the gift unto you, to stir it up within you just as Paul told Timothy: "Stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands" (2 Timothy 1:6). There is power in the laying on of hands. There is impartation through those who carry the anointing. Don't be shy. Don't wait. When you sense the Spirit moving, position yourself to receive. That's not presumption—that's faith in action. My Heart as Your Pastor So where does this leave us? If you have the gift of tongues—use it freely, thankfully, and often. Paul spoke in tongues more than anyone, and so do I. It's a gift I treasure. If you don't yet have the gift—please don't feel condemned or "less than." You are filled with the Spirit. You are my brother, my sister. You are complete in Yahshua. But I do encourage you to ask, to seek, to be open. The Father gives good gifts to His children, and if you ask Him, He will not give you a stone. And if you've tried and tried and haven't received it yet—your timing is not His timing. Keep seeking. Keep asking. But also keep serving, keep loving, keep walking in truth. Your relationship with the Father is not diminished by the absence of any particular gift. The Bottom Line I want to PUSH you toward every spiritual blessing the Father offers. I want you to have it all—every gift, every fruit, every measure of His Spirit that He desires to pour out. But I will never PUNISH you, shame you, or make you feel like a second-class citizen in the Kingdom because you don't operate in a particular gift. We are family. We are covenant. We are one in Yahshua. And that's what matters most. With love and pastoral care, Pastor Shane Vaughn Founding Apostolic Overseer First Harvest Ministries International "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant... But earnestly desire the best gifts." — 1 Corinthians 12:1, 31