I think the main point this author desires to convey is in this quote:
“God desires to lead you out of a walk dominated by the flesh into a walk of maturity and sonship. This is His priority, and it is your option. You have to choose to accept the leadership of the Holy Spirit. You have to choose to walk out of a life dominated by the flesh and into a life dominated by the Spirit."
I believe Roberson has written with pure motives in sincerity but there are some glaring misconceptions, even fallacies, that seem to be borne out of his own experiences. His experiences do not necessitate that others have those same types of experiences, although he indices that it does. A problem with Roberson's arguments are that he seems to be adding to Scripture, though he presents it as revelation. Roberson says never to take scriptures out of context but this is consistently done throughout the book. There are a host of other problematic teachings in the book.
Let me state that I am a Christian with a B.A. in Humanities/ Religious studies and an M.Div. That can mean little to nothing in many cases. That said, I have taken the study of the Holy Spirit and glossolalia (speaking in tongues) seriously for years. Thus, I am not just blasting this book and the author but I am quite uncomfortable with some of what is taught and given as scriptural interpretation. As an aside, I believe speaking in tongues is valid and scriptural and I have also experienced it.
It is impossible to go into all of the points that are troublesome and explain the whys. I will list a few with reasons and you can read the book for yourself and search the Bible and arrive at your own conclusions. The author does write from an experiential perspective rather than scholarly. That is acceptable for his purposes, in that he wants to encourage people. But it is difficult to make a case for a misunderstood concept without some scholarly research.
Roberson uses the King James Version of the Bible as textual reference.
KJV employs archaic words due the available source material and the EngliSh spoken during the 1500s.. As an aside, the King James Version is at minimum 80% William Tyndale's translation from the early 1500's. This is not the platform to argue for or against the KJV. It is just that for a book written for the lay person, or a new Christian, unbeliever, etc., it would be better to use word that are conducive to the reader's understanding to validate the arguments.
Here are other (not all) points of concern :
- In the beginning of his ministry or walk with God, Roberson quits his paying job to spend hours in prayer. This is a noble quest (one wonders how bills were paid). He spends 8 hours a day and prays for whatever he can think of to pray for. One day Roberson decides to switch to praying in tongues for those 8 hours. Roberson equates this with praying in the spirit. The apostle Paul says to pray in the spirit, as it is one's innermost being, 1 Corinthians 14. Your spirit is what communes with the Holy Spirit, which is God. Earlier in the Corinthians passage Paul says the mind is unfruitful with words that are in tongues. This doesn't mean praying in tongues is useless, as it builds the spirit in areas such as developing reliance and strength in God. Additionally, Paul clearly says that he will pray with understanding. It can be ascertained, then, that we should pray, in tandem, in tongues and in one's own tongue. Both can be praying by the Spirit of God Praying in the Spirit is not blanking your mind out.
Much of Roberson's zeal and understanding has as its root, at the least, a three months experience of locking himself in a small closet type room, praying only in tongues for eight hours a day. He did not pray with his understanding. This is concerning. He says, “From reading the Word, I had learned that my prayer language was given for my edification and that I could pray out mysteries, but I didn’t have a grasp of what those truths really meant. Still, I was determined that if it was possible for me to edify myself by praying in tongues until my mind was able to receive divine mysteries, that was what I was going to do." This makes sense in theory, but the practice thereof, unless God would lay one out under such a spiritual force for some purpose for eight hours (not impossible but not common), should be questioned and pondered.
Praying in tongues can edify the individual and revelation may be given as a result. I believe the Holy Spirit is using one to speak mysteries out of the Spirit world. But one can also pray by unction of the Holy Spirit in their native language, communing with one's own to the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, daily you are to yield to the Holy Spirit and allow your spirit, led by the Holy Spirit, to control the soul (mind, emotion, will). The soul being in submission to the Spirit then guides the actions of the body to yield to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is all done by and with understanding. But, eight hours a day for months of simply speaking, at will, in tongues, is very close to blanking the mind out for all sorts of imaginations to affect the soul and spirit. Remember, Roberson did this at his will not by being swept up in the Holy Spirit, as on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit swooshed upon Believers like the sound of a mighty rushing wind and tongues "of fire" sat upon each one of them. This is not to say that a person must always be in a mystical state to pray in tongues. Still, where is the understanding after 8 hours a day of speaking in tongues, at will, for months? There was no understanding by not praying in English but only in tongues. Roberson says it came afterwards. Paul said I will pray with understanding, not receive it later. This experience of Roberson's is concerning and takin to accounts from cult leaders with private interpretations and divine revelations. The author plainly said that God did not tell him to do this, it was something he purposed to do. There is much more that can be said on this but I will stop.
-Every aspect of the spiritual life seems to be based on speaking and praying long hours in tongues. Tongues are of utmost importance in Roberson's view, as presented in this book. But the Word of God plainly states that knowing God. Is of utmost importance and this happens as we instep with the in our daily lives, as we live our faith. Roberson speaks of people praying regularly three plus hours daily in tongues. One must question when are we supposed to pray with the understanding? Again, I do speak in tongues but I enjoy an ongoing conversation in English with the Lord throughout the day with understanding. I can speak in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance, but it is profitable for me to speak a prayer in my English tongue, say, if I pass a traffic accident as those people need specific prayer.
Daily, we must make our requests known to God in prayer, in our language, with thanksgiving, Philippians 4.6 . My mind and understanding must be involved.
-In explaining gifts of the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12, Roberson teaches that every Christian is given one of those specific gifts. The word "each" is used in the passage in Corinthians but it seems to be used as to those operating in these specific gifts at specific times in a gathering, though perhaps not always in the same gift very time. One does not own these gifts. They are gifts OF the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians says, “to each one is given the MANIFESTATION of the Spirit for the common good. " There are some individuals that are used specifically in one or more gifts and a ministry may ensue because of this, healing, miracles, etc. Indeed, there are gifts of musicianship, special generosity, teaching, et al., besides these particular listed special gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12.
-The author says that the gifts in chapter 12 are manifested by praying in tongues and the more one prays in tongues the next one listed in the passage will be manifested. He teaches that the gifts are progressions and one builds to the other. This is nowhere taught in Scripture. In fact, some peope are given one and some another and that does not mean the person possesses the gift. They may be given it, or used in it, for a specific time or moment while others exclusively operate in one gift. One gift isn't given as better than another. The best gifts are the ones needed at the time. The operation of gifts of the Spirit is not a litmus test for one's own spirituality. These are bestowed by God for the good of all.
- The author teaches that godly, agape, self-sacrificial love as
referred to in 1 Corinthians 13, is basically attained by practicing speaking in tongues and building up to it through theses progressions of the gifts. This is not taught in Scripture, period.
Readers, God is Spirit. He Is Love. When you receive Christ, love abides. You grow in love and by a process of transformation to Christ. This is not by tongues, although tongues can edify in relationship with God and help one in yielding to God. Growing in grace and love comes from transformation, the renewal of the mind, by the Word, Romans 12:2. That will help one to make godly choices. Faith grows by hearing Word, Romans 10:17.
I simply can't continue here with the many concerning teachings presented in this book, but the book and its message are problematic. The author is genuine, his experience is real, but the teaching is flawed.
I gave it 2 stars but the author writes from a seeming genuine motive. He also believes in purity and sincerity and it is written in a folksy style for anyone.
That stated, I would NOT recommend this book to anyone searching for understanding on the topic of glossolalia.
--An excellent book on the topic is:
The Beauty of Spiritual language by Jack Hayford