1 Corinthians 14:22-25

Though we speak with the tongue of angels…without love we are just noise.

Lord, I lift up these praise-filled words of the psalmist and pray they will become my convictions: "LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance" (Psalm 16:5-6). Lord, help me to find my worth and status in You alone. Allow me to see that I am exactly where You want me to be. In Jesus' name, amen. First5 

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. Franciscan Benediction  

God uses every possible means to communicate with you. The wonders of nature call to you. The promises and the prophecies of Scripture speak to you. God wants to help you find your way home. So when God sends signs, be faithful. Let them lead you to Scripture. As Scripture directs, be humble. Let it lead you to worship. And as you worship the Son, be grateful, because he will lead you home. Max Lucado

1 Corinthians 14:22-25

22 Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe. 23 Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. 25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you. The New King James Version

Paul wanted the Corinthians to serve and benefit each other above all. But instead they had developed the skill of attacking and neglecting each other. The NKJV Study Bible

Tongues are intended to function as a sign of God’s activity. When rightly practiced, tongues have the power to draw people to God. The unbeliever may associate the chaos of the Corinthians’ worship gathering with the practices of the mystery cults…someone who is not knowledgeable about the Christian faith—an unbeliever. 

In prophesy the unbelieving visitor will become aware of his or her sins. The Holy Spirit will convict the unbeliever of sin, so that he or she will turn to God in repentance. Prophecy can reveal what is hidden to people, even the secret things within the heart. Faithlife Study Bible

Daniel 2:47 The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.”

Mark 16:17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

Acts 2:13 Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”