I'm used to oddities when I receive letters, but this was unique in a number of ways.
I have been perusing your website today.At least she was more honest than others. She was straight-forward and admitted that she hadn't seen much. Likely, she was just skimming through a few things until she came across something she didn't like.
I was thrilled to see that we agree on almost everything then...speaking in tongues. I speak in tongues.No, she doesn't. She uses baby gibberish and, perhaps, prances around the room with emotion, but she doesn't speak in tongues as they did in Scripture. She just calls it "speaking in tongues" because of her upbringing.
I am 50 and was given this Gift in my early 20's.I disagree. I think she was given the gift when she was a baby. That's why it's called "baby gibberish."
I was raised in the E.Free churchI must confess that I have no idea "E.Free" means, and frankly, I don't care because it's probably more denominational nonsense.
Denominations Are Unbiblicalattended Bible College, have attended many churches and even a Pentecostal school in Tampa.Again, I appreciate her forthcoming manner because it solved a lot of mysteries without having to deduce much. She's 50. She's attended corrupt seminaries and Pentecostal schools. She has been corrupted with the religious traditions of men, and for someone her junior in age to correct her is simply abhorrent to her, especially when she has been lifted up in the pride of her heart to believe she has special powers from God.
At this point in the letter, I knew she wasn't going to listen to a word I said to her, which leaves us with an interesting conundrum: Why is she writing to me? Why not just move on? The only logical reason she would have to write to me is because she wants me to change my teaching on speaking in tongues so she doesn't have to suffer any rebuke.
Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.
-Pro 15:10It's as simple as that. If there is any other reason for this letter, I invited her to explain it to me, but her one-line offended response told me I hit the nail on the head, and so rather than examine her own foolishness, she choose to attack me to make herself feel justified. This is dime-a-dozen in emails I get.
Shortly after that I left the church for 20 years because all of it left me uneasy. I stopped using my tongues for a long time. Then sometimes I would do it to entertain my daughters when they were young.I was floored when she said this. She claims she received a spiritual gift of speaking in tongues, and then, used it to entertain. She's either not taking the Word of God very seriously, or she thinks that her so-called "spiritual gift" is a joke. Take that philosophy in combination with the pride of having "spiritual powers," and you get a letter like this.
I didn't even teach them about God because I just didn't know... I lost my faith. I felt grieved but one cannot force faith.See what I mean? She claims she had "lost her faith," but still spoke in tongues to entertain her children, which requires faith. There are so many contradictory statements in her letter, it's baffling. However, please note that Janna would absolutely REFUSE to accept what I taught for a very important reason: If what I am teaching is correct according to God's Word, then she would have to be humbled to admit she had embarrassed herself repeatedly in front of her family, and based on the short letters she sent me, I don't think that's going to happen.
This also gives me some indication that she's never come to repentance of her sins. I'm not sure about that because the information in this letter is limited, but pride and humility are polar opposites, which means she probably needs to read this more than anything:
Why Millions of Believers on Jesus Are Going to HellThen because I was an activist against industrial wind I found myself walking in San Francisco in the Spring of 2019 and God dropped Romans 1:25 in my heart. It was a seed that grew mighty. My daughters and my husband now believe. My faith in Him and His Word is my measure for everything.So she claims she was raised with faith in God through Pentecostalism, then lost faith in God. I would argue there was no faith there because Pentecostals worship a false god. But then... what brought her to faith was activism against "industrial wind," which I am assuming is not industrial flatulence, but rather, against the wind turbines. As much as I am against wind turbines (because they are inefficient, spending more than you get, and a blight on the local ecology), geopolitical "activism" doesn't save people, or Jesus would have recommended the apostles go out and do that to save souls.
I use my Gift of tongues when I am alone and when I don't have the words.Strange... when I'm alone and I don't have words, I just shut up. Seems like the logical solution.
I don't know why she feels the need to keep talking at that point.
I have, at times, been able to find peace when my head is full of so many thought and words that I can't keep them straight. It is like my spirit speaks words from my heart directly to Him yet bypasses my head.Hold on. You just said you don't have the words, but then said that your head is full of so many thoughts and words that you can't keep them straight. Well, a normal person would take a deep breath, calm down, and start with one at a time.
My contention is that she thinks that, while she is confused, God can't help her out in English, a language she understands.
I have seen this gift misused greatly in the church and have known people who would pretend to have this Gift to be accepted in certain circles.I have no doubt that she's seen baby gibberish misused. I've seen it misused too, and it keeps parents up when they would like to get another hour of sleep.
You seem to think tongues are "gibberish" but I listen to mine and they are defined.This shows me that she read the title of my article, and wrote me this email. She didn't read it or listen to the teaching. They love to act like they're open to hearing things and reasoning together, at least, in the first letter. Then, once their philosophy and intentions have been challenged, we get to see a new side of them.
My mind can think during them. I can sing with them. Now they are almost normal and I will use them almost offhandedly while I am thinking of the things of God.Babies can think when they do it too. Babies sing with it too. When the Pentecostals summon up their demonic spirits to do it, it's not as if they lose their ability to think, and they sing with it as well. I don't know what point she's trying to make here.
That is my testimony of that. Obviously, you do not have to believe me but please do not throw it away because of the sin of others. Please talk to the Spirit and reconsider your stance.I repeated this line back to her and she got upset. Maybe she shouldn't dish out what she can't take.
But one difference I want everyone to notice is that when she wrote to me, she said to "talk to the Spirit," but when I wrote to her, I told her to talk to the Lord God and search the Scriptures.
HUGE DIFFERENCE. Essentially, she wanted me to get a Joseph-Smith-style "feeling in the bosom" like she does, because that's what the Pentecostals taught her to do, and thus, the god she is worshiping is the emotions of her heart, not based on the written Word of God and His instruction to us.
Thanks for all your great information, your words have blessed me!What? She only skimmed through a few things in a short amount of time in one day. Based on how quickly she turned on me, I am almost fully convinced this was just some flattering words. To me, it's sickening when people offer flattery, especially when done deceitfully like this.
They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
-Psa 12:2Let's summarize. Janna wrote this letter to rebuke and correct me. She didn't want to say that, but that's what it was for. However, what was her evidence for correction? Did she quote me and then quote the Scriptures to correct me? Nope. She offered her feelings, and that tells us everything we need to know about what she really worships.
Remember, doing the right thing does not always mean that you will appear "nice" in the eyes of others. Good things can come in packages that seem harmful, and bad things can come in packages that seem wonderful.
But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
-2Co 11:12-15She then signed her name, and said:
This is my real name, real location. I can be Googled because of my activism.Well, since she offered it, and since she makes her name public in a number of articles she's written on the subject (and she's a member of public boards overseeing such matters), her name is Janna Swanson, and here's a sample:
https://www.farmprogress.com/energy/industrial-wind-farms-horrible-nuisanceWhen we read things like this, we never stop and consider that some of these people perform rituals of Satanic gibberish in their households. If she wants to speak gobbledygook to God, she's free to do so (i.e. it is none of my business what you do between you and God personally in your own prayer time), but if Janna wants me to teach that to other people, she'll need to find somewhere else to go. I hope her and her family are well cared for during the rough coming year.