Christ First Forum

Televangelist Juanita Bynum Raises Brows With 'Tongues' Prayer on Facebook
By Nicola Menzie | Christian Post Contributor

Pentecostal televangelist and self-professed prophetess Juanita Bynum has sparked curiosity among some Internet users and the Christian community for several comments on the minister's Facebook page where she appears to type "in tongues."

In a series of posts published on Aug. 17, on one of Bynum's many Facebook pages, the minister typed messages where it was believed by commenters and critics that the she was praying in tongues.

In the first message time stamped 3:57 p.m., it appeared that Juanita Bynum II, the account holder for the Facebook page, started praying for Zachery Tims, the Florida megachurch minister who was found dead in a New York City hotel room on Aug. 12:

GOD WE PRAY FOR THE DESTINY CHURCH FAMILY....WE PRAY FOR THE STRENGTH OF PASTOR RIVA TIMS....MIGHTY GOD...GIVE US STRENGTH.....WE ARE THE BODY THAT FEELS THIS PAIN.....WE ALL FEEL IT.....COVER THE MINDS OF HIS CHILDREN...GRAB THEM UP IN YOUR ARMS LORD JESUS......BE A COMFORT TO THEM.....YOU ARE THE MANY BREASTED ONE....

The prayer continued in a second post with the same time stamp:

YOU ARE THE ROCK AND THE SHIELD AND THE ANCHOR.......WARD OFF ALL THE VULCHERS...WHO WILL COME FOR GREEDY GAIN AND NOT BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HURTING IN THAT CHURCH......SEND THEM HELP FATHER...SEND THEM SPIRITUAL HELP THAT WOULD HELP TO HEAL THEM AND RESTORE THEIR LEGS IN YOU GOD!!!!!

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In the third post, published about a minute later, the "tongues" text started to appear:

GIRD THEM UP IN THE SPIRIT...GIVE THEM A MIND TO PRAY LIKE NEVER BEFORE....WE CALL ON YOU JESUS....YOU ARE OUR HELP AND OUR HOPE!!!!!!!!NDHDIUBGUGTRUCGNRTUGTIGRTIGRGBNRDRGNGGJNRIC YOU ARE OUR HELP AND OUR HOPE....RFSCNGUGHURGVHKTGHDKUNHSTNSVHGN YOU GOD......YOU ARE OUR HELP AND OUR HOPE!!!!!! OUR HOPE IS IN YOU FATHER......OUR STRENGTH FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS IS IN YOU FATHER......HELP US NOW......LORD WE DONT ASK FOR HELP FOR JUST THEM....THIS IS US....THIS IS A PART OF OUR OWN BODY.....

Several prayer posts with intelligible spellings continued to appear and visitors to Bynum's Facebook page began questioning the text.

Bynum's prayer posts soon caught the attention of the media, with one reporter at a spirituality and faith website speculating that the minister was communicating "in tongues."

On one prayer post, visitor Cindy McCraw commented, expressing her agreement.

"I believe it's tongues (holy spirit). It's called praying in the Spirit," McCraw wrote.

Another visitor to the page expressed disbelief.

"Are you typing tongues? Or are my eyes playing tricks on me," questioned Damita Stargell.

Since the prayer posts have appeared, visitors have been debating whether it was possible for a Christian to write or type in tongues, since the Bible only depicts those inspired by the Holy Spirit speaking in tongues.

"I'm not sure about typing in tongues, guys...keep praying though, but let's not type in tongues...that's not even biblical," wrote Jeremiah Givens, adding the hashtag "#allInLove" at the end of his comment.

Other visitors to Bynum's Facebook page were calling for the inexplicable text to be translated, and for the Pentecostal minister to address the speculation that she was typing in tongues.

"God did not tell her to type in tongues...I think every sane/spiritual person knows this to be true... an explanation/interpretation should really be made in order for the confusion and ruckus to cease," wrote Kischa Loree Pena .

Pena continued, "Dr. Bynum...I think you should defend yourself. If the spirit fell so hard that you lost control of your typing, just say so. Too many people are being led astray and fed false teaching/doctrine in a time when a pure and sincere relationship with our heavenly Father is necessary...and I am saddened by these posts."

The Christian Post called the Dr. Juanita Bnyum Ministries Tuesday and asked for a comment regarding the controversial prayer posts. A message was taken but CP was informed by a receptionist that it was unclear if anyone intended to return the call.

Bynum's prayer posts have attracted more than 2,000 "likes" and hundreds of supporting comments.

On the Dr. Juanita Bynum Ministries website, the minister is described as an "International Empowerment Lecturer, Recording Artist, Author, Conference Host and Entrepreneur."

Bynum, whose ministry is based in Atlanta, Ga., gained the attention of the mainstream media in 2007 when her then-husband, Thomas Weeks III, pleaded guilty to physically assaulting her in a hotel parking lot.

A screen capture of one of Bynum's prayer posts is shown below:

http://www.christianpost.com/news/telev ... ook-54779/

I think first of all we can not just say that not anyone can speak in tongues. Some actually do have the gift to speak in tongues. This is a talent that can be called a Spiritual gift. The Holy Spirit of God had the 12 disciple’s speaking in tongues and also Paul could do this.

However even though this may be true for some this is not a gift for all to have. There are other Spiritual gifts that God can allow others to have. If speaking in tongues have a place in the Bible we might ask what wrong has Pentecostal have done?
Well the problem is that Pentecostal believes that one should speak in tongues as it is a requirement to show you are a believer in Christ. They make it more mandatory. They had made it some kind of high priority. This however is a mistranslation on their Religion. The Bible says “You will know my Disciples. They will speak in tongues they pick snakes and eat poison. When Jesus said “You will know His Disciples” He did not mean every believer. But Jesus wanted everyone to know who his 12 disciples were because they would be the early believers to carry forth the Gospel of the Good news. Back in those days no one really heard of Jesus. They did not have news papers, TV and radio to find this out. But by the miracles they could do from the help of the Holy Spirit could show the world who had not heard of God who God was and what God can do.

Today speaking in tongue is a gift only some have. But Paul says that He could and wish others could like He could. But He goes on to say however that it is better to speak five intelligent words than one thousand words that don’t make any sense to anyone. Those speaking in tongues if the others do not understand will not edify the Church unless there is an interpreter to what they are saying. I don’t believe then that so many people are speaking in tongues in the Pentecostal Church. Why that is just plain chaos. What is even worse is the laying their hands on people who end up falling on the floor. They get up saying the Holy Spirit did this to them. Well I tell you that Jesus never did this nor did the Disciples. Laying hands is for praying and asking for God’s healing. What can anyone benefit by falling on the ground? . I believe there are some who speak in tongues that are not really from God. Some may acquire this from Satan himself who knows how to speak lots of languages. Some of those Pentecostal services are just out right spooky.